Loved

Iris’s p. o. v.

I woke up to a familiar scent and feeling around me.

Rolling over and opening my eyes, I realized that I was in my bedroom and I don’t recall coming back here.

The sky looked dim outside so I was either up early or really late.

I hurriedly jerk to my right, to check for Louisa and she wasn’t there.

I threw myself up to see the time on bedside clock and it says four minutes after five in the evening.

I slept till evening!?

This has got to be the longest sleep I’ve ever had in my life.

Before I could start to panic about Louisa and school, I remembered today was Saturday.

I slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth but I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

My eyes looked three shades brighter and It seems like I lost a few wrinkles.

I laughed at my analysis before changing into a plain white shirt and black leggings cause I still had on the clothes I wore to work yesterday.

Running a brush through my hair to make myself more presentable, I made my way out of the room.

I almost bumped into a running Claudette on my way out.

” Goodness me! Sorry love, I was just rushing to carry out an errand. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen you all day” she placed her hands on my shoulders to talk to me.

” I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was sleeping” I smiled as I said it.

” Hmm and does this tiredness have something to do with the descendant of McConnell?” She wriggled her brows with a mischief all over her eyes.

I don’t understand?

How will he be responsible for my tiredness? I’ve always been a fan of sleeping so why would last night be different? I only slept off in-

Jesus!

” Nooooo!!!!! No! No! No! No! No!. Nothing happened last night, I swear!”

” Mhmmm, I hear ya” she smirked.

” Claudette I’m serious” I groaned out loud.

” No need to pretend love, I know he’s that good your blush says it all. Though I never knew he was good enough to knock you out till evening” she extended her hands to untangle some locks of my hair.

I’m blushing!?

” Holy Spirit!, Claudette please where’s my baby?” This conversation is over.

” By baby you mean Hunter?”

” Claudette!!”

Then she burst into laughter.

” Sorry, I’m sorry. I know nothing happened but teasing you was worth it. Louisa is at the backyard” she cleared her throat because her voice had become hoarse from all the laughing.

I muttered a thanks and almost ran to go meet my baby.

The sound of hers and Dylan’s laughter got to my ears before I could even get a glimpse of the two.

I walked out to the terrace that leads to the backyard and sight Louisa, Dylan and Hunter.

They were playing with water guns and all three looked direly soaked.

Hunter had a white shirt on, and the fact he wore nothing underneath was not helping human eyesight.

Dylan was wearing a blue vest and I was actually glad he did.

Louie doesn’t need to know the definition of good looking men till she gets to fourteen.

” Booooooom!! You’re dead again!” Louisa shouted as she shot Hunter with her gun. She was still dressed in her pajamas.

I’m a bad Mommy.

Hunter in turn pretended to get shot and dropped to his knees on the floor.

” I surrender your highness” he said as he raised to arms in surrender.

” Well I haven’t killed you yet” Dylan shot at Hunter with so much blast and energy that the fake impact knocked him down.

Louisa exploded into a fit of giggles as she ran in another direction with Dylan hot on her heels.

Hunter stood up from his fallen position with a smile on his face before dusting off his jeans and started walking towards the terrace.

He grabbed a towel from the stair railing and climbed up the three little steps in my direction.

” Well you’re a sleeper” he said as he came on to the same level with me whilst wiping himself.

” I never knew I had it in me” I shrugged and he just smirked.

He turned back to observe the two who were still playing and surprisingly Dylan was giving Louisa a bath with his water gun.

” Very active kid you’ve got there” he complemented as he watched her shout in victory once she was able to fire back at Dylan.

” Very active cousin you’ve got there” I playfully smiled at the two who were still playing.

” Oh, when I meant kid I was actually referring to Dylan. Louisa is a Lady”

I burst into laughter, but something really surprised me.

He didn’t call her my kid or my child.

He called her by her name.

It feels really awkward talking with him like this. I’m mostly used to either cowering away or being strictly business.

This felt very strange but I liked it in a way. It feels like the past is really now the past.

We stood in more moments of silence while watching Louie grab Dylan’s feet and tried to trip him over.

The sun was already setting and casting a pink and orange mirage effect in the sky. The light breeze was almost damp but it had a cooling feel that slightly brushed my hair backwards.

The atmosphere smelled of tulips and roses, then I scoured the area and saw the mini Rose bushes at the far extreme of the space. They decorated the end of the open area like it was the demarcation to indicate the end of the compound.

The interlocked red and silver tiles were slightly decorated with band openings for little grasses to grow within.

The backyard almost looked like a tourist attraction.

I gently inhaled the sweet fresh air with my eyes closed to relinquish in this moment of peace.

I only hope it lasts.

Just the sound of someone exhaling loudly reminded me that Hunter was still by my side.

My eyes were still closed and I spiked up another topic to discuss.

” So are we going to pretend like last night never happened?”

I heard him sigh before he answered. ” As much as I’d like to say yes, I know you’d disagree”

I opened my eyes just in time to see him go back into the house.

He walks straight into the kitchen and I was surprised that no one was currently in here.

I followed him softly from behind and only stopped when he had entered the area.

” We should forget about it?” I arched a brow.

Is he regretting apologising?

” I never said we should” he raised his arms in surrender for the second time today.

He’s spending time with Louisa I see.

” But, you meant what you said last night right?” He may have just spoken out of drunkenness.

He released a short breathy laugh.

” The fact I said forget it doesn’t mean I regret what happened. I just assumed most of the story was really more hurtful aside from my apology”

” You remember all you said?” He was drunk wasn’t he?

” Most of it” he said proudly with a stupid smirk on his face.

” I wanna remember it. At least while I still can” it was a reminder of the day I felt loosed.

” Are you sure?”

I nodded a reply and he only smiled softly.

Louisa’s laughter filled the entire room again and I swear this could be the start of my own good year’s.

Hunter turned and looked through the window to observe her movements and I don’t think he noticed he was smiling to himself.

” Go bring her in soon, if not she’ll catch a cold”

I smiled at his advice and walked up to him.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

At first he was confused as to why I was approaching him but when I wrapped my arms around him in a hug he chuckled against me.

I rested my head on his chest and hugged him tighter. I don’t know if it’s odd, but I have this strange feeling that he might actually not be real. Just maybe another phantom of my imagination that’s trying to console me for what the real Hunter will never do.

” Iris I’m not a teddy bear” he complained but it doesn’t sound annoyed.

” You called me Iris” I almost stupidly smiled at the mention of it.

” Fine, Miss Jules I’m not a teddy bear”

We both laughed at his exclamation but he ended up returning my hug by wrapping his arms around me.

” Thank you Hunter” I mumbled into his shirt and erupting another laughter from him.

” Why are you thanking me?”

I wanted to say a lot of things.

For giving me a chance to be free.

For granting me the peace I deserved.

For finally letting me live with a free heart.

For giving me the best kid ever, even though you may not know that.

But I’d rather not say any.

” Nothing, just.. thank you”

We stayed in that position for a while, no words. Just silence till he spoke again.

” Iris?” He called out quietly.

“Hmm”

” Who’s Louisa’s dad?” He sounds like he wasn’t sure if he’s picking a touchy subject.

I chose to ignore the question by releasing myself from our embrace.

” Are the Reid’s still having their dinner tonight?”

He looked confused at first but decided not to push it.

” Yeah, eight pm”

I nodded with a smile and went off to go prepare.

But first, to bring the two children inside.