Chapter Seven
chapter seven
KIRA
“I know you’re cheating on me! Admit it! Admit you’re a slut!” Before I see it coming, his palm connects with my cheek.
The slap to my face has me sitting up as I take in my surroundings.
My heart is thumping against my rib cage.
My forehead is damp with perspiration.
My hands are clammy.
I glance over to the spot next to me and find it empty. I’m about to scream for my daughter when I remember she’s sleeping in her own room.
She’s okay.
I’m okay.
We’re safe in Ryder’s home. At least for the time being …
As much as I wanted to share a room with Violet, when Ryder mentioned her having her own room, she got so excited that I couldn’t argue. Besides, with my stupid nightmares that keep me from sleeping all night, it’s for the best. When we slept in the SUV, I would wake her up many nights, and I could see the worry in her eyes. At least now, she’ll sleep soundly.
I glance at the phone Ryder bought me and see it’s only ten thirty. Great. Since I won’t be falling back asleep anytime soon, I climb out of bed and go pee and then head downstairs to make myself a cup of tea.
It’s been a week since we moved into Ryder’s house, and I’m honestly shocked this is the first time I’ve woken up from a nightmare. I was hoping they were gone for good, but I should’ve known that it was too good to be true.
I pad downstairs, assuming Ryder’s asleep, but stop in my tracks when I find him sitting on the couch, reading a book.
“Hey,” he says, laying the book on his lap. “Are you okay?”
From the look in his eyes, he heard me. Violet had told me that I was loud in my sleep, so I assumed I screamed during my nightmares, but it wasn’t confirmed until now.
“Yeah,” I choke out, plastering on a smile. “I’m just going to grab some tea.”
He nods, thankfully not pressing the issue.
When I have my warm tea in my hands, I take a deep breath and inhale the relaxing scent and then head back through the living room. But before I make it through, Ryder stops me.
“If you want to hang out down here, you can.”
I freeze in my spot. I didn’t want to go back to my room, but I also don’t want to put myself in a situation where Ryder asks me questions that I’m not prepared to answer.
As if he can hear my thoughts, he adds, “No conversation needed.”
I sigh in relief and then have a seat on the couch across from him. After I take a sip of my tea, I ask, “What book are you reading?”
His cheeks turn a soft pink, and I don’t understand it until he lifts the book to show me the cover. There’s a man and a woman in a sensual position.
“Are you reading romance?”
“What if I am?” He laughs.
“I’m not judging. I’m just a little shocked. What made you pick romance to read?”
“I enjoy reading, but after working with numbers all day and taking care of a toddler, I needed something …”
“Mindless.”
“Yeah. Since I don’t have a romantic life of my own, Ana bought me a romance novel as a joke, telling me I can live vicariously through them. I picked it up one night out of boredom, and it was actually damn good.”
“So, this isn’t your first?” I ask, completely enthralled by this conversation.
“Nah, I’ve read several. Then, I got conned into joining her stupid online book club.” He rolls his eyes teasingly, making me laugh. “This is the book of the month.”
“What’s it about?”
“A single mom who hasn’t had sex in years because she was focused on school. She meets a guy, and they hook up, and she ends up pregnant.”
“No! Ugh, that would be my luck. I haven’t had sex in, like, six months.”
The second the words are out of my mouth, I immediately regret them. My face heats with embarrassment, and I wish for the floor to open and swallow me up.
But before I can think of something to say or a way to make my exit, Ryder says, “I haven’t had sex in two years.”
I’m taking a sip of my tea when he says this, and without meaning to, I spit my drink out, making him chuckle.
“Two years?”
“Yep,” he says, “not since the weekend Addie was conceived.”
“Holy shit.”
“I got my ex pregnant twice in a three-month time period. I think I’ll stick to books for now since I don’t have the best track record.”
I choke out a laugh at his admission, and he glares playfully.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh, but …”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waves me off. “Laugh it up. At least I know I’m not knocking any more women up while reading these books.”
“True.” I think about what he said, and before I can filter my thoughts, I ask, “What happened to the other baby?”
His smile morphs into a thin line, and I instantly backtrack. “I’m sorry. It’s not my business …”
“It’s okay,” he says. “She miscarried. We had only been dating for a short time, and I wasn’t feeling it. But when she said she was pregnant, I tried to do the right thing and proposed. We were planning the wedding when she lost the baby.”
“I’m so sorry.” I can’t imagine losing a baby.
“I was torn between relief and sadness,” he admits. “Nora lost it. Though, looking back, I have to wonder if it was all an act so I wouldn’t end the engagement.”
My features must convey my shock because he further explains, “I told her I didn’t want to try again for a while, hoping once she felt better, I could call off the engagement, but before that could happen, she begged me to go away with her. We were drinking, and instead of being smart about things, I let my dick lead the way.”
“It happens to the best of us,” I say, taking a sip of my tea.
“Yeah, but what I didn’t know at the time was that she was trying to trap me. She was monitoring when she could get pregnant and timed it perfectly. I used protection, but she tampered with the condoms.”
I gasp at his words. “Why would she do that?”
