Page 45 of Knocked up By the Minotaur

I have half a mind to storm right back into that diner now, but I choose to prioritize the child in my arms over my sense of anger at the injustice that male has caused, and I refrain. I’ll deal with him if I ever see his pallid face again.

In the meantime, I have an electronics store to visit before it shuts. Lucas is going to get any Xbox, Switch, Glitch or Twitch his heart desires, and nobody will take them from him again.

***

Several hours later, the sun has long set and I’m still with Lucas. I’d gotten a message from Grace that she might be longer with Brad than she’d thought, so after purchasing several devices for Lucas, we went back to mine to play. I spent much longer than I should have, trying to figure out how to get the Xbox I’d bought him working. To my great humbling, the four-year-old had to help me through set-up and then teach me how to play Smashing Brothers, or whatever the game is called, before proceeded to absolutely dominate me on screen—even when I actually tried not to lose.

His absolutely hysterical laughter at my pathetic gaming skills were worth the mild embarrassment at being so horrendously bad at something, and once he was finally tired of playing games, I ordered us takeout, slipping both Xbox and Switch into the backpack I’d also purchased so that he could easily take everything home, before getting him ready to sleep.

“Is this your bed, Oli?”

“Sure is,” I reply absently, helping him take off his shoes and socks before he clambers onto my mattress.

“I can’t sleep here, I’m not a horse!” But he wriggles down under the comforter anyway with a wide grin.

“Don’t worry, goblins are allowed to sleep in horse beds.”

“Oh, okay.” He yawns widely. “That’s good.”

“Alright,” I say, sitting on the edge of the mattress while he settles down. “Is there anything else we need to do before you sleep?”

Lucas shrugs, looking absolutely tiny in my large bed. “Today was fun, can we do it again?”

“Sure, buddy,” I chuckle. “We’ll organize it with your mom. You’re a good kid.”

“You’re a good kid, too,” he mumbles, smiling sleepily. “Can you be my new dad now? You’re way more better than Brad.”

Warmth blossoms suddenly in my chest even as cold fear immediately follows, twisting my gut. I stare at him, not knowing what to say.

“Oh, wait!” He clambers out from under the sheets while I’m still lost for words, crawls over, and gives me a quick hug, his little arms squeezing tight around my neck. “We forgot the goodnight hug! Now you gotta kiss my cheek.”

He presents his chubby face to me, and without thinking, I give him a peck. He immediately turns and lays a wet kiss on my own cheek, before giggling and muttering, “Fluffy!” as he crawls back to the pillow. My arms move automatically to get him tucked back in, and he lays there grinning at me.

“Waymore better than Brad,” he says, wriggling further into the pillow. “Kay, goodnight. You can go away now.”

“Goodnight, little lamb.”

I leave him to sleep and head back out to the living area in something of a haze, his words bouncing around in my skull in an echo. I don’t know how to feel about it. And for some reason, my throat feels tight.

Dropping down onto my couch, I stare at nothing for a long time.

My thoughts begin to revisit memories of my childhood. A rotation of new females in my home. Snatches of a cold father, doing everything necessary to keep me alive and educate me. Paying for my food. Financing my schooling. Existing for long enough to make sure I was able to look after myself.

I remember trying to make eye contact with him when I was young, how I longed for any connection to the male who had sired me. Even if he wouldn’t touch me, he could have at least looked at me.

When my phone pings with a message tone, I pull it out of my pocket listlessly.

Sorry, Oli, I’m still with Brad. Maybe you could take Lucas to Ella’s for me? I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’m so sorry for being such an imposition, I really didn’t expect this.

I blink down at the message, taking a deep breath and holding it, trying to ignore the new wave of emotions that cascade through me at the mention of Brad. I force my fingers to type.

I’ve already put Lucas to bed. Come get him whenever you like.

No pet names flow from me in my reply, no teasing, not even anger at the mention of Brad. I find myself in a strange mood, and I put my phone down and rub absently at the scratch on my inner wrist. Instead of healing, the mark seems to be getting worse, now a long, curved line of missing fur.

I drop my arm and lean my head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling, and remain like this until I eventually fall asleep.

Chapter 18

---