Chapter 162: I feel like I can see the world
When the pancakes came in, Olivia’s eyes glittered in excitement and Michael poured some honey on her dish.
She was excited. It was so big.
Even if she couldn’t finish it, which she wouldn’t admit, Michael would just take the rest from her.
They watched her eat while exchanging small conversations and meaningful laughs.
Noah reached across Olivia and swiped the little bit of pancake that was stuck on the side of her lips and then smiled at her.
Then, his fingers grazed Michael’s cheek briefly. It was soft and silent, but Michael could understand what he was trying to say.
Words didn’t need to be said between them to be able to convey their intentions and that was why Michael didn’t pull away.
His hand shifted slightly, brushing against Noah’s as their fingers came into contact, not quite holding hands, not yet, but close enough to show a strong level of intimacy.
And they were doing this in front of Olivia.
On their way out of the restaurant, discussing where they wanted to go next, Olivia paused for a moment and they followed along.
"Hey, Daddy?" she called, tugging Noah’s arm, catching both their attention.
"Yeah, sweetheart?"
"You’re not going to start working so soon again, are you? You won’t suddenly need to leave again, will you?"
The question hit them, without giving them a moment to prepare for it.
Since they had already talked a lot the previous night, Noah thought maybe she wouldn’t bring things up like this again.
After all, it only made the atmosphere heavy.
He already knew what he was going to do and what he had to do so he didn’t exactly need to be told.
Noah crouched down to her level, cupping her face gently. "I’m not going anywhere, Liv."
"Liv?" Olivia tilted her head.
"Don’t you like it? It’s a nickname I came up with from your name." He asked, stroking her hair. "And don’t worry. Though I missed everything, I don’t want to miss a second more. Okay?"
She nodded solemnly, then hugged him with her whole body, her little arms wrapping around his neck.
"Okay. Then can we go to the pet cafe after the cinnamon rolls?" she asked.
"You want to get cinnamon rolls after eating that many pancakes?" Noah asked.
"Yes, Daddy."
"And a Pet café?" Michael arched a brow.
They were just wondering where they wanted to go but it looked like she had it all planned out.
One could almost assume she had made a plan before this day before she pleaded not to go to school.
"Yeah, we can get the cinnamon rolls, right?" She asked, her eyes twinkling, and not waiting for them to respond, she continued. "And the pet café is also great. The one where the cats just jump on your head for no reason!"
"It’s chaotic, though." Michael said but then he wondered. They were descendants of wolves and were far more intelligent, but they surely had that feline trait somewhere so maybe that’s why she wanted to go there.
"I think it should be fine." Noah said and then picked her up to place her on her shoulder.
It was way high up and Olivia grabbed her father’s ears, as if planning to steer him with it.
"I feel like I can see the world."
"Nope, honey, you’re just seeing the entirety of ’your’ world. The world is far bigger than that." Michael said and Olivia pouted.
Did he have to ruin the fun?
"Daddy, support me." Olivia quickly demanded but Noah didn’t even know what to say. He guessed he could just take her side this time, and if Michael got mad, he’d try to pacify him later.
"Right. You can definitely see the world." He said and Michael rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"You’re your father’s child, after all. So he’d definitely take your side."
"Hm, I’m both your child!" she said, proudly smiling. "And today, I get everything. Cinnamon rolls. Cats. And maybe... hot chocolate with too much cream." she said and began to sweat, knowing her demand would be rejected.
"Nope, no chocolate." Michael immediately said and she darted her eyes away.
She just knew it.
"You had chocolate two days ago and yesterday as well because it was an exception. I can’t get you any more today, Olivia. You’ll have to make do with strawberries."
"Oh, darn it." She rested her chin on top of her father’s head, a little disappointed, but she guessed it was fine.
She didn’t have too much hope that he would agree to begin with. She just wanted to try her luck.
"Anyway, enough of that." Noah said and slowly laced his hands with Michael’s. "Let’s go get our baby her cinnamon rolls."
After they got the cinnamon rolls, they went to a pet café. Though it was quite a long drive from their location, they were ready to do anything for Olivia at this point.
So long it didn’t involve feeding her more chocolate.
Olivia was very excited, but as the excitement began to weigh her down, her eyelids began to grow heavy by the second, and despite her will, she ended up falling asleep.
Michael saw this and placed his index finger over his lips, telling Noah and the other two in front to be quiet henceforth, and they obeyed.
Noah interlocked his fingers with Michael and stared at his face with their little girl sleeping in between them.
He stared into his eyes and caught the subtle gestures in Michael’s gaze. The way his eyelashes sometimes flickered and the way his eyes softened with every second they bore into each other.
Alyssa and Roland had to exit the car so as not to get caught up in their little moment and they took a walk around the block.
It didn’t take long before the couple who were lost in each other’s eyes also fell asleep, their heads pressed together.
Roland and Alyssa took a little walk around.
Roland took out a cigarette he never failed to keep in his pocket and Alyssa suddenly brought out a light to help him out.
He looked at her as she lit his cigarette without his permission and then rolled his eyes away. What was she thinking this time?
"If you want to know what I’m thinking, you can just ask." She said but he took the cigarette from his lips, blew out the smoke, and said,
"Nah, I’ll pass."
Even if he was curious about her thoughts, he felt he didn’t exactly need to know what she was thinking to know what she was thinking.
She was the kind who acted before thinking at times. And she would eventually spill what was on her mind, given how much her thoughts weighed her down.
"Do you think we’ll be let off now that the Alpha is back?"
Bingo.
Roland didn’t exactly need to ask because she would end up spilling her thoughts either way.
"I don’t know." He answered. "But what I do know is that I’ll be getting paid soon, so..."
He didn’t express his intention of wanting to leave as soon as he got paid but he did look forward to being rich. That was it.
Alyssa looked at him.
What if they got let off? Then, they’d have to go their separate ways, wasn’t it?
She’d go back and report to her boss and he’d go back to being a rogue with nothing to do and just live his life however.
At that time, she would no longer see him and he would no longer think of her.
Ah, that’s a bit depressing.
She decided to change the topic before he validated her thoughts.
"When you looked at me at the time I lit your cigarette, what were you thinking?" Alyssa asked.
But Roland did not answer right away.
He wanted to make her feel a bit of impatience but she was already feeling that, seeing the way she had been looking at him for a while now.
"Well, I was just thinking that it felt like you were actually supporting my habit out of the blue."
They both went silent and she laughed.
"I can’t stop you anyway." She said and walked ahead. "But it doesn’t mean I approve it. You’re lucky Olivia doesn’t get influenced by what you do."
"Please, she knows just as much as you that smoking is bad so she gives me that same look you give me." He said, sneering in disbelief. "That’s one thing she does that reminds me of you a lot."
He put his cigarette in his mouth and then paused.
What did he just say?
He rolled his eyes towards Alyssa, wondering if she caught on to what he said or if she just took it literally.
And he found her blushing.
She definitely took it personally.
"How... How does it remind you of me?" She asked and he felt exhausted all of a sudden.
’Ugh, I didn’t mean for this to happen.’ he thought, rolling his eyes away. "Well, what else? She makes that same reaction on her face and it’s what you make everything. It’s hard not to think of you when she looks like that."
