I leave Aria in the kitchen and cross the small living room. When I’m standing in front of the door, I look through the peephole. I’ve been warned a couple times by Theo to never open the door without looking to see who it is. Even without the warning, I wouldn’t have done so. I’ve only lived here a short time, but even I know we don’t live in a very good section of town.
When I see Luca standing on the other side of the door, I step back, but before I pull the door open, I drag in a deep breath. Luca makes me feel things I don’t ever remember feeling before. Not in a bad way; he just makes me more aware of myself. The couple of times I’ve seen him, I’ve felt his eyes on me. I’m curious about him, and from the looks he gives me, he’s curious about me too. He also makes me feel safe and protected. Out of everyone I’ve met since I woke up from my coma, it’s Luca I feel the most comfortable around.
I close my eyes and disregard the voice inside my head that says he makes me feel more than comfortable. Heat blazes in my cheeks, and I blow out a harsh breath, trying to push that feeling away. The last thing I want is for Luca to see me with flushed cheeks when I open the door.
When he knocks again, I know I’m out of time.
I unlock the sliding chain, then the dead bolt, before pulling open the door. As soon as I see him in the flesh, the darn heat comes back. Luckily, the porch light is crappy, so hopefully he doesn’t notice.
“Hello, Luca.”
“Jules,” his deep voice rumbles. I ignore the flutter in my stomach the raspiness causes.
Stepping back, I offer for him to come inside.
“Aria’s packing away her drawing stuff. Her overnight bag is there.” I point to the My Little Pony book bag by the door.
“Where’s Theo?”
I walk further into the living room before turning to face him. “Umm… I don’t know. He was supposed to be here forty minutes ago. He’s been working late the last few days for a client that needs his car fixed quickly.”
I know where he is, and while what he’s doing doesn’t bother me, it’s what he’s missing that does. He should be here to say goodbye to his daughter.
A muscle in Luca’s jaw twitches, and his eyes narrow. Anger marks his face, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Does he know what Theo’s out doing right now?
“Hey, Uncle Luca!” Aria runs across the room and throws herself against Luca’s legs. His face softens as he bends and scoops her up.
“You ready for The Wizard of Oz?”
“Yep, and this time I got popcorn. Daddy took me and Jules grocery shopping, and I made sure we got some.”
“Sounds good, but we have to eat dinner first or it’ll spoil it,” Luca warns with a smile. His already handsome face becomes striking when he smiles, and I can’t help but look at him.
“I’ve already had dinner,” Aria informs Luca, her legs swinging by his sides.
He looks surprised for a moment, then he moves his gaze to me.
“You fed her?” he asks, his brows arching.
His question and the surprised expression confuse me. Why would he think I wouldn’t feed her?
“Yeah. We had leftover chicken noodle soup that I made last night.”
He nods and looks back to Aria. “Are we taking Goodie tonight?”
“Nope. Jules said she’ll feed and hold him for me.”
He smirks. “Maybe she should just feed him, and you can hold him when you get back home,” he suggests.
“But Uncle Luca, he’ll get lonely,” she complains with a pout.
Luca laughs, and I can’t help but giggle with him. The look in her eyes when she thought about her hamster getting lonely is adorable.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind holding him.”
His eyes twinkle and a smile plays on his lips as he sets Aria down on her feet.
“Just make sure you wash your hands before you hold him. He likes the salt on your hands and will take a nip out of your skin if you don’t wash them first.”
“Oh, okay.” I rub my fingers, not looking forward to getting bitten by the small creature.
“Go tell Goodie bye.” He ruffles her hair before she has a chance to run off.
He takes a step closer to me once she’s out of the room and a warm spicy scent drifts around me. The smell seems familiar in an odd way. I draw in a deep breath, liking the smell and wanting more of it, then feel heat creep up my cheeks when Luca’s mouth tips up at one corner, totally catching me trying to get another whiff of him. Luckily, he doesn’t call me on it.
“Theo normally doesn’t bother to feed her on the nights she stays with me.” He explains his surprise from a moment ago.
I frown. “But why?”
Something flashes in his eyes before the look drops away. “The thing with Theo is he loves Aria a lot. He just doesn’t really know how to care for her like she should be, and he knows she’ll be fed at whoever’s house she’s staying at. That’s why Mom, Dad, Ella, and I are always around to take her when he needs us to.”
Sympathy hits me with this news. I’ve seen the way Theo is with Aria, and I can definitely see the love he has for her, but I also see the neglect at times. Forgetting to remind her to brush her teeth before bed, not brushing her hair after her bath, letting her make her own lunch in the mornings before school, or letting her eat sweets right before dinner are just a few examples. I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but the fact that it’s there at all is sad.
I’ve also noticed his lack of patience with her, and those times I want to snap at him. I don’t though, because she’s not my child and I have no right to tell him how to parent his kid. I’m still an outsider. As long as he never lays a hand on her I’ll keep my mouth shut and just do what I can behind his back to ensure she’s getting what she needs.
“Thank you for looking after her. Something tells me she’ll be better off with you here.”
My heart does a flip inside my chest and something warm settles in my stomach. Luca’s words mean a lot. I’ve been so restless lately with not remembering a part of my past. It’s left me feeling lost and alone. While Theo’s world has changed since I awoke, he at least has things and people around him that have always been there. With me, nothing is the same. It’s nice to know that although I may not like my situation at the moment, someone else is benefitting from it.
I smile and look at Aria as she comes back into the living room. “She’s special,” I tell him softly, and mean it.
“That she is.”
“I’m ready, Uncle Luca!” she says loudly, picking up her backpack and pulling it over her shoulders.
Once she’s done, she walks over to me and wraps her arms around my legs. I’m shocked for a moment. My worry over her being wary of me since the night she saw me and Theo in her room was unfounded. The next day, she was very open and talkative, like we had been friends for years. And the connection has only grown since, as we’ve spent a lot of time together. But I’m still surprised by her affection.
I pull away from her and look down. “How about I give you a proper hug?”
I squat down, and her arms go back around me, her hair hitting my face. Her little girl powdery scent hits me and emotions clog my throat. Once upon a time I wanted kids of my own. I still do, but it seems so unobtainable right now. I just can’t see myself having a baby with Theo, especially after what Luca said about him not caring for Aria as he should.
I look over Aria’s shoulder and my eyes meet Luca’s. Although they’re soft as he watches the exchange, there’s something dark in his crystalline blue gaze, almost mirroring a keen sense of sadness.
Before I have a chance to wonder about the poignant look, Aria release her arms from around me and places a kiss against my cheek. The little girl couldn’t be any sweeter if she tried.
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Okay,” she chirps.
As I open the door and the two walk out, I notice Luca has a firm grip on Aria’s hand, not letting her walk away without him. A brief look at the neighboring houses, and I understand why.
“Tell Theo I’ll have her back tomorrow around three.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“Lock the door once we leave.”