Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 116

According to his mother, the genes inherited from their father seemed to have been passed on to Emma, and then to Pete. Seeing the similar faces, Chase felt a strange sensation. Amidst all that, the most peculiar thing was that despite everything, only Josh’s face made his heart pound and made him impatient to shower him with kisses.

“That paparazzi.”

Chase opened his mouth, meeting Emma’s sharp, piercing gaze. Everyone’s attention was focused on him.

“He had been following me for a while, and I warned him several times, but he didn’t listen. That day was important to me, so I was quite sensitive, but I couldn’t stand it when he blocked my way and kept clicking the shutter. I told him to move, but he didn’t listen at all. And he provoked me, telling me to hit him.”

“So I did as he wished,” Chase concluded. Hearing that much, his mother covered her cheek with one hand and gasped in admiration.

“Oh dear, so that’s what happened.”

Then she continued with a face full of sympathy.

“Violence is bad, but there are unavoidable situations. As expected, broadcasts aren’t fair, showing only one side.”

Emma said nothing more and brought her cold coffee to her lips. His mother then rambled on for a few more words about how biased and hypocritical broadcasts were before finally changing the subject to something else. After some more meaningless conversation, Josh stood up to put the sleeping Pete in his bed.

“Want to come?”

When he asked Chase, he immediately got up. Josh, as if it were natural, held Pete in one arm and extended his free hand to Chase. His mother watched with a pleased expression as the two held hands and went up the stairs together.

Left alone, his mother let out a satisfied sigh.

“I’m so glad Josh met a good person. And that he’s Pete’s papa, it’s just perfect, isn’t it?”

“He might look good to you, Mom, but ten out of ten people say he’s trash.”

When Emma spoke curtly, his mother’s eyes widened.

“Trash? That’s a harsh thing to say, Emma. To such a good person.”

Emma felt the urge to expose all the atrocities and harsh words Chase had spewed on set, in his private life, and even on the red carpet, but the sheer volume was overwhelming. Exhausted just thinking about it, she finally had no choice but to say,

“A good face doesn’t make a good person, Mom.”

At Emma’s remark, his mother said “Oh, Emma” and shook her head.

“The face is the mirror of the heart.”

Josh carefully laid Pete in the crib and, after confirming the child was deeply asleep, straightened his back. He glanced sideways to see Chase staring intently down at Pete. Even with the child asleep, he hesitated to reach out. He was clearly afraid of being rejected.

“Chase.”

Josh spoke softly. It was after a few seconds of silence that Chase turned to him. To Chase, who seemed to have barely torn his eyes away from Pete, Josh suggested,

“Would you like to spend a day alone with Pete?”

“…What?”

Chase froze in surprise. Josh continued to speak.

“I was going to say it earlier but missed the chance. To get close, spending time together is the best way, right? Then Pete will naturally accept that you’re his papa. …I thought he’d gotten used to your face last time, but we’re back to square one.”

“If I dye my hair again…”

“No, I don’t want that.”

Josh drew a firm line. As an embarrassed Chase fell silent, Josh softened his tone and added,

“You can’t dye your hair your whole life anyway. We don’t know what color your hair will change to for the next shoot. You need him to get used to you as you are.”

His words were correct, but considering how Pete kept burrowing away, he couldn’t help but feel impatient.

“…I wish he could remember.”

Chase mumbled, looking down at Pete.

“From the beginning, if he had remembered that day…”

If so, Chase could have stayed by Josh’s side ever since Pete was conceived. He would have seen all the moments in the album firsthand. When Josh struggled with the pregnancy, when he went into surgery, when the baby woke up crying at night, he could have rushed to hold him.

If only.

Then he wouldn’t avoid my face now.

Chase’s expression, as he stared blankly at Pete, was utterly desolate. Josh could clearly see what he was thinking, even without him saying it. Because of that, guilt was also unavoidable. Because he was the one who had taken that opportunity away from Chase. Even if he hadn’t imagined that his relationship with Chase would turn out this way.

“It’s okay, Chase.”

Josh spoke.

“You can start now. Pete will get used to you quickly.”

He gently stroked Chase’s face.

“You’ll be a good papa.”

Chase said nothing. He simply took Josh’s hand and kissed his palm. But for Josh, that was enough. Josh quietly tiptoed out of the room and suddenly voiced a question that came to mind.

“What was that important day you mentioned earlier?”

“What?”

Chase blinked as if asking what he meant. Josh added an explanation.

“The day you had that fight with the paparazzi. Come to think of it, weren’t you sued or anything? They said he was badly hurt.”

“My lawyer will handle it.”

Of course.

Josh inwardly agreed with the indifferent reply, then asked again.

“What day was it?”

Josh couldn’t suppress his curiosity as to why he had been so sensitive after seeming calm for a while. Chase glanced down at Josh and opened his mouth.

“It’s a secret.”

Chase smiled at him, who was blinking, then moved and went down the stairs first. Josh, left behind, crumpled his face and spread his hands, but Chase said nothing more.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he suddenly stopped and looked up. Is he going to tell me? he thought, but his guess was wrong. Chase looked up at Josh and asked,

“When can I spend time with Pete?”

He asked as if it were nothing, but Josh didn’t miss the underlying tension. Anyway, knowing he wouldn’t say anything more, Josh gave up.

“Well, your schedule comes first. You’re probably busier than Pete, aren’t you?”

As Josh came down the stairs, Chase asked again.

“Pete doesn’t have a schedule?”

“I wonder?”

Josh, seeing the playfulness in his purple eyes, pretended to be innocent and replied,

“If you tell me the date, he might adjust for a day or so.”

“Oh, please.”

Josh burst out laughing at Chase’s prayer-like sigh. Chase also smiled and tilted his head. Josh closed his eyes and accepted his kiss. Chase leaned against the wall, and Josh leaned against him. In that secluded space at the bottom of the stairs, they shared a secret kiss. Beyond the wide-open kitchen door, the faint sound of wind chimes swayed in the breeze.