AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sunk into my overstuffed couch and spilled.
I told her all about meeting Azazel Ambrose, the insane behavior of his employees, and the fact that he had paid me any attention at all. She wasn’t surprised by the presence of other supernaturals there, pointing out that the company was international, and that it wouldn’t make sense for them to represent someone like Maximus if they didn’t hire his kind.
She cackled when I told her about the potential for baby mama drama if any of those women who’d called decided to take things a step further and go public with their accusations.
We were giggling, sipping on the final glasses of wine the bottle could provide, when a knock came from the front door.
My apartment wasn’t huge. Rebecca and I lived in the same building, but I rented a single bedroom while she rented a double. Where my apartment was sparsely decorated with a plant or two here or there, hers was littered with toys. My furniture was tan and brown or green, and hers were mismatched, because she didn’t care about color coding with two little troublemakers in the house.
“Aunt Ria! Open the door!” came a small voice.
Speak of the devil.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that my nieces had me wrapped around their little fingers. When I pulled open the door, Harry was standing there with one twin on his hip and the other clutching his hand.
“Hey, Aria,” he grinned, kissing me on the cheek as I took Mia from him.
Half-asleep and with her thumb stuck in her mouth, she immediately cuddled into me. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and began to rock her.
“Hi, Harry,” I whispered back, lowering my voice so as not to disturb Mia.
Caiya, on the other hand, did not get the message. “We went to the zoo!” she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Harry sighed, as he released her and closed the door behind him. “You’re a little too loud, bug. Your sister is tired. She’s trying to get some shut-eye.”
Rebecca scooped her daughter up, taking her into the kitchen to wash up. “Tell me all about the zoo,” she suggested in aconspiratorial whisper. Harry kissed her as she passed and I stifled the urge to laugh at Caiya’s disgusted expression.
Harry and I watched them go. “So, how was your first day, kiddo?” he asked, dropping into an overstuffed armchair and reaching for a slice of now-cold pizza.
“It was really good,” I told him. “Not too stressful, and kind of fun.” I gestured to a knocked out Mia with my chin. “Should I put her down, or—”
“Give her here.”
He gestured for me to lay her across his lap, then readjusted so her head was cradled against his neck and her thighs were around his waist. He rubbed her back gently as he ate his pizza. “You like it there, then? They’re not as stuck up as Rebecca thought they’d be?”
“God, no,” I laughed. “They’re the furthest. I’ve only met two others officially, but they were very nice… even though they were a bit crazy. But I do love crazy.”
“That’s good, kid,” he said with a smile. “It’s about time things started looking up for you. You deserve to be happy just as much as the next soon-to-be journalist.”
The words may as well have been a slap in the face.
You deserve to be happy just as much as the next.
Maybe itwastime I started making an effort to be genuinely happy. I’d landed a job at my dream company; I could still keep posting on online platforms and applying for higher positions within the company. I’d increased my chances of working as a full-time journalist for Ambrose Media House. I’d done that all on my own, but even with the support of my family, I hadn’t even taken a moment to congratulate myself.
Harry’s knowing gaze made me squirm.
“Thanks, Harry.”
“Anytime, Aria.”
Rebecca returned with a subdued Caiya, who immediately crawled into my lap when her mother settled on the couch next to me. Rebecca glanced between Harry and me, then narrowed her eyes. “What’re you talking about?” she asked.
“I was just telling Aria that it’s about time she started being happy,” Harry said with a shrug.
Rebecca turned to me, and her gaze softened. “That means that at some point, maybe you’ll consider dating…”
I blanched. “No.”
