Chapter10 The ex-boyfriend regrets it now
"Where? Where is it?"
Nora wasn't afraid of much, but she did have one weakness: mice!
Aaron felt the vibration against his chest and a muffled chuckle escaped his lips.
"I thought you weren't afraid of anything?"
He had already learned about Nora's phobia of mice from Samantha.
"Are you playing me?"
Nora realized Aaron had been trying to scare her on purpose.
"No, I was just testing you," Aaron replied calmly.
"You!"
Nora glared at him, her beautiful eyes reflecting his smiling face.
His incredibly handsome features, combined with a charming and mischievous smile, seemed to thaw an iceberg.
Whose heart was beating with such strength?
Nora's gaze fell slightly as she noticed her body pressed closely against his.
In her haste, she had actually jumped onto him.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Nora's eyes, and she quickly climbed off the bed.
With her ears blushing red, Aaron watched her intently, his expression deep.
Nora hurriedly left the room.
The door slammed shut behind her. Aaron glanced at his fingers, which seemed to retain the softness of her touch.
Her waist was indeed slender and soft!
Outside, Nora touched her wildly beating heart, her pretty eyes full of shame and annoyance.
That darn man, playing tricks on her!
Aaron lay in bed all morning. Around noon, Nora came to check on him.
"Do you need to use the bathroom?"
Aaron, recalling the morning's incident, looked at her with renewed interest.
"No, but I need to get up."
Without any fuss, Nora helped him into his wheelchair.
Aaron moved the wheelchair by himself, following her out of the room.
"I'm going to cook."
Nora left him with those words and headed to Backyard Lane.
After a moment's hesitation, Aaron wheeled himself to Backyard Lane as well.
On one side of Backyard Lane was the kitchen, where the three little ones were each busy with their tasks.
"Mr. Thomas, you're out of bed again!"
Samantha, who had been watching Billy peel potatoes, lit up with joy and ran over to Aaron with a beaming smile.
Aaron's eyes softened. "Are you guys helping out with cooking?"
"Yeah, mommy's cooking, so we're helping out," Samantha giggled.
"Samantha, it was supposed to be me and Alex helping Mommy out, and all you do is play," Billy bluntly pointed out.
Samantha rolled her big eyes playfully, "Well, Mommy says I'm the family princess, and it's your job to protect me and lighten my burden, so all I have to do is have fun!"
Billy was at a loss for words, "That's just an excuse because you're scared of the little green worms on the lettuce."
Leaning against Aaron, Samantha sweetly said, "Those little worms are scary, right?"
Aaron couldn't help but be amused by their childish banter.
He nodded along unconsciously in agreement with Samantha.
Seeing this, Billy's eyes flicked mischievously, "Mr. Thomas, since you're awake and you're not on call, you gotta earn your keep."
Aaron raised an eyebrow, not objecting, "What do you need me to do?"
"Here, peel this onion for me."
Billy passed Aaron a freshly washed onion.
Having never cooked in his life, Aaron was clueless about peeling onions.
He took the onion and asked, "So, how do you peel this thing?"
"Just use your hands and peel off the skin," Billy said with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Alex caught Billy's expression but held back from saying anything.
The man seemed a bit clueless, apparently not used to household chores.
His little brother was up to some mischief.
Aaron, naive to such child's play, did as Billy instructed and started peeling with his hands.
Then...
He felt a sharp sting in his eyes as the pungent odor hit, and he couldn't help tearing up.
With his eyes shut, he could hear Billy's laughter sounding beside him, " Mr. Thomas, why are you crying? It's just peeling an onion, no need to feel so upset!"
Aaron was speechless, finally realizing he'd been pranked by the little rascal.
"Billy, you're so mean! Mommy, come quickly, Mr. Thomas's got tears from the onion!"
Samantha ran to fetch backup from the kitchen.
Nora was about to start stir-frying when she heard her daughter's call and quickly dashed into Backyard Lane, "What happened? Let me see."
Aaron, with his eyes closed, had tears streaming down his face.
He swore he had never cried so much in his life!
"Mommy, I'm sorry, it was me who asked Mr. Thomas to peel the onion. I didn't realize he'd be so clumsy,” Billy confessed with uncharacteristic honesty, though he didn't miss a chance to tease Aaron a bit more.