“Because I’m worth billions,” he says casually. “She knew it was the only way to keep me.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It’s life. We got married, and she had Addie. But life with me wasn’t what she had expected, and she quickly regretted her decision. She hated being a mom and being married to me. When Addie was four months old, she signed her rights over and walked away.”
The sadness in his eyes and defeat in his voice have my heart dropping into my stomach. I’ve only known Ryder for a short time, but he’s one of the most selfless, caring men I’ve ever met.
Maybe there’s more to it , my subconscious screams. You thought Brian was a good guy, and look how he turned out.
I swallow down the lump of emotion clogging my airway, pushing my thoughts away. I refuse to judge Ryder because Brian was an asshole. Just because one man was a piece of shit doesn’t mean every man is. Besides, it’s not like I’m emotionally or physically involved with Ryder. I’m simply his nanny.
“You’re a good dad,” I tell him. “She might not have a mom in her life, but she has you, and that’s all she needs.”
He nods, but the look in his eyes tells me he doesn’t agree.
“So, the book?” I say, changing the subject. “What happens once she finds out she’s pregnant?”
“I could tell you, but it’s better when you read it.” He smirks.
“You suck.” I poke my tongue out. “Just read me one part,” I say, hoping the distraction will help my nightmares disappear and sleep to come a bit easier. Otherwise, tomorrow is going to be rough. I enjoy taking care of Addie, especially since it allows me to also spend my days with Violet while getting paid, but taking care of a toddler on almost no sleep can be brutal.
“Fine.”
He flips through the book, and I take another sip of my tea and then lie on my side, snuggling into the pillow.
“I think I’ll have to start from the beginning,” he says, “Otherwise, it won’t make sense.”
“Okay.”
“It’s the prologue, and her name is Sophia.”
He glances up at me momentarily, and I smile at him, thankful he’s entertaining my request.
“‘ Three redheaded sluts ,’” he begins.
“ I drop the shot glasses onto the bar top, and the three women thank me.
“‘ To redheaded sluts,’ one woman—a brunette—yells over the blaring music. ‘And may they all burn in the pits of fiery hell. ’
“I feel ya, sister .”
I chuckle at the way the book starts, remembering the time I came across the redheaded woman on Brian’s phone.
“What?” Ryder asks.
“Nothing. I just … feel the same way about redheads.”
The meaning behind my words must be clear because Ryder simply nods, his lips thinning, and then he continues to read.
“ The other two women—both blondes—cheer in agreement as they lift their glasses, clinking them against each other before they tip them back and swallow down their shots in one fell swoop .”
I close my eyes as he reads, getting lost in the story and the comfort of his voice. Instead of reading in a monotone voice, he sounds like he’s narrating the story. I laugh at the parts that are funny, and my heart clenches in my chest when it turns sad.
And before I know it, I’m waking up in my bed, having no clue how I got there. I think back to last night … Ryder sharing some of his story with me. I must’ve fallen asleep while he was reading to me. Did he carry me to bed?
I glance at my phone and see it’s already almost nine in the morning. Shit! I overslept. Why the hell didn’t my alarm go off?
I throw my blankets off me and rush down the hall, not bothering to brush my teeth or pee. When I find Violet’s bedroom empty, I race down the stairs. The kitchen is devoid of people, and so is the living room.
My heart pounds in my chest at all the possibilities. And then I hear the screeching sound of a toddler. I follow it down the hall and into Addie’s massive playroom, where I find the girls and Ryder sitting at the round table with plates of food and drinks. The girls are wearing princess dresses and tiaras on their heads.
When I glance at Ryder, he’s also wearing …
“Are you wearing a tiara?” I choke out through a laugh.
“Got a problem with it?” he asks, quirking a single brow.
“No.” I shake my head.
“Mommy, we’re having a princess tea party!” Violet exclaims. “Sit down!”
She gets up and grabs another tiara from the box of play clothes. I sit in the open seat, and she puts it on my head.
“There! Now, you’re a princess too.”
“Why, thank you.” I smile up at my daughter and then glance at Ryder. “Sorry about this morning. My alarm didn’t go off. You should’ve woken me up.”
“I turned it off,” he says nonchalantly.
“What?”
“It looked like you could use the sleep, and I’m working from home anyway.”
Butterflies fill my belly at his gesture. I can’t remember the last time anyone gave a shit about whether I had enough sleep.
“Thank you. If you want, I can take it from here.”
“And miss out on this amazing tea party?” His eyes, filled with mirth, meet mine. “I’m good.”
“Here’s a princess cupcake,” Violet says, setting one of the cranberry muffins I baked yesterday on my plate. “It’s magical.”
As I take a bite of my muffin and then a sip of my milk, I look around at the people sitting with me. Violet is talking animatedly while Addie watches her, absorbing everything she’s saying. I stop on Ryder, who’s smiling at my daughter, discussing which princess movie was the best and why, and I thank whatever god or fate that he came into our lives. It’s because of him that my daughter and I are no longer sleeping in our car and are safe. I have a job and can save money for our future. I don’t know what the future holds, but in this moment, everything is okay because of him.
“What’s up?” he asks when he catches me looking at him.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
It’s only two words, and it doesn’t feel like nearly enough for what he’s done for us in such a short time, but it’s all I’ve got.