Page 93

“Oh.” I reach for my glass quickly, bring it to my lips, and take a hefty sip. The sweet flavor slides down my throat as heat skates up my neck.

“So…” Alina drags the word out as she looks between Scarlett and Madeleine before settling her attention on me. “Is there something you’d like to tell us?”

“I…” I set my glass on the table, my finger tapping against the base. “Nothing is going on. I’m just the nanny.”

Alina has a dreamy look in her eyes as she immediately drops her elbow onto the table and rests her cheek in her palm. “That’s what they always say.”

“Leave her alone.” Madeleine nudges Alina’s shoulder and regards me. “Although if there are any juicy details, feel free to share. Just keep the sex stories to yourself.” She grimaces. “I’d rather give up chocolate for a year than hear about my brother’s sex life.” She turns her attention to Scarlett and glares.

Scarlett bites down on a smile. “Yeah, she really doesn’t like to know that stuff.”

Madeleine points a warning finger at both of them. “I know things about Leo and Mauro that no sister should ever know.”

“Oh, we haven’t done…” I swallow hard. “Well, I mean, we have done things, but not…” A flush covers my cheeks, and I lower my gaze to the table. “I’m just going to stop talking now.”

“No, please don’t.” Alina leans closer. “This is the most entertaining thing that’s happened all week. I live for hearing this stuff.”

“You live for hearing about other people’s sex lives?” Madeleine asks with an arched brow. “Is my brother not meeting your needs cause I’ll go over there right now and tell him—”

Alina swats her arm. “Your brother is definitely meeting my needs.” She laughs. “What I mean is, I live for the story of how it all begins between two people.” She swirls her straw around her drink. “Besides.” She glances over her shoulder at the guys’ table. “The way that man looks at you…” She grins, looking back at me. “You two are fooling no one but yourselves.”

I swallow hard, my finger tracing a line back and forth. “There’s no romance going on between us. He’s just been…helping me. That’s all.”

“Helping you…” Scarlett repeats, a grin spreading across her face. “Is that a code word for giving you one orgasm after another?”

Madeleine groans. “Please stop, I might hurl this daiquiri all over you.”

A genuine laugh escapes me, and it feels good to let it out. I’ve never had girlfriends I could talk to, but these three might be exactly what I need.

“So,” Madeleine says, her voice gaining a slight edge. “This is just a little fun, right? Because you still plan on leaving soon?”

The question lands heavily in my heart, and my chest tightens almost painfully.

My eyes drift toward the guys’ table, finding Alex’s stormy-grey irises staring back at me. “Right,” I answer softly.

“And Clara?”

My attention returns to her, protectiveness filling me at the mention of her name. “What about Clara?”

She lifts a shoulder. “You two have gotten really close. Won’t you miss her?”

“Of course I will,” I answer without hesitation. I glance back at Alex, my heart thudding as I think about a day when both of them are no longer in my life. “I’ll miss both of them,” I confess as an ache builds in the center of my chest. My gaze moves to my drink, my fingers tightening around the stem. “I’ve been locked up my whole life. A prisoner in an invisible cage I could never escape. But your brother…” My throat tightens, remembering that night in the bathroom. “He promised me the key to my freedom.” Slowly, I look up, my eyes meeting Madeleine’s, and I don’t bother to hide the sheen covering them. “He’s the only one who has ever tried.”

Silence settles over the table, and I worry I just ruined tonight’s mood when that wasn’t my intention.

Madeleine’s hand stretches across the table, covering mine and squeezing gently. “I know.”

“We all do,” Scarlett affirms, resting her head against my shoulder.

I blink rapidly as emotions burn behind my eyes. Confusion. Fear. Sadness. Happiness. They swirl together like a violent storm I can’t escape from.

Because the truth is, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore. My heart constantly tells me one thing while my head tells me another, leaving me completely and utterly torn.

“Everything will be okay,” Madeleine adds before pulling her hand away. “Either way, you’ve got three friends here who will bombard you with texts and calls no matter where you go.”

I quickly wipe a finger beneath my eyes. “I’d like that.” I look between them all, seeing sorrow in their eyes. “I’m sorry, I feel like I might have dampened the mood.”

“Nonsense.” Alina waves a dismissive hand. “The night is only just beginning.”