Slim |✓ (Book Three of the Van Dyk series)

17|Normal

Mila

It's been another two weeks we are spending the weekend at Holden's beach house a little downstate. Holden and I are only getting closer.

I'm enjoying every second with him. He's gorgeous and I love helping out with Esme, he said he was scared we wouldn't be anything and Esme would get attached to someone that's just leaving.

He was worried at first, but I don't feel like going anywhere.

The beach house is beautiful, we arrived yesterday, and the outside is sky blue, it looks like your average beach house but quite fancy.

I mean his family is rich with doctors so they'd have plenty of money to get something like this.

I had nothing else to do and this was a last-minute plan to get Esme to enjoy this summer.

He said he had no idea what to buy her for summer so I took her out shopping with me. I got her swimmers, I got sunscreen cute outfits that she picked out, and I got her sandals and a bucket hat.

She didn't really like doing that though, she was quiet.

Didn't seem interested in doing anything with me, I let her do her thing and just told Holden what she would need for the summer.

Holden keeps telling me she'll get used to me she's just shy still.

I still have a deep feeling that she doesn't like me, I try keeping my distance when those two are having their time so that she doesn't think I'm trying to steal him from her.

I'm still happy they are together and not separated anymore.

So for a bit, I'll keep a further distance until she likes me or at least shows she likes me. I just hope she knows that I adore her.

She does use all our time though, I'm not being selfish, I'm really not but she screams at him because she wants to sleep in his bed with him so I sleep in the other room.

Obviously, I'm not the child's mother so I can't stay in there with them.

I feel like it's something her mother got her to do... I mean like she screamed to sleep in his bed, could her mother make her grow up staying in beds with random men?

I really hope she wouldn't do that to her daughter, like yes she hurt her in other ways but she better not have gone that far.

The bedroom door opens that I'm staying in, and Holden walks in.

"She's asleep," he says laying next to me, he's been trying to attempt at having her sleep separate from him, but it usually doesn't work.

He snuggles in close and wraps his arms around me.

"Think it'll work tonight?" he asks. "I don't know," I say.

With the sounds of footsteps, he sighs knowing it's her coming to confront him about why he isn't in the bed.

The door opens revealing a crying Esme. "Why can't you sleep in your bed princess?" he asks her.

"Why does Mila get to but I don't? You love her more than me," she says pouting while crying.

Her crying is breaking my heart. He gets off of the bed and then kneels in front of her.

"I love you a lot, Mila and I have a different relationship than you and I because you are my daughter, and she and I are like how your mummy and I were."

"I love you a lot but you need to understand that no matter who comes into our lives I'll always love you more even if there is sometimes I don't show it or even when I'm showing someone else attention doesn't mean I love you any less," he says that.

"Now, I want you to go back to your bed because Mila also likes attention from me."

"You guys make weird noises when you are giving her attention," she says and my cheeks darken from embarrassment.

I cover my face and Holden because hysterical from laughter.

"Sounds like the noises mummy would make every time a man came over."

The laughter instantly goes. "She always left her door open and they looked like they were hurting each other... I don't want you hurting each other."

"Mummy said the worst time to hurt someone is during the day but they seemed like they were hurting each other," she says.

My heart is breaking for this child.

"Your mother should have known better than to do something like that knowing you were awake, Mila and I aren't hurting each other and we apologize for disturbing you."

"One of the mans that Mummy brought home came into my room too," she says now fiddling her thumbs.

I feel like I just felt Holden's pain. "He kept on saying he was my new daddy and would play with my toys," she says.

"Did he do anything else?" he asks, he looks like he's gonna be sick.

"No, he was really nice, just weird," she says. "Mummy said he was on these things called drugs."

"He didn't touch you did he?" he asks. "He'd give me hugs when he was leaving," she says.

"Did he do anything else in your bedroom?" he asks. "Besides giving me kisses, no," she says."Kisses where?" he asks. I watch in horror as she points down. "At my lady bits."

"It... Felt really weird but mummy said it was normal and that he does it to her all the time, he'd move his ton-" Princess please don't tell me any more," Holden says covering his ears.

I get off of the bed. "Esme sweetie, that man isn't a good man, what he's done to you is wrong," I say.

"My mummy said it's normal," she says. "It's not princess, he was hurting you, and you won't understand that until you are older," Holden says.

He wipes his eyes. "Daddy, why are you crying?" she asks.

"I wish I could have protected you from that," he says trying not to seem like he's crying. He obviously doesn't want to in front of her. "I didn't get hurt though daddy," she says.

"You just don't know it," he says with pain in his eyes as he hugs her.