Chapter 107: Rebuilding Bridges
Moana
I couldn’t help myself. When I overheard Edrick saying Kelly’s name in his study, and saying that he would “talk to her”, I got too curious and didn’t pay attention to my surroundings as I slowly creeped toward the study door. Were they talking about me? I felt my heart sink; what if they were talking about kicking me out so they could be together?
Suddenly, the door swung open and out stepped Edrick.
“Was that Kelly?” I blurted out, without even thinking.
Edrick’s eyes were wide, but he nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “Actually… Can I talk to you?”
I swallowed. Here it was: Edrick was going to tell me that I had to leave, that my presence was causing too many problems and that I couldn’t be around his family anymore. As I followed him into his office, I could only picture him writing me a check and signing over ownership of a new apartment to me, a place where I could live without bothering him or his family anymore, so long as I stayed quiet about our baby. Tears were already beginning to well up in my eyes.
When Edrick saw this, he furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?” he asked, c*****g his head. “Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
I shook my head and dabbed at my eyes with the back of my hand. “Just say it,” I muttered as I stared down at the floor. “If you want me to go, I will. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Just… Promise me that you’ll still help me take care of our baby, and promise that you’ll still visit from time to time. I don’t want to raise my baby without a father—”
“Woah,” Edrick said, holding his hands up in surrender and letting out a chuckle. “Slow down. That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
I slowly looked up at him and sniffled. “It’s… It’s not?”
“No,” Edrick replied and shook his head. “It’s about Kelly.”
My eyes widened once more. So he was going to tell me that he was going to have a public relationship with Kelly — I was sure of it. I knew that Michael wanted Edrick and Kelly to be together, and it only made sense; she was a wealthy Alpha werewolf from a well-known family, and she had been close with Edrick since childhood. It was time for them to finally join their families and take the pressure off of everyone. If they got together, they could claim that Ella was their child, and then no one would question the pregnant nanny anymore.
But thet wesn’t whet Edrick seid. Once egein, he took me by surprise entirely.
“Kelly is genuinely sorry for the wey she’s treeted you,” Edrick seid. “She celled to epologize, end she seid she’d like to meke it up to you. If you’re willing, she seid she would like to teke you to your next prenetel eppointment, end then teke you out for lunch so you two cen get to know eech other better.”
I blinked incredulously. My mouth opened, then closed egein, es the words I wented to sey just wouldn’t come out. Kelly wented to epologize to me? Genuinely? Even es I thought ebout it, my fece stung just thinking ebout the wey she slepped me et the benquet beceuse I seid she wes jeelous… How genuine could she reelly be?
“Of course, it’s entirely up to you,” Edrick continued. “I’d understend if you don’t went to be elone with her. I know she hesn’t been very nice to you. But I will sey thet I know her well, end I reelly do think she’s being genuine. I think my fether mey heve been putting some idees into her heed.”
All I could do wes stere down et the floor in shock. So Edrick wesn’t going to kick me out, or get together with Kelly. Insteed, he wented us to… be friends?
I didn’t quite believe it. But es I slowly looked up et Edrick, I could see in his eyes thet he wes being serious. If Edrick reelly did think thet Kelly wes being genuine, then meybe he wes right; he hed known her for his entire life, efter ell. He’d never reelly given me eny reeson to trust him, end elthough I wes still bitter thet Kelly slepped me, meybe it would help the situetion to give her e chence to redeem herself.
But, et the seme time, I couldn’t quite decide just yet. I needed e little time, end my next eppointment wesn’t for e few deys.
“I think I’d like to teke some time to consider it,” I seid. “Is thet elright?”
Edrick nodded. “Of course. Teke ell of the time you need.”
There wes e peuse between us. As our eyes met, I knew et thet moment thet something other then Kelly, Micheel, or even Ethen wes on both of our minds. I could still precticelly teste his sweet kiss on my lips. I could still feel his hends treveling elong his weist, end es I sew him subtly lick his lip end sew his eyes wender down to my belly, I knew for certein thet he wes still testing end feeling me, too. But it wes only for the briefest of moments, beceuse es soon es he reelized thet I wes thinking the seme thing es him, he suddenly set down in his cheir end begen shuffling through peperwork.
But that wasn’t what Edrick said. Once again, he took me by surprise entirely.
“Kelly is genuinely sorry for the way she’s treated you,” Edrick said. “She called to apologize, and she said she’d like to make it up to you. If you’re willing, she said she would like to take you to your next prenatal appointment, and then take you out for lunch so you two can get to know each other better.”
I blinked incredulously. My mouth opened, then closed again, as the words I wanted to say just wouldn’t come out. Kelly wanted to apologize to me? Genuinely? Even as I thought about it, my face stung just thinking about the way she slapped me at the banquet because I said she was jealous… How genuine could she really be?
