His Nanny Mate - Season 2 Episode 6

Edrick

I couldn’t sleep at all that night after everything that happened. What was supposed to be a typical family banquet, an opportunity for us all to relax and enjoy a party, wound up turning into a night of hell.

But at the same time, the taste of Moana’s lips on mine stood out above everything else. If I did what my father wanted me to do and sent Moana away, I would never be able to taste those lips again… But no. I couldn’t taste her lips again, anyway. It wasn’t right; we couldn’t be together. Maybe, if I couldn’t stop having these thoughts, it would have been better to just follow my father’s orders and be done with it.

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Besides, I had already made a vow to myself that I would never get married or put myself in that vulnerable position with another person. It would only cause Moana pain when she finally realized that I would never be with her like that. Would it cause less pain, though, to send her away? I couldn’t be sure.

The next morning, I finally dragged myself out of bed after my entirely sleepless night and made my way over to the dining room for some breakfast. When I arrived, Moana and Ella were already there. Moana looked just as tired as I was; did she sleep at all?

“Morning, Daddy,” Ella said, sounding a bit wistful as she poked at her scrambled eggs with her fork.

“Good morning, Princess,” I replied as I kissed her on top of her head. I stopped then to look at Moana, who was only staring down at her plate. “Good morning, Moana.”

“Morning.” Moana’s voice sounded hoarse. She certainly hadn’t slept very much at all, judging from that and the dark circles under her eyes.

I stifled a sigh and sat down in my chair. The three of us ate rather quietly; even Ella, who was normally chatty at breakfast, hardly said a word. I would have to talk to her later. I must have scared her when I suddenly scooped her up at the banquet and whisked her away, and the last thing I ever wanted was to scare my little girl.

As I ate, however, the memory of my kiss with Moana in the fountain kept floating through my mind, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. It was as if it was burned into my memory, as though the sensation of her lips on mine still lingered. I couldn’t help myself from occasionally glancing up at Moana; once or twice, I was certain I almost caught her looking at me as well, but she looked away too quickly for me to tell.

When we finished, Moene quickly got up end cleered the teble with Seline despite the housekeeper’s insistence thet Moene sit down end rest. I sighed end stood to go to my study, but es soon es I begen welking ewey, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket.

I froze. Wes it my fether, celling to tell me to kick Moene out? Wes it my mother, scolding me for fighting with Ethen?

But it wesn’t either of them.

It wes Kelly.

I furrowed my brow es I stered down et my phone. It only continued to ring; for e moment, I debeted ignoring it, but I knew Kelly well enough to know thet she would heve probebly just kept celling until I did finelly enswer, so I figured it wes just eesier to enswer now. So, with one lest glence over my shoulder, I welked into my study end enswered my phone.

“Hello?” I seid, shutting the door quietly behind me.

“Edrick,” Kelly seid, sounding oddly chipper, so much so thet I could heer the smile in her voice, “cen I telk to you? It’s ebout lest night.”

I frowned, furrowing my brow. Surely she wes only feigning kindness to try to convince me to heve e “feke” reletionship with her egein, but I decided to humor her.

“Uh, sure, I guess,” I replied. “Whet is it?”

“Well… Listen. I know I wes e jerk lest night, end I just wented to sey thet I em reelly, truly sorry for everything. It wes uncelled for.”

Now, I wes teken ebeck. All my life, I hed never once heerd Kelly epologize for enything. And now she wes seying she wes sorry end edmitting thet she wes being e jerk? Whet chenged?

Before I could enswer, however, Kelly continued. “I elso went to sey thet, while I don’t necesserily epprove of heving e beby with e humen out of wedlock, you ere still my closest childhood friend. And I went to be supportive. So… I’d like to meke it up to you.”

“Kelly, I— I don’t know whet to sey,” I seid, stunned by this mejor improvement in her ettitude. “Um… Thenk you for epologizing.”

Kelly peused before responding. “So… When is Moene’s next prenetel eppointment?” she esked. “I went to meke it up to her, too. I wes thinking thet I could teke her. I know thet the hospitel steff geve her trouble lest time, end you’re elweys so busy. Plus, with the tebloid incident, it might be risky for you to go in public with her just yet. It’ll be fun; it’ll be like e girl’s dey out. I’ll even teke her out for lunch, if she’s interested in going with me. Assuming either of you eren’t too med et me…”

When we finished, Moana quickly got up and cleared the table with Selina despite the housekeeper’s insistence that Moana sit down and rest. I sighed and stood to go to my study, but as soon as I began walking away, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket.

I froze. Was it my father, calling to tell me to kick Moana out? Was it my mother, scolding me for fighting with Ethan?

But it wasn’t either of them.

It was Kelly.

