Bad Pet (His Pet)

Myah finally beams at me, then nods.

“We can stay here in New York for a few more days. First, I’ll take some time off work, and then, you can take me to all of your favorite places in the city. I also want to meet your friends who have helped you cope with Laura.”

“That is a great idea, Dad. But unfortunately, my friends have always thought that you were dead or something.” I wince. She drops her gaze. “That’s not a great thing to do. I’m sorry.”

“No worries, darling. Let’s just tell them that I’m still alive now.”

I don’t know why that made me laugh, but I suddenly burst into fits of laughter. Myah joins in, and I finally feel that maybe there is a chance for my daughter and me.

I look at Sloane, who has been quietly listening to us, and smile at her. All my negative feelings towards her are gone. Instead, I just feel grateful that she had taken Myah in and made her feel safe.

“You can stay here tonight, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” I start, “or you can check out the suite that we have now. There’s a spare room there with more than a hundred channels and of course, the unlimited room servi—”

Before I can finish, Myah scrambles off the sofa and runs to one of the rooms. So now, I’m all alone with Sloane.

“Thank you so much, Ms. Keeley —”

“I think we’re past the formalities by now. Sloane. Call me, Sloane.”

I meet her eyes, and they have this very familiar glint in them. And I can remember feeling this way too when I saw her at the restaurant. So who is this girl?

“Sloane, thank you.”

She grins at me, and I can’t help but grin back.

“It’s nothing. Your daughter is such a fun person to be with. She brings joy to the people around her. And to be honest, I’m surprised that I felt that way about her because before I met her, I didn’t really think about having kids. But now, I’m starting to feel like I need a Myah, who will always keep me on my toes, trying to make me do things that scare me. So if it’s anything, I’m the one thankful for meeting her.”

I beam at her. Myah is indeed a very fantastic person, and it’s all her. Laura and I didn’t play a role in making this wonderful person. Sloane has helped me realize how much more I’m missing by being absent in my daughter’s life.

Myah runs back to the living room with a backpack. That’s all? I want to ask her, but I don’t want to ever make her feel bad about herself again.

“Ready to go, Myah?”

“Uh-huh.”

I notice my daughter looking at Sloane. Then, she looks up to me and holds my hand.

“Don’t you want to say goodbye to Sloane?”

Myah doesn’t look back at her and murmurs a soft goodbye. We walk to the door, and before we leave, I turn back to Sloane.

“I’ll have Andrew set a meeting with your boss’ secretary about the contract. I’ll see you then.”

Sloane suddenly glows and beams at me. Her eyes light up. I feel like I’ve seen that. Have we met somewhere before?

Chapter Twenty - Sloane

The looming silence in my house is a constant reminder of what happened a few days ago: a joyful father-daughter reunion and my growing affection for the father. Most of the time, these thoughts make me sad. I miss Myah. She really is a bringer of joy and laughter, especially with her no-nonsense attitude and life advice. Sometimes, she sounds more adult than Reese.

I also miss Owen. He hasn’t been sending random invitations to my masked lady account, which hopefully means that he is spending most of his time with his daughter. It’s a happy enough thought that I slip off from sadness into melancholy. I wish I could spend more time with them both. Fortunately, I will get half of them today.

I smile at my mirror and recheck my outfit. It’s just another pencil skirt and simple blouse, but I feel like I need to see if it’s a good enough match to catch Owen’s eyes. I start giggling, feeling so giddy about meeting the General again. After a final look at the mirror, I hurry to my car and drive to the office. There is a slight hold-up on the way, but it’s not enough to make me feel bad. I find myself still smiling as I make the final turn to McKenzie, Inc., and I still have the corner of my lips up as I cross the lobby. I even mutter good morning to anyone who meets my eyes, startling a cleaner I meet by the elevator.

Is it that unusual for me to be in such a great mood?

The elevator finally stops at my floor. I wave at the receptionist, then head for my office. I do a final outfit and makeup check before heading out for Ashton and Kane’s area. Inside, the bosses are arguing over amendments to the contract I sent them yesterday. I let out a sigh. These two like to procrastinate too much, and I don’t want to get dragged into their exchanges. So, I walk to the fire exit and wait for them to quiet down.