The Truth Comes Out

The drive to Naomi apartment was quiet.

Not uncomfortable.

Just thoughtful.

Rainwater slide down the car windows while soft instrumental music played faintly through the speakers. Naomi sat curled slightly against the passenger seat, Kelly jacket was still around her shoulders.

She should have given it back already.

But the warmth felt too good.

And truthfully, she was too exhausted, weak and very tired to argue anymore.

Kelly drove with one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel, his expression calm and unreadable.

Naomi kept staring at him.

It bothered her how difficult he was to figure out.

Most wealthy men she had met loved talking about themselves.

Their money.

Their achievements.

Their importance.

But Kelly barely spoke about it unless necessary.

And when he did, he listened more than he talked.

That alone made him dangerous.

“You are staring at me again,” he said suddenly without looking at her.

Naomi quickly faced the window.

“No i am not staring at you.”she lied..

“You were.”

“You seem very proud of yourself.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

“I am very observant. There is a difference.”

Naomi shook her head quietly.

The was silence for a few moments before her phone vibrated suddenly inside her bag.

She frowned immediately after seeing the caller ID.

Hospital.

Again.

Not Again.

Not Again.

Oh my God.

Her chest tightened.

Because she already know the reason why they were calling her.

Kelly noticed the change in her expression instantly.

“You should answer.”

Pick your call now. Kelly said quietly…

Naomi wait for few seconds before picking up the call.

“Hello?”

“Miss Naomi?” the nurse voice came out softly. How are you doing, “Your mother has been asking for you.”

Naomi closed her eyes briefly.

“I will come tomorrow morning before going to work.”

“Alright. But please remember the payment discussion with the doctor.”

Her stomach twisted again.

Yes.

“I remember.”

The call ended.

Naomi leaned her head against the cold window quietly.

Her mind travel fast, she was thinking on how she is going to pay the hospital bills.

Where am I going to get this kind of money.

That was the thought going through her mind.

For a moment, she forgot Kelly was sitting beside her.

Forgot she was supposed to stay guarded.

Forgot pride.

Everything simply felt too heavy tonight.

“She is getting worse, isn’t she?”

Kelly voice was gentle this time.

Not intrusive.

Just careful.

Naomi swallowed hard.

“A little bit.”

“What exactly is wrong with her?”

She stared ahead silently for several seconds before she could answer.

Then finally answered.

“Kidney failure.”she replied

The words sounded emptier every time she said them aloud.

Kelly gripped on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

“How long?”

“About eight months ago .”

“And you have been handling everything all alone?”

Naomi laughed softly.

The sound carried no happiness.

“There is no one else.”

Kelly glanced at her briefly.

“What about your relatives?”

“They disappeared when the hospital bills start getting too much.”

That answer told him more than he realized.

He already understand everything.

Naomi folded her arms together tighter around herself.

“At first everybody promised to support us with the hospital bill,” she continued quietly. “Aunties, Uncle’s, Cousins, Family friends. They all said we should not worry about the hospital bill that they going to contribute it between themselves, That I will only cater for the feeding and pay for rent dues.”

“And then?”

“And then reality became expensive.”

They ignored

They don’t don’t pick calls again.

Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.

She hated that.

Hated sounding weak.

Kelly remained silent, allowing her to continue at her own pace.

Nobody usually did that.

Most people interrupted.

Offered fake sympathy.

Or worse, advice.

“You know what the funny thing is?” Naomi said after a moment. “My mum still apologizes to me.”

Kelly frowned slightly.

“For being sick?”

Naomi nodded her head.

“She cries sometimes because she thinks she ruined my future.”

The was silence in the car became for few seconds.

Kelly looked ahead at the road, jaw tightening slightly.

He knew guilt.

Knew helplessness.

Knew what it felt like watching someone suffer while pretending to stay strong.

He understand those feelings.

But he said nothing.

Naomi suddenly laughed softly again.

“I haven’t said this to anyone in months.”

“I haven’t explained what have been going through to anyone.

“Maybe you needed to.”

She looked at him carefully.

“You really don’t talk much about yourself.”

“There is not much to say.”

Naomi almost smiled.

“That is definitely a lie.”

Kelly expression remained calm.

