The Sins of Duke Evander (BOOK III)

Chapter 17- A Goodnight Kiss

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"This is Alina's room, it's a bit girly, but that's what you'll have to expect from a 6-year-old girl," Her Nonna chuckled as I walked into the room.

Everything... was pink. 

It truly felt like walking into the life of a little girl in the early 2000s. There were One Direction posters hung up on the wall, barbie dolls placed neatly next to a dollhouse on the cabinet, the walls were pink, but at least the floorboard wasn't pink, it was white.

Fairylights hung on the wall behind the double beds' headboard, and family pictures were framed on the wall... I don't think I have ever felt so out of place before.

"My husband's gone fishing with his friends, I'll let you know when he comes home so you can greet him," I absentmindedly nodded my head, still awestruck by the room. I can just imagine a young Alina fangirling over the boys from that band. 

The sound of hurried feet approaching us was heard, and as I turned my head away from the barbie dolls, Alina was stood there by the doorframe, panting as she glared at her grandmother.

"What are you doing, Nonna?" She asked, face red in embarrassment.

"I'm just showing your husband where he'll be staying? Anything wrong with that?"

"I thought he'd be staying in the guest room," She whisper shouted.

"Why would he be staying in the guest room? He's your husband, so it only makes sense for him to stay with his wife," You know, I really liked her grandmother.

"But-But... Don't you think the bed is too small? He won't fit," Seriously? That's the best excuse that my darling wife could come up with? Besides, the smaller the bed, the better it was for us.

"Now, it's not like you to be all shy, Alina," Her Nonna chuckled.

"Yes, it is. You know that I'm a shy person," She replied, baffled.

"Point is, you are both husband and wife, it's only natural for you to share a bed, it's how couples grow closer, and how marriages last," Yes, I think I did like the grandmother.

The conversation was cut short when we heard the front door being unlocked. 

"Is anyone home!?" An old man's voice called. Oh, he must be back from fishing.

"Oh, yes we're home darling, did you have fun with your friends?!" Nonna shouted back, spinning on her heels as she left the room.

"Why yes, I did. We caught some-" The poor man got cut off.

"Forget that. You'll never guess who came to visit us today?" If only my wife was excited to see me as her grandmother is...

Talking about my wife, she stood there glaring at me with a furious blush tinting her cheeks and chuckling at her, I turned to look at the posters that hung on the wall. 

"You never told me you were a one direction fan?"

She gasped, embarrassed, quickly running and grabbing a hold of my arm as she tried pulling me out of the room. "The cringy self that I used to be no longer exists," I laughed at her reply, standing back as I watched her close the door before she gave me one more glare and stormed down the stairs to go and greet her grandfather.

And I can safely say, that this old couple has no qualms against me, I guess it really is just Alina's father that has a problem with me.

"Do you like chess?" Her grandfather asked me, eyes twinkling with the hope of a good reply, but I wasn't one to satisfy the desire of someone else if it meant gaining nothing for myself. Lucky for him, I did, in fact, like chess.