Ilisten to her as she says how much she owes. I hear the sadness in her tone and I also see she is trying to keep it all together. I can’t even fathom how she did it for four years all by herself. All of this happens and all I want to do is throw something against the wall and kick my own ass for not being there. I lean forward off the couch to the notepad in the middle of the coffee table. Picking it up, I spot the check under it I started to write before she even told me the total. I grab it and then look over at her. “I’m giving you this,” I tell her and she looks at me confused, “and if you don’t take it, I’m going to have it deposited in your account.”
I hold out the check for her and all she does is look down at my hand, the top of the check with her name on it, and also for the amount of four hundred thousand dollars. “I can’t take that,” she squawks, and her eyes go big as she hides her hands behind her back.
“Fine,” I say, putting down the check by her coffee cup. “I’ll pay all your bills. Either way, you will be getting that money.”
“I don’t need it,” she says to me, and I side-eye her with a glare.
“I don’t care,” I tell her. “After everything…” I try to calm down my heartbeat and the way I just want to lash out at everyone, me included. Her family, her fucking family is going to pay for what they did to her, for leaving her without anything. Who does that? Who? “Everything you went through, it’s never going to be enough.”
I fold my hands together but all I want to do is lean in and kiss her again. “Why are you being like this?” she asks, frustrated when she finally realizes she is not going to win. There are things she will win, but it’s not this.
“Because it was my job to take care of you two.” I look into her eyes, hoping she sees how much her story killed me to listen to. “And I failed.” The lump forms in my throat. “Miserably.”
Her hand flies out from behind her, landing on my forearm. “You didn’t fail anything.” Her voice starts out low but then rises by the time she says the rest. “You didn’t even know.’
“But now I do.” I lean in a touch. “I know now, and I promise you that you will never, ever have to worry about that again.” I move even closer to her so I can taste her lips on mine. Her tongue comes out to lick her bottom lip, and I want to trace her tongue. My cock goes so hard it hurts. “Never again.” I’m about to kiss her when we both hear footsteps coming our way.
Addison jumps back from touching me and nearly flies off the couch. “Are we going to eat?” Avery asks, walking into the living room. “My stomach rumbled.”
“Yes,” I confirm, getting up, hoping my dick isn’t popping out in my shorts and she points it out. “Let’s see if the bacon is ready, and then we can get some pancakes going.” I clap my hands as I walk around the couch, as far away from Addison as I can, because getting closer to her will make my cock jump out even more.
“You have a big—” Avery says, and the blood immediately drains from my whole body, thinking she is going to say penis. I don’t even know why my head went there but it did. “Kitchen.”
I literally let out a sigh of relief. “You think so? Well, then, you should see Glammy and Grand-père’s,” I inform her as we walk to the island. “It’s really big.” Her eyes go huge. “I got you a stool,” I tell her, walking over to the wooden thing my mother told me to buy her so she could stand next to me safely. Apparently, all my cousins have it, who knew. “Okay, let’s make pancakes.” I grab the bowl. “Momma.” I look up at Addison. “We are going to make breakfast for you.”
“I can help.” She is about to take a step to us and I hold up my hand and shake my head.
“You will not. You sit down, drink your coffee, and relax.”
“Yeah, Momma,” Avery repeats, “relax.” She then looks at me. “Do you have chocolate chips?” She tries to whisper to me but her voice is nothing like a whisper.
“I do,” I whisper back to her. “Should we do chocolate chip pancakes?” I ask her, making her eyes go big, and she smirks at me as she nods her head. Side by side we make breakfast, well, she helps make the pancakes. I do the stove but she does help with setting the table. I can’t even put into words how I feel sitting down at the table with them.
After breakfast, we go out into the yard where I show her the tree house my parents bought for her. She runs toward the tree house, her hair flying behind her, yelling that it says her name on it.
Addison and I follow her, the both of us not sure what to say. “This is incredible,” Addison finally says, looking at me.
“Not as incredible as her mother,” I mumble, but I know she hears me because her cheeks get a touch pink, “or that kiss we had last night.”
She’s about to say something when Avery comes running out and grabs her hand, pulling her toward the tree house. I stand here as she shows her everything in the house. When the clouds start to roll in, Addison tells her it’s time to go. Avery isn’t the only one who groans about that. I walk them to their car and Avery pouts the whole time. “Be good and I’ll come and see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay, but don’t go in my house,” Avery tells me of her tree house and it makes me laugh.
I close the door to the car, standing in front of Addison. “Thank you for today,” she says as she wrings her hands together nervously.
“You’re more than welcome.” I try to draw it out longer. “You are also more than welcome to stay for dinner and even breakfast.” I wink at her and she just shakes her head laughing. “Did you take the check?”
“Stefano,” she groans my name and all I can do is smirk at her as I close the distance between us.
“I like hearing you say my name,” I tell her, then lean in even more, “but I love hearing you moan it more.”
She pushes my chest away as she laughs even harder. “Goodbye,” she says, opening the driver’s door.
“No kiss?” I question, right before she closes the door and the back window opens.
