29. Creed

Chapter 29

Creed

N akyra sat in front of me, silently staring down at her hands. When we got to the house I sat her down and revealed to her what I’d learned about the accident. Since she learned about the girl he was dealing with, I felt it was time for her to learn everything.

“Why tell me now?” she finally answered, lifting her eyes to my face. Her brow scrunched and a tremor touched her full lips.

“I didn’t want that news to sway anything when it came to us. I found out about everything around the time I realized I was developing feelings for you. My intentions were never to come to town and shake your life up either. It was selfish of me to keep it from you, I know that, but I felt like you should make the decision to leave Rome on your own and not based on what I told you.”

Her lips pressed together and she swallowed hard. For a long moment she stared at me, blinking slowly.

“I knew he was cheating, or rather, that he cheated,” Nakyra confessed, surprising me. This was the first time she had brought up anything involving infidelity in her relationship. Her head lifted and she stared at the ceiling before pushing out an exasperated breath. “A couple months before his accident I caught him attached to his phone more than normal. He would take calls randomly then leave the room and start whispering to whoever was on the other end of the phone. I didn’t know the passcode to his phone, so I was unable to go through it, but one day I got smart and asked to use his laptop, making up an excuse as to why I couldn’t use mine. I don’t think Rome realized his phone and laptop were synced, so his messages, calls, and all that could be seen from either device.” Her gaze fell back on me, her eyes void of any emotion.

“I didn’t know who he was texting but it was clear it was a woman and he had been seeing her. When I confronted Rome, he flipped it on me at first, upset that I’d invaded his privacy and complaining that I didn’t trust him. I’m not ashamed to say Rome gaslit me a lot and I accepted too much from him, but this time I didn’t. When he realized I wasn’t letting up, he became apologetic and told me it happened one time and the woman was trying to blackmail him.” A low chuckle fell from her mouth. “Truthfully, I don’t know if I believed him, but I accepted it because I didn’t want to believe my fiancé would cheat on me months away from our wedding. One day I was having brunch with your mom and I mentioned the cheating, needing someone to talk to. If I told Summer, she would make the situation ten times worse because she hated your brother.” She paused and got lost in thought for a second. “Anyway, I mentioned it to your mom and do you know what she told me?’ Nakyra didn’t wait for me to answer. “She told me that’s something men did from time to time, especially a man of Rome’s stature. That it’s better he got it out the way now rather than after the wedding.”

Nakyra choked out a laugh. Her lips thinned and her eyes sharpened. “Can you believe that? She basically told me to suck it up and accept it. Told me not to be so sensitive or my marriage would never survive.” Her hands went through her braids before they balled into fists. “I was so stupid. I don’t know why that wasn’t my final straw. Seeing that woman today and finding out the two of them have been having an affair and your parents knew didn’t surprise me, but I can’t lie and say it didn’t sting too.”

“Damn,” I expressed. It didn’t shock me that my mom brushed off Rome’s cheating. She never held my brother accountable for anything he did, neither of my parents did. I felt for Nakyra. All she wanted was for someone to love her. She held onto something she never should have just for the sake of having someone. “Do you regret being with him?”

Nakyra opened her mouth but closed it immediately after. “I don’t know.” Her brows furrowed as she squinted. “Not everything with Rome was bad. I think more than anything I regret not having the strength to leave and staying for as long as I did.”

Blinking slowly, her eyes grew guarded. “I’m scared. Every time something good happens in my life I feel like something happens to snatch it away from me. I don’t even know if I can trust how I feel anymore. At the hospital you admitted you loved me. Did you mean it?”

Reaching out, I grabbed both of her hands. “You should know by now I don’t say shit I don’t mean. I’m not in the field of breaking hearts, leading anyone on, and telling meaningless lies. I love that you have every reason in the world to be jaded but you never let your situation or circumstances harden you and turn you into someone you’re not.”

Slowly, the corners of her mouth grew into a shaky smile. “I meant it too. I love you, Creed. Also thank you.”

“For what?”

“Defending me today. For going above and beyond for me these past couple months. For just being you.”

It was easy to fall for Nakyra and the sad thing was I didn’t even think she realized it. Her light had been reduced her whole life and it was time for it to finally shine bright. I wanted to never give her a reason to doubt my intentions with her and trust all I wanted to do was build with her and love her correctly.

Nakyra pulled her hands out of my grasp. She stood and walked over to me, climbing on top of my lap, facing me. Energy rippled between us. Her lips turned up into a graceful smile. My stomach exploded with passionate heat seeing the twinkle forming in her eyes. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she pressed her body into mine.

“You are an amazing man, Creed. It’s hard to believe you turned out like you did considering how you grew up, but I’m lucky you did and happy you came into my life when you did. Even if things with us don’t work out, I’ll always remember what it feels like to finally be put first.”

Nakyra moved in, placing her lips on mine. The kiss was like soldering heat that joins metal, unrushed and sweet. Blood shot down to my dick as my mouth opened and our tongues intertwined. My heart thundered in my ears.

