His Queen (18+)

Chapter X

I couldn't give Teo a bath in the shower unless I was going to use the sink instead. And there was no way I was going to put my child in the small, nasty sink that stared back at me.

This was the only bathroom I had ever used when I worked there so it was the only one I really felt comfortable with, but I guess comfort meant nothing to me when I started climbing the stairs, making my way straight to Daniel's room.

The same tacky paintings and antique vases with fake plants decorated the hallway, making the memories from two years ago come back. I could still remember the last time I walked down this very hallway.

I shook the grotesque and probably exaggerated image of myself dying from rat poison out of my head and stopped in front of Daniel's room. I reached towards the doorknob, ready to open it before catching myself and stepping back.

Maybe two years ago we were close enough for me to just barge into his room like I owned it, but that was two years in the past. Things were different; everything had changed.

“Should I knock?” I asked Teo as I knocked on the door anyway. He still nodded his head, not seeing a reason to not answer me.

There was shuffling behind the door, but nobody made a move to answer it or even call out to me to come in. I knew he was in there though - I could hear him walking around, picking and dropping stuff.

And if he thought I couldn't, I was a mother. How did he think I caught the boy when he was up to no good?

“Daniel,” I called out, knocking again.

All movement in the room seized and for a minute, I thought he had collapsed and died. I realised that he had, unfortunately, not because there would have to be some kind of thud heard.

“Come in.”

His voice was low and sent a shiver down my spine that I tried my best to hide. Composing myself, I turned the handle and let myself into his room, letting my eyes scan over my new surroundings.

Of course, it was the same from last night, but now Daniel was in sight, rummaging through his closet for something to wear I assumed. I was surprised that he was up this early even though I knew I shouldn't have been. Sleeping troubles seemed to be a generational curse.

His exposed body glistened with water, the after affects of a shower and he had a towel draped dangerously loose around his waist. His curly hair was soaked to the point where his curls were weighed down and looked like waves instead.

“Can I give Teo a bath in your bathtub?” I asked, bouncing him up higher as if that would make Daniel see him anymore.

He looked away from his closet to us instead and I felt my body heat up from having his eyes on me. He looked at Mateo for a brief second before looking back at me and shrugging.

I took that as a yes and made my way straight over to the bathroom, just wanting the awkward conversation to end.

Teo wasn't the most fond of taking baths since I usually called him for one when he was doing something else. This time, he didn't put up a fight and stayed relatively calm

When we had finished, I wrapped him up in a warm towel that I had left on the towel rack before walking out of the bathroom and back into the room only to freeze at the doorframe.

Teo remained oblivious to why I had stopped walking, him pulling my hair being the thing that broke me out of my shock. I smiled at him and took my hair out of his grasp before turning back to Daniel who I was surprised to see was still there.

He was dressed now with his hair styled back and his white shirt tucked into his dark suit pants. Even then, half of his shirt was unbuttoned and his tie looked like it had been done up but then untied in the last minute. There was a frown on his lips as he stared down at his phone.