CHAPTER 75: 75-GET A ROOM

Iris:

"Oh my god, get a room, you two," Lara was the first to break the awkward silence.

I had been too stunned to react, probably because of the way Kash was looking at me.

He looked like he had been betrayed, and it made me freeze, just watching his face.

There was a hint of disbelief in his eyes, and I wondered if I had looked at him with the same expression when he had hurt me.

Could he feel it now?

Could he understand why I had been so hurt?

My muscles tightened.

Finally, I wriggled free from Luca’s embrace and stood upright.

"Mommy, come on, quickly! Start the fire. We want to eat s’mores," Amy complained, pulling attention to herself.

Thankfully, it was the distraction I needed, giving eyes a reason to look away from me.

We returned to starting the fire. I got down on the ground and struck the flint and steel I had grabbed from the pile.

Sparks flew onto the dry leaves. I breathed gently at first, then harder, watching the tiny flame catch and grow.

The wind helped the smoke rise, spreading to the pile.

Soon, the flame reached the twigs, and I added a few more branches.

Luca didn’t help, but he was the first to smirk and lift his hands.

"Yes! This time we won," he celebrated.

My little kids were overjoyed.

They jumped off the stools and rushed toward us, wrapping their tiny arms around me in tight hugs.

"Mommy, you did it!" Colin cheered, celebrating with me.

I carried both of my kids and looked toward Kash and Lara.

Lara was pouting, arms folded over her chest like a child who had lost a toy.

Kash, however, stood with a slight smile, and I could tell he had let me win.

"Why didn’t you do it?" Lara complained to Kash, playfully slapping his chest.

His eyes, though, were focused on my children, happily jumping up and down.

Thankfully, the fire had caught. The flames reached upward, and the smell of smoke and wood filled the air.

It was so warm and comforting. After a little celebratory dance from my kids, we all settled around the fire.

"Mommy, Daddy, can I ask you a question?" Amy asked Kash.

Both Amy and Colin sat close to him, tugging at his attention.

I sat on a separate chair, wrapped in a shawl, with Luca on my side.

He played with the fire nonstop, holding a stick but also making sure it didn’t die down.

Lara sat next to Kash, but her expression was tired, probably from the way my kids were taking up most of his attention.

It was unfair for her to be upset. She had years with him, while my kids had just found their father.

Of course, they were too happy to notice his bitter fiancée beside him.

"Sure, you can ask me anything," Kash said to Amy, giving her his full attention.

His face was usually harsh, but whenever he looked at Amy or Colin, it softened, and a hint of affection appeared in his eyes.

"I know from my friends that when a man and a woman have kids, they get married. And I assume you and Mommy used to be married too?" Amy asked in a low, gentle murmur, but it caught everyone’s attention.

Lara’s ears perked up. Her eyes narrowed, as if she were pondering the question herself, or perhaps just surprised that Amy had asked it.

"Yeah, we were," Kash said. The cheerful smile on his face began to fade as he considered the topic.

"Then why don’t you live together?" Amy asked.

"Amy, what have I told you about not bringing up such topics?" I said, shaking my head at her for bringing it up again.

"No, I just want to know. Why did Daddy leave you?" she pressed.

I noticed Luca starting to smirk. He loved drama, and of course, he was enjoying this.

Lara, on the other hand, looked clearly upset by the topic.

Even though Kash seemed embarrassed, he still managed to pat Amy’s back in response.

"Well, let’s just say it didn’t work out, okay? But your Daddy will never leave you," he said to her.

I tried to be adult about it, but I couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness.

He had been my first everything, and his betrayal had left deep scars.

"Well, and also because your father liked me more, and your mother liked Luca more."

I guess it was unnecessary for Lara to speak up, but she did and it changed the atmosphere.

Luca started to chuckle without looking up from the fire, acknowledging that she had once again spewed some nonsense.

Kash, on the other hand, gave her a side glance.

"What? I’m just saying," she tried to play off, acting innocent and clueless.

That was when Amy and Colin started climbing off Kash’s lap.

"What happened?" Kash asked. The shakiness in his voice told me he understood, his kids were upset with him.

"It’s okay, Daddy. We’re just tired. We’ll sit with Mommy for a while, and then we’ll go to sleep," Amy and Colin said, holding hands as they rushed over to me around the fire.

I opened my arms and pulled them onto my lap.

"Do you want a s’more?" Luca asked. He was sitting alone, legs spread, toasting marshmallows to make s’mores.

"Yes, please," Amy responded, flashing him a smile.

My eyes landed on Kash. It seemed as if he didn’t like the shift in their attention from him to Luca. It even confused me.

But of course, I didn’t intervene. The kids were happy, enjoying the s’mores, temporarily forgetting what had upset them and moving away from their father, who had been enjoying their attention until now.

He sat in silence, head down, fingers clasped together.

Lara tried to speak to him, suggesting they roast marshmallows as well, but he didn’t respond.

Finally, he got up and walked away.

Luca noticed but kept entertaining the children.

Lara, on the other hand, stared at me for a moment before getting up and rushing after Kash into the cabin.