Page 59 of Gamble with Me
"We're here," Chester announced after almost an hour when I had to mask the rumbling of my stomach. I was starving.
Before I could open my mouth, Zara jumped out of the car and sprinted to the nearest candy stall. I shook my head resolutely, following her to the kindly smiling middle-aged lady in a red dress with white stripes and a hat with the same pattern. She looked like a walking lollipop.
"Please, Mommy." Zara batted her eyelashes, but it never worked on me. I opened my mouth to protest against sweets before lunch when Chester appeared behind me.
"Please, Mommy," he joined her, gently nudging me with his elbow. "We want candy."
"You, too? Really?" I drifted my gaze between them, feeling overpowered.
"Mommy,please." Zara clapped her hands before her face in a pleading gesture, and an exasperated sigh escaped from my lips. Her stomach would hurt, but what could I do against two of them?
"One piece," I agreed eventually, but they didn't listen. Zara picked the most giant, colorful lollipop I had ever seen, and Chester took a whole pack of caramel candies and red and green sweetmeats. I rolled my eyes at their choice, proceeding to the stall with pizza.
The delicious smell overwhelmed my senses, and my mouth watered. A cute, maybe twenty-five-year-old man flashed me a wide, toothy smile, his curly blond hair falling to his green sparking eyes.
"What can I do for you, my lady?" he asked, flirtatiously winking at me. I almost burst out laughing. I never had a problem catching men's attention, but my interest wasn't in younger guys. He was adorable and made an impression of a playful puppy, which wasn't my thing. I preferred growly, brooding, dark wolves or bears.
"Let's wait for my husband." I smiled, noticing the immediate effect of my words on him. His smile faded, and he averted his eyes from me.
During my relationship with Chester, I didn't flirt or play games with other guys. I didn't feel the need for it. I was a good, faithful wife who respected her husband. I didn't understand what changed my morals to the point of starting an affair with a man whose name and face were a mystery. But I knew I didn't need another thrill in my life.
I was a confident woman who didn't need appreciation and reassurance from others to know her worth. And thanks to it, I also knew I’d had enough bullshit from my husband. He was terrific with Zara when he wanted to be. He could be the best father ever. But it never lasted. I dreaded the moment Zara would realize it was another of his acts. She would cry for hours, claiming he didn't love her.
"Did you place your order?" Chester stirred me from my thoughts, touching the small of my back. Zara appeared before me, sticking out her green tongue and giggling.
"I'm waiting for you two," I replied, standing back in the line.
"I want a slice with pineapple," Zara announced, licking her lollipop. Chester rolled his eyes but said nothing. He hated pineapple in general. For him, it was the greatest sin to place it on pizza.
"I'll take pepperoni," he said, hurrying behind Zara. She was already climbing on a horse on a carousel.
I was surprised Chester didn't send me to watch over her. His behavior was outstanding but weird. I couldn't forget his threats because he acted like a decent human.
Months ago, he would have fooled me, but something snapped in me. I didn't believe anything he said. If he thought that one day out, playing a family, could persuade me tostay with him willingly, he hadn’t noticed the shift in me. He was the same blind man I married eight years ago.
I ordered food and sat behind the empty table, watching Chester and Zara enter the Ferris wheel. I didn't want to interrupt their fun, so I fished my phone from my purse, taking photos of them. Then I replied to Alice's text, wishing her dad good luck. He should be undergoing heart surgery tomorrow. She didn't want me to come to the hospital as support, so at least this way, I wanted her to know I thought about them.
Scrolling through the videos, I was interrupted by an incoming message, and my heart skipped a beat.
Unknown Number: Enjoying the time with your family, mon cœur?
My eyes widened, and I hastily looked around. However, every other man had a phone in their hand.
Valeria: Are you watching me?
The response came in a matter of seconds.
Blocked Number: Always.
Staring at the screen in disbelief, I threw the phone back into my bag, angrily chewing my ham pizza. Zefarin could infuriate me even quicker than Chester.
His possessiveness and insane obsession with me both scared and flattered me. It made my heart beat faster with fear and excitement. It brought butterflies in my stomach to life because I never knew what he might do. I enjoyed the thrill the adventure with him provided, and I loved the woman he found and woke up under the surface of a meek housewife. He was the reason I stood up to Chester. He showed me I deserved more than crumbs. Still, his tactics and actions scared the shit out of me, even when they made me feel alive.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Kellerman."
I winced in shock, almost inhaling the piece of pizza into my lungs, when my eyes landed on the fat, round figure of George. I didn't remember his surname, and Zyon never mentioned it. But his face, with a lecherous look of his green eyes, was unforgettable.
"Hello," I said, wiping my mouth. "I didn't expect to see you here."
