Chapter 17
***Ada***
I sat on the floor of Kendall’s room with Milo as he played with his toy trucks.
He’d just woken up from his nap and Kendall and I were still laughing about Joe’s reaction.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little bad about being so mean.
I’d channeled every gaslighting thing Camden had ever said to me and I felt dirty.
I also felt like I was winning, so maybe I was a terrible person.
“I can’t believe he didn’t fire you!” Kendall spun around in her desk chair and laughed. “He must be sick. Or high.”
“Does he do drugs?” I didn’t mean to sound so horrified but the idea of him doing hard drugs made me want to scoop up the kids and run.
“No!” She laughed even harder. “No. My dad? Doing drugs? I think he’d be a little chiller if he was doing drugs. Right? I mean...people on drugs are laid back, aren’t they?”
“I guess it depends on the-” I cut myself off. “Dear god. I’m the worst nanny who’s ever nannied. Drugs are bad, Kenny. No drugs for you. At least until you’re twenty-five and your brain is fully developed. Or, ever, I mean. No drugs ever. Yeah, ever.”
She stared at me with her head tilted to the side. “Who are you? Nancy Regan?”
I snorted. “No! I’m not Nancy Regan. How do you even know about that? You’re clearly getting a much better education than I was at your age. I don’t think I knew who the president was at fifteen.”
Kendall looked horrified. “Are you serious?”
“No. Of course not...” I was completely serious. “Shut up. I wasn’t a great student.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to do drugs. At least not any bad ones. I don’t think smoking weed is bad.” She watched me struggle with a response and cackled. “I’m just messing with you, Ada!”
Her door swung open and she instantly shouted at the twins to knock before coming into her room but they seemed unfazed as they frowned at both of us.
Avery and Alex were identical in every way and I wasn’t sure who was who. One of them moved a little closer. “What are you guys doing in here? We could hear you laughing.”
“Mind your own business, Avery.” Kendall rolled her eyes and pointed at her door. “Go away.”
The other twin stepped forward and ignored Kendall. “You can tell us apart because Avery has a scar on his chin. He scratched his chicken pox too much.”
I leaned in and sure enough, there was a small round scar on Avery’s chin. “Thanks! I was considering name tattoos across your foreheads but I guess the scar works, too.”
Milo tugged at my hand and pulled himself to his feet. “Mi-wo swim with Aya.”
Avery’s frown deepened as he stared at his little cousin. “You can’t even swim, Milo.”
I clucked my tongue at him. “You’d better be an Olympian swimmer if you’re judging someone else’s swimming skills. And if I’m in the presence of an Olympian swimmer, I expect to see it. Shall we?”
His eyebrows furrowed as he studied me. “You want us to go swimming with you?”
I looked back at Kendall, who didn’t look revolted by the idea. “I demand it. Besides, when’s the last time you two saw the sun?”
Alex huffed. “We see the sun. We have windows.”
I stood up and grinned. “It’s not the same. So, it’s settled. We’re all going down to the lake to swim. Kendall?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes again, the cooler, older kid act in place. “Sure. Whatever.”
“You want us to go down to the lake? Why can’t we just swim in the pool?” Alex sighed like I was asking him to climb Mount Everest.
Mainly because I couldn’t face that pool after what I’d done with their father so close to it. I couldn’t say that, though, so I just shrugged. “The lake is better. You’ll see.”
I wasn’t sure how I managed it but ten minutes later I had my little ragtag group changed into their swimsuits and carrying their own towels. We’d met back in the hallway between the kids’ rooms and made our way downstairs together. We’d just made it outside when a thought occurred to me.
“Should we see if your dads want to come?”
Kendall groaned. “No.”
Alex and Avery looked hesitant but Avery finally shrugged. I could see the way they both hesitated to hope and it ate at me. Collin was coming swimming with his kids if it was the last thing I did.
“Wait right here.” I hurried inside and raced down the forbidden hallway to Collin’s office. I forgot about the rules and even let myself in without knocking, startling Collin enough that he dropped his cellphone and cursed.
