Flawed Heart: House Of Obsidian - Bella Jewel Page 0,56
low on his hips. His eyes are on both of us, and his face is soft.
“I’m sure if Max said that, then that’s what you get.”
“Momma?”
I pull back and look down at her. “Yes, baby?”
“Is Max going to be my new daddy?”
I flinch and look over to Max to see his jaw is tight. She deserves to know and he deserves her to know, so I answer truthfully.
“Max is your daddy, honey.”
She blinks and then her little eyes widen. “He’s my daddy like the kids at school have a daddy?”
I smile and fight back my tears. “Yes, that’s right.”
“Will I get to live with him and you, if he’s my daddy?”
“We’ll see honey, okay?”
She looks over to Max. “Do I get to call you daddy?”
His face—God, his face. He nods, because it appears it’s all he can do.
“Yippee!” she cries.
Kids. Everything is so simple in their world.
“Okay, well, you need to go back to sleep because it’s still very late. Tomorrow we’ll make pancakes.”
She yawns and I tuck her back in. “I love you, Mommy.”
“Love you too, princess.”
“And Daddy, I love Daddy too.”
I look over to Max and he looks as if he’s about to lose his shit. He opens his mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. He’s speechless.
“Daddy loves you right back. Now off to bed,” I say, kissing her again.
She snuggles in and I step out, closing the door. Max is standing in the hallway now, staring at his clenched fists.
“How am I supposed to do it?” he rasps.
“Do what?”
“Be her dad. Be a good dad. I couldn’t even save a life, Blue Belle. What if it was her . . .”
“Hey,” I say, stepping over to him. “I can’t even begin to imagine how it must have felt seeing that little girl die, but it wasn’t your fault, Max. You know whose fault it was? Her parents, because they didn’t protect her the way they should have. Do you truly think you’d ever put that little girl in there in that same kind of danger?”
“Never.”
“Then don’t let fear rule you. She needs you. You know that.”
“I think I might need her, and that fuckin’ scares me.”
“It scared me, too, but it turns out it was the best damned thing I ever did.”
He looks up at me. “You scare me.”
His voice is thick. I swallow. “Yeah. I think I feel the same.”
He studies my face. “You should get some rest. It’s been a long day.”
“Okay,” I say, turning my body towards the living area.
“No, in the bed. You take it.”
“It’s okay. I can crawl in with Immy or take the couch.”
“Blue Belle,” he warns. “Take the damned bed.”
I smile and look into his eyes. “Okay, handsome. I won’t argue, but I do want you to come with me.”
He narrows his eyes. “I thought . . .”
“I’m not asking you to fuck me, Max. I’m just asking for you to be beside me, just for tonight.”
He nods. “I think I can give you that.”
I beam.
This might have a chance at working. Just maybe.
~*~*~*~
The next day starts off well enough, with me waking pressed against Max’s hard, hot body. I get up before him, shower, and then start on the pancakes. Being back in the house is strange, and I find myself feeling as though I never left. I miss it. I loved it so much, with its wooden floors, timber walls and open-plan living. It was my dream home. It’s where I thought I’d raise my kids.
Immy woke half an hour ago, and I distracted her by giving her a pancake with strawberries and cream. Tina texted me an hour ago and told me she’s going to be over in the next half an hour, so we can work out what’s going to happen with Mom. Remembering that I lost my last living parent yesterday has my heart clenching. I want her back; I want to tell her I love her, and remind her that she’ll be so incredibly missed, but I can’t do any of that. Instead I just have to accept the emptiness in my chest.
“Mornin’.”
I spin around, spatula in the air, batter dripping onto the floor, and see Max standing in the doorway, shirtless, his hair messed from sleep, his eyes heavy and sexy. Holy shit. My heart starts pounding as he walks closer towards me, and I can do nothing but stand there, staring at him with a gaping mouth and dripping pancake batter.
He reaches over and I brace myself, my breathing coming