[Text: Ophelia]
How much longer on your shift?
[Text: Phantom]
Five hours give or take
Now it’s my turn to be indecisive. I type,I wish you were here,then think better of it, delete, and try again.
[Text: Ophelia]
Be safe
[Text: Phantom]
You too. Text me if you need anything.
I give him a thumbs up emoji, which doesn’t nearly express half the things I want to say to him. Things likethank you for tonightandthank you for the quiet things you do when I’m not lookingandhow can do you manage to feel so ingrained in my life and infuriatingly out of reach at the same time?
Conversations for another day.
I put my phone on the charger and climb into the bed with my sister and the kids. Even with the clean sheets, Phantom’s scent clings to the pillows—this warm, masculine musk—and I bury myself in it, feeling safer than I have in a long time.
29
Ophelia.Now.
Phantom comes home bearing gifts. He enters with a large, rectangular box in hand. “Is there anyone in this house that likes donuts?” he asks.
Squeaky and Kira dance around him, hands up, ready to accept their offerings.
We’ve already taken over the kitchen. Eggs are scrambled, the coffee pot is going, and the table is covered with red, white, and black cardboard paper.
Phantom nudges aside the paper to make space for the donuts. He open the box, revealing a dozen pink and colorful Valentine’s Day themed donuts.
“You two cansplitone,” Aleena chides her kids, who make a grab for them.
I step beside Phantom. “Coffee?” I ask.
His eyes meet mine. They look pleased to see me. “Yes.”
I fix him a mug. His kitchen is huge—bigger than Aleena’s or mine—and we’ve had fun making a mess of it. Phantom takes aseat at the table and thanks me when I set his mug down in front of him.
“Princess put the kids to work,” I tell him when I see him inspecting the mess on the table.
Princess glances up from her scissors. “They’re for the party.”
“Mm.” Phantom takes a sip from his mug before glancing up at me. “Perfect.”
I can’t help it. Like a dog, my heart flips for praise.
He’s barely settled in before Kira is shoving her craft in his lap. “I made a heart chain.”
“No kidding. Show me.” He takes her paper chain and inspects it carefully. “Cohesive chain work. All the loops are the same length, none too big or too small. Aleena, I’m afraid you’ve got a genius on your hands.” He hands it back. “Good work.”
Kira beams. Aleena just looks amused. “We’ll be out of your hair soon.”
“Stay as long as you want.” He slants a look towards Princess. “Princess could use the child labor.”
