I can think of a dozen things I need her for, and they’re all off limits. So I don’t stop her as she walks to the door.
“Goodbye, Lily. I’ll see you next week.”
“I’ll get a car for you,” I say.
“Don’t bother, I’ll call an Uber.” With her shoulders pulled back, she steps from the room.
Instead of letting her leave, I rush after her and catch up with her at the top of the staircase. Grasping her wrist, I stop her. She glances at her arm and back at me with a raised eyebrow. I let go. “I can have a car here in minutes, an Uber might take longer.”
Alyssa’s eyebrows slam together. “You’re unbelievable. If you’re in such a hurry to get rid of me, you should have said something.” She pushes past me and takes the stairs.
Shit! She thinks I’m rushing her out of here. I reach out and stop her again. “No…I didn’t mean—”
“Look, I don’t know what I’ve done to annoy you.Youwere the one who approachedme.” She points a finger at her chest. “I was happy minding my own business until you came along.”
“Happy dripping wet in a puddle of dirty water?”
She glares at me. “I was doing just fine.”
“You couldn’t walk,” I remind her.
She tilts her chin. “I would have managed. Crawled home if I had to.”
“I helped you.”
She tosses her head back and scoffs. “So, are you pissed with me because I didn’t say thank you? Although I’m quite sure I did. Don’t forget I thanked you by letting you in my bedroom to…” She looks over my shoulder, probably watching out for Lily, who has thankfully stayed in the room. “…fuck me. Wasn’t that thanks enough? Oh, but you must want a written thank-you note, because spreading my legs for you wasn’t enough. I’ll send something in the mail. From now on, you don’t have to deal with me again. If it weren’t for Lily, I wouldn’t be here tonight. She’s sweet. I guess she gets that from her mother.”
My blood turns cold. I drop my hand from her arm and don’t stop her when she rushes as best as she can down the stairs.The sound of the front door slamming behind her travels up the stairs.
She’s sweet. I guess she gets that from her mother.Does Rachel have a decent bone in her body? Selfish, calculating, and heartless are her qualities. Sweet? I doubt it.
Lily walks out of the room and tugs at my hand. “Do you think Miss Alyssa will ever have the time to give me private lessons?”
“Maybe,” I say to not squash her hope.
“She’s a great teacher. I really want her,” she says then goes back into the guest room.
I really want her too.
But we don’t always get what we want.
Chapter Eleven
ALYSSA
Igive a quick knock on Harper’s front door and cautiously walk inside the house. Not because I’m worried Harper won’t like me letting myself in—she’s given me a key—but because I’m worried I’ll bump into Hayden. It’s the middle of the day, and he should be at work, but I don’t want to risk seeing him.
So far, I’ve avoided any contact with him. When he drops off and picks Lily up from ballet class, I don’t give him any of my attention. Lily seems to have resolved her problems with the kids in class and is happy, so there isn’t anything I need to discuss with him.
“Harper,” I call in a whisper as I search for her, ducking my head around walls before I enter a room.
“What are you doing?” a voice says from behind me.
I jump, put a hand over my racing heart, and turn around. Harper is staring at me with a confused look on her face.
“God, you gave me a heart attack.”
“Why are you sneaking around the house?”
