{Last time on Suds, a series of 'coincidences' guided Lique to an abandoned dream.

And later while Lique was coloring with Sylus' son, Shantel came home earlier than expected, but stayed to meet the son of the man who broke her heart.

Bubbles are bursting everywhere. Ready, Set... Suds!!}

~

Sylus' calm eyes on a small, round face stared at her. Little socked feet dangled from the bar chair at her kitchen island. And his mother's nose pointed, taunting her.

SHANTEL swallowed a slew of insecurities, pushing them into the deepest pit of her gut, and forced a plastic smile.

"Hello," she said to the boy.
"Good evening, ma'am," the small human answered.

"Ma'am," she chuckled, combing a fresh manicure through her hair . "I'm not that old. You can call me Shantel."

Symonte placed the crayon on the coloring book, hopped off the bar chair, and extended his hand.
"It's good to meet you, Ms. Shantel."

She looked down at the pudgy hand extended toward her. Slowly, she shook his waiting hand. His baby soft palm surprised her with a firm handshake.

She raised an arched brow. "It's good to meet you, Symonte."

His brows dipped and he craned his neck to look up at her. "How did you know my name?"

Her gaze flitted over to Lique, who met her with inquiring eyes.

"I—," Shantel started, searching for a response. "I know your parents." She smoothed her hair at the nape of her neck. "That's how I know your name."

The lie scratched her throat. She ignored the discomfort.

~

LIQUE smirked and made a mental note to make her friend spill the details on how she knew his name. She must have been snooping around on social media. Lique shook her head, grinning while she crafted ways to poke fun at her friend after Monte went home.

Lique's phone rang.
"Hey Art," she sang.

The playful light in her eyes dimmed. "I'm on my way now."

~

SHANTEL glanced up from the well mannered child.
"Everything alright?"

Lique shook her head.
"Monte, can you sit in the living room?"

"Yes, Auntie."
Shantel watched his little feet move with purpose to the front and he sat, facing the fireplace.

"I need you to watch, Monte."
Shantel's  head snapped around. "What?"
"Terrance is a mess," Lique rambled. "Drunk. I don't know why. He's never like this. He barely even drinks." She grabbed her bag and pulled out her keys.

Shantel's heart rate spiked.
"I can't keep that child." She shook her head. "Can't you take him with you?"

Lique shook her head. "It's a bar."
"A restaurant," Shantel countered, panic swelling in her throat.
"To pick up an angry drunk." Lique shook her head. "It's not appropriate for Monte to see Terrance like that."

Shantel crossed her arms. "Can't you drop him off somewhere else?"
Lique patted her chest."I am the somewhere else. And now you are my emergency fill in."

Shantel shook her head, whispering. "You can't leave me here with him."

"I'm sorry," Lique said. "I wouldn't do this to you if it weren't an emergency."

"I—" Shantel gasped. "This—"
Lique grabbed her hands. "He's a really good kid. The best. And none of it was his fault." The compassion in her eyes called Shantel to the carpet.

She blinked away and rolled her lips together.

Lique continued. "That little boy did not hurt you. So be kind. And help me out. Just this one time."

Lique waited for another objection. Then gave her friend a big hug. "Thank you."

Her mind raced toward Terrance. Lique rushed through the living room and stomped into her shoes.
"Monte," she called.

He looked up at her.

"Ms. Shantel is going to watch you until daddy gets here."

Monte looked at Shantel and back at Lique.

"Can you be a good boy for Ms. Shantel?"

He nodded. "Yes, Auntie."

Lique rushed to the door. "Thanks Tel. Sy should be here soon."

Her heart stopped and Shantel forgot how to breathe. Sylus? In her home? With her?

Shantel swallowed the anxiety, rising like bile from the pit. The door opened and slammed shut. She twisted the locks and stood there a moment, gathering herself.

After taking a deep breath, she turned around, and faced the decision that changed her life. The decision he made with no regard for how it would turn her world upside down.

Monte sat in the same position, staring at the fireplace with a bookbag on his back.

