“Are they saying when he’ll wake up?” I stepped further in the room and approached the bed. A tube was down Rome’s throat. His chest rose and fell slowly.
“It’s been a month and you’re just now coming to visit your brother. Why is that, Creed? Do you not care that your brother is unwell?” Lifting my head, I twisted my neck and faced my mom. Her lips were pressed tightly together and tension radiated off her body. My mom was a beautiful woman. The Botox I knew she got kept her face looking youthful and wrinkle free. Her hair was pinned up in a tight bun and not a hair was out of place. Her makeup was done lightly, just like I remembered. Never too much, but enough to notice it.
“I’ve been busy, Mother. You know I do have my own company to run.” My head cocked to the side while her eyes tightened.
“Even so, your brother is the reason why you stayed, is it not?”
I shrugged. “That among other things. It’s not like he can go anywhere right now.” What Mom didn’t know was I had been by the hospital when I knew she or my dad weren’t here so I didn’t run into them.
Her frown deepened. “Watch your mouth, Creed. Your brother doesn’t need any negativity.”
I slid my eyes to Rome, the heir to my dad’s company and fortune, the golden child. “You know Nakyra is worried about him. Why would you two ban her from coming up here?”
My mom lifted her nose and scrunched her face as much as the Botox would allow. “Rome doesn’t need all those outside germs around him right now. She signed off on a surgery neither me nor your father were aware of and she had no right. That overstepping could have cost us my son’s life.”
“But that’s his fiancée. Don’t you think she has the right to be here?”
Mom flicked her wrist. “She’s fine. Right now there’s nothing she can do for Rome anyway. Which reminds me, I heard you’re staying at her and Rome’s house.”
I nodded. “I am.”
“Do you think that’s appropriate?”
Furrowing my brows, I crossed my arms over my chest and squared my shoulders. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“A single man living with an engaged woman he has no blood ties with is not a good look, Creed. Do you think your brother would approve of that?”
“Do you think he would approve of his parents banning his fiancée from his room?”
Her eyes fell on Rome and saddened. “Your brother knows we know what’s best for him, that’s why he has us listed to be over his care. Nakyra has to learn that sometimes decisions will be made that she doesn’t agree with but will have to accept.”
I shook my head. “One day you two are gonna have to stop babying him and let him grow up.”
Mom whipped her head toward me and glared. “If you’re going to keep being negative then you can leave. As I said, your brother needs positivity around him right now.” She turned and ran her hand over my brother’s head.
“Do they think he’s going to wake up soon?” I asked again, ignoring her last statement.
“They’re hopeful he’ll be up soon.” Her face fell. “Rome’s a strong boy. I have no doubt he’ll wake up and be better than ever.”
I glanced at my older brother. We might not have been close growing up, but that didn’t mean I ever wished him unwell.
“What exactly is wrong with him?”
Mom slowly turned to face me. Her eyes bored into me with intensity. She always had the skill to stare into someone as if she was looking through them. She must have noticed I was serious because she began explaining Rome’s condition. It was clear my brother still being in a coma was weighing heavily on her. Her skin was dull, eyes sunken with dark circles under them and hervoice lacked its normal firmness. It was no surprise, she always catered to and babied Rome.
“And the accident, what happened that night to cause all this?”
“Just what you said, Creed, an accident.” Her face and voice were void of emotion. There was more to the story, I was sure of it, I just couldn’t say what it was. For some reason my parents felt they had to hide the truth about that night and I was curious as to why.
I stayed a little longer before announcing my leave, which barely caused her to bat an eye. On the way out I made sure to text Nakyra letting her know what I learned. I wasn’t sure what issue my parents had with Nakyra. My mom’s reasoning didn’t make sense to me. Hopefully Rome would be up soon and reverse the order that banned her from the hospital, because if not, I didn’t see my parents allowing her near him anytime soon.
____
“Email me the reports and I’ll look them over when I get back to the office,” I told Ken, stepping into the coffee shop not too far from my warehouse in West Valley, close to the marina.
“Will do, sir. Do you have an estimated time when you’ll be back?” he asked.
“I got a few things here I need to take care of, businesswise. I’m hoping within the next month everything will be squared away.” I stepped to the counter and looked up to take the menu in.
