Chapter 19 Easton
Easton
Over the past week, we’ve fallen into a routine where we all snuggle together while watching one movie after the other. I know things need to change, and we have to move forward, but fuck, it’s hard.
Poor Nova hasn’t had her bed to herself since Rachel’s memorial service. Lainey and I never give her a moment’s peace, but she hasn’t complained once.
You’re becoming a needy bastard.
Chastising myself doesn’t work because I’m already using all my self-restraint not to do all the things I want to do to Nova.
Every night, when I feel her body pressing against mine, my control slips more and more, and the only thing keeping me from crossing the line is the fact that I don’t want to scare her off.
There are moments when I’m sure Nova’s interested in me, but most of the time, she treats me like a friend.
I’m one hundred percent certain I want more with Nova, but if I make my move and she just sees me as a brother, it will fuck things up badly.
My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts, where I’m sitting at the island with my smoothie forgotten in front of me.
I pull the device out of my pocket, and seeing Sylvia’s name on the screen, I answer, “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m good. How are you all doing?” she asks.
“We’re managing,” I reply. “What’s up?”
“I hate to do this to you, but we need to have a press conference. Rumors are spreading, and there are all kinds of articles being printed.”
Nova and Lainey come down the stairs, and I watch as Nova toasts a few slices of bread.
“What kind of rumors?” I ask. When Nova points at the toaster, giving me a questioning look, I nod.
Lainey climbs onto the stool beside me while Sylvia mutters, “There are photos of you with your hands on Nova’s hips, so everyone is speculating that you’re dating.”
“Don’t worry about those,” I tell her.
“There are also photos and videos of you carrying Rachel out of the hospital,” she informs me.
I let out a sigh. “I’m not doing a press conference, but I’ll meet with one reporter. What do you want me to say during the interview?”
“You need to tell everyone Rachel has passed away and that Nova is nothing more than a close family friend and Lainey’s godmother.”
I climb to my feet and walk toward the sliding doors as I say, “I’m fine with the first part but not the last bit.” Only when I’m outside do I add, “She is more than a friend.”
“Oh.” Sylvia’s quiet for a moment, then she asks, “Are the two of you dating?”
“Not yet.” I keep glancing at the doors to make sure I’m alone. “I’m giving Nova time to get used to me before I begin a relationship with her.”
“Okay . . . um . . . then we’ll just tell the public what I said. There’s no need to give them something more to speculate about.”
“Fine.”
“But you need to let me know the moment you start dating. I want to be prepared for the shitstorm the news will unleash.”
“Okay,” I agree. “Is that all?”
“No. We have to agree on a time that I can bring Mark from The Hollywood Reporter over to your place for the interview.”
Taking a deep breath, I think for a moment before replying, “How about four this afternoon?”
“Works for me.”
“Is that all?” I ask again.
“For now. Bobby also gave me a bunch of scripts for you to look at. I’ll drop them off when I see you for the interview.”
I let out a heavy sigh before I drop the bomb on Sylvia, “I’m going to take some time off.”
“How long?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” I suppress an annoyed huff. “I haven’t taken a break since I started acting. Lainey and Nova need me.”
“I understand, but at least look at the scripts. Okay? Maybe you’ll change your mind after a month or two. Most producers will wait two months if it means you’ll star in their movie.”
“Fine,” I agree, because she’s right. I might get bored after a while and return to work sooner. Only time will tell.
“Thank you, baby Jesus,” she mutters.
“Sylvia,” I say while I head back into the house, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” I’m just about to pull the device away from my ear when she says, “Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve made an appointment with the therapist for the day after tomorrow at ten a.m. Her name is Eden Dungey, and she comes highly recommended.”
“Thank you.” I walk back into the house and head for the fridge, where the list of phone numbers is. “I’m going to give you a number. Can you call the therapist and make an appointment for Nova?”
“Sure.”
“Her name is Regina Davis.” I recite the number quickly.
“Got it. I’ll let you know when the appointment is. See you at four.”
I end the call and sit down beside Lainey again. She sinks her teeth into the cream cheese smeared over her slice of toast.
“What do you want on your toast?” Nova asks.
“Same as Lainey’s, please.” I love the light-yellow dress she’s wearing. “Sylvia will make an appointment with Regina Davis for you.”
A nervous look ghosts over her face. “Thank you.”
I wait for Nova to set the plates down on the island, and when she takes a seat, I say, “A reporter is coming over at four to do an interview. I need to make a statement about Rachel.”
“Oh.” She stares at me, then asks, “Will you be okay doing an interview about her?”
“I hate reporters,” Lainey mutters, her chin quivering.
I rub my hand up and down her back to comfort her. “I do, too, sweetheart, but the sooner I get it done, the better.” Glancing at Nova, I add, “There are also rumors spreading that I have to address.”
“On no,” Nova exclaims, a worried expression tightening her beautiful face. “What kind of rumors?”
I’m not going to lie. As much as the circumstances suck, I love how much she worries about me.
“Everyone thinks you and Uncle Easton are dating,” Lainey mutters. “I’ve read about it online, and kids at my school have been texting me to ask if it’s true.”
“Oh my God!” Nova’s eyes widen, and she looks visibly rattled. “I’m so sorry, Lainey.”
“Turn off your phone for a while,” I tell Lainey. “I don’t want anything else upsetting you right now.”
Lainey nods, and lowering her head, she lets out a shuddering breath before tears spill over her cheeks.
I wrap her up in a tight hug, and only when she seems to feel a little better do I pull back. “The reporter will be here at four. I want you to stay upstairs so they don’t get a photo of either of you.”
“Okay,” Lainey agrees.
