The mate of his nanny

Chapter 106: A Genuine Apology

Edrick

I couldn't sleep at all that night after everything that happened. What was supposed to be a typical family banquet, an opportunity for us all to relax and enjoy a party, wound up turning into a night of hell.
But at the same time, the taste of Moana's lips on mine stood out above everything else. If I did what my father wanted me to do and sent Moana away, I would never be able to taste those lips again... But no. I couldn't taste her lips again, anyway. It wasn't right; we couldn't be together. Maybe, if I couldn't stop having these thoughts, it would have been better to just follow my father's orders and be done with it.

Besides, I had already made a vow to myself that I would never get married or put myself in that vulnerable position with another person. It would only cause Moana pain when she finally realized that I would never be with her like that. Would it cause less pain, though, to send her away? I couldn't be sure.

The next morning, I finally dragged myself out of bed after my entirely sleepless night and made my way over to the dining room for some breakfast. When I arrived, Moana and Ella were already there. Moana looked just as tired as I was; did she sleep at all?

"Morning, Daddy," Ella said, sounding a bit wistful as she poked at her scrambled eggs with her fork.

"Good morning, Princess," I replied as I kissed her on top of her head. I stopped then to look at Moana, who was only staring down at her plate. "Good morning, Moana."

"Morning." Moana's voice sounded hoarse. She certainly hadn't slept very much at all, judging from that and the dark circles under her eyes.
I stifled a sigh and sat down in my chair. The three of us ate rather quietly; even Ella, who was normally chatty at breakfast, hardly said a word. I would have to talk to her later. I must have scared her when I suddenly scooped her up at the banquet and whisked her away, and the last thing I ever wanted was to scare my little girl.

As I ate, however, the memory of my kiss with Moana in the fountain kept floating through my mind, no matter how hard I tried to push it away. It was as if it was burned into my memory, as though the sensation of her lips on mine still lingered.

I couldn't help myself from occasionally glancing up at Moana; once or twice, I was certain I almost caught her looking at me as well, but she looked away too quickly for me to tell.

When we finished, Moana quickly got up and cleared the table with Selina despite the housekeeper's insistence that Moana sit down and rest. I sighed and stood to go to my study, but as soon as I began walking away, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket.
I froze. Was it my father, calling to tell me to kick Moana out? Was it my mother, scolding me for fighting with Ethan?

But it wasn't either of them. It was Kelly.
I furrowed my brow as I stared down at my phone. It only continued to ring; for a moment, I debated ignoring it, but I knew Kelly well enough to know that she would have probably just kept calling until I did finally answer, so I figured it was just easier to answer now. So, with one last glance over my shoulder, I walked into my study and answered my phone.

"Hello?" I said, shutting the door quietly behind me.

"Edrick," Kelly said, sounding oddly chipper, so much so that I could hear the smile in her voice, "can I talk to you? It's about last night."

I frowned, furrowing my brow. Surely she was only feigning kindness to try to convince me to have a "fake" relationship with her again, but I decided to humor her.

"Uh, sure, I guess," I replied. "What is it?"

"Well... Listen. I know I was a jerk last night, and I just wanted to say that I am really, truly sorry for everything. It was uncalled for."

Now, I was taken aback. All my life, I had never once heard Kelly apologize for anything. And now she was saying she was sorry and admitting that she was being a jerk? What changed?

Before I could answer, however, Kelly continued. "I also want to say that, while I don't necessarily approve of having a baby with a human out of wedlock, you are still my closest childhood friend. And I want to be supportive. So... I'd like to make it up to you."

"Kelly, I— I don't know what to say," I said, stunned by this major improvement in her attitude. "Um... Thank you for apologizing."

Kelly paused before responding. "So... When is Moana's next prenatal appointment?" she asked. "I want to make it up to her, too. I was thinking that I could take her. I know that the hospital staff gave her trouble last time, and you're always so busy. Plus, with the tabloid incident, it might be risky for you to go in public with her just yet. It'll be fun; it'll be like a girl's day out. I'll even take her out for lunch, if she's interested in going with me. Assuming either of you aren't too mad at me..."

I sighed. Kelly was my closest friend from childhood. Maybe I was too harsh in thinking that what happened last night was her idea. My father had been putting ideas in her head for years about our relationship, so it was more likely that he put her up to it. If he hadn't said anything, she probably wouldn't have even considered confronting me like that last night.

For all I knew, my father put Ethan up to kissing Moana, then hired Kelly to take pictures to convince me that Moana was trying to seduce both of us. It was really my father and Ethan who were to blame, not necessarily Kelly. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to give her another chance, but it was still mostly up to Moana whether she wanted to spend personal time with Kelly.

"I'll have to ask Moana and see what she thinks," I finally replied, pacing a bit in my study. "Ultimately, it is up to her. I'm sure you understand. But, I am going to be busy at work during her next prenatal appointment, so it would be a huge help."

"Well, just talk to her," Kelly said. Once again, I could hear her smile through the phone, and her voice was soft and sweet. "Tell her that I really am sorry. You can even give her my number if she wants to talk things out first."

I couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Thanks, Kelly," I said. "I'll let you know."
When I hung up, I let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, if Kelly was genuinely trying to be kinder, then that was one less person who was actively working against my arrangement with Moana. Maybe things wouldn't turn out too badly after all.

But as I walked out of my study and saw the look on Moana's face, I knew that she must have overheard me.

"Was that Kelly?" she asked.