Chapter Forty Two
Celeste’s POV
The girl holding Ryan’s hand peered up shyly, and my heart melted. Aside from her hazel eyes, she was an adorable, tiny version of Ryan.
“Who is this angel?” I gushed.
“Say hi Molly,” Ryan told her sweetly.
She tucked herself behind him and peeked at me under dark lashes.
“She’s a bit shy.” He chuckled. “This is Molly, my niece. I’m taking care of her while my sister–in–law and brother are away on business.”
My gaze was drawn to his exposed chest as he spoke–he’d left an extra button undone. I glanced away and squatted down to the girl’s level.
“Hi, Molly. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Celeste.”
“And I’m Grace.” She said, crouching beside me.
Ryan smiled encouragingly at her. “Don’t be afraid, Mols.”
“Hi.” she said, voice soft and sweet.
The girl clutched something in her hands and my eyes brightened when I saw it was an art case.
“Do you like drawing Molly?” I asked.
She smiled tentatively and nodded.
“Really? Can I see your art?”
Just like that, she let go of Ryan’s leg and took my hand. I led her to my desk, where she pulled out her drawings.
“Wow, that’s amazing Molly.” I said as Grace and I oohed and aahed. “I might just have to give you a job at my studio.”
She looked at Ryan, confused.
“Auntie Celeste is an artist.” He said, joining us. “She draws and makes jewelry.”
“Wow, I wanna see!” Molly beamed up at me.
My heart ached as I smiled–Bonnie used to look at me like that too. They seemed similar in age, but this girl kept her sweet innocence while my daughter had become a cold, hard miniature Damien.
“Let’s give her a tour of the studio.” Ryan said, a dimple popping out.
I focused my attention on Molly as my heart did acrobatics in my chest.
“Doesn’t that sound like a fun idea?” I asked her.
She nodded excitedly.
A jolt of electricity shot through me as Ryan placed a palm on the small of my back, guiding me. I flinched at his
touch like it burned.
Grace snorted, “Oh, this will definitely be fun.”
1/3
Chapter Forty Two
+25 BONUS
The words I wanted to say in response to their teasing were not for young ears. I took Molly’s hand as my face flamed and hurried ahead, ignoring Grace and Ryan chuckles behind us.
Molly was enthralled as I showed her the different stages of the design process and some of the finished pieces. She was polite the whole tour and asked many thoughtful questions.
“Auntie Celeste is a good artist.” She said, beaming with admiration. “I wanna be like you when I grow up.”
Her sweetness exposed the hole in my chest that I’d been trying to fill with work.
God, I missed my daughter.
We were showing her the cufflinks I was working on when she spotted something beneath my workbench. She ducked down to pick it up.
And my eyes popped out of my skull.
“Uncle Ryan, look what I found.”
Molly held a button between her fingers. Ryan took it from her with a flourish and dropped it into his pocket–his gaze never leaving mine.
“Auntie Celeste was a very bad girl last night and lost this.” He tutted, grinning devilishly. “Thank you for finding it, Mols.”
Grace stifled a laugh as my cheeks reddened.
“It’s okay, Auntie Celeste.” Molly said seriously. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Thank you, honey.” I told her sweetly, while pinning Ryan with a glare. “But I won’t make that mistake twice.”
He lifted an eyebrow in challenge, about to retort, when Grace’s phone rang.
“It’s a supplier.” She said, heading for the door. “I’ll take the call in my office.”
The studio felt too small without her.
Ryan moved, and I stepped back, knocking Molly’s pencils off my desk.
I bent to help her pick them up and noticed her hair was tangled. My fingers closed around something warm and I flinched–it was Ryan’s hand instead of a pencil.
“You’re really jumpy today, Celeste.” He smirked.
I stood, nearly stumbling over myself to get some air.
“I’ll be right back.” I told them before leaving to fetch my comb and a spare hair tie from my handbag.
Ryan seemed so unaffected, but I was struggling to keep my shit together. I hated how I crumbled at his touch, but he could joke around like we spent the night bowling.
When I returned, Molly was neatly arranging her pencils by shade in her case. Ryan smiled sheepishly when he saw the comb.
“Yeah, my skills are lacking in the hair department.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ismiled, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, something you’re not ridiculously good at.”
“I’m sure I make up for it in…” his eyes held a devilish glee “Other departments.”
I cleared my throat and turned to his niece.
Chapter Forty Two
“Molly, can I fix your hair?”
She nodded shyly, and I seated her at my desk.
+25 BONUS
Touching her soft locks, the last time I’d done Bonnie’s hair came to mind. I was trying to tie it into pigtails, but she kept jerking away, screaming that I was ripping her hair out and a terrible mom.
I suppressed my sadness as I gently combed out Molly’s knots.
“Let me know if it hurts, honey.”
“It feels nice, Auntie Celeste.” She said happily. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”
She didn’t move a muscle as I braided her hair.
I smiled. “Well, I’m all done and you look beautiful.”
She turned back to beam at me, but her smile faltered.
“Mommy and Daddy never do my hair.” Molly said, lip trembling. “They never talk to me or look at my drawings.”
My heart broke for this lonely girl desperate for her parent’s affection.
“Your daughter is so lucky to have a mommy like you.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter Forty Three
