Page 105 of Mafie Trials

“Kitten?” Arrow asks gently. I can’t decide if I want to laugh or cry right now.

Well, my body decides to do both, and the poor man next to me has no idea how to respond to that when he pulls the covers back. I laugh as tears stream down my face.

“What the frick just happened?” I ask, my expression pained even as laughter continues to roll from my lips.

Arrow’s brows pinch, making my face heat from embarrassment. I turn to hide in my pillow, hoping that maybe he will just leave once he realizes how much of a hot mess I am. Soon enough, I have the hiccups and a warm strong hand rubs my back.

“Maybe they didn’t see anything?” he suggests. I roll over to face him with an exasperated look.

“Arrow. Not only did they see you lookingverynaked in my bed, my dad just saw my tits fall out of my gown from where you ripped it last night. There is no coming back from whatever the heck just happened.”

I throw my arm over my face.Hiccup.

“This isn’t happening to me. My parents are likely safe for the first time in months and instead of talking to them and celebrating, I threw the freaking phone.”

He lets out a chuckle and I glare daggers at him.

“No, sir. You do not get to laugh right now. This is not a laughing matter.”Hiccup.

“I’m pretty sure you just laughed yourself into hysterics fifteen seconds ago, so you already know this is funny.” He scoots closer to me. “It’s a story we will tell our kids when they are teenagers, and we teach them about proper video chat answering etiquette.”

I’m lying here mortified over the fact that my father just saw my boobs fall out of my nightgown from where my boyfriend ripped it, and this man is sitting here talking about kids. Kids he doesn’t know I can’t have.

My body grows stiff at the thought. We haven’t talked much about the future. He hasn’t said anything to me about wanting kids until now. He notices the change in my posture.

“I didn’t mean we had to have kids or anything. I was just making a joke.”

“Do you want kids?” I can’t help but ask. I already feel like I’m drowning in shame, might as well add to it.

“Do you?”

“No.” My answer is firm.

I knew since I was eleven years old I would not want to bring children into this world. The idea was solidified when I turned eighteen and found out my role in my family’s business. Less than a week later, I had it taken care of, ensuring I would never have to worry about the idea ever again.

“Then no.”

I let out a sigh. “That’s not how this works.”

“Not how what works?”

“If I told you I wanted kids, would you have wanted them too?”

“Yes.” The way he answers with such certainty has me growing angry for no reason. But I can’t seem to help it. Who just agrees with everything their partner wants?

I throw out my arms. “Why are you so agreeable? Did you want kids before you met me?”

He shrugs. “I never really thought about it until I met you.”

“And what did you think before I asked you.”

“The same thing I’ve always thought when it comes to you.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?” I don’t know why I’m on the defensive. He’s agreeing with me, telling me what I want to hear. I think I’m just afraid that one day, he might change his mind and ask for something I can’t give him.

“That I’d do whatever it takes to make you happy. If that means kids, then I’ll give you as many as you need. If it’s just us, then I can give you that too.”

I think about his words. I know in the depths of my soul that I don’t want kids. Not in the life that we live. But I do want more than just the two of us.

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