His Nanny Mate (Moana and Edrick Morgan) novel Chapter 206

#Chapter 206: The Last Straw

Moana

The first day that my colleagues and students got wind of the bodyguard situation was already bad enough. By the second day, people were really beginning to pick up on the fact that a strange, intimidating man was sitting outside of the school and watching me with binoculars. Combined with the fact that everyone seemed to think that I was bad luck as a late bloomer, I quickly became even more of an outcast amongst the other teachers and even some of the older students. What I was most worried about, though, was that this would somehow reflect on Ella. I could handle people looking negatively upon me, but if they began to look negatively upon Ella because of me, then I couldn’t live with it.

When I went home on the second day, I decided that I had had enough. Yes, some horrible things had happened; but this whole bodyguard situation wasn’t working out, and I couldn’t risk it ruining both mine and Ella’s reputations in an environment where our reputations were already fairly shaky because of my status as a late bloomer.

At first, Edrick seemed to be understanding. I thought that he would recommend a different approach; maybe he could talk to the headmistress about hiring a second security guard for the school or even put up cameras in my classroom just in case anything happened. But when he brought up the danger of me shifting in my classroom, he seemed to make a good point. It was a dangerous potential, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.

However, when he told me that I would have no choice but to allow a bodyguard into my classroom with me every day for the foreseeable future, I felt angry.

“No,” he said. “You won’t send them away. You’re going to just have to deal with this new reality, Moana, or I’m going to have to take us to the mountain estate for real this time.”

I felt my eyes widen. “You can’t keep holding that over my head!” I insisted. “We stayed here because both of us agreed that we didn’t want to leave our home. You can’t just threaten to rip us away again because I rightfully don’t feel comfortable with having a bodyguard inside my classroom.”

Edrick glared at me for a moment. “You need to be kept safe, Moana,” he urged. “You and Ella. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I can protect myself,” I said. “I’m fine with finding an alternative method, and I understand why you’re worried about me, but I don’t need a bodyguard up my ass at all times. If something happens, I can handle mys—”

“Oh, can you?” Edrick growled. “Just like how you almost got yourself and my daughter killed just a couple of weeks ago? Hm? What about your supposed ability to protect yourself then?”

When Edrick finished speaking, the air between us felt thick and heavy. I felt tears beginning to well up in my eyes, and Edrick showed no signs of remorse for his harsh words. Nothing else was said between either of us before I whirled around and stormed out. I ran to my room and slammed the door behind me, not caring if it rattled the doorframe, then threw myself down on my bed and sobbed into my pillow.

Of course I knew that I f****d up by putting Ella and myself in danger. I saw that night over and over again in my head. I saw flashes of Ella tied to the chair, of Ethan holding the gun to my head. I would never forget that night, and I was well aware that I had made a major mistake.

But did Edrick need to be so cruel about it? Did he really need to make such a low blow during an argument and remind me of my fatal failure?