Shantel stood beside him and crossed her arms. Lique was right. None of her pain was his fault.

"Do you want to watch tv?"
Monte shook his head. "I'm good at being still." He hooked his fingers on his back pack. "I can wait until my dad gets here."

Shantel sat.
"How about a book?" She glanced around. "I'm sure I can find something—"
"I can't read."

She cut her eyes. "What on earth are they teaching you at school?"
He shrugged. "ABCs"

She relaxed. "Oh. That means you can read."
Wide eyes met hers. "The pictures?"

She grabbed a legal pad and the crayons from the kitchen, then sat beside him.

"Letters build words." She made a large red letter. "Do you know this letter?"
"T," he said, puffing his chest with pride.

"Correct." She drew another letter. "This one?"

He grinned. "H."

She made the last letter.
"That's easy. E."

She laughed a little and put the letters together. "This is the word the."

His brown eyes sparkled. "Like let's go to the park."

"Exactly. And that's how we use letters to build words."

Monte scooted closer to her.
"Can we do another one?"
"Sure, if you take off your book bag and get comfortable."

An excited grin stretched, flooding his entire face with unfiltered happiness. His dad's smile.

A pang sputtered through her heart. She quelled it with a shaky hand and gave Monte the crayon.
"Why don't you try?"

And he did. He learned every word they built, absorbing like a sponge. And each time, his joy overflowed, pouring a soothing balm on her burning heart.

~

SYLUS stood in front of Shantel's door, musing at how well she had done for herself.

He sighed, letting his thoughts go to a useless place. He'd give anything to feel her eyes bore through his soul. To hold her. To kiss her.

He cut the string of thoughts before they carried him away. The reality was that he couldn't and he only had himself to blame for throwing her away. If only he could see her.

Sylus took a calming breath and rang the doorbell.

The door opened and Shantel's steel cold glare stole his voice. His mouth hung open, struggling to catch up up.

Symonte peered out from behind Shantel.
"Hi dad."

"Hey, lil man," he said, tearing a bewildered stare from Shantel to acknowledge his son. "Where's Auntie Lique?"

Sylus scratched his neck, turning his focus back to Shantel. Her smooth skin glowed. The sleeveless pencil dress followed the curve of her silhouette, and her perfect pedicure peeked out from house shoes.

She held onto the door, blocking the entrance. Her face was frozen, void of emotion.

"Auntie Lique had to leave," his son said, jarring him out of the trance.

Sylus nodded, rubbing his jaw. "Do you need to use the bathroom, lil man?" Sylus held his breath, hoping.

Monte nodded.
Shantel glared at Sylus another moment. Then she smiled down at Monte. "It's the door right next to Auntie Lique's room. Do you need help?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm a big boy."

She smiled again, watching his son follow her directions to the bathroom.

Amazed, Sylus stared at her.

She faced him and the smile flattened. "Sparkling water? Juice?"
"No, thanks," he managed.

She released the door and walked to the kitchen. "Suit yourself."

He stepped into the condo and locked the door behind him.
High end floors.
Marble fireplace.
Amazing view.

He rubbed his jaw and chuckled. She did better than well for herself. Without him. His smile waned, then he followed her to a stunning kitchen.

Sylus rubbed a hand over the smooth countertop and his gaze climbed to the high end cabinets. Then settled on the work of art on her tip toes, reaching for a glass.

He stepped forward to help her, rounding the kitchen island, but like everything else, she managed to pluck the oversized wine glass from the high shelf without him.

His stricken gaze followed as she floated to a small wine fridge and pulled out a bottle.

Sylus rubbed his neck.
"About last night," he started, leaning back against her island.

Shantel faced him, holding a cork screw.
"What about it?"
His breath caught and he stared at the corkscrew.

Shantel smirked.
"I would never use a weapon." She grabbed the bottle and popped it open. "I'm too pretty to go to jail."

His eyes shone like stars.
"Yeah. You are."

~

SHANTEL got lost in the galaxy of emotions swirling between them. Then she blinked herself out and poured a glass of wine.

