Page 24 of Love Me Not

“Are you lying?”

I brought my hand up to my forehead in a salute-like gesture.

“Scout’s honor.”

She gave me a black stare.

“What’s that mean?”

Gina laughed.“She’s just promising you it’s true.”

“Okay!”With that, Bella pushed herself up from the grass, and she was off again, racing to the far end of the backyard.I noted the fresh grass stains against the back of her dress.

“Water, Bella!”

“When I come back!”

Gina and I were silent for a beat.I was just about to turn to her and offer her a seat when she spoke.

“I think it’s because no one mentions her mom,” she said.I turned to look up at her.“Like everyone tiptoes around it.Almost like she never existed.”

I pursed my lips.That wasn’t uncommon.People had done the same when my parents died.No one talked about them, and that angered me.I loved them.I missed them.They deserved to be talked about and remembered.They had made a difference to me.

But now that I was an adult, I understood this side a little bit more.I mean, how would anyone look at such an innocent young child and bring up the fact that their parents were just brutally ripped from them and their life turned upside down?

“Grief is hard.To be honest, I’m not sure how to navigate this.”All I knew was what I had experienced myself, but I had been a teenager, while Bella was barely entering her childhood.

“I think she’s just lonely and misses them.”Gina’s voice was soft.“We’ve been trying.There’s only so much any of us can do.But you two seemed to hit it off right away.I think you’ll be good for her.”

“I hope,” I murmured and forced a smile to my face as Bella reached us again.

“Hydrate, Bella,” I told her, handing her the glass from Gina’s tray.“Then you have one last round.Remember what you promised?”

She gave me a pout.

“Homework,ugh.”

“That’s right,” I said.“You, me, and that English assignment you’ve been putting off.”

English, math, history.Because of what happened, Bella hadn’t been going to school, but she still had to do her homework—by herself.And what eight-year-old wants to do that?So, of course, there was quite a pile of it for us to do before she had to go to school the next day.

“Two more times?”she bargained.

I restarted the stopwatch.

“If you can make it under twenty, I’ll give youthreemore times.”

And she was off once more, giggling as she ran.

* * *

“I don’t know how you did it.”Lux’s voice came from behind us, causing me to jump as I looked up from my Kindle.My eyes fell to the pile of blankets on the couch across from me.I was on the other couch, the fireplace roaring between us.

After a full day of play and homework, Bella knocked out at seven beforeLux came home.But she hadn’t wanted to go to her room and instead camped out on the outside couch until she fell asleep.

The night air was a little bit chilly, so I made sure to bundle her up with the blankets and sit as close to the fireplace as possible, but I hadn't expected Lux to take so long getting home.Bella had already been asleep for an hour and a half.

“She tried to wait up, but she was exhausted,” I said as I started to pack up my stuff.“We finished English, and I tried to get some math in, but she hates that even more.It’s due Wednesday, though, so we will try again tomorrow.”

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