Page 19 of Lost Times

Chapter 11

Thalia

Jasmine all but vibrated out of her skin as she bounced around the kitchen at the speed of light. Her excited chattering only added to my pounding headache, but I kept my smile firmly in place.

Today was the day.

I hadn’t told her anything other than the fact that Ludwig was coming over, but that’d been enough to send her into hyperdrive. Even now she was listing out which stuffed animals she’d be introducing him to.

Hopefully she’d take the news well.

Forcing down my nerves with a deep breath, I tugged her to a stop and reminded. “Easy, Jasmine. He should be here soon, and then you can ask as many questions as you want, but we have to talk first, remember?”

She had no idea what that talk entailed, but she knew she would be involved. She beamed up at me, nodding with all the seriousness she could muster.

“I’m going to be part of anadulttalk!” She crowed, squirming in place, and I chuckled weakly.

“Yeah, you will be.”

A knock sounded on the door, pulling me back to the present, and before I could make a move for it, Jasmine was across the house. “I’ve got it!” She called, and I turned the corner just in time to watch her swing the door open to a bewildered Ludwig.

He stared down at her in equal parts shock and amusement, but that expression disappeared in the next second when Jasmine latched to his waist in one of her typical death-grip hugs.

His eyes widened to hilarious proportions and he swung to stare at me, both his hands in the air as if he’d never gotten a hug before. I couldn’t help it, I chuckled.

That look was too perfect on the usually put-together man and, after a second of thought, I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.

He blinked, obviously taken by surprise, then his scowl came back with a force. It didn’t quite have the same impact with his arms still in the air, but the message was clear.

Stop taking pictures and help me.

I put my phone away and spoke. “You’re either going to have to hug back or tell her to let you go.” Jasmine understood ‘no,’ but I wantedhimto be the one to tell her that. If he wasn’t comfortable, he needed to be okay with saying so.

I wouldn’t always be right here to back Jasmine off, and he had to be okay doing it himself.

Instead of politely requesting her to release him, as I expected, Ludwig’s face shifted into a mask of conflict. Then, after a long beat, his hands settled on her back. He patted it, not pulling her against him but not pushing away either.

Without a doubt, it was the most awkward hug I’d ever seen, but the fact he even did it despite not being comfortable…

Something wiggled in my chest, warmth shooting out in waves as he patted her one last time, then gently pulled away. Jasmine let him, that beaming smile still firmly in place as she bounced around his legs.

“I’ve been so excited for you to be here! I have a bunch of stuffed animals to introduce you to.” I cleared my throat pointedly when she looked ready to lead him to her room.

She pouted, remembering the talk. “After we talk.” She recovered quickly, smiling again as she puffed up. “I get to have an adult talk.”

He blinked, clearly not sure what to say to that, but before I could come to his rescue, he did something I’d never seen before, at least not since the one night we’d shared.

The hard line of his jaw softened and he smiled, just a small one, but the impact it left was nearly a hammer to my chest. Even years later, I remembered that smile, and seeing it now, pointed down at Jasmine, sent my heart into a series of spins.

His smile stayed as he nodded. “That you do.”

Then he looked at me, the uncertainty coming back as he waited for me to take the lead. Shaking aside the warm and floppy emotions, I gestured for him to take a seat in the living room, my other hand corralling Jasmine in.

Once we were all seated, Jasmine on the cushion between us, I started.

“Honey, I know you’ve wanted to ask about your father for a long time…”

Her smile fell into a nervous frown, her eyes darting to Ludwig with open betrayal. Before she could be hurt that he’d spilled her secret, I cut in. “He had a good reason for telling me. Do you want to hear it?”

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