Chapter 17

~Nathan's POV~

"Uncle Rwobert!"

I watched Robert spin around after that tiny voice yelled that out loud. Even I couldn't help but look back and as soon as I do‚ I see this little girl running towards us‚ to Robert.

The way Robert just smiled from seeing her‚ made me smile faintly‚ I mean I just love seeing the sparkle in his eyes when he looks at kids. And again who is this kid?

'Wait I remember. She's his niece. Robyn's daughter.'

She jumped into his arms and he picked her up before twirling around with her and then putting her down. "Hey there little Ana. What are you doing here?"

"Granny took Ana to the movies!" The little girl held the ends of her pink tootoo. She could barely stand still as she jumped and titled around holding a tiny wand in her hand with a crown on her head. "We watched Barwbie girl!"

"You did?" I could sense how uncomfortable Robert was shifting when his mother got mentioned. So I looked up ahead and saw the woman for myself. Walking towards us in a rather steady pace‚ because she already saw me.

"Nathaniel…" She mutters holding her purse in both her hands. She doens't need to to pretend to be nice just because people are here. Her attitude almost makes me barf and why the fuck is she using my real name?

Robert stood up and straightened his back as he stood next to me. "Mother."

"Didn't expect to find you two here." The woman says‚ her tone neutral as she keeps staring at the two of us. "Where are you two off to?"

"Home." Robert answered and I wonder if she is walking out the restaurant with my arm around him. I didn't exactly hold him in a way that it would look weird. She could've easily seen it as a way how guys normally walk with their friends and not just two guys involved in a bromance.

"I've been trying to contact you. Thought that maybe you two would like to come over for dinner?"

This felt a bit off. His Mom inviting us for dinner‚ I get him being invited‚ but I don't see where I fit in the picture and I also don't see why I should even let Robert sit among a bunch of nasty people‚ that make him feel uncomfortable most of the time. I know for a fact he wouldn't want to be there‚ but I just wait for his answer.

"Fine. But tomorrow though." Robert surprised me with a different answer than I expected. I give him a look and wonder if he's even serious. But he is. "What time should we be there?"

"The usual. You know how we do things in our home Robert."

"This isn't your home. So cut out the formality. We'll be there at six. The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave." He tells her before he kneels down. His demeanor instantly changing when he talks with his knees. "You hear that little Ana? Tomorrow uncle Robert will be playing with you!"

"Yay!" The little girl squealed jumping up down. "Ana can't wait!"

"Good. See you tomorrow then."

"Why don't you two join us for some ice cream." His mother adds and we both look at her. "Ana and I was just about to get some ice cream. She would be happy to spend more time with her uncle. She rarely sees you."

I sense a hidden agenda here. This woman knows Robert has a soft spot for the kid. Of course Robert would stay. "Fine." He said‚ but then surprised me again. "If that's okay with you?" He said to me.

I looked at him and can't help but smile warmly. He has put my feelings into thought and I appreciate that. But I also won't pull Robert away from his niece. She's the only favourite person he has in his family and the only one who doesn't treat him like shit. She looks cute too‚ I don't like kids‚ but this one is an exception. She's sweet.

"Sure. I don't mind."

"Yippy! Let's goooo!" The girl got more excited and grabbed him his hand literally dragging him to the ice cream shot.

I smile and watch the two before I decide to follow behind them. Keeping myself in my own space most of the time since Robert is so distracted by the little girl. He already picked her up so they could get there faster and now I was walking alongside his mother.

"I can see that Robert is very fond of you." The woman says.

I look at her and she's staring at her son with a smile. I don't even know why she's talking to me‚ but I guess I should play this game along with her. "Atleast now you know that friendship is not built upon money."

"You have to understand that I love my son Nathaniel and I want to protect him."

"If you did…then why is his dad still a pain in the ass." I scoff not hiding the bitterness in my town. We are nearing the ice cream shop and those two already walked in. Robert looking back‚ seeing us walking together and I can tell that he's getting worried. But I know how to handle myself and if she thinks she's going to give me insults I won't hesitate biting back.

"I just want him to be happy and the friendship you two have is very important to my son. If that is what he wishes I will respect that….that's why I am giving you a chance. His father has agreed to be at this dinner too and then we can get to know each other better."

We reach the doors of the shop and I am dumbstruck. 'They want to get to know me better. This sounds very suspicious to me. Very suspicious.'

