Page 86 of Falling in Love with A Tiny Bat

Besides, it’s not just me. Alexios has been a bit off since Sunday, too. What I told him that night did a number. I can tell. Even if he can’t lie and has made it clear the way he thinks about me hasn’t changed, finding out your soulmate was raped as a kid has to, well, it has tosuck.

If I’d learned that the precious, perfect person made just for me had been abused like I was, I’d want to kill.

“Zahr?” Kassandra prompts.

I blink back into the moment. “Woosh. Sorry. Was I dissociating? How very out of character for me. You’re supposed to be the daydreamer between us.” Smiling as bright as my face will let me, I say, “You know what? I think I’m going to have to pass on tonight. I’ve got big plans to continue staring into the void later. It’salmostlooking back, and when it does, maybe my love will requite.”

“You’re worrying me,” she murmurs, in her veryKassway. Looking like a preschool teacher—even though she teaches elementary—has some perks. Primarily, she has never done anything wrong ever and the fierce compulsion to protect her lays itself on thick. “Is everything okay with Xios?”

“What? Yeah, of course.” If, of course, byokayyou meandid you just sucker punch him with your childhood trauma over the weekend?Then, yes. Doing well. Peachy, even. “We’re justworking through the usual soulmate collision.”

Kassandra arches a brow. “The usual soulmate collision?”

“Yeah, you know, the part where your super attractive, single, student’s father is giving off all the vibes of an abusive parent, so you try to send CPS after him, but eventually take matters into your own hands, discover he’s fae, fall in love, and unpack decades of baggage. It’s the—” Gripping my bag of frogs, I make a rainbow motion above my head. “—transition period.” Shrugging, I find another little ritual in the corner. “When two people are thrown together, sparks fly. And they aren’t always romantic sparks. Sometimes they just catch stuff on fire.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I know Xios can be…odd. But I do think you are the same kind of odd.”

I fix her with a look. “Wow. Appreciate that.”

She plows on without acknowledging my expression. “He also has all that sensory stuff since he’s still navigating a lot of unfamiliar stimuli where it concerns being alive. That can’t make anything easy.”

It makes bullying him easy. Turning him into a blushing puddle who must excuse himself to have a crisis is quite remarkably easy. I do it without remorse, too. Because I am a monster. “Kass,” I state, “we’re fine. It’s just a bit overwhelming this week. ’Kay?”

Her concerned gaze meets my eyes and drops away. “Okay. Just know that Pollux and I are here for you both. Pollux especially worries.”

“Yeah,” I say, “I know.”

Because Pollux is agoodpapa.

And I don’t know anything about what that’s like.

Chapter 22

~~~~~~~~~~~~

My husband, the maid.

Dumping my keys and bag off by the door, I scan the main room for my baby. Sighing as the vacant space gapes before me, I march myself upstairs. In my room, it seems Ash has been laid down for a nap, which means I don’t get baby cuddles until he wakes up and wants his bottle.

The immediate, overwhelming stress that encompasses me is enough to make Alexios—stretched out on my bed—look up off his phone. “Snowflake, what’s wrong?”

Arms folded, I trudge into the room. “I workall day, and I come home to you playing games on your phone? No dinner. No awake baby to snuggle.” I scowl. “You haven’t even freshened up for me. What sort ofhusband in trainingdo you think you are?”

He blinks. “Forgive me. Should I change into a maid uniform?”

My mouth opens before my thoughts can catch up to his response. Do I want to see Alexios in frills?

Yes.

No.

Yes.

No.

Maybe?

The potential is high.

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