“I’ll kiss you,” Avery says to me, and yup, totally done for. My heart explodes in my chest as I stick my head in the window and kiss her cheek and then her neck. “That tickles.” She squeezes her neck closed.
“Call me when you get home,” I tell her and watch her drive away. I stand here until I can’t see her anymore and then go back into my house. Walking inside, I see the check still on the table and shake my head. “Stubborn woman,” I mumble before I make my way to the kitchen, put things away, and clean up before grabbing my laptop. I get lost in my work and only when my phone rings do I look up.
I see that it’s Avery FaceTiming me. “Hello,” I greet once her face fills my phone.
“Hello, Dad,” she says. She doesn’t really call me Dad or Daddy often, but when she does it warms my soul. “I’m going to bed.”
“Going to bed?” I gasp before I turn my head to see it’s after seven. “Did you eat dinner?”
“Yes, Momma made grilled cheese,” she tells me and I smile. “Momma, Dad is on the phone.”
“What phone?” I hear Addison ask from somewhere in her apartment.
“Mine,” she states, walking to her mother. I see she is getting dressed, I get a glimpse of her leg and her lace panties before she squeals and grabs the phone from Avery.
Her face fills the phone. “And this is why it’s not a good idea for a four-year-old to have a phone,” she hisses.
“I mean, she could have called me with your phone.” I make the argument, and all she does is glare at me. “Go put our girl to bed and call me back,” I tell her and she’s about to say something to me. “I like that color of lace,” I declare. All that earns me is her teeth grinding together.
“Say good night to your father.” She hands the phone to Avery.
“Good night, Father,” Avery says, “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say softly and then the phone goes dead. I wait thirty minutes before I call her number.
“Hello,” she mumbles and then I press the FaceTime button. “Why are you FaceTiming me?” she asks me but accepts and her face fills the screen.
“What are you doing?” I ask her, seeing she is on the couch.
“Homework,” she tells me. “What can I do for you?”
“Two things,” I say, holding up one finger. “One, you forgot the check.” She rolls her eyes. “And two, will you go out with me?” I just look at her. “Why don’t you just think about it?”
I wait for what seems like forever but is just a couple of seconds. “Okay, fine, I’ll think about it.”
I can’t help but smile at her. “Are you free next Saturday?”
She laughs. “I thought you said to think about it?”
“I did.” I laugh. “But I have to start planning.”
She laughs at me. “What if I say no?”
I smirk at her, my heart speeding up fast, my cock getting hard for her. “What if you say yes? I have to be ready.”
She shakes her head, but the smile on her face is beautiful. “Goodbye, Stefano.”
I look at her, wishing I could kiss her again. “Good night, li’l momma.” I wink at her, and she rolls her eyes before she hangs up.
I immediately call Matty, who answers after two rings. “What do you want?” He doesn’t even say hello.
“Can you watch Avery next Friday night?” I tap my leg nervously, not sure what I’m going to do if he says no.
“Sure, why?” My fist secretly flies in the air.
“I want to take Addison out on a date,” I tell him.
“Aren’t you dating Jenna?” he snaps. “I swear to God, I’m going to kick your ass and then call Uncle Matthew.”
I gawk at my phone. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think I would ask her out if I was still dating Jenna?” I don’t even wait for him to answer me before I continue, “Idiot. What do you take me for?”
“Didn’t you just meet your four-year-old daughter?” he retorts, laughing.
I don’t even bother answering him, I hang up on him, and then text Addison.
I got a babysitter for next Friday, is that good?
I don’t want to bother her while she’s studying, but I can’t wait. The phone buzzes in my hand, and I see it’s her.
I didn’t say yes yet.
But you didn’t say no either. Would it be okay, or do you have to work?
I don’t have to work.
I smile that she still hasn’t said no.
Okay, good, so one thing less to worry about.
I’ve got to study.
Call me later, if you want.
I pull up the text to my father right away.
What should I do for a first date?
The sound of thunder fills the room, and I look up in time to see the lightning follow another couple of booms. The sound of rain hitting the window fills the room, and my leg starts moving up and down when I see the little gray bubble with the three dots come up. It stays like that for more than two minutes before my phone rings. I press the green button, and then my father’s face fills the screen. “Hey,” he says, smiling at me, and I see my mother is there. “What does she like to do?” my father asks me, and all I can do is shake my head, shrugging.
“I have no idea.” I look at both of them. “That is why I’m asking you.”
“Well, at least you know she likes you if she had sex with you,” my mother observes, and all I can do is close my eyes. Also, she is not wrong.
“Okay, well, I’m not having sex with her.” Yet, I leave out because no one should be talking about sex with their mother. But then again, no one is my mother.
“And why not?” She throws her hands up. “I fell in love with your father because of all the sex we had.”
“And the fish,” my father chimes in. “She really started to love me when I gifted her Elsa, the fish.”
My mother gasps. “I broke up with you because of that fucking thing. Who gives a woman a fish?” She shakes her head.
“You loved that fish,” my father says as my phone pings with Avery’s name.
I sit up as thunderclaps fill the room, along with the flash of lightning. “I have to go. It’s Avery.” I don’t even wait for my father to say anything.
