Page 25 of The Accidental Nanny (All Of You #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Alex

M y office door opens. I know what she’s done without her even telling me.

“How was she?”

“She ran off.” Fern starts to return to her desk.

"Do you know where to find her?" I call after her.

She nods. "She would have gone to her parents' house. She doesn't start her new job until next week."

"She got a new job?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah, at a nursery school."

“Watch the kids,” I shout as I rush out of the office, grabbing my car keys.

I wonder if I should get Gemma flowers or something, but I decide against it. First, I need her forgiveness before I start wooing her again. I need to make this right.

I drive to her parents’ house, ringing the bell when I arrive. I'm surprised when Brody answers.

“I need to see her,” I say without hesitation.

“No, you don’t get to come over like this and break her heart even more. She doesn’t want to see you,” Brody growls. He stands in the doorway, refusing to let me pass.

Since when did he develop into an overprotective brother? She’s always moaning about him.

“Ask her. If she says no, I’ll leave. Please,” I beg.

He frowns, contemplating my request. “Wait there. You’re not allowed in.”

I wait for about ten minutes before she comes to the front door, her arms folded. Her brother stands behind her like a bodyguard.

“What?” Her voice is ice cold and she stares right through me. Still, I miss her so much.

“Can we talk alone?" I ask.

“No. He stays, or we don't talk at all,” Gemma replies.

"That's fair. I deserve that. Gemma, I’m sorry.”

“Okay, bye.” She turns on her heel to walk away.

I need her to listen, to stop. Grabbing her arm so she can’t move, I wince when she yanks it away. “Gemma, I love you, and I messed up,” I plead. "I fucked up badly."

“A fuck up is ruining my favourite shoes. What you did to me is unforgivable.” I can see Tears are welling up in her eyes. I don't want to make her cry.

Searching for the right words is hard, but the ones I want don’t come. “I love you. I want to tell you how sorry I am.”

“You did. Now you can leave and return to your perfect little life without me."

“I want you back,” I beg her, trying to think of what to say.

“She told you to leave,” Brody repeats. His arms are crossed over his chest, making him look bigger than he is.

“Gemma,” I call.

“Alex, go. Please,”

I broke her again, and I hate myself for it .

GEMMA

I run to my room, but loud footsteps chase me down the hallway.

“Gem, are you okay?” Brody asks. "You can talk to me."

I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I find something else to be distracted by. “Why aren’t you at work?”

“I’m on holiday. Gemma…” he starts to say.

I shake my head. “I’m fine… I’ve been doing fine, haven’t I?”

Brody grabs onto me, hugging me. “Yes... no.” He changes his answer. “You haven’t. You haven't been fine, Gem.”

“I have.”

“Breakups hurt,” he says stroking my hair. “I know he was the man you gave everything to. I might be your brother, but I know you. You were acting like a grown woman, you’ve changed.” Brody kisses my head.

I sniff. “Do we ever talk like this?”

“No, and we will never again.” He brushes the hair out of my face.

I nod and keep quiet for a moment before I take a shaky breath and say, “I need to go out with my friends.”

“You mean, your one friend?” He’s trying to make a joke. I never thought I’d be thankful to have him here.

“You’re right, my one true friend,” I say with a smile.

A few hours, six gins, and four shots of vodka later, I’m now on the dancefloor, snogging some guy.

“Gem…” I hear my name being called from behind me over the loud music that's playing. I turn to see my brother and Fern looking at me.

“Come on, you have had way too much to drink.” Brody grabs my hand. The man I am with isn’t very happy. “Mate, she doesn’t know what she is doing,” Brody says, trying to drag me away.

“Do you want to go with them, babe?” The man’s arm is around my waist.

“Leave me alone,” I tell Brody and Fern, going back to the guy.

He gets me another drink from the bar. I hear voices muttering as Fern tries to pull me away again.

"I'll be back," I declare, heading for the loo.

It takes me a while to navigate there. Well, it feels like forever… I don't know how long it actually is. I feel kind of floaty right now. Coming out of the toilet and walking down the hallway, I hear footsteps following me. I’m pressed against the wall in the corridor, hands all over my body.

The dark features, greying hair—God, I miss him. “Alex.” I touch his face.

“I can be anyone you want.”

I close my eyes and then open them, looking again. It’s the man from the dancefloor.

“No,” I slur at him.

He stands back, removing himself from me.

“Gemma.” Brody comes running over to me. “What have you done to her?”

“Nothing.” His hands are in the air, pleading his innocence. “She said no, I backed off.”

Fern is next to me. “Gemma, are you okay?” She checks me over before taking my arm and leading me to the exit.

“I need to see him,” I say with tears in my eyes.

“In the morning. You’re drunk and it’s 2 a.m.,” Fern tells me, trying to make me see sense.

“Now!” I demand.

They give in, and a taxi drops me off outside Alex’s house. Stumbling out of the car, Brody follows me and takes hold of my arm .

“Gemma, it’s late. He’ll be asleep,” my brother tries to reason with me. Fern had been trying the whole way in the taxi.

“I have a key.”

I look through my handbag. I always carry it with me, I don't know why. Maybe I'm getting sentimental. I snort. I try to put it in the door, but my hand won't listen to my brain and keeps swaying from side to side.

“Let me.” Brody opens it.

“Shh,” I tell Brody. I open the door, shutting it quietly behind me. I take my shoes off, tiptoeing up the stairs. “Shh.”

Giggling at the creaking floorboards underneath my feet, I sneak past Ace’s bedroom, then open Eden’s door to see her fast asleep in her bed. I continue onto Alex’s bedroom; it’s already open.

He lies there, fast asleep. He’s snoring with his mouth wide open. I stare at him for the longest moment before I slide into the bed beside him. I curl up next to him, his hand pulling me in.

He sniffs my hair. “Gemma?”

“It’s me,” I say.

Alex

What the hell is going on? Gemma is in my bed. Did she not give me my key back? Not that any of that matters right now: she is back where she belongs.

My erection presses into her back, but she is already sound asleep. My eyes close, and I smile for the first time in ages. That feels short-lived, however, and I don't feel like any time has passed at all when Gemma screams.

“What?”

She moves away from me. “Why am I here?” She checks herself. She is still fully dressed. I didn't do anything to her other than hold her .

“You came into my house, drunk and unannounced, and got in my bed," I inform her. "I didn't kidnap you."

“Everything is a blur. My head hurts.” She puts her hands on her head. She's hungover.

“Gemma!” Eden screams, seeing her, and runs over. “Are you and Daddy back together?”

“What?” Gemma’s eyes are bloodshot red.

“I’m calling Grandma to come to collect you and Ace. Gemma and I have some things to talk about,” I explain to Eden.

Gemma has pulled the cover over her head, going back to sleep.

I wait for my parents to collect the kids, and I have time to pick up something for Gemma to eat before I go back upstairs to wake her. Prodding her with a finger, she stirs. I hand her a cup of coffee, food from the local bakery, and two paracetamol.

“Gemma." There is no response. “Gemma,” I call again, a bit louder this time.

“Go away,” she snaps under the blanket.

“You came drunk into my house and bed,” I point out, trying to remain calm.

“You upset me,” she says.

“Normal people call. Why don't you just drink and eat? Then, we can talk.” I leave the tray on the bedside table and walk away.