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She coughed like she was covering a laugh. “Does she know what she’s doing?”
“Do they ever?”
“Uncie Roman, look!” Maddy giggled as she threw herself on the ground. I had no idea what she was doing, but Piper spluttered a laugh.
Fuck, but this was not my purview. I reached into my pocket for a smoke, remembered I was babysitting, and pulled it back out empty. “Shut up,” I told Piper.
“I didn’t say anything.”
But she wanted to. Thank fuck, she wanted to. “Shut up,” I repeated, wishing she could and would.
“No, it’s actually adorable.”
Well, that wasn’t what I’d wanted to be on her mind. That way lay danger. For everyone involved.
“Yeah, of course it is,” I muttered.
“Did you see?” Maddy called.
I looked at her and found her glaring at me with her hands on her hips.
I swallowed hard. “I saw. It was great!” I called back, then looked at Piper to check if it had been great or not, while simultaneously encouraging her to keep her mouth shut at my ‘Uncie Roman’ voice.
“Don’t ask me. I don’t have small children in my life,” Piper chuckled.
A growl legitimately escaped me, and I had to hurriedly change it to a laugh as Maddy ran up to us. She frowned up at Piper with that unnerving way that kids have of seeing right into the very pit of your soul.
Piper didn’t seem fazed. “Hi,” she said with a welcoming smile.
“Who are you?” Maddy asked.
“Uh, Piper.” She pointed at her house. “I live next door.”
Maddy’s eyes swivelled from me to Piper like she was puzzling something out. She finally smiled warmly and stuck her hand to Piper. “I’m Maddy.”
Piper took her hand with a nod. “Nice to meet you. Roman…mentioned you.”
“Are you Uncie Roman’s girlfriend?” Maddy blurted out and I honest to fuck choked.
“Uh, no,” Piper said slowly, and I felt…something about that or just the way she said it. “But we go to school together.”
Maddy nodded. “I’m going to school next term.”
Piper was nothing but lovely to this nosey arse five-year-old. “That’s pretty cool.”
Maddy gave her a shrug like it honestly didn’t matter. “Can you do cartwheels?”
Piper shot me a look. “Uh. Last I tried, I could.”
“When did you try last?”
“Oh, good question. It was a while ago.”
“Uncie Roman can’t.”
Piper seemed to think that was the funniest thing she’d heard all day. “Is that so?”
Maddy nodded. “Will you help me? He’s useless.”
