Page 7 of Faking It With My Pucking Protector
“You can have mine!” he beams.
Liam, quieter, just nods and tugs her hand once before stepping back.
I clear my throat. “Alright, you two. Brush your teeth and pick one book. Miss Taylor will be in soon.”
There are grumbles but they listen. When they disappear down the hall, I turn back to Ava.
She glances at me, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“I remember when Greg told me about you having twins. I had just graduated from college. That would make them…”
I hold back a smile as she counts on her fingers.
“Six?”
I nod. “That’s right.”
Her gaze lingers on me, searching as though she wants to ask something more. I have a feeling it’s about my late wife Claire. But instead, she simply nods, her lips pressing into a faint, thoughtful line, and I’m grateful she doesn’t say anything.
It still hurts to talk about.
“I’ll show you to the guest room. You can shower, change. Whatever you need.”
She nods slowly, the exhaustion settling into her shoulders.
As we head upstairs, her small purse slips from her hand. Her phone spills out onto the hardwood with a soft clatter.
She stares at it like it might explode.
“Do you want me to call your brother Greg?” I ask gently. “Let him know you’re safe?”
Her breath hitches. “You’d do that?”
“Of course.”
Her lips tremble as she nods. “Thank you.”
I lean down to pick up her phone and hand it to her.
In the guest room, I gesture to the en suite bathroom. “There are towels and extra toiletries inside. I’ll grab you something to change into.”
I come back a moment later with an oversized navy shirt. It’s soft, worn, and easily long enough to pass for a dress on her. No surprise, considering I’m 6’4” and she barely reaches my shoulder.
“Here,” I say, placing it on the edge of the bed. “Probably more comfortable than a wedding dress.”
That earns the tiniest smile from her, and I take it as a win.
She nods, and before I leave, I notice the tension in her frame begins to ease.
And in that moment, I know.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Chapter Three
AVA
Sunlight filters through sheer white curtains, soft and golden and far too serene for what my life currently feels like.