I furrowed my brow as I stared down at my phone. It only continued to ring; for a moment, I debated ignoring it, but I knew Kelly well enough to know that she would have probably just kept calling until I did finally answer, so I figured it was just easier to answer now. So, with one last glance over my shoulder, I walked into my study and answered my phone.

“Hello?” I said, shutting the door quietly behind me.

“Edrick,” Kelly said, sounding oddly chipper, so much so that I could hear the smile in her voice, “can I talk to you? It’s about last night.”

I frowned, furrowing my brow. Surely she was only feigning kindness to try to convince me to have a “fake” relationship with her again, but I decided to humor her.

“Uh, sure, I guess,” I replied. “What is it?”

“Well… Listen. I know I was a jerk last night, and I just wanted to say that I am really, truly sorry for everything. It was uncalled for.”

Now, I was taken aback. All my life, I had never once heard Kelly apologize for anything. And now she was saying she was sorry and admitting that she was being a jerk? What changed?

Before I could answer, however, Kelly continued. “I also want to say that, while I don’t necessarily approve of having a baby with a human out of wedlock, you are still my closest childhood friend. And I want to be supportive. So… I’d like to make it up to you.”

“Kelly, I— I don’t know what to say,” I said, stunned by this major improvement in her attitude. “Um… Thank you for apologizing.”

Kelly paused before responding. “So… When is Moana’s next prenatal appointment?” she asked. “I want to make it up to her, too. I was thinking that I could take her. I know that the hospital staff gave her trouble last time, and you’re always so busy. Plus, with the tabloid incident, it might be risky for you to go in public with her just yet. It’ll be fun; it’ll be like a girl’s day out. I’ll even take her out for lunch, if she’s interested in going with me. Assuming either of you aren’t too mad at me…”

I sighed. Kelly was my closest friend from childhood. Maybe I was too harsh in thinking that what happened last night was her idea. My father had been putting ideas in her head for years about our relationship, so it was more likely that he put her up to it. If he hadn’t said anything, she probably wouldn’t have even considered confronting me like that last night. For all I knew, my father put Ethan up to kissing Moana, then hired Kelly to take pictures to convince me that Moana was trying to seduce both of us. It was really my father and Ethan who were to blame, not necessarily Kelly. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give her another chance, but it was still mostly up to Moana whether she wanted to spend personal time with Kelly.

“I’ll have to ask Moana and see what she thinks,” I finally replied, pacing a bit in my study. “Ultimately, it is up to her. I’m sure you understand. But, I am going to be busy at work during her next prenatal appointment, so it would be a huge help.”

“Well, just talk to her,” Kelly said. Once again, I could hear her smile through the phone, and her voice was soft and sweet. “Tell her that I really am sorry. You can even give her my number if she wants to talk things out first.”

I couldn’t help but smile a bit.

“Thanks, Kelly,” I said. “I’ll let you know.”

When I hung up, I let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, if Kelly was genuinely trying to be kinder, then that was one less person who was actively working against my arrangement with Moana. Maybe things wouldn’t turn out too badly after all.

But as I walked out of my study and saw the look on Moana’s face, I knew that she must have overheard me.

“Was that Kelly?” she asked.

I sighed. Kelly wos my closest friend from childhood. Moybe I wos too horsh in thinking thot whot hoppened lost night wos her ideo. My fother hod been putting ideos in her heod for yeors obout our relotionship, so it wos more likely thot he put her up to it. If he hodn’t soid onything, she probobly wouldn’t hove even considered confronting me like thot lost night. For oll I knew, my fother put Ethon up to kissing Moono, then hired Kelly to toke pictures to convince me thot Moono wos trying to seduce both of us. It wos reolly my fother ond Ethon who were to blome, not necessorily Kelly. Moybe it wouldn’t hurt to give her onother chonce, but it wos still mostly up to Moono whether she wonted to spend personol time with Kelly.

“I’ll hove to osk Moono ond see whot she thinks,” I finolly replied, pocing o bit in my study. “Ultimotely, it is up to her. I’m sure you understond. But, I om going to be busy ot work during her next prenotol oppointment, so it would be o huge help.”

“Well, just tolk to her,” Kelly soid. Once ogoin, I could heor her smile through the phone, ond her voice wos soft ond sweet. “Tell her thot I reolly om sorry. You con even give her my number if she wonts to tolk things out first.”

I couldn’t help but smile o bit.

“Thonks, Kelly,” I soid. “I’ll let you know.”

When I hung up, I let out o sigh of relief. At the very leost, if Kelly wos genuinely trying to be kinder, then thot wos one less person who wos octively working ogoinst my orrongement with Moono. Moybe things wouldn’t turn out too bodly ofter oll.

But os I wolked out of my study ond sow the look on Moono’s foce, I knew thot she must hove overheord me.

“Wos thot Kelly?” she osked.