Page 17 of Revelation (Love Isn't What It Seems 3)

“You know we are not moving from this spot now, right?” Despite all the tensions, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Maxim smiled too. “There are worse things in life than being stuck in the playroom.”

He was right, of course. Besides, seeing the happiness on Brandon’s face was priceless. My eyes traveled around the room, soaking it all in. It was certainly impressive. Every boy’s dream playroom. I spotted a rocking chair by the window and headed towards it. Sitting down, I fully expected to be here for another few hours.

* * *

We spenthours in the same spot. And despite Maxim remaining with us the entire time, it was pleasant. He had our dinner brought into the playroom and we chatted through it, all topics focused on Brandon. Every so often I’d catch Brandon glancing out the window and I knew his thoughts were on Liberty or his mom. But then I’d point to another toy and we’d get lost in another adventurous world.

All of the guests from the wedding were gone by now, and the castle became very quiet. But it was a comfortable silence. Like the ones during early fall. You could sit on the porch and just listen to the sounds of leaves shuffling in the wind, the scent of the crisp fresh air, and the sight of changing colors all around you. The only ones staying in the castle were the staff, Maxim’s grandfather, Maxim, Brandon, and myself. Despite the fact I was staying in a stranger's home, the place was welcoming. More than my grandparents’ home ever was.

It had been so long since I felt that kind of peace within me. If ever. Maybe when I was a kid, oblivious to everything and everyone. I craved that peace within me, the feeling of calm and security. Without a doubt, I knew Brandon would grow up like that. The way every child should and the Caldwells would ensure he was a happy kid.

Maxim and I fumbled getting Brandon ready for bed, trying to be out of each other’s way. Okay, okay… correction. I was trying to be as far as possible from him. I didn’t want to risk brushing against any part of his body and risk getting electrocuted. My body hummed each time we were around each other, anticipating the current sizzling through my veins to spark.

No, thank you!I couldn’t let that happen. I have had enough rejection to last me a lifetime. Besides, there was no way it would end well, and then I’d be stuck seeing him at Liberty’s family functions for the rest of my life. Speak about awkward.

I had not seen many happy endings. Actually I hadn’t seen any, if I was being honest. My father took advantage of my mother and broke his promise to wed her. My own mother chose substance abuse over and over again rather than her own daughter. My grandparents… well, they just hated me. The spark I felt around Maxim couldn’t end well, and at the end of the day, he would never choose me. Ever!It wasn’t as if I liked him,I lied to myself.

No fireworks for me in the near future. I didn’t want them.Liar!

I focused on getting Brandon ready for bed. The bedroom Brandon had was large and spacious, but with Maxim around, it felt too small. All my senses zeroed in on him. I was painfully aware of his gaze on me each time he looked my way. It was like each cell in my body breathed for him.

My body and mind were at conflict here. My mind kept telling me to keep my distance but my body pretty much gravitated towards him. The conflict set every fiber of me on edge. Part of me wanted to put a large amount of distance between us, maybe two town’s worth would be adequate. And here we were in the same bedroom, causing my temperature to skyrocket. But I couldn’t quite dismiss him and demand my privacy. After all, we were in his family home.

Ugh, didn’t he have anything better to do?

Although I had to reluctantly admit, his commitment to Brandon and his way with him made me like Maxim despite not wanting to. Why was it that everything about this man set me on edge? The way he looked at me, the way he spoke, the way he breathed. I hated that my body reacted to him.

I liked strong, demanding, assertive men. Maxim seemed to be all that. Maybe. Well, I wasn’t exactly sure. He looked at me appreciatively, almost like he was my brother now or something. Okay, maybe not a brother.Definitely not like a brother.But he didn’t gawk at me. I would have almost preferred that. I thought back to my past relationships, no matter how short-term they were and froze mid thought.

I always go for unavailable men.And I went into it expecting rejection. Maybe that was my defense mechanism? Damn it, now I questioned and evaluated myself. I preferred not to think about it.

But I couldn’t ignore that Maxim was different. He impacted me unlike any other person before him. The way he watched me made me feel like a rare, expensive bottle of scotch he had to savor, instead of gulp down.

Damn it. I don’t want him looking at me.My mind sent a warning alarm but my body refused to listen.

Brandon was all tucked into bed, dressed in his favorite pajamas and with his favorite book. Before we started story time, we snapped a goofy selfie and sent it to Liberty. I knew she’d be worried about him, so we wanted her to know he was fine.

Maxim and I alternated reading the bookThomas & Friends. The story was weird to me. Like there would ever be a train that could talk but whatever. If it made Brandon happy, I’d read in a weird train voice.

“Okay, storytime is over,” I exclaimed, getting up from my spot on Brandon’s bed. Maxim was kicked back on the bed too. He read the story of Thomas the train like he had done this hundreds of times, clearly comfortable in his own skin. I, on the other hand, felt fidgety and nervous. I could have handled taking care of Brandon, getting him ready for bed, and reading him a story all by myself. But he insisted on helping and sticking around. It certainly showed his commitment.

“I’m an uncle now,” he told me, like he had just been promoted. Actually, he sounded proud, and my traitorous heart warmed.

I leaned over and pressed a kiss on Brandon’s cheek. “Good night, kiddo.”

Brandon was already tired, his eyes drooping. He murmured something, but I knew he’d be out for the night. It has been a long, exciting day for him.

Maxim and I exited his room together, and without another glance at him, I headed towards the bedroom that had been designated for me.

“Want to hang out and have a drink?” Maxim’s voice had my step faltering.

I glanced over my shoulder at Caldwell’s youngest member. He leaned against the wall casually, his hands in his pockets. Like he didn’t have a care in the world. And maybe he didn’t. He was too easy going, too nice… just too something.

Or maybe it is all a facade?My mind suggested. I couldn’t deny that darkness I first sensed when we met. Maybe it was precisely the reason why my body thought it was attracted to him. All these contradictory feelings drove me mad.

“No, thank you.”

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