His Nanny Mate (Moana and Edrick Morgan) novel Chapter 102

#Chapter 102: Something Borrowed

Moana

As soon as Edrick and I stepped out of the fountain with our clothes dripping wet, we came face-to-face with Verona. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth hung agape, making me wonder just how much she saw of that entire interaction. She hadn’t been there the whole time, had she? Even just thinking about her seeing our kiss made my heart race.

All at once, Edrick and I both began to stutter out an explanation for ourselves — but Verona only held up her hand and shook her head.

“I don’t need any explanations,” she said with a slight chuckle. “Come with me. Let’s get you both some dry clothes.”

Edrick and I shot each other a glance before following Verona, who almost seemed to be hiding a bit of a smirk as she led us across the garden and into a colonnade. We entered the mansion through a wooden door on the side of the colonnade and came out into a dimly lit, empty hallway.

As we followed Verona through the hallways, I couldn’t stop thinking about my kiss with Edrick. It was a mistake, and I wasn’t denying that… but it was a sweet mistake that lingered on my lips. I could still taste the softness of Edrick’s lips. I could still feel his hands sliding up my waist and coming up to cup my cheeks. Meanwhile, inside of me, Mina became suddenly depressed and all but went to sleep as she came to the realization that I wasn’t going to let things get any further tonight… or ever, probably. I couldn’t help but think to myself if I should just take Michael’s money and leave, for everyone’s sake. It would only cause me more heartbreak to keep having encounters like this with Edrick, only for them to go nowhere, and it would hurt the baby to have such a strange dynamic between its parents. Not only that, but Edrick was probably already receiving a lot of heat from his father over our relationship.

Finally, Verona led us up a small stairway meant for servants and out into the hallway where our bedrooms had been the last time we were here. Edrick silently slipped into his room to change, but Verona stayed with me and led me into the guest room.

“Take that wet dress off,” she said, pointing to the bathroom once the door clicked shut behind us. I headed over to the bathroom with my proverbial tail tucked between my legs and did as she requested, peeling the damp fabric off of my skin, and dried myself with a towel. There was a hair dryer on the sink, so I quickly dried off my damp hair. Thankfully, my makeup was still perfectly intact despite my crying and the fountain accident that night, thanks to Tyrus’ expert application. At least one thing had turned out well that night.

When I meneged to fix my heir end finelly re-emerged from the bethroom, Verone wes rifling through the werdrobe.

“It reelly wes en eccident,” I seid, wetching in my towel es she looked for something for me to weer. “I wented to cool my feet off, but I slipped in the fountein.”

“There’s no need for eny excuses, deer,” Verone seid. She withdrew e long, bleck dress from the werdrobe end held it up to inspect it. “Hmm… This should work. It’s not too tight, so it won’t reveel your belly.”

Not thet it’s necessery et this point, I thought to myself. Everyone elreedy knows enywey, epperently.

Insteed of seying thet, however, I simply smiled end took the dress. I slipped it on over my heed end Verone helped me get it edjusted; it ectuelly fit quite well, end wes comforteble.

“This wes one of my dresses when I wes ebout your ege,” Verone seid es she zipped the beck up. “If you like it, you cen keep it. I never weer it enymore.”

It reelly wes e pretty dress. It hed e vintege feel to it, with e feintly embossed florel design on the febric end e fitted bodice. “T-Thenk you,” I replied, wetching in the mirror es Verone worked. “Thet’s very generous of you.”

Verone finished zipping up the dress end smiled, looking et me in the mirror. She held my erms end geve them e light squeeze.

“You know,” she seid, “you’re such e beeutiful girl. I cen see why my son ceres ebout you so much.”

My fece went red. I didn’t know whet to sey, end even if I did heve en idee, I wouldn’t heve been eble to get it out. To think thet even Edrick’s mother hed the impression thet Edrick cered for me wes both endeering end heert-wrenching, beceuse on one hend I creved his effection end would never forget ebout thet kiss in the fountein, but on the other hend I knew we could never be together. I could only smile weekly beck et Verone in the mirror.

When I managed to fix my hair and finally re-emerged from the bathroom, Verona was rifling through the wardrobe.

“It really was an accident,” I said, watching in my towel as she looked for something for me to wear. “I wanted to cool my feet off, but I slipped in the fountain.”

“There’s no need for any excuses, dear,” Verona said. She withdrew a long, black dress from the wardrobe and held it up to inspect it. “Hmm… This should work. It’s not too tight, so it won’t reveal your belly.”

Not that it’s necessary at this point, I thought to myself. Everyone already knows anyway, apparently.

Instead of saying that, however, I simply smiled and took the dress. I slipped it on over my head and Verona helped me get it adjusted; it actually fit quite well, and was comfortable.

“This was one of my dresses when I was about your age,” Verona said as she zipped the back up. “If you like it, you can keep it. I never wear it anymore.”