Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
NOVA
Well, it seems as though I’ve been caught sooner than I thought I would be, but I can hold my family off for a few more days.
When my mom and dad returned home from their vacation, my dad immediately noticed that the truck was gone.
I was sure they weren’t planning on coming back for another week, but I must have gotten the dates wrong.
I told them I’m in the city for a few days with a friend.
I have to get the truck back home, but it’s not pressing.
My dad doesn’t need it, but they will want to know where I’m staying.
That’s the conversation I’m not ready for.
Once I’ve been here for a few weeks, then I can tell them.
That way they’ll see I haven’t been murdered and kidnapped and all is fine. At least I think it is.
"What do you think?" I give Aurora a hand mirror so she can see the back of her head. She gives a small squeal of excitement when she sees the Dutch braid I put in her hair.
"I love it!" Aurora jumps up from the vanity chair to wrap her arms around me in a tight hug. "It's fun having a girl around."
"Totally agree with that sentiment," I tell her as I nod to her hands. "I can do your nails after piano practice."
"Do you have nail polish?" Aurora asks, and I can see the excitement in her eyes. Shit, I don't. Well, not any with me.
"I can pick some up. I'll grab a few colors."
I noticed Aurora has piano practice and then a French lesson, so maybe I can pick some up at the pharmacy while she’s busy.
Her classes are impressive, but I suppose that’s normal in this world.
I was going over the things she’ll need to start school, and I was flabbergasted.
These fancy private schools aren’t messing around. I hope I can keep up with her homework.
Aurora and I head downstairs to greet her piano teacher.
Once she's situated, I go in search of Niles.
He knows everything, so I'm guessing he'll know where my truck is.
I could call for a ride, but why waste the money?
Working here means I can save money, and I plan on building a small nest egg while I'm here.
I find him in the kitchen talking to the chef. "Hi," I say, getting his attention.
"Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Galloway?"
"Yes, my truck keys and the location of said truck."
"I had to park it in one of the garage bays. We can't have it sitting outside. It's an eyesore."
Okay, ouch.
"Hey, I'll have you know that truck has been around for thirty years."
"Thirty is too long," Niles says dryly, making me laugh. I know he doesn't mean it as a joke, and that's what makes it funnier.
"Don't you worry. I'll be returning it home soon enough."
"This way," he says, and I follow him through the back of the kitchen to another side of the house.
Just when I think this house can’t get any bigger, it keeps growing.
We end up in what I’m guessing would be a mud room, but there is nothing muddy about it.
It has built-in cubbies and shelves around the whole space.
Everything is organized, and my fingers itch to move shit around.
Niles opens one of the drawers to pull out my keys and hands them over.
"Is someone coming to retrieve it now?"
"I have to talk to my dad about it." I can probably stall him for a week, but there’s no way I can get away with more than that.
"Please let me know when he arrives so that I can alert the front gate."
"Will do." I give him a finger gun in confirmation.
"Is there anything else you need?"
"Nope, I'll be back shortly."
"Wait." Niles steps in front of me when I try to go around him. "I didn't realize you were leaving." His eyes drop to my keys. Oh, he thought my dad was coming today to get it.
"I'll be right back."
"Does Mr. Eve know you’re departing?"
"Departing?" I laugh. I love the way he talks. “Ms. Sophia is with Aurora. I spoke with her before she arrived about stepping out for a few minutes. She said it was no problem because it's always only the two of them."
Aurora asked what I was going to be doing during that time. I didn't have any plans because I thought I would be needed here, but there are a few things I really need to handle as soon as possible.
"But he didn’t give you permission to leave."
"Permission?" How does one word have my body heating? That should be annoying, but holy hell, it’s hot. Everything we did this morning was wrong, but it felt so right.
Maybe I should be more concerned about losing my virginity the way I did, but I’m telling myself I’m making up for not having any wild nights in college.
Kellan’s intense stare while his body was over mine made me briefly believe that our relationship could be more than physical, but I brushed that away.
He was too bold with his actions and words, which made it clear to me that this kind of intimacy is normal for him.
Me being here is temporary. I’m good with this type of relationship because I can see it for what it is.
Even taking my virginity wasn’t a big deal for him. Once he took it, I fell back asleep, and he went to work. At least that’s my best guess, because he was gone when I woke the second time.
"You belong to Mr. Eve," Niles says, and I suck in a breath.
Again, I should be getting pissed at the comment, but my body says otherwise.
Niles might be right, but I should hate it.
I wonder how Kellan knew I would respond in exactly this way.
Maybe he has a radar for it and when he saw me, he knew he could barrel me into this agreement.
That’s the best word I can think to use, because I don’t want to call it a transaction.
"Well, I have a medical thing I need to handle," I say, and his eyebrows rise all the way up.
He steps back, assessing me as if to find an injury.
"I'm fine; it’s girl stuff. I'll be right back," I tell him.
"Mr. Eve is clearly a very busy man. I'm here to take things off his plate.
I don't want to alert him every five seconds about what I'm doing, especially since he won't even notice it happened. "
"I think he would rather you alert him every five seconds,” Niles says, and I snort a laugh. Niles does not find this charming.
"All right, going forward after this, I will tell him,” I promise, and then we proceed to stare at one another. "I really do have to go."
I only have so much time while Ms. Sophia is here so I can’t keep waiting around. Deciding to just go for it, I dart past Niles and out the side door. It leads into a massive garage, but it’s not hard to find my truck. It stands out.
This isn't a big deal. I'm going to the pharmacy where I can pick up my prescription and nail polish. I have a prescription for birth control; I just haven’t filled it.
The doctor gave it to me at my last checkup a few months ago, saying, "Just in case.
" It was good for a year, and she was right. Turns out I need it.
The last thing I want is to get pregnant by a man who never intended to have kids to begin with.