Holly melts further into me and rasps, “Just as amazing because Caleb helps her,” and I grin.
That’s my fucking boy, helping his little sister.
“Well, that has to be the easiest parents' evening for you.” I joke and she giggles, “Alex,” as she pushes me away slightly and I laugh as I pull her back into me, grabbing her bag with my other hand and I say, “Come on, darling, your favorite mac and cheese with extra cheese is ready and there is a tub with your name on it while I put the kids to bed before joining you.”
“That sounds like heaven,” she whispers as she leans into me as we walk towards the door before I hear her mutter, “A girl could really fall with all this,” and I just squeeze her tighter because unbeknownst to her, that is the fucking plan.
Chapter 15
Holly – A Week Later
I sigh as I wipe my hair from my face and sit back up, resting my butt on my heels, while the kids giggle from the living area.
I smile, and contentment washes over me like it always does when I hear them, despite my cleaning inside the washing machine.
Who would have thought that I’d not only fall in love with a student’s parent but also claim said student as my own?
Not me, that is for sure. I had a vision of what my future held: my daughter and my job, nothing else. I only trusted my cousin because after your first boyfriend turns into a crazy cheat and your own parents disown you when you need them the most, trust doesn’t come easy. I haven’t even heard from them, not one phone call, but then in comes this big badass biker’s son who knew what he wanted and that was his dad and I together, whofor months refused to meet me until he was set up by said son. Alex told me after our second date, only to steal my heart and my daughter’s.
Alex ebbed his way under my skin, buried himself deep inside me, and the thought of ever losing him, god, it makes me feel sick.
I’m in love with him, and that is one hell of a scary feeling to have when I struggle trusting people, and I’m petrified he’s going to hurt me, that I’m going to lose him, because right now, I know without a doubt, I wouldn’t be able to survive that kind of heartbreak.
The man has dug his way into my heart to the point I miss him every single day when he isn’t in my presence and he is all I see when he’s around.
I’ve become reliant on him which I don’t really know is healthy, especially when I haven’t managed to explain my family dynamics, explain about Adam. I haven’t let him all the way in and I know I’m going to have to, especially when I’m eighty percent sure the man is slowly moving me into his home.
Half my stuff is at his that I didn’t take over and nearly all of Lyra’s things, including her clothes are in a room he classed as hers whenever she stayed, though right now that isn’t a bad thing.
I eye the chocolate sauce and whipped cream still staining the drum of my washing machine, and I groan, throwing my head back with frustration.
Damn Matty!
I went to put a load on before continuing the housework, while it’s just the kids and me, only to find the machine completely full of the stuff, and honestly, I don’t know what he was thinking with this one.
Mess with my clothes like he did last week, sure, whatever, but the machine thatheuses?
Doesn’t help that Alex thought it was funny when I spoke to him this morning after I found the machine this way because all it does is encourage my cousin.
I sigh, grabbing some more paper towels. We’ve been doing these pranks for around two months now, since he tried getting me to buy him condoms, and I think we’re taking them too far, especially if the appliances are now being used for the war we’ve got going on, but I do know one thing: he’s definitely the brother I never wanted.
More giggles echo, and I can’t help the smile that appears despite the frustration I’m feeling against Matty, just as my phone rings and I eye it with suspicion.
Matty is at work, hiding from me like a pansy, knowing he took crap too far with this one. I mean seriously all I did was put glitter in his goddamn lube and this was his revenge.
I roll my eyes. Alex is on a run and mentioned this morning he won’t call until this afternoon but will try to message me when he can so who can be ringing me unless…
I sigh, thinking it is yet again Freya who, despite being warned by the cops, still tries to contact me. I stand and grab my phone, ready to threaten to have her arrested because this crap is getting annoying as I look at the unknown number, then look towards the kitchen door ensuring the kids are occupied before looking back at the phone.
“Hello?” I answer curtly but get nothing back, and I look at the screen before putting the phone back to my ear, and I repeat, “Hello?” but with more confusion this time.
Normally she’d already be giving me a lecture about her mother.
I furrow my brows when I don’t get an answer and go to hang up, but instead I freeze as a deep voice chokes, “Holly?”
Everything in me seizes, my heart pounding, and a lump forms in the back of my throat while tears spring.
Oh crap, did I conjure him up?
