Read Online Love Always, Damian by D. Nichole King - Free Book Online
Authors: D. Nichole King
Ads: Link
too?”
She swings her attention to me like she’s asking permission, and I grin back. “Um, okay,” she finally says. “If she’s your favorite now, you can have this one. I have lots of her at home.”
For a second, Damian is speechless, and I can’t help falling in love with him all over again. The way he is with Lia, the way he looks at her with adoration, makes me want to forget all his faults and all the reasons why I couldn’t allow Lia to stay with him even if he offers.
He hugs the toy to his chest. “Thank you, Lia.”
~*~
Damian
This little girl had me mesmerized at my first glimpse. I can’t get over how much she looks like me—like my mother.
Watching Ellie with her—wow! She’s a good mother, definitely cut out for this. Patient, loving, kind—
Which is why I decide on the spot that I can’t keep Lia this summer if Ellie asks. Since Ellie left this morning, the idea of having my daughter with me for eight weeks is the only thing I’ve been able to think about. But Ellie built a life for herself and her daughter in Florida, and by what I see right now, it’s a good life. One that doesn’t need me to come in and fuck it up. Yeah, they’re better off without me.
Besides, being close to someone isn’t worth the shit that comes after they’re gone. Daughter or not, the best thing I can do for either of them is to stay the fuck away.
“She’s beautiful, Elle,” I say after I scoop Lia a bowl of ice cream I bought specifically for tonight. Because kids love ice cream.
“Well, she takes after you more than me in that department.” Ellie blushes, her pale blue irises peeking through her long lashes. Lashes that mimic Lia’s, I notice. “Hey, Damian, I’m sorry that I came in and blew all this on you. It wasn’t fair.”
I clear my throat, and flash a sideways glance at Lia. She’s sticking another mountain of pink ice cream into her mouth. “So now what? You going back home?”
Ellie nods. Like me, she knows leaving Lia here with me is a stupid idea. “Our plane leaves tomorrow evening at six.”
Part of me wants to ask her if I’ll ever see them again, but I’m not sure if I want to. Clean breaks are better than drawn-out ones, and it seems Ellie had the right idea to stay away for so long. Suddenly, I kind of wish she’d stayed gone longer.
“What about the research trip?” I ask.
Shrugging, Ellie adjusts herself on the dining table chair. “Something else will probably come up. Something closer, where I can be home with Lia every night.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “That would be good.”
Ellie’s got it figured out.
“Oh, here.” I pull out the picture of Lia from my back pocket, the one I picked up off the diner floor.
Ellie shakes her head and holds up a hand. “No, you should keep it.”
I flick the edge, wondering if that’s really a good idea. Not exactly the clean break I had in mind. “Thanks,” I say and slide it back in my pocket.
“Mommy?” Lia asks, ice cream all over her face. It reminds me of this photo of Liam Mom kept on the mantel of his second birthday.
Ellie laughs when she sees her. “Yeah, sweetie?”
“Can I have some milk, please?”
“I’ll get it,” I offer. I open the fridge and grab the gallon of milk. If it weren’t for Dylan and his six glasses a day, we wouldn’t even buy the stuff. Then I grab a glass from the cupboard and turn to Ellie. “Um, I don’t have sippy cups or bottles or anything.”
She suppresses a grin. “She can drink from a glass.”
I fill it and consider handing it to Ellie to give to her. For some reason, though, I bypass her and set it on the table in front of Lia. She lifts her big, blue eyes to me and I can’t help the jolt that passes through me. “Thank you,” she says in her tiny, sweet voice.
“Sure, whatever,” I answer, because the goosebumps spreading over my skin remind me to steer clear. Keep my distance.
I don’t sit back down. Instead, I stand behind the
She swings her attention to me like she’s asking permission, and I grin back. “Um, okay,” she finally says. “If she’s your favorite now, you can have this one. I have lots of her at home.”
For a second, Damian is speechless, and I can’t help falling in love with him all over again. The way he is with Lia, the way he looks at her with adoration, makes me want to forget all his faults and all the reasons why I couldn’t allow Lia to stay with him even if he offers.
He hugs the toy to his chest. “Thank you, Lia.”
~*~
Damian
This little girl had me mesmerized at my first glimpse. I can’t get over how much she looks like me—like my mother.
Watching Ellie with her—wow! She’s a good mother, definitely cut out for this. Patient, loving, kind—
Which is why I decide on the spot that I can’t keep Lia this summer if Ellie asks. Since Ellie left this morning, the idea of having my daughter with me for eight weeks is the only thing I’ve been able to think about. But Ellie built a life for herself and her daughter in Florida, and by what I see right now, it’s a good life. One that doesn’t need me to come in and fuck it up. Yeah, they’re better off without me.
Besides, being close to someone isn’t worth the shit that comes after they’re gone. Daughter or not, the best thing I can do for either of them is to stay the fuck away.
“She’s beautiful, Elle,” I say after I scoop Lia a bowl of ice cream I bought specifically for tonight. Because kids love ice cream.
“Well, she takes after you more than me in that department.” Ellie blushes, her pale blue irises peeking through her long lashes. Lashes that mimic Lia’s, I notice. “Hey, Damian, I’m sorry that I came in and blew all this on you. It wasn’t fair.”
I clear my throat, and flash a sideways glance at Lia. She’s sticking another mountain of pink ice cream into her mouth. “So now what? You going back home?”
Ellie nods. Like me, she knows leaving Lia here with me is a stupid idea. “Our plane leaves tomorrow evening at six.”
Part of me wants to ask her if I’ll ever see them again, but I’m not sure if I want to. Clean breaks are better than drawn-out ones, and it seems Ellie had the right idea to stay away for so long. Suddenly, I kind of wish she’d stayed gone longer.
“What about the research trip?” I ask.
Shrugging, Ellie adjusts herself on the dining table chair. “Something else will probably come up. Something closer, where I can be home with Lia every night.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “That would be good.”
Ellie’s got it figured out.
“Oh, here.” I pull out the picture of Lia from my back pocket, the one I picked up off the diner floor.
Ellie shakes her head and holds up a hand. “No, you should keep it.”
I flick the edge, wondering if that’s really a good idea. Not exactly the clean break I had in mind. “Thanks,” I say and slide it back in my pocket.
“Mommy?” Lia asks, ice cream all over her face. It reminds me of this photo of Liam Mom kept on the mantel of his second birthday.
Ellie laughs when she sees her. “Yeah, sweetie?”
“Can I have some milk, please?”
“I’ll get it,” I offer. I open the fridge and grab the gallon of milk. If it weren’t for Dylan and his six glasses a day, we wouldn’t even buy the stuff. Then I grab a glass from the cupboard and turn to Ellie. “Um, I don’t have sippy cups or bottles or anything.”
She suppresses a grin. “She can drink from a glass.”
I fill it and consider handing it to Ellie to give to her. For some reason, though, I bypass her and set it on the table in front of Lia. She lifts her big, blue eyes to me and I can’t help the jolt that passes through me. “Thank you,” she says in her tiny, sweet voice.
“Sure, whatever,” I answer, because the goosebumps spreading over my skin remind me to steer clear. Keep my distance.
I don’t sit back down. Instead, I stand behind the
Similar Books
