Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Tarquin was completely in the dark about all of this. Seeing her silence, he prodded again, "What's holding her back?"

Blossom certainly wasn't going to spill the beans. "That's Elysia's personal business. If you want to know, you'll have to ask her yourself."

Tarquin didn't press her further, instead, he shifted the topic. "Do you know anything about the father of Elliot, Evan, and Emmett?"

He suspected that Elysia's reservations might have something to do with the kids' dad. After all, getting involved with her would mean stepping into the role of stepdad for the boys.

At his question, Blossom felt a pang of anxiety, "No, I don't know him!"

Tarquin was skeptical. "But you're her best friend. How do you not know anything about her husband?"

Blossom was confused. Her husband? Wasn't he asking about Elliot, Evan, and Emmett's father? Did he actually think those boys were Elysia's husband's kids? Was he out of his mind?

But then she remembered Elijah had mentioned something about a paternity test proving he wasn't the father of Elysia's kids. So, Tarquin had stopped suspecting Elysia, which meant he wouldn't suspect anything about Elliot, Evan, and Emmett either.

Eager not to say the wrong thing, Blossom advised him, "If you want to know about Elysia's husband, you really should be asking her, not me. It's her private business."

Tarquin eyed her silently for a moment before changing tack, "Then tell me about some of her past, the bits you can share."

"

"1

Meanwhile, Elysia had locked herself in her room, her mind racing with his words: "I just want to kiss you..."

Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, those flirtatious words throwing her into a tizzy. After stewing under her covers for a while, she finally calmed down enough to ponder his reaction. His surprise was understandable, given the abruptness of her question.

But why didn't he answer? Was he torn between liking her and not, unsure of what to say? Just like her-if he asked whether she liked him right now, she wouldn't know what to say either.

Not like? Clearly not the case. But like? She wasn't entirely sure either. So, it boiled down to her having a bit of a crush on him.noveldrama

At that thought, Elysia's heart rate picked up again, her thoughts growing more abundant. One moment she thought being together would be better for the kids. The next, she worried about their secrets and how a potential breakup could turn messy, especially with the kids caught in the middle. What would she do then?

Elysia was fraught with worry, feeling utterly insecure until Elliot knocked on her door, snapping her back to reality. Standing up, she opened the door, trying to appear normal, "Elliot, did you need something from mom?"

Elliot mentioned, "The kitchen's still a mess. Are you feeling okay?"

Normally, Elysia would have tidied up before resting. Elysia fibbed, "No, I just felt suddenly tired and took a nap. I'll clean it up now."

"It's okay, I've already cleaned up."

Observing his mom's demeanor closely, Elliot inquired, "Do you have something on your mind?"

After a pause, Elysia replied, "Where are your brothers?"

"They're taking their nap."

"Alright, come in. I need to talk to you about something."

Once her son was inside the room, Elysia hesitated before asking, "Elliot, what do you think about your dad?"

Elliot instantly knew what she was getting at. Mom's starting to ask about him, which means she must like our soon-to-be stepdad a bit. Looks like our bargain-bin dad is about to become priceless!