Page 17 of My Mom's Man
“I’ll ask Brayden to take me to school again,” she says when we reach Moonlit Gables. “See you later, Reid.”
I trot to a stop and watch as she runs off toward our unit. It’s impossible not to watch her ass as she runs. This time, though, I’m smart enough not to follow her inside. If I go in there, I might be tempted to jerk off again while she showers.
“I heard my name,” Brayden says, peeking out of the unit he shares with Casey now next door. “Emma needs a ride?”
“Yeah,” I grunt out.
“Casey went to work. Want to come inside and cool off?”
My son has always been intuitive when it comes to people. If he senses they’re struggling in any way, he’s empathetic and wants to help. Probably got that savior complex from his old man.
Sorry, kid. It can be a bitch.
I follow him inside. The living room is currently undergoing a makeover. Plastic covers everything and paint cans are stacked by a window.
“Painting?” I say with a smirk as he fetches me a water bottle.
“Casey wants everything fresh for when the baby gets here.”
After chugging the entire bottle in a few long gulps, I squat beside the paint can to look at the color. “Nice. This is going to look good.”
We chat a bit about what he’s working on next, but then my son calls me out per usual.
“So,” Brayden drawls out. “How are things at home?”
“Spent the night on the couch,” I tell him honestly. “Told Amara I wanted to separate.”
“They’re still going to stay there?”
“Yup.”
He’s quiet for a moment and then nods. “Not going to tell you what to do, but you know that’s a bad idea, Dad.”
“It’s not for Amara’s sake.”
“Figured.”
“I just…I don’t want to shake up Emma’s life, you know?”
Brayden stares at me for far too long. I shift under his scrutiny, unable to meet his probing eyes. Finally, he sighs in resignation. “Be careful, okay? Things could get messy.”
Am I that transparent?
Does he know I’ve been obsessing over my girlfriend’s daughter?
“If you, uh, decide to do anything,” Brayden says, dancing around the subject, “it’s probably best if you’re not still with Amara.”
Fuck.
“Whatever you think is happening, isn’t happening,” I mutter. “But your advice is noted.”
He gives my shoulder a hard squeeze. “Good. Want to get your mind off things for a few hours?”
I’ve never been so excited to paint in all my life.
Emma
“I’m going to do everything I can to take care of you.”
