Royally Bounded

Chapter 121

Hayden

"Uncle Adam," Xander ran straight to him. My chest burned when I watched my own son greet another man with full enthusiasm. He was closer to Adam than he was with me.

Adam threw Xander in the air then caught him, making Xander laugh loudly. I turned my head away to avoid seeing the sight and bit my tongue. I shoved the bitterness down my throat. The hardest part to deal with was when I remembered how Xander spent more time with him than me.

"How are you?" Clara asked, releasing her hand from mine. She sent a smile, a warm one that was straight from her heart.

"Great," Adam replied. "I've been working here and there." I could feel their eyes on me, but I ignored them, clenching my fingers in my pockets.

Clara left Damien with me to talk to Adam. I glanced over at them, noticing how they seemed as if they were the perfect family. He glued his gaze to her face. She had the smile of the blissful woman. They were the pair that everyone would fucking be jealous of from the start. I was a nobody in the entire picture.

I was the shit husband and dad, but Clara chose me. Maybe she fucking pity me or she wanted to be with me because of Xander. I was fucking ridiculous to think that I could give her the world when she could have it with someone else who treated her properly.

Clara and I arrived home in complete silence. She didn't bother to say a word because she knew I was trapped with thoughts. She went to cook dinner. I had no damn mood to care about anything. The only shit that was in my mind was Adam and Clara.

I love Clara to fucking death. I could trade my life for hers in a single second. I was selfishly in love with her because she was the only woman that made me different. She taught me the good side even if I gave no shit to anyone, but I would give in because she was everything to me.

She was my fucking world.

Clara came in to place down a coffee mug in front of me. I stared up at her to see the smile on her face. It was the soft smile that told the entire picture. It was as if she knew about what I was thinking. She sat down on my thighs, her arms around my neck before she pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips.

"Do you want to talk?" She whispered, skimming her fingers over my forehead to push my hair away from my face.

"Talk about what?" I muttered, my finger gradually drawing circles on her lower back. It became a habit for me.

She quieted down, letting out a sigh, then spoke again. "I know seeing Adam makes you upset, but there's nothing between us. I don't want you to feel jealous."

I kept my mouth shut. She thought that I was jealous, but I was more fucking insecure when I saw them. I hated how I knew there were better men out there that Clara could be with, and Adam was one of them. He would treat her right.

"When I saw Adam and you, I felt like shit," I said truthfully and let out a cold laugh, ridiculed at my words. "Xander went to him without feeling scared or distant. I was the outsider. It was like I was from a different world."

"You're never an outsider to me," Clara assured, her arms tightening around my neck for comfort. She stared straight into my eyes as she continued. "I fell in love with you since I was nineteen. You're the only person I ever fell in love with, and we have a family together. I don't want to have this with anyone else. Xander is a child. You know that he loves being around everyone. No matter who, Xander only loves you as his dad. Adam is only a friend and an uncle to him. There's a huge difference."

"Adam would have been the better—"

"I don't want to her you say another word about it again," she interrupted, her voice turning firm. Her eyes sent me a hard warning. "You always think that some other man would be better than you, but I don't have any feelings for them. I love you only. If there was some other woman better than me, would you want to be with them?"