I’m desperate. At this point, I might ask Mom to come and pay for her ride since she doesn’t like to drive late. When my phone rings, I answer right away, hoping I’m wrong and Aiden is home.
“Hey, where are you?”
“At home? Was I supposed to be somewhere else?”
I look at the caller ID. “Oh, Zach.”
“Ouch. I wasn’t expecting such a warm greeting, but the disappointment in your voice stings.”
“It’s not you. I’m glad to hear your voice.” I try to sound happy, but I’m really desperate and about to have an internal meltdown.
“You don’t sound good. What’s happening?”
“Aiden and Miranda were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. They aren’t back from their weekend getaway.”
Matilda turns to look at me with concern. “I don’t want to go back to Grandma’s.” She pouts.
“Are they okay?” Zach asks. “Is Matilda okay? She sounds distressed, like you.”
“From what I could see, they’re fine. I checked the flight information, and their plane was delayed. I was hoping it was wrong, and he was calling to say he’s on his way.”
I exhale harshly. “Fuck.”
Matilda glares at me. “You said a bad word.”
I hear laughter on the other end of the phone.
“Sorry.”
She points at the kitchen counter. “You have to put a dollar in the piggy bank.”
The laughter continues on the other end of the line. Once he composes himself, he says, “She’s tough. I’m glad they’re okay. Now what’s happening with my favorite girls?”
“I’m about to cry.”
“I can feel that; the question is why and what can I do for you?”
I fidget with my lip as I try to think of a solution. I have nothing. “I have to be at Silvermoon in less than an hour.”
“Do you have a backup babysitter?”
“Nope. I’m doomed.”
“Send me your address.”
As much as I’d love to see him tonight, I have more pressing matters. “No. I have to work.”
“I understand. If you send it over, I’ll babysit for you.”
“She doesn’t know you.”
“We met once. I helped at the party. If you think I’m not capable enough or you don’t trust me, I can bring Teddy with me.”
If Teddy comes, she’s going to figure out that her brother and I are together. Adding another person to the mix sounds like a recipe for disaster. The fewer people who know about us, the better. I look at Matilda. She likes Zach, but she wants a dad like Zach. This is a bad idea. “I trust you, but…”
“Not with your kid.”
“Not exactly.”
After a long silence, he says, “Hey, I get it. You might’ve met me years ago, but you don’t know this version of me. We’re just getting to know each other again. What if I bring a couple of cameras that you can connect to your phone so you can watch us?”
“That sounds crazy, but maybe?”
“Send me your address, babe. We’re losing time, and I don’t want you to rush to get to work.”
“Let me see what she thinks,” I say, hesitantly. “It might be best if I call in sick.”
“Pumpkin, Uncle Aiden and Aunt Miranda haven’t arrived from Cancun. Is it okay if Zach comes to keep an eye on you?”
Her eyes open wide, and her smile appears. “Maybe. Can I show him the drawings of my elephants?”
“Tell her I have pictures of Emma.”
I sigh. This is a bad idea. “He has pictures of Emma,” I repeat.
She eyes me suspiciously. “Okay, but only if we have pizza for dinner.”
“Are we negotiating?” he asks. “I can offer cookies too.”
“Pizza? Maybe, but not cookies. Keep your sweets away from this house.”
“I want cookies.”
“They’re for tomorrow.”
Matilda pouts. “I don’t know.”
“Tell her yes to the pizza. I have the ingredients to make it. We’ll have fun cooking.”
“You can make your own pizza with Zach,” I concede.
She smiles. “Okay.”
“Thank you, you’re a lifesaver,” I say, feeling relief and worry at the same time. Tomorrow I’ll reassess this situation and maybe break up with him before my kid gets attached to him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Zach
After hanging up with Autumn, I head to my room to change and grab some clothes for tomorrow. Maybe I’m looking too much into the situation, but if I’m lucky, I might be able to stay with her tonight. As I reach the first floor, Burke glances at my duffel bag and then gives me a look that says what are you up to, asshole? No, it might be more like what are you hiding?
“Where are you going?”
I don’t know how to answer his question without giving away that I’m secretly dating Autumn Wickerton.
He shakes his head. “Who’s Matilda?”
Fuck, he heard my conversation. I hope he didn’t catch much.
“What are you talking about?” I play dumb.
He touches his ears. “I’m not deaf. You were on the phone with someone, and though it wasn’t a romantic conversation, it sounded intimate. Are you dating someone? Mind sharing with the class.”
“No. I’m doing a favor for a friend.”
He glances at the ceiling and leans on the wall. “Really? What’s this friend’s name? I doubt it’s Matilda. Is her name A…Amber?”
“What’s with this inquisition?”
“I want to know about your friends.”
“Sorry, Dad, I didn’t know I needed permission to have friends.”
He eyes me suspiciously. “You brought someone home last night. Is it the same friend?”
How does he know? Is he fishing for information? Nope, he stated that I had brought someone. He’s sure. Well, it’s time to play offense. “You bring a lot of someones daily, and I don’t complain.”
“I haven’t brought anyone since the Pookie Boo incident.” He shivers. “Just admit that you got lucky last night, and you’re on your way to see her.”
“As I said, I’m helping a friend.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine, you don’t want to confide in me. That’s okay. I know what I know. There was a condom wrapper on the couch.”
Fuck, I mouth.
“Okay, so I brought a friend.”
He grins. “Just a friend? She wasn’t just a friend.”
“Drop it!”
“You fucked your best friend’s little sister. Does he know about it?” His taunting voice makes me want to punch him. “Did you take her virginity when we were in high school?”
“What? No. I didn’t touch her in high school, and how the fuck do you know it’s her?”
He shrugs one shoulder, and using his most arrogant voice; he answers, “I have cameras in the garage and the entry.”
“Fuck, I hate you!”
“Nah, you don’t. I’m glad you finally broke your celibacy. So, you’re making pizza for two, but who is this Matilda person?”