Before we walk in I halt and then stop her. "Don't you find it odd how you people all of a sudden want to get to know me better when your son eventually gets onto you knowing you are hiding some secret with my family?"

"I don't understand where you are going with this…"

"Like shit you do!" I snap getting pissed off. "Just know one thing. If this is another scheme for to try seperate us‚ you can tell your husband that his days are numbered."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Just warning you…" The tension was so thick‚ it could be cut by a scissor.

"Grwanny!" Ana yelled from the counter.

Robert is staring at us and he probably wants to know what we were talking about‚ but I him a look so he knows I plan on telling him about it later and not now. He just nods before we go over and join them.

The girl seems to be the only one who wanted ice cream so badly. Robert got one himself too but he barely touched his spoon. Ana soon noticed he didn't ear anything and like the sweet tooth she is‚ she took his ice cream for herself. That guy is definitely her uncle I bet this sweettooth gene runs in their family and is a rather rare and sweet thing.

After she finished her ice cream she wanted to play rock paper scissors with him. The girl talked a lot‚ I had to say‚ and even for a talkative person she rarely or ever talked to me. Probably because I didn't seem like a guy who liked talking and right now I'm still pissed off by this woman who's sitting at the same table with us.

Robert does eventually notice that I am uncomfortable and so he decided that it was time to leave. "It's getting late. We should go now." He says to his mother.

"Of course. Robyn will get worried when she doesn't see Ana tucked in bed by 9 o'clock!" His mother tells him then stands up. "Come on Ana. Say goodbye to uncle Robert!"

The little girl took her hand‚ waving at Robert. "Bye Uncle Rwobert!"

"Bye Ana." Robert said to her‚ beaming at her and then watching her leave with his mother before he looked at me. "Should we go home now?"

"Sure!" I say‚ finally. I stand up and walk with him to the exit and by then they already disappeared among the crowd‚ heading in their own direction while we take ours.

We head back to the parking lot getting inside the Jeep. I get in by the passenger seat and buckle up my seatbelt before glancing at Robert. I can tell he has something on his mind‚ I do too‚ and I would like to know why he even agreed to go on this dinner.

"You're not going to ask me why I just said yes to my Mom's invitation?" He does ask me. Looks like he did expect me to ask him and I haven't asked him yet though.

But now that he's mentioned it‚ "I do wonder yes. I mean I can't help but find it odd how she suddenly wants to connect with me."

"Is that what you two talked about?"

I nod at him‚ "Yea. Apparently she just wants what's best for you and your dad will be there too."

"Weird. I mean them suddenly interested in you after seeing that I was onto them‚ with this bug secret they're hiding."

I huff and stare out the window. "And I thought the same thing…"

Robert soon starts the car and he drives over to my place. Once he parked in my driveway‚ I got out first and went to the door to unlock it before pushing it open and turning on the light switch against the wall. Robert comes in after me and I see that the sun is busy setting but now that the light's are already on‚ I don't need to worry about them later on.

"So what would you like to do now?" He came behind me‚ wrapping his arms around me after closing the door. I place my hand on his left arm‚ tracing the red rose tattoo on his arm. I didn't take Robert for the type of guy into tattoos‚ but he can be full of surprises.

"We can start with having a bath together. And then…" I slowly glance at him. "We can play games. I got that new Call of duty game just recently and I thought why not play that for fun. Been awhile since we played some games!"

"Sounds like a good plan to me!" Robert grinned widely and then we both walked upstairs to the bathroom.

I take my shirt off along with my shoes and shorts. My boxers go down too before I look at him. Getting hard already just from watching him strip and then giving him a hot kiss on his lips before I pull away to fill up the bathtub. This is our first time taking a bath together and I really don't think I can have sex right now. Just came from the gym and my body desperately needs the relaxation a warm bath can give. I bet Robert feels like that too. I can see how stiff his muscles appear from here.

He eagerly steps inside the water and sits down hugging his knees. I get in right behind him so he can sit between my legs before I pull him flush against my body. That feels better.

"…Do you really think we should go?" Robert asks me after a moment of silence.

I give him a look before gently rubbing his back and softly kissing his cheek. "I think so yes. I mean you already agreed to go there and maybe you were right. We should make it clear to people that you and I are not pushovers. We go there together with pride. If they want to play games then so be it."

"To be honest I am sick and tired of all these games already." He tipped his head over my shoulder.

I gently rub and massage his chest giving him more kisses. "I know baby."