Page 70 of Love Not Qualified

“Well, I didn’t know I’d be here either.”

“I didn’t hear you scream, so I guess it went well?” Sebastian asked. Mr. Graves shot him a look meant to quiet him. Sebastian nodded, while trying to hide an obvious outburst of laughter under a fake cough. He slapped his hands against his sides. “We should get more wood, shouldn’t we?” He bumped his shoulder into Tristan’s as they went out without another word.

They made a silent, yet not subtle agreement.

“Interesting,” Nadia mumbled under her breath as soon as the guys closed the door after themselves. “I take it you don’t want to be here? But oh god, tell me he didn’t kidnap you.” My eyes shot up when I looked at her. She smiled, gesturing with her hand. “No need to lie, I’m not on speaking terms with Tristan, so you don’t have to speak with a filter.”

What did she mean she wasn’t on speaking terms with him? I thought they were friends and they came here to relax. Did I misunderstand something?

I took a strand of curly hair and flicked it behind my ear, looking at the fire dimming in front of us. The location was beautiful—it had a rustic aura to it—with a brick chimney corner, old paintings on the wooden walls, and an animal skin carpet under our feet. I actually would’ve enjoyed this trip if it wasn’t for the way he got me here.

“May I ask why are the two of you not talking?” I questioned, avoiding what she asked me.

Nadia took a deep breath, laughing. “Oh, he’s talking to me, but I’m not talking to him,” she explained. “Sebastian and I got married this autumn, but he didn’t come. We understood that—his father had just died three months before, how could we not?—but he distanced himself from us. Never answering our calls, never visiting…”

His father died? I didn’t know. Knowing might not have changed anything, but maybe it would have explained why hewas the way he was. Cold and unbothered. Losing someone was something I could understand, the same with the changes it brought upon a person.

Death changed people and without a doubt, it had affected Mr. Graves.

She went on and her eyes squinted. I could see she cared about him and that whatever the three of them had, it was special. “Sebastian tried to get a hold of him to tell him the news, but he gave us the cold shoulder.”

I turned to her. I didn’t know what news she was talking about and I didn’t dare to intrude, since I barely met her. “I don’t know Mr. Graves that well, but I don’t think he meant to hurt you.”

The corner of Nadia’s mouth turned upward. “Why are you calling him Mr. Graves? Did the idiot make you do it? Or is that some kind of new kink?”

I shook my head, smiling. “No, he’s my boss.”

“Oh,” she whispered, nodding her head. Then, after a few moments of silence, she let out a sigh. “I know he wasn’t doing it on purpose, but I just wished he had let us be there for him.”

Something about that struck me. Was I in his place in this story where he was trying to help and I acted like an ungrateful brat? But how could I let him help when I was struggling to understand the reason he was doing it in the first place? He was my boss, and as far as I knew, a boss didn’t take his employees on a vacation when they needed a break.

“Anyway, I give him one hour with me in the same room before he apologizes.” She chuckled, and as if on cue, the door flew open with Mr. Graves being the first one to enter.

“You’re pregnant?” he questioned, his eyes shining with something I’d never seen in him.

My eyes lowered to Nadia’s stomach where she just placed a hand. “Yes, three months pregnant,” she said, looking at himover her chin, then she glanced at her husband. “I told you to wait for him to apologize before sharing the news.”

Sebastian laughed, coming behind her and leaning down to kiss her forehead. I pointed my gaze at the fireplace at the intimate contact. “Just tell him he was an idiot and then give him a hug,” he told his wife.

“I’m pretty sure he still is,” she stressed, then I saw her looking at me from the corner of her eyes.

Mr. Graves’ eyes couldn’t leave Nadia’s stomach as he walked closer, taking a seat on the couch next to her.

“What is it?” my boss asked.

I got up, a shiver running down my spine. The conversation was too intimate for me to participate in and I wanted that when they remembered this moment, they wouldn’t think about the random woman that was with them.

“A boy,” Nadia replied sharply. I opened a random door and walked in. “We want to name him Callum.”

“Areyou telling her or should I?” Sebastian hit Mr. Graves with his elbow while taking the last bite of his pasta.

I finished a small part of my portion one minute ago and I was wondering what excuse to come up with so I could leave. The vomit was rising in my throat and I could barely hold my gag in. I could feel tears forming in the back of my eyes from the restraint, but I had to keep it in for a few moments. Just until I could find an opening and slide out of my seat.

Gosh, it was more food than I digested in a few days.

“Knock it off,” he murmured.

“Haelyn.” Nadia looked over at me with a smile on her face.

---