Chapter 73

Thea's Point of View

I'm shaking with weeping. I couldn't swallow the saliva that had gathered in my throat because the stone obstructing it wouldn't let go. Furthermore, I patted my side to make sure Cray wasn't next to me. I gazed down at my two quivering hands, trying to recall and making myself believe that everything that had transpired wasn't a dream.

“But where's Cray?” I tilt my head to check my phone after I ask that to myself. I can’t believe that everything has happened wasn’t real last night. I reached for my son again, but he is not beside me. But my world collapsed as I looked at it, even the phone I put at the top of my head last night was gone.

I focused my attention on the door when it opened. Cray ran in, panting and laughing as he was pursued by a shadow. When I saw the two people who meant a lot to me, I didn't see my tears. I was unaware of it. They were overflowing with joy, and my worrying heart felt at peace.

“Shh. Lower your voice. You'll wake up, mommy,” Craig remarked, even though he hadn't even spotted me sitting on the bed, crying. Because the door hadn't been opened all that much yet, they cannot see me.

I've been watching them for a long time, but they don't seem to notice me. Craig bowed as he walked alongside Cray. Cray came to a halt. They both glanced up at the same moment. Craig wrinkled his brow while Cray shrugged. Cray is not even moving. I can still feel the warm tears streaming down my face.

Craig raced towards me when he saw I was crying. He walked away from Cray and grabbed both of my arms. He pressed and squeezed them. He didn't say anything and simply wiped the steady stream of huge beads of tears from my eyes.

“Did something happen?” he asks, raising the tone of his voice. He appeared rushed to get his answer from me, but I couldn't since I couldn't stop myself from weeping.

I'd want to respond to that question by saying that I was terrified. I assumed it was all a big deception and that it was all a figment of my imagination. Everything that transpired and all the enjoyment I had acquired the night before seemed to evaporate in the blink of an eye. I sobbed even more because I thought that. It seemed as though I was heartbroken, and after being rejected, everyone left me alone.

He simply let me. He held me and stroked my back and the back of my hair to calm me down. I couldn't believe it, even though he was right in front of me. If fate treats me cruelly and bitterly, I'm terrified to believe in it again because perhaps tomorrow, or maybe on the other day, it'll make me feel twice as awful.

When I calmed down, I slumped my shoulders and buried my face in my palms, thinking I had thought of such things, and he had seen how I looked.

“I'm sorry,” I said quietly. I don't want to look him in the eyes because he could laugh at me.

Cray was already close to us, sitting on his father's lap. Craig refuses to take his attention away from me. It seemed as if he had fixed his stare on me so tightly that even a simple shift of his eyeballs to the side was impossible for him. Because of what he was doing, I shoved his face away from me, even though it was a long-distance away.

“Why are you here?” I said genuinely, gazing straight ahead, without blinking, and he can think I was scaring them with my intense stare. My previous sobbing had now turned into a battle.

“Didn't I tell you last night that Cray and I would take you for a walk in the park?”

Because of what he said, the trapped air in my heart was gone, the heavy stone lying on my heart was lifted, the hole in my heart was patched together, and the hot iron that pierced it was healed. Today, there is no dream happening at all.

As a result, my hands spontaneously moved, and I joyfully hugged them both. I don't have to wonder whether yesterday was a dream, and I don't have to remind myself minute by minute that it's not like when we were in Spain. While soaking in my perspiration, I felt as if I were waking up from a nightmare.

“But I have to buy clothes first,” I grumbled. I can't leave right immediately, no matter how delighted I am, since I haven't brought anything since I was evicted from my parents' mansion.

As my thoughts intensified, and I found myself drowning in them once more, I returned my gaze to Craig, who appeared to be anticipating what I would do and say.

Cray was clutching a toy, which I hadn't seen when he walked in. I arched an eyebrow at Craig because the way he stared at me made me feel like he was about to grab me. I try not to smile. I'm so overjoyed right now that I can't put into words how wonderful it feels.

“Thea, don't you want to go back to our old house? It just needs a little cleaning and tidies again. I'm always alone in my condo, it's better if we live together in the same house.” He took both my hands and kissed them. His eyes were full of persuasion. It was as if I was being taken in a helicopter and given a glimpse of the beautiful view below.

I let go of the hand that was gripping me. I was terrified of the possibilities, not because I didn't like his offer. He's getting along fine as Felicity's fiancé. He has regained his name and image. Craig and I were quite content to remain in the dark, waiting for him to return.

