Edward sat sulking for a while before going downstairs. He saw her playing happily with the cat and joined them on the sofa.
Nanci said, “Bella, your daddy is here to see you too. Are you happy?”
Edward huffed arrogantly, “I’m a human. How can a cat be our child?”
“I’m sorry that you don’t have a dad, Bella…”
Edward took the cat from her hands and said assertively, “Bella, call me ‘Daddy’. If you do, I’ll buy you lots of cat food!”
“Do you think it can talk?”
The cat looked at him and meowed as if striving for its food.
Nanci tapped the cat’s forehead and said helplessly, “I’ve been with you for so long, yet you switch sides for a bit of food?”
Edward laughed and said, “I’ll buy you lots of cat food later, but don’t make your mommy sad, or no snacks for you. Go cheer her up.”
Nanci took the cat back and started playing with it again. Jenny approached and asked, “Ms. Ross, Mr. Clarkson, would you like me to prepare something to eat?”
“Yes, please. We’ve already eaten outside, but Rhys hasn’t eaten yet.”
“Sure.”
Edward asked, “Where did you put him? We don’t know anything about him. Are we really going to bring him into our home? I’m worried…”
“It’s fine. He’s just a child. If anything happens, I’ll listen to you, okay?”
Edward nodded reluctantly and watched Nanci continue playing with the cat.
Suddenly, Edward’s phone rang. He answered it.
“Hello.”
“Hey, come out for a drink! It’s been a while since we hung out together. And you didn’t even tell me about your proposal. Are we still friends?”
“You don’t know her that well. Why join the fun? You saw it online. That’s enough participation.”
Rodolfo was used to Edward’s sharp tongue and didn’t argue back. He simply said, “So are you going out for a drink? Let’s meet up. It’s been a long time.”
Edward glanced at Nanci and said, “No, I’m not like you anymore. I have a wife now. I’m hanging up.”
Nanci looked at him curiously and asked, “A friend invited you out? You can go if you come back early. Why refuse?”
“He wanted me to go out for a drink. It’s late. How could I leave you? As compensation, how about you kiss me a few times?”
Nanci replied helplessly, “It’s not that I won’t let you go. You still have the right to go out if you want. I won’t stop you.”
Edward said angrily, “You’re different from other women. If I go out drinking this late, shouldn’t you be angry and stop me? Aren’t you worried there might be other women there? What if I…”
Nanci confidently said, “I trust you unconditionally. If something did happen, I’d blame myself for not being able to keep you. I’m not that wonderful anyway. If you find someone better, I’ll support you.”
Edward sighed and held her hand. “Can you not be so rational in this relationship? No matter what you’ve been through before, I’m here now to make up for past mistakes-not out of guilt but because I love you.”
Nanci gently replied, “I just believe you’re trustworthy and won’t betray me.”
Jenny came out of the kitchen and interrupted their conversation. “Dinner is ready, Ms. Ross.”
“Okay, I’ll take it over.”
“Knock knock knock-”
“Rhys, dinner is ready! Open the door.”
There was no response from inside the room. She tried turning the doorknob but found it locked from the inside. She called out again, “Dinner’s ready, Rhys! Open the door. We won’t harm you. How will you get better if you’re hungry?”
A child’s voice came from inside. “I’m not hungry! Leave me alone.”
Seeing his woman being refused made Edward angry. He shouted towards the door. “Don’t push your luck, Rhys! This is our home! Nanci kindly brought your meal. Why aren’t you eating? What do you want?”
“It’s okay,” Nanci said as she pulled Edward towards the living room. She then called out, “I’ll leave your meal by the door. Eat when you’re hungry. We’re heading upstairs to sleep now.”
She gestured to Jenny to stay quiet and led Edward back to their room.
Edward asked with a look of puzzlement, “Why care so much about him when he doesn’t appreciate it?”
Nanci hugged him and said, “Because we’re adults-why hold grudges against kids? Besides, I promised his mother I’d help during his treatment period. Wouldn’t it be bad if people thought I was untrustworthy?” She playfully winked at him.
Seeing her cute face, Edward leaned down to kiss her passionately without resistance from Nanci.
