My Ex Next Door

After the dinner, Novie set up the bed while Ken left to put Alexa to sleep.

After Ken covered Alexa's body with a blanket, he turned around and about to leave but, Alexa grabbed his hand and looked at him with her eyes blinking repeatedly.

(Why does she do that?) he facepalmed and sat on the bed, his hand reached to her face and removed the strands of hair that was long enough to cover her forehead.

He wanted to explode when he saw how big her forehead was.

(Daniella should use her daughter's forehead to land her plane) he could no longer hold it, he bursts out laughing while staring at her wide forehead.

"Why are you laughing Uncle Ken?" Alexa innocently asked, unaware that he was imagining Daniella landing a chopper to Alexa's forehead.

"Nothing. Pft." he covered his lips to prevent himself from laughing, but every time he looks at her forehead, his shoulder shook in laughter.

He shut his eyes while his hand grabs some of her hair and use it to cover her forehead.

He emitted a long sighed and turned his eyes back at Alexa.

(No wonder, your mother never changed your hairstyle) even though Alexa is pretty and smart, her weight and forehead is her downside, he never tried to look at it since Matthew had warned him.

He had seen Alexa with pulled back hairstyle but the girl regularly put butterfly or flowers around her hair which made everyone to overlook her wide forehead but, seeing it closely made him realized that nobody's perfect, even Alexa's mother was missing some height.

He shook his head to remove the picture in his mind but it's been tattooed which made him realized that he will dream of it later.

(Damn it! I should have taken Matthew's advice)

"What is it?" he asked in a dull voice and fake a yawn to show that he's sleepy.

"Read me a book" saying that Alexa got up and took a book out of her bag.

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"Rapunzel?" Ken asked with his brows creased in confusion.

"Yes, I took it from the library. Grandma brought me to the theater to watch it but I fell asleep during the intermission. Can you read it for me?"

Ken sighed and asked her to move. He lay next to her while the girl turned to her side to face him and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"Let's see" he flipped the first page and saw a tower but, what shocks him was there's no sentence to read, he flipped all the pages but, it only contains pictures.

"How can I read this?" he asked Alexa.

"It's from the library so they probably want us to construct our own story" she explains.

"Why do they even make this if you need to make your own story. Why waste a paper and ink" he exclaimed.

"Uncle Ken, there's a number of the publisher at the back cover, why don't you call them and ask" Alexa spoke in sarcasm but, Ken didn't notice it as he was too deep in his thought, imagining how ridiculous it is to publish a book with only photos.

His eyes narrowed as he thought of Alexa's idea and with that, he got up to leave the room and, when he came back he had a phone on his hand dialing the publisher's number.

When no one answered the phone, Ken poker his face.

(Of course, they are close, it's nine pm) he blurted inside and stared at the back cover. His eyebrows rose by itself when he noticed the writer's name.

Written by: Daniella Su

He heard a latent sound in his ears when he read his sister's name, his nose crinkled in annoyance and gripped the book.

"You call yourself a writer? What exactly did you write here except your name?" He yelled at the book, the only words written was the title, writer's name, and the publisher contact information.

"Can't you read me a story, Uncle Ken?" Alexa spoke in an impatient tone that made him look at her.

"There's nothing to read here so I can't tell you a story"

Alexa shrugs a shoulder.

"Just make one, seriously! Uncle Ken how hard is it to make up a story" Alexa pouted while stomping her legs.

(It's very hard. Your forehead image stuck in my head) he blurted inside but, his feet was making its way back to the bed.

He sat on the bed while Alexa moved closer and hug his leg, "Why are you hugging my leg?" he asked.

"Why do you have so many question uncle Ken? If you just read the book in the first place. I will be sleeping now" Alexa complained.

Ken was stunned, he's doing her a favor and yet the little girl dares to complain.

"But I told you, there's nothing to read here" he replied.

Alexa didn't respond, instead, she stared at him with a face saying 'Are you stupid?'

Ken clicked his tongue and sighed, realizing that it's hard to win an argument with Alexa.

"Ok. So, I guess Rapunzel is the girl's name here, right?" He asked Alexa while pointing at the drawing of a woman in a pink dress.

"Well, you can use my name" Alexa replied.

"Fine, Princess Alexa is a spoiled brat -"

"Uncle Ken, it should be Princess Alexandria" hearing her complain, Ken wanted to throw the book out of the balcony together with Alexa. He had one plan tonight, and that is to sleep with Novie but, the little girl was making it impossible.

He sighed and gathered all the patience he had.

"In a faraway castle, hm, there's a spoiled princess name Alexandria who-" Ken poker his face when he heard a snore coming out of Alexa's mouth, he hasn't started yet but the girl fell asleep in just a second.

(If I only know that she will fall asleep this fast, I shouldn't have argued with her) he exhaled and slowly removed Alexa's arms from hugging his leg.

A sweat formed on his forehead when the girl tightened her hug to his leg.

"Mommy, don't go" Alexa murmured. Ken sighed and forcefully pulled his leg from her embrace, Alexa's hand patted the space he left and when he thought she will wake up, the girl pulled the blanket and snore.

When he went to the living room, Novie was not around. He checked the bathroom but, she was also not there and, even in the kitchen.

He shook his head and, went to the other room where Ethan and Leo were sleeping. When he saw Novie sleeping in between Leo and Ethan, a warm hand touched his heart.

But the warmth in his heart faded when he noticed Ethan and Leo's hand resting on each of Novie's breast. He marched to their direction and removed their hands from her chest.

"These are mine" he whispered and carried Novie's body to the living room.

(Damn it! Why do I need to sleep on the couch? This is my house!) he asked himself.

The new couch Novie bought was L-shaped white cotton which can be shifted into bed, it could fit three people but Novie must have forgotten his height.

When he lay on the bed, his feet went over the tip of the couch and he felt uncomfortable sleeping on it.

(I should probably change this tomorrow) he thought and snaked an arm around Novie's body. When he smelled her sweet scent, his eyes closed by itself and without knowing it, he fell asleep.

The next morning.

Ken woke up when someone hit his face, he grunted and, slowly open his eyes but, he couldn't see anyone. When he turned to his side, he saw Alexa sleeping in between him and Novie

(Why is she here?) he asked himself and, turned to his other side.

His face went poker when he saw a small foot next to his face, he then realized that this small foot was the reason why he woke up.

He sat down and, terror overtook his face when he realized that, it was Ethan who kicked his face, while Leo was sleeping next to Novie with his small arm wrapped around Novie's waist and face buried on Novie's chest.

He raked his fingers through his hair and, tugged it repeatedly.

(We have two rooms. TWO FREAKING ROOMS but, we are all sleeping on the couch like sardines. How did this happen?) there are so many questions in his head that were driving him crazy, he sighed and, decided to go back to sleep.