Page 91 of My Heart's Doctor

“I’m going withDivon. I wantDivonto read me a book.”

“It’s better if you go with your dad. Good night, princess,” I said goodbye, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Daddy, I wantDivonto come,” she said, seeing that she wasn’t going to convince me.

“Devon, would you join us?” he asked, surprising me again by including me in such an intimate moment between father and daughter.

“Actually, I need to go,” I replied, because I didn’t want to keep being in the middle; this situation was making me feel more uncomfortable by the minute.

“It’s just a few minutes, she usually falls asleep quickly,” he said, and I knew that was true, but I still wanted to leave.

“It’s just that...” I began to say.

“Let’s go,Divon,” said Aurora, interrupting me and taking my hand to drag me to her bedroom.

The little one wouldn’t let go of me, I suppose out of fear that I would leave and, as was customary when she was at my home, I helped her take off her clothes and put on her nightgown. She chose the book she wanted us to read to her and climbed into bed with contagious joy. Seeing that William occupied the armchair next to the bed, I sat down next to Aurora. I handed the book to her father and she took my hand. William began reading while Aurora looked at me and smiled; he had barely read a page when her little eyes began to close. I signaled to her father to let him know she was already asleep, and he put the book on the nightstand and stood up with a captivating smile.

Why was he smiling at me in such an irresistible way?

And, as if that smile wasn’t enough to knock me out, he stretched out his hand asking for mine in an invitation that wastoo tempting. With many doubts, I placed my hand in his and he immediately pulled me to leave Aurora’s bedroom. He closed the door and we began walking toward the end of the hallway. I remembered perfectly that he had told me the room located there was his bedroom, but behaving as if I couldn’t put two and two together, I asked:

“Where are we going?”

“To my bedroom,” he responded naturally without stopping, but I did stop, forcing him to look at me.

“We can’t go there,” I stated firmly, or so I thought.

“We can and we will. I need to talk to you and I want privacy.”

“It’s not right for me to enter your bedroom.”

“Why not?” he asked, looking at me seriously.

“Your employees are here and...”

“‘Sweet,’ I don’t explain my life to anyone. Let’s go,” he ordered, and tried to continue on his way, but again I held him back.

In a matter of seconds, I found myself lifted and carried by him.

“Put me down, William,” I demanded, but without raising my voice because I didn’t want to alert anyone to our struggle.

“No; I already told you I need to talk to you,” he insisted.

“We can talk in the living room.”

“Stop protesting because we’re already here and we won’t be leaving for a good while,” he said, lowering me from his arms and setting me on my feet in front of him.

“This isn’t right,” I stated, putting my hands on my hips to emphasize my point.

“Devon, don’t worry so much,” he said, capturing my face between his hands. “Come here.”

He released my face and pulled me into his arms. Being there was what I wanted and needed. I wanted to let myself be enveloped by him; it felt wonderfully good. Without thinking, I rested my head on his chest.

“You told me you didn’t want Aurora to see us together, and today you invite me to dinner. I thought I understood that you didn’t want us to appear as a couple, and now you’re forcing me to come to your bedroom,” I pointed out, to show him I was confused by his changes in attitude.

“Don’t you want to be here?” he asked, concerned.

“I don’t want to confuse myself,” I said, because that was truly what was happening to me; I no longer had certainty about anything.