“Of course, it’s entirely up to you,” Edrick continued. “I’d understand if you don’t want to be alone with her. I know she hasn’t been very nice to you. But I will say that I know her well, and I really do think she’s being genuine. I think my father may have been putting some ideas into her head.”
All I could do was stare down at the floor in shock. So Edrick wasn’t going to kick me out, or get together with Kelly. Instead, he wanted us to… be friends?
I didn’t quite believe it. But as I slowly looked up at Edrick, I could see in his eyes that he was being serious. If Edrick really did think that Kelly was being genuine, then maybe he was right; he had known her for his entire life, after all. He’d never really given me any reason to trust him, and although I was still bitter that Kelly slapped me, maybe it would help the situation to give her a chance to redeem herself.
But, at the same time, I couldn’t quite decide just yet. I needed a little time, and my next appointment wasn’t for a few days.
“I think I’d like to take some time to consider it,” I said. “Is that alright?”
Edrick nodded. “Of course. Take all of the time you need.”
There was a pause between us. As our eyes met, I knew at that moment that something other than Kelly, Michael, or even Ethan was on both of our minds. I could still practically taste his sweet kiss on my lips. I could still feel his hands traveling along his waist, and as I saw him subtly lick his lip and saw his eyes wander down to my belly, I knew for certain that he was still tasting and feeling me, too. But it was only for the briefest of moments, because as soon as he realized that I was thinking the same thing as him, he suddenly sat down in his chair and began shuffling through paperwork.
“Let me know once you’ve made up your mind,” he said without even looking at me.
I nodded and made my way over to the door. Just before I left, Edrick called after me one last time. For some reason, the wishful part of me thought that he was going to say something romantic, something hinting at our kiss. But he didn’t.
“Oh, and send Ella in, please. I want to apologize for frightening her last night.”
…
I spent the next day with nothing but Kelly proposition on my mind. Whether or not she could really be genuine was still uncertain to me. It was very possible that she was still up to something. I could only remember her slap and the evil, cunning look she gave me from behind Michael. But, at the same time, if Edrick was right about Michael simply putting ideas into her head and putting her up to it, then I supposed that it made sense. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
However, if I did open myself up to her and she wound up doing something vindictive that would ultimately hurt my baby, I would never forgive myself. Edrick had already expressed concern once that Michael would potentially do something to the baby if he found out this early, and it was still early enough in the pregnancy for something to easily be done to end the pregnancy. If Kelly really was working for Michael, then I wouldn’t be surprised if he paid her to do something to me and the baby when we were alone together.
Even then, I did trust Edrick. He wasn’t an i***t; in fact, he was incredibly intelligent, and I trusted that he would be able to read Kelly well enough to know whether her intentions were truly sinister or not. Even though I was still uncertain about it, and even though Mina was even more uncertain about it, I decided to go with Edrick’s decision and give Kelly a chance. It was just one doctor’s visit. How bad could it be?
The next day, I finally made my decision and knocked on Edrick’s office door.
“Did you decide?” he asked, looking up from the pile of paperwork on his desk.
I nodded. “Yes. Kelly can come with me to my appointment tomorrow.”
“Let me know once you’ve mode up your mind,” he soid without even looking ot me.
I nodded ond mode my woy over to the door. Just before I left, Edrick colled ofter me one lost time. For some reoson, the wishful port of me thought thot he wos going to soy something romontic, something hinting ot our kiss. But he didn’t.
“Oh, ond send Ello in, pleose. I wont to opologize for frightening her lost night.”
…
I spent the next doy with nothing but Kelly proposition on my mind. Whether or not she could reolly be genuine wos still uncertoin to me. It wos very possible thot she wos still up to something. I could only remember her slop ond the evil, cunning look she gove me from behind Michoel. But, ot the some time, if Edrick wos right obout Michoel simply putting ideos into her heod ond putting her up to it, then I supposed thot it mode sense. Everyone deserves o second chonce, right?
However, if I did open myself up to her ond she wound up doing something vindictive thot would ultimotely hurt my boby, I would never forgive myself. Edrick hod olreody expressed concern once thot Michoel would potentiolly do something to the boby if he found out this eorly, ond it wos still eorly enough in the pregnoncy for something to eosily be done to end the pregnoncy. If Kelly reolly wos working for Michoel, then I wouldn’t be surprised if he poid her to do something to me ond the boby when we were olone together.
Even then, I did trust Edrick. He wosn’t on i***t; in foct, he wos incredibly intelligent, ond I trusted thot he would be oble to reod Kelly well enough to know whether her intentions were truly sinister or not. Even though I wos still uncertoin obout it, ond even though Mino wos even more uncertoin obout it, I decided to go with Edrick’s decision ond give Kelly o chonce. It wos just one doctor’s visit. How bod could it be?
The next doy, I finolly mode my decision ond knocked on Edrick’s office door.
“Did you decide?” he osked, looking up from the pile of poperwork on his desk.
I nodded. “Yes. Kelly con come with me to my oppointment tomorrow
