“That’s what family’s for. C’mon Bella,” I called out as I turned to leave. “Oh I’ll text you the alarm code too, in case you need to leave, and I’ll get you the spare key tomorrow,” I tossed out behind me.
I might not have known Creed that well but I felt better having someone in the house with me. My mind had been all over the place worrying about Rome and whether or not he’d be okay. I was still trying to get a clear picture of what happened the night of his accident, but I was thankful he was alive. Being in this house alone only made my nerves worse. I hadn’t been able to work all week since getting the phone call. Hopefully Rome would make a quick recovery and things could go back to normal.
____
I was in a deep slumber when Bella nudging me caused me to stir.
“Okay, okay, girl,” I mumbled, still halfway asleep. Yawning, I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed them before blinking them open.
Bella rushed to the door and clawed at it. “You need to go out.” I yawned again, slowly lifting and tossing the covers off. It took me a couple of seconds to gather myself before I climbed out of bed and walked over to the door. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I felt more rested than when I went to sleep.
I pulled the door open and was startled seeing someone on the other side. I jumped back with wide eyes as Creed was mid-knock, this time dressed in dark jeans and a sweater.
That must have been why she was waking me up. I had forgotten he was here.
“My bad to wake you so early, but I was about to leave and was wondering if I could get that key.” I watched his mouth move and read his lips.
“Oh yeah, I forgot sorry,” I signed as I spoke, but quickly dropped my hands and balled them into fists.
His eyes dropped. “Maybe you should put some pants on first.” He looked up at me with one corner of his mouth hiked.
Glancing down, my eyes bucked. Just like any other night, I dressed in a T-shirt and panties. Having forgotten that, I quickly slammed the door.
Rushing to my dresser, I pulled out a random pair of shorts then walked to my aids on my nightstand. After putting them in and turning them on, I walked back to the door.
“Sorry about that,” I said when I reopened the door.
“Don’t sweat it.” His shoulders lifted as he gave me a once over. “You ain’t got shit I ain’t seen before.”
I became aware of not wearing a bra either and my shirt wasn’t that thick. Tucking my lips into my mouth, I avoided his eyes, crossed my arms over my chest, and pushed past him. “You said you needed the key, right?”
“Yeah, I’m heading down to my warehouse to make sure business is running smoothly.”
“Oh yeah, this is where your business started, right? You ended up opening a second location once you moved, didn’t you?”
“Someone’s done their homework, but yeah. I fly out here every few months to check on things in person but for the most part my manager handles business.”
I went to the table near the door once we were downstairs and opened the top drawer, grabbing the spare key.
“Here you go.” I turned and held the key out.
“Thanks.”
“I have some work I need to do, but I’ll probably take my tablet with me to the hospital and try to get it done. So if I’m not here when you come back, that’s where I’ll be,” I explained. “Do you plan on coming up there?”
“I’m not sure yet. I got a few things to do since I’ll be here longer than I normally am.” He slid his feet into a pair black Timbs he had brought in last night.
“Oh, right. Well I guess I’ll see you later then.”
He stood up straight and it was then I realized how much taller he was than me. Rome was tall at six feet, but I was sure Creed was taller than him.
I watched him check his pockets to make sure he had everything before he turned and nodded at me, then headed for the front door.
“Wait, the alarm,” I called out, walking to the wall near the door. Quickly, I typed the four digit code in.
“Good look.” He flashed me a smile. His smile was nice. It was big too.
I watched until Creed shut the door behind him and Bella came to my side.
