Page 53 of Nanny for the Damaged Ex-SEAL

My phone pings again.Better be. And you better keep me there.

I respond,I will. Love you, babe. *Kiss emoji*

Love you too. *Kiss emoji*

I'm still smiling at my phone when I hear Bria's voice. "What are you smiling so hard at?

I dip the phone quickly into my bag, thinking she's close to me. I'd been so lost in texting that her voice had sounded as though she was standing over me. But she's in the dining area, setting the table. I go over to the kitchen to help carry food to the dining table. I haven’t answered her question, and she doesn’t seem to notice, so I keep quiet.

"What are you wearing to Amy's birthday party?' Bria asks when we're seated and eating.

"I'm not sure. A month ago, I bought a gold dress that will probably work."

She licks a drip of soup off her hand. "I'm wearing a maroon jumpsuit. It's beautiful. I'll show you before you leave. It makes my ass look fucking divine."

"Is Chad coming?" I ask, as I dip a prawn in mayo.

She chews then tilts her head. "I'm not sure. He's been awfully busy lately. He just got back from a trip. I don't think he'll be in town that day, but if he is, he'll definitely come. It's crazy how much you miss someone when you're apart. You spend so much time together, but when they go away, even if it's for two minutes, you start to miss them."

"This is exactly how I feel about Connor," the sentence falls out of my mouth before I can zip it back in. I freeze, praying to God she didn’t hear me.

But she did. "Huh? You and Connor, how?"

I make a show of chewing the prawn I've just dropped in my mouth. The back of my neck is hot and my hand is weak. I know eventually I’ll have to tell Bria about it. But I didn't want it to come out like this.

She stares at me like a mother hen studying its chick, then begins to tap her fingers on the table. "Aria."

I stuff my mouth with a spoonful of couscous. "Hmm." I say with my mouth full.

"You said that's how you feel about Connor. What does that mean?"

I sigh silently. One little mistake and everything is crashing to the ground. I bite hard on my lower lip.

"I mean…" I start to conjure up the list of possible lies I can tell. "I mean Connor and I are dating." I can't bring myself to continue lying. Not to Bria, and not to her face. This is a chance to set myself free, and I'm taking it.

She drops her spoon slowly but doesn't let it down completely. "Wait. I don't get it. You and Connor?"

I nod slowly.

"You and grumpy ass Connor?"

I nod again.

"How the hell did that happen? The last time I saw you at the restaurant you said you were learning to coexist with him. What changed in such a short time?"

I raise my glass of water in front of me and take a sip. Then I clear my throat "It…" My voice cracks. I clear my throat again. "It started a while back. We've been seeing each other for a while now."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let me know?"

"Because…"

"Oh my God, he's Amy's cousin! Amy is going to lose it if she finds out. And Dad will flip."

I squeeze my forehead. "I know. That's why I never said anything. I know how this looks. But I never planned for this to happen. You know how much we hated each other. It just happened, and I couldn't stop it. I tried to. But everything I tried didn't work."

She knits her brows and her entire expression turns into a frown. "This is really bad. Are you…are you in love with him?"

I nod with a swelling in my throat.

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