grady
. . .
My text threadwith Cleo was unnervingly silent, save for the few messages I’d sent with no response. It wasn’t until I asked her what time I should bring Charlie by on Monday morning that she sent a single text.
Cleo
9:00 a.m.
For the past two days, our interactions had been limited. I’d drop Charlie off in the morning, sometimes lingering, much to her dismay, and then I’d pick her up later. Cleo didn’t say much, and while she hadn’t entirely shut me out, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming either.
When I asked Lennox if Cleo was okay, she assured me she was. I didn’t know if I really believed it or if it was just something I was being told, so I didn’t barge through the door and beg her to talk to me.
As much as I wanted to push her for more, I didn’t. I couldn’t. She was struggling to come to terms with everything, with us. While I was determined to prove to her I was the man she needed, the one she deserved, I knew better than to pushright now. If I did it too much, she would shut down entirely, and I refused to let that happen. Not when I was finally seeing her open up.
I played our kiss on repeat all weekend, lying alone in bed or in the shower as I fisted my cock. It didn’t take long for me to come, not when I remembered the soft little moan that’d left her lips when our mouths touched, or the way she struggled to keep control of her body as I pressed against her.
I didn’t know how long it’d been for her, but it’d just been me and my hand for far longer than I cared to admit. I hadn’t touched another woman since Liv and I got together one drunken night. We both woke up after, feeling the mistake between us, but never admitting it out loud. Especially not when it ended up giving us the greatest gift neither of us expected.
While I didn’t want to be too presumptuous, I knew well enough the first time I claimed Cleo’s body again, I was going to make sure she was entirely satisfied before I ever tried to get my own. If not, it was going to be over far quicker than either of us wanted.
“Daddy, Daddy! Wake up! It’s time to go to Miss Cleo’s for lessons.” Charlie came running through my door and pounced on my bed. “Come on! Get out of bed.”
“Someone’s eager,” I said, laughing. “Haven’t you ever heard of sleeping in?”
She sat back on her heels, looking at me like I had lost my mind. I mean, I had, but she didn’t know that. “Sleeping in is for old people.”
“Ouch. My god, kid. You’re going to kill someone with that honesty one day.”
“I’m not trying to kill you, Daddy,” she whined, leaning forward. Her stuffed rabbit was squashed beneath her palm. “I just want you to get up so we can go see Miss Cleo.”
I stared at my daughter, the way her little hands twitched inmy sheets, and the pout on her face. Something about her words gave me pause. “Are you excited to see Miss Cleo or ride horses?”
Charlie blushed. “Can it be both?”
“It can,” I said, opening my arms. She crawled over to me and settled against my chest. “Do you like Miss Cleo?”
My daughter turned and looked up at me. “Duh, Daddy. I love her.”
“That’s a big word, you know,” I murmured. “Love isn’t something you should throw around without meaning it.”
Charlie was silent, but I could hear the gears turning in her mind. “But you love her, don’t you, Daddy?”
I realized I was at a crossroads. I could either tell my daughter the truth or I could lie. But I’d always told her how important it was to speak honestly, and what would lying do other than eventually show her I didn’t practice what I preached?
“I do,” I said, hugging her tighter. “Is that okay with you?”
She nodded, but I could feel her holding back. “If you love her, does that mean I can love her, too?”
“Oh, sweetie, of course you can. You can love anyone you want, but especially Miss Cleo.”
“D-Do you think she loves us, too? Like, both of us?”
My sweet girl was breaking my heart. I didn’t know why. She was loved, so very loved, by Liv and me. Even if we hadn’t fully explained to her what it would mean to be divorced, she was a smart kid. I knew she was picking up on the changes that were about to happen.
“How could she not? You’re the best girl around.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Miss Cleo… Well, she’s been hurt by love before, so we’ve got to help show her it’s okay.”
Charlie nodded against my chest, burrowing in so deeply before bursting from my arms. “Can we bring her breakfast,Daddy? I know she likes cinnamon rolls. Can we bring her cinnamon rolls?”
