Free Web NovelChapter 86: Bliss out
Chapter 6 - Bliss Out.
Rosie freewebnovёl.ƈom
I settled into the back seat, staring absently out the window while Jude buckled Mia into the front. I was immensely grateful to be the only one in the back; I desperately needed a moment to gather my thoughts after what just happened.
Turning my face completely away from the front seats, I fought to blink back the hot tears stinging my eyes. I absolutely refused to let him see me cry. This was just a moment of weakness. I never cried—not even when life was harder than this. What was the point of crying over spilled milk? Tears didn’t solve problems. They never had. I gritted my teeth, fiercely hating myself for the weakness. The last time I had allowed myself to cry was seven years ago, and I had sworn a solemn oath never to do it again.
“What are you even doing here?” I asked, my voice slightly raspy from the clogged emotion. Fiddling with my fingers, I peeked through my eyelashes and raised my head slightly to glance at the rearview mirror. Jude was already staring right at me; his deep brown eyes were so soft. I instantly whipped my head back toward the side window. I didn’t want that. Whether it was reassurance or pity, I absolutely did not want that look from him.
"Coincidentally, I was just driving by,” he responded smoothly.
I snorted under my breath at the sheer absurdity of his blatantly fake coincidence. “If you want to lie, at least tell a lie that’s actually believable. You were just casually driving by my rural, run-down neighborhood?” I let out a dry, humorless laugh.
“Well, at least you’re laughing,” he pointed out, a faint smile touching his lips.
I rolled my eyes, and I felt the sour mood in my chest actually lift a little at the sound of his voice. Turning back to the glass, I watched the passing scenery as we moved further and further away from the familiar, broken streets. I had called home for years. They were the same streets I had spent a lifetime hoping to escape—praying that if I somehow managed to pay off that mountain of debt before I died, I could run away and never look back. But I could never leave because of Mia and because of her... and I was still secretly waiting, hoping that maybe she would eventually...
My heavy train of thought was sharply broken when Mia suddenly bobbed up in her seat, pressing her small hands flat against the glass. I blinked, looking out to see what had gotten her so happily excited.
excited.
“I want ice cream!” she announced, pointing frantically at a convenience store up ahead.
“Mia! ”I chided sharply, not wanting her to step out of line.
We were still entirely new to this strange arrangement with Jude. I had no idea what his offers were yet. We hadn’t even had a real, deep conversation about arrangements or how this absurd marriage thing was supposed to work.
Mia grumbled under her breath, crossing her little arms tightly over her chest and pouting, while Jude just let out a low laugh.
“Okay, princess,” he agreed easily.
He swerved smoothly across the lane, pulling the sleek car into the convenience store parking lot. I waited in the back while he got out, walking around to help Mia down from the passenger seat. The moment his feet hit the pavement, I watched him pull a dark baseball cap low over his brow and slip a black face mask over his nose and mouth.
I frowned, surprised by the action. Why the sudden disguise? He was perfectly comfortable showing his bare face in my trashy neighborhood twenty minutes ago.
Even though I didn’t have any real attachment to that crumbling rooftop apartment, it had still been a home for Mia. It was the only place she had ever known, despite the horrible neighbors, the polluted air, and the local men who didn’t even have the decency to hide their hideous natures.
“Sit here." Jude ushered us toward a small metal table and chairs set up right outside the storefront. “I’ll be right back.”
Before I could even open my mouth to speak, he turned on his heel and disappeared inside the store. Dumbass. He didn’t even let me respond.
I lifted Mia up, settling her safely onto one of the chairs before plopping down into my own. I watched her short legs happily dangle above the concrete as she hummed a little tune. Leaning my head closer to hers, I kept my voice down to a whisper. “Why are you still calling him daddy?”
Mia grinned at me, her eyes flashing with cheekiness. “Because that’s my daddy.”
I rolled my eyes hard. “Mia!” I warned in a strained voice.
She harrumphed, crossing her arms. “Aren’t you the one who said so at the church?”
