28. Nakyra
Chapter 28
Nakyra
“ W hat do you think?” Creed asked. He stood with his hands in his pocket in the center of the kitchen and looked around.
“It’s beautiful,” I answered with a slight smile on my face.
I had narrowed down the houses I wanted and today the real estate agent was taking us on a tour. This one was down on The Shore. It was single-level, with four bedrooms, three baths, and a three-car garage. The thing I loved most about this house was the large windows circling the breakfast nook that offered plenty of natural lighting and a view of the water. It had an outdoor sitting area. This house also came with a private beach entrance. It wasn’t as big as my current house, but I think that was what I liked most. It was homey and cozy.
“What do you think?” I faced Creed.
This was the fourth house we had visited, the first two were in Ridge Valley, close to the marina. I wanted to be by the water this time around. It was something I’d wanted when me and Rome were picking out houses, but he was against it.
“I can see you living here. I think out of all the houses we visited, this one screams you the most.”
I grinned and walked toward him. Stopping in front of him, I grabbed his peacoat and tilted my head up.
“And what about you? Can you see yourself living here too?”
Maybe it was too fast and too soon to think about living together, but I didn’t care. I had grown used to living with Creed these past few months and I wasn’t ready to give that up. Plus, if I was being honest, I had no desire to live alone.
Creed looked around then down at me. “This isn’t for me. It’s for you.”
“But it could be for you too, if you want.” I batted my lashes and tucked my bottom lip into my mouth.
A crooked grin appeared on his face. “Nakyra.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
“Maybe.” My smile grew. “If you decide to stay, there’s no reason for you to get your own place when you could just live here. We’ve already figured out we can co-exist together without any issues and I’ll miss our nightly dinners and movie nights.” When Creed didn’t reply, I continued, “You may have noticed I don’t do well alone. I know I’m a little clingy at times, so maybe that plays a small role in this too, but you being here with me would make me happy. This is my fresh start and I want that with you.”
After experiencing the past few weeks, I couldn’t picture not waking up in Creed’s arms every day anymore. Feeling his lips against my forehead first thing in the morning was something I had grown to love. The days he was gone I’d felt empty and couldn’t wait for him to return. Without trying, we had created a beautiful rhythm I didn’t want to lose.
“What are we thinking?” the realtor asked, coming back into the kitchen.
Even if Creed didn’t agree to stay and move in, I was sold on the house. It was more than enough room for Bella. I could take her down to the beach anytime I wanted, for our walks or for her to play. The natural lighting the large windows brought in was something I could wake up to every day and feel peace.
Creed’s eyes searched my face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. My stomach was doing cartwheels anticipating his response. He unwrapped his arms from around me, which made my stomach sink, until one of his arms went back around my waist and he pulled me into his side.
“She wants to make an offer.” My eyes shot up to him and my smile widened.
“Ms. Moon?” the realtor asked.
I faced him and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take it.”
That made him smile. “Great, we can get the paperwork started.”
“Can you give us a minute?” Creed asked.
“Take as long as you need.” He turned and left the kitchen.
Creed surprised me when he bent down and lifted me.
“Creed!”
He moved a couple feet and set me on the island in the center of the kitchen.
“This is gonna be your house.”
“Our house.”
He shook his head. “Nah baby, this is all you. I know Rome basically had the final say in most things in your relationship, but this is your fresh start and chance to live how you want.” He stepped closer. His eyes burned with intensity. “I’m just happy to be the man at your side who gets to see your wings spread.”
His words were simple but they brought tears to my eyes. For years I followed Rome’s lead and hardly ever complained when he wanted things his way. It was easier that way and he always made it seem like since he was the breadwinner he had the final say in most things. As long as I could draw, I was happy. I never asked for much, so Rome always took that as I didn’t care because I was a simple girl who just wanted to be loved correctly. It was easier to go along with what he wanted rather than argue with him. Creed understood that. He understood that my voice had been silenced for so long and now it could finally be heard.
I threw my arms around his neck and locked my legs around his waist. My heart felt like someone had shocked it, sending it into overdrive. A quiver surged through my veins. A wave of overwhelming emotions trampled my insides. My lips slammed into his. I tried to put everything I was feeling into this kiss. The reality of everything was, I wasn’t just falling for Creed anymore. He had come in and dismantled everything I thought I knew about love and reshaped it. I had fallen for him and that scared the shit out of me.
