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"It's honestly fine," I say. "It's not all on you."
Drix takes my hand in his, his touch comforting and warm. "I promise to take things slow," he says sincerely. "We don't have to rush into anything if you're not ready."
I let out a breath of relief, grateful for his understanding. "Thank you, Drix. That means a lot."
He smiles at me, his eyes shining with affection. "You don't have to thank me. I care about you, Lia. And I want us to explore whatever this is between us at a pace that feels comfortable for you. I just got caught up in the moment. Can you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive," I reply, feeling a flutter in my stomach as our fingers intertwine. "Now, shall we show Toby and Daisy how it's done?"
"Let's do this," he agrees eagerly, grinning.
As we make our way downstairs, the charged tension between us slowly dissipates, replaced by a sense of ease. Drix's hand in mine feels familiar, a comforting presence that I can't help but relish.
Entering the living room, we find Toby and Daisy waiting, their excitement palpable. Daisy is wearing a mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling.
"Are you two ready to lose?" she taunts, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.
Drix chuckles and squeezes my hand before letting go. "We'll see about that," he replies, his voice filled with playful determination.
Toby jumps up and down in excitement. "Come on, Mama! Time to play!"
I smile at him and take a deep breath, trying to shake off the residual effects of our interrupted moment. This is just a game, I remind myself. Just an innocent way to spend time together. But deep down, I know that there is something more lingering beneath the surface, something that can't be easily dismissed. This is beginning to feel like a family, and I can't deny how happy that makes me.
As we split into teams and prepare for the game of charades, I find myself stealing glances at Drix when he isn't looking. The game begins, and Toby is surprisingly good at acting out his chosen phrases. Laughter fills the room as Daisy contorts her face comically while attempting to mimic words without speaking. But all the while, my attention keeps gravitating back to Drix – his infectious laughter, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles.
With each passing turn, I feel my guard slowly melting away. The walls I had built so carefully around my heart are beginning to crumble in the face of his unwavering support and genuine affection. Perhaps it's time to take a leap of faith, to let go of my fears and embrace the unknown.
It’s the final round, and Toby and Daisy have been relentless opponents, but Drix and I are determined to claim victory. We exchange knowing glances, a silent promise to give it our all.
Drix steps forward for his turn, and his eyes lock with mine for a brief moment before he begins to act out his phrase with enthusiasm, using exaggerated gestures and facial expressions. The room erupts in laughter as I struggle to decipher his message. But amidst the chaos, I find myself captivated by the way Drix effortlessly commands the attention of everyone in the room. How at ease he makes me feel.
And suddenly, it hits me – this is what it feels like to be truly alive, to embrace vulnerability and seize every opportunity for happiness. I may be scared, uncertain of what lies ahead, but I’m willing to see where this goes.
SEVENTEEN
DRIX
For the next couple of weeks we all fall into a comfortable routine. Lia works her morning shift at the hotel whilst I look after Toby, and either myself or Daisy drive Lia to work depending on Daisy’s shift patterns. In the afternoons I work on finalising the security for the upcoming wedding, and in the evening we all sit down to a home-cooked meal prepared by Lia.
Every day Lia opens up more and more, and I’ve begun to see glimpses of the woman she talked about once being. It’s a good feeling, and nothing makes me happier than listening to her talk animatedly about her day. Cooking, and more specifically, baking, isn’t just a job to her, it’s what lights her fire, and in all honesty, her happiness and growing confidence lights mine too.
Today, three and a half weeks after Lia and Toby appeared in my life, the three of us are visiting the gym I own so that I can introduce Lia and Toby to my good friends and coworkers.
“How long have you owned the gym?” Lia asks me as we head inside the gym named after the man I owe everything to, Hubert.
“Bought the place a few months after Hubert was diagnosed with cancer. The previous owner wanted to sell up for his retirement. So I took it over, revamping the gym and adding more up to date equipment. I hired more instructors to provide a variety of classes to our growing members. I wanted Hubert to see what I was capable of, to make him proud of me, I guess,” Drix explains, holding open the door as we step inside.
“I’m sure he must’ve been proud,” Lia replies, Toby’s hand held in hers as she follows me into the bright and welcoming reception area where Clementine sits. She grins up at us, her smile as dazzling as her dark copper hair and whiskey coloured eyes.
“Drix, hi!” she says, brushing a rogue curl away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
“Hey, Clemmy, good to see you. These are my friends Lia and Toby. Lia, Toby, meet Clementine, the woman who keeps all the men here in check,” I say with a wink. A black belt in karate makes her well equipped in that department.
“Hi Clementine,” they both reply in unison.
“Busy today?” I ask.
“As always. Ten new members joined this week! I think that has a lot to do with the fact that Baxter has started taking pilates classes. He’s very popular with the gym bunnies, if you know what I mean?”
