Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Hadley

“I haven’t seen you with makeup on in a long time,” Mom noticed with a smile.

“Yeah…” I touched my cheek. “I feel like being pretty again.”

She smirked. “Well, whatever the reason is, I’m glad to see you taking care of yourself again. Nothing wrong with wanting to feel pretty although you’re beautiful no matter what.”

I recalled Mom’s words from earlier as I sat in my comfy pj’s and spaghetti strap top. Eli snuggled in my lap while Lucy colored next to me. Out of the blue, I recalled Scott’s words after taking Lucy and Eli to see him.

He did a double take as he stepped out of his Dad’s car and smiled. “You look good. Did you dress up for me?”

Not once since Eli was born had Scott kept his son overnight. The more he changed his mind about taking the kids, the more reluctant I was about Eli staying with his dad. At this rate, Eli wouldn’t know his father. It was bad enough that Lucy became less and less enthusiastic about seeing or talking to Scott on the phone.

Was I supposed to force them to see their father? Scott was supposed to take the kids to his parents’ house that night. Once again, he changed his mind at the last second. Lucy wasn’t even disappointed.

Neither was I after Elijah texted me and asked if he could come and finish the cars with Lucy. It dumbfounded me how a man who disliked kids could befriend Lucy while their own dad couldn’t care less about them. For Scott, it was less about Lucy and Eli and more about getting back with me. That day he even suggested we sleep together.

What the fudge?

I was so mad that by the time Elijah knocked on the door around nine, I was suspicious and irritated. What if he was being nice to Lucy just to get in my pants? Why the fudge would he want in my pants when he looked like he could get whoever he wanted confounded me. But why else befriend a kid? Scott tried to use his own kids to get his way with me. Why wouldn’t I suspect anything different from a crabby guy like Elijah?

I placed Eli in his bassinet and went to the door.

Elijah immediately frowned as he shut the door. “Is everything all right?”

Why did he always smell so good? For a moment, I thought maybe I wouldn’t mind if Elijah tried anything with me and that startled me. Taking advantage of Lucy’s goodness wasn’t the way to get to me, though.

“Yeah, let me get the paint and cars,” I mumbled as I turned.

“Elijah!” Lucy rushed to him. I glimpsed over my shoulder and caught his smile. “I just got out of the bath.”

He said, “I see that.”

I didn’t trust myself because his smiles seemed genuine. I hated that Scott zapped my confidence.

“Do you have Funyuns for us?” Elijah asked her.

“Yeah,” she screeched, and I went to my room for the cars. When I returned to the kitchen, Eli was crying.

“Do you want me to help you with it? Or do you want to do it yourself?” Elijah said to Lucy as I went to get Eli.

I carried him into the kitchen and held him up so that he could see what Sissy was doing as I sat down. Eli’s giant eyes blinked, and he grinned. He’d been able to hold his head up like a champ since before he was even two months old.

“I want to paint mine.” Lucy grabbed a car and studied the colors. “Can you draw a horsey on mine after I finish it?”

“Yeah. What color are you going to use?”

She frowned. “What color are we painting Bubby’s?”

“How about blue or black? Something manly.”

Lucy giggled. It even made me snort, but when Elijah’s dark eyes flicked over me, I stopped smiling and glanced down at Eli instead.

______

“She gets bored quick.” Elijah’s deep voice made me jump. I’d been watching him draw on the car for so long in a comfortable silence. He raised a brow.

“I hadn’t noticed how quiet it became,” I whispered. I laid Eli in his crib about twenty minutes ago when Lucy yawned and ventured into the living room—her normal routine. Instead of admitting she was sleepy, she’d go somewhere and close her eyes. I didn’t think she ever meant to fall asleep but she always did. “You can finish them another time…” I said absentmindedly.

I could have kicked Elijah out a while ago, but we’d been sitting peacefully in the kitchen while he drew a white unicorn on Lucy’s pink car. He was very talented. No wonder he tattooed for a living. Elijah put a lot of detail on such a small car.

“What do you want me to draw on Eli’s?” he asked, returning to painting.

“Um, I’m not sure. Maybe just add some stripes or something? He’s too little to appreciate it right now.”

He nodded with a thoughtful expression. “Never know. He might like doing this sort of thing when he gets a little older. I know I did.”

“Seems like you still do.”

His dark eyes lit up as he lifted them and grinned. “Seems like it.”

I cupped the back of my neck, feeling that simmering heat in my stomach again. “Elijah…”

“Hmm?”

I was becoming uncomfortable, but after seeing Scott I hadn’t been able to get it off my mind. The words rushed from my mouth. “Why are you going out of your way with Lucy? If pretending to like Lucy to get in my pants or something is your aim, please stop.”

He sat up straight and frowned. “Is that what you think?”

“I’m not sure. Call it curiosity about what you’re doing.” I gestured to the thin paintbrush in his hand and the mess on my table. “Lucy gets used to having people around. She doesn’t do well when they disappear or ignore her. If that’s what you’re after—a chance to take me to bed—you should go.”

“Fuck, Hadley.” The words weren’t yelled. They were low and pained like I’d offended him. Elijah tossed the paintbrush down. “If I wanted to sleep with you, I’d go about it a lot differently than this.” His words made my cheeks burn. “Truthfully, I don’t mind any of this. I don’t mind Lucy’s constant chatter or your tit leaking shit or the fact that you can’t do much but get upset or quiet around me.” He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. “It’s not that I want to get in your pants. I simply can’t help myself. I gravitate toward your little family.”

I simply can’t help myself.

I gravitate.

I didn’t know why, but his words resonated deep inside me and lingered.

He opened his eyes and frowned. “I should go.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmured quickly. “You just make me nervous. I’ve never had a guy friend. Sure there were classmates in high school, but we never hung out so it wasn’t like we were really friends.” Fudge! I was babbling, a nervous habit. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elijah didn’t understand me.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and stood. “You sound so young.”

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Fine,” I bit out, watching him grab the cars. “I’ll clean it up.”

“I’ll take Eli’s and finish it, but Lucy’s is done. Just let it dry.” I nodded and turned around. I followed him to the door. Elijah faced me so quickly I almost tripped. He caught my wrist and helped me regain balance. “And it’s not exactly like our relationship is innocent. I’ve seen a little side boob.”

I gawked at him. “God bless America! It’s called breastfeeding.”

“A tit is a tit, even if it’s being used for nursing.”

I wanted to smack him for that comment.

“You said getting in my pants wasn’t your goal,” I reprimanded him quietly. “And I thought breastfeeding repulsed you? Your expression the first time my shirt got wet around you—priceless.”

“Not repulsed… Fascinated. And that’s cute.”

I scrunched my nose. “What is?”

“The odd way you curse.” He mimicked me, “God bless America! Or fudgsicle.”

I shoved him, burning red in the face, both fury and joy bubbled in my stomach. I didn’t know whether to laugh or be upset. Getting mad seemed to have won out. “Get out!” I hissed softly since my kids were sleeping. “And it’s called being a parent.”

“Even if you don’t say the words, they’ll hear them somewhere else.”

“You’re so annoying!” I grabbed the handle and opened the door, giving his body another giant shove. I knew he was only moving because he was letting me push him around. Otherwise, there was no way I could get him to budge.

“I’m already out the door. How far are you going with me?”

That was when I realized I was outside my apartment. I let go of him and turned around.

“Goodnight, Hadley.” His deep voice was achingly soft and gravelly. My skin tingled. I gave in and whispered it back before I shut the door.