Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
ROWAN
I could tell Owen was trying topete with me.
The moment I stepped inside the house, he made sure his wordsnded like a knife in my
chest.
“I had a good night’s sleep,” he said casually, stretching his arms. “Sleeping next to Tessa always makes me feel more at ease.”
My jaw locked. He slept next to Tessa? My Tessa?
Well… she wasn’t mine. But I was hers. She consumed every part of my being, and I wasn’t sure if I could function without her.
Tessa hadn’t corrected him, either, making my blood burn hotter.
After that, after staying in the bathroom for a while because I found myself feeling dizzy, I found Ca by the swing I made for her. A small smile tugged on my lips, but I saw Owen behind her, pushing her as she giggled.
In the end, I could only watch, because she looked too blissful for me to ruin it.
Thankfully, she asked me to help herter. “Mister,e! Let’s set up the table together!” she called.
Her little hands wobbled as she carried spoons, and I guided her, showing her where each piece went, telling her she did amazing even when the forks were crooked. Her giggle lit the whole room.
And now, with lunch ready, the bowls steaming in front of us, I was excited to eat. Tessa’s cooking was always a delight.
I scooped up a spoonful, brought it to my mouth, and the moment it touched my tongue, I felt I was in trouble.
My entire throat lit up, my eyes watered instantly, and I had to cough to keep from sputtering it back out. It tasted like a firestorm.
Tessa’s head turned toward me, brows pulling together. “Rowan? Do you not like it?”
I shook my head so fast I thought it would snap clean off. “It’s delicious,” I managed to say. It
Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
truly was delicious, but it was too spicy! I could handle a lot of things, and spicy food wasn’t one of them.
Just then, Owen leaned back in his chair and said, “One more bowl.”
Tessa giggled, her voice a soft melody that made my stomach rumble harder than the spicy chili already had. “You always liked it this spicy, huh?”
He gave her a smile, like the two of them were sharing some secret history together.
Meanwhile, I sat there with my tongue burning and my lungs begging for mercy.
Fuck this trait of not being able to eat spicy food!
But as Owen’s face tipped toward me, I couldn’t help it.
I scooped another bite, shoved it into my mouth, and swallowed like a man walking willingly into fire. “Delicious,” I said, keeping my voice steady even as I felt my lips tingling. “Another bowl.”
Tessa raised a brow at me. “You too?”
“Yes,” I said firmly, though my stomach was already plotting its revenge.
It became a silent war.
Owen, spoon after spoon, grinning as though every bite crowned him champion. I matched him, but each swallow felt likeva down my throat.
At one point, I almost asked for water. No-begged for water. But when I nced toward the table, there was none. My lips parted, desperate, before my eyes flicked to Ca and her bowl.
Her sweet little bowl, filled with chili that was noticeably less spicy, cooled down for her small appetite. My salvation sat right there, and for one insane second, I considered it.
Should I ask my daughter for her bowl?
But no, Owen was still watching. He was still provoking me with those smug eyes that said, “Weak. You’ll give up first.”
“One more,” I said.
The words left my lips at the exact same moment Owen said them too.
Our voices shed, hanging thick in the air as Tessa’s brows lifted in shock.
Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
“There’s only one more bowl left,” she said softly.
My entire body stilled.
Her gaze went back and forth between us.
She reached out and grabbed a bowl-but it wasn’t mine.
“I’ll give it to Owen.”
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I pursed my lips tightly, heat searing through me. The tingling spread everywhere, even into my stomach.
I ced my spoon down slowly, the sound sharp against the wood, while Owen gave me a look of victory.
***
Owen – 500.
Rowan 0.
–
That’s what the scoreboard in my head read after lunch.
Not only had he devoured Tessa’s extra-spicy chili like it was nothing, but now he was at the sink, shoulder-to-shoulder with her, teasing her about the soap bubbles clinging to her wrists. I had offered to help, too, but Tessa’s answer had been final.
“Why don’t you rest, Rowan? You already did enough this morning.”
I wanted to tell her that there was no such thing as enough when it came to her. But instead, I stepped back and found myself sitting on the porch steps, elbows braced on my knees.
From here, I could still see them through the window, Owen bumped her with his elbow, and Tessa swatted him away with augh. It was harmless, I told myself. Just two people finishing chores together. But every second of it made my chest heavier. It would take a long time before I could stand next to her again like that, wouldn’t it?
Just then, the door creaked open behind me.
“Mommy says not to run inside the house!” Ca’s voice piped up, her little feet pattering across the porch as she came bounding toward me.
I straightened, pushing the heaviness away to meet her with a smile. “Hey, you.”
Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
:
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In her hands, she clutched onto something tightly. When she opened her palms, I chuckled. It was a small, carved wooden bear. Its shape was a little rough, the edges uneven, but its charm was undeniable.
“That’s cute,” I said.
Her smile stretched wide. “Grandpa Winston made it for me,” she exined proudly. Then her lips turned down into a frown, her little fingers brushing the side of the toy. “But the arm is broken.”
Sure enough, one of the tiny carved arms hung loose, dangling by just a sliver of wood.
I held out a hand. “Let me see.”
She ced it into my palm without hesitation, trusting mepletely.
“I’ll fix it,” I told her.
“Really?” Her eyes lit up.
“Really.”
I stood, searching around the porch until I spotted the toolbox tucked neatly against the wall. A screw and a screwdriver were all I needed. My hands weren’t the steadiest because I’d built a swing, patched up someone’s walls, and cut more firewood than I ever did in my entire life. However, I was determined to do my best for my daughter.
With Ca crouched beside me, watching every movement with hawk-like attention, I carefully fitted the arm back into ce, tightened the tiny screw, and tested the sturdiness. The bear’s arm stayed in ce, stiff but secure.
“There,” I said, handing it back to her. “Good as new.”
Her grin nearly knocked the wind out of me. “You’re the best, Mister! You made me a swing, and now you fixed my toy.”
Her voice dropped, and then she added the words that turned my whole world upside down.
“You’re like my dad.”
I froze.
The screwdriver slipped slightly in my hand before I set it down slowly, my breath catching.
I looked at her. Her wide eyes were so much like Tessa’s. Her smile was so unguarded and full
Chapter 232 Five Hundred Points
of love.
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I swallowed, the words catching before I finally managed, warily, “If I were your dad…” I let the question hang in the air, “Would you like that?”
Her eyes brightened instantly. “I would love that!” she eximed, throwing her little arms around my neck without hesitation. “I would love for you to be my
dad!”
For the first time today, it felt like I wasn’t losing.
I looked down at my daughter and whispered, “I would love that too.”