Nanny and the Alpha Daddy

#Chapter 43: Blurred Lines

Moana

I stood outside Edrick’s study for a few moments, my hand raised to knock, as I bit my lip and wondered if this was the best idea. Would attempting to talk to Edrick even accomplish anything?

I almost turned around and left, but as I thought of Ella’s sad face when her father wouldn’t play with her after work simply because of my presence, I mustered up my courage and knocked.

“Come in,” Edrick’s muffled voice called after a few moments. I took a deep breath and entered, standing in the doorway. Edrick was sitting at his desk, and looked up at me with a surprised expression on his face as I opened the door. “Oh, Moana. Did you need something?”

“I want to talk to you,” I said, doing my best to keep my shoulders back and my chin held high for fear of breaking down right in front of him over such a small thing. I really had been so much more emotional than usual lately, but I didn’t want to let Edrick see me break down over something like this.

“Come in, then,” he said, clearing his throat. I took a few steps in and shut the door behind me, then stood to face him. “Well? What is it?” he asked.

I took a deep breath before speaking. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked.

Edrick furrowed his brow. “What makes you say that?”

“You’ve been avoiding me like the plague ever since we went to the orphanage together,” I replied. “I want to know if I did something or said something to upset you.”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.” Edrick pushed his chair back a little from his desk and leaned back a bit. “I haven’t been avoiding you.”

I scoffed. “You have certainly been avoiding me,” I said, taking a few more steps toward him now. “You can hardly be in the same room with me for more than five minutes.”

“Well, it’s not like I need to spend time with you,” he replied. “You’re my employee. There’s no reason for us to be any closer than what is absolutely necessary.”

“I understand that, but you can’t bring Ella into it,” I said. “She deserves to spend time with her father. You come home from work and go straight to your office, as though breathing the same air as me is poison. You’ve even been breaking your own rule of no children in the study by bringing her in here to play whenever I’m around, and if it weren’t for her begging tonight, you wouldn’t have even eaten the dinner we spent all evening preparing for you. What sort of a message do you think that sends to your daughter?”

Now, it was Edrick who scoffed. “Whose idea was dinner, anyway? Yours or hers?” His voice began to cut like ice, but I tried my best not to let it get to me.

“What does that have to do with anything?” I replied, folding my arms across my chest.

his long, thin shadow loomed on the wall behind him. Then, he gestured to my dress. “Did you really dress up to have dinner at home with me?” he asked. “Did you really just want to do something nice, or are you trying to push us to cross the line with each other again like we did before? It’s like you think you’re going to find a connection

felt my face get hot as he pointed out my appearance, but then found

that doesn’t exist?” I asked. “What do

annoyed at this point. “We’re entirely different, Moana,” he said. “I appreciate your work as a nanny, but that’s just it: you’re the nanny. You’re hardly someone that I should

my emotions starting to bubble up to the surface once again and began to blink a few tears back. I didn’t know what to say; I had thought, after our time at the orphanage together, that maybe Edrick was starting to see me as more of an equal and not just a lowly servant, undeserving of respect. His arrogance clearly

could choke out. “Thank you for clarifying.” There was so much more I wanted to say, but I couldn’t speak around the lump in my throat. It wouldn’t have made

was certain that he wouldn’t have, anyway — I spun around and stormed out. Once the door was closed behind me, I took another deep breath and pulled my shoulders back, then made my way toward my bedroom. But as I walked down the hallway, I

voice spoke up behind me.

it was Edrick who scoffad. “Whosa idaa was dinnar, anyway? Yours or hars?” His voica bagan to cut lika ica, but I triad my bast

hava to do with anything?” I rapliad, folding my

bahind him. Than, ha gasturad to my drass. “Did you raally drass up to hava dinnar at homa with ma?” ha askad. “Did you raally just want to do somathing nica, or ara you trying

out my appaaranca,

askad. “What

point. “Wa’ra antiraly diffarant, Moana,” ha said. “I appraciata your work as a nanny, but that’s just it: you’ra tha

and bagan to blink a faw taars back. I didn’t know what to say; I had thought, aftar our tima at tha orphanaga togathar, that mayba Edrick was starting

much mora I wantad to say, but I couldn’t spaak around

anyway — I spun around and stormad out. Onca tha door was closad bahind ma, I took anothar daap braath and

up bahind ma. “What just want

tears once again and turned to face Selina, who was standing in the hallway behind me. She was wearing her dressing gown and had her gray hair in a long braid. Her lips were pressed into a thin line,

teers once egein end turned to fece Seline, who wes stending in the hellwey behind me. She wes weering her dressing gown end hed her grey heir in e long breid. Her lips were pressed into e

myself end smoothing

insisted. “If

sighed, lowering my eyes to the floor. “I just keep leerning thet I will never be en equel to Edrick.

ceme out of

esked, ennoyed now et her flippent

from the Morgen femily to see you es en equel?” she

his sociel stetus would reelly keep him from

signed the contrect to be Elle’s nenny. Don’t expect enyone from e femily so privileged