Page 9 of My Addiction
Colton laughs. “You’ve never been around babies before, have you?” I shake my head. “That’s what I thought. Only he knows what he’s saying. He’s only one, so he can only say a couple of words. It’s his body language that I understand.”Colton shifts Ollie higher on his hip so he can’t reach me.
Something about that feels wrong. I don’t like it. Should I hold him? The thought lands awkwardly in my head. I’ve never held a baby before, but it can’t be that difficult. People do it all the time. They don’t look particularly qualified. Still, I have no idea why Ollie would want me. Nothing about me should be inviting to him. But Ollie keeps leaning around Colton’s arm to look at me, his little hand opening and closing like he still expects me to take him.
“And what is his body language telling you?” I ask.
“He likes you, and he doesn’t like anyone other than me.”
“I know how he feels,” I mumble.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I clear my throat. “Why doesn’t he like anyone but you?”
Colton smiles down at Ollie, softer than I’ve ever seen him.
“I think it’s because he’s a good judge of character. But more than likely, it’s because I’ve been his only caregiver since the day he was born.”
A short laugh slips out of me before I can stop it. The idea that Ollie could like me and still be a good judge of character is ridiculous. As a clinical psychopath, I make most people uncomfortable. I always have. We step off the elevator, and I lead them down the hall toward my office.
When I push open the door, I stop short. My mother and father are sitting on the couch waiting for us.
“Mom, Dad, what are you doing in my office?” I place the bags down on the coffee table.
“I can wait out in the hall,” Colton says as he starts to leave the office.
“Oh, no need. We’re actually here to meet you.” Mom smiles at Colton like this is completely normal. “Ronan said he had a new employee starting this morning, so we came to welcome you to the family.”
I look at Mom. Then Dad. Dad just shrugs one shoulder like he has nothing to do with any of this. What the fuck is happening? Why are they here? I’ve spent all morning waiting for Colton to show up, counting down the minutes until he walked through the door. And now I have to deal with my parents.
“And who is this handsome young man?”
“That’s Colton,” I say. My mom turns to me and laughs.
“I was talking about the baby, dear.”
“That’s Ollie. I told you about him last night.” Did she forget our conversation already?
“Yes, son, you did,” Mom says. “But you didn’t tell me how absolutely darling he is.”
Her entire face softens as she looks at him.
“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Alessia Murphy, and this is Kieran. We’re Ronan’s parents.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both.” Colton shakes Mom’s hand first, then steps over to Dad.
The second he gets close, Ollie lets out an excited squeal and practically launches himself toward him. Dad catches him automatically, like he’s done it a thousand times.
Ollie cups both sides of Dad’s face in his tiny hands and starts babbling at him immediately. Something sharp twists in my chest. I should have taken him in the elevator. He’s part of Colton. That means he belongs with me, too. I should be the one holding him. Instead, Dad has him.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Colton says quickly. “He never goes to strangers. I didn’t even think. Here, I’ll take him back.”
“That’s okay.” Dad adjusts Ollie easily against his chest. “It seems he has a lot to tell me.” An actual smile pulls at his mouth. I stare. My father can barely survive a five-minute conversation with his adult children without looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, but put a baby in front of him and he turns into someone else entirely.
Dad’s like the rest of us in most ways. But babies are his weak spot. Mom says he took us everywhere with him when we were little. I glance at her. She has both hands pressed over her mouth, her eyes bright and shining like she’s trying not to cry.
“Are you sure?”
“He is, dear. He loves babies, and so do I.”
