‹ Prequel: Guilty Pleasures
Status: Complete
An Old Beginning
Chapter 15
Naomi walked down the stairs, putting her earrings in when she saw Gerard. He sat in the living room with Michael, and he seemed to be eyeing her,
almost hungrily. Naomi shifted slightly under the extra attention but couldn’t stop the thrill that coursed through her.
“What?” she asked with a smile, straightening her coffee-colored pants in self-consciousness.
“You look beautiful, love,” he said softly, taking in the silky cream-colored top with the cowl neck. Her hair up in a loose bun with pieces falling to frame her face just seemed to complete the picture.
Naomi blushed under the praise and smoothed out her top. It was actually very modest compared to some of the other things he’d seen her in. The long sleeves partially covered her hands, and the only exposed skin was a hint of cleavage, but Gerard couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Gerard watched Naomi walk around the room, his look slowly turning to a frown.
‘She looks so grown up,’ he thought. ‘She doesn’t look old, just more mature.’
He realized, with a sinking heart, that he’d caused that look. He’d left her alone when she’d needed him the most, and it was his fault that a twenty year old girl could pass for a sophisticated twenty-five year old.
“Hey, what’s with that face?” Naomi asked with a concerned smile as she sat next to her son and his father.
“I was just thinking,” he said softly.
“About what?”
“You.”
“Me?”
Gerard looked down at the little boy, quietly flipping through the pages of a book. “It’s not important,” he murmured.
“I think it is,” she said softly.
Both jumped slightly at the knock on the door, seconds before Michael jumped up and fell on Gerard's stomach.
“Oomph!”
Naomi laughed as the little boy giggled, wrestling with his dad. She slowly got up, answering the door for Billie.
“He’s still here?” Billie asked, gesturing to the car parked in front of the house. “It’s been hours.”
“He’s watching Mikey tonight,” Naomi said with a shrug.
“He’s what?”
“Michael’s father is staying with him tonight,” Naomi clarified, letting him in to see the two wrestling around on the carpet.
“Well, isn’t this cozy,” Billie muttered sarcastically.
Naomi shot him a look before walking over to her son. “Gerard, my cell phone number is on the refrigerator next to Mom’s. She’s out for the night, but she said to call her if there’s anything you need and we’ll be back by nine.”
“Ten,” Billie said from the doorway.
Gerard glared at the other man before nodding at Naomi. “Bedtime at eight and you just fed him dinner. We’ll be fine,” he replied, picking up his son and carrying him over to Naomi.
“Bye bye, baby,” she said softly, smiling when he waved at her. “Can Mommy have a kiss?” Gerard felt his heart clench again when Michael leaned forward and left a drooly kiss on his mother’s lips. She laughed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “What a good kiss,” she praised as she ruffled his short brown curls. “You have fun with your Daddy.”
Gerard watched sadly as Naomi was led out the door with Billie's arm wrapped around her waist. ‘That should be me,’ he thought, growing more depressed before Michael pulled on his hair. He laughed at the little boy’s antics while putting him back on the floor for another tickling match.
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THRILL! A THRILL COURSED THROUGH HER! Joy to the world! She finally see's the light! Well.. Kinda. Don't worry. It's my story.. And where I am. Happiness shall follow =D
almost hungrily. Naomi shifted slightly under the extra attention but couldn’t stop the thrill that coursed through her.
“What?” she asked with a smile, straightening her coffee-colored pants in self-consciousness.
“You look beautiful, love,” he said softly, taking in the silky cream-colored top with the cowl neck. Her hair up in a loose bun with pieces falling to frame her face just seemed to complete the picture.
Naomi blushed under the praise and smoothed out her top. It was actually very modest compared to some of the other things he’d seen her in. The long sleeves partially covered her hands, and the only exposed skin was a hint of cleavage, but Gerard couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Gerard watched Naomi walk around the room, his look slowly turning to a frown.
‘She looks so grown up,’ he thought. ‘She doesn’t look old, just more mature.’
He realized, with a sinking heart, that he’d caused that look. He’d left her alone when she’d needed him the most, and it was his fault that a twenty year old girl could pass for a sophisticated twenty-five year old.
“Hey, what’s with that face?” Naomi asked with a concerned smile as she sat next to her son and his father.
“I was just thinking,” he said softly.
“About what?”
“You.”
“Me?”
Gerard looked down at the little boy, quietly flipping through the pages of a book. “It’s not important,” he murmured.
“I think it is,” she said softly.
Both jumped slightly at the knock on the door, seconds before Michael jumped up and fell on Gerard's stomach.
“Oomph!”
Naomi laughed as the little boy giggled, wrestling with his dad. She slowly got up, answering the door for Billie.
“He’s still here?” Billie asked, gesturing to the car parked in front of the house. “It’s been hours.”
“He’s watching Mikey tonight,” Naomi said with a shrug.
“He’s what?”
“Michael’s father is staying with him tonight,” Naomi clarified, letting him in to see the two wrestling around on the carpet.
“Well, isn’t this cozy,” Billie muttered sarcastically.
Naomi shot him a look before walking over to her son. “Gerard, my cell phone number is on the refrigerator next to Mom’s. She’s out for the night, but she said to call her if there’s anything you need and we’ll be back by nine.”
“Ten,” Billie said from the doorway.
Gerard glared at the other man before nodding at Naomi. “Bedtime at eight and you just fed him dinner. We’ll be fine,” he replied, picking up his son and carrying him over to Naomi.
“Bye bye, baby,” she said softly, smiling when he waved at her. “Can Mommy have a kiss?” Gerard felt his heart clench again when Michael leaned forward and left a drooly kiss on his mother’s lips. She laughed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “What a good kiss,” she praised as she ruffled his short brown curls. “You have fun with your Daddy.”
Gerard watched sadly as Naomi was led out the door with Billie's arm wrapped around her waist. ‘That should be me,’ he thought, growing more depressed before Michael pulled on his hair. He laughed at the little boy’s antics while putting him back on the floor for another tickling match.
-----------
THRILL! A THRILL COURSED THROUGH HER! Joy to the world! She finally see's the light! Well.. Kinda. Don't worry. It's my story.. And where I am. Happiness shall follow =D