____
After leaving from viewing the house and putting an offer on it, I convinced Creed to stop by the hospital. Rome had been awake for five days now and I had yet to go back to the hospital to see him. Now that I was moving forward and officially starting over, I knew I couldn’t continue to put the inevitable off.
“Just give me a minute to talk to him first, okay?” I told Creed as we approached the room. “I want to—" My words were cut off by yelling coming from Rome’s room. My brows bunched and my nose scrunched. I faced Creed and he looked just as confused as me. I realized it was Rome yelling when we were outside the door.
Placing my hand on Creed’s chest, I gave him a pleading look. “Wait here.”
Uncertainty crossed his face. He shifted his eyes to the room where Rome was still ranting. “Please.” His jaw clenched but he gave me a clipped nod. “Thank you.” I leaned up and kissed his cheek. I knew he wanted to be by my side, but I felt it was best for me to do this alone.
Pushing out a heavy breath, I ignored how my heart was pounding in my chest and stepped into the hospital room.
“Rome, please calm down, honey.” Marisol placed a hand on his arm.
“No.” He yanked his arm out of her grasp. “Someone get the doctor in here now.”
My eyes widened. I had never seen Rome so belligerent before.
“Rome, stop this foolishness right now,” his dad hissed.
Rome’s nostrils flared, his skin flushed red, and he glared at his dad, but stopped yelling.
“I don’t know how many times the doctor has to tell you the same things, but I didn’t sign up to be a nurse and push a grown man in a wheelchair.” My eyes darted to the woman standing on the opposite side of the bed Rome’s parents were on. She wore a bored look on her face. Her mentioning a wheelchair caught my attention. I eyed Rome’s legs.
I squinted, wondering who she was and why she was here.
“Not now, Lauren,” Rome spat.
“Then when, Rome? You throwing a tantrum isn’t going to change anything.”
Rome glared at her. No one had noticed I’d stepped in the room. They were all too busy arguing with each other.
My hands went into my coat pocket and toyed with the engagement ring in it. “Rome,” I called out, stepping away from the door. Everyone quieted and eight eyes fell on me.
Rome’s eyes bucked. “Nakyra, what are you doing here?”
“I’m—” I paused and looked around. Disdain was plastered on his parents’ faces and amusement rested on Lauren’s. “What’s going on? Why are you so upset?”
“This is a family matter, Nakyra, you need to?—”
I cut his mom off. “I’m his fiancée. I am family!” I clutched the ring in my hand.
The girl huffed out a laugh. “Rome, you need to tell her,” she stated.
“Quiet, Lauren!” he spat.
“No! I’ve been quiet! It’s time to reveal the truth. If you don’t, then I will.” She crossed her arms.
“Not now!”
My eyes bounced between Lauren and Rome. Something twisted in my stomach. I licked my lips and swallowed hard.
“We need to talk, Rome,” I told him. “Alone.”
“For God’s sake!” Marisol groaned. “Rome, you need to be focusing on your recovery. Nakyra, whatever you need to speak with him about can wait.”
“No, it can’t.”
My head throbbed. Too much was going on at the moment. All I wanted was to come and end things so I could move on. The last thing I’d anticipated was all this.
Rome gripped his head and winced. “Nakyra, we can talk later.”
I shook my head. Gone was the Nakyra who just pushed things down until later and let them fester. I wasn’t leaving here until I said what I needed to say.
My eyes went to Lauren. “Who are you?”
Her perfectly-arched eyebrows rose. “Are you talking to me?”
“I am. You said Rome needs to tell me something or you will. So tell me.” I had a feeling where this was going but I needed to hear it. So many things were starting to make sense to me.
“Nakyra—”
“I’m Rome’s lover,” the girl stated. “Or rather… I was. I didn’t sign up to be with a handicapped man.” She flicked her long, black hair over her shoulders. Looking at her it wasn’t hard to tell she came from money. Everything on her screamed expensive.
“Lauren!” Rome hissed.
I frozen momentarily and swallowed hard. “How long?”
“Nakyra—”
“How long?” My voice louder this time.
“A year.” Lauren answered.
