16. Kat

Chapter 16

W hat’s that saying, three days is a habit?

God, I hope not. If that’s the case, I’m one night's sleep away from inappropriate sex dreams becoming my normal, and I’m not sure I can handle that.

Just like I can’t seem to handle this damn coffeepot regardless of the few YouTube videos I’d pulled up in hopes of them explaining it.

Groaning in frustration, I exit the video and put the cup back in the cabinet, giving up on it for now. Maybe one of the guys can help me when they wake up. As of now, I haven’t seen anyone else yet, minus Ruby, of course, who sleeps a few feet away. The second I left my room this morning, he seemed to appear out of nowhere and hasn’t left my side since. Nathaniel had been a bit worried at first, but he seems to like me. I've never had a dog before, so it’s kind of nice.

“You're not supposed to be in the house.” A voice says from behind me, and I let out a shriek and just about jump out of my skin.

Turning around, I find Oliver standing in the doorway. What is with these guys and that doorway?

“So which one of them did you sleep with?” he asks, his voice harsh and nothing like it had been when I last spoke to him when he dropped off Addison at school.

“I’m sorry, what?” His question catches me off guard. I mean, I slept with his father and his cousin, but there's no way he could know that, right? Despite being almost positive, he doesn’t know that I feel my cheeks heat.

Damn my fair skin.

“Funny, I thought you were different. You really had me going there for a second, acting like you care about Addison. I should have known better.” Shaking his head, he pushes off the wall and walks into the kitchen, stepping around me to go to the coffeepot I’d just abandoned. “You're not supposed to be in the house,” he says again as he passes me, his lips pulled down in a frown.

Unfortunately for him, I didn’t get enough sleep last night to deal with his attitude without having coffee first.

“Actually, I am supposed to be here.” He stops turning to look at me with a raised brow, and I get the feeling he has more to say.

Too bad.

“For your information, I live here. As of yesterday, I started as Addison’s live-in nanny,” I tell him and get the satisfaction of watching his eyes go wide.

Serves him right.

“Shit.” He pushes a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly combed look he had despite the early hours. Something tells me Oliver is a lot like Nathan, though, and that the time of day doesn’t matter when it comes to his appearance.

“I’m sorry, I thought…” he trails off, but he doesn’t need to finish. I know damn well what he meant. He made it abundantly clear.

His ears turn red, and despite being annoyed with what he said and the way he handled it, I can’t help thinking about how adorable he looks like this.

Damn my brain, I’m going to blame my dreams.

I decide to take pity on him, waving him off. “How about you help me make some coffee, and we call it even, because I’m about eighty percent sure that thing is made to confuse people.”

Oliver’s eyes narrow for a moment, turning to look at the coffeepot before turning back to me.

“Yeah, I can do that.” He sounds almost unsure, but I don’t question why. Right now, I really need caffeine.

I turn back to the cabinet and retrieve the coffee mug I’d just put away not two minutes ago. Despite the way he’d come in here, I’m actually happy he did. Maybe I can watch him and learn how to use the damn thing.

Walking toward him, I set my mug on the counter to his left and take a step back, determined to watch his every move and hopefully avoid these awkward mornings. I’m two for two on these as well, and I’m not sure how many more habits I can afford to pick up, especially not habits like these.

Oliver places his own mug under the dispenser but doesn’t move beyond that, and for a moment, I worry he doesn’t know how to use it either. That can’t be right, though. Not only does he live here, he’d also been going for coffee before running into me.

He turns his head, peeking at me over his shoulder, and I meet his gaze.

“Um, do you want me to show you how to use it?” he asks, sounding uncertain.

A smile pulls at my lips, and I quickly walk up beside him so that we’re standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the coffeepot from hell.

“Yes, please!”

He chuckles, but it sounds shaky, and when I look over at him, he won’t meet my eyes.

It’s strange, considering he’d just been so outspoken, but before I can question him about it, he takes a step to his right, creating a small gap between us.

“Okay, just let me know if something doesn’t make sense. It’s annoying, but once you understand, it’s not too bad.”

Oliver was right. The coffeepot is actually pretty straightforward once you get past all the knobs and unnecessary shit on it. I mean, I guess they aren’t unnecessary, exactly. Everything has a purpose, but I don’t need to know anything other than how to brew a basic cup of coffee, nothing so fancy.

We sit together in silence at the island, both sipping our coffee, and while it’s a bit strained, it’s not unbearable, probably thanks to the caffeine.

“Ah, Oliver, I expected you back tonight.” Nathan’s voice pulls me from the nothing I was staring into, and I turn to find him standing at the coffeepot.

Wow, I must be out of it if I missed him walking by. Clearly, today is going to be a two-cup kind of day.

Standing, I make my way toward him and the coffee, a little nervous to try the machine with an audience, but at least if I mess it up, they will hopefully take pity on me.

