Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 415 Water streamed on the back of Sebastian's hand. He washed again with the foaming soap and rinsed the lather away. Then, he glanced at the towels hanging on the rack. He picked the yellow one, knowing it was Valeria's. The other two belonged to Selena and Margaret. Valeria wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Gross, it reeks of fish. You better wash my towel." Suddenly , Sebastian reached out, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other clamped over her mouth and nose. He did it on purpose. Valeria glared at him, but she couldn't break free.

Her cheeks were flushed from being smothered in the small, cramped bathroom. When she tried to retreat, her back pressed against the sink. The breath she drew between her lips was tinged with the faint fishy smell mixed with the soap from his damp fingers. He hadn't dried them completely , so they were still cool and moist. Valeria couldn't help pounding his chest with her fist. They were like two mischievous children fooling around. The more she complained about the fishy smell, the more he wanted to force her to inhale it. ---- Suddenly , the bathroom door swung open from the outside.

There were two bathrooms in the house, with the other in the master bedroom. Martha had pushed open the door and caught sight of the scene inside. She cleared her throat with a few coughs to ease the awkwardness , then promptly closed the door again. Sebastian let go, allowing Valeria to finally catch her breath. She commented, "Great. Mom misunderstood us. She probably thinks we were doing something indecent here." "Our clothes are perfectly fine," he answered. "Iwas just covering your mouth.

She could see that." Valeria turned the mirror for a glance, making sure that their clothes really were neat and in order. Still, she felt a little embarrassed and awkward. "This is all your fault. Stay away from me," she added. "In Granny's house, there's a no-entry line between us. You're not allowed to come too close." When they stepped out of the bathroom, Martha was already seated in the living room. She gave the two of them a look with a faint smile. She was naturally happy to see her son and daughter-in-law getting along well. Valeria gave Sebastian a push.

He raised an eyebrow before explaining with some amusement, "Mom, Valeria and I weren't doing what you ---- thought we were." Valeria could hear how his tone only made things sound even more suspicious. Unable to stop herself, she pinched his waist hard. Sebastian yelped in pain, looking at her. "Be gentle. My waist hurts." She had no response to that. Martha was sipping some water and nearly choked on it. She shot Sebastian a reproachful glance at his shamelessness. Valeria ducked her head. Her cheeks burned as she slipped off to the kitchen to help Margaret, who chuckled. "Mrs. Grant Sr.

looks like a gentle and kind soul." She was happy that it seemed like Valeria wouldn't be bullied. "She treats me well." Valeria turned, glancing toward the living room. "She's an interesting lady." At dinner , Martha kept praising Margaret's cooking skills , even asking for seconds. She praised Margaret so much that even Margaret was embarrassed. Nicholas pointed at one of the dishes. "This one's yours, right? Icould tell right away. It doesn't taste like her cooking, at all." Then, he added, "It's a bit salty.

You do not go easy on the salt whenever you cook." Martha rolled her eyes, but Margaret just smiled. "It's good. ---- The dish packs more flavor with the salt." The dining room glowed warm under the lights as it filled with laughter. That night, Valeria prepared the bedding. Although it was a three-bedroom apartment, the third room was used for storage and only had a folding cot. However, it only unfolded intoa single bed. She suggested booking a nearby hotel room for Nicholas and Martha, but the two insisted on staying.

Martha chose to share a bed with Margaret that night, saying she wanted to bond more. The two hit it off immediately, and they chatted endlessly. Valeria slept in the side bedroom with Selena. Nicholas and Sebastian took the folding bed. Both of them were lean, so it worked out fine. With his eyes closed, Nicholas listened to the two elderly women talking and laughing in the master bedroom next door. The walls weren't very soundproof. He muttered, "Your mom's too enthusiastic. She'd better not scare Margaret off."