Blinking slowly I processed what she said. My eyes swivel to his parents. They didn’t look bothered by the confession. “And you two knew.” That was more to myself.
Lauren released an annoyed sigh. “Call me if they can fix your spine.” She turned to leave. Her heels clicked on the tile floor. I stood there stuck, blinking slowly as she strutted past me. The news should have made me feel mad or even sad, but it didn’t. I felt nothing. It was like I was numb to the things that came with dealing with Rome.
“Nakyra.” Rome called my name, bringing my attention to him. I stared at him blankly. He looked agitated. His face was balled up—brows furrowed and cheeks puffed out.
“Where did you meet her? How?”
Agitation filled Rome’s face. “She’s my parent’s best friends daughter. It just happened.” It pissed me off that he didn’t even sound remorseful as he spoke.
I jumped when a hand landed on the small of my back. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Creed. I leaned back into his touch.
“Creed? When did you get here?” his mom asked.
Creed ignored his mom and his breath brushed against my ear as he whispered, “You okay?”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I nodded. “Yeah.”
Confusion passed over Rome’s face when Creed’s arm circled my waist. Naturally, my body melted into his. “What the hell is going on?”
This wasn’t how I’d wanted him to find out about us, but at this point it didn’t matter. I glanced over my shoulder. “One second,” I whispered.
Creed nodded and I pulled out of his hold, stepping toward the bed.
“I came here to get an update on your condition and talk to you about something,” I started, scanning his body. Pulling my hand out of my pocket, I opened it and eyed the ring. “I’m glad you’re okay for the most part, but I can’t do this anymore.” Stepping closer to the bed, I reached for his hand, opening it and placing the ring into it. Rome’s eyes shifted down then darted up to me.
“Oh this is rich,” Deacon grunted. “ You’re breaking up with my son?”
“I am.” My eyes stayed locked on Rome. I backed up until I was close enough for Creed to embrace me again. He kissed the side of my face and rubbed my arm. “I hope you recover quickly. Let’s go.”
There was nothing else left to say. On the way here I had a whole spiel in mind, but now, none of that mattered. Rome had been cheating on me for a year and that was just further indication it was time to move on.
“Are you fucking my brother?!” Rome blurted when we went to leave. I paused.
His mom gasped. “Creed, how could you do that to your own brother?”
“Let’s just go,” I whispered. I didn’t owe Rome anything, not anymore. Creed, however, didn’t feel the same.
He turned and faced his family again. “While it wasn’t planned, I fell in love with Nakyra, and it might be wrong how it happened, but I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Air got caught in my lungs and my pulse quickened. It felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest from how hard it raced.
“I knew you were nothing but trouble the moment my son brought you home. He should have left you in the trash where he found you!” Deacon declared, glaring at me. “And you.” His eyes went to Creed. “You’ve been nothing but a disappointment your whole life. You were so envious of your brother you had to go and sleep with his fiancée while he was in the hospital fighting for his life. You’re a disgrace!”
“Say what you want about me, but don’t talk about her like that!” I grabbed Creed’s arm when he stepped toward his dad. The last thing I wanted was for this to get even more blown up than it was.
“I just learned your son has been cheating on me and you both encouraged it, don’t look down on me for moving on.” I turned to Rome. “I put up with a lot of shit from you for too long. Creed makes me happy and you or your parents won’t make me feel guilty for it.”
“He’s my brother! Uh.” Rome flinched and grabbed his head.
“Rome!” His mom rushed to his side.
“You all can say what you want, but Rome was far from innocent; we all know that. Maybe if you got off your high horses and opened your damn eyes you’d see that he never deserved her. We can go.” Creed grabbed my hand and started for the door.
“Nakyra, if you leave with him, don’t come crawling back to me when he leaves you!” Rome shouted behind us.
I paused. “I was banned from the room because of that woman, right?” The realization was a gut punch but it’s the only thing that made sense.
When no one replied, I got my answer. I looked up at Creed and nodded.
Once we were out of the room and down the hall Creed stopped and looked down at me. “I know you wanted to do that alone, but once I saw that woman leave I couldn’t stand on the sideline. Are you okay?”
With a small smile on my face, I reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m better than okay. Let’s go,” I told him truthfully.
It might have been a shit show in the room, but breaking things off and revealing the truth about me and Creed had me feeling lighter than I had in a long time.