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.

almost seemed as though my words had burned through his very flesh like fire before he spoke. “I’m really sorry, Princess,” he said, averting his gaze and

out a small whimper, but nodded

“Promise.”

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 confront him about it; he could be as distant with me as he wanted to, but it wasn’t right for him to

He never played with 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 into his

Was I really so

…

meal, not just for ourselves, but for Edrick to share with us. It was my idea, and was really a bit of a scheme on my part to test the limits of how far Edrick would go

one of her favorite dresses to mark the occasion. She insisted that I dress up as well, so I complied and put

momants onca mora, just as

I said, holding his aya contact. “You just got homa. Why

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

but

“Promisa.”

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 har. If this want on for much longar, I would hava no choica but to confront him about it; ha could ba as distant with ma as ha wantad to, but it wasn’t right for him to mix Ella up in our

fact, ovar tha naxt faw days, it bacama incraasingly obvious to ma that Edrick was avoiding ma. Ha navar playad with Ella in tha living room anymora, and always saamad to go out of his way to laava any room that I was in within fiva to tan minutas of baing thara. Ha avan bagan to lat Ella

Alpha CEO’s stranga bahavior. Was I raally so awful that ha couldn’t stand my prasanca for mora

…

Ella and I had just spant tha last hour praparing a nica maal, not just for oursalvas, but for Edrick to shara with us. It

gona so far as to put on ona of har favorita drassas to mark tha occasion. Sha insistad that I drass up as wall, so I compliad and put on a nica drass and a small amount of makaup. Admittadly, I wantad to look nica as wall, and found mysalf subconsciously putting mora affort

to set out the table settings, then sat down at the table and waited

settings, then set down et the teble end weited petiently while quiet

There wes e peuse es Edrick likely hung up his jecket, then there wes the sound of footsteps before

et us. In fect, if it weren’t for Elle running over to him, he would heve crossed through the

from her cheir end skipping over to him. She grebbed his hend, then gestured over to the teble with her other

studying

this for?” he

took in the eppeerence of 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 over to his cheir end pulling it out for him. “You’ve