Page 58 of Nanny for the Damaged Ex-SEAL

"Why would you take advantage of her like that? You're supposed to be the adult! You're supposed to look out for her!"

I put my hand to my forehead and lean against the closet. "I didn't take advantage…"

Amy gets off the bed angrily and comes to stand in front of me. "You took advantage of her. Yes, you did!"

"He didn't take advantage of me," Aria says quietly. "I love him."

"Oh my God," Charles murmurs in the corner, and clutches at his chest harder.

"Do you see what you're doing to your father?" she directs at Aria, who's standing limply with her hands by her side. Then she turns back to me. "Do you see what you're doing to my husband? Did I make a mistake when I told you to move back here?"

Bria goes over to Charles and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Breathe, Dad. Breathe."

He's taking in sharp breaths as Amy paces the length of the room.

"You know what’s going to happen now? What has to happen? You're leaving his house and moving back here," she says without looking at Aria.

"I'm not leaving his house," she says in a low voice.

Amy thuds onto the bed. Charles stands up from the chair and goes up to Aria.

"I should go check on Ethan and the guests. I'll be back," Bria says and goes out.

Charles puts his hand on Aria's arm gently. "Please, Aria. You don't really know what you're doing. It’s best if you move out of his place. Your room is still available here."

"How can you say I don't know what I'm doing? I'm twenty-eight years old. I'm not a child. This is the first time I can say I am genuinely happy since Jake broke my heart. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"You can be happy, but not like this."

Aria snatches her hand out of Charles’. "How do you want me to be happy then? Please, tell me. How else can I do it?"

I hate to see the pain in her eyes.

"There is a whole planet full of men that you can find happiness with. Please, Aria," her father urges.

She shakes her head. "No. There's no one else for me."

Bria comes back in and resumes her position at the door.

"He’s my cousin, for God’s sake, Aria. He is my family. Does that mean nothing to you? Do you only think about yourself?"

I feel like the room is becoming too small. Like the walls are closing in on us and the oxygen is being sucked out. I never expected that this would be happening today, of all days. Of all the ways our secret could come out, this is the absolute worst.

"The fact that you two would do me like this is the biggest betrayal of all."

"This isn't about you, Amy," Bria says, stepping further into the room. "This is about them. About their happiness.”

Charles turns to her. "You knew about this? You knew and you didn't tell us?"

"She told me about it. Dad, he loves her. He makes her happy. She's been through a lot already. Please, don't make this harder on her." She turns to Amy. "Don't you think Connor has been through too much as it is, too? He suffered so hard for so long."

Amy sighs. "What do you think people would say when they find out my cousin is having sex with my stepdaughter? How do you think people would react to that? How? I don't care if they're in love. How do you think that would reflect on our family? Am I the only one who sees how absurd this is? People will laugh at us. They'll point fingers at us. We'll be ridiculed. We’ll never be able to show our faces anywhere ever again. I'll have to quit all my clubs. Your father will be disgraced. Look at him. Do you want that for him?"

Aria sinks to the floor and falls on her knees, sobbing loudly.

Bria goes to kneel beside her and holds on to her trembling body. "It'll be okay, Aria. It'll be alright."

Aria raises her head. Her eyes are red. "No, it won't be. It will never be ever again."

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