Falling into the Chaos

Eight: Crossing boundaries.

Aditya

ALL RIGHT.

We were doing this. We were having another conversation without the buffer of my niece and I was more than likely to fuck things up.

Here we go.

Cheeku ran down the hill toward the dog run, yelling every step of the way, "Doggies! I'm coming for you!"

Zoya watched from the edge of the gravel drive. Her face facing the moonlight in these woods.

The extremely annoying fact of the matter was that Zoya was gorgeous.

Just drop-dead gorgeous.

The more I tried to ignore this, the more aware of it I grew.

That awareness chewed at me day and night, accompanied by the lurking whisper of you could marry her.

I walked toward Zoya, my gaze fixed on Cheeku and my hat pulled low.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Have you given any thought to our partnership?"

Zoya turned to face me. "Have I-what?"

"The partnership I proposed last week.
..For your inheritance."

"Yeah. That." She shifted back to watch Cheeku and the dogs. "To be honest, I don't-".....

"I need to clear up a few things," I interrupted. "We'll draft a prenup, of course. You'll keep as much of your property as you want, we'll share ownership in the event space, and I'll keep my property. It'll be a clean agreement."

She shifted the tote bag filled with books to her other shoulder, saying, "I'm going to need a bit more time to consider all of that. Like, a lot more time. It's not just about the land for me."

"It's not just about the land for me either," I said. "I have a kid and I should've been explicit about her involvement in this from the start. I'm not letting anything hurt her. Not a single fucking thing. Cheeku cannot-will not-get caught in the middle if we do this."

"I would never want that," she replied, her words sharp around the edges.

"If we do this-and I think you should know this is one of your better options if you're dead set against taking the estate to court-we have to make it safe and stable for Cheeku . That means keeping it under wraps for the year, living our separate lives, and quietly dissolving the marriage once the estate is cleared. She knows nothing, not a single word. I'll negotiate anything except for Cheeku ." I shot a glance at her but that was a mistake.

It was nearly impossible to enforce limits when instinct told me to give this woman everything in the world she wanted. "Take that with you while you're considering the matter."

"I would never do anything to hurt her," Zoya said.

"Not intentionally, no. The problem is that Cheeku already adores you and she's going to be heartbroken when you leave."

Zoya set her bag down and turned to face me, nose and cheeks pink because of the cold winds. That sight.... her gorgeousness was making me uneasy..."You say that as if I'd just walk away from her without a second thought."

That's exactly what I'm saying because it's exactly what you did to me.

"No," I replied. "You're-you're good with kids. Obviously. You know what to do with kids and you know how to talk to them. I'm sure you're really great as a teacher too, even if I can't wrap my head around that career choice for you. But Cheeku doesn't have room in her life for more disappointment. She can't fall in love with you over the next year and then you drop out of her life. If we do this, we protect her."