5. Evangeline

Iknew that being a maid would be hard work, but I didn't expect it to be hell on earth. Escaping my father was the only reason I took this job, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe he'd be the lesser of two evils.

Working for the Everharts has been a nightmare. I don't know what I did to get on their bad sides, except turn down Ryder after he kept relentlessly hitting on me, but they've made it their life's mission to make my life miserable.

And it's working.

Each morning, I wake with a knot in my stomach, dreading the day ahead. Exhausted by endless tasks they give me, every muscle aches by nightfall.

I wish I could gather the strength to quit, but I'm financially dependent on this position.

Even when I want to lash out at them, though, something holds me back. There's something in their eyes when they look at me, and it reminds me of the way they treated me that night at the club. They were so different then, so much more light-hearted and playful, and so much more attentive to me.

Some stupid, silly part of me wants to stick around and see if that side of them comes back. I know that it's useless, but I keep hoping, anyway. I see small glimpses here and there of that side, and it keeps me coming back for more.

Like when Ryder brought Oliver a cup of tea when his head was hurting. Or when Theo swiftly took care of Ryder's little "incident" with the police. Even if he was annoyed, he still wanted to protect his brother.

And I'm still wildly attracted to the three of them. Ryder has this charm that makes me want to cave every time he corners me. The only thing that holds me back is worrying about getting in trouble with Fitz.

And Oliver's style is sexy, with his tight trousers and silk shirts half-unbuttoned. He can be very distracting when we're in the same room.

But it doesn't matter how much I like them. I'm not their equal, and they'll never see me that way.

Fitz has hired a few new household staff members since I started—including a chef and a couple more maids. They've caught on to the way the Everharts treat me and have started icing me out, figuring I must have done something to deserve it and they don't want to be associated with me.

It's lonely here, but I'm trying my best.

Standing in the kitchen mopping the floors, I feel my mind start racing. Though the dawn sunlight filters through the curtains and the quiet solitude should be peaceful, memories flood my brain of tumultuous nights at home and the endless battles with my father that drove me to seek refuge in this job.

No matter how hard I long to escape my past, it feels as though I've jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The overwhelming scent of the floor cleaner is making me feel light-headed. Nausea rises in my throat, and I rush over to the trash can, losing my granola bar from this morning.

As I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, I feel a sudden icy chill from head to toe. I've been sick for like, almost two weeks now. And I've been sore and tired. I thought it was because of the relentless work, but what if it isn't?

Doing some quick mental math, I realize that I've missed two periods. Ever since I started my period when I was twelve, I've been regular as clockwork. The first time, I didn't really think much of it because I was so stressed from dealing with my dad, but now I'm late again.

My eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, and I feel like I'm about to faint, so I gingerly walk back over to the mop bucket, putting the entire thing in the closet so I can sit down for a second.

My head is reeling as I count again to make sure. Yep. Two missed periods.

Shit. No. Please, dear God, no!

I've only been with three men in the past year, and that all happened on the same night. There's no question about whose it is if I am pregnant.

Panic has me in a chokehold, so I mentally calculate how fast it would take me to get to the nearest drugstore and whether I can do it before Fitz notices I'm gone.

"Screw it," I whisper. I've got to know now. I can't wait. Sneaking out of the house isn't too difficult, and I race to the outskirts of town, picking up a pack of tests before racing back to the manor.

Once I'm inside, I rush to my room, locking myself inside.

I grab two of the four tests out of the box and line them up, my hands shaking as I prepare to take them.

Once it's done, I set them back on the counter, my heart in my throat as I set a timer, counting down the seconds until I find out the truth.

Please be negative, please be negative, I chant in my head.

My watch starts to ding, alerting me that the three-minute wait is over, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I bring the first test up to my face.

When I open them, two little lines stare back at me.

"Shit."

I grab the second test, and it's positive as well.

"Crap!"

I'm so screwed. What am I going to do? What in the hell am I going to do now? I can't have a baby. I'm only twenty-one years old, and I just left my piece of shit father's house. I can't move back in with him.

And I can't tell the Everharts what's happening. First of all, I doubt they'd believe me even if I gave them a signed affidavit that I haven't been with anyone else.

Secondly, they'd fire me so fast for this.

I feel a panic attack coming on, and I have to bend down with my head between my knees as I take in deep gulps of air, trying to keep myself from freaking out too badly.

Seriously, what the actual hell am I going to do now? I'm royally screwed if I keep it.

Closing my eyes, I try not to cry as I weigh my options. An image pops in my head of a tiny version of the three men out there, a little helpless thing that just wants to be loved.

I could give that baby the love I never had. I could give him or her a good life.

My eyes fly open, and I stare down at the positive tests again, wondering if I have the strength to go through with this. It feels like a huge thing, like something I shouldn't do, and yet for some reason, I want to do it.

My heart is still in my throat as I put the tests in the drawer and wash my hands. I can't tell anyone about this yet. Not until I've figured out my next move.

Heading back down to the kitchen, I get the mop from the closet and resume my cleaning, hoping no one noticed I was gone.

Just as I'm finishing, I feel the dizziness come back. Knowing what's causing it has somehow made it worse, and I have to grip the edge of the counter to keep from going down.

Fitz strides into the room, tall and imposing as his polished shoes click against the marble floor with every step. His sharp gaze, framed by furrowed brows and a stern expression, commands my attention with a single look. "Miss Parker, why are you standing around?" he demands.

"Just a little dizzy spell," I say, waving a hand. "It's nothing."

"I'm concerned," he says, standing in front of me with his arms crossed. "Lately, the quality of your work has gone down, and you seem off. I don't want to have to fire you. What in the world is going on?"

A chill sweeps through me, sending shivers down my spine. Panic tightens its grip around my heart, squeezing every ounce of air from my lungs. Can I trust this man with my secret?

"It's nothing," I tell him, brushing his concern aside. "Just a little stomach bug."

"This stomach bug has been going on for several weeks now," Fitz points out. "Perhaps you should go to the doctor."

"I don't need to go to the doctor," I tell him, biting my lip. "I already know what's wrong."

"Well, then pray tell. Are you ill? Do you require time off?"

A knot forms in my stomach as he questions me, threatening to choke me. I fight to maintain my composure, but my hands tremble, betraying my inner turmoil.

"No, I'm not ill. I don't need time off," I say, twisting my fingers in my dress. "At least not yet."

He gives me a questioning look, raising one brow.

"I'm… I'm pregnant," I confess. "I just found out. But please don't fire me. I will work hard, I won't let it interfere with the job anymore, and I promise I'll find something else when the time comes."

Fitz frowns, then reaches out a hand and places it on my arm, the weight a comforting touch. "I realize I've been quite strict and I run a tight household, but I lack neither the intelligence nor compassion to fire you for this information. You may rest assured that as long as the quality of your work remains consistent, you have a place here at Shadowvale."

A surge of gratitude washes over me, mingled with guilt for hiding the truth. His kindness feels like shelter from the storm raging within, and a glimmer of hope awakens inside.

"Can you just keep this between us for now?" I ask, biting my lip. "I don't want anyone to know yet. Especially not the Everharts."

Fitz"s brow furrows. "You'll have to come clean sooner or later. The truth has a way of getting out."

I nod. "I know. And I will. I'm just not quite ready yet."

I don't know how I'm going to tell them, but I need to figure it out first.

Little did I know that one of the brothers was just outside the kitchen, listening in on the whole conversation.