Page 28 of Laws of Love
After taking her shoes off and putting them into her closet, Aiva went into her living room and sat on her couch. She had no plans for the rest of the day, and she’d caught up on all the shows she was watching. She figured she could start a new one. If she found nothing, she knew she could work a bit, but she tried not to make a habit of working on the weekends she wasn’t going to the office unless absolutely necessary.
Aiva scrolled through all the different options before deciding on a dark drama show. She’d never heard of it, but the description was enough for her to try it. She was only about halfway through the episode when her phone rang. She glanced at it on the coffee table where she’d sat it when she came in.
Edison’s name flashed across her screen, and Aiva rolled her eyes at it before turning her attention back to the television. At least this time, he hadn’t tried to call her from one of her younger siblings’ phones as a ploy to get her to answer.
She wasn’t sure what part of Edison thought she would answer the phone when Aiva always allowed it to go to voicemail, and she never listened to any of the messages. A relationship with her father was not one she wanted, but she dealt with him for her grandmother and her siblings who were still too young to know that he was a no-good, cheating liar who liked to use his kids as pawns.
Thinking about the man who donated sperm made Aiva think about her mother. She hadn’t talked to her in a couple of weeks, but that wasn’t unusual. Her mother was currently on a mission trip and would be gone for another three weeks. Phone reception where she was located was next to none, but she checked in when she could.
Her mother had always enjoyed giving back. Once she and Meila had graduated college, moved out, and solidified their careers, their mother began taking mission trips to help those in need. It made her happy to give back, and Aiva and Meila supported whatever their mother wanted to do. The same way she supported their goals and dreams.
Sighing, Aiva gave her full attention back to the episode playing on her television. She would give it another episode to see if it pulled her in.
“Asking your lawyer out,” Wolfe started. “Is that wise?”
Knox kept his attention on Yasmine, playing with a few other kids at the park. It was late Saturday morning, and Wolfe, who’d picked her up from Mia for him that morning, had decided to spend the day with them. Knox knew sending Wolfe was a dick move because his best friend held no love for Mia, hadn’t since the day he met her, and never one to hold his tongue he’d made it known to her. However, Wolfe was the one person he knew Mia wouldn’t try to get slick with.
“She won’t be my lawyer when I ask her out. Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll no longer require her services.”
Wolfe snorted. “In that way, at least.”
Knox rolled his eyes. He wasn’t about to discuss his lack of sexual activities with Wolfe. Especially not in a place where young, impressionable ears could overhear them. What Knox wanted from Aiva also wasn’t just sex. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it, but he wanted to take her out, get to know her.
He hadn’t dated in years, so Knox knew he was rusty at it. He’d tried to continue to treat his marriage to Mia as if they were still dating, so their dynamic wouldn’t get stale. That hadn’t worked because she never wanted to do anything other than shop, party, or put on for her friends.
Knox also didn’t want to make the same mistakes he had with Mia. While they’d dated, they spent most of their time in bed together when he wasn’t training or away at games. If he’d gotten to know her more outside of the bedroom first, he probably could have avoided the unpleasantness he was currently going through.
However, it didn’t take a genius to tell that Aiva and Mia’s personalities were polar opposites. Knox didn’t want to walk down the same path again and figured it would be best to keep the thoughts and desires of his dick out of the equation for the time being.
“So, that’s really how you’re going to celebrate your divorce? Taking Yas to Disneyland and asking out your lawyer.”
“It is.”
“To each their own. Your situation with that she-demon just solidifies that marriage is not something that appeals to me.”
Knox glanced over at Wolfe. “You say that because you haven’t met a woman worth settling down with. When you do, you won’t want anything else.”
“I’m not taking advice from someone who clearly didn’t take his own because you in no way found the right woman to settle down with, but your dumbass did it, anyway.”
Knox chuckled. “Fuck you, Wolfe. I was young, and she was a superb actress.”
Wolfe shrugged. “Not that great, because I told you she was off. And for the record, fucking me wouldn’t have had you in this situation. It would have had you in one where you could not walk.”
Knox shook his head at his friend as they both laughed. “You know your comments like that have me waiting for the day you come to Ezra and me to come out of the closet.”
“Keep waiting,” Wolfe responded with a shrug.
Knox turned his attention back to Yasmine, who was being pushed by a little boy on the swing. It hadn’t escaped him that the little boy had been following his daughter around and playing with her from the moment they arrived at the park. He couldn’t help but shake his head because it was a recurring theme when they went somewhere. Knox could only imagine how much worse it would be when she got older.
They stayed at the park for another half hour before they got lunch. The meal was spent with Knox policing Wolfe and ensuring he didn’t sneak the candy he’d been attempting to give Yasmine in the car on the way there to her under the table at the restaurant. Not that Knox was against her having the candy. He wanted her to eat first before she had it.
When they finished lunch, they returned to his condo, and Yasmine quickly pulled Wolfe down the hall with her, wanting to show him the lava lamp she’d gotten the weekend before. She was so excited about it; he was sure she told anyone who listened. Hell, she’d video-called his parents from her tablet to show it to them as soon as he’d plugged it in.
When they came back down the hall with Yasmine skipping ahead of Wolfe, she hopped onto the couch beside Knox.
“Daddy, guess what?” She didn’t give him a chance to guess, continuing without missing a beat. “We’re having mini pizzas for dinner. Uncle Wolfe is going to go to the store and pick up the things we need, and we’re going to make them together.”
“That sounds like fun,” Knox responded.