I offered a tight-lipped smile. This sneaky little child. Where on earth did she learn to be this manipulative? “The play is over now, Mia,” I said lowly, leveling a gaze at her.
She pouted, tilting her head. “But if the play is over, why does he keep calling you wifey?”
My eyes widened, my mouth dropping open in shock at her rebuttal. Kids with their unapologetic brutality. Before I could formulate a comeback to my own seven-year-old, the store door clicked open and Jude walked out, holding two cups of ice cream.
He slid the chocolate one directly in front of me while I stared at the dark swirls. Did he actually guess my favorite flavor, or was this just pure? Then, he handed Mia a bright pink cup of strawberries.
He took the seat right beside her, folding his thick arms over his broad chest, his arm muscles peeking from the black short sleeve he wore. Pulling his black mask down to his chin, he looked deeply at me, his eyes dancing with pure amusement.
“Well, I certainly don’t mind being a father,” he said casually.
This absolute fucker heard everything.
I gritted my teeth, preparing to refute, but the words died in my throat when I saw Mia’s face light up with a triumphant grin. Defeated, I forced a tight smile and looked down at my cup.
Taking a slow scoop of the chocolate ice cream, I exhaled softly as the cold sweetness melted over my tongue. Ice cream had always been my personal brand of therapy. Slowly, my tensed shoulders began to relax as I closed my eyes, letting the rich chocolate flavor completely coat my senses.
“I see you like it,” his voice rumbled.
My eyes snapped open. I had completely forgotten that this headache of a man was sitting directly across from me. His intense gaze was locked onto my face.
Swallowing hard to clear my nerves, I leaned into my passive-aggressive defense mechanism. “What?!” I bit out.
He chuckled, a low sound. “Nothing. It’s just that I’ve never seen someone experience a total bliss-out from a single scoop of ice cream before.” He shrugged his shoulders playfully.
Instantly burning redness crept up my chest, flooding my neck and face as my hands trembled slightly against the plastic spoon. What did he mean by that? This absolute pervert. I wanted to snap at him, to yell at him for using a phrase that sounded entirely too provocative, but I froze when I noticed Mia looking back and forth between us. She scrunched up her nose, tilting her head in confusion.
“What is a bliss-out?” she asked, her voice entirely too innocent for the context of the word.
I wanted the concrete ground to split open and swallow me whole. Meanwhile, the actual culprit sat directly opposite me cackling while I silently prayed he would choke on his own spit.
Wetting my dry lips. “It... it just means the ice cream is really tasty, Mia,” I explained, my voice tight with embarrassment. Jude just kept laughing, literally holding his stomach at my misery.
The bastard was enjoying me digging my grave.
Thanks to children’s short attention span, Mia just grinned, nodding at my lame explanation before she dug back into her cup. “I’m having a bliss-out too, then!” she announced loudly.
Fuck. Someone kill me right now.
Under the table, I launched my foot forward and kicked Jude hard in his leg. Then I whirled back to Mia, my face burning. “Don’t say that word outside, Mia.” freёwebnovel.com
“Why?”
I breathed out a ragged sigh. “Because I said so.”
“But—”
“Continue eating your ice cream, or I’ll take the cup away,” I threatened, raising my voice just enough to signal I meant business. She slumped in her chair, instantly subverting her attention back to the strawberry scoops.
Jude wheezed before a small smile on his lips as he stretched his hand across the small table toward my face. I froze, staring at him, my breath catching as the pad of his thumb brushed firmly against my lower lip and a sharp shiver ran straight down my spine at the contact.
“How dare—” Embarrassment and anger flared in my chest, but the words cut off instantly in my throat when Jude brought his thumb slowly back to his own mouth, his tongue swirling over the pad to taste the stray chocolate while his brown eyes locked onto mine, staring intensely, and I gulped.
“Delicious,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy as his gaze dropped to my mouth. “I completely understand the bliss-out effect now.”
I stared back at him, my heart hammering violently against my ribs, wondering if it was legally too late to commit murder.
