Chapter 5
Owen
This morning was uncomfortable. What a way to welcome my new stepdaughter. She saw me at my most vulnerable and was kind enough to get me back to bed. Of course, once I fully woke, I couldn’t get the humiliation off that clung to me like a second skin.
So fucking embarrassing.
Not to mention, I’m completely out of it during my episodes. I hate not knowing what I said or did during those moments. In the past, or so I’ve been told, if I speak, it’s mumbling or a name. Nothing of substance. Still, it’s stressful.
And Mei got a front row seat at my shit show.
To say things were awkward this morning was an understatement. I’ve been worried about it all day.
“How many?” a familiar voice asks, jerking me from my obsessive thoughts.
I clear my throat and give Savvy a friendly smile. “Six and a high chair tonight.”
My gaze falls to Savvy’s stomach since she’s absently rubbing it and drawing my attention to it. A small bump indicates she’s pregnant. Rhett mentioned it, but it’s a whole other thing to see it in person.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” I say, gesturing at her belly.
Savvy was a good kid. I’d always liked having her around. Leah was jealous. Naturally. There were plenty of times my ex-wife would ridicule or purposefully leave Savvy out of family events. The second Savvy turned eighteen, she left to go live with her dad’s best friends.
“Thanks,” Savvy says and motions for me to follow her. “I have a table to fit your group.”
She’s not one for small talk, and considering how she feels about our family, I don’t blame her.
Rhett used to crush on the girl, and I had a few episodes where I woke up in her room, no doubt scaring the hell out of her.
Since she’s not making any effort to maintain a relationship with us, I figure it’s best to let it go.
I’m still happy for her.
Once she seats me and sets off to grab some water for the table, I pull out my phone to text my crew. Since Jin can’t be trusted to pass along information to Mei, I create a group text chain with everyone in it, calling it Mona-Lau Fam Jam.
Hey. I’ve got us a table at Smoke & Sugar. See you all soon.
My youngest son responds first since he’s always glued to his phone.
Cason: i’m cringing so hard right now dude
Nothing I do is ever cool in the eyes of Cason. Shocker.
Addison: Me and Cason will be there shortly if Rhett doesn’t kill us first. He’s running all the yellow lights. We’ve been honked at three times. Now you know why I don’t want to drive.
Tell him to be careful.
Jin: ETA 5 mins.
I stare at my phone hoping Mei will answer. Savvy comes back and puts a glass of water in front of everyone’s place at the table. My phone buzzes, alerting me to a new text.
Mei: I got Penny picked up. Almost there.
Cason: don’t text and drive or dad will lecture you
What he said.
Mei: I’m at a stoplight. The same one your son just ran. All safe here.
I groan and then chuckle. She certainly fits in well with my group. After being around Jin for the past two weeks, I wondered if Mei would be like her—distant, cool, indifferent. But, she’s the exact opposite. It was a pleasant surprise.
Within a few minutes, all three of my kids stride through our favorite restaurant.
Rhett plops down beside me, but Cason and Addison sit on the other side.
I listen with amusement as they tell me about their day.
My children are the best thing I’ve ever been a part of in my entire life.
I’m endlessly in awe of how intelligent and funny they are.
“There’s my baby,” Addison says, waving as Mei enters with Penny on her hip.
She rushes over to them to take Penny from Mei. I don’t miss the disappointment on Mei’s face before she gives up her little sister. I’m going to have to have a chat with Addison about not always taking her away from Mei, who’s still adjusting to this whole thing.
Behind Mei and Penny, Jin breezes in wearing a bright smile. I lift my eyebrows, confused by the expression on her face. Maybe, just maybe, she’s excited to see her girls. But, she walks past them, making a beeline toward me. I freeze when she bends down and plants a wet kiss on my lips.
“Hey, hubby. Miss me?”
I’m so caught off guard by the kiss, I can’t speak. Burning heat sears my flesh. It’s Mei’s gaze I feel on me that makes me feel all the more uncomfortable.
“I, uh,” I murmur as I ignore Rhett’s sniggering.
Jin leans close, lips brushing my ear. “PDA is your rule, not mine. Just sticking to my end of the bargain.”
I give her a clipped nod and offer a quick smile as she takes the set beside me. Mei sits on her other side and Penny gets put into the highchair between Addison and Mei. When I look past Jin at her oldest daughter, I note the small frown of displeasure tugging at Mei’s lips.
My chest aches and I don’t know why. I feel like I did something dirty and wrong in front of the whole family, which is really stupid, actually. I’m married to Jin. Kissing her in public should be natural and normal.
“Savvy,” Addison calls out. “Meet my new sisters.”
Savvy, avoiding Rhett like the plague, gushes over how cute Penny is and offers Mei a small wave. The three older girls discuss Savvy’s pregnancy. I want to listen in, but Rhett nudges me with his elbow.
“Dad…”
“Hmm?” I ask, unable to tear my gaze from Mei who’s smiling now. Such a pretty smile.
“Dad.” He damn near shoves me out of my chair.
I whip my head to face him, scowling. “What, Son?”
