Chapter 25 25
FREYA POV
“Monsters?” Luna asked, her head tilting as she looked up at Steve with those big, wide eyes. “Do you kill them? Like superheroes?”
I could see the gears turning in her head, and before she could start bombarding him with a million questions he definitely wasn't ready for, I stepped in. Steve stood there like a giant, looking all dark and serious, and that "shadow" talk was a bit much for a six-year-old.
“Sweetheart, don’t mind him,” I said quickly, cutting in with a smile. I drew closer and held Luna’s shoulders, pulling her back toward me. I looked at Steve’s face—before looking back at her.
“Sweetheart, do you want to know a secret? Do you know who he really is?” I whispered loudly into Luna’s ear, making sure Steve could hear every word. “He’s actually Hulk.”
Luna’s face lit up, and she burst out laughing. She pointed her tiny finger at his thick arms and the way his muscles stretched out that grey tee.
“Yes! He has muscles like him!” she giggled, her voice ringing across the balcony. “Uncle Hulk! Uncle Hulk!”
Steve’s face went through a hilarious transformation. He squeezed his face together, his eyebrows drawing up in total confusion.
“What?” he muttered, looking down at his own arms like they’d betrayed him. “Who the hell is Hulk?”
I couldn't help it. I leaned back and laughed, the sound bubbling up from my chest. Seeing the most cold-blooded man I knew being compared to a big green comic book giant by a little girl was pure gold.
“Luna, go on. Go meet Aunty Diana over there,” I said, pointing toward where Diana and Nana were sitting.
Luna didn't need to be told twice. She started running toward them, but not before she turned around one last time and shouted, “Bye, Uncle Hulk!”
“Hey!” Steve called out, looking like he wanted to go after her, but she was already gone.
I can’t help but laugh at the look on his face. Steve turned back to me, rubbing the back of his neck and muttering under his breath, “It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” I countered, wiping a stray tear from my eye. “It’s the same way it’s not funny to say scary things to kids. Seriously? What’s with the shadows and monsters? You’re going to confuse her.”
Steve sighed and just rubbed his damp hair, looking genuinely flustered. The way his hair was messy and the confused face he was putting on made the usual cold, terrifying Steve disappear for a second. In his place was someone... human.
I looked at him and smiled. I’d never seen this side of him before—this cute, slightly annoyed side that didn't know how to handle a child’s joke. It made my heart do a weird, dizzy flip.
“You look cute,” I said softly.
Steve tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as if he’d missed the words. “What?”
“Nothing,” I smiled, looking out at the view to hide the heat in my cheeks.
I managed to keep my face calm and turn my head back to Steve, and just like that, the "cute" version of him was gone. It was like a mask had slipped right off. His eyes were dark again, heavy and fixed right on me.
“Why was he staring at me like that?
“Oh God.”
It was broad daylight, there were people laughing just a few feet away, and yet I felt like the air had been sucked out of the balcony. My skin started to prickle, that weird, electric heat crawling up my neck just from the weight of his gaze. I found myself stupidly swallowing hard, my throat feeling tight and dry.
I couldn’t explain why my body just refused to cooperate whenever it was just me and him. The image of the Steve who had just punished me back in that room flashed through my head—
It was so shameless. The mere thought of him was making me horny, and I hated myself for it. I knew I was being pathetic, but he was making it worse. He didn't look away. He just kept his eyes locked on mine as if he could see every dirty thought I was trying to hide. It was as if he knew exactly what his stare was doing to me.
Buzzzz.
Thank goodness for that phone. It cut through the tension at the right time; I let out a deep breath before I realized it was my own phone vibrating in my hand.
My heart thudded against my ribs, wondering who it could be this time. I looked at Steve—he didn't blink. He just maintained that soul-piercing eye contact.
I finally looked down and picked it up. It was Gladys again.
My heart skipped. I already guessed it was about Mark.
"Hello, Gladys," I answered.
"Where the fuck are you?" she snapped, sounding more urgent and terrified than the last time.
"What is it this time, Gladys?"
"Mark just left. I mean, not like he just walked out... okay, listen. He said you haven't been home, and now you've taken Luna away from school. Freya, what exactly is going on, because he’s losing his mind. I had to threaten to call the cops. He’s... he’s not alright. He's going to do something stupid."
I closed my eyes for a second, a headache already blooming behind my temples. "I'll handle it."
"You need to see him, Freya. Seriously…"
I stood there, listening as Gladys went on about how he wasn't in his right state of mind. I looked at Steve. I couldn’t tell if he heard her, but he wouldn't stop looking at me.
"Freya? Say something... you really need to see him," Gladys pleaded.
"Alright, Gladys. Thank you," I managed to say before ending the call.
The way Gladys sounded made me want to run out and find Mark. Not because I felt pity—no, I was done with pity—but because I couldn't have him causing a nuisance at my store. If he kept this up, he’d do something that would get broadcast everywhere, and I couldn't handle that drama. But how was I supposed to leave?
"Steve," I called out.
He didn't move.
"I think... I think I need to step out for a while," I managed to say.
Steve just looked at me. He didn't say yes, didn't say no. He just stared. I knew he heard me, so why was he just looking at me like I was a puzzle he was solving?
"I just—"
Before I could finish, his gaze shifted. I traced it and saw he was looking at Luna, who was laughing with Diana. That was the real reason I had to do this. I needed to get this straight. I had to sort the divorce openly and figure out how I would explain to Luna if I had to co-parent with a man who was losing his grip on reality.
I looked back at Steve, but he was already turning his back on me, putting his phone to his ear. He spoke low, and the moment he hung up, I expected him to say something. Anything. I thought maybe he wanted me to explain myself, or maybe he already knew everything.
"It's Mark. I think—"
My voice was interrupted by the heavy footsteps of one of the guards. The man walked up and handed Steve a set of car keys without a word. The guard left, and Steve turned, holding the keys out to me.
I stared at them. Was that a go-ahead? Was he actually letting me go?
I looked up at his face, but his eyes weren't on mine anymore. They were fixed on my hand—specifically, he was staring at the diamond ring on my finger.
"Take care of that," he said, his voice cold and final.
Then he turned around and walked away, leaving me standing there with the keys biting into my palm.