Nora chuckled, looking at Aaron, "Some people are indeed helpless. Aside from eating and playing pranks, they are good for nothing, aren't they!"
Aaron remained speechless.
Was it such a big deal that he teased her a bit this morning?
How did that suddenly make him a good-for-nothing?
What a spiteful woman!
Despite her complaints, Nora pushed Aaron towards the sink to rinse his eyes.
The cool touch of her hands on his eyes neutralized the sting.
Blinded, Aaron became more aware of his other senses.
He could smell her alluring feminine fragrance, mingling with the homey scent of cooking rice – it was a comforting aroma, filled with warmth and intimacy.
“Feeling better?" Nora asked, after cleaning his eyes thoroughly.
Aaron opened his eyes to meet Nora's and hummed an affirmation.
"Alright, sir, just stay out of trouble and enjoy your free meals," Nora shoved him gently towards the door.
Looking at him, who would have guessed he was supposed to be helping out?
Aaron arched an eyebrow.
Was that her sarcastic way of saying he was good for nothing but eating?
"Man, let's go draw!" Samantha abandoned the others, rushing to play with Aaron.
Without objection, Aaron spent the time drawing with Samantha.
When Nora had lunch ready, they all sat down to eat.
"Thomas, you can start eating today," Nora said as she served him food and soup.
Aaron smelled the delicious meal, his Adam’s apple bobbing with anticipation.
The dishes were homely, yet irresistibly scrumptious.
"I don't eat celery or carrots. And no mushrooms in the soup, please."
Nora was speechless.
Was this man really that picky?
What's worse, his food quirks perfectly matched her three little ones!
"Mommy, see! Mr. Thomas doesn't like those things either!" Samantha's eyes sparkled, finding an ally.
Nora looked at Aaron and piled his plate with the very vegetables he had refused.
"Thomas, why don't you like these? Don't you know they're among the most nutritious in the vegetable kingdom?"
Aaron glared at his plate, his brows furrowing.
"There are plenty of nutritious foods out there. I'm not a rabbit; why do I need to chew on carrots? And celery – it tastes like medicine. Don't you find it unpleasant?"
He stood his ground, leaving Nora at a loss for words.
Nora caught them in the act and said with a mix of irritation and amusement, "Anyone who dares to throw these veggies away is going to see them on the menu every day!"
The three children fell silent.
They had thought that with a new ally, they could outnumber her and avoid the dreaded veggies once and for all!
“Nora, taste isn't just about filling our bellies—it's about savoring the flavors. If they don't want to eat, don't push it on them,” Aaron said with a hint of annoyance.
Nora raised an eyebrow, her tone firm. “Thomas, I call the shots in this house, and they'll follow my lead. As for you, if you're not hungry, that's fine. How about some peanuts instead?”
Aaron was speechless. Was she trying to trigger his allergy?
Such a cruel woman!
“Put it down, I didn't say I wouldn't eat.”
“Remember, I want the plate clean, no leftovers. Or else, it's peanut butter cookies for you tomorrow.”
Aaron fell silent once more. Why was he enduring this woman's relentless teasing?
Could he reveal his identity now and summon a five-star chef to prepare his meals instead?
With a face as dark as thunder, the fleeting thought passed. Ultimately, he gritted his teeth and finished his meal.
Lunch over, Nora cleaned up the kitchen and sent the little trio upstairs for a nap.
Aaron, having rested all morning, wasn't the slightest bit tired. He asked Nora for some books to read.
Nora brought him a stack of medical textbooks.
Aaron frowned. “Don't you have anything else?”
He wasn't in the medical field; he wanted something on finance.
“Sure, how about some children's books?” Nora asked, a teasing smile dancing on her lips.
Aaron ground his teeth, suspecting she was doing this on purpose.
All because he'd teased her that morning!
After attending to the needs of the household, Nora grabbed a lounge chair and settled in the backyard, breathing in the fresh air and letting her mind drift.
The house was silent.
Nora's thoughts drifted back to that night four years ago.
In the darkness, the man's heavy breathing ebbed and flowed in her ear.
Who was he?
Nora strained to see the man's face clearly.
He paused, gazing into her eyes, which held a profound depth.
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