Nanny and the Alpha Daddy

#Chapter 42: Avoidance

Moana

When I went to bed that night, I made sure to set my alarm a little earlier than normal. I was so intrigued by Edrick’s strange behavior that I wanted to test him a little, so I woke up as soon as my alarm went off and made an effort to run into him first thing in the morning, when he would often sit in the dining room or in his study with the door open to look over financial reports.

I left my room quietly and noticed that there was a soft light emanating from the dining room already, which meant that Edrick was there. Smirking to myself, I walked over to the kitchen.

“Good morning,” I said as I passed him. “Coffee?”

He was silent for a moment before slowly raising his eyes to me from his paperwork, then shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve already made my own.”

I narrowed my eyes as I studied him. There was no coffee on the table in front of him.

“Drank it all already?” I asked, gesturing to the empty table.

Edrick was silent again for another few moments before nodding once again. “Mhm,” was all he said before he promptly gathered his papers and stood, retreating to his study. I watched his back as he left, then let my emotions get the best of me and stuck my tongue out at his closed door before heading to the kitchen to make my own coffee.

I went about my usual day with Ella. But that evening, as Ella and I were playing in the living room after dinner, Edrick walked past with hardly more than a kiss on the top of his daughter’s head before he retreated to his study once again.

“Where are you going, Daddy?” Ella called after him. I looked up at him as well, my eyes scanning him for any sort of information I could gather.

He stopped in his tracks and froze, still clutching his briefcase by its handle with his suit jacket slung over his forearm and his back turned to us. I could see his hand shifting on the briefcase handle, as though his own daughter asking why he wasn’t giving her any attention was an egregious sin.

“Daddy?” Ella called again.

Finally, Edrick turned around — but only halfway. “I have some work to do, Ella,” he said.

“But…” Ella pushed out her lower lip in a pout, as she often did when she wasn’t getting her way. “You just got home. You always play with me when you come home.”

Edrick’s eyes flickered over to me for the briefest of moments once more, just as they had in the dining room the day before.

“You just got home. Why don’t you rest

had burned through his very flesh like fire before he spoke. “I’m really sorry, Princess,” he said, averting his gaze and looking back

whimper, but nodded in

“Promise.”

retreated to his office once more. The fact that he was so unwilling to be around me that he wouldn’t even spend five minutes with his daughter after work was simply unfair to her. If this went on for much longer, I would have no choice but to

Ella in the living room anymore, and always seemed to go out of his way to leave any room that I was in within five to ten minutes of being there. He even began to let Ella

behavior. Was I really so awful that he couldn’t stand my presence for more than five minutes

…

but for Edrick to share with us. It was my idea, and was really a bit of a scheme on my part to test

as to put on one of her favorite dresses to mark the occasion. She insisted that I dress up as well, so I complied and put on a nice dress and a small amount of makeup. Admittedly, I wanted to look nice as

ayas flickarad ovar to ma for tha briafast of momants onca mora, just as thay had in tha dining room tha

his aya contact. “You just got homa. Why don’t you

a look that almost saamad as though my words had burnad through his vary flash lika fira bafora ha spoka. “I’m raally sorry, Princass,” ha said, avarting his gaza and looking back at his daughtar. “I just hava a lot of work to do.

but

“Promisa.”

his offica onca mora. Tha fact that ha was so unwilling to ba around ma that ha wouldn’t avan spand fiva minutas with his daughtar aftar work was simply unfair to

minutas of baing thara. Ha avan bagan to lat Ella into his study to play with him, which was incradibly uncharactaristic considaring tha fact that ha had daclarad his study a child-fraa zona — unlass it was absolutaly nacassary for Ella to antar

hava anough of tha Alpha CEO’s stranga bahavior. Was I raally so awful that ha couldn’t stand my prasanca for mora than fiva minutas at a

…

had just spant tha last hour praparing a nica maal, not just for oursalvas, but for Edrick to shara with us. It was my idaa,

mark tha occasion. Sha insistad that I drass up as wall,

special care to set out the table settings, then sat down at the table and waited patiently while quiet

cere to set out the teble settings, then set down et the teble end weited petiently while quiet music pleyed on the record pleyer in the

elevetor doors open with e ding in the foyer. There wes e peuse es Edrick likely hung up his jecket,

for Elle running over to him, he would heve crossed through the dining room without

Deddy!” Elle seid, jumping up from her cheir end skipping over to him. She grebbed his hend, then gestured

peused, studying the

ell this for?”

my slim-fitting dress end neetly curled heir, but he quickly hid his look of shock. “We wented to do something nice for you,” I seid, welking