“Fuck!” He picked up the phone and said something in language I didn’t recognize before hanging up and glaring at me. “Was I not clear about the rules regarding this hallway, Ada?”
I ignored his attitude and rushed around his desk to see if I could watch the kids from his windows.
I could just see them and let out a relieved breath when I saw they weren’t moving from where I’d left them.
Turning back to Collin, I found him closer than I would’ve preferred after our night but I pushed through.
For the kids. “We’re going to the lake to swim and I think you should come. ”
His face pinched and he rubbed at his temples. Taking a deep breath, he blew it out slowly before shaking his head at me. “I was worried about this. Last night wasn’t an invitation for you to try and date me.”
I stared at him for a few seconds, trying to process if he was serious, and then I burst out laughing. Doubling over, I had to grip his desk to keep from falling. “You think... That’s... Oh, my god...”
Collin growled. “Spit out whatever you’re trying to say.”
I wiped my eyes and did my best to contain my laughter. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I just... The boys would like their dad to come swimming with them. I’m not trying to date you, Collin.”
His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. “You’re not trying to lure me in? Are you sure?”
I giggled and shook my head. “No. Not even a little bit. You’re not my type.”
His scowl deepened. “What the fuck does that mean?”
It meant I was going to say whatever I had to say to prove to him that he was a jerk for assuming I’d want to date him after we slept together.
He really thought he was all that. And maybe I agreed with him, sexually.
He’d rocked my world. The ego of him to think that would turn me into a googly-eyed, lovestruck girl, though? He needed to be brought down a peg.
“Forget it. I don’t want to be mean. Just come swimming with us. The boys are going to be crushed if you don’t.” I walked to the other side of the office and put my hands on my hips. “Well?”
He was well and truly pissed. “I’m busy.”
“Your boys want you there.”
The sound of little feet padding through the hallway caught my attention and I looked out to see Kendall chasing Milo.
He ran into the office when he spotted me and grabbed handfuls of my towel to try and pull himself up.
I didn’t have a coverup, though, and the towel was only loosely tied around my chest so when he tugged, it went.
Standing in Collin’s very professional office in just a bikini that I’d definitely probably grown out of was humiliating.
Instead of showing that, though, I bent over and picked up Milo and my towel.
Turning back to Collin, I stared just over his shoulder instead of at his face, afraid of what I’d see there. “We’ll be at the lake.”
He stood up and braced his fists on his desk while glaring at me. “I’m coming.”
My hopeful nature couldn’t get a straight face. I broke out in a huge grin and bounced on the balls of my feet. “That’s great! The boys will be so happy!”
Kendall peeked her head into the office and waved. “Hey, Uncle Collin.”
He straightened and smiled at his niece. “You’re coming with us, too, Ken? I thought the lake water grossed you out?”
She rolled her eyes. “I never said that, Uncle Collin. Come on, Ada. Let’s go.”
I flashed one more pleased smile at Collin and then hurried outside, pleased to tell the twins that their dad was coming. Except before I could, Kendall stopped me and shook her head.
“Don’t say anything. If he changes his mind, they’ll freak out.” She said it under her voice so the boys wouldn’t hear. “He does that all the time.”
A wave of anger surged through me and I considered storming into Collin’s office and dragging him out by the ear. “That’s shitty.”
Milo, suddenly interested in learning more words, mimicked me. “Dat’s shitty.”
The three other kids fell out laughing while I panicked and tried to make Milo stop swearing, which, of course, only made it worse.
The entire walk down to the lake, he repeated his new favorite word over and over again, much to the twins delight.
I was a horrible nanny and it was a miracle I hadn’t been fired already, not because of my pranks but because of my clear inability to be in charge of kids.
Milo was in the middle of singing his new favorite word at the top of his lungs while I slathered sunscreen on his little body when a shadow fell over us. I looked up and saw Collin standing there, expensive looking swim trunks slung low on his hips.
He shot me a dirty look before squatting down next to me. “For the record, I’m everyone’s type.”