Page 36 of Fourth Wall

“Language, darling,” my dad piped as he turned on a baseball game.

“What’s going on?” I begged. Christian was still in the corner laughing.

"We're here to babysit. You two are going out to celebrate surviving the day," my dad said. Getting up from his seat, he pulled out a few twenties from his wallet and handed them to me.

This time, Christian stepped away from the corner and gently pushed my father's hand away. "I can handle it," he said, looking back and forth between us. "After all, I'm her fake boyfriend, right?" He gave me a playful wink, and I instinctively wiped away a tear that had rolled down my cheek from laughing.

Without thinking, he reached up and grabbed my wrist, and for a fleeting moment, time stood still. It was just the two of us in that nanosecond, our touch creating an electric current that sent shivers down my spine.

"Let's go," he commanded, snapping me out of my trance. I glanced between my parents, coming back to reality.

"Thank you. We won't be long; we'll just get some ice cream." My parents practically pushed us out the door, and Christian expressed his gratitude.

He opened the car door for me and quickly got in on the other side. "You know you're lucky, right?" He kept his gaze fixedahead, hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. The engine was running, but we were still parked in the driveway.

“I know,” I responded and placed a hand on his thigh. His own fingers had a white-knuckle grip on the wheel, but he looked down at my gesture, then put the car in reverse and sped down the driveway and onto the main road. I didn’t bother moving my hand off him.

22

Christian

I had never experienced anything like this before. Coming from a troubled background and surrounded by addiction, I was astounded by the way Maeve interacted with her children and parents. I was honestly in shock, overwhelmed by the display of genuine family connection.

"Italian ice?" Maeve's melodic and soothing voice snapped me out of my swirling thoughts. I focused on her words, anchoring myself to her voice.

"Yeah, I know a great place with a nice patio overlooking the ocean."

"That sounds perfect." No, her hand resting on my thigh, as if it belonged there, was fucking perfect. Her silky voice unraveling my thoughts was perfect.

When we finally arrived at the ice cream parlor, I pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park. She reached over to open her door, but I stopped her.

"Let me." I closed my door and went around to her side, opening it for her. She didn't move, just stared up at me.

"I think I prefer you when you're being rude to me. Stop being so nice." Once again, I smiled. I was a fucking bodyguard, someone who dealt with violence and death on a regular basis. Smiling was not my thing. I usually preferred blending into the background and being the silent observer. But at this moment, I felt alive in a way I hadn't in a long time, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew exactly why—or rather, who—was responsible for that.

We walked over to the counter, ordered our Italian ice, and then found a seat on the oversized patio. Despite the darkness, the cool ocean breeze and salty air permeated the chilly night sky, creating a serene atmosphere.

“Can I ask you something personal?” Maeve asked as she dipped her spoon into her strawberry ice.

“Of course.”

"When you mentioned I was lucky earlier, was it because you don't have a relationship with your family?" I assumed she was aware that my family was not involved in my life. They never attended our friends' weddings or holidays. Julian was the only one who knew the whole story. But being here tonight,witnessing Maeve's kindness toward her own family, somehow softened everything for me.

"My mom was an addict. I don't have a relationship with my dad, and honestly, I'm not even sure who he really is. Growing up, it was a constant cycle of hotel rooms. My mom would sell herself for a fix and occasionally toss me some ramen." Her hand reached out toward mine. We sat in two Adirondack chairs, slightly facing each other, but I kept my hands tightly gripped around my cup of Italian ice.

"It's fine—"

"No, it's not, Christian. I couldn't imagine doing that to my kids. I mean, can you imagine leaving Kelsie and Kinsley for a fix?" I couldn't.

"No.”

"They're not even your biological children. Technically, we're just friends, and you know, it's all so messed up. I'm really sorry you had to go through that."

“That's why I joined the military,” I confessed. Then I did something I rarely did. I guess tonight was full of firsts. “When I was in high school, I fell in love with a girl whose parents felt sorry for me. I moved in with my girlfriend when I was sixteen.”

Maeve leaned forward in her chair and placed a comforting hand on my knee. The warmth from her skin sent a rush of memories flooding my mind, intermingling with the present moment.

“I knew I needed to get out and do something with my life,” I began, my voice tinged with a mixture of determination and vulnerability. “That’s when I enlisted in the Marines. It was my way of escaping the cycle I was trapped in with my mom. It was either get up and do something for myself, or end up just like her.”

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