It didn’t matter to me how we got here and who didn’t agree with us being together. As long as the two of us were on the same page, everyone else could go fuck themselves.

____

A week had passed since everything happened at the hospital. I learned my brother had been transferred to a private rehabilitation facility and would be here for the next six weeks from what I understood.

I clipped my visitor’s pass onto the belt loop of my pants as I followed the nurse leading me to Rome’s room. While I didn’t feel guilty about being with Nakyra, I thought I might try to ease things with us. We’d never had a horrible relationship. It wasn’t the best, but I loved my brother regardless.

“Here you are,” the nurse stated, turning to me.

“Thanks.”

She turned and walked away while I approached the door, knocking on it and waiting a second before opening it.

“I said I didn’t want to be bothered!” Rome complained.

“I didn’t get the memo.” I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.

From what I understood he had some spinal injury that caused him to be paralyzed. The doctors didn’t believe it was permanent but it would take time for him to recover. He was now in a wheelchair but for how long was unknown.

“What are you doing here?” Rome was staring out the large window near his bed. He reversed his chair then turned and faced me. “Came to steal something else from me,” he sneered, curling his top lip up.

My brother was noticeably thinner than I remembered which was understandable after being in a coma for three and a half months.

“I thought we could talk.” My hands went into my coat pockets. I stayed close to the door.

His face hardened. “We don’t have anything to talk about, little brother. You took advantage of me being in a coma. I always knew you secretly wanted my life.”

A guttural laugh fell from my mouth. “Me getting with Nakyra had nothing to do with wanting your life.”

He rolled his chair closer to me with a clenched jaw. “Then why? Why would you go behind my back and sleep with my fiancée? Does blood mean nothing to you?”

I cleared my throat and crossed my arms over my chest. “Things with me and Nakyra just happened. Neither of us expected to fall for the other, but it happened. I came here to try and clear the air but obviously it’s too soon.”

He snorted. “Nakyra was so desperate for love when I first got with her that anyone who smiled at her could’ve grabbed her attention. For the past eight years I’ve molded her into the perfect woman for me. It wasn’t hard honestly. She’s a weak woman. Honestly, the only reason I was going forward with this wedding was because Nakyra hardly ever gave me lip and was easy to manipulate.” He shrugged.

His words sent fire through my veins and made my blood boil. “Watch your fucking mouth,” I gritted. My eyes narrowed. A burning formed in my throat.

Rome grinned. Mirth passed through his eyes. “You really fell for her huh, baby bro? Mom and Dad always told me she wasn’t good enough for me, but it was fun slumming it up for a while. I understand why you hang out with those low lives you do. No wonder Dad had no plans of bringing you into the business.”

I slowly dragged my tongue across my top teeth and leveled a stare at my older brother. When we were younger I used to always want to be around him. I was a lonely kid so I expected us to stick together. The older I got, the more I realized how wrong I was. It was clear he was more like our parents. He used people and saw them as pawns.

“You know, when I got the call that you were in an accident and I flew over here, I felt bad when I first stepped inside your hospital room. That weak woman you were playing was distraught, and I knew Mom and Dad weren’t going to be there for her, so I decided to stay. At the end of the day, like you said, we’re blood. The more I was around Nakyra, and she told me about your relationship, I started to see you didn’t love nor deserve her.” Rome’s mouth twitched. “It doesn’t matter though; your karma is being in that chair now. From what it sounded like, your mistress doesn’t plan on staying around. Even if you do make it out that chair, you’ll never be happy, not truly. Even without being brought into the business as you say, I made something of myself without Mommy and Daddy handing me shit. At the end of the day you’re a little spoiled child, stuck in a grown man’s body.”

Rome’s nostrils flared, his cheeks puffed, and his lips thinned tightly.

“Get out,” he demanded. “Get the hell out and don’t come back here.”

I smirked. “Trust me, you don’t gotta worry about that.” I turned to leave.

“And tell that gold digger whore to get the hell out of my house! She can live on the streets for all I care.” I paused mid-grab for the door handle. Closing my eyes and mentally counting to ten, I pushed out a heavy breath.

“Did that upset you?” He laughed. “Mom and Dad told me all she wanted was my money! I guess when the big brother was out of commission she figured the little brother would do.”

Wetting my lips, I rolled my head between my shoulders then turned on my heels to face my brother again. I started for him slowly.

“You want to hit me, don’t you? Go ahead. I’ll sue the hell out of you and take everything you’re worth.” He was talking boldly but his eyes showed fear.

Ignoring him, I walked around the chair and grabbed the handles, tipping it forward. Rome wasn’t worth me losing everything I’d worked for by putting my hands on him, no matter how much I wanted to.

“What the fuck!” he grunted, landing on the ground with a thump.

“Lay there and think about your actions, big brother.”

I stepped around him and headed for the door.

“Creed!” He grabbed my pants leg but I kicked my leg free. “You can’t just leave me on the ground! Creed!”

I ignored him and this time grabbed the doorknob, stepping out of the room and closing it behind me. Rome’s faint yells grew quieter the further I got from his room. Today was the day I officially wiped my hands with all my family without any lingering guilt.

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