AllFreeNovel
Share Us
At least I got some form of an answer when we spent the night similar to the way we did the night before.
He came to my bed, and there he stayed until morning. He thought I was asleep when he left the bed.
I wasn’t, and now I’m not sure what’s weirder. Us like this or the way we were before.
Something has changed between us, but neither of us is acknowledging it. Probably because neither of uswantsto acknowledge it.
Is it too late for me to repeat that mantra of not wanting this—whatever it is?
I lie in the bed for another hour before I decide to get up. I’m not sure what I’ll do today. It’s Monday again, and I don’t know if I can live another week like the one I just had.
It’s just gone seven. Marguerite usually gets here early, but I’m not sure how early. I decide to go downstairs to the kitchen hoping she’ll be there, and if she’s not, I hope it’s okay to make coffee.
She is. She’s in there with Lydia, but I can see Vincent in the living room with the baby. They’re drawing on some pieces of paper.
He looks up and sees me watching, and it’s too late when he does to act like I wasn’t.
As he’s looking at me, I make my way in there, but I keep a few paces away because I know he’s cautious of me around his child. His child, who brightens up the way he did the other week when he first saw me. I haven’t seen him since.
Vincent catches him as he tumbles over trying to get to me.
“Easy, tiger,” he says, pulling the baby close.
I smile down at them. I noticed there’re different versions of him. This is one of them. Watching him with his baby shows a softer side to him that actually makes him more alluring.
He stands up with him and offers me a small smile.
“Good morning,” I say. I’m nervous. I’m sure it’s evident with the blush I feel creeping into my cheeks.
“Good morning. Sleep well?” He knows I did. He was there. I nod all the same, and the baby giggles.
His sweet little smile has me smiling too. He turns to Vincent and says, “Princess, Papa.” He starts pointing at me. “Princess.”
Now I can’t help but laugh, although part of me notes he wouldn’t have been wrong years ago. I was certainly treated like one in another lifetime. I never knew it would be my downfall.
“Yes, baby, she is,” Vincent tells him and shakes his head. “He’s a little flirt.”
“He’s sweet,” I answer, unsure of what to say.
“His… name’s Timothy,” Vincent says, looking like he’s decided I can know that.
“That’s a nice name.”
Marguerite comes into the room with a bright smile on her face. “Morning, all. I need that baby now. It’s going to take me at least one hour to get him ready for playgroup. He hates that dreadful uniform.”
Vincent hands Timothy over to her. “Uniforms are not bad.”
“No, if you’re in the army, they are okay. No for babies. We won’t tell your padre we’ll take the cute banana suit today for backup.” Marguerite winks at him and shakes her head when he opens his mouth to protest.
She leaves us and takes the lighter atmosphere with her as she goes.
He stares at me, and it’s like I’m placed back in my role of being captive.
He reaches forward and touches the underside of my jaw then traces behind my ear, along the scar I was left with as a reminder of Russia. It was a cigarette burn. It was the last one, the deepest one. The one that burnt through my skin. The others faded with time. They faded over the ten-year span.
Vincent brings his hand back to my chin and intensifies his gaze on me.
“I’m changing a few things today,” he states, dropping his hand to his side.
