Page 28 of Possession

Jade: His face, obvs.

I throw my head back on the laugh. She didn’t mean face at all.

Me: Go away. I’m planning the rest of my day with Oliver.

Jade: Sure. Have fun!

Flicking my finger, I scroll back through Pinterest and decide we will use paints. I glance around the kitchen, and a lady wanders in. She has thick black hair pulled into a messy bun, with silver strands littering it. She’s small but taller than me, with an apron around her waist, and looks to be in her sixties. I scrunch up my nose, knowing I’m not good with ages. I can only assume this is Rosalita, the housekeeper Rafael spoke of.

“Hello, my name is Rosalita,” she confirms with a beaming smile. “Housekeeper.”

I clear my throat. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ellie, the new nanny for Oliver.”

Her eyes scan me up and down before latching onto my neck, and she chuckles. “You’re more than a nanny. I know this.” She winks, and my eyes widen as heat travels over my face. She hums to herself while I continue scrolling through my phone, planning the perfect activity.

Glancing up, I scan the room, trying to figure out where will be best to let Oliver get messy with paints.

“You appear lost. What’s wrong, child?” she asks, lifting a brow as she takes ingredients from the fridge.

I ignore her referring to me as a child, knowing her sweet demeanor wouldn’t mean it as an insult.

“I want a space for Oliver and me to do arts and crafts, but I’m not sure where’s best.”

A smile encompasses her face. “Down corridor. In classroom.” She points toward a door that Rafael said was Oliver’s education wing.

“Is Oliver working in there now?”

Her face falls, and she nods, causing awareness to prickle beneath my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.

“Poor boy. Crying.” She clucks her tongue and shakes her head.

My body stills on her words. “Crying?”An urge to reassure him hits me in the chest.

She nods, but I don’t give her a chance to explain. I jump off the barstool and march toward the classroom to find out just what the hell that sweet little boy is crying for.

Opening the door to the room reveals that it’s not even furnished appropriately for its designated purpose. The walls are bare. They’re lacking color, emotion, and, more importantly, not fit for someone his age.

His sniffles garner my attention, and before I know what I’m doing, I’m scooping him into my arms to cradle him against me. His small arms go around my neck, and the hammering of my heart subsides with my little man in my arms.

“Shhh, it’s okay, little man. I’m here.”

A throat clears, and I spin on my heels to face an older gentleman with a stern face and even sterner eyes. He doesn’t look like someone who has a toddler’s best interest at heart; he looks like he’s a professor who belongs in a university. The thought almost knocks me for six.

“And you are?” He stands to his full height, his gaze sharpening for battle, and I swallow hard as I step back.

Panic sets in. I interrupted Oliver’s lesson with no forewarning or Rafael’s consent. “El...” Oliver’s tears drip onto my neck as he attempts to speak for me. “My El...” My heart crumbles at his muffled words.

“Shhh, baby. It’s okay. I’ll look after you.” He pulls back to view my face. Tear streaks mark his plump little cheeks and have my body tightening. Just how long has he been crying? I grind my teeth before bringing my attention back to the man standing before me. I straighten my shoulders, preparing to go to war for Oliver.

“Who the hell are you?” he snipes out, disdain oozing from him as he looks me up and down with a sneer. No doubt taking in Rafael’s shirt. It’s so long it covers my jean shorts, appearing more like a dress than anything else, or maybe he thinks I’m naked beneath it. The thought causes unease to creep over me.

I lift my chin. “I’m Oliver’s nanny.”

He chokes on a sarcastic laugh, startling me. “Nanny? The boy doesn’t need mollycoddling. He needs being made a man of.”

My mouth falls open. A man? “He’s three years old!” I spit back.

His eyes sharpen. “I’m well aware of his age. He can barely string a sentence together. He’s an embarrassment to the family.”

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