14. Evie

fourteen

She couldn”t have known. It wasn”t obvious that her brother had been making out with his secretary. Of course not. It couldn”t be.

I watched Sophie point at a shape.

“Good girl,” I cooed with a grin.

“Can you also point at a triangle?”

She nodded before pointing at it. I clapped.

We were playing a game called Show Me Shapes. It wasn”t a real thing. Just something I coined for fun. But I knew she was having fun.

The shapes were drawn on green softballs. Each time I asked her to pick a shape, she searched for a ball with the shape and then pointed at it. Apart from helping her, it was also a way to take my mind off a certain someone. Obviously, it wasn’t working.

“Sophie, I want you to show me a cone.” Without hesitation, she moved to the pile of balls and brought out one with a cone.

“Beautiful,” I giggled. She looked down shyly.

Sophie was starting to have different reactions to things. I’d notice it. Where she’d usually stare blankly or have no reaction at all, she looked down shyly. Or looked away.

“It”s okay, Sophie. I”m so proud of you.” I smiled, wishing she would understand that I was proud of her for how far she’d come.

Her stare was dry when they met my eyes. Though I thought she’d been progressing, she still had her usual reactions. Sometimes, I wondered if it was selective mutism or if she was being her father’s daughter.

“We’ll move on to counting now.”

After some minutes of counting balls, we moved to color. I deliberately gave her a bird to color. She took her time with it. I studied her.

The thick concave of her brows furrowed slightly in concentration as she colored. Her hand dragged across the surface with near precision.

That was another thing I’d noticed about Sophie. She was precise, or at least tried to be. Unlike kids her age, where the colors jotted out of the frame, she was always intentional about hers.

I released a sigh and leaned back in my chair, briefly wondering how she’d feel if she knew what I had going on with her father. That is, if anything was going on with her father.

Surely, there was nothing. Nothing aside from the irresistible pull I felt for him that led us to intense make-out sessions twice. Gosh, I needed some alcohol. I wished I could get some to erase this…confusion and reason straight.

With another sigh, I raised my hand to flatten my hair. After Stephen, I didn”t feel anything for anyone. I abstained from any sexual interaction… until him.

The farthest I”d go with a stranger at a club was kissing. But him… everything in me wanted to please him. Then… and now. The way everything in my head wanted to do the exact opposite.

Honestly, it was becoming a battle between my body and my brain. I knew what was at stake. I was betraying my father”s trust, not to mention my professionalism.

So why wouldn’t I be logical and yield to my medulla? Why did it have to be so hard to understand risk and abstain? Why?

“Why are you here?” I almost had a whiplash from how fast I turned my head. My breath hitched when I saw her? the lady from yesterday. His sister.

Tanned hands held the door open. And her blue eyes held mine in an indecipherable gaze. I didn”t know whether to sit or stand. I now saw that it was a family thing. The aura of power and dominance.

Just sit and maintain your cool.

Perfectly carved brows arched at me. In this short period of staring, I let my mind run through all possibilities.

She wanted to sue me for being unprofessionally involved with her client. It’d all be over before it even started. I’d return shamefully to my father. And mother would turn angrily in her grave because she didn’t raise me to be a slut.

I was going to pass out from how long I was holding my breath when she settled her brows. “…Oh, you”re the nanny too?”

Shit, girl, you almost raised my blood pressure.

“Yes, I am.” I licked my dry lips.

She tilted her head and stared at me for the longest time. Was this how she stared at other people, or was it just me?

I squirmed in my seat, again feeling slightly uncomfortable. When I thought it wouldn”t end, she shook her head.

“I”m sorry. I was just wondering why Ethan decided to put you through such stress being the nanny and secretary.”

Oh?

“It isn”t stress at all.” At least not that part. I shook my head slightly. “I work two, sometimes three days. I have a flexible schedule.”

When she pinned a confused gaze on me, I spoke. “It”s…complicated.”

Surely, I wouldn”t start explaining the antecedent to the Chief Military Officer.

“What else is?” Her gaze morphed into a questioning one. My heart rate skyrocketed. At this point, this lady would land me in the ER.

I cleaned my sweaty palms against my gown. “I don”t understand.”

Instantly, she broke into a smile. “Just kidding.”

Haha. What a deadly joke. I smiled.

She strode into the playroom gracefully. The intoxicating scent of cherry mixed with vanilla filled my nostrils when she reached me.

“My name is Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Thorne. But please don”t be like that asshole, I want you to call me Gwen.”

Was the asshole her brother?

She stretched a hand for a handshake, and I accepted. When her other hand cupped the back of my palm, a diamond ring almost blinded my vision.

Married?

“It”s nice to meet you, Gwen. Evie Norman.”

Her smile wrinkled the corner of her eyes this time. Up close, she looked to be in somewhere around her mid-thirties. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and I could see certain features resembling her brother’s.

They both had somewhat the same jaw and the same type of lips.

She squeezed my palm lightly before turning to Sophie. Her back was to me as she did so. I noticed her demeanor soften. Shoulders hung low, and feet falter momentarily.

“Hi, Sophie, it”s Aunty Gwen.”

Unlike her grandma and father, Sophie made no move to greet her. Even when she lowered herself and stretched her arms for a hug.

Ouch. It could only mean Sophie wasn”t familiar with her. For a moment, I wondered how many more siblings Ethan had.

“It’s okay, Sophie. I”m not offended at all.” She rose. “But I came to see you. Your cousin Noah is fine. You don”t know him too. But let me tell you a little secret: one day, I wish for you to visit us in Australia so you can bond with your cousin.”

My heart warmed at this. She kept talking even though Sophie didn”t respond.

“Australia is a real showstopper.” Her voice was coated with excitement. “It has the Royal Botanic Garden and River. Gosh, I’m sure you’d love it.”

Sophie’s stare became curious, but she didn”t move. Gwen turned to me, something unknown flashing in her orbs.

She strode back to me, reducing her voice to a whisper. “Any changes?”

“She has been making… a few improvements.”

I didn”t know if she believed me.

She sighed. “But there”d be more, right? More where she’ll be able to speak again?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“That’s not false hope, right?” I was surprised to see her eyes water.

“No, Gwen. It’s not false hope.”

She wiped her tears. “Everything I said to her is true. I can”t wait to have an actual aunty-niece relationship, you know. I can”t wait for my son to bond with his cousin.”

“That will happen, Gwen. It will.” I assured.