Page 74 of The Assignment: Room 3

I need the ground to open and swallow me whole right now. It’s like I’m back in high school. “Mom!”

“What? You never tell me anything. This handsome young man came to whisk you away today. I have questions.”

“This isn’t twenty questions.”

Flex takes a step closer to me, but his eyes are trained on my mom, giving her his full attention. “We aren’t currently dating, but I’m definitely trying to win over your daughter.”

My breath catches, my stomach doing somersaults. Then, my brain kicks in—he’s not going to tell my mom the truth.Hey, I just came over to be nice, considering I am fucking your daughter and punishing her because she loves it.

Like the schoolgirl I feel, I remain silent, pulling Gracie up into my arms.

“Mommy, I need to poop.” And just like that, any ember of romance is snuffed out.

“Okay, sweet pea, let’s get you inside.” I rush into the house,leaving my mom to ask any other mortifying questions in my absence.

“What did you and Gan Gan do while I was gone?” While she sits on the toilet, I check my face in the mirror. My mascara is smudged, and my hair is a wild, sweaty mess after wearing that helmet for an hour. I look like crap. At this point, it’s not going to make a difference, so I grab a facecloth, wipe my panda eyes, and wrestle my hair into a messy bun.

“Mommy, I’m done.” The glamorous life with a toddler. I help her wipe and fix her leggings before letting her wash her hands. She splashes water all over the place, getting my top wet. I just want to crawl into my bed. I’m exhausted. Not physically, but today, Flex is throwing me for a loop. I’ve been compartmentalizing our time spent outside of Venom—a lunch here and there, our phone calls and texts. They happen parallel to my life in this house, never intersecting.

Gracie skips out of the bathroom, and I take a moment to breathe. This is a good thing. Flex will see what my life is like and run a mile. I can’t deal with him in my space. Not because I don’t want to be around him—he’s an amazing man. For my own sanity, I need to keep this part of my life separate from the club.

As I walk down the hallway and into the living room, my pulse is racing. I can hear Flex talking to my mom, and as they come into view, I find him looking at the pictures on the walls. Seeing him in here feels wrong. He’s sophisticated, and his presence is all-encompassing in this small space.

“Gracie has her mom’s smile. Cute. A little crooked, which makes it even more adorable.”

“Are we ready to go?” I chime in, needing to get outside. If it didn’t feel small in here under normal circumstances, it sure as hell does now.

Flex turns to answer me, his eyes raking the length of me as a smile creeps at the corners of his mouth. “I’m ready, pet,” he says, biting his bottom lip.

“Come on, Gracie, hold my hand.” Instead of coming to me, she bounds over to Flex, grabbing his hand.

“I going to hold Fex’s hand, Mommy.”

“No, Gracie.”

“It’s fine, Celest. I am capable of holding her hand. In fact…” he says with a conspiratorial wink to Gracie, “… it would be my honor.”

“What does that mean, Mr. Fex?”

He drops down on one knee to be at her level. “It means that I’m happy you want to hold my hand, Gracie bear.”Kaboom. My ovaries just exploded. Obliterated. Every. Last. Egg.

She smiles at him before giggling at his nickname for her.

I grab my purse and head for the front door, my mom following close on my heels, Gracie and her new best friend lagging behind.

“He is so handsome, Celest. And so good with Gracie.”

“Can you lock the front door?” I can’t slow down. My heart is hammering so hard I feel like it’s about to come bursting out of my chest. I need to stop this. Tonight.

I don’t think I’ve ever walked so fast in my life. I hear Flex and Gracie laughing behind me, but I dare not look back. Normally, I wouldn’t be so ignorant, but if I acknowledge him right now, I’m going to cry.

By the time we reach the churro café, my mom has asked Flex so many questions that a rectal exam would be less invasive. I tell my mom to find a table while I join the order line. I’m so intent on holding it together that I’m caught off guard when Flex appears, resting his hand on the small of my back.

“Are you okay?” I shrug his hand off, stepping forward without looking him in the eye. “Celest... talk to me.”

“Why are you here, Flex? Your plan to take me out somewhere and fuck me didn’t go as planned. You should be on your way to the club to find a willing pussy for the night.”

He steps in front of me. “Stop it, pet.”

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