3 chapter two

Chapter two

"Take care of yourselves, mom, dad. And be back in a week's time. Don't enjoy yourselves too much. And ma," he called her fondly, "Don't forget that you have your doctor's appointment once you're back." Young Regan said to his mother.

"Okay Reggie." She replied with a blooming smile on her lips. "Sometimes, I doubt that you are my son and I, your mother. You make it look the other way around. You worry a lot we'll be back before you find a reason to miss us."

Aaron walked over to his wife and placed her small hands in his. He also had a smile plastered on his face. The older Leroy couple looked like love-struck teenagers. "I have stashed the valuables in the vault. Lu, I believe you will take care of the Resort while we're gone. Won't you?"

"Aye sir "Lucy said, wrapping her father in a hug.

Aaron placed one graceful aging bicep on the small of his wife's back "Now be good kids and send our regards to Zeke when he arrives or rather call us when he gets here. Gwen dear, shall we? "

Gwen placed a light kiss on her husband's lips and they headed for the door but Regan stopped them "ma you forgot your meds." He handed his mother her meds and after exchanging final hugs, the old Leroy couple were on their way to Miami.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

True to her word, Lucy almost single-handedly manned the Resort but with the help of Maxwell and Arielle, the load on her shoulders was fairly light. Max was the older Leroy's personal assistant and right-hand man, while Arielle was the new secretary. One night, Lucy sat at the dining table occupied with work. She was busily punching her keyboard when she noticed Regan's presence. "Oh Reggie thank God you are here. Can you help me get the files I dropped in the home office, Please?"

Regan wordlessly left the dining area and came back two minutes later with a stack of files in his hand. He handed them over to his sister who muttered a 'thanks'. He made himself comfortable on the sofa and got himself busy with his phone. Although Regan would never admit it, he enjoyed staying with his sister even when they had nothing to do or talk about.

Lucy noticed her brother perched on a sofa, typing and clicking away on his phone. "Reggie?" she called to get his attention.

"Hmm?" he hummed without sparing her a glance.

"Dad said he handed your credentials to Evandor Gennadios ." she paused. "I really don't know why he wants you to work there."

Regan looked up from his phone. He walked over to his sister and stared at her for a while which a glint in his eyes.

Lucy knew that her brother didn't want it talk about it and he wanted to get away by teasing her. "Sit if you must Reginald." She said with a blank face, totally unaffected by her brother's mischievous gaze.

Regan's lips broke into a playful smile. "My name is not Reginald." He chortled as he sat down near his sister.

"I know when you want to tease me and the name seems to work wonders in blowing you off. " She joined the chortle.

"Okay fine." He said in defeat. "But I'm not sure of what dad wants me to do. Why should I work in another company when I have one to run with you? I know I'm not ready but I'm considering it."

"That's odd. But don't you think dad already thought of this before sending the credentials? He must've had his reasons."

Regan did nothing but sigh.

"A little change never hurt anyone Reggie." She said, sensing her brother's discomfort. She walked over to him and bent to meet his seated height. "Since you said you're going to join the family business, I think you should get yourself ready. I'll talk to dad once he's back. I'm sure that he'll listen to me."

"Don't rub the favouritism in my face." Regan said as she wrapped him in a hug.

"Says mum's favourite."

Regan let out another sigh. "I honestly don't know what I'd without you, Lu"

"Absolutely nothing Baby brother, absolutely nothing." She said with a soft smile and tousled his hair.

After the chit-chat with his sister, Regan had decided to conduct market research and find out ways to expand the Resort. He had spent two days cooped up in his room, surfing the net. Lu gave him the needed privacy and didn't intrude. He decided to call his father, who picked up on the third ring, to let him know that he wasn't going to work at GCC. Evandor might be the CEO of GCC but the Leroys practically owned the company. Aaron had started the two companies solo but had entrusted it to Evandor Gennadios, his closest friend. Then he turned the Resort into a family business. Gennadios had signed an agreement with Aaron that he would turn in sixty percent of the annual profit to the Leroy Resort.

"Hey dad." he said, mentally preparing himself for what he had to say.

"Regan, my boy. How are you?" Aaron said from the other end.

"I'm good. How's mum, where's she?"

"Reggie, I'm fine. You miss us already. We still have two days son, get used to it." Gwen said with a soft laugh.

Regan chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. "Dad, mum. I am really sorry but I am not working at GCC."

There as unusual silence before Aaron spoke up. "Actually son, we talked about it her and we have decided to let you make your choice. But if you're not going to work at Gennadios, what do you intend to do?"

"I've been researching on how to improve and expand the Resort but I'm not done yet."

"That's very good son. Follow your heart." Aaron said.

Regan was shocked at the sudden change of mind. "You're okay with what I've said?"

"Of course, Reggie. We want nothing but for you to be happy." Gwen said

"Thank you, mum. Thank you, dad, so much."

Regan had been so excited after the call that he told Lucy about their parents' change of mind.

"But you know you have to be quick with your market research. I have less than a month to stay." Lucy said.

The beetroot haired chicks of Gwen were seated in the patio. Regan combed his hair back with his hands due to the wind and he looked up at his beautiful sister who was trying to hide her blush as she munched on an apple. The sunset glorified her more. "Something tells me Zeke will be back soon."

By now, she was already the color of a ripe tomato. "Yes. His trip will be over in like two weeks' time."

Ezekiel Anderson was Lucy's husband. He worked in a construction company and was rarely home. Sometimes he would be required to travel for months. Lucy couldn't bear the loneliness at home so whenever Zeke was away for work, she would find her way from California to the Leroy mansion to stay till her husband returned. On one occasion when Zeke had come to pick Lucy, he had mentioned the company's dip and how the pay wasn't too sufficient. Regan made a mental note to do something about it. If he could get him a job here in LA then it would be better.