He shows me an alert on his phone that says, “Mom arrived at Smoke & Sugar.” It’s the same app we used to use when we were married, but now that we’re divorced, she’s on a separate group with the kids than I am.
Not that I have anything to hide, I still don’t like her being able to track me when I’m with my children.
“Great,” I grumble. “What is she doing here?”
Rhett shrugs. “Who the hell knows. But, if I had to guess, she wants to check out the new family.”
I stare at the front door to the restaurant until Leah walks in with a guy I recognize from the country club. Logan or Lennon or some name like that. It would be nice if she were actually here on a date rather than to spy on what I’m up to.
Leaning in to Jin, I mutter, “Leah’s here. Fuck.”
Surprising me, Jin rests her head on my shoulder and hugs me. I wrap an arm around her. We’re in this position when Leah’s eyes land on our table.
“Mom?” Addison says, rising to her feet. “What are you doing here?”
Leah approaches with her man, looking down her nose at me and Jin. “You move fast, Owen.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun,” I bite back. “Leah, this is my wife, Jin. Jin, this is my children’s mother.”
Leah fumes, barely able to keep her rage in check as I introduce her to Jin’s girls. I’m vibrating with unease by the time Leah finally leaves our table.
“Order my usual,” I say to Rhett. “I need a second.”
I shakily make it to my feet and then head for the restrooms. Once alone inside, I splash water on my face. A few seconds later, the bathroom door opens with a squeak. Tensing, I ready myself for another argument with Leah.
But it’s not her.
Mei, arms crossed over her chest, slowly approaches me. “Everything okay?”
“Yep.” I let loose a ragged sigh. “Actually, no. Leah puts me on edge.”
Mei steps closer to me, enough so that I can smell her sweet, honeyed scent over the cleaning sprays last used in this restroom. “I got that vibe too.” A small chuckle escapes her. “She reminds me of Mom. You really have a type.”
I know she’s teasing me, but I still groan.
“Someone should reprogram my brain.” I flash her a grin. “How was your day?”
She shrugs and looks down at the tiled floor. “It was fine. Caught up on laundry.”
“You seem sad, Mei. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Sad.” She darts her brown eyes up to meet mine. “I’m always sad. It’s the way it is.”
My heart cracks down the middle. “Why are you always sad?”
“Have you met my mom?” she throws back instead of answering my question directly.
Before I can stop myself, I lift my hand, ghosting it over her cheek. The desire to comfort her isn’t one I can seem to control. She doesn’t flinch at the touch, but instead, flutters her lashes closed and leans into it.
Her mother barely acknowledges her. She must be starved for attention, hence why she’s so sad.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her to me for another hug like the one we shared this morning. “If you ever feel sad, I want you to come straight to me. I can fix it with a hug.”
She laughs against the front of my chest. “Pretty confident, huh?”
“Do you feel happier?”
Again, she laughs, and I quite like the sound of it. “I guess I do.”
“I’m a fixer. There’s your proof.”
We both laugh. I finally release my hold on her because I’m starting to like how she feels in my arms. That’s dangerous for many, many reasons.
“I think we better go back,” I say, voice low and raspy.
She peers at me in an almost reverent way that makes my heart race. “We should.”
My gaze falls to her plump lips that have parted. So pink and pretty. Fuck.
I go to plant a kiss on her forehead, but she tilts her head back, accepting it on her sweet, soft lips instead.
The kiss is brief and barely a whisper, but it electrifies every nerve in my body.
Blood rushes to my cock as inappropriate thoughts of plunging my tongue into her tempting mouth overtake me.
“Sorry,” she squeaks out. “I didn’t mean to do that. Oh, God. Please don’t tell Mom.”
The urge to calm her wins out and I bring my lips back to hers, this time on purpose. Even though I kiss her more firmly than before, I wisely keep my tongue in my mouth. “Your secret’s safe with me,” I whisper against her lips.
Noise in the hallway has her jerking away from me as if she’s afraid of getting caught. When my brain catches up to my actions, I’m right there with her. What the hell was I thinking? She’s my wife’s daughter.
I track her with my hungry stare as she scurries out of the restroom.
Kissing her just now was really fucking stupid.
Being the older, wiser person here, I should have laughed off her kiss and let her apologize for being inappropriate.
But my dumb ass just had to try and make her feel better about it.
Selfish prick.
I run my tongue over my bottom lip, tasting the remnants of her vanilla-flavored lip gloss. My cock is hard and straining in my dress slacks. I’m a damn mess.
Scrubbing my palm over my face, I attempt to figure out a way to undo what just happened. Maybe later I can get her alone, while at home, and discuss how what we did was wrong.
Or you could kiss her again…
Someone enters the bathroom, jolting me into action. I dart into one of the stalls, heart racing wildly in my chest.
My ex-wife is looking for anything to drag me over the coals with. And what does my stupid ass do? I kiss my new wife’s eighteen-year-old daughter in a fucking bathroom while both my previous and current wives are fifty feet away.
I have to get my shit together or I’m going to lose everything.
Fuck.