Chapter 98 A family heirloom
For the first time, I didn't answer it as fast as I would have. I actually thought about the question and mulled over it before letting out a sigh. "I know you don't support my plans, and you assume I'm wasting my time by doing this, but I hope you will understand me someday," I said, going around his question because I couldn't think of what to give in response.
It was
don't hate him. All I wanted at the moment was to make him feel my pain, whatever feeling you would call this. Revenge? This came close. It just wasn't hatred.
hard question. Before I got to know a side of him he kept hidden while we were married, I would have easily said I hated him, but I don't feel that way anymore. I don't like him, mind you, but I
"Nova, I don't -"
"Call me when the kids return from school." I disconnected immediately and switched my phone off, placing it on the cupboard next to my bed. Sighing, I covered my face with my palms, trying not to
grit hard on my teeth as I did so.
What was wrong with me?
What did Dashiell do to me? Why am I having a change of heart? Could this be because of the time I spent with him each day?
That sounded possible. I once read somewhere that the more you spend time with a particular person, and get to know their hidden character, the more attracted to the person you would be. Especially if you are close enough to them.
Sleeping with him would count as being close to him, right????
While lost in thoughts, I didn't hear the door opening, or Dashiell coming close to my side until he called out to me.
"Nova? Are you okay?" He waved his right palm on my face, causing me to blink in shock. Coughing, I tried to act natural.
"When did you step in? Why didn't I hear the door opening?" I asked, trying to sound as natural as I could, so he wouldn't ask what had me so lost in my thoughts I didn't hear the door opening.
"A few seconds ago." He took a seat on the chair next to my bed. "Have you checked the phone? Made any calls?" He looked pointedly at the phone on the cupboard before turning his gaze to me. The smile I was used to was now present on his face. "My secretary said it's the recent model. I had her pick it out because she's good with things like this. Had it not been for her, I would have gotten this type for you." He waved his phone in my face, causing me to chuckle as he made a face. "It's that old, I know."
"You were using it before we got together," I observed, recalling the first night we met. Even though I couldn't recall most of the things that happened that night, there was no way I wouldn't remember
his ancient phone.
"This was a gift from my dad when I got admission into college," he explained, still smiling as he turned the phone in his palm, his eyes fixed on it. This was my first time seeing such a soft expression on his face when he talked of his parents. I was used to seeing him frown and grit his teeth whenever he spoke of the people who brought him into this world.
"Oh." I reached out for the phone and touched it, noticing how heavy it was. It was, after all, an old model, one that was produced when the phone manufacturers thought it was posh to make heavy phones, one that might wear your pocket down - no pun intended. "This might turn into a family heirloom soon," I joked, passing the phone to him.
"Do you think River will like it?"
I froze at his words, gulping as I narrowed my eyes at him. The way he made that statement was so free, like it was normal for us to discuss the children, something we hardly did. Any time I mentioned any of the kids while conversing with him, it was to use them as an excuse. Never something like this.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, looking guilty. "I shouldn't have passed that comment about your son. I'm sorry. I overstepped." He lowered his gaze to the floor, once more, reminding me of how he looked before he started acting strange.
I wanted to ignore him, to act like I didn't hear his statement and his apology, but I didn't. Instead, I voiced a question I had been thinking of asking, "Do you love the kids?"
His head snapped up at my question, and his eyes widened, almost like he couldn't believe I asked such a question. "Of course, I do. Why would you ask such a question? I love the kids. There's no
why would I hate them!"
The way he responded, and his tone, made me feel like a bad person, almost like I was bullying him. Had it not been for the reminder of what happened five years ago, I wouldn't have been so heart-
hardened.
"If you love them like you claimed to, why did you want them dead-"
His phone started ringing, interrupting me. A glance at his phone got him shooting up on his feet with a concerned expression on his face as he said to me, "I will be right back. I need to take this call. It's urgent." As he did before, he raced out of the room, leaving me to wonder, once more, what was going on with him, and who the caller was. Frowning at the strange thoughts that came to mind, I reached towards my phone, only to hear the door click as it opened. A doctor stepped in, dressed in the white coat doctors always had on, and a nose mask. He looked like a typical doctor, but I felt something was off about him. Not only the way he walked but how he looked. Those hard eyes didn't seem like they belonged to a doctor.