Sister-in-law
Sister-in-law
ROME
I stormed through the automatic doors of the hospital, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. The call had come just minutes ago and I was informed that something was wrong with Callie.
My Callie.
I didn’t stop to think about parking or directions. I just ran, my hands trembling as I gripped the cold hospital railing.
The first room I reached was the one I always went to, the one where she usually stayed. But it was empty. My breath caught, and panic snarled like a savage animal at my throat.
“Callie!” I said in a whisper, but my voice was lost in the silence.
With my eyes darting and looking everywhere, I hurried down the hallways. I could not make out the faint smell of antiseptic, the beeping monitors, or the nurses' footsteps.
Callie wasn’t just my sister. She wasn’t even really a Calloway by blood, but my mother had adopted her years ago, and from the moment I met her, she was family.
Since forever, Callie had been trapped in a fragile body that barely held her alive. Her strength and independence had been taken away by a rare illness. She spent half her life dreaming and the other half in hospital rooms.
She was usually hooked up to machines and medicine, but she had a fierce spirit that no one gave her credit for.
I loved her more than I could say. More than I could ever show. I’d give anything to take her pain, to be the one sick instead of her.
I couldn’t forgive myself if something had happened. Not to her.
“Callie’s a fighter,” I whispered to myself, though my shaking hands betrayed my doubt.
I reasoned that she might have slipped out, as she occasionally wandered the hospital hallways when the walls felt too tight.
A familiar face suddenly appeared in front of me, one of the doctors I had previously met, hurrying by with his clipboard in hand.
“Rome,” he said, nodding quickly. “Your sister’s been moved. VIP room now.”
“VIP? Why? Is she okay?” I raised my brows on surprise.
He gave me a brisk, distracted look. “No time to explain. You’ll see soon.”
I rushed toward the VIP wing, my heart thumping louder with every step, confused but desperate.
Then I heard it, a voice I definitely didn’t expect.
“So you know my brother?”
It was lighthearted but inquisitive. It was Callie's beautiful voice.
And then, another voice calmly reached my ears.
“Of course I know him. He’s like someone I know very well.”
My blood ran cold. Istopped in my tracks at the door, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle.
I opened it.
Zayn Sanchez was sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly and gracefully peeling an apple.
And Callie, my sister was smiling broadly as she lay back against the pillows, brightening the large space.
“Hi, Rome!” she said cheerfully.
“This handsome man,” she nodded at Zayn, “says he knows you. He’s been really good to me, bought me all kinds of things.”
I blinked, my mind struggling to catch up with the scene before me.
Zayn’s smile was calm, almost smug, but there was something softer in his eyes, something that didn’t belong to the ruthless man I thought I knew.
And suddenly, I wasn’t sure what to feel, except the cold twist of rage tightening in my chest.
I stepped closer to Callie, forcing a tight smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.
“You okay?” I asked quietly.
She gave a nod, her smile bright enough to illuminate the entire space. “I’m good. Look at all these,” she waved at the pile of bags by the bed. “He even bought me makeup. Now I can actually act my age.”
I took a quick look at the vibrant parcels and the meticulously wrapped boxes. My sister had always been worthy of more than her weak body could provide.
"It is unbelievable that I will be nineteen in a few days," she continued, her eyes glimmering with an uncommon joy. "This will serve as an early present for me! I feel really good!"
Despite everything twisting in my gut, I smiled. I squeezed her hand gently. “You look great, Callie. You deserve to feel that way.”
She beamed, squeezing back. “Thanks, Rome. You always know what to say.”
I chuckled softly, glad for this moment. “So, what’s the plan for the big day? Cake? Party? Or maybe a quiet night with your favorite show?”
“Maybe all of it,” she said, teasing me. “But you have to be there.”
I nodded, more sincerely than I intended. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Then, I turned toward Zayn, the smile fading from my face. “Let’s talk outside.”
With a cool, self-assured smile, Zayn winked at Callie as if he were disclosing a secret that only they knew.
He finished peeling the apple, then handed it to her. He carved the fruit into large and small butterflies with quick, delicate movements, then placed the shapes on her palm.
Wide-eyed and impressed, Callie's eyes widened. “You’re not just handsome,” she teased softly, “you’re good too.”
Without saying anything, Zayn grinned and got up from the bed.
I spoke quietly but firmly outside the room, getting right to the point.
“What the hell are you doing here? Why are you poking your nose in my business?”
As composed as ever, Zayn shrugged. “The hospital called when they couldn’t reach you. I came, like the good husband I am, to check on my sister-in-law.”
I shot him a glare. “How’d they get your number? I don't remember you being added as Callie's guardian.”
He smirked. “I’m paying the bills now, remember. Automatically, that makes me a guardian.”
I felt my jaw tighten. “Don’t think I’m buying any of this.”
Zayn’s eyes gleamed with that infuriating ease. “Believe what you want.”
I opened my mouth to fire back, but then Callie’s voice came from the door. “Rome? Zayn?”
We both turned. She stood there, her eyes wide, blinking as if she’d walked into something she wasn’t meant to see.
Zayn took a step closer to me, too close.
Instinct took over and jshoved him away, my breath catching.
Callie’s gaze flickered between us, confusion and concern etched across her face.
“Is everything okay?” she asked quietly.
I took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that nothing was alright, nothing at all. This asshole is acting to be a good person to my sister. He's trying to fit in into my life in the most brutal way, break me but unfortunately for him, I'm not easy to break.
Despite the possibility of falling, I would always get back up and never let myself break in front of someone like Zayn. He could do whatever he like, play whatever game he's playing… I won't ask for his help.
“Everything is alright, Cal. I just have something private to discuss with this uncle here," I said with a tight smile.
For a brief moment, Callie's naive eyes continued to stare at us before she left for the VIP room.
After I made sure Callie left, I turned back to Zayn, my lips pressed into a thin line.
Why did his presence stir up so much chaos inside me?
He was not merely an intruder; he was now attempting to be everywhere, intertwined with my sister's life, my family's affairs, and somehow entangling himself in my own nerves like a vice.
I clenched my fists, trying to shove the anger down. “Why are you really here, Zayn? Not the hospital excuse. What do you want from us? Or are you trying to use Callie to break me, ruin me again? Do you have another file up your sleeve?” I laughed as those words escaped my lips.
He met my eyes without flinching, his cool expression unreadable. “I’m here because I care about Callie. About you too, whether you like it or not.”
His voice had an unseriousness that I couldn't miss.
My laugh was bitter, more a sound of disbelief than humor. “Care? You don’t know anything about care.”
He took a step forward, his voice firm but low. "I know enough to stick around when everyone else leaves."
I took a deep breath, knowing he was deliberately trying to talk about the past. Maybe it was easier to hate him than to admit how much he unsettled me.
“Don’t think for a second I’m going to let you take over her life,” I said. “You don’t belong here.”
His eyes grew slightly softer. “Maybe I don’t. But I’m not going anywhere.”
I massaged my temples as I felt everything fall apart. “We’ll see about that.”
The thin distinction between an ally and an enemy suddenly became even more hazy.