Her face fills the screen, and I can see she’s in a dark room. “Daddy,” she whines, her voice soft, and I swear I can see tears streaked on her face. My whole body goes numb and stiff at the same time. I toss my laptop to the side and run to the door before she even says another word. “We have no lights.” I run around the fucking house, looking for my fucking keys and finally finding them in my bedroom.
“Where is Mommy?” I ask her and she jumps when thunder claps again.
“She went to check—” she says. “I’m scared.” My whole body goes cold. I run out of the house, the wind and rain hitting me, and I have to shield my eyes.
“Hey, look at me,” I tell her as I get in my car and pull out of the driveway, the wipers going as fast as they can to clear the rain off my windshield, but it’s coming down too hard. The bright white line of lightning flashes in front of me while Avery cries softly. “I’ll be right there,” I soothe her as I try to go as fast as I can safely. “Look at me, baby girl. I’m going to be right there,” I tell her, and then the line goes dead.
“Avery!” I yell her name, and when I call her back, it tells me the person is unavailable. I pull up in front of her house and run out faster than I’ve ever run. I swing open the door, and the heat hits me right away. “Fuck,” I hiss as I take two steps at a time until I get to her door and knock fast and hard. “Addison!” I shout her name, “Avery!”
The sound of the door unlocking somehow makes me feel a touch better. She opens the door, and I pull her to me. “Stefano,” she says. “You’re soaking wet.” She laughs at me, my heart beating even faster. “What are you doing here?”
“Avery called me,” I explain, walking in and feeling the heat run through me. “Avery,” I say her name, and she comes running to me as I squat down. “Where is your iPad?”
“On the bed, there is a red light in the middle,” she tells me. “I was scared.”
“She called you?” Addison asks me. “But why?”
“I was scared,” Avery repeats softly.
“You ready to go?” I ask Avery and then look over at Addison. “Come home with me?” I don’t even know if I’m asking her or telling her.
“We’re fine here,” she says. “The lights will be back on soon.”
“I have the room, and it’s getting really hot in here.” She can’t deny it’s an oven in here. The windows are open, and towels are on the floor to soak up whatever water they can. “Come with me.”
“Fine,” she huffs, “let me grab some things.”
I just nod at her as I pick up Avery in my arms, ignoring the fact that I’m wet and now so is she. “Am I going to sleep in the princess bed?” she asks me, and I smile. I don’t say anything because I can’t. My heart, which would come out of my chest, is now lodged in my throat as she wraps her arms around my neck. I literally can’t say anything. I have never been so scared in my life. I had no idea what I would do if I got here and they were not here. I can’t even imagine.
Addison walks back out of her bedroom with a small bag in her hand. “Okay,” she says as she walks toward the front window and closes it, “shall we go?”
We are all soaking wet when we get in the car and back to my house. “I’ll take her and change her and get her into bed,” Addison says, but I don’t let her out of my arms. I carry her to the bedroom. I turn on the lights and hear the gasp behind me.
“What in the f—” Addison starts, stopping as she looks around the room. The pink, four-poster, canopy queen-size bed sits in the middle of the room. The pink satin bedding shines as the pink tulle hangs from the four posters.
“My mother,” is all I can say as I put Avery in the middle of the pink carpet.
“Don’t,” Addison warns, rushing forward with her arm out, “she’s going to get the carpet wet.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Doesn’t matter,” I reply, walking over to the pink dresser with diamond buttons for the drawer handles. “Glammy got you some clothes.” I pull open the drawer, and another gasp comes out of Addison. I look back over my shoulder as she spots the corner of the room where there is a white plush rug with different pink pillows against the wall, where a round circle of pink silk drapes down around the pillows. “It’s a reading corner.”
“A reading nook?” she says, shocked. I peel Avery out of her wet clothes, tossing them to the side where Addison steps to pick them up. I put pink pj’s on Avery and get her into bed.
“Night,” I say to Avery, kissing her neck, “I’m going to put on a little light.” I walk toward the side of the room and turn off the lights, but then the twinkle lights come on as if they’re stars in the sky.
“Jesus,” Addison says, looking around, “do those lights stay on all night?”
“They’re sort of motion censored,” I say, and she shakes her head.
“Of course they are,” she mumbles as we walk out of the bedroom.
“Where do you want to stay?” I ask her when we are standing in the hallway, and she shrugs. “You can sleep in the guest room.” I point at the room on the left. “Or you can stay in my bed.” I smirk at her, winking one eye, and I can see her try to hide her smile. She pushes my shoulder, moving to the side to walk away from me. I grab her hand before she walks away from me, turning to pull her to me. I don’t think about anything else but kissing her. My lips crash down on hers. She gasps right before my lips touch hers, giving my tongue the access it needs to slide into her mouth. My hand drops hers to wrap around her waist and pull her to me. Her chest crushes on mine as our tongues go around and around in circles. I kiss her now like I wanted to kiss her this morning, our tongues fight with each other but this time she doesn’t push me away. Her hands go to my hips, and my cock fights to get out of the wet shorts. I deepen the kiss for a minute before she steps away from me. “Okay, Stefano.” She looks at me, her eyes darker than before. Her head pulls back a bit. “I’ll go out with you.”