I don’t get a chance to try, though. Nathan turns, looking down at me before snatching my cup from my hand.

“Another cup?” he asks, and I stand frozen for a second before I nod, despite the fact that he’s no longer looking in my direction. He makes quick work of preparing another cup for me, making the machine look easy to use despite the fact that I know it isn’t.

“You get used to it,” he says with a smirk, pressing my now full cup back into my hand before he starts on his own.

Crap, he didn’t even make himself coffee, and he got mine.

“Thank you, but I could have done it. Oliver showed me how it works.” I try to sound confident in my ability, but I’m not sure if it works or not.

“Good, I’m glad you two had the chance to meet already,” he says, ignoring my bit about the coffee and turning to face Oliver as his own cup brews.

I might not know Nathan very well yet, but I know him enough that I can tell I’m being dismissed. Taking my coffee and my complaints, I return to my chair. Nathan stares across the room at Oliver, and he squirms under his gaze. Not that I blame him. Nathan is intense.

They seem to be having some kind of silent conversation that I have no hope of understanding. I look between them for a moment before Nathan finally turns back to grab his coffee and comes to join us at the counter.

Oliver’s eyes remain on his cup this time as if it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen.

“So, Kat, do you have any plans this weekend?” Nathan asks, turning his attention to me, and suddenly, I have to fight the urge to squirm.

I’d much prefer he keep his attention on Oliver.

“Um, no.” I never have plans, but I don’t say as much. No reason to make myself sound pathetic.

He nods, taking a sip of his coffee as if in thought before he continues.

“Well, while you're not required to be with Addison this weekend as I’m not working, if you would like to join us, we plan to take her to the zoo today. She’s been asking since the weather has been nice, but this is the first weekend we’ve all been home.”

“Oh, no. I don’t want to intrude on your family time. I’m more than okay with staying here. I can read or…”

“Nonsense,” he says, cutting me off as he pushes to stand and head to the sink. “Addison would love it if you came along. I wouldn’t invite you if I didn’t want you to be there.”

I snap my mouth shut, unsure of what to say. On the one hand, I’m sure he’s right. Addison would enjoy me being there, and I can’t imagine he would ask me if he wasn’t okay with it. He doesn’t seem the type to mince words or give mixed signals.

But on the other hand, can I handle being with all of them all day long? Yesterday was hard enough, and it was only Desmond. What if he acts like that in front of Nathan? Not to mention, I have no idea how Alex will act, and I still haven’t told Nathan about what happened between the three of us.

Just the thought makes my mouth dry. I’m still not sure how to bring that up to him.

Nathan turns to look at me, and I realize he’s waiting for me to answer.

“Sure, the zoo sounds nice.” The second the words are out of my mouth, I wish I could take them back.

A smile turns his lips up, and fuck me. I could melt into a puddle right here.

“Fantastic,” he pulls his sleeve up and glances at his watch. “We’ll probably leave in about two hours. It’s going to be around ninety degrees today, so make sure you dress accordingly.”

He turns to Oliver once again, all business. “Meet me in my office when you're done. I need to talk to you,” he tells him before striding out of the kitchen without another word.

I sit staring after him for a moment until I hear Oliver push the stool back. Without looking at me, he moves to the sink and deposits his coffee cup before disappearing after Nathan.

Not for the first time, I find myself wondering how I ended up here and if I just made a mistake.

With nothing else to do, I also drop my cup in the sink and head up to my room to get ready. Beats staring off into space like a weirdo and tempting fate. The last thing I need is for Alex or Desmond to wander in. I’m not sure I could handle either of them right now, let alone both of them.

In my room, I go through my clothes, trying to decide what to wear. Nathan’s warning about how hot it will be echoes in my mind, and I decide a dress will probably be best as most of my pants are thick dress pants, and my shorts are sleepwear.

I really need to expand my wardrobe.

It takes longer than it should, but in the end, I decide on a dusty pink sundress. I ordered it last month but have never worn it. The neckline is a little low, and it was just a bit shorter than I thought appropriate for teaching. I’d meant to send it back but never got around to it, but for daily life, it was probably the most suitable thing I had for the heat. It’s loose and flows around my thighs at varied lengths, but the waist is fitted with cute, puffy, short sleeves, and when I put it on, I can’t help but do a little twirl.

It’s definitely not appropriate for school, but it fits great and makes me feel pretty.

Before I can second-guess it, I slip on sandals, opting for a pair with ankle straps to ensure I won’t be walking out of them all day. Then I head out to check on Addison. I might not be required to work, but I don’t mind helping her get ready. It gives me something to do and makes me feel useful.

It also keeps my mind from wandering back to the men in this house. I do that enough while I sleep, and I highly doubt a day at the zoo watching them with Addison is going to make that better.