He cleared his throat.
"I didn't mean to kiss you last night."

She paused, stilling the sudden fury prickling her skin. She kept her eyes on the deep red liquid.

He continued. "My cover would have been blown if I hadn't."

She glanced up, examining him.

Sylus winced. "I mean. I wanted to kiss you." He scratched his head. "I always want to kiss you."

He held her gaze. "But I planned to respect your space. I apologize for overstepping my boundaries."

Shantel glared at him, gulping the wine in thirds. "What cover?"

His intense stare followed the glass to her lips, sparking memories of their last kiss.

She blinked away. "Unless I'm not privy to that information."

"I've been working on the case for a while."

Her eyes returned to his. Curiosity tinkered, churning questions in her mind. "Police? Detective?"

"Sort of." He scratched his head. "FBI."
Her brows hiked. "Really?"
"Yeah, but no one should know that."
"Then why tell me?"
"Because it's you."

Her heart jumped to her throat, pumping a stream of senseless notions through her mind. She patted her chest, quieting the gush of emotion.

"Your secret's safe. I have a general rule never to speak of you under any circumstances"

Sylus licked his lips and glanced around the immaculate kitchen. "This place is nice."

"Thanks," she said. "I wanted something worth coming home to."

His gaze wilted, making her heart sink. Then she turned her back on him, refusing to feel anything. Still pain, joy, hope and his lies muddled together, pitting her mind against her heart.

She placed the empty glass on the counter and picked up the bottle.

His hand closed around hers on the neck of the bottle and gently guided the bottle back to the counter.

Shantel froze as his body pressed into her back. She eased out a shaky breath and her senses went haywire, overpowering her will.

"Try not to drink alone," he said, peeling her hand away from the bottle.

She craned her neck around to see him and her gaze lingered on his lips before traveling the rest of the way to his eyes.
Her mind emptied and her weakened eyes slipped back to his full lips.

Sylus stretched his arm across her belly and pulled her into his chest.

She frowned, but her eyes remained fixed on his lips.

He rolled them together. "If I could kiss you for the rest of my life, I'd die a happy man."

She bit her lips, restraining them. They didn't understand how much trouble they were bringing to her door.

Sylus squeezed her closer. "Don't drink without me."

The request stirred her tongue. "Why would I limit myself to you?"

His hand loosened, releasing her, and he stepped back.

She spun around glaring at him. Partly because he let her go and partly because he was in her home, stirring up  crazy emotions that she worked hard to settle.

Monte opened the bathroom door and appeared in the kitchen. "I'm ready."

Shantel smiled. "You are a big boy."

Monte grinned, ran around the island, and hugged her thighs.
"Thank you for teaching me how to read, Ms. Shantel."

A pained expression challenged Sylus' cool facade.

Shantel ignored him, giving the boy all of her attention. She crouched to meet his the boy's eyes.
"You have to keep practicing because learning is very fragile. Do you know what fragile means?"

Monte shook his head.

"Means it can break easily." The meaning stabbed her and she glanced up at Sylus before continuing. "And all of it will break into pieces that we won't understand anymore."

Sylus rubbed his jaw.

Monte laughed, pulling her attention back from his father. Her lips ruffled into another smile.

The little boy threw his arms around her neck, squeezing her into the sweetest hug.
"Thank you, Ms. Shantel."

Her heart skipped a beat.
"You're welcome, Monte."

She walked them to the door. Monte grabbed onto the straps of his backpack and walked out of the unit.

Shantel held the door open for Sylus.
His eyes brimmed with remorse.

Shantel cut him off. "It's fine. I'm fine. Your son. Monte." She nodded. "He's wonderful. Congratulations."

Sylus bit his lips together. "Tel."
She smiled. "You shouldn't keep him waiting."

Sylus stared a few moments longer. Then he took a deep breath and left.

Shantel locked the door, walked to the kitchen, and grabbed her wine.

{Stay tuned: Be back soon. Smooches!!}

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