“You’d rather eat standing up instead of sitting down in your room or being brought to have a meal with me? You could have eaten in the dining room with us.”
“No thanks.” I wrinkled my nose at the thought. And then, when I realized how rude that sounded, I tried to follow up with, “I’m not really—I don’t belong at that table.”
“Everyone here belongs at that table and has been invited to eat breakfast with us in the morning.”
“And yet no one does,” I pointed out.
The silence was so thick, a drip from the faucet practically echoed like a damn countdown. Jameson obviously didn’t get that no one would be sitting with him at that table anytime soon.
Or so I thought. But then he skimmed his thumb over his bottom lip slowly and asked, “And why do you think that is?”
I wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. “An employee-boss boundary, Mr. Knight?”
He stared at me like he was reading every part of my face before he chuckled and murmured, “Rosy, is that the reason?”
“I think you know it’s because your mother is ridiculous.”
“She was even worse this morning,” Hades added, and my jaw dropped.
“She’s stressed about the situation but also completely intolerable. You’re right.” Jameson took his time reaching behind me to grab a chocolate from the cupboard. He leaned so close I felt his breath across my cheek as he whispered only to me, “Might be time for you to rethink that employee-boss boundary. I like my staff honest; no need to sugarcoat the truth for my benefit.” His gaze sparked and ignited with mine, clashing and wrestling my confidence away from me.
“I’m not sugarcoating anything,” I argued, immediately offended.
“I think you’re used to everything that comes out of your mouth being sugarcoated,” he said with an undertone that mocked me, and I wasn’t sure how to even respond. People pleasing had been a part of my job and maybe a part of my life for a long time too. He smiled at how tongue-tied I was and whispered, “That is … unless we’re in private. You seem to have a mouth that bites then. Have a good day, darling Mia.”
And then he was gone, leaving Hades to say he was going to walk with Archer and Franny to the study so I could finish up breakfast with Rosy. Once they walked out, Rosy smiled. “Oh, you’re so screwed.”
“What are you talking about?” Fifty-fifty chance she’d buy my faux innocence.
“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m even better at catching a lie than Jameson, although he’s gotten quite good at it over the last few years.” She saw the questions on the tip of my tongue. “Ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer what I can. The rest will be met with silence, because I hate dishonesty.”
“Why would a doctor need to catch people in a lie?” I blurted out.
“I think you know the answer to that one.” She leaned a hip on the counter and pointed to the pancake I had yet to finish. “Multitask so you won’t be hungry later.”
“The only answer I can come up with is that he’s not a doctor.” I took a bite before asking, “So what does he do if that’s the case?”
“Hewasa full-time surgeon at one point.”
“But a full-time surgeon doesn’t wear a business suit all the time. Or spend whole days in meetings or on calls.”
“Well, you’re an observant teacher.” Her plump lips curved into a smile like she was proud of me. “Have you asked him what he does for a living?”
“He said it’s best I don’t know.”
“And he’s probably right.” She waited a beat before saying, “But it might be best foryouto decide that over time. Sometimes a person holds the truth back not to hurt you but to protect you.”
Paradise Grove was well known. Everyone had heard how rich the residents were. And the whispers that came with that luxury weren’t exactly respectable.
These people were dangerous. I knew money like he had was laced with some sort of corruption. “I’ve taken extra precautions to avoid secrets in my life and things that are too good to be true.”
“Isn’t that what the summer school job was?”
“Yes and no.” I hadn’t made the decision lightly. I’d built a life in a way no one could take from me, or so I thought. I’d abandoned my parents’ hopes and dreams for me, following my passion for helping children into a reputable teaching position. But I’d acted out, done what society deemed wrong.
Again. It put me in a position where I had to flounder, where I had to make one questionable move in order to right the ship again. “Blackstone Academy is renowned.” In some circles. “A job offer from them is a coup. Accepting it isn’t out of the ordinary.”
“I’d assume a teaching job with armed guards is, though.”
