"I keep going to the river to pray
Cause I need something that can wash all the pain"
Liam POV
“Aiden, I don’t care what bet you have with Jackson. Under no circumstances am I going to allow you to see how long you can go without showering. No matter what the prize is, I’m gonna be the one smelling you and I am not going to suffer for 12-year-olds.”
Aiden pouted, to my annoyance, and stalked off to his room. Aspen turned to me after watching my son walk away.
“How long do you think he could’ve gone?” she asked.
“Probably more than 3 weeks”, I responded while packing both his and Ariel’s lunches, “I have to make him shower now. He enjoys being filthy so I have no doubt that he would’ve given Jackson a run for his money.”
“I say you should’ve let him do it”, the ever pubescent Niall chimed in, “Louis and I had that same contest. He didn’t stand a chance. I lasted a whole week longer than him.”
“You mean to tell me 2 fully grown men had the same contest that two 12-year-olds are also having?”
“Yeah, but it was a man’s game then. I’m sure I could blow Aiden out of the water.”
“It doesn’t matter”, I rolled my eyes at the man-child on my couch, “I’m telling Jackson that A can’t do it.”
“Like hell. Aiden, come here! Your dad said you can’t bet with Jackson, but he didn’t say anything about me!”
Niall wasted no time in running up the stairs, ignoring my protests, and yelling Aiden’s name. I didn’t even want to know what he was telling him up there.
“They’re both gonna smell foul in about two days just you watch.”
Aspen laughed that sweet laugh and walked into the kitchen where I was. After I finished my children’s lunches, she turned me around to face her and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“As excited as I am to smell a drenched-in-sweat pre-teen, I think it’s nice that he’s making a friend before he even starts school. It worked out perfectly that a boy his age just happens to live next door.”
I had to agree with that. Even though we had been moving in for the past week and a half, neither Ariel nor Aiden had begun school yet. Even though they were very outgoing children (and I know LJ would be looking out for them), I still worried that they wouldn’t make friends. We had been gone for about 3 years so some of these people would still be fairly new. I probably just sounded like an overbearing father, but I was terrified that they would be alone on their first day back. They even differed in age, so I couldn’t count on Aiden to watch over his sister the entire day.
“Stop worrying babe”, Aspen called me out of my trance, “They will be fine. If it’s one thing you don’t have to worry about when it comes to your kids, it’s them getting along with other kids. They’ll. Be. Fine.”
Instead of answering, I just leaned down to kiss her before she giggled and pulled me closer to kiss me back. It was definitely odd readjusting to moving back, but I was glad to have the boys and Aspen. Otherwise, I’m not sure how I would’ve gotten through it.
“Okay, cut it out”, Niall said while coming down the stairs with Aiden right behind him and Ariel thrown over his shoulder in a fit of giggles, “No one wants to see that.”
“Oh, shut up”, I pulled back, but kept an arm firmly on Aspen’s waist, “Just go ahead and get my kids to school before they’re late.”
Since I was starting my new job at the university today, and it was in the opposite direction of Ariel and Aiden’s school, Niall offered to take them for the week. He was still on paternity leave from work for Reagan, so he had a little time on his hands.
YOU ARE READING
His Revenge, Her Freedom
Hayran Kurgu#3 Four years. Four years is all the peaceful time that they had. Now, it’s come to an abrupt end, and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. What happens when an expected visitor proves that four years of heartache just wasn't enough? How can you...
