It’s the Small Things
Luna
I never want Tucker to feel as though he can’t trust me, but what if I fuck up with his daughter? I would give anything to pop outside and just go for a walk, but I can’t. Not only because I don’t know when he’ll be back, but also because it would be a betrayal.
After everything I’ve been through with these guys, the way I changed, I can’t do it. That and I don’t feel safe going out alone, if the strangler is a Harkwright then who knows where they are.
“Daddy, where’s your friend?”
Ahhh shit, he’s going to come look for me and I do not want him to walk in here and see me hiding in the bath.
Why didn’t I choose the bedroom? It wouldn’t be half as weird as this.
“Luna, get your sweet a… bum out here.”
I bite down on my lip and it is adorable that he won’t swear, I think this is going to be an interesting side to see when it comes to Tucker. Maybe I’ll finally see his softer side.
The bedroom door opens and closes, as does the spare room that I guess belongs to Belle. It isn’t long before the handle turns and the door opens with a swishing noise. His face meets mine and his eyes flash before he shakes his head. Did he think I had left? Shit, it probably did look like that, but at least he knows I didn’t.
“Why are you hiding in the bath?” he asks with a sigh.
“Because I didn’t consider the bedroom… I’m nervous, Tuck. I don’t know if I’m any good with kids.” I rub at my chest as he walks closer and offers me his hand. I slide mine against his and he pulls me up before his hands go to my waist and he lifts me out of the bath.
“Tough shit. She’s here and you need to come and say hello. Don’t be rude to my daughter, Luna.” He lifts his brow and my spine stiffens, as I jerk my head down.
Fine, looks like I’m going to spend time with a four year old. Oh yay, I can’t wait.
We walk into the living room, with his hand resting against my shoulder. A pretty little girl is sitting on the sofa with mousy brown hair, a cute little nose and baby blue eyes. Her daddy’s eyes.
“Belle baby, this is Luna. She’s so excited to meet you.” He smiles wide as he pushes me forward slightly and she lifts her eyes to mine.
“Hi, Belle, it’s lovely to meet you.” I crouch down so we’re eye to eye and she looks at me with more scrutiny than I expected from a four year old. She has Tucker’s blue eyes and they are so innocent on her. I guess that makes sense though, but she doesn’t have his nose and her face is more round compared to his. I guess she must take after her mother in that respect, it makes me wonder more about who she is.
“Do you like Frozen? I like Elsa, but Anna is… brave.” She looks up at Tucker and he nods his head and she returns her attention to me. “Brave, she don’t run.”
“Doesn’t, baby, it’s she doesn’t run.” Tucker laughs, and she pokes her tongue out at him.
“I’ll make us all some lunch. Don’t forget to answer her question, Tiny One.”
He walks away and I swallow hard. I’m petrified and it’s ridiculous. Clearly, I’m nothing like a Disney princess, if I’m wanting to run away from a little girl.
“I’ve never seen it, I never really watched cartoons growing up.” I sit down beside her, and I jump as her little hand falls on top of mine.
She comes closer, her face mere inches from mine, before she shrieks. I can’t help but shriek a little myself. Tucker is back with us in no time, and if looks could kill, well, I don’t think they’d even be a body left for them to bury.
“What’s the matter?” he demands, as he tries to pick her up, but she ducks and twists before stopping behind him.
“Daddy, I was talking to my friend. Rude.” Her palm connects with his ass and my mouth drops open as his eyes open wider. He straightens up before turning around.
“Sorry, princess, I was just worried.” He gives her a kiss and she wipes it away before coming back to me.
“We watch Frozen now. You can be Elsa. You look like Elsa.” She grips a strand of my hair and my heart melts a little bit. Hey, if I look like a princess, who am I to knock it?
We watch the entire film, with Belle singing along to all the songs, before Tucker comes back in with lunch. Sandwiches cut into squares for Belle and tacos for us. Damn, I do love tacos.
“It sounds like you two were having fun,” he says with nothing but adoration on his face as he looks down at her.
“She looks like Elsa, but no powers.” She shrugs her little shoulder before returning to her sandwich.
“Yeah, I guess she does.” His eyes stray to me and I give a small smile before biting into my taco. If I’m eating, then I can’t speak.
It feels like we’ve hit the fast forward button or something, how is it already the party? It’s been lovely getting to know Belle and seeing what Tucker is like. Caring, patient, never once straying to his phone, and he’s nice. Even to me, he hasn’t been sarcastic or cruel once.
The only thing I don’t understand, why aren’t there any other Harkwrights here? How can he have a daughter and be so unattached from the family? It feels so strange to me. That and it won’t just be his adoptive parents here, but also his birth mom. That wouldn’t happen if he thought for a single second that Sir could make an appearance.
“Okay, mom is getting Belle ready. Apparently, I’m not good with putting her hair up, so that gives me at least twenty minutes,” Tucker says, as he wraps his arm across my shoulders and pulls me in.
“I have a question for you, I know you probably won't answer, but…” I trail off as I stare up at him.
I like that I stutter even less around him now, the more time together we have, the easier it is. I still don’t want to like him, but how can I not? I thought he was one of the few Harkwrights that I could miss if he suddenly vanished from my life, but I didn’t think it would actually affect me. Am I decisively forgetting all the things he has done for me or do I just replace it with all of the memories of him being cruel, without any reason for it?
Do I not want to like him? I think that’s the reason, I’m more scared of liking him than I’ve ever feared anything before. I’ve long believed he could destroy me, but seeing him as a father just cements that thought even more. It’s like the world has been turned upside down or I’ve landed in an alternate reality, but he’s been amazing. If he was like this all the time, I don’t think I’d ever be able to walk away. Maybe it’s a good thing that he is so abrasive, it stops me from making an even bigger mess for myself. I have no idea how I’m going to make it through this next year, but at least I’ll have Tucker… right?
“I’ll answer your questions, just give me a minute. Belle is eyeing up the dessert table and that could be a disaster.” He drops a kiss on my forehead before rushing over to her. He keeps kissing me on the head, why?
“Luna, it’s so lovely to see you again,” Sophie walks towards me and pulls me into her arms for a moment. I’m still feeling a little dazed, so I’m not even reacting to the sudden hug.