The Way of Fate (Book 1)

5. Painful Memories

Chapter 5: Painful Memories

Allen

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I heard myself ask the question before my brain even registered it.

Mika raised an eyebrow at me, smirking. "Is that an invitation to watch your kid for another couple hours or is that an actual invitation for dinner?"

"Dinner. Unless you want to take care of Sam some more, but I'm home, so you're done for the day, technically."

He nodded his head slowly. "Thanks, but I don't think I'm going to stay. You don't need to feed me on top of how much you've been paying me."

It's been two weeks already since I hired Mika, and yeah, two hundred a day does tend to add up pretty quickly. But that's what I said I'd pay him, and he's done an amazing job, even tidying up the house every so often too while Sam naps. He definitely deserves the money and I can definitely afford it.

"I don't mind, really," I replied, subtly stepping in between him and the door. "I'd actually prefer it if you stayed. It gets a little lonely here in this big house with only an infant to talk to. And he doesn't hold conversations very well." Oh God, what was I saying?

"One day you'll be wishing he doesn't shut up," Mika said with a sad sounding laugh. "Just hope that you never get to the point where you'll be wishing to hear him say just one more word to you, but never being able to hear his voice ever again. It sucks."

I didn't know where this sudden seriousness came from, and it was a bit heartbreaking. I had forgotten about his sister, who he hadn't mentioned since the day I hired him. It was pretty obvious how much he loved her, just by the look on his face as he remembered.

"I'm sorry, about her," I said, not knowing what else to say.

He shrugged. "Not your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault, really. 'Cept mine 'cause I couldn't take her to a proper doctor." He shook his head. "I should go."

"Stay." The word came out a bit harsher than I had intended it to. "Please. I was thinking of ordering Chinese. Do you like Chinese?"

That got a hint of a smile to appear on his face. "Yeah, I do."

"Good. Here." I pulled a menu for my favorite place out of a draw and handed it to him. "Sit down, look through to see what you like. You can get whatever or however much you'd like. Price doesn't matter to me."

"You don't need to pay-"

"Of course I am." Sam started crying then, stopping Mika from replying. I took the opportunity to say the last thing I was going to say on the subject. "I invited you, so I'm buying dinner. Now figure out what you want and I'll be right back."

I turned to leave the room, but not before noticing a small smile and what might have even been a slight blush on Mika's face as his eye scanned the menu. Why would he be blushing? All I did was offer to buy him dinner, or more like make him stay for dinner. But that wasn't anything to blush over.

It was probably nothing, anyway. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep, so it was probably just my mind playing tricks on me. That's all it was.

When I came back into the kitchen, after needing to change Sam's diaper, I found Mika still looking over the menu. He had drawn his bottom lip between his teeth as he studied the words. That simple action alone made him look innocent, like the world hadn't crapped on him his whole life.

"If you keep staring at me the way I've caught you doing a few times now, I might start thinking you have a thing for me."

"What?" I asked, startled. Was he asking if I liked him? If I was gay? "I don't-I'm not-Are you?"