“Everything is fine. We’re okay,” he whispers against my ear, and my world that felt off-kilter is fine again.
He kisses my cheek, making my heart flutter, and when I turn to look at him, he leans in again to kiss my lips. It feels like a promise. He pulls back and his arm leaves my waist, and I feel the loss, but he looks at me before walking away and says like it’s a promise, “I’ll see you soon.”
While I wait, I sit on the sofa and pick up a book from the shelves, but my attention is on the other room even if I can’t hear anything.
When, after an hour, he’s not back yet, I walk to Haden’s room. I push the door, just enough to look inside, and he’s there on his side, one hand inside the crib, Arianna’s hand wrapped around his little finger.
My mouth softens into a smile, and my heart again flutters in joy, and hope… a hope I’ve never felt before blossoming inside me… Maybe with them there’s a place for me.
CHAPTER 17
Haden
I’m usually in my element when I’m inking someone, but today my mind is more with the two people upstairs than the customers downstairs. I would have loved to stay with Jay and explore the promise I made when I told him “I’ll see you soon,” but instead I fell asleep. Also, I want to play with Arianna until she falls asleep, because every day has something new to discover with her.
I’m glad when I’m done, and I make quick work of cleaning everything ready for tomorrow. It’s only three p.m., so there’s plenty of time left for me to dedicate to Jay and Arianna. I’mtotally whipped and absolutely under that little princess’s spell. And Jay… well, I’m enchanted by him.
Once I’m done cleaning, I close the shop and take the stairs two at the time, eager to spend time with them.
A loud knock on the front door resounds inside the house while I’m still halfway up, so I hear before seeing that troubles have arrived at my door.
“Hello?” Jay says, his voice welcoming but surprised.
“Who are you?” The hatred in my father’s voice sends shivers down my spine, because it reminds me of that never-forgotten day.
“I’m Jay, and you are?”
When I open the communicating door and rush through the living room, I fear what’s waiting on the other end. Dark thoughts about Jay and Arianna being in danger fill my mind.
My father’s body is occupying more than half the entrance, his bigger body dwarfing Jay’s. His gelid eyes match his glacial demeanor, making me feel like I’m invading his property and not the other way around.
What’s Jay thinking?
Fucker. How dare he come here unannounced.
I watch Jay take a step back and raise his hand as if trying to protect his body. It won’t do much if my father decides to lash out. If he does, I’ll break his arm. No one touches what’s mine… Fuck, these feelings are escalating too quickly but it’s not the time to ponder them.
In the time it takes me to place myself next to Jay, I look for my mother. Why is my father standing there?
It doesn’t even cross my mind that he could be protecting an innocent man like Jay.
Is he trying to protect my mother from the sins I’m committing, those sins that could dirty her soul if she enters my house? Or is he afraid she’ll assault me and this time I’ll have her arrested?
I’m in my house, and no one enters unless I say so.
He stands there, silent and imposing, but no longer someone I fear, because he’s no longer bigger than me.
I learnt a thing or two while I was on the streets, and one of those is hit where it hurts.
He’s looking down on Jay as if he’s nothing, or even worse, like he’s something disgusting that has landed on his shoe. Just like he once used to look at me, and still does, but I no longer care.
It infuriates me, but Arianna’s gurgles take the edge of my fury away, and instead of shouting, I place my frame in front of Jay. If they need to take their bigotry out on someone, that’ll be me.
When the wheels in my mind begin to move, now that fear is receding, a question pops into my head.
What the fuck is he doing here?
A sense of dread fills me, because there’s only one reason for people who’ve negated my existence for more than twenty years to be here at my door.