“Trust me. My life isn’t very interesting.”

She gave him a serious look.

“But You are a CEO.”

“And?”

“And people like you always have complicated lives.”

You don’t have much to worry about.

Kelly looked amused.

“People like me?”

“Rich people.”

“That sounds slightly judgmental.”

“It is.”

He chuckled quietly.

Naomi hated how comfortable the conversation was becoming.

It felt unfamiliar.

Dangerously unfamiliar.

The car stopped at another traffic red light.

Outside, street vendors rushed through the rain carrying umbrellas and roasted corn and plantain.

Life continued normally for everyone else.

Meanwhile Naomi felt like she was drowning slowly inside her.

“I am scared,” she said suddenly.

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Kelly turned toward her fully for the first time since the drive have started.

Naomi stared at her hands.

“She pretends to be strong around me,” she whispered. “But I hear her crying when she thinks I am asleep.”

Her throat tightened painfully.

“And I keep thinking. what if one day I coup save her again?”

Kelly said nothing immediately.

But his silence did not feel cold.

It felt steady.

Present.

Like he was actually listening to what she was saying and waiting for his turn to speak.

That alone nearly broke her.

“I work every extra shift they offer at work,” Naomi continued quietly. “I barely sleep at night anymore. Sometimes I skip meals because medication costs more than food.”

Most nights I slept with empty stomach.

Some night i only take a small cup of small grains of garri just to hold my body.

Kelly eyes darkened slightly.

“That why you fainted at work.”

Naomi gave a small nod.

“I thought if I worked harder, things would eventually improve.”

“And haven’t they?”Kelly asked gently…

She smiled bitterly.

“Every time I solve one problem, another one appears immediately as it has been waiting for me.”

The honesty in her voice hit him harder than expected.

Most people hide their struggles behind pride.

Naomi hide her own struggles behind endurance.

That was different.

Kelly parked his car outside her apartment building slowly.

The old structure looked worn down by years of neglect. Flickering lights illuminated cracked walls while rainwater dripped from rusted pipes near the entrance.

Kelly stared at the building briefly.

Then at Naomi.

“You live here?”

Naomi noticed the question immediately.

“Yes. I know it’s not impressive.”

The building it’s not good.

“That is not what I meant.”

“But you were thinking it.”

Kelly did not deny it.

The truth was harder.

Someone like Naomi should not have been carrying this much hardship alone.

She unbuckled her seatbelt slowly.

“Thank you for the dinner.”

Thank you so much I really appreciate.

“You already thanked me.”

“Well thank you again.”

I can’t thank you enough

She reached for the door handle.

Then paused unexpectedly.

“I am sorry.”

Kelly frowned slightly.

“For what?”

“For judging you earlier.”

His expression softened almost invisibly.

“You had reasons.”

Naomi looked down quietly.

“That doesn’t make it fair.”

A small silence settled between them for some moment.

Then Kelly spoke carefully.

“You don’t have to handle everything all alone.”

Naomi let out a tired laugh.

“That sounds nice in theory.”

“I mean it.”

Her eyes finally met his.

And for the first time since they met, Naomi saw something unfamiliar in his expression.

Not pity.

Not curiosity.

Understanding.

Real understanding.

It unsettled her deeply.

Because people only understood pain when they had survived some themselves.

“Why do you care?” she asked in a soft voice.

Kelly looked away briefly toward the rain pouring heavily.

When he answered, his voice was quieter than before.

“Because I know what it’s like to lose someone slowly.”

Naomi breath caught slightly.

There it was.

The first real thing he had revealed about himself.

Not details.

Not explanations.

Just pain.

And somehow, that single sentence told her more about Kelly Lawson than all his expensive suits and calm confidence ever could.

Before she could respond, Kelly cleared his throat lightly and stepped out of the emotional moment.

“I think you should go get some rest now.”

Naomi nodded her head slowly.

But neither of them moved immediately.

The rain continued falling softly around the car while silence wrapped around them again.

Only this time, it felt different.

Softer.

Closer.

For the first time in weeks, Naomi no longer felt invisible.

And for the first time in a very long time, someone had listened to her without trying to fix her, judge her, or walk away from her .

Sometimes that alone was enough to crack open the loneliness a person carried inside.