The Man Who Has No Love (Soulless 3)

“Just stay here and enjoy your breakfast.” I left the bedroom and shut the door behind me. When I made it to the front door, the doorbell rang again. I opened it, unable to hide my annoyance when I looked at her. “It’s eight in the morning.”

She was in her skintight leggings and a sports bra, her chiseled body on display. “Yes, I can read a clock.” She wrapped her arm around Derek and guided him forward. “I’m going on a run with some girls I met in this exercise group. We’re going to lunch after. Could you watch Derek for a while?”

“Of course. But you could have let me know yesterday.” Now I had Cleo inside, and I couldn’t just sneak her out or abandon her in the bedroom.

“Why? You wanted this, didn’t you?” she snapped.

I turned to Derek. “Hey, little man. Come inside and let me talk to Mom.”

He bowed his head and walked inside, wanting to disappear from the fight.

I stepped into the hallway. “Yes, I did want this. But I also have a personal life.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze hard.

“A fifteen-minute warning is enough. But give me some warning, alright?”

“You got a skank in there right now?”

Definitely not a skank. “No. But I’m a single guy, Valerie.”

She was pissed at that moment, but not nearly as pissed as she’d be at the thought of it being Cleo. “How would you feel if I had some hunk staying over, and I just dropped Derek off?”

“I’d say it’s your business and none of mine. That’s the nice thing about us living close together, I can take him off your hands whenever you need privacy. But just give me some warning. That’s all I ask.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Bye.” She walked down the hallway, tall, lean, and toned.

I used to find her body incredible. Now she was just the devil in disguise. I wasn’t buying what she was selling.

I returned to the condo.

Derek was on the couch with his backpack open beside him. He had a coloring book out, like he was flipping through to decide what to draw next. He stayed quiet, as if he felt like an intrusion.

“Hey, Derek.” I took the seat beside him.

“Hey.” He kept his eyes down. He wasn’t his usual bubbly self. He was subdued, sad.

My hand went to his shoulder. “I made breakfast. Want some?”

“Nah.”

“It’s waffles and tater tots.”

He still wasn’t enticed. “No thanks.” He kept flipping through the pages.

I knew I was the reason he was acting this way…because I’d fucked up. “Derek, I’m very happy to have you here. It’s not you.”

He kept flipping.

“Derek?”

He ignored me.

I took the book out of his hand. “Look at me.”

He raised his gaze and looked at me.

“It’s not you. I just…” I tried to think of an excuse. “Cleo is here, and I didn’t want your mother to know.”

“Cleo is here all the time.”

“Yeah…but she spent the night.”

Derek was too young to really understand, but he was smarter than most, so he got some of it. “Ooh…like a sleepover?”

“Yeah. I knew your mom wouldn’t like it. Just caught me by surprise.”

“So, she’s here?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah. In my bedroom.”

“I’m gonna say hi.” He immediately moved off the couch.

I grabbed him by the arm. “Whoa, hold on. Let me tell her you’re here.”

“Why?”

Because she was buck naked. “Just don’t want you to scare her. I’ll be right back.” I went into the bedroom.

Cleo had left her full plate on the nightstand, like she’d been too nervous to eat. “What happened?”

“Valerie dropped off Derek.”

“Ooh…”

“I told him you were here.”

“You did?” she asked in surprise.

“Yeah. He wants to come say hi.”

She got out of bed and went into the closet to grab her dress clothes.

“I don’t want you to leave.” I opened my drawer and pulled out pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. “We can still enjoy our day with him here.”

“What about when Valerie comes back?”

“You’ll hide in here.” I put the clothes in her arms. “We’ll lie in bed and watch cartoons. That’s what Derek likes to do on the weekends.”

She was still nervous.

“It’ll be alright.” I left the bedroom and returned to the main room. “Derek, you want breakfast?”

“Is it really waffles and tots?” he asked, like he didn’t trust me.

“Yes.”

“Then, yeah.” He got off the couch and followed me.

I made him breakfast, and after he scarfed it down, he changed into his pajamas and joined me in my bedroom.

When he saw Cleo in bed, her hair brushed but her makeup gone, he ran to the bed and climbed on her. “Cleo!”

She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him. “Hey, Derek.”

He settled beside her in the big bed, pulling the sheets up as he got comfortable. “Are you going to turn on cartoons?”

“Sure.” She smiled and reached for the remote. “What channel is it?”