Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 119

It was a few more days before Chase met Pete again. During that time, he had been busy clearing his schedule, trying to somehow free up a day. After finally creating a day for Pete, he struggled again to plan how to spend that day perfectly.

When he asked Laura, who had a niece of a similar age, for advice, Laura unconsciously checked out the window. There were no signs of the world ending. She was confused but gave advice wholeheartedly. And finally, the day came.

“Chase, what’s wrong with your eyes?”

Josh, who had visited Chase’s mansion as promised, widened his eyes in surprise as soon as he saw him, examining his face from various angles. Chase answered awkwardly.

“I just… didn’t get much sleep.”

“It doesn’t look like ‘just a little’.”

His bloodshot eyes clearly indicated a lack of sleep and fatigue. Josh, who had spoken playfully, soon added seriously in a low voice.

“Don’t be too impatient, there’s plenty of time.”

After saying that, he looked down. Pete, as usual, was clinging to Josh’s leg.

“Pete.”

Josh spoke gently and pulled him forward by the shoulder.

Today, Pete was wearing a narrow-brimmed straw hat his mother had bought him the day before, along with a sailor suit and shorts. When Pete checked himself in the mirror that morning, he was very pleased, saying he looked like a cartoon character he had recently seen on TV. Of course, the only similarity to the main character was the straw hat, but because Pete was so cute, Josh agreed with him several times, saying he was right.

“Cute, isn’t he?”

Josh presented the child to Chase, unable to suppress his pride, and showered Pete’s cheek with kisses. Pete, accustomed to such gestures, giggled and squirmed from the tickles but didn’t resist Josh’s affectionate display.

Chase merely watched them in silence. Josh, who had finished with a final kiss, pressing his lips to the child’s cheek before pulling away, looked up. Immediately, his eyes met Chase’s.

“Pete.”

Josh opened his mouth.

“Say hello, do you remember? This is Mr. Chase Miller. You met him last time.”

Pete looked up, but Chase’s face was too high, and the child’s hat was too big, covering his nose when he tilted his head. Josh smiled and pushed the hat back, widening Pete’s view. Following suit, Chase knelt on one knee in front of Pete and bent down.

“Hello, Pete? How have you been?”

Chase’s voice was gentler than usual but trembled faintly. Josh noticed he was nervous but pretended not to. Instead, he subtly detached Pete, who was trying to hug Josh again, and spoke with feigned nonchalance.

“Pete, Daddy has to go to work today. Can you spend the day with Mr. Miller instead?”

“Huh?”

The child looked back at Josh in surprise. His wide eyes, as if he hadn’t expected this at all, were filled with confusion and anxiety.

“I told him we were going to Disneyland.”

Josh subtly whispered to Chase, then spoke to Pete again.

“Disneyland is closed today. So let’s go to a different amusement park. Daddy will go check and come back, so can you wait with Mr. Miller until then? Can you do that?”

“Uh…”

Pete blinked his eyelids several times, unable to answer readily. His fidgeting hands and swaying body clearly showed his anxiety. Chase pressed down his growing impatience. If he missed this opportunity, he might never restore his relationship with Pete. Chase didn’t want to miss even a single day with Pete.

Just then, Pete glanced at Chase. The moment their eyes met, the child flinched and then hugged Josh tightly. Just as Chase inwardly sighed, thinking, ‘Is it the same pattern again?’ Josh’s words suddenly came to mind.

“Don’t worry, he’ll like you. Because…”

He hadn’t heard the rest of it. But somehow, Chase felt like he knew.

Let’s test it.

He swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

“Pete.”

When he called his name softly, the child’s back, which jumped in surprise, came into full view. Resisting the urge to hug him, Chase continued.

“Today is my day off, and I don’t have anyone to play with. Would Pete mind playing with me?”

“…”

“Hmm?”

When he urged gently, the child hesitated for a moment, then cautiously turned his head. When their eyes met again, Chase didn’t miss the timing and smiled. He knew how to smile to make Josh stare at him, lost in thought. If his guess was right, Pete would react the same way. And his thought was spot on.

“Oh…”

Pete stared blankly at Chase with the exact same expression as Josh. Seeing Pete, unable to turn his head and with his mouth open, staring at his face, the anxiety in Chase’s heart vanished, replaced by confidence.

When he raised his head, unable to hide his deepening smile, Chase’s eyes met Josh’s, who was looking at him with the same expression as Pete. Seeing Josh and his mini-me both lost in thought at the same time, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Chase laugh aloud, Pete blinked and then slowly let go of Josh’s shirt, which he had been holding tightly. His gaze remained fixed on Chase. Josh, belatedly noticing the change, quickly spoke.

