Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 182

But it's what I have to do, I tell myself again and again. It has to be done.

I pull out a sheet of paper and create a game plan. Carson said Onai, Ethel, then Brittany and Krys, and if I remember right, Brittany complained that one time in the morning that Ethel had the shortest shift.

If the watch hypothetically started when Carson left around 8-9ish, then there would be eleven to twelve hours of me needing a guard. Four hours for each, but if it's not even, five, two, and then five respectively. If I go in between those two hours, at approximately 2 AM, no matter how the intervals might fluctuate, I should hit Ethel's shift.

I do not hit Ethel's shift.

I trudge into the night with a hoodie and my wacky-tacky print yoga pants on. Shivering from the night air blowing through my converse and high knee socks, I look around for my supposed protector. Now before you say anything about my clothes, in my defense, I wanted to make sure I didn't look like I was preparing for a romantic rendezvous.

I'm sure I hit the mark when Onai steps into the light and gives me the strangest look ever. That's a feat all on its own. "What are you doing?" he asks.

I came up with a few excuses in the event of this happening. I was going on a night jog, or I needed some fresh air because it's a free country so mind your business, but neither option comes out. I just stare at him.

His confusion disappears. Now he just looks... worried. "Is... something wrong?"

I shake my head. "No, I just..." I remember the first time that Axel pushed me to hang out with this guy. I didn't want anything to do with him. Now the thought that he could be lying to me too breaks my heart.

When I look up at him, he sees something in my eyes. "Mia...?"

"I need to ask you something," I say, all pretenses gone. "And before I do, I need to know whether or not everyone's going to know about it tomorrow?"

He slowly looks between me and my back door, my back door and me. Then his eyes scan around the clearing, checking for something.

I don't care what he's looking for. I just want an answer.

"Maybe you should go back inside," he says finally.