BXBX NOVEL Chapter 191 - Sour Heart
«Hello,» Nate said, appearing from behind the door. «It\'s Tuesday, isn\'t it?»
Scarlet nodded, taking her backpack and walking to him.
«Oh, but last week I didn\'t spend any afternoon with Jaden,» he added.
He saw the boy, all alone in the corner, and he felt his heart melt. He wanted to cheer him up even though he had no idea how to do it.
Meanwhile, Scarlet had offered her hand already. Nate crouched down and looked her in the eye.
«Listen a moment, Scarlet. It\'s been two weeks since the last time I spent some time with Jaden. After the attack, we couldn\'t go out because he felt unwell. What do you think if I take him with me today? Your turn will come in two days. It\'s not so much...»
Scarlet\'s eyes filled with tears, but she didn\'t start crying just yet. She wasn\'t that sad, all in all. Just a little disappointed. A little. A tiny, tiny little.
«Daddy?» she moaned, looking up at Nate.
«Your brother should spend as much time with me as you, right? I don\'t want him to feel forgotten just because last Thursday we were all busy.»
«But... me?» she moaned.
«You can stay alone with your mommy,» he pointed out.
He wasn\'t expecting much resistance, and he could only use the final weapon to convince Scarlet.
It was difficult, having two pups! One needed him, it was obvious. He had to give some of his attention to Jaden, and he needed to find out how serious his struggles were.
On the other hand, Scarlet seemed very disappointed. He wouldn\'t have imagined she would feel like that because he couldn\'t stay with her. And, most of all, he feared losing the little affection he had gained.
«I have an idea,» he said, then.
How could he choose among his pups? Oh, he needed to learn to prioritise, though. He couldn\'t always get out of trouble just like that.
«You both are coming with me.»
«Yes?» Scarlet said, smiling happily and jumping in place. She even clapped with her hands.
«Jaden, come on,» Nate said.
The little boy followed, still unhappy.
«Would you like to come with us?» Nate inquired.
«Why do you ask?» Jaden rebuked.
«Because I\'d like to know. We can have fun all three together, this time.»
«Why?»
«Because we skipped our meeting last week. I\'d like to spend some time with you...»
In the end, he had spent way more with Scarlet. The girl allowed him in her life; it made it tons easier to find some space for him. She liked listening to fairy tales, and she would ask weird questions.
Jaden, on the other side, was more silent. And Nate hadn\'t searched for something new to talk with him. He hadn\'t taught him anything in a long time. He had been distracted, and things were turning painful for Jaden.
Lara hadn\'t told him anything, but he was quite sure the little one could become jealous if he spent too much time with Scarlet. They were inseparable from birth. Nate didn\'t want Jaden to accuse him that he wanted to take away his sister as well.
«Does mommy know?»
«I\'ll call and tell her,» Nate said. Lara had almost finished her work and was packing her things. He sent her a text and explained he would keep Jaden too for the afternoon. She could go home with one of the guards driving his car.
«Make sure she\'s safe,» he said to the chief of security before putting the phone away in the pocket.
«Where are we going?» Jaden inquired, now curious.
«To the doctor.»
«The doctor?»
«Yes. You pups need a check-up. It\'ll be nothing difficult, okay? The doctor will visit you, and then we can have some ice cream.»
«Okay, then,» Scarlet said. At the words ice cream, she was convinced.
Jaden was still wavering, but he offered his hand to Nate. They walked out of the kindergarten and reached the elevator.
«Is the doctor here?» the boy inquired. «In the company?»
«Yes, he is. He\'s not a normal doctor, but one especially for wolves.»
«So he will know how to treat us. Not like human doctors.»
«Exactly.»
«But... Will it hurt?»
«No, Jaden. It won\'t.»
He smiled, encouraging his son to follow. Scarlet, more than worried, was excited about the new adventure. She didn\'t know how doctors worked, so she had no concern in the world.
Moreover, she was healthy like always. There was nothing to ponder about. If she wasn\'t sick, that doctor wouldn\'t have done anything to her.
Jaden, meanwhile, was still deciding whether to be curious or to suspect Nate\'s intentions.
«Why are we going to the doctor? We don\'t feel pain anywhere.»
«It\'s good,» Nate said. «But going to the doctor doesn\'t require pain. It\'s important for pups to do check-ups while they grow. When you two were babies, your mother brought you to a doctor many times.»
«We don\'t remember,» Scarlet pointed out.
«Because you were too little. As you grow up, you\'ll need the doctor less and less. So, you will meet him today. If everything is all right, you won\'t come back for months. Let\'s say... Six months? A year? Uhm, I\'m not even sure. But even routine visits are rare for us wolves.»
«And what if the doctor is not happy with something?»
«We\'ll find a way to heal it. If there\'s something wrong with your growth, it\'s better to correct it now than later.»
«Is there?»
Nate sighed, crouching down to look Jaden in the eye.
«I don\'t know, Jaden. I am not a doctor, and I haven\'t raised kids before. But, if you happen to need treatment, I\'ll help you through it till the end.»
The boy nodded, remembering the cold bed he had laid in just a few days before. He didn\'t want another treatment.. Yet, if Nate promised to stay by his side just like that time, he could bear with it.