Chapter 32
RENéE
I sighed as I stepped into Javier’s waiting arms, his warmth wrapping around me. He held me tightly for a moment before guiding me toward his car.
“Judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing the interview didn’t go well,” he said as he opened the passenger door for me.
I slid into the seat and let out another sigh. “Didn’t even make it to the interview,” I muttered. “They already hired someone else before I got there.”
Javier climbed into the driver’s seat, his brows knitting together as he started the car. “I keep telling you, take it easy. You don’t need to stress yourself out like this. I make enough for both of us.” His tone was gentle, but it was the same refrain I’d heard too many times before.
I rolled my eyes. “Doesn’t matter if you own a business and a law firm, I still want to work. Sitting at home all day with you hurts my brain.” I smirked. “I like swiping your card though. Especially in expensive stores.”
Javier let out a deep laugh, his hand briefly brushing against my knee before returning to the wheel. “And I like it too. Especially when you swipe it at lingerie shops. Gives me the pleasure of tearing it all off you at night.”
I laughed, shaking my head as a blush warmed my cheeks. He was impossible sometimes, and I loved it.
“I just don’t get it,” I said softly. “Why do I keep getting rejected everywhere? Are you sure you cleared my records?” I shot him a pointed look.
Javier glanced at me before he returned his focus to the road. “I’m sure,” he reassured me. “You’ll get in somewhere soon, sweetheart. Trust me. You’re too talented for anyone to keep saying no.”
As we pulled into a quiet street lined with shops, he spoke again. “I need to pick up some books. Want to come with me, or should I drop you home?”
I shrugged. “I’ll come with you. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway.”
We parked and stepped into a quaint bookstore, the faint smell of coffee mingling with the scent of aged paper. Javier browsed the shelves while I trailed behind, occasionally flipping through random titles. After he found what he was looking for, we decided to take a walk in Central Park.
We strolled along the paths, laughing at each other’s terrible jokes. When we reached a quiet pond, we sat down on a bench overlooking the water. I leaned back, taking in the peaceful view as the gentle ripples danced across the surface.
“I’ll grab us something to eat,” Javier said, standing and stretching. “Stay here, okay?”
I nodded, watching him walk away before letting my eyes wander back to the pond. I took a deep breath, savoring the moment of tranquility. Living with Javier for the past two months had been nothing short of blissful.
He was everything I didn’t think I needed—a whirlwind of unplanned dates during the day, evenings spent cooking together or binge-watching trashy reality shows, and nights where he fucked my brains out. Sweet, caring, and dangerously dominating when the lights went out. Javier was the whole package, the man who had effortlessly dismantled my carefully constructed plans of never falling in love again.
Because I loved him. So much that it terrified me.
I sighed, scanning the park as I waited for Javier, the soft rustling of leaves and distant laughter filling the air. My gaze landed on a little girl standing near a tree, her hands on her hips as she stared up at one of the branches.
“Millie, you’re going to fall and get hurt! Come down right now!” she scolded in a high-pitched voice, the kind only children could pull off while sounding both adorable and authoritative.
Curious, I followed her gaze and spotted a small gray kitten perched precariously on a low branch. I couldn’t help but smile. The girl’s strawberry-blonde hair was tied into two uneven pigtails, and she wore a dress that had clearly seen better days—streaked with grass stains and smudges of dirt.
I walked over, crouching beside her. “Hi there. Who’s causing all this trouble?”
She turned to me, her blue eyes wide and worried. “It’s Millie! She’s being so naughty today!”
I bit back a laugh. “Millie the kitten?”
“Yeah.” She pouted, crossing her arms. “She’s my kitten, but she won’t listen to me. I told her not to climb trees, but she never listens. She’s going to fall, and then she’ll get hurt, and it’ll be all her fault!”
“Well, she does look pretty comfortable up there,” I said, tilting my head toward the kitten, who was casually licking her paw as if she had no care in the world.
The girl’s little face scrunched up. “She doesn’t know how to climb down! She’s going to get stuck forever, and I’ll have to bring her food and water, and she’ll get scared at night! What if she falls while I’m asleep and no one’s here to help her?”
I couldn’t stop the soft laugh that escaped me. “You’re really worried about her, huh? What’s your name?”
“Olivia,” she replied. “And Millie’s my best friend.”
“Well, Olivia,” I said, “how about I try to get Millie down for you? Would that help?”
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Really? You’d do that?”
“Of course! I can’t let your best friend stay stuck up there forever, can I?”
She watched me with wide eyes as I approached the tree. The branch wasn’t too high, but it was just far enough that I knew this was going to be tricky. I reached up, standing on my toes, and tried to coax the kitten.
“Come on, Millie,” I called softly. “Let’s get you back to Olivia. It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”
Millie meowed, her tiny voice surprisingly loud, but she didn’t budge.
