Redeemed (Dirty Air #4)(26)

Marko entertains me, not allowing my thoughts to slip too far into the deep, dark pits of self-loathing when I consider what Noah said. My nephew shows me how there’s still good for me to look forward to in the world even if I don’t exactly feel that way often.

“Look who it is! Princess Chloe!” Marko’s hand slips out of mine as he runs down across the grass.

I stop and stare across the lawn at her. She sits on the grass with her legs crossed, holding on to a circular object. Like an old bad habit, I tug my hat lower down my face to hide myself from anyone who passes by us. I’m not too worried about any fans finding me based on how empty the park is at this time of day.

“Hey, you!” Chloe laughs as she throws whatever she was doing on the grass. She spreads her arms and Marko launches himself into them. He wraps his arms and legs around her, proving why he was nicknamed Monkey in the first place.

My curiosity peaks at the object she was working on. It’s a half-finished embroidery circle. The design is impressive and extremely detailed, with the bright mix of random flowers standing out against the white linen material.

I point at her work. “I’m seeing a trend here. Do you like wildflowers?”

“There’s something beautiful about chaos.”

“They remind me of you.” The words escape my mouth before I can stop them.

Where the fuck did that come from?

Her cheeks flush. “Some people would be offended about being compared to a bunch of weeds.”

“I have a feeling you don’t fall in the same category as those people.”

“Why?” A hint of a smile crosses her lips.

“Because those who see beauty in chaos also see flowers instead of weeds, and that’s a gift in a world like ours.”

“That’s rather poetic of you.” The pink in her cheeks deepens.

I smile at her reaction. She makes it too easy, and I won’t deny how I look forward to making her blush. Flirting with Chloe invigorates me in a way I haven’t felt in some time.

Marko lays a sloppy kiss on Chloe’s cheek, stealing her attention back. “I miss-ed you.” He crawls off her lap and sits by her side. His tiny hand pats the grass next to him as he looks up at me.

Come on, Marko. You’re supposed to be my wingman. I stare at the grass with such hatred, I’m surprised it doesn’t catch on fire. Getting up and down off the floor was always one of my least favorite physical therapy activities. Not because it was hard, but because it made it so damn obvious that I have an impairment to begin with.

Chloe laughs, soft and carefree as she brushes a strand of hair out of Marko’s eye. “Aw, I miss-ed you too.”

“Really?” He smiles in that infectious way of his. His eyes narrow at me as he pats the ground again. “Siéntate, Tio.”

I avoid Chloe’s gaze as I take a deep breath. I’ve practiced this move hundreds of times in rehab but executing it around Chloe has me feeling another sense of dread. Just because she kissed me doesn’t mean she is interested in anything more. And the kiss was a way to prove her point rather than to make me feel good. Based on the way she doesn’t look in my direction, I’m the only idiot who can’t get it out of my head.

Ignoring the acid rolling in my stomach at making myself look any less of a man in front of Chloe, I put my left leg forward for balance and then fold my right leg. My prosthetic hits the grass at the same time as the palms of my hands. Transferring my body weight to my arms, I pull my legs forward and in front of me. It’s awkward and disjointed, with each second ticking by at a snail’s pace.

Chloe focuses on tickling Marko’s stomach. Her indifference fills me with a new wave of appreciation. It’s as if she knows what to do without me having to ask, and that’s something I’ve yet to experience around anyone. Not even my own family knows how to act when I take longer to do what used to be second nature.

Her tickling leaves Marko breathless and red in the face.

“He just ate, so unless you want him to become a vomit launcher, I’d stop.” I place my hands behind me as I take in the sunset reflecting off the lake.

Marko makes a bleh noise.

“Gross. We don’t want that.” She wrinkles her nose in the cutest way.

Marko abandons his spot in between us and runs around in circles, making retching noises between giggles.

“I’m curious. What made you want to take a walk in the park? I thought you didn’t leave your castle much.” She drags a finger underneath the bill of my cap, lifting it.

Her blue eyes darken as they focus on me licking my lips. Hmm. Maybe she does think about our kiss, too. “I wanted to make sure there weren’t any cats who needed rescuing.”

She drops her head back and laughs. “I didn’t hear any crying in the trees, so I think we are good.”

“That’s great. We can’t have you checking on them and falling again.”

“I wouldn’t have fallen if it weren’t for a big, brooding shadow of a man who scared me in the middle of the night.”

“It’s not every day I have a trespasser wanting to climb a tree on my property.”

She scoffs. “The fact that you have to specify what kind of trespasser you have speaks volumes.”

I shrug. “People are weird and invasive.”

“Maybe they’re interested in checking out if your house is haunted.”