She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 88

(Natasha)

I'm in the rocking chair with Lily when I hear the front door open.

She's been unsettled all evening.

Not crying, just awake and unhappy about it, wanting to be held rather than put down.

I don't mind.

There's something about the dark nursery and her warm weight against my chest that I've always found quietly restorative, even when I'm exhausted.

The voices in the hallway are low.

I can see the lit rectangle of the doorway from where I'm sitting, the door slightly ajar, but they can't see me.

The room behind me is completely dark.

I hear Sonia's voice first, soft and solicitous.

"I can go and check on Lily. You must be tired."

A pause.

"She's my daughter."

Chase's voice is measured, but there's something underneath it. A tightness that isn't quite irritation, but it’s damn close.

"I'll check on her. Go to bed, Sonia."

Another pause. Longer this time.

"Of course." A shift in her tone, her voice turning even gentler. More accommodating.

"You must have missed her tonight. If you don't want to be alone, I could stay with you. I'm feeling so much stronger now and I want to be there for you, Chase. I really do."

The silence that follows has weight.

I don’t know why I’m holding my breath and feeling anxious as I wait to hear Chase’s response.

"I have an early meeting." His voice is flat.

"You should sleep in your own room. I’ll probably be with Lily for a while, I don’t want to keep you waiting up for me."

I can't see her face, but I can picture it perfectly.

The brief flicker of something real, and then the careful arrangement back into sweet understanding.

"Of course," she says again, quieter. "Goodnight."

Her footsteps move away down the hall.

His doesn't, for a moment.

Then Chase steps into the nursery, reaching automatically for the star-shaped nightlight on the dresser.

Soft light blooms across the room and finds me immediately, Lily asleep against my shoulder.

Chase stops and stares at me with an expression I can't immediately read.

His tie is loosened. There's something slightly glazed about his eyes.

Not dramatically, but enough. A whiskey or three, if I had to guess.

The silence stretches.

"I missed you tonight," he says.

I smile, the way you smile when someone says something sweet but slightly incoherent.

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