After the kiss, she smiled, “Feeling better now?”
Edward grumbled, “You know I can’t resist!”
“Hehe! Don’t be mad. You’re not handsome when angry! It doesn’t suit your image. Go take a shower first. I’ll follow after so we can rest early.”
“How about we shower together?”
Nanci threw a pillow at him, playfully saying, “Hurry up! It’s late.”
With a smile on his face, Edward headed towards the bathroom, while Nanci began planning for the next day. She needed to check the boy’s eyesight first and then devise a treatment plan. However, she felt that it shouldn’t be too difficult based on how he was looking at things.
After a while, Edward emerged from the bathroom and leaned in close to Nanci, playfully whispering, “Nanci, I’m ready. Hurry up, and I’ll warm the bed for you.”
The warm breath he exhaled stirred her mind, and she quickly stood up, saying, “I’ll go wash up. You’ve had a long day. Just rest for now.”
“I’m not tired. Just wash up quickly. I’ll be waiting here for you,” Edward replied.
Nanci dashed into the bathroom. She took her time washing up, glancing at herself in the mirror. The steam had left her cheeks flushed, and as she thought about what might happen when she went back out, she felt her body heat rise. Shaking her head vigorously, she reminded herself that although they had shared physical contact before, this felt different. They were now genuinely in love with each other, which gave her a unique thrill.
“Nanci, are you almost done? Do you need help? I can come in!” Edward called from outside.
Nanci opened the door and glared at him, who was leaning against the doorframe. “Girls take their time. There’s no need to rush. Just go to bed.”
She sat on the sofa, holding her laptop, staring blankly at the screen. Edward, feigning ignorance, asked, “Aren’t you going to rest?”
Nanci replied awkwardly, “I just remembered I have a few things to do. You go ahead and sleep. I’ll be done soon.” She tried hard to hide the blush on her face, not wanting him to notice her shyness.
Edward walked over, took the laptop from her hands, shut it down, and swept her up into his arms.
Nanci felt her entire body warm up, her heart racing. Edward gently placed her on the bed, and as she looked up at his face drawing closer, she slowly closed her eyes. After a moment of silence, she realized there was no movement and even heard Edward chuckling.
Opening her eyes, she saw him raising an eyebrow at her. “What were you just thinking? Were you disappointed that I didn’t do anything? I just wanted to tuck you in.”
Nanci’s gaze fell on the blanket covering her, and she felt utterly embarrassed. If there had been a hole in the floor, she would have jumped right in without hesitation. Why was she so flustered? Angrily, she threw off the blanket, ready to jump out of bed.
Edward caught her wrist, pulling her back in for a kiss. Her eyes widened in shock, but remembering her anger, she struggled to escape his embrace. Edward tightened his grip and said in a husky voice, “Be good.”
Ultimately, Nanci succumbed to his tenderness.
Feeling his gentle treatment, she suddenly giggled as Edward’s hand found her waist. “That tickles! I’m ticklish. Don’t touch me!”
Edward ignored her plea and began to tickle her sides. Nanci squirmed on the bed, laughing uncontrollably, until Edward pinned her down, kissing her. Just as she thought things were about to escalate, he suddenly stopped and said, “Goodnight.”
Nanci looked at him curiously, wondering if something was wrong. Edward reached behind her neck to use his arm as a pillow and said, “Don’t look at me like that. Just close your eyes and sleep.”
Understanding his intention, Nanci smiled sweetly. “Edward, goodnight.”
In the middle of the night, Edward watched her sleeping peacefully before slipping out to the balcony. Leaning against the railing, he held a cigarette between his fingers, taking a drag and blowing out a ring of smoke.
He was worried about Nanci, feeling that danger lurked everywhere around her, especially now that their relationship was public. With her kind nature, he feared the consequences of letting the little boy into their home without warning.
After finishing a cigarette and not coming up with any solutions, he extinguished it in frustration. He stood outside for a moment to clear his mind, ensuring he didn’t smell like smoke before returning to bed, wrapping her tightly in his arms. He whispered softly to himself, “How can I protect you, Nanci?”