Page 119 of Time To Learn

Muttering almost unintelligibly about overdramatic gestures, she shakes her head before she walks downstairs. I grin at her retreating back one last time, before I hurry back to Ailith.

“Sorry,” I apologise as I enter her room. She’s sitting on the floor, heaps of DVDs tossed here and there in front ofher.

“That’s okay,” she smiles at me and hands me Beauty & The Beast. When I take it from her, I’m surprised that she doesn’t release it. Instead, she tugs me closer, and I bend my knees. Her eyes are so serious as she scrutinises my face, I’m almost scared to find out what has her so thoughtful.

“Are you Mummy’s boyfriendnow?”

“Errh…”

My body locks in place, and for the first time in years, I feel warmth creeping up myneck.

What the fuck do I say toher?

“Because I don’t mind if you are,” she starts. She pushes up on her knees, releases the movie, and then walks back to thebed.

“Good to know,” I mutter as I get up. I put the DVD into its slot, my back to her. I turn on the TV as I mull over the right way to answerher.

“So, are you datingher?”

Feeling nervous, I walk slowly back to her and sit down. I puff out my cheeks before I answerher.

“Yes, we’re dating.” I glance down at her from the corner of myeyes.

“Huh.” She pulls at her lip, looking so serious as she sits with her legs crossed in the middle of the bed. I wonder if I shouldn’t have said anything. She scrunches up her nose before she shrugs. “Just be nice to her, please?”

Fuckinghell.

I turn my head and look into her eyes, my hand on my heart.

“I promise I will never hurt her, Ailith. You have my word. And I won’t ever hurt you, either. Gotit?”

She nods and then rests her back against her mountain of pink pillows.

“Okay.”

Making an effort to relax, I lean back next toher.

“Okay, then.”

I pick up the remote control from the dresser next to the bed and hitplay.

Ailith’s soft voice grabs my attention.

“Her favourite flowers are pink daisies.”

I look down and grin ather.

“Thanks for thetip.”

She beams up at me before she rests her head against my arm. A strange feeling settles in my gut at her show of trust.

“You’re welcome,” she sighs.

Twisting a little, I raise my arm, wrapping my hand on the headboard, giving her more room to get comfortable, and when that small gesture earns me another blinding smile, a different kind of warmth—one I can’t quite define—seeps into my bones.

Then I cross my feet at my ankles, turn my head back to the screen, and focus on the movie.