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Stephanie opens her mouth but hesitates. I’m sure if my mom hears how I treated Stephanie, she’ll be horrified, but it’s safe to say my mom probably won’t be happy about Stephanie acting like an entitled bitch.
I’m not allowing anyone to belittle Kendall. Not on my watch. Not ever.
“Of course. Excuse me,” Stephanie says, spinning on her heels and moving away.
Kendall scoots back on the booth and squints her eyes at me. “Why did you say that?”
“I didn’t want her to act like she’s better than you.”
She shakes her head. “She only stated a fact. I am the nanny.”
“Yes, but you’re so much more than that.” I try to bridge the gap between us and lean closer, but she lifts her hand to keep me in check.
“Are you ashamed of me?”
Ashamed? Why would I call her my girlfriend if I were ashamed? Confusion bubbles inside me. “Of course not.”
The server comes and pours more water into our glasses. When she turns away from us, Kendall speaks in a low but determined voice. “You don’t know what you’ve done. Stephanie will tell the other parents we’re dating. So the other moms will hate me because they’ll think I hit on the rich widower. I’ll come across as unprofessional, which doesn’t help if I ever want to open a daycare.”
I swallow, processing her sharp words. “I wanted to stand up for you.”
She stares at me in silence for a beat or two. I watch as she drops her shoulders a notch, her expression resigned. The twinkle from her eyes from moments earlier has turned into a flicker of disappointment, which kills me. “I appreciate your kindness, but I work with honesty. Come tomorrow, I’ll go back to being the nanny. I can’t jeopardize my position… I don’t have the luxury of making stuff up… unlike you. Too many people depend on me.”
“Kendall—”
She takes her napkin from her lap and sets it on the table. “Listen… we’re at the end of the weekend. Let’s do a clean break. I’ll go home, and when I see you tomorrow, it’ll be like none of this ever happened.”
Every word weighs on my chest. Clean break? Frustration claws at me, and I curl my fingers into a fist. “That’s not what I want.”
“But that’swhat I need.” She surges to her feet, tears in her eyes. “We’re done. Please don’t come after me.” She spins on her heels and leaves me, taking my beating heart with her.
I stand and watch her disappear from sight. I want to go after her, to stop her, to… tell her how crazy for her I’ve been since day one. When I didn’t even know what was happening to me. But if I say it now, I have a feeling she won’t believe me. Not after what just happened.
I notice a few sets of eyes on me and realize people sitting at other tables must be wondering why I’m standing at my table, no doubt with a lost look on my face.
Sighing, I sit down. I’ve never before felt this small. How did I lose her before even telling her how I feel?
13
Kendall
I stormout of the restaurant, tears tracking down my cheeks. I get lost in the groups of people strolling on the sidewalk, waiting for their car, or talking to the valet attendant.
Fishing out my phone, I request a ride via the app. My heart is in turmoil, my mind racing. What I want and what I have to do are two different things. Sebastian never promised me anything beyond the weekend. And he lied. He said I was his girlfriend because he wanted to come across as the good guy. Helping me out. Standing up for me.
He never talked tomeabout being his girlfriend. Why would he say it in front of Stephanie for the first time? I know his mom wanted him to date her—I heard it from Brynlee a couple of times. This means he used me to get Stephanie off his back.
Frustration clogs my throat.
I don’t want to think the worst, but I can’t fool myself. I need this job, and if he fires me, I’m double screwed. Besides heartbreak and getting canned, getting another high-salary position will be hard when the other moms from school won’t want the nanny who seduced her boss while working for him. That’s how the story will spin, I can tell.
The share-ride driver arrives, and I slip into the car. Thankfully, she’s quiet, so we don’t need to small talk. I go home.
Sylvie is doing her pedicure in the middle of the living room floor, with her shimmery bottles of nail polish scattered all over the carpet. The TV is on, and a K-drama is playing in the background. “Hey, what happened? I thought you said you’d stay at work all weekend.”
I put my purse on the console table and sigh. I bite my tongue. I want to tell Sylvie everything, but I need to ensure we have privacy. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s out. Went to meet a friend. Are you okay?” My sister puts her nail polish aside and regards me intently. I’m sure she notices the redness of my eyes and the puffiness in my cheeks. “Tell me.”