"Well, that explains the color on your cheeks." Regan laughed. Who never enjoyed a good tease? "By the way what's the hold up with my nieces and nephews?" he asked with mischief-filled eyes.

"Regan, not now!" She blurted, trying to hide her foolish ear-to-ear grin.

Regan's laughter bounced off the canopy roof of the patio. "What?" He asked with feigned ignorance. "If my tabs are correct, you and Zeke have been married for three years or almost."

Lucy couldn't take any more of her brother's teasing and stomped out of the patio, into the house.

A mischievous smile bloomed on Regan's thin lips. How he loved getting reactions from his sister.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"Regan!" Lucy banged on his door. She cursed the locked door.

Regan groaned in bed. "Lu it's late. Leave me alone." He rolled over to carry on with his sleep when he heard a sob. His sleepy head cleared in an instance as he gave his ears a second chance.

Lucy was crying.

He sprang out of bed immediately and rushed to the door. A crying Lucy collapsed on the taut expanse of his sculpted shirtless chest. "Lucy what's going on?"

"It's mom and dad. I got a call from a hospital saying that they are in the ICU. But they are here in LA." Lucy said hurriedly. She swallowed to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

Regan didn't say a word, rather he went back into his room and threw on a shirt. "Which hospital?"

"Cedars Sinai."

Regan slammed on the gas and drove like a psychopath to the mentioned hospital. Upon arrival, Lucy raced out of the car and into the hospital. Regan followed suit after locking the car up. A nurse led them into their parents' ward after the approval of the doctor. Lucy rushed to her Aaron's bedside while Regan stayed with Gwen.

"Regan." Gwen called weakly.

"Mom what happened?" Regan asked as a lone tear escaped his eyes.

"We wanted to come back earlier to surprise you. But there was an accident." Gwen raised a weak, heavily bruised hand to caress his home. She looked very pale. Ghastly even.

Regan took the slender hand in his. "The surprise can wait. Just recover first."

"Reggie." Aaron called from his bed. He looked worse than Gwen with bandages covering most of his body. "Whatever you choose to do, just know that I'll always be proud of you."

Regan said nothing but stared at his parents with pain-filled bloodshot eyes.

Gwen tugged at her son's arm. "Here, take this" She said undoing her Tanzanite ring from her finger and giving it to Regan, she said "You'll know what to do with it when the time is right." She opened her arm for a hug which he took. His eyes trailed to his sister who was sobbing and hugging Aaron. He closed his eyes to revel in the warmth of his mother's embraced.

Regan's reverie was broken by Lucy's shrill scream. She let out a heart-wrenching cry as she collapsed on to the floor. Regan's eyes moved to the monitor only to find out that the lines had gone straight. He felt his blood freeze as he stood there. Hot, painful tears cascaded down his face.

His parents were dead.

He pulled his hair and cried in agony as the reality sunk in. He fought to regain composure and walked over to Lucy to embrace her. "It's going to be alright." He said it but he didn't believe the trueness of his own statement. Moments later, the red-head siblings watched as their parents were covered and taken into the mortuary and Lucy soaked Regan's shirt with her tears.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

It had been two weeks since Aaron and Gwen, the older Leroy couple had died. Things were never going to be the same for Regan. Zeke had finished his work and had come down to LA to pick his wife and see his brother in-law.

Regan stared absent-mindedly at the packing couple.

"Reggie?" Lucy called, waling up to him.

Ragan didn't answer but stared at her with a stoic expression that had come to settle on his face since the death of their parents. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll handle the Resort, you don't have to worry about it."

"I wasn't talking about work. I'm talking about you. Maxwell has taken care of everything. Will you be okay with no one around?." Her voice was coated in layers of concern.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me. It won't be the first time." His reply came off to be cold and distant but Lucy knew that no matter how much he was going through, he was still Regan, her younger brother.

"I know Reggie but this time is different, they're not coming back."

Zeke beeped the horn to let them know that he was done packing the bags into the car.

"Maybe if you just don't talk about it, it'll hurt less." He snapped. "Zeke is done." He said and went into the house.

Lucy went out to join her husband and he saw the sullen look on her face, "You should talk to him." He had tried talking tom Regan but the man wasn't talking to anyone but his sister.

"Will you join me?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"Sure." Zeke said and held out his hand for her.

They found Regan at the bar. A bottle and a glass full of whiskey sat on the island. Regan took a large gulp, not minding that it would burn. His finger played with the gifted Tanzanite ring that now sat on his fourth finger.

Lucy looked at her brother affectionately before walking up to him. "Reggie, I'm sorry"

Regan stared at his sister and her husband and Lucy saw the vulnerability and loneliness in those honey-brown pools. "I'm sorry too. I should not have snapped at you like that. I'm sorry." Zeke and Lucy were the only family now and he couldn't bear to let her go knowing that he was mad at her. He walked over her and hugged her. He pulled away and dragged Zeke into the group hug. "I'm sorry too."

Zeke broke the hug and said. "There's no problem. I understand." He took Lucy by the waist, signalling her that it was time to go. "We'll miss you badly. But right now I'm sad because we didn't get the chance to do boy stuff. You know just the two of us."

"That sounds odd." Lucy laughed.

For the first time in two weeks, Regan laughed and it was hearty. "You know you can always go tomorrow." Regan suggested slyly as a bulb got lit in head.

"Not bad. I have a free week." And the couple decided to stay in the Leroy mansion.

Tomorrow turned into days and days into weeks.