Page 60 of Promise Me This
Elody races back to the living room and drops down beside Kia, immediately starting another drawing.
“Wow,” Kia says a few minutes later. “I think this is even better than the first one.”
Elody beams. “It’s for you. Daddy said you’re staying for now.” Her voice dips, turning serious. “But I want you to stay forever.”
Kia glances at me. The moment our gazes collide, I turn back to the stove before instinct overrides what little sense I have left. I inhale a deep breath and then exhale it slowly as I fight the urge to cross the room and pull her into my arms.
But I can’t do that.
It would only bulldoze the boundaries that need to stay firmly in place between us. The ones we need if this arrangement is going to work at all.
“Laiken?” Her voice floats into the kitchen, and I close my eyes briefly, hating how much I like the sound of my name on her lips. “Do you need help with anything?”
“Nope. It’s all under control.”
Her footsteps falter near the threshold, which tells me she understands the need for space just as much as I do. It’s like we’re both hovering at that invisible line.
“That’s part of the reason I’m here,” she says. “To help.”
“I know.” I keep my attention on the chicken in the pan. “But tonight, I’ve got it covered.”
“Are you sure?”
I glance over and find her standing with her hands loosely clasped in front of her, hair pulled back, face bare of makeup. She looks exhausted and maybe a little pale, as if today took more out of her than she’s willing to admit.
A wave of protectiveness surges through me. “Yup. Go sit down and take it easy. I’ve got it.”
Her brows knit before she nods. “Okay.”
“Kia!” Elody calls out. “Come see what I made with glitter!”
The younger woman’s expression softens. “I bet it’s amazing.”
And then she retreats to the living room. I stare at the empty doorway longer than necessary before cursing under my breath. If I’m being honest with myself, I wanted her to cross that line. I wanted her in this space with me, moving around as we made dinner together.
And that realization scares the hell out of me.
Not only is Kia young, she’s my teammate’s sister. And she’s pregnant with another man’s child. I shouldn’t have been the one standing beside her in that exam room this morning, holding her hand and sharing such an intimate moment. I shouldn’t have felt something flare dangerously in my chest when the doctor mistook me for the father. And I sure as shit shouldn’t have wished it were true.
But I had.
I stir the sauce for the chicken a little too hard, as if the extra effort might keep my thoughts from drifting back to the woman who’s been occupying far too many of them. In the living room, Elody giggles and Kia laughs along with her. The sound slips straight through the walls I’ve built around my heart since Sarah left.
Elody wants this woman to stay. For one reckless second, I allow myself to picture the three of us at this table every night. It would be a life that finally feels steady. Then reality snaps back into place, and I remind myself this is a temporary situation.
It has to be.
I can’t allow my daughter to fall in love with another person who might take off on a whim. And if I’m not careful, I’ll be right there beside her, standing in the wreckage of something I let myself believe in.
My phone buzzes, knocking me from those thoughts.
Abigail.
Even though I should pick up, I let it go to voicemail. When it continues to buzz, I flip it face down, as if that will be enough to keep the threat at bay. The courts. The scrutiny. The reminder that my every move is not only being watched but carefully evaluated.
In the living room, Kia’s patient voice sails through the air. I hate how much relief I feel knowing she’s here, giving my daughter something I’m unable to provide.
After dishing out the chicken and rice, I carry the bowls to the table. Elody climbs into her seat, still smudged with marker and glitter.
