Page 25 of Down the Aisle
Well, I was still proud of her because progress was progress, no matter how little.
Leaning in, I pressed my forehead against hers and smiled proudly. "Brava ragazza, sono così fiero di te," I whispered, appreciating the way her cheeks flared up brightly in response.
Brushing off the short and tender moment, I gave her some space before brightening my smile into an excited grin. Then, I eagerly nodded in response and switched back to English. "Of course, whatever you want. You are his mother, after all, and it would just be an asshole move of me to disregard your wishes and wants when it comes toyourchild."
I might be an asshole to many people, usually scumbags who never deserve to be treated decently for even a second, but never to a woman. Actually, that would be a lie because I could be a little snappy toward a female if she were a total snobby bitch. That was rare, though!
"Also, you still haven't exactly answered my question from earlier about what you want for lunch, that's not a ham sandwich, and dinner," I reminded her with a cheeky smile, chuckling softly when Eliza rolled her eyes and playfully smacked my arm. "Again, it's either you tell me, or I'll surprise you."
Accepting her defeat with an unamused scoff, she gave me an answer, "Surprise me with any sandwich of your choice, but just keep it small. I usually have a small appetite for lunch." She didn't sound too happy about giving in to me, but at least she didn't try to fight it.
Also, she didn't have to tell me that because I’d seen how little she ate at lunch—if it could even be called a meal. Seriously, her lunch portions were so small they qualified as snacks, in my opinion.
"And uhh dinner…" she drawled, and her eyes glazed over with a distant look for a few seconds. "I guess you could surprise me since I'm not really craving anything or have any idea for what to request."
"You're not going to get mad at me for not being able to read your mind, are you?" I joked with a laugh. "This isn't one of those 'I don't know' moments where you really know what you want but don't want to tell me and want me to figure it out by myself and whatnot, is it?" God damn, that was a mouthful to say.
A soft smack echoed through the area and Eliza rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't do that to you. I really don't know, nor do I really care as long as it's edible food and somewhat good," she replied truthfully, smiling gratefully at me. "Besides, the last thing I want to do is piss you off by making you chase your own tail around." I think that was an attempt to joke around, but it came out so forced and dry I doubt there was any lightheartedness behind her words.
Which brought another issue back to my mind regarding how skittish and overly reactive she was. To be honest, I wanted to bring it up to her the day at the park, but I dropped it and we moved right past it. The last thing I wanted to do at the park was further dampen the mood.
And it was the last thing I wanted to do now. And I definitely wanted to avoid dampening the mood when I was gaining more ground with her.
I didn't want to stress her out before work either; that'd be pretty fucked up of me.
Besides, we were having a very good morning, despite the fact I'd showed up without warning and let myself. I mean, I could have been in cuffs or behind bars had things gone south.
Okay, maybe not that bad because no cop in their right mind would cuff me, nor would I ever face charges. Not with how much dirty money I threw the legal system to turn a blind eye to my activities. The mafia paid good money to ensure smooth operations, so I'd have been really pissed if I had gotten arrested for something as trivial as breaking and entering—not that I did! Pretty sure it didn't count as breaking and entering if I had a key to the place. Granted, I didn't have explicit permission to have the key, but that tiny detail didn't matter.
Either way, the subject of her being tightly wound and hyper-reactive could wait to be discussed some other time.
Pulling myself out of my troublesome mind, I asked, "Is there anything you're craving or have an affinity toward right now? Or do I really have full reign? I have mad kitchen skills, so unless you want something extremely complicated, I’m confident I can manage." Hopefully, staying on an innocent enough subject would set me straight again.
Once again, Eliza pondered for a second, this time humming to herself softly for a bit. "Maybe just something savory? I know it may sound weird and not the best, but like something nice and savory. A nice bowl of actual ramen, or a juicy and fatty steak with mashed potatoes and gravy, or a plate of cheesy and creamy pasta, or just something that would send us into an instant food coma because it's so filling and amazing." I loved how her eyes lit up with hope and excitement as she spoke. "I mean, I guess those are some ideas for you for tonight." She chuckled sheepishly with an uneven smile.
Smiling happily and proudly in return, I reached out and stroked the top of her head. "I'll make you something so amazingyou'll have no choice but to keep me around," I joked with a hearty chuckle.
"One lovely dinner for my little rose coming right up."
Chapter 9
Eliza
I probably should've calledthe cops. I shouldn't have entertained him. But God, he was right there in my home. I mean, I had no idea when he came in! He could've hurt me while I was asleep, or worse, he could've hurt Asher.
Damn it, stop it. You're being ridiculous.
If Adam had any bad intentions, then surely, he would've acted on them by now, no? Or at least, I would've seen some signs of his malicious nature or plans, right? I know, in the past, I tended to be blind to a lot of things as evidenced by the man I married, but I’ve been vigilant since we left. Especially when it came to the safety of Asher and myself.
My gut hadn't screamed at me to run for the hills when it came to Adam. My traumatized brain may have, but not my gut. Sure, I still had some inkling of wariness, but it wasn't extreme to where I wanted to shut him out completely. It was quite the opposite, shockingly. I wanted to let him in. Okay, let me rephrase that: my heart and soul wanted to let him in. My stupid gut wanted to maintain a few inches of distance until we figured out what about Adam threw us off.
He was too perfect not to be suspicious of. There had to be some ulterior motive or something seriously wrong with him. I was willing to bet it'd be a punch to my face the moment I found out whatever dirty secret he hid.
I needed to cut him off; that was the best thing to do. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was a stupid cycle when it came to Adam, from wanting him out and wanting him in.
The stupid romantic in me fancied his persistence, kindness, patience, and attention. Unfortunately, that side of me was the reason why I was in my current situation. If I hadn't fallen for James's stupid lies and empty promises, then I wouldn't have ended up in a boxing ring with a loveless marriage.
This whole shit show of my life wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been stupid enough to open myself up to love. I shouldn't be on the run as a single mother. I should be living my life, be happy with my career, and have someplace I belonged in life. Instead, I had no career, no life, nothing. The only thing I did have was my son, Asher. The funny thing was, I shouldn't have had him either. If my life had taken a different turn, then I wouldn't be a mother.
