Page 39 of Worst Nanny Ever
“We can both be grateful for that.”
I’m about to ask him if he’s ready to go, but something gives me pause. My intuition’s telling me he’s not pissed off at the world in general. Something specific happened today.
“Ollie, why are you so upset today?”
He sighs and meets my gaze. “Don’t tell Travis.”
“I only will if I have to. What happened?”
“I have this iPad that Roland gave me, and I’ve been using it to play games in my room sometimes. Travis thinks I only read in there.”
“Oh, I won’t tell him about that,” I say. “Consider this record sealed.”
“Well…there was this game subscription service on it, and Roland cancelled it.” His eyes look glassy, and I can tell he’s trying not to cry. “I think he hates me.”
Oh, thatfucker. That absolute maggot. It wasn’t enough that he completely abandoned the kid he’d helped raise—a kid who’d played no part in his wife’s deception—he seriously had to dothat?
I inhale a deep breath before slowly letting it out. “Do you know this joker’s address?”
“Of course, I do, Hannah,” he says practically. “I used to live there.”
I pull out my phone. “I’m going to send him some presents.”
“Why would you send him presents?” he asks, his forehead furrowing in the exact same place Travis’s always does. “He has everything he needs.”
“Halloween’s on Tuesday. This guy took away your treat, so he’s getting a bag full of tricks. He asked for it.”
“What? You’re really sending him tricks?” he asks, his face lighting up.
“Sure. Plus, I’m guessing you’re wrong about him having everything. He probably doesn’t have a glitter bomb. Or catalogs for every major store. If you know his email address, we can also get him on dozens of spam lists, which would be fun. And that’s just for starters. I have all kinds of inappropriate ideas I can’t share with you.”
His smile widens but then slips. “My teacher says we’re supposed to treat other people like we want to be treated, even if they’re not so nice to us.”
“This is a special occasion,” I say. “It’s almost Halloween! Besides, it might make you feel a little better, and it’s okay if it does. You don’t have to be a little ray of sunshine all the time.”
He studies me for a moment, then takes my hand. “Is my mom coming back?”
“I don’t know, Ollie,” I say tightly, because let’s be honest, Lilah’s even worse than Roland. She’s the one who lied to everyone, and now she’s off in Australia, chasing a good time and letting everyone else fix her mistakes. Still, I can hardly go Rambo on her given there are custody issues to sort out. This producer guy, however, is fair game.
I squeeze his hand. “What your mom did sucks. My mom walked out on us too, so I know what it feels like. But she didn’t do it becauseyousuck. Because you’re the coolest kid I know.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” He bites his lip. “I know boys aren’t supposed to admit it, but I was really scared when she left me here. And not just because I didn’t know Travis. I’d never left Nashville before. Whenever they went on trips, I stayed home with Nanny Rose.”
I take a deep breath, burying my anger, and say, “You feel however you want to feel, Ollie. It’s okay to admit you’re scared. Only psychos don’t get scared.”
“Thanks, Hannah,” he says with a soft smile. He pauses, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “Can we send a glitter bomb to Travis too? Not because I don’t like him. I just think it would be kind of funny.”
I laugh at the mental image of Travis covered in glitter.
“So do I, and I’m an easy customer right now. I’d do just about anything to make you smile.”
We go on an online shopping spree for tricks, then go out and get ice cream sundaes with all the toppings, an indulgence guaranteed to ruin his dinner and probably my stomach. Worth it.
Travis gets home at around six, wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans, looking like a snack, if I’m perfectly honest. He’s got a bit of a glow, the kind he gets when he played well and knows it.
When he sees the smile on Ollie’s face, he lights up and shifts his smile to me. He mouthsthank you.
His approval means nothing to me, obviously, but when he insists on walking me to my car, I don’t object.
