Page 80 of Just a Distraction

When I reach the door, Callum runs towards me, his arms outstretched. I can’t quite understand his string of baby talk. “You want to come?” I set the tightly folded up diaper back on the changing pad, swoop him up into my arms, and rotate him around above me so his legs settle on my shoulders. He laughs, which in turn makes me laugh.

“Be right back.” I hazard a glance at her, and she has this sort of wide-eyed look that I can’t even begin to interpret. “Wave bye-bye to Mommy, Callum!”

Once outside, I trudge to the trashcan with Callum safely on my shoulders and try to breathe. Was this a mistake, coming clean to Rose about what I do on the side?

Except, it’s quickly becoming something I don’t want to do on the side. Right now, the early mornings are for writing. The day is for Sebastian’s work. The evenings are for Rose.

It would be a dream come true to somehow make enough money that I could step away from the corporate life altogether and write full-time. Rose and writing?

Yes, please.

I still don’t know how I’m going to respond to Rose’s questions when Callum and I get back to the house.

“Are you okay if we talk about this? Or would you rather not?” she asks, biting down on her lower lip.

“Honestly?” A thrill travels up my spine as my gaze locks onto her mouth. “I’d rather kiss your lower lip than do anything else right now, but I have to wash my hands first, no matter what we do.”

She giggles and follows me, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, watching me carefully.

“I feel like you like me more now that you know I write fantasy novels.” I rinse my hands and squirt foam soap on them.

“I don’t,” Rose insists, rolling her eyes. “I like you the same amount, which is a lot.”

I finish washing and rinsing, then dry my hands off on the hand towel. I tug her close, with Callum’s arms circling our knees. “Then why do you keep looking at me like I’m a famous person, but also like I’m also about the steal your TV?”

She holds up a finger. “We had that happen once.”

“A famous person stole your TV?”

She drops her head back in laughter. “Just the stolen TV part. Although, it was never found, so who knows? Maybe a famous persondiddo it.”

“You’re stalling,” I prod. I’m not even sure there’s a good answer to my question about why she’s looking at me like this. I’d still like to hear what she has to say.

“I know.” She absently slides her hands up and down my back in a slow motion. “But you’ve been stalling, too. You’re the one who spent the last couple of monthsnottelling me who you really were.”

“Ah. Is that what this weirdness is about?”

“Weirdness? More like I’m just trying to get used to it. And no, I’m not bothered too much about your keeping your identity a secret.”

“I didn’t realize I was lying to you.” My heart starts to pound. For me, that’s the worst part. Rose hasn’t been able to trust people—for her own survival. I hate that I’ve become a part of that equation.

“You were, technically, lying by omission. But I understand why. I’m sure you were surprised to hear me first mentionZehma of the Night Loch, huh? Did any part of you want to be like, ‘Hey, that’s me!’?”

“Yes,” I answer immediately. “But I was terrified. It’s a part of myself that I’ve kept separate for so long. It’s very strange.”

“You haven’t told anyone else because you think they’ll disapprove?”

I feel my face fall. I don’t need to touch my cheeks to know they’re on fire. “I don’t think my family’s going to like it, so I’m trying to learn how to be okay with that.”

“How do you know that? If one of my family members had written such wonderful things, I’d be proud. Iamproud, Milo.”

I give her a light kiss on her temple, inhaling her crisp cucumber scent. “Thank you. But that’s the thing, my brothers? They don’t read fiction that much. Their preferred reading is in the realms of sports news, history, and business non-fiction.”

“But they would read it since it was written by you. I know they would.”

“Do I want them to, though?” I grimace again.She studies my face, her hazel eyes taking in all of me. “You don’t have to be like your brothers, you know. It’s okay to just be you.”

“I know that. It’s hard to feel differently, though.” I step away from her and grab Thorin’s leash off the hook near the front door. We’ve gotten into the routine of taking him for a walk in the evenings, and I think it might be easier for me to talk about this if we’re not face to face.

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