Chapter 19 #2
“That good, huh?” Shyriq teased.
Her eyes peeled open. “Listen. You don’t even understand.”
She ate another bite and clumsily got some of the sauce on her exposed chest. Shyriq reached across the table without thinking and used his linen to swipe away the sauce.
Nhuri’s breath hitched as he casually sat back in his seat.
The simple gesture sent a wave of heat through her while he looked as composed as ever.
She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said and winked. “Want more wine?”
All Nhuri could do was nod. He poured her another glass, and the courses kept coming. She couldn’t believe how each dish was more incredible than the last. By the time dessert arrived, Nhuri couldn’t imagine there was more. She leaned back in her chair, shaking her head.
“I can’t eat another bite. But I’m about to anyway.”
Shyriq chuckled, watching her take a delicate forkful of tiramisu.
He was happy to see her smiling. The rest he mentioned her getting when they first met seemed to have benefitted her.
She was glowing more and had this new attitude about her that Shyriq loved.
Still, he wanted to know what it was from her past that had her so guarded.
He wouldn’t bring that up tonight and ruin the mood, but eventually, he’d get around to asking. As the night progressed and their conversation flowed, he reached into his pocket. Nhuri’s brows pinched as he pulled out a small box and slid it across the table toward her.
She blinked. “What’s this?”
“Open it and find out.”
Nhuri lifted the lid, and her eyes twinkled as she took in the delicate gold bracelet. Hanging from it was a tiny pasta fork charm. Laughing, she unhooked it and ran it through her fingertips.
“You really got me a pasta fork charm?” she asked, grinning at him.
He shrugged, that signature smirk playing on his lips. “Had to make sure you always had a reminder of tonight.”
Nhuri swallowed past the warmth blooming in her chest. This man . . . He was different. Thoughtful in a way that went beyond words. She reached across the table, intertwining their fingers.
“I don’t need a charm to remember this,” she murmured, holding his gaze. “You made tonight more memorable than you can imagine.”
His thumb brushed over her knuckles. “Yeah? So I get another date tomorrow?”
She chuckled and squeezed his hand. “Only if you take me to The Spot. I miss those waffles already.”
Chuckling, Shyriq nodded. “I got you, baby.”
The endearment slid from his lips easily and surprisingly, didn’t stun Nhuri.
She actually wanted to hear him say it more.
It sounded good. When dinner ended, Nhuri was sure to grab Torin’s contact information.
Learning that she was an award-winning chef with her own seasoning collection in stores worldwide, plus several other accomplishments, brought Nhuri so much joy.
Seeing a Black woman win was equivalent to climbing into a bed with fresh linen right after a hot shower. It was one of the best feelings.
“You looking real comfortable over there,” Shyriq teased, glancing her way.
Comfortable was an understatement. She was ready to slip off her heels and curl her feet up.
Nhuri leaned back in the plush leather passenger seat of his SUV with a smile on her face.
She was so content, and her stomach was so full that she didn’t want the night to end.
The evening had been better than she expected.
And now, she was somewhat mad that she had resisted him all these weeks.
“That’s because I am.”
“And you’re still smiling,” Shyriq noted, his deep voice laced with amusement as he approached a red light. “This must be a record.”
Nhuri scoffed but didn’t bother hiding her grin. “Whatever, sir. This is my smile that says I’m beyond full and a little bit tipsy.”
He smirked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “I love that look. I’m glad you had a good time.”
Before she could reply, her phone vibrated inside her clutch.
Nhuri pulled it out, not thinking much of it.
She glanced at the screen, expecting it to be one of her friends checking in, but seeing the multiple missed calls and frantic texts from Raniya sent a sharp pang of worry through her chest. When she tapped on the voicemail, she could’ve thrown up right there.
“TT. Something is wrong with Mommy. 911 is here. I had to call them. Please hurry.”
Nhuri’s breath hitched. “Oh my God.”
“Is everything all right?” Shyriq asked.
Nhuri couldn’t answer him. Her fingers trembled as she navigated to her call log and dialed Raniya’s number. The phone barely rang before Raniya’s trembling, panicked voice filled the SUV.
“Hello.”
“Niy! It’s your TT. What’s going on?” Nhuri asked, on the verge of a panic attack.
“TT! They took Mommy! She . . . She wouldn’t wake up right! And I—”
“Baby, slow down,” Nhuri rushed out with her heart pounding. “Breathe, okay? Where are you now?”
“The hospital. I rode in the ambulance, but I’m scared,” Raniya sniffled. “I’m by myself.”
“Are you in a room?”
Nhuri hoped whoever brought her in had the decency to at least place her somewhere safe and not leave her alone in the waiting room.
“Yes. A nice lady put me in here and told me to wait.”
Nhuri barely exhaled, but knowing her niece was safe loosened the tightness in her chest some.
“Okay. I’m on my way.”
“You promise?”
Nhuri squeezed her eyes shut and choked on her next words as she struggled to get them out. “Yes. I promise.”
“Okay,” she sniffled again.
“I need you to be a big girl for TT and Mommy. Can you do that?”
Nhuri heard more sniffling, and the tears she was trying to contain slid down her face. This moment was her biggest fear, but she had to be strong for her niece.
“Y-Yes. I can be a big girl,” Raniya answered.
“I know you can, baby. Just hold tight, and I’ll be there in no time.”
Nhuri ended the call with shaky hands and her mind all over the place.
Her leg bounced profusely as she pulled up Raniya’s location to see what hospital they were at.
She could’ve asked her to take the phone to an adult, but she didn’t want to put any more stress on her niece.
And had an adult not had any answers for her, it would’ve made her nerves worse.
“What’s going on?” Shyriq asked.
“Natalia—” Nhuri swallowed hard. “She was rushed to the hospital. That was my niece. She’d been calling and texting me, and I just saw it.
I can’t believe I didn’t feel my phone. You have to get me to the hospital, please.
My baby had to call the ambulance, and I .
. . I wasn’t there. Oh my God,” Nhuri muttered, her heart breaking with each word.
Shyriq placed a hand on her thigh, trying to calm her down. His usual relaxed expression was etched with concern, and he wanted to do everything in his power to stop the tears from falling from her eyes. Gently, he grabbed her phone from her hand and checked the GPS.
“I got you. We’re going to get to both of them,” he said.
Without hesitation, Shyriq spun the wheel, making a sharp U-turn. Nhuri barely registered anything outside the speeding car. Anxiety knotted in her stomach, and her pulse hammered erratically as worst-case scenarios flooded her mind.
“She was fine earlier,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “We were on the phone, and she didn’t say anything about not feeling good.”
Shyriq glanced at her briefly before refocusing on the road. “Lupus doesn’t give warnings, right?”
After visiting Natalia’s house that evening, Shyriq forced Cara to tell him what was happening. He could’ve asked, but he figured if that were something Natalia or Nhuri wanted to share with him, they would’ve.
Nhuri inhaled shakily. “No.” Her throat tightened. “She tries to hide it when it gets bad. But Raniya . . . She must’ve been so scared.”
Nhuri shook her head. She couldn’t imagine the fear in her niece’s eyes or what her sister may have been feeling right now.
“She won’t have to be,” he reassured her. “And neither do you. Everything is going to be okay.”
Something about the certainty in his voice anchored Nhuri, even as fear threatened to consume her. She hoped and prayed he was right.