Page 58 of Love Unwritten

We both try to speak at the same time.

“You were—”

“I wasn’t—”

Neither one of us gets a chance to finish our sentence before Nico rushes over to me and throws his arms around my legs.

“I’m sorry, Ellie! They didn’t listen to me when I told them to stop!”

I comb through his sweaty strands of hair. “It’s not your fault that your dad used me as a shield.”

Nico glares at his father. “Why would you do that?”

“She laughed when I got hurt.” Rafael shrugs.

“What are you? Five?” Nico laughs.

I hold my fist out for Nico to bump. “Nice one.”

When I look up, I expect to find Rafael glaring at us like usual, but I’m shocked to see him looking…calm. Relieved even.

While I wouldn’t describe him as happy, he doesn’t look like he might explode from jealousy either, which is a welcome change from our usual tense interactions.

I want to figure out what brought about the switch in him, but Nico doesn’t give me a chance before he pulls me away from his father, claiming he will keep me safe for the rest of the day.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Rafael

I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear Nico’s laugh until it finally happened. Just like I didn’t know how important it was to see him smile at me without the weight of my unhappiness resting on his small shoulders.

By the time we are ready to cut his cake, Nico has smiled at me three whole times and laughed twice, which is more than he has in the last two months combined. I’m so taken aback by his good mood that I don’t notice Ellie coming toward me until it’s too late.

One moment, I’m taking a photo of Nico and his friends, and the next, a massive slice of cake is being slammed into my face. Nico’s loud belly laugh stuns me almost as much as Ellie staring up at me with a sheepish expression.

Nico knows I hate wasting food, but the sound of his laughter quells my annoyance. I swipe at my face to clear my vision, only to make it worse.

Ellie makes a face. “Nico asked me to do that as his birthday present.”

“Did he?” I shoot my son a fake look of outrage. He curls over, his cheeks red from laughing himself hoarse.

“You’ve got something right…” Ellie reaches out and smears the clump of frosting on my cheek into my short, thick beard, painting the coarse hair blue and orange. “Oops.”

I’m too stunned by the graze of her fingers across my lips to do anything but stare. Our eyes meet for a brief second, and something passes between us.

An acknowledgment of attraction perhaps? It is faint but present, with my lips tingling from a single one of her touches, although I’m not entirely sure Ellie feels the same way.

Sure, I’ve caught her staring a few times here and there, but I’ve never thought much of it.

The moment is stolen when Lily comes up to my side and offers Ellie a plate with a thick slice of cake. “From the birthday boy.”

Before Ellie has a chance to take it from Lily’s outstretched hand, I steal it and smash the entire thing against her face. Her soft gasp of surprise fills the quiet before Nico shatters it with a loud cackle.

Ellie stares up at me in shock, with frosting clinging to her light brown lashes and soft, rosy lips. She looks so damn ridiculous that I can’t help laughing.

The crowd surrounding the cake table goes quiet, and I can feel at least thirty pairs of eyes focused on me. Thankfully, my burning cheeks are hidden beneath smeared icing or else my embarrassment would be obvious to everyone around us.

Ellie’s icing-covered brows shoot up toward her blue-tinged hairline.

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