Lost Time

59: Such a Tease

Adele's POV:

One week later...

"You ready?" I asked Simon, helping him out of the hospital bed. "I'm so ready," he said with a smile. "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again; my back has been aching."

"I could imagine," I said with a pout. I guided him to the bathroom, where he quickly took a shower and got dressed.

"Mum, can I push Dad in the wheelchair?" I heard Angelo ask.

"Honey, I don't think-"

"Of course, you can, Peanut, but only if Li helps you," Simon said, opening the bathroom door.

He looked much cleaner than before, his hair combed back, wearing a navy blue polo shirt, jeans, and white Air Force Ones.

"Better?" Simon asked with a charming smirk. I walked up to him, his cologne engulfing my nostrils. I wrapped my arms around his waist, his big hands resting at the dip of my back. I quickly pecked his lips and looked up at him smiling, "Much better."

"Okay, let's go," Lia said impatiently. As Simon went to sit in the wheelchair, Lia and Angelo stood ready behind him.

"Alright, ladies and gents, keep your hands inside the ride at all times. Tighten your seat belts and hold on," Lia commented.

"In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go!" Angelo shouted as they pushed Simon out of the room. Simon chuckled at how childish yet cute they were.

"Be careful with your father!" I yelled, closing the door behind me. I caught up to them quickly, making sure they didn't hurt Simon.

As we reached the car, I helped load Simon into the passenger seat while Lia returned the wheelchair to the reception.

I started to drive out of the indoor parking lot and joined the highway. "Are you sure you're going to be okay at your house? You can sleep in one of the guest rooms at mine, just until you feel better," I offered Simon.

"Yes, Laurie, I'll manage," he said with a chuckle. "And promise me you'll call if you need anything," I said sternly.

"I promise I will, stop worrying, Del," he said while laughing at how serious I was.

"Of course, I'm going to worry. It's kind of my fault that you're in the position you are right now," I said nonchalantly.

"Wait, what do you mean? Of course, it wasn't your fault. How could you say that?" Simon said with a gentle tone, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

"Well, if I never started dating Rich, then none of this would've happened," I said, looking straight ahead at the road and stopping at a red light.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and briefly turned around to meet the sad eyes of my eldest child. "Mum, none of this is your fault. You cannot take responsibility for what Rich did. I know it wasn't your intention for him to hurt me," she said with a strained voice.

I just stared at her and simply said, "Thanks, Bubs. I appreciate it." I quickly pecked her cheek and returned my attention to the road. I tried not to dwell on what Lia had just told me because deep down, I still felt an immense amount of guilt for what happened to my family. The car ride was silent for a few minutes until I felt a hand grasping my thigh, sending goosebumps across my body. I briefly turned my attention to Simon, only to be met with his blue eyes staring into my soul.

"You alright?" He mouthed to me.

"I'm fine," I mouthed back. He raised one of his eyebrows, looking at me as if he didn't believe me. "I don't want to talk about it right now," I whispered quietly.

"Alright," he responded, never removing his hand from my thigh, and I'd be lying if I said I wanted him to. It felt so natural for his warm, calloused hands to rest on my thigh because for many years, they used to be there. He squeezed my thigh every so often, which caused me to smile. I missed the little things he always used to do that made me feel like royalty.

As we pulled into Simon's driveway, I parked and turned towards him. "Well, this is me," he said with a smile.

"Mum, can I stay at Dad's tonight?" Angelo asked.

"Of course, baby," I said, turning my attention towards him.

"Yes!" He said, jumping out of the car and grabbing his bags.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Simon said, closing his eyes and leaning in towards me, anticipating a kiss. I slowly moved backward with a smirk on my face, tilting my head so that his lips landed on my cheek. He groaned in irritation and said, "Mmm, back to being a tease, aren't we?" He said, opening his eyes.

"I'm so glad you remembered," I said amused.

"Okay, if that's how you want to be, bye then," he said sassily. He turned around, almost exiting the car, but I quickly grabbed his arm and swung him back around, connecting our lips instantly. I smiled on top of his lips, and after a few seconds, I pulled away with the smile still evident on my face.

"Now that's the goodbye I was hoping for," he said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Don't expect to get it every time, Mister," I said with a cheeky smirk.

"Such a tease," he said, shaking his head and smiling.

He exited the car, but before he closed the door, he turned around and said, "I love you, Laurie." My heart melted, and a smile stretched across my face. "I love you too."

Him and Angelo waved goodbye as I started the car and drove to my house.

As I parked the car, Lia spoke up and said, "Who knew you guys were so cute?" She said, scrunching up her nose.

I smiled and responded, "As cute as we can be, we can get pretty ugly too." I said, raising both of my eyebrows.

"Can't get as ugly as Rich, that was dual purpose," she joked. I tried my best not to laugh, but I ultimately failed and released a giggle. "That's not funny," I said while still giggling. "It's a little funny," she said while the both of us got out of the car.

"Come here, you," I grabbed her and kissed her head multiple times. She just laughed in return and squeezed me tighter.

I smoothed her hair down and looked down at her, "I hope you know that I won't ever allow anything like that to happen again," I said, looking into her eyes.

"I know, I believe you," she said, looking up at me. I smiled and quickly pecked her lips. "Come on, let's go watch a movie and have a girl's night," I said, putting my arm over her shoulder and walking towards the front door.