Crossing Paths

Chapter 22

"I didn't know you and Roland kept secrets from me," Regina said, but the playfulness in her tone gave away that she didn't mind it at all. "Is it anything serious? Do I have to worry?" She now sounded genuinely concerned, so I quickly shook my head no.

"It wasn't of importance," I said. I didn't no whether what Roland and I shared was confidential, so I decided to not tell his mother anything about our conversation.

Regina slowly nodded and stepped slightly closer to me, still with quite some space between us.

"I'm glad to see you getting along with him," she confessed softly and shoved her hands in her pockets.

"Me too. He's a nice kid," I responded and stepped closer as well.

"I had to drive him to Robin's house, this afternoon, and he kept begging me to go to the Sheriff's Station. But unlike his dad, I didn't want them to arrive late."

I chuckled softly and smiled at the thought of the boy. I was actually honored that he wanted to talk to me.

"Robin called me in pure panic that Roland had run away again. He asked me if I knew the directions to the old factory, but I was quite certain he wasn't there."

She kept quiet for a moment and tilted her head. "You're probably not going to tell me what you two talked about?" She presented it as though it was an assumption and the disappointment was noticable in her tone.

"He just had some questions," I vaguely replied and shrugged it off.

"About?.."

"Jeez, Gina, you don't have to know everything you're children talk about," I chuckled and moved forward, close to the brunette, to grab her hand. "I promise you, you don't have to worry. It was nothing bad."

Regina still didn't seem too convinced, but she did intertwine her fingers with mine and I took that as a good sign.

"You didn't tell him about us, did you?" Regina asked, suddenly worried.

"Of course not. That's a job for mom," I said with a wink and she groaned softly in disapproval, before I pecked her lips. "Do you have anything to do?" I asked, her lips close to mine.

She looked at me and shook her head no. "Maybe you can stay here? I'd like some company and you're much better than Graham."

"Better at what?"

"Keeping me company," I replied, ignoring Regina confused look. "What did you think?" I chuckled softly and Regina shook her head briefly.

"I thought... Never mind."

"You thought I meant something else," I muttered smugly, almost touching her lips.

My hands slid over her coat, to its collar and I zipped the zipper all the way down, before I removed her coat and hang it on the coat rack.

Right at that moment, the door opened and Graham entered.

"Dog safe?" I asked.

"Mhm," he hummed and walked to his desk without saying anything furthermore.

Our bond had been going downhill ever since I'd stormed out because he started talking about my past and Killian. I'd tried to fix things, but he didn't really want to listen and now I'd just given up. I acted normally, but I didn't try to make something of our bond if he wasn't willing to put effort in it.

The walking in on him and this one girl hadn't helped either. Graham had been really embarrassed ever since and he didn't look at me for over a week, despite me telling him it wasn't a big deal.