“She’s scared,” Olivia said from below, her hands clasped tightly. “She doesn’t trust people she doesn’t know. Maybe if I climb up there—”
“Oh no, no, no!” I cut in quickly. “No climbing trees for you, young lady.”
“But she likes me,” Olivia insisted, stomping one little sneaker-clad foot. “Maybe if I just go up a little bit—”
“Olivia,” I said, turning to her with a mock-stern look, “I’ll get her, I promise. Just stay right here, okay?”
She huffed but nodded. She reminded me so much of myself at that age—stubborn, worried about everyone else, and a little dramatic in the best way.
I reached up again, trying to gently grab the kitten, but she skittered further along the branch, just out of reach. “Oh, come on, Millie. Work with me here.”
“She’s being naughty on purpose,” Olivia muttered. “She always does this.”
After a few more failed attempts, I stepped back, wiping my hands on my jeans. “Okay, I have to admit, Millie is one stubborn kitten.”
Olivia sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping. “I knew it. She’s going to live in the tree forever.”
I crouched beside her again. “Hey, we’re not giving up. Maybe we just need some backup. My friend Javier is really tall, and he might be able to reach her.”
Her little face brightened. “Really? He can reach her?”
“Probably. He’s like a human ladder,” I said, and she giggled at that.
“Did you just call me a ladder?”
Javier’s voice cut through the moment, and my head shot up to see him standing a few feet away, one eyebrow arched in mock indignation.
I glanced down at Olivia, who was now half-hiding behind me, her wide eyes peeking out at him warily. Clearing my throat, I tried to play it cool. “You must’ve misheard.”
“Oh, I don’t think I did,” he replied.
“We can argue about that later, now please rescue Olivia’s best friend Millie stuck in the tree there.” I quipped.
He shook his head, muttering something about the things he did for me, but his smile lingered as he stepped closer to the tree. Millie, the kitten, let out a dramatic little meow.
“This is going to be fun,” Javier murmured, eyeing the branch. Without hesitation, he reached up. “Come on, Millie, don’t make me regret this.”
Millie, of course, immediately squirmed and hissed, batting at his hands with her tiny claws. “Okay, okay,” Javier muttered, wincing as she landed a sharp scratch across his wrist. “Feisty little thing, aren’t you?”
“Be careful!” Olivia called out.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Javier reassured her, though his grin was more directed at me. “But if I end up with rabies, you owe me dinner.”
“Deal,” I said with a laugh, watching as he finally managed to secure Millie, holding the kitten firmly but gently.
Millie let out one last dramatic protest before surrendering, and Javier carefully brought her down. “There we go,” he said, crouching to Olivia’s level. “One naughty kitten, safe and sound.”
Olivia hesitated for a second, her small frame still partially hidden behind me. Then she stepped forward and took Millie from Javier’s hands. “Thank you,” she said.
Javier smiled and reached out to gently pat her head. “You’re welcome, kiddo. Just keep an eye on her next time, okay?”
Olivia nodded, clutching Millie to her chest like a treasure. That’s when a voice called out, “Olivia!”
We all turned to see a woman standing at the edge of the park, her arms crossed as she surveyed the scene. A small group of children, all around Olivia’s age, were clustered around her, some chasing each other while others looked like they were in the middle of some game.
“That’s Miss Helen,” Olivia explained, glancing back at us.
“Looks like she’s looking for you,” I said gently.
Olivia hugged Millie tighter and turned to us. “Thank you again. For saving Millie.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied, smiling as she gave us one last shy glance before running off toward the woman.
Javier and I watched as she joined the other kids, who immediately gathered around her to see the kitten. Helen greeted her warmly, but the sight still left a pang in my chest.
“She’s in foster care,” I murmured, piecing it together—it was kind of obvious though.
Javier must have noticed the change in my expression because his arm slipped around my waist, pulling me close.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded, but my chest felt tight. “It’s just… everyone deserves a family, you know? A sweet girl like her, all alone at that age—it’s just not fair.”
Even though my father and my two older brothers, Kian and Aeros, were more like distant figures in my childhood, I always had Hael, Ezio, and my mother. They were my constants, my anchors. Even when the world felt uncertain, I never had to question their presence. But not every kid gets that kind of comfort, do they?
Little Olivia—she didn’t have what I had. She reminded me of that. Reminded me of the kind of loneliness that sneaks up on you, even when you're surrounded by people. It’s strange, really. Looking at her, I saw a piece of myself—something small and vulnerable I thought I’d buried a long time ago.
It’s a strange ache, imagining the kind of pain she must carry. All those foster babies, too. Little hearts trying to be brave in a world that’s already let them down. And Olivia… she’s so much braver than I was.