“God, I’m so sorry about the mess,” Nova whispers, still trying to recover from everything Lainey said. “Maybe you can tell them I’m your cousin or something?”
“Fuck no,” I mutter before thinking to censor my words.
“Uncle Easton!” Lainey exclaims before letting out a burst of laughter. “Mom would slap you upside the head.”
The moment the words leave her mouth, her expression grows sad, and the next second, a sob bursts from her again. She drops the toast onto her plate, and before she can climb off the stool, I grab hold of her and haul her onto my lap.
Holding my goddaughter, I rock her while saying, “It’s okay, sweetheart.” My eyes meet Nova’s as she rushes around the island to pat Lainey’s back. “I think you and Lainey should go out this afternoon. It will do you good to get out of the house a bit.”
“I don’t want to go out,” Lainey whimpers between sobs. “I want to stay at home with you and Nova.”
“Okay,” I agree. When she calms down, I tilt my head to see her face. “Better?”
She nods, then asks, “Can I invite Porsha over?”
“Of course.” I look at Nova. “Can you call Charlotte and see if it’s okay if Porsha comes to visit?”
Nova nods. “I’ll call her right now.”
When she heads to the stairs to get her phone, which is probably in her bedroom, I turn my attention back to Lainey and say, “Go change out of your pajamas.”
“Okay.” She climbs off my lap, and I end up staring at the slice of toast on my plate while I think about Lainey’s and Nova’s reactions to the rumors that we’re in a relationship.
I’m not sure how Lainey would feel about me dating Nova. Fuck, I’m not even sure how Nova would feel. No one has ever confused me as much as she does. Does she hate the idea of dating me, or was she scared I’d be upset about it?
I let out a sigh while I pick up the toast and bite into it.
Besides everything else we’re dealing with, Nova’s still recovering from her abusive ex. I just need to be patient.
When Nova returns to the kitchen, I watch as she checks the list of phone numbers before programming one into her phone and pressing dial.
A moment later, she says, “Hi, is this Charlotte?” She glances nervously at me, then continues, “I’m Nova Allen, Lainey’s godmother.
Lainey would like to know whether Porsha can come over this afternoon.
Maybe she can spend the night, and the girls can have a sleepover?
” She listens for a while, and her features grow sad, then she murmurs, “Thank you. I’ll tell Easton.
See you at two.” She ends the call, then says, “Charlotte gives her condolences and said she’ll drop Porsha off. ”
I nod and gesture at her toast. “Come eat.”
When Nova takes her seat across from me, I say, “With everything that’s happened, we haven’t spoken much about you. How are you holding up after . . .” I try to search for the right words but end up muttering, “breaking things off with the abusive bastard?”
She looks startled by the question, but it’s quickly followed by her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. “I’m good. There hasn’t been much time to think about that part of my life. I’m only seeing the therapist because I made a promise to Rachel.”
“Have you heard from the asshole since you left Verona?”
She nods, and I’m just about to get angry when she says, “There were only a few messages, and he called once, but after that, I haven’t heard from him again.”
“Good,” I mutter. “If he contacts you, let me know.” She nods again, just holding the toast in her hand, which has me reminding her, “Eat, Nova.”
We finish our breakfast in silence, and when I get up to collect the plates, I say, “Even though Frances doesn’t need much supervision, will you deal with her? Rachel always took care of the staff.”
“Sure.”
“Just tell her what to make for lunch and dinner, and if we run out of anything, let her know so she can go shopping,” I mention.
“And the groundkeepers?” she asks.
“They’ll ask if they need anything.”
“Okay.”
Remembering Nova’s truck that’s been standing at the side of the house, I ask, “How do you feel about selling your truck?”
She thinks for a moment. “I haven’t used it since I’ve been here, but I’ll need it soon.” Her teeth tug at her bottom lip. “I haven’t started it in a while. That’s going to be a problem.”
“Why would you need it?” I ask. “You have access to Izak and the SUVs.”
An awkward expression tightens her features. “As much as I like staying here, we both know at some point I’ll have to get my own place.”
Not liking where this conversation is heading, a frown forms on my forehead, and I set the plates down again. “There’s no reason for you to get your own place.”
She glances down at the marble top and starts to wipe invisible dust from the surface. “One day, you might meet someone and decide to get married, and she won’t like having me around.”
My heartbeat speeds up when the thought of Nova marrying another man flashes through my mind.
“That won’t happen,” I snap, my tone too harsh.
Her eyes jump to my face, and her features tighten with fear. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” I hate how her shoulders curl forward as if she’s trying to protect herself.
Fuck.
I step closer and wrap her up in a hug. Feeling how she’s trembling, I keep my tone soft as I say, “I’m sorry for snapping.” I press a kiss to her hair. “Don’t be scared of me.”
Nova nods against my chest.
“I don’t want to talk about me marrying some random woman or you moving out. You belong here with Lainey and me,” I say, so there are no misunderstandings between us.
“Okay.” She wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m sorry.”
I press another kiss to her hair and tighten my hold on her. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I just don’t want to make life harder for you,” she admits, her voice sounding too fragile.
“You’re not. You’ve been amazing, and we’re lucky to have you, Nova.”
Her cheek rubs against my chest, then she pulls away from me, and I have no choice but to let go of her.
Avoiding my eyes, she murmurs, “Thank you for being so nice to me.”
Before I can respond, Lainey comes down the stairs and says, “Porsha told me you called her mom, and she can come over.”
I take a seat at the island again, and while Nova clears the plates, I keep stealing glances at her.
I hope the therapy will help her heal and that she’ll be open to dating again.
Otherwise, I’m fucked.
How do I live in a house with the woman I’m falling in love with and pretend we’re just friends?