His Rockstar

9. | Strength

I run to the front desk, panting by the time I reach it. "Where is the OR?"

A blonde woman sits at the desk. "Level four."

"Thank you." I take off for the elevator, taking it up to level four. When I step out, I walk to the desk, a black haired woman sitting behind it. "I'm looking for Naomi Walker? She came in here with Rhys Croyso, who's in surgery?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about." She shakes her head with a rueful expression.

"Naomi Walker. Tall, brunette, probably beat up?" I try describing her. But I don't know what she looks like. I don't even know what she's gone through.

"Lindsey." My head snaps to the left, finding Naomi standing a few feet away from me.

She has a wound on her head and her lip looks busted open a little. But she looks fine. For the most part.

I run to her, wrapping my arms around her. It takes a minute before she's hugging me back. "Thank god, you're okay." I whisper. I pull back before she does, studying her. "What happened?"

"Rhys is in surgery. They don't know if he'll make it." She shrugs. She looks distant. Like she's physically here but not mentally.

"Come on. Let's go get a coffee." I guide her to the elevator, taking it down to the cafeteria. We snag a table and I grab us both a coffee. Sitting down, I put her cup down and she wraps her hands around it. But she doesn't drink it. "So. What happened? Where did she even take you?"

"Abandoned warehouse." She answers, staring down at the table.

"What did she do to you?" I whisper, almost scared to hear the answer.

"Tried to kill me. I hit her with a rock and ran. She chased me but I managed to get her off me when she grabbed me. There were a bunch of..." she swallows. "Guys with her."

"What happened to them?"

"I knocked one out. Pushed the other off the edge." She licks her lips. "My mom showed up."

"She did?" I wonder how she even managed to find them. I guess it'll forever remain a secret.

She nods. "Shot two of them."

"And what about Kylie? Did they rearrest her?" I furrow my brows.

She stays quiet.

I lean forward a little. "Naomi?"

After a long moment, she finally speaks, "She's dead."

My eyes widen. "Oh."

"I killed her." She adds, but I'm already shaking my head.

"What happened to her wasn't your fault. She had what was coming for her. She tried to kill you, Naomi." I state.

"Because I got in the way." She says softly.

I shake my head. "No. Naomi," I grab her hands. "She was a horrible person. She got involved in the wrong people. She chose her life, not you."

"I could've saved her." She whispers.

"Are you even listening to me?" I lean forward on the table. "What happened is not your fault. Don't blame yourself for it. She deserved what she got. She shouldn't have attacked you. You're lucky you're not dead."

Her gaze remains downcast. She still looks as if she's not entirely here. "I'm going to go wait for Rhys." She pushes up and turns away, making for the elevator again.

I sigh, slumping in my seat. I drink my coffee before I go to the elevator. It takes a minute for the doors to open, then I'm stepping inside and pressing the sixth floor. When the doors open, I walk past the desk, to the room I've been in many times before.

It's late at night, but when I push open the door, my mom is laying in her bed, staring at her TV. It's strange, having your boss and your mother in the same hospital, just floors away from each other.

"Hey, Mom." My voice is soft as I tread to her bedside.

She smiles when she sees me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Have you heard about Rhys Croyso?"

She nods. "The CEO of Cyber Tech & Co."

I smile slightly, nodding. "Yeah. He's, uhm, he's in this hospital."

Her expression turns grim. "Oh, dear. Is he okay?"

"He's in surgery." She holds her hand out to me, and I take it. She squeezes my hand comfortingly, smiling softly. "Has Dad visited?"

I should know by now to stop asking, but I can't help the small part of me that wants to believe he's visited. It's the little girl in me, wanting her dad to be there instead of being distant.

"No." She gives me a somber look, and I can't help but feel defeated. I really should stop. But as much as I try, I can't. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." I smile softly at her.

"Are you sure? With your sister's birthday coming up—" My face falls. I forgot about that. I had intended to pretend it wasn't even a thing. That she never existed.

"I'm fine, Mom." I reassure her, but my voice is faulty. "Get some rest." I lean down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before leaving. I pull out my phone as I stand in the hallway. The phone rings and rings, but I know he's not busy. It's too late for him to have any meetings and such, but that also means he's still at work.

"Yes?" He finally says from the other line.

"Visit Mom."

"Excuse me?"

I inhale a deep breath. "I want you to visit Mom."

"I don't care what you do, or don't want." He sneers into the phone.

"Visit Mom, or pay for more treatment. Those are your two choices." I swallow harshly, blinking past my blurry eyes.

"Or else what?" His voice takes on a darker tone.

I press my lips together, blinking away my tears. I inhale, exhale. "Or else I'm out."

My voice isn't as strong as I wish it'd be. It's weak, shaky. I hang up before he can reply, my tears falling fast and steadily. I hurry to the elevator, gaze downcast as I press the back of my hand to my face, trying to relieve some of the pressure.

The elevators open and I step inside as someone steps out. I press the ground floor, wiping helplessly at my face. But my tears never stop.

My entire life, all I ever wanted was to be good enough for my dad. I did everything I could to make him proud, and even that wasn't enough. He never cared about his family. He was too busy engaged in work. The longest conversation we've ever held was about business.

That's all it ever is to him. That's all it ever will be.