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I nod as I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. The rush of memories from that unforgettable concert and the magical night we shared flooded back to me in a wave of emotions.
The music still played in my mind, each note resonating with the warmth and joy I felt in his presence. It was like reliving a dream, a perfect moment frozen in time.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Anya," he murmurs, as if he felts the same.
A surge of longing and desire takes over me as I stare into his mesmerizing eyes. "If you missed me so much," I whisper breathlessly, "then kiss me."
CHAPTER 11
Anya
Ishamelessly asked Brandon for a kiss last night, and he turned me down. He said he didn’t want to hurt me again, and he didn’t want to hurt Spencer.
And he was right to. We were in the middle of a bonfire night. It would have been the topic of the week in Meadowvale if we actually kissed in public for everyone to see.
I grab a handful of my hair and pull it.
Anya, what were you thinking?
I wasn’t thinking. My body had taken control, refusing to resist Brandon despite my better judgment. And it had acted out. I feel embarrassment over what I did splintering through me. How on Earth am I supposed to face him now? I groan.
Kira's laughter fills the room as she reaches up to touch my face, placing her fingers between my lips. I playfully nibble on them before she pulls her hand away, still giggling. For a brief moment, her sweet melody of laughter helps me forget about the embarrassment weighing heavily on my mind.
Her hand reaches for my face once again, her eyes shining with delight as her fingers glide playfully over my cheek. I can't help but return her smile, caught up in her infectious joy. But as the laughter dies down and silence fills the room once more, reality crashes back onto me like a tidal wave. I can't avoid him - I have to confront Brandon and come clean about what happened last night being just a result of drinking. But that is a lie.
With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly leave the comfort of the bed and start getting ready for work. Kira follows me around the room, picking things up and tossing them aside. Whoever claimed that the newborn stage was the toughest part of motherhood clearly never experienced the chaos of toddlerhood.
But it’s also interesting, watching my daughter grow from a helpless little baby, who relied on crying to get whatever she needed, to an active toddler who runs around all day full of energy.
"Mama," she says in her adorable baby voice. She is starting to speak more, but only my ears can decipher the words. Gianna, who has been spending more time with her, is slowly catching up. I sink onto the bed and lower myself to Kira's level. My face lights up in a wide grin. "What do you need, sweetheart?"
She giggles and holds out her hand to me. I open her tiny palm and find a piece of something in it, a button I recognize from Brandon’s shirt from last night. How did it get here?
I take the button from my daughter, running a finger over it and thinking. It must’ve gotten stuck in my hair or something. Now I have to return it. My shoulders slack because I really don’t want to. It will take me time to brave up and talk to a man who turned down a kiss from me last night.
Still, I pat Kira’s head. “Thank you, baby.”
Her giggle fills my chest with so much warmth. Kira has such a resemblance to Brandon that I’m surprised no one has figured out she’s his daughter. Mrs. Jackson mentioned once that she reminds her of when Brandon was a baby. I crossed my heart, desperately hoping she wouldn’t playfully ask if he and I had ever been in a relationship. Luckily, she didn’t.
Once I’m done packing, I lift Kira into her carrier. She’s on the taller side like her father and already growing out of it, but I need it if I’m to carry the extra bags I’m bringing along with me.
I squint as I walk out onto the front porch, setting down my bags and using my hand to shield my eyes from the bright sun. It feels especially hot today, with the sun beating down a little stronger than usual.
The walk to the vet clinic will be a struggle with Kira in tow, along with my bags, trying not to melt in the heat. I turn back to lock the door before picking up my belongings and heading out into the blazing sunlight. As I pass by the Jackson cottage, I hear a familiar voice that causes me to quickly turn in its direction.
Brandon is jogging toward me, basically glowing under the morning sun. He’s wearing a short-sleeved shirt that’s showing off his biceps and a pair of shorts. He’s incredibly gorgeous today, the way he always is.
And I am so embarrassed I wish the ground would open wide and swallow me. I think of ignoring him and walking away as fast as my legs and the weight on me can allow, but something tells me he’ll just walk fast enough and catch up with me.
“Hey,” he says with a smile when he stops in front of me. For someone who’s just jogged almost a mile, he’s not sweaty or panting. He’s really fit, and his body holds all the evidence.
“Hey,” I echo. My tongue swipes over my lips. It’s costing me a lot of energy to stop my cheeks from turning red. “What do you want?”
“I spotted you from afar and thought you’ll need some help.” He pauses when his gaze drops to Kira.
She’s intently looking at him, clearly curious at the unfamiliar face. Brandon is staring back at her with much more intensity and curiosity, as if trying to decipher her.
My heart is almost jumping out of my throat. What if he finds out? I mean, Kira looks like what I imagine his female doppelganger would look like.
