Zayd nodded with confidence. “Yeah, I got you.”
He turned to Jovanis. “Be available to him if he needs you, a’ight?”
He tipped his head. “Cool.”
Noble entered the room, wishing he could give Irish a proper goodbye but knew too many eyes were on them. She stood behind Cali, who was seated in the chair. Her hands were on her shoulders, providing Cali with some comfort when Jovanis approached her. Envy made Noble snort under his breath when his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Jovanis pulled her head close, kissing the top of it.
A part of him yearned to rewind the last thirty minutes of his life and relive the moment with Irish again. They had created a secret universe, and they were the only two natives. It was a start of something, but Noble felt in his heart that it could develop into something special. This instant chemistry between him and Irish left him confused because he’d never allowed himself to move so freely with a woman. Noble had to investigate why this had occurred with Irish. Of course, her beauty was a factor but there was something else that he wanted to explore.
Noble reluctantly peeled his eyes away from Jovanis kissing her cheek. If he only knew, those lips had been in his possession thirty minutes ago. Noble licked his lips, hoping to taste the remnants of Irish’s lip gloss. Subtly he smirked. He loved a good inside joke and Jovanis had no clue he was the butt of it.
Noble couldn’t stay longer. The mood was way too somber for him to consume. Plus, seeing his pot’na laying lifeless was a scene he wanted to forget. So, he quietly slid out the hospital room and headed toward his car. In an effort not to think about Rio’s current state, Noble thought about his unexpected encounter with the ginger-haired beauty.
Seven
Even in the midst of her deep sleep, Irish couldn’t shake the sound of the annoying bell. She’d heard it and prayed for it to go away. When it didn’t, her eyes fluttered open as she looked around her bedroom. She’d stayed at the hospital for most of the night with Cali. Consoling her had been her main objective until Cali told her to get some sleep. Irish glanced at her phone and noticed it was a little after eight in the morning, which meant she had only slept for two hours.
Snatching her robe from the foot of the bed, Irish put it on and stomped toward the front door. Pulling the door open, she noticed her little sister, Ivory, standing on the porch.
“Girl, I’ve been calling you and ringing the bell for like ten minutes,” she complained. “Were you sleeping?”
Irish gawked at her. “What you think? Where is your key?”
Ivory shrugged as she breezed through the threshold. Closing the door, Irish folded her arms over her chest.
“I think I may have lost the key. Can you get me another one?”
Irish rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the sofa and removed her Crocs. Ivory was her younger sister by thirteen years. She went to college in Miami so she could become aphysician assistant. Irish had practically raised Ivory, so when she did come back home, she always opted to stay with her.
“I literally just got in two hours ago. I’m so tired.”
Ivory angled her head. “Why?”
“Cali’s husband was in a terrible car accident. I was at the hospital with her most of the night.”
“Oh, no, is he okay?”
Shaking her head, Irish answered, “No, it doesn’t look good.”
The thought of Rio’s condition made her stomach sour. It was going to take an act of God for him to fully recover.
“Damn, that’s fucked up.” Ivory stood and went into the kitchen. “Sis, you need to go grocery shopping. Hey, where is Jovanis? His big mouth would’ve been out here trying to roast me.”
“Oh, he’s probably at the gym,” she lied. “How long are you staying?”
She entered the kitchen. “Just the weekend but… I wanted to come talk to you about something.”
Irish braced herself for Ivory’s talks. She was such a free spirit that Irish could barely keep up with her and all of her grand ideas.
“What?”
Ivory came back into the living area with a bottle of water in her hand. She sat down and expelled a deep breath. “I got pregnant.”
The room was so quiet that the ticking of Irish’s grandfather clock sounded like a drum.
“Pregnant?” Irish repeated stunned.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t keep it.”
