Heart of Fury - Stone and Fire # 2 [17+]

Chapter 13

nice and ~descriptive~ today 😉😉

Aurora's POV

The doors to Nikolas's house open with a swift click, and almost immediately, the sounds of Cassie's regular animation thread fills my ears.

I hear her cute, blabbering mouth aimed at the TV and decide to sneak up on her. I drop my bags and tip-toe into the main hall, turning right just at the entrance to the living. The cold quartz mixed with loud, enthusiastic yells from the screen drown out my pattering, and I stop just behind her. A little tap on the shoulder.

"Boo!" She jumps and turns around, toy gun in hand.

"Whoah, Cass. Where'd you get that?"

The last month since I'd been back one thing I wouldn't fail to see here would be Cassie with a gun in her hand. Although it was fake, I'd think her father's protectiveness would be enough to bar that sort of idea from her.

"Mikky. He always buys them for me."

Ah, of course.

I was beginning to think she was more fond of her uncle rather than me, a much more treasurable aunt capable of buying her any makeup kit, bars of candy, dresses, whatever wish she laid upon the wind.

"Does he, now?"

She nods, eyes back on the screen.

"Where is he? Did he come with you?" She arches her neck to look behind me, and a feeling of unpleasantness urges through me as I sit down next to her.

"How about we play dress-up? I brought all types of jewelry and makeup for us to use, hm?" She squints, contemplating the offer.

"Okay."

I smile, big.

"But only if you call Mikky too."

A sigh rips out of my throat.

"He's busy, Cass. It'll just be me and you today, alright?"

She crosses her arms and patters over to the couch, landing with a thump and a strength-induced frown.

"Nuh-uh. I want Mikky."

Yeah, and I don't.

Rolling my eyes, I pull out my phone and send a text to Adriana.

Me: Your daughter hates me.

She replies almost immediately.

Adriana: That's a tough one to get out of.

I glance at the subject, her frown a melting bowl of ice cream as the TV sucks her soul out and fills it with imaginary animal-induced happiness.

Adriana: A cup of chocolate milk usually helps. Give her a few chocolate biscottis with that too, there should be some leftover from yesterday. Works like magic.

A few moments later Cassie's staring at me with a ring of milk around her lips, crunching on biscottis that, thank god, weren't stale. She hums approvingly.

"We can play dress-up now."

Like magic, huh?

I haul over the bags and each time a new fashion item emerges from the black depths, my grin grows a little wider seeing Cassie's eyes widen with excitement.