Page 26 of Bittersweet Redemption

Willa swallows, probably trying to figure out exactly how to respond. I know she and Roman’s dad didn’t have a great relationship. The guy seems like an absolute tool. But hearing that he was mean to Willa. . . I don’t know. It does something to me. Something I really don’t like.

“Daddy just had a lot going on, bud. He didn’t know how to properly express his emotions.” Her cheeks are pink, and I can tell she’s trying not to talk shit about Ro’s dad in front of him, which I can respect. But it makes me want to pull her onto my lap and hold her, which is confusing as hell.

“Daddy still thinks you’re coming back. He talks about it all the time.”

She sighs. “I know. But we’re better off just the two of us, don’t you think?”

“Yep.” He smiles at her, and we all continue eating.

There’s another beat of silence before I change the subject. “Did y’all know Roman here is a soccer star?”

“Wow!” Riley looks at him. “Tell me all about it.”

Roman starts going on about running up and down the field with his teammates and how many goals he got in his last game. I watch as Willa exhales and her shoulders relax. She’s grateful we’ve moved on from that conversation. I am, too, because the thought of her ex makes me fucking crazy. As much as I want to know what happened between them, I know it’s better if I don’t.

I don’t want to feel any crazier than I already do.

I’m treading a dangerous line.

Only I would get lucky enough to have an enemy as beautiful as her.

Chapter 13

Willa

Before I’m ready for it, Roman has to go to his dad’s again. He looks deflated as I zip up his bag. I hate when my baby isn’t happy and his usual smile is missing from his sweet little face.

I cup his cheek in my hand. “Hey, you’ll be back before you know it, ok?”

He sighs. “I know. You and Kai aren’t going to do anything fun while I’m gone, are you?”

I hold in my laugh. “Uh, no. I don’t think we’ll be doing anything fun. And Kai’s brother is getting married this weekend, so he’s going to be busy anyway.”

On top of that, Kai has done his absolute best to avoid me. Maybe it’s just our schedules not lining up—I work days, and he works most nights—but it seems strange that we live together, and I haven’t seen him once since the dinner with Kellan and Riley. I do my best to keep our things contained to one room, and I always clean up the kitchen after cooking. I even folded his clothes for him once when I had to do a load of laundry, and his were still in the dryer. As I was folding a pair of his boxer briefs, I started thinking that maybe I had overstepped, but I was already committed and couldn’t back down. So I folded them, put them back in his basket, and left it outside his room. I figured it’d be extra weird if I went into his room. I’m trying to be a good houseguest, and I hope I haven’t done something else to upset him.

I check the time on my phone. “Alright, we better head outside. Your dad will be here soon.”

He wraps his arms around me, and I scoop him up in the biggest hug. “Two days, Ro. I’ll see you in two days.” He nods, and I let him slide down until he’s on his feet. I grab his bag, and we head outside. We’re walking out of the house when I realize Nick’s car is already parked outside our house. We walk across the lawn from Kai’s, and Nick’s brother, Jake, steps out of the driver’s side.

He nods his head at Kai’s. “What are you doing over there?”

“Oh, we had some storm damage to our house, so our neighbor is letting us stay with him.”

“Does Nick know? I’m sure you guys could’ve stayed with him.”

My brows furrow. “No, it’s not really his business. We had an accident in our house, so we figured out a backup plan.”

He holds up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright. Just asking.”

“We’re good where we are.” I hand him Roman’s bag. “Where’s Nick?”

“He had some things to take care of.” I know what that means. He either had some illegal things to do, or he’s with another woman. My heart breaks that Ro has a father who can’t even take the time to come pick his own kid up.

“Sure.” I turn to Ro and give him another hug and a kiss. He hops into his car seat, and I wave them off.

Since I have the evening to myself, I do some self-care. I cook a quick dinner, do a face mask, and give myself a manicure while I watch chick flicks on Kai’s streaming account.

By the time my nails are dry and my face is moisturized, I’m ready for bed. Since I don’t have Ro tomorrow, I’ve booked up my entire day at the salon from nine until four.