Violet Zerotta’s Hasty Marriage - Chapter 73

As he said, maybe she had always thought of him as a little immature. That he had thought all of this through so deeply was beyond what Violet had expected. In truth, it was probably she herself who had been going through each day thoughtlessly.

Feeling her mood soften, Violet wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“But we can’t live like this forever, Aldrick.”

She felt him nod above her head.

“Yeah. I’m dying already as it is.”

He nuzzled his cheek against her hair. His warm sigh landed on her face like a blessing.

“Let’s just go with the flow. And watch together whatever comes next. If we have a second child or whatever… we can think about that when the time comes, right?”

At his whisper, Aldrick buried his face into the crook of her neck as though finally letting himself break down.

“I love Rosetta as much as you do… but sometimes, I feel like there’s no room for me between you and her. Since she was born, I’ve started to feel like I’ve become just this bothersome presence to you…”

Once he started talking, as if everything he’d been holding back came rushing out, Aldrick clung to Violet’s small body and began to whine like a child.

She was the one being held in his broad arms, but for some reason, it felt like he was the one clinging to her.

“There, there. I’m sorry. I really was too inattentive. I was so caught up in everything, I didn’t notice your feelings.”

“I don’t blame you. But… seeing how much you love Rosetta… if we have more children, I just… I’m scared I’ll be pushed even further aside. It’s no wonder you think of me like a child. But this—this is really how I feel, Violet.”

As she soothed him, Violet gently stroked his soft blond hair. The big man burrowing into her arms felt so adorable. It was as if her attention, which had been entirely with Rosetta, had finally returned to him.

But there was something they still needed to confront. If they weren’t going to live here alone forever, it had to be talked about.

“Aldrick.”

“Yeah. I’m listening, Violet.”

At the sound of her name, spoken so tenderly, Aldrick pulled her even more tightly into his arms.

“Of course, if I had to name the most important person to me right now, it would be Rosetta. And if she gets younger siblings someday, then yeah, like you said, your place might fall behind.”

Aldrick lifted his head, clearly not expecting such a frank response. His face fell with disappointment, and Violet couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“But… well, eventually Rosetta will grow up and leave us, won’t she?”

“Yes…”

“And no matter how many children we have, once they’re all grown and off living their own lives, I’ll still be by your side.”

“Really?”

“Of course. And from that point on, whether you like it or not, you’ll be my number one again. So until then… could you wait just a little longer?”

She looked quietly into his green eyes, still full of love. Trapped between her hands, his handsome face relaxed into a faintly sheepish smile.

“Honestly, if I said I wasn’t hurt, I’d be lying. I even thought about throwing a fit and sulking in bed… but if it’s for our children, not just Rosetta, but the ones not even born yet—then I guess I’ve already lost to them.”

Such precious words deserved a reward.

Without thinking, Violet pressed a kiss to his lips. The soft, wet sound of skin meeting skin instantly thickened the air between them.

His intense gaze made her feel self-conscious. And she suddenly remembered—she was wearing nothing but a thin cloth, wrapped loosely around her bare body as she leaned against him.

As that realization hit, she squirmed a bit uncomfortably. But Aldrick locked his arms around her, holding her in place, and whispered into her ear.

“Then… is it really okay? I honestly meant to let you rest during this trip…”

His breath tickled her ear. She turned her face away, shivering slightly, and he teased her with a kiss along her neck. Though he asked for permission, his hands had already begun tracing her bare back through the thin fabric.

As his rough, heated palms glided across the cloth, a subtle spark began to kindle in Violet’s body.

His lips trailed down from her neckline to her collarbone, slowly, deliberately moving lower.