Chapter 53.3

Silence fell upon both but was soon interrupted by the arrival of Jason and the kids. Jason seemed to sense the tense atmosphere around them and plucked himself between Emily and Elizabeth. Alice and Maple followed suit and sat on each of his sides.

"Hey, so, one raisin rum," Jason placed the ice cream cup in front of Elizabeth before taking her hands. He placed one of her hands on the cup, and another on the spoon before turning to Emily. "And one pistachio almond for you."

He placed the nutty ice cream in Emily's hands while she smiled in surprise.

"Thanks. How did you know pistachio was my favourite?" Emily asked.

"I didn't," Jason answered. He gazed into Emily's emerald eyes, losing himself in those lush green eyes. He couldn't tell Emily that he chose that particular flavour simply because of the colour, the colour of her eyes. "I just thought that green was your favourite colour."

Emily's cheeks turned a slight reddish hue as she looked down, unable to handle Jason's intense gaze. She started poking her ice cream with a spoon while Elizabeth watched the two.

Oh, gods, Elizabeth thought as she rolled her eyes. Here ay was sayin she dunnae know him, but look at 'em.

"It was either that or mint," Jason continued, unaware of Emily's and Elizabeth's thoughts and conflicted emotions. "Guess I picked the right one."

"Mint's my second favourite," Emily replied succulently as she took a spoon to her mouth.

Jason watched as she flipped the spoon and licked it clean, his eyes drawn to how she moved her tongue instinctively. Even though it was not erotic, it reminded him of the kiss the two shared and the urge to lick her lips came upon him as his throat felt dry. Yet, somehow, there was a feeling of embarrassment echoing within, a feeling that he didn't feel before.

"Baby, ahh," a voice from the opposite side interrupted Jason's fantasy as a kick from below the table bruised his shin.

With a rather awkward and pained smile, Jason turned to Elizabeth who held out a spoonful of her ice cream up to Jason. The latter stared at Elizabeth who glared back at him through her sunglasses, daring him not to take the spoonful and face her wrath, and Jason took the plunge and accepted the spoon. He savoured the creamy and tangy taste of the ice cream, appreciating the hint of rum and brown sugar before smiling at Elizabeth.

"It tastes wonderful," Jason murmured and Elizabeth smiled with satisfaction, much to Emily's discontent.

"Ahh, Jason," Emily smiled charmingly as she called out to Jason while holding a spoonful of her ice cream as well.

Uhh . . . Jason thought as he turned to Emily before looking back at Elizabeth and vice versa. Something seems off here . . .

A feeling of satisfaction emerged from the back of his mind and Jason realized that it was the lustful incarnation of him cheering him on through his emotions.

Shitty back drivers, Jason thought as he accepted Emily's spoon below Elizabeth handed him another spoon. Sparks flew between the two girls as they began competing with each other in giving Jason more spoonfuls of their ice cream. They can't talk ever since I shut them up so now they try to influence how I feel. Annoying . . .

"Ahh," Elizabeth held out her spoon again and pushed it closer to Jason while Emily did the same almost concurrently.

Oh, shit, Jason thought as his face changed; there was no way he could choose one over the other, not while they were both glaring at each other and smiling at him; somehow, he felt threatened from their gazes that were intensifying as time passed on.

Alice saw what Elizabeth and Emily were doing and she felt vexed at how they were both aiming for her dad.

He's my daddy and he belongs to mommy! She thought as she looked down at her ice cream which had one third already missing and gritted her teeth before deciding.

"Daddy, here. Try some," Alice held her ice cream cone up to Jason. Her face was constricted with nobleness, as though she was performing a great sacrifice by offering Jason a lick of her ice cream.

Oh, thank God. Thanks for saving me, kid, Jason felt relief in his mind as he turned to Alice before freezing.

Jason saw her face and passed his snort of laughter off as a violent sneeze which he covered with his sleeve. He knew that, as a foodie, Alice was indeed making a great sacrifice by sharing her food with him. All the same, he felt a sense of happiness that neither Elizabeth nor Emily were able to provide him with as he took a tiny bite of her ice cream.

Alice's eyelids were twitching when she saw how much he took; since his mouth was bigger, that small bite of his was equivalent to a big bite for her. Jason was too busy to see her pained expression as he mulled over the ice cream in his mouth. The chewy and overly sweet taste of bubblegum would've been almost unbearable had he tried it himself, but knowing that it was from his daughter made it more delicious than anything else he had today.

Maple also noticed how Emily and Elizabeth were dotting on Jason and she pouted. Alice was alright, she was Jason's daughter, but she despised the fact that the other two were competing like this while Melanie was away. To her, Melanie and Jason were the perfect couples; they looked incredible together and were all too similar in many ways, from how they interact together as a couple to pretending to be normal while wearing a mask and fighting. And deep down, a part of Maple also wanted Jason to be with Melanie because it would bring her closer to him and Alice. In that way, she would also have a father then.

With that scene flashing in mind, Maple also raised her ice cream with a face flushed red with embarrassment. "Y-you can have some of mine too."

As soon as they heard her, Emily and Elizabeth both turned to Maple with surprise and noticed her red face. Almost immediately, they turned to glare at Jason who instinctively raised his hands to declare his innocence.

Alice also narrowed her eyes and huffed as she turned away: she was clearly aware of what Maple had in mind and felt for the first time that her friend was annoying. After all, this was her parents' love life at stake.

"Uhh . . . thanks, kid," Jason noticed Maple's eyes beginning to water and quickly leaned forward for a bite. Once he did so, Maple smiled and went back to her cheerful self, though she sent an apologetic gaze towards Alice who refused to look at her.

"I . . . uhh . . . I gotta go to the washroom," Jason said as he dashed away leaving everyone flabbergasted.