Chapter 18

Nova

Nova would recognize that deep voice anywhere.

Henry.

She set Lila down, quietly ushering her into the next room, then pushed Susie aside. “What are you doing here?” she ground out, trying to keep her voice low so as not to frighten her daughter.

Henry smiled at Nova, and for a moment, as the morning sun caught his hair, the expression made him look like the same boyish young man he had once been. Sweet, charming, and utterly infectious.

He wore a simple crew-cut sweater, the very same type of sweater he used to wear when they were married, and had his hands tucked into the pockets of his smart trousers. Despite everything, he was just as handsome as the day Nova had met him.

“Nova,” he said lightly as if they were on good terms, “you look beautiful today.”

Nova jutted her chin out. “How did you find this address?”

Henry furrowed his brow like she was being ridiculous. “What do you mean? It’s listed in the phone book.”

Her heart sank. She should have thought of that; but in this day and age, hardly anyone used the phone book. She hadn’t considered that her ex-husband might use it as a tool to stalk her.

“Well, you’re not welcome here,” she commanded, pointing down the steps behind him. “Leave before I call the police.”

But Henry didn’t budge. If anything, when Nova ordered him to leave, his eyes gleamed with a challenge. “Nova, listen. I just want to meet my daughter. Her birthday is coming up, isn’t it? And I couldn’t help but hear through the door that she wants to go to the amusement park.”

Nova’s stomach twisted at the thought that he had been listening to her conversation through the door.

“She doesn’t want to go with—”

Before Nova could finish, a small voice said from behind her, “The… amusement park?”

Nova spun around, her eyes widening as she realized that Lila had slipped through the crack in the door and was now standing there. She could see Susie reaching for her from the doorway, whispering, “Lila, come back here—”

“Oh, what a sweet little thing.” Henry dropped to a crouch so he was eye-level with Lila. “You’re almost seven, aren’t you?”

“Uh-huh,” Lila replied, almost looking proud of herself. “I’ll be seven in just…” She counted on her fingers, then held up one hand. “Five days.”

“That’s wonderful. You look like a big girl already. I almost thought you were an adult for a second.”

Lila puffed her chest out at the praise, but Nova knew better than to fall for Henry’s tricks. Maybe she would have fallen for his false charm years ago, but not now. The version of Nova who would have believed he had good intentions had died seven years ago, the moment her child was born.

Nova was smarter now. Harder. More attuned to the dangers of the world now that she had a little one to care for.

“Lila,” Nova said, “go inside with Auntie. I’ll handle this man. Remember what I told you about stranger danger?”

Henry’s eyes flashed as he looked up at Nova. “Stranger danger? But I’m her—”

“You’re no one,” Nova cut him off, a warning in her icy tone. “Just a strange man who showed up at my home, where two children live, without an invitation. You should leave before the police come.”

Henry, however, looked unfazed by the thought of getting arrested.

“Oh, come now, Nova. I just want to take her to the amusement park for her birthday. I heard you’ve been busy working a lot lately, so I figured you could use the help.”

Nova bristled at the thought of him finding so much out about her, but held her ground. “No. You are not going anywhere with my daughter.”

Henry glanced at Lila, who was peeking at him from behind Nova’s legs. “Don’t you want to go to the amusement park, sweetheart?” he cooed. “I’ll take you on the ferris wheel and everything.”

Lila’s eyes lit up. Nova felt like she was going to be sick.

But then Lila seemed to make a decision and shook her head firmly. “No, thank you. My mommy doesn’t want me to go with you, so I won’t.”

Henry frowned. “But I thought you wanted to go to the amusement park very badly.”

She shrugged. “I do, but I would rather not go at all than go with you.”

Nova felt some of her fear deflate from her body. Her heart softened at Lila’s words; she was such a good girl, even when she was having a tantrum. Nova decided, then, that she wouldn’t miss Lila’s birthday; today, she would ask Dominic for that day off so she could take her to the amusement park.

“Well, she’s made up her mind,” Nova said, turning to Henry once more. “You should go now. Or I really will call the police.”

Henry’s lip curled, and for a moment, it looked like he might argue. But to Nova’s relief, he turned and left.

…

A little while later, Nova pulled a steaming tray of fresh cookies out of the oven, the scent of warm chocolate and sugar filling the spacious mansion kitchen. The coffee pot dinged at the exact same time, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Perfect timing.”

Setting down the tray of cookies to cool, she hurried over to the coffee maker and prepared two cups of coffee; one with cream and sugar for herself, and one black with just a pinch of sugar, just the way Dominic liked it.

This would be the perfect treat to soften her time-off request. Dominic was sure to say yes once he had a taste of Susie’s famous chocolate chunk cookies, even if Nova could never get the recipe quite right.

She found Dominic sitting on the swing on the back porch, watching Aria chase butterflies in the garden. Nova set the tray down in front of him.

“Coffee?” she asked, holding out one of the cups.

Dominic nodded and took the mug. Their fingers brushed as she handed it to him, and the contact made Nova shiver as if she had been shocked. The feeling was so unexpected and sudden that her hand jerked and she accidentally spilled the coffee onto Dominic’s chest.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry,” Nova said quickly, grabbing a nearby napkin. She began to dab at the rapidly-spreading stain.

But Dominic calmly caught her hand, his fingers squeezing tightly around hers.

“I’ve got it.”

Nova’s breath caught in her throat. She looked up at Dominic, and in that moment, everything else seemed to fall away. The sounds of Aria’s giggles, the smell of fresh cookies and coffee, the warm breeze…

It was just Nova and Dominic staring at each other now. Those golden eyes. That dark hair. So much like Lila’s… And those lips…

Was Nova imagining things, or did Dominic’s eyes drift down to her mouth, too?

Just then, a throat clearing caused them both to turn, breaking the tension. Beta Adam stood nearby with a perturbed look on his face.

“Sir, there’s a strange human man at the gate,” he said. “With a bouquet of roses…”

Nova knew right away, with a sinking feeling in her gut, that it had to be Henry.