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He tossed his hands up in defeat before going back to the tattoo. “Are you sure you aren’t into her?” he asked.
“I’m not,” I replied quickly.
“Then why are you fascinated with her tits?” he said.
“Who said I was?”
“Awfully strange for you to be talking about breastfeeding boobs after the mom came into your life,” Wendy piped in.
Um…hello…leaking tits…
“Not to mention the new painting he brought in?” Lance piped in unnecessarily.
“Do that man’s tattoo and shut the fuck up!” I pointed at Lance, then Wendy, “And you… Just stop talking too.”
_______
Crossing over into the fifth week, I’d already bought Lucy her chips. This would be the last time—my debts paid and forgiveness earned.
Something told me the kid was conning me out of the chips but I didn’t care. Lucy didn’t seem grumpy anymore with me. Hell, she seemed nothing but excited each time she saw me. I’d hear her say something like, “Is it time for my chips?” In which Hadley would rush her daughter into the car without meeting my eyes. She was back to not looking at me, and pretending I wasn’t even there.
It pissed me off a little. I was trying to make up for the shitty way I acted toward Lucy and Hadley. I shouldn’t care that she wanted to avoid me. I preferred not to talk to them either…or so I thought. Why was I always fighting the itch to walk over every time I saw them loading up in her car?
I didn’t know whether or not it was frustration or anger that Wednesday night. When I saw those white scrubs practically glowing in the streetlight, I rushed from my truck and crossed the yard with chips in hand.
“Elijah!” Lucy screamed, and I almost smiled, almost, at the way she butchered the last part of my name. She didn’t know how to roll it off her tongue properly and ended up dragging out the last part. Eli-juhhh.
“Lucy. Please don’t run. What if a car pulled in the parking lot?” Hadley sighed as she held the car seat in one hand and a diaper bag in the other. Lucy peeked over her shoulder but kept going, meeting me halfway.
“Here.” I gave the bag to her. “Listen to your mom. You’ll scare her to death one of these days.”
Lucy beamed up at me. You’d think I’d just complimented her. “I made her pee a little one time!”
“LUCY!” I didn’t hide my smirk as I glimpsed over at her red-faced mother. “Tell him thanks. This is the fifth week. He’s not bringing you any more chips. You’ve been rude enough. Let’s go.”
Lucy pouted, looking up at me. My eyes widened as I took in her tiny appearance then glanced over at her mom. Hadley was beyond uncomfortable every time her daughter put her through that with me. For some inexplicable reason, I couldn’t leave them alone.
Was I stalking them? I was starting to weird myself out. What was my deal?
“Eli-juh,”Lucy blinked up at me, still pouting.
“Yeah, Lucy?” I gazed down at her.
“Let’s be friends.”
Did she want to be my friend? Really? I glanced at Hadley who stood a couple of feet from her daughter. That much closer to me. The similarities between the two of them were amazing. Lucy was Hadley’s mini-me. Cute kid. Pretty mom.
I could be friends with a kid. I think. At least I think I could with this one. I stared down at Lucy. “Sure.”
Clapping her hands, she jumped. “Okay. Will you still bring me chips?” She blinked once, twice. That wasn’t blinking. The kid was batting her eyes, knowing the art of getting her way. “I also like Skittles.”
At that point, Hadley groaned and palmed her forehead. “Lucy…” she whispered, but I caught her smile before she masked it. “We need to stop bugging Elijah like this.” Unlike her daughter, Hadley said my name perfectly, the three syllables rolling off her tongue sweetly.
Her words were kind although I was the one annoying them. I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “All right, I’ll keep that in mind. I like chocolate milk.” I didn’t know why I threw that out there, I just wasn’t ready for them to rush away even though I knew she had to go to work.
“Me too!” Lucy was extremely hyper I noticed. She looked behind her. “You three, Mom, you like chocolate milk too!”
Eli grunted in his car seat. “What is it?” Hadley lifted the car seat higher and cooed down at him. I was frozen. It was one of those surreal moments—seeing her first actual smile, even if it wasn’t for me. Damn it. My throat tickled a little, and my heart rate increased.
