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I glance over at the woman. Oh. It is so much worse than I could’ve imagined.
Victoria is beautiful. I guess that should have been assumed. Sean is beautiful, and they were married. Violet is beautiful, and they made her. Still, it doesn’t lessen the knot in my chest as I look between them. They look like they belong together. She’s taller, with long brown hair and beautiful dark eyes with full lashes hidden behind her glasses. I can’t remember what she does for a living, but she looks smart. Smart and beautiful and completely intimidating.
And I’m the nanny he hired to help take care of his daughter and I’m making out with him in the pool.
Fuck. I inch my way backwards in the water, desperate to put distance between us. The timing couldn’t be worse. Seconds ago, I was wrapped around Sean, sweaty and exhausted from our early morning run.
Now he gets a good comparison between us. And I don’t think that we could be any more opposite.
“We’re at my parents’ house and Violet said she wanted her teddy bear.” Her tone drips with disapproval. “I texted you to tell you I was coming.”
Even from this distance, I can feel it coming off her in waves. I try to observe from the other edge of the pool, hoping that maybe she’ll lose interest in me, or I can lose interest in her. But it is hard to look busy and distracted while in the water.
But Sean doesn’t react to whatever tension is between them. Between us. “Sorry, I don’t keep my phone on me when running. The bear is in her bedroom. Go ahead.” He doesn’t move. Cleary showing that he’s not going to help her.
Victoria’s dark gaze snaps to me. I can feel the judgment burning me raw. Whatever verdict she comes to, she does so quickly, and it makes her lips curve into a cruel smirk.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help myself. You seem… busy.” She flips her long dark hair behind her.
The way she says it tells me all that I need to know: She thinks that I am well beneath her. And the way in which she walks away, without a second glance, tells everyone that she isn’t concerned by my existence either.
CHAPTER 11
SEAN
After yesterday, I am completely convinced that Astrid won’t show up for our morning run today. I get up anyways when my alarm goes off, yawning and dressing in the dark. It’s become routine now. And as much as I hated running before Astrid, I look forward to it now. I like being with her. Even the days we don’t run. We talk and laugh and she just… makes me happy.
And I ruined it all by kissing her. Fuck.
So much for not getting close.
It kept me up last night. The guilt and the fear that I’ve overstepped.
After we left the pool yesterday, she escaped to her part of the house and didn’t come out the rest of the day. I even tried texting her to see if she needed anything. She didn’t respond, and then offered some excuse for why she was too busy to text me back.
I don’t blame her. She’s right. I shouldn’t have done that.
My heart sunk when I realized she wasn’t coming up for dinner. I left enough for her in Tupperware in the fridge just in case she was waiting for me to leave before coming out.
It was the first night in a while I didn’t sleep well. I should really be getting as much sleep as possible while I can. The scrimmage is tonight, and it marks the start of our season. From here on out it’ll be nonstop physicality. And I’ll need as much strength as I can get.
By ten past our usual time, I’ve given up hope that she’ll show.
Then the soft sound of footsteps muffled against the carpet stairs gives way to a door creaking open.
Relief washes over me when I see her round the corner. Her hair is pulled back. Her face fresh and not swollen with tears. I don’t know what I expected. Hate maybe. Anger. But she gives me a tight smile before looking away.
She doesn’t hate me. I exhale. I can work with that.
“Do you want me to make you a coffee? We could just walk today and bring it with us?” It’s my attempt at a peace offering.
“I want to run,” she says, her voice flat. Her eyes avoid mine.
Oh.
The tension between us is palpable. Maybe it is just one sided. Maybe this is all in my head. I keep my thoughts to myself just in case, hoping to feel it out.
Our run starts off slow as usual, but Astrid’s stride pushes her slightly ahead of me. I jog faster. But so does she, constantly staying a few steps ahead. I assume so we don’t interact.
