Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

HENDRIX

Little Sophie was quickly becoming my favorite person on the planet. She was energetic and bright, lighting up the room wherever she was. There wasn't a shy bone in her body, and when she danced, she danced just for her. No embarrassment, no awkwardness. She spun and jumped and laughed and was unapologetically herself. I could see how proud Arthur was of her. As long as she was smiling, so was he. He swept her off her feet a few times, holding her in his arms as they spun about or letting her stand on his feet. He didn't care about the price of his fancy shoes or the scuffs she left on them. He only cared about her.

I never saw myself as the parenting type, but watching Arthur with Sophie made me a little jealous. And I wasn't the only one. At least I had the excuse of being single. From the look Zach was giving Mal, kids were definitely in their future. Brandon and Callum too, if their soft smiles were anything to go by. I couldn't imagine Tyler and Felix with kids, but they'd be those hilarious uncles who taught the kids to cause trouble and started a cousin prank war.

When Zach snagged Sophie for a dance, I stole Arthur's attention, spinning him into my arms. He looked surprised and a little uncertain, but I didn't give him a chance to freak out. He told me he'd never had a relationship with a guy before. There were bound to be times when he was a little unsure of himself. As long as I wasn't making him uncomfortable, I was happy to show him new things. I settled one hand on his waist, the other holding his gently. We swayed to the music, and besides the blush on his cheeks, Arthur didn't look upset about the position.

"So you've got Sophie on weekends, right?"

He nodded, his brow furrowed a little. "Yes, why?"

"Just planning our next date. We only do one to two gigs a week, depending on what's available. My schedule is free most days."

I wasn't exactly rolling in dough, but I knew how to have a decent date on a budget. Hopefully, Arthur wasn't the type of dude who needed fine dining and roses.

"Ah. Um, weeknights are fine except Fridays. I pick up Sophie after school and I have her until I drop her off at school Monday morning."

Frowning, I glanced at where Sophie was standing on Zach's feet, smiling brightly. "That doesn't seem like enough time. Is your schedule too busy for her to stay during the week?"

A layer of sadness washed over Arthur's face, and he sighed heavily. "No. If I had my way, I'd have her every day of the week. I asked my ex wife if we could do every other week so I could see Sophie more, but she refused."

"And she just gets to dictate that?" I knew divorces were messy, but at least in the Other Realm, one parent couldn't stop another parent from seeing their kid unless it was dangerous to do so. Arthur wasn't dangerous by a long shot.

"Her lawyer was better than mine. He's also her cousin and he can't stand me. None of her family can. I got lucky with the time I got at all. I think Val gave me weekends because she has plans and doesn't want to bring Sophie along. She sees me as a glorified babysitter on weekends."

The pain in his voice was hard to hear. I wanted to wrap him up in my wings and protect him from the world. Or at least from his bitch of an ex-wife.

I couldn't do that, though. He was a grown man, older than me actually, and I never wanted to make him look weak in front of his daughter. He was her hero, that was easy to see, and I wanted her to always see him like that.

The song ended, and I reluctantly drew away from him. Playing innocent when I wanted to kiss him so badly it hurt was difficult. I held myself back by the skin of my teeth, waiting impatiently for the party to be over.

It was late by the time people started filtering out. Maya and Isla threw a decent party, and no one wanted to leave before they had to. Sophie was listing on her feet, the night finally catching up to her, and she came without argument when Arthur scooped her into his arms. I followed him out to the parking lot, hovering as he tucked Sophie into the back and buckled her seatbelt for her. He closed the door quietly, frowning at the road people were leaving on.

"What's wrong?"

"It was a little terrifying just driving up here. I planned on leaving earlier so we wouldn't have to drive that winding road in the dark. I'm just nervous, that's all. I don't enjoy driving at night with Sophie in the car."

I pursed my lips thoughtfully. "Want me to drive? I can see really well in the dark."

He looked surprised. "Really? I didn't know that. Um, yes, please. If you wouldn't mind. It's a lot safer for Sophie."

I bobbed my head in agreement. "No problem. Let me just grab my guitar. I came up with the band and Duncan's the sober driver. They won't miss me."

Eager to spend more time with Arthur, I hightailed it back into the venue, grabbing my guitar and letting the guys know not to wait for me. They waved me off, already packing up for the night. I'd owe them for not helping with breakdown, but Arthur was totally worth it.

He took my guitar from me when I got back, gently placing it in the back seat. I had to readjust the seat to make room for me, and sitting comfortably in a tiny car with wings was nearly impossible, but I made it work. I pulled out of the space, heading for the town exit.

"Do you drive often?"

I could tell he was nervous, his hand clutching the oh-shit handle tightly. I wanted to touch him to ease his worries a little, but I got the feeling that would only freak him out more. It was better for me to keep both hands on the wheel and distract him with talking.

"Pretty often. Someone has to drive the truck with our instruments. Everyone trades off, but since I'm not a big drinker, it's me or Duncan more than anyone else." I didn't mention that I'd been driving since I was a kid. My dad used to sneak me over to the human realm so I could drive him and my uncle back after a night out. As soon as I was old enough to see over the steering wheel, he taught me how to drive. I was the one who taught my friends, since cars didn't exist in the Other Realm until after the integration.

"I noticed you don't drink much. Is it the taste? It took me a while to find something I actually enjoyed."

"No. Not only am I a lightweight, my dad is a big drinker and I don't want that kind of life. My mom took me to some yoga classes when I was a kid to help me sort through the divorce. I do that and meditate, and I don't wake up the next day hungover and nauseous."

I studied him out of the corner of my eye, waiting to see if he'd judge me. I wasn't my dad, but I got a lot of judgment sometimes when I said I was related to a drunk. And sometimes people went in the opposite direction, complaining that they wouldn't be able to have fun with someone who only drank a few times a month.

Arthur's nose scrunched up, and I held my breath, but his response surprised me.

"I've never been able to do yoga. I can't even touch my toes."

I barked out a laugh, wincing when I remembered Sophie was asleep in the back seat. "Shit. Sorry. Do you work out at all?"

He nodded. "I swim a few days a week. Since I work in an office all day, I need to work the energy out somehow. I wouldn't say it makes me overly flexible, though."

I tipped my head back and forth thoughtfully. "I'm sure it loosens you up a bit. It probably wouldn't be hard to stretch out those muscles. I can show you some yoga positions that could help, if you're interested. I'm not one of those guys who thinks everyone should be doing it, though. I'm of the ‘you do you' persuasion."

He chuckled lightly, the sound washing over me and making my heart stutter. Arthur wasn't the first human I'd spent time with. After years of sneaking over here, I didn't have the same fears as my friends did. But he was the first human I wanted to spend more than one night with. I wasn't sure what it was, the shy smiles or the way he blushed whenever I sat next to him, but I couldn't stop thinking about him during the week. Seeing him was part of the excitement for each show. I knew he'd be there, and I looked forward to spending time with him again.

Whatever the reason was, I was glad he was giving me a shot. I'd been feeling drained recently and the love for the music was tempered a little. Arthur brought it back with his raw enthusiasm and dedication. His excitement fueled mine, and it showed when I got up on that stage. If he was that effective just being there, there was no telling what he could accomplish if we spent more time together. Only one way to find out.