“So, Pete, will you be alright? Staying here with Mr. Miller?”

“…Yes.”

Pete answered, and only then did he finally turn his gaze to Josh. The moment Josh saw his round cheeks flush, he couldn’t help but shower him with kisses.

“Oh, here.”

Mark, who had looked up at the jingle of the bell, waved his hand. Josh walked straight towards the table where the members were seated. The waitress who followed placed a thin, laminated one-page menu down and smiled faintly. Josh also habitually returned the smile. After the waitress left, Henry, who had been watching the scene, spoke.

“You con artist, how many times do I have to tell you to wear your ring? Huh?”

Until now, Josh would have just laughed it off, but now it was time to pay attention. Remembering Chase, who had been angry and jealous after talking with Laura, he decided he should refrain from habitually smiling at others. But despite his resolve, a moment later, when the waitress who came to take their order turned and smiled, he found himself smiling back again.

“Haa.”

Josh, who had sighed in immediate self-reproach, soon shook his head. He had lived like this his whole life, so it wouldn’t be easy to change.

Is this really a habit that needs to be fixed?

It was the first time he had ever considered such a thing, as it was natural for him to smile when their eyes met.

Well, looking at Henry, he doesn’t seem to smile every time their eyes meet.

His gaze flickered and met Henry, who was taking a big bite out of a sandwich. Henry, with a sandwich in one hand, raised the middle finger of his other hand, his face completely devoid of a smile. Josh simply chuckled and looked away.

“How has everyone been? I heard you left the lodging.”

At Josh’s question, Mark took a sip of coffee and spoke.

“First, we moved to a motel. We couldn’t keep staying there.”

“I thought no one would know if we kept staying there, why bother?”

As Henry grumbled, Isaac pointed out.

“The bodyguards would have known, they patrol.”

Henry silently stomped hard on his foot under the table. Seth, who briefly saw Isaac wince and crouch, spoke.

“First, Mark’s family is coming, and we don’t have any plans yet. Anyway, I’m thinking of taking a break. A trip would be nice too.”

In front of Seth, who said that, lay a Cuba travel guide. Following Josh’s gaze, he said casually.

“To buy cigars.”

“You don’t smoke cigars, do you?”

To Josh’s question, he answered indifferently.

“So, I’m going to smoke them when I go to Cuba.”

It was a vague plan. Josh concluded that he had no plans at all. Seth soon changed the subject and asked.

“How about you? Are you doing well?”

“You’ll have a lot to prepare, if you need any help… ahem.”

Mark, who had inadvertently offered, immediately met Henry’s glaring gaze and quickly trailed off. Isaac, who had barely straightened up, opened his mouth.

“The media is all quiet, when are you announcing it?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

Seth picked up on Josh’s answer.

“Did you tell Pete? How did he react?”

Everyone paid attention to those words. After all, the members cherished Pete, whom Josh had raised alone, like a nephew. Josh answered without hesitation.

“I haven’t told him yet. I think it’ll be better after they get a bit closer.”

“Closer, with that guy? Oh.”

Ignoring Isaac, who quickly shut his mouth, Josh continued.

“Yes. He’s still a bit unfamiliar… I actually came here after telling the two of them to spend some time together.”

“You left them alone? C and Pete?”

Mark asked in surprise. Knowing Chase’s temper well, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy, even while thinking, ‘No way.’

“He knows it’s his own child, right?”

At Henry’s suspicious question, Josh nodded. Isaac, who understood the implication, lightly chided him.

“No matter how much of a C he is, would he hit his own child?”

“Are there parents who don’t hit their children?”

Henry immediately retorted, but there was no sarcasm in his tone. He genuinely believed that parents were beings who hit their children. Josh didn’t correct him immediately, but he thought it would be good to have a serious conversation with him someday if he ever said he wanted to get married and have children. Of course, Josh wasn’t the only one who thought that. Seth, who idly flapped a booklet, sighed and spoke.

“I still can’t believe it. An angelic Pete being the child of a devil.”

He glanced at Josh and added.

“Last time, there was an article in England about an Omega getting pregnant and having a child alone without an Alpha.”

“Do you believe English articles?”

Henry scoffed, but Josh answered indifferently.

“Pete is indeed C’s and my child.”

Seth quickly raised a hand to stop him.

“You don’t need to talk about the two of you sleeping together.”

At his refusal, Josh fell silent. Silence fell again, and this time, Mark started.

“Janet is bringing the kids next week. We decided to spend about a week on the beach, what are you guys going to do?”

Following that, the topic shifted to which beach was good, what was good about this place and bad about that, and looking up information. Josh vaguely agreed with their conversation, while thinking to himself.

I wonder if they’re doing well?