Sinner(133)
“How did you get my address?”
“Lydia. Can I come in?”
His mouth tightens. “Now…” he sighs, “now isn’t a good time, actually.”
I hear the sound of chair being pushed back from a table from behind him, and suddenly, my heart drops.
He’s not alone.
My stomach drops through the floor along with my pride.
“Oh, wow, I-” I shake my head as I start to turn away from the door, feeling like the single biggest idiot in the world. “I think I totally misjudged-”
“Serena, it’s not what you think.”
I choke out a brittle, cringing laugh. “It is, Landon, and that’s fine. I’m an asshole for coming over like this, and I’m-”
“Serena-”
“Daddy, who’s there?”
I freeze, my head suddenly jerking around to stare at him with wide eyes.
Daddy?
Landon’s jaw clenches as his brow furrows. “Why don’t you just come in.”
Chapter Fifteen
Landon
Well, shit.
This is not how I wanted this to end up, and this is not how I wanted this to go.
The teasing was one thing, but fuck, she’s actually here now. She’s actually standing in my front door dressed like that. And here I am in jeans and a ripped t-shirt covered in cookie dough baking powder, and one fingernail painted pink with sparkles.
“You have a kid?” she hisses, her eyes wide and staring daggers at me.
I frown. “Yes, I do,” I whisper harshly. “Was I supposed to fucking divulge that?”
“No, it’s just…” Her eyes go wide before they narrow again. “You weren’t wearing a wedding ring!”
“I’m not married,” I growl.
“Dad, who’s at the door?”
I hold Serena’s glare as I call back over my shoulder. “It’s a work friend, honey.” There’s the sound of Emily’s pattering feet coming down the hallway behind me and I sigh.
“Look, just come in.”
“What?” Serena says quickly, shaking her head. “No, I-”
The door gets pulled open the rest of the way as Emily inserts herself at my hip.
“Oh, hello.”
Serena stops abruptly and smiles as she looks down and meets my daughter’s gaze. “Well hello there!”
“I’m Emily.”
“Hi, Emily, I’m Serena.”
Emily’s eyes move slowly from the heels, to the elegant trench coat, to the long sable hair framing Serena’s face.
“You’re very pretty,” she finally says, matter-of-factly.
Serena smiles. “Thank you, so are you.”
Emily beams. “Did you see my dad’s fingernail?”
I make a face only Serena can see as my daughter giggles. “I’m giving him a makeover so he can be pretty too.”
I shrug as I raise my hand and wiggle the painted finger.
Serena grins.
“Do you want a cookie?” Emily says eagerly. “They’re chocolate chip and M&M. We’re making them from scratch.”
“Oh,” Serena’s face scrunches up as she shakes her head. “No, I-”
“Have a cookie.”
Fuck it. She’s here, and this might not exactly be how I envisioned having Serena “come to me”, but here we are.
And she certainly seems to have Emily’s attention.
“Landon, I should really just-”
“In, now,” I say firmly. I grab her wrist and pull her inside. “Here let me-”
She quickly pulls away from me as I move for her coat. “No, that’s okay.”
I frown. “Serena it’s eighty degrees outside, let me just take your-”
“No, that’s really okay.” Her eyes flash, like she’s trying to tell me something. She nods her chin meaningfully at Emily before glaring at me again.
“Emily, honey, why don’t you go back to the TV room while I help Serena.”
Emily spins on a socked-foot and bounds back down the hall. “I’ll save you a cookie, Serena!” she yells as she disappears around the corner.
“What’s your deal?” I mutter after I hear the TV kick back on.
“I thought you lived alone,” Serena says sharply.
“Well, surprise.”
“Yeah, well, I…” her face goes red as she swallows quickly. “I should go.”
“Look you’re here, and there’s an eight-year-old that’s going to be pissed if I send you away before she can use you as an excuse to eat more cookies. Just take the fucking coat off and stay for a-”
“I can’t take the coat off.”
“Why the hell-” my mouth suddenly snaps shut as the realization hits me.
The heels, the black stockings, the trench coat.