Maybe we're all the same. I don't want to drag him along with me if I fall. I am absolutely nothing. Everything I had inherited was gone; therefore I had nothing to offer him in terms of assistance or support.

“Craig, we're fine here. Megan and Rayleigh treated us well. They don't do anything that will make us uncomfortable.” I smiled at him to make sure it was okay, but there was no denying in my eyes that I wanted to do his suggestions. I want to live in that house and build new memories like good and bad memories that will give a lesson to both of us.

“Is it because of Felicity?” He took my hands again. The grip tightened and he squeezed them.

I cast a downward and distant glance. I don't want to consider myself until everything else is in line. I still have a lot of problems I want to solve, as does he, but what drives me is the desire to return to that place. Instead of dismissing every question, he asked, and I nodded. I'm still unsure because I'm restless.

After all, every time I let my heart decide, the following issues worsen.

I had no idea how Cray and Craig were able to get down in the blink of an eye after I nodded. They were both looking at me with their palms spread, smiling. Cray's left hand is outstretched, as is Craig's right hand. If I look attentively, their eyes are gleaming, and it appears that everything is planned. I'm not convinced whether it's a good thing Wayne abducted me since Craig and I wouldn't be where we are today if it hadn't been for him.

I also want to visit him wherever he is imprisoned. He also helped me a lot, so I can't just let him go. If I need to get him a lawyer, I'll get one, but as far as I know, he's still in rehab.

I reached Cray and Craig's hands. I took a position in front of them. I beamed warmly, as though it had been a long time since I had smiled without irony. There is no sign of melancholy. This isn't the type of smile that says:

“Let it go, that's what happened; is there anything else we can do?”

Cray tugged on my pajama bottoms, so I bowed before him. He had a pout on his face and appeared annoyed. I pout as well since I know he gets irritated when I emulate what he does. I assumed he was pouting because he wanted to, but he was actually pouting because he wanted me to kiss him.

Craig and I both burst out laughing. I knelt in front of Cray, letting go of Craig's hand. I kissed his lips twice. He grinned as his teeth were nearly totally extracted. It's quite white, and he hasn't discovered the sweet yet, so his tooth won't shatter straight away. When he pulled my pajamas on again, I would have just stood up.

“Mommy. Dada.” After he said the word “dada” he pointed to his lip again.

I held his head to kiss him again because that's what I understood, but I was surprised when he took his face away from me. He pushes my face with his small palms.

“No !!! Dad!” His shrill voice seemed to leak into my ear and stay in my brain.

“You kiss dada!” He said pushing my legs.

Because of what Cray said, I instantly covered my mouth. I suppose I'm simply expecting Craig will kiss me if I don't comply with his child's request. When I looked at Craig, I noticed him lick and touch his bottom lip. My face was bright red, like if a bomb was about to detonate, and I'm sure he could see it.

I felt like I was going to pass out because I held my breath as he took a step closer to me. He was taking slow steps, so I was slowing down as well. Cray grabbed my hand, then his gaze wandered. I immediately removed it and took huge steps backward.

“Do you not want to fulfill our son's request? He'll only make one request.” He winked, then lifted and lowered his brow. I had no idea he was this flirty. How come Craig Holden has flirtatious behavior? He was only being sweet at the time, and he is always not in the mood at times when we were still married.

“HA!” I sighed angrily, even though I wasn't furious. I pretended to be astounded by what he was saying. Then I looked, my eyeballs spinning as though they were spitting.

“He must not have known that thing yet! What are you teaching to my son!” I bowed as if I was going to punch him, even though we were still quite a distance away. I continued speaking as if a pastor were preaching to him. “He shouldn't see the thing as he says!”.

I was perplexed when he took Cray's hand and went up to me. My brow wrinkled, and I was taken aback by what happened next.

To me, everything appeared to move at a breakneck pace. I'm not sure when his warm lips fell on mine. The manly eyes respond first, long before it dawns on me. Because everything was buffering me, I didn't push him immediately away. It was as if the world came to a halt and I received the first kiss for the first time, even though the two of us had done considerably worse.

One of his hands was pressing and gripping the back of my head to push it towards his face. He drew me close to him, one hand covering Cray's eyes. It was only then that I recognized what was going on, and I shoved him away from me.

I cover my lips and make the letter “O” I shifted my gaze back and forth between him and Cray. I didn't know what to do next, since I had lost my wits as a result of what he had done. I feel like my reaction to such a minor action of his is overdone, yet I'm nonetheless embarrassed.