Chapter 12
“No one is getting into trouble, April; relax.”
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1 blink up at Nathan. The sound of my name on his lips feels like a warm hug.
“You remember my name,” I whisper, unable to hide how awestruck I am.
His hands drop from my shoulders, and it takes all of my self–control not to cry out in protest.
He looks confused like it was a given. “Of course, I remember your name; I know the name of all the ladies in the competition.”
I deflate. “Right, of course.”
He cocks his head to the side and furrows his brows, and I get the feeling he’s trying to remember something. As much as it stings that he doesn’t remember me, the idea of him actually remembering me makes me panic, so I scramble to distract him.
“Um, about Jessica and Lucy-”
Nathan waves my concerns away. “They won’t get in trouble, don’t worry. I just don’t want any contestant going to any needless trouble while they’re here.” He glances at the bed–at June, who hasn’t stirred once since they came in. “Especially not you; you already have a lot on your plate.”
“Right.” I duck my head, feeling embarrassed. “Thanks.”
Just then, the door opens, and Isaac returns with Jessica and Lucy in tow. The two girls instantly bow their heads to Nathan respectfully before turning to me.
I smile sheepishly. “I’m sorry to bother you,” I say, stretching out the hanger to Lucy. “Could you help me unpack?”
“Of course,” she answers, taking the hanger from my hand. She and Jessica move to the closet and continue from where I left off.
“Now.” Isaac draws my attention to him and his iPad. “Your needs?”
So, with Jessica and Lucy working in the closet and Nathan’s keen eyes boring into me, I tell Isaac everything June and I need–especially June. I wait for a protest, for him to say some medication or the other that she needs is unavailable or a ridiculous request, but he says nothing of the
sort.
When I’m done, Isaac nods. “We’ll get everything to you ASAP.”
I sigh in relief. “Thank you.”
I turn to Nathan, and our eyes meet, sending my nerves haywire all over again. “Thank you.”
He nods once before he starts to move towards the door. “Bye, April.”
After Nathan and Isaac leave, I feel inexplicably drained. My earlier interaction with Peter is immediately replaced by the one with Nathan.
With nothing to do but watch Jessica and Lucy silently work, I sit on the bed, shuffling up on the large mattress till I’m close to June.
I lovingly stroke her hair, feeling relieved and happy at the prospect of not having to worry about her meds for the time being.
“If nothing comes out of this competition,” I whisper. “Even if I go back home empty–handed, it’s worth it that I can take care of you.”
June stirs, leaning into my touch with a content sigh, and I don’t hesitate to wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead.
Jessica and Lucy finish with the closet and step out.
“Is there anything else, Miss?” Jessica asks politely, keeping her voice low.
I shake my head. “No, that’s all. Thank you both so much.”
“What about dinner? Do you have any specific requests? Any food you don’t like or are allergic to?”
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12.39 PM P
Chapter 12
I start to shake my head when I remember a piece of crucial information I skipped over.
“Oh!” Without disturbing June, I climb out of bed. “There’s actually something I forgot to inform Isaac.”
“You can come with us, I’m sure he’s still around.”
inform
So I follow Jessica and Lucy out of my room, shooting June one last glance to ensure she’s still fine.
We head down the hall of the east wing, down the grand stairs, and towards the massive kitchen. Just before we enter, I hear voices that stop me in my tracks.
“Those two are nuisances,” I hear a female voice insist. “They are not worth it, Master Ashford. We should not be going to this much trouble for them!”
“Watch your mouth, Anna,” a voice–unmistakably Nathan’s–replies. “They are guests of this family and shall be treated as such.
“They shouldn’t be-”
“But they are,” he cuts her off instantly. “My father has made the decision to let the Farrah sisters stay and we will accord them the same respect as we do the other contestants. I expect you to see to all their needs without any prejudice, or you will have to answer to me. And trust me, Anna, you don’t want that.”
Even before our name was mentioned, I knew they were talking about June and me. What is shocking is how fervently Nathan is standing up for
- us.
Before I can gather my bearings, I hear a shuffle, and the next thing I know, Nathan is at the kitchen’s entrance, standing before me.
Jessica and Lucy immediately make themselves scarce.
“Oh.” Surprise flickers over his features–and then concern. “Is everything okay?”
I feel my face burn. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
He shakes his head and turns, shooting Anna a pointed look. “There’s no problem, everything has been sorted.”
Then he turns back to me, and his gaze softens. “What do you need?”
“Um…” I glance nervously
Anna, and her cold eyes make me want to squirm. “I forgot to mention that June is deathly allergic to garlic and-”
“Garlic is a staple spice in our meals,” Anna interrupts sharply. “Do you expect us to cook a completely separate meal for your sister?” She says ‘sister‘ with the same regard one would say ‘foot fungus.‘
“That’s exactly what will happen,” Nathan interjects, shooting Anna another warning glare. “If I hear that June Farrah has an allergic reaction, no matter how minor while she’s here, you will find yourself out on the streets, Anna; don’t test me.”
The head maid bristles and I feel like crawling into a ball under the weight of her contempt.
“Understood?” Nathan asks.
“Understood,” she replies through gritted teeth.
Nathan turns to me, places à hand on my back, and leads me out of the kitchen. It’s a struggle to focus on anything else but the sensation of his hand burning a hole through the fabric of my dress.
“Thank you,” I say when we’re a few steps away from the kitchen.
His hand drops from my back, and it feels like I can finally breathe again.
“You’ve had a long day,” he says. “You should get some rest. The next couple of weeks are going to be…eventful.”
The next couple of weeks.
It hits me then, like for the first time, that the competition starts tomorrow. Today was just the beginning, and I have no idea what the coming weeks have in store for me.
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Chapter 12
All I can do is hope I come out with my sanity intact.
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