Professor Astor (Off-Limits)

Thor walks into the room and kneels by Colton’s bed, his expression mirroring my own worries. “Hey buddy,” he says, patting his back gently.

Colton tightens his grip on me and hugs me harder. “Don’t make her leave, Dad,” he pleads. “I… I want m-my Ley.”

My heart squeezes so tightly that I have to inhale deeply to keep from bursting into tears. “I won’t leave you,” I tell him, holding the back of his head, my fingers stroking his hair soothingly. “I’m not going anywhere, Colt, I promise, okay?”

He nods, but he won’t loosen his grip on me. Thor looks at me, his gaze questioning, but I shake my head. Nothing really happened. There isn’t anything to tell him. “He’s just not feeling well, that’s all.”

He glances at Alice and nods. “I see,” he murmurs. I want to tell him it isn’t her fault, and that she didn’t do anything per se, but I can’t be sure that her attempts to make me leave were in Colton’s best interest. Something about her doesn’t sit well with me, and it isn’t just because she’s Thor’s ex-wife.

“Can you stay over?”

I nod, my entire attention on Colton. He’s stopped crying, but he’s still so distraught, and I’m not sure how to make him feel better.

“I’ll ask Amara to grab some of your stuff from home.”

He rises to his feet and walks away, his phone in hand. I can feel Alice’s gaze on me, and it puts me on edge. I’m not sure what to make of her, and part of me is worried that my presence is hurting her — not because of Thor, but because Colton seems to need me more than he needs her. I want to explain to her that he’s become reliant on me while he’s been away from her, and that he’s used to me, but I doubt it’d be received well, no matter how I word it.

“Ley, can we watch a movie later?” Colton asks as I put a cold towel on his head. “You told me you always watch movies when you’re sick.”

I nod and brush his hair out of his face. “Of course we can, Colt. What movie do you want to watch?”

He grins then. “The one about the little girl who goes to camp to find the lady that used to be her dad’s best friend. The one with all the dancing.”

I frown for a moment, confused. “Oh. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?” I ask, chuckling. I’m surprised he even remembered the old Bollywood movie we watched months ago. One time, when the kids were questioning me about a wedding I’d gone to and the outfit I’d worn, I told them a little about Bollywood movies. One thing led to another, and over the next few weeks, we watched several classics. This one stuck with them. Perhaps it’s because one of the main characters is a little girl their age.

“That’s the one.”

I nod, acutely aware of Alice’s gaze on me. “Of course we can, sweetheart. I want you to get some rest, but if you’re a little better tomorrow, we can lie on the sofa together and watch it, okay?”

He nods, his eyelids drooping already. He’s exhausted, and his body clearly needs the rest.

“You made my kids watch foreign movies during their one hour of TV allowance?”

I glance at her, unsure what to say. I guess it’s probably best that I don’t tell her that movie is actually three hours long, or that Thor doesn’t limit their TV time so long as they finish their homework and do well in school.

“They were curious about it, and Adrian felt it was good to teach them about other cultures.”

She nods, but I can’t read her. I check that Colton has fallen asleep, and I carefully place him back in bed, tucking him in. Noah said his temperature isn’t dangerously high, but I’d still like to see it lower a little more.

“How long have you worked for Adrian?”

I turn around, only half surprised she’s still standing where she was earlier, leaning back against the wall.

“Ever since he and the kids moved here, so it’s been a few months now.”

Her eyes run over me, as though she’s appraising me, and I can’t help but straighten my shoulders. I have a feeling that she’s assessing me as a woman, and not as a nanny.

She smiles, and then she walks away, leaving me standing there in confusion. What just happened? While I expected things to be weird with her here, this is still hard to deal with. Thor told me that she’s the one who asked for a divorce, so why does it feel like she wants him back?

Is this simply a matter of not wanting to see your ex with anyone else, or is it more? As far as I’m aware, he hasn’t told her about us, so why does she seem to view me as a threat? I’m tense as I walk down the stairs, unable to shut down my endless overthinking.

“Leia!”

I look up to find Amara standing next to Thor in the living room, a wide smile on her face.

“Hey, babe,” I say.

“Hey,” Amara and Thor both instantly reply.

They look at each other, both of them seemingly annoyed. “She was talking to me,” Amara says, and I shake my head. At this moment, it’s so obvious that they’re family. They’re both petty.

They both turn to me with raised brows, and I stare back at them with wide eyes. “Um… I see you brought me clothes,” I tell Amara, instead of clarifying who I was talking to.

She smiles and holds up a paper carrier bag for me, and I take it from her gratefully. I peek into it and freeze for a split second before closing it instantly. What did she bring me? That was an awful lot of lace, and was that a sex toy in there? What in the hell is Amara up to now?

She grins at me and throws me a sassy wink. She’s insane. I love her, but she’s crazy. “Um, thanks,” I tell her, drawing out the word.

“How’s my little nephew?” she asks. “Adrian says he’s being super needy?”

I nod. “He’s asleep now, but I suspect he’ll ask for me if he wakes up and I’m not there.” I can tell that there’s more she wants to ask, but she falls silent, her eyes moving to the doorway.

I turn to find Alice walking into the room, a serene smile on her face. “Amara,” she says. “I haven’t seen you in years. I’m sorry I missed your wedding, but I’m sure it was beautiful.”

She nods. “It was. I was glad to see the kids and Adrian there. It’s so good to have them back.”

I blink and glance at Adrian, wondering if he realizes she’s slighting Alice, subtly hinting that she doesn’t care for Alice, in the way only Amara can. He purses his lips in an effort to hide a smile, and I look down at my feet, biting back my own smile.

“I cleared the upstairs guest room for you, Leia. It’s next to Colton’s room, so that should be easiest for you,” Alice says.

I nod, but I can’t help but hate the way she’s acting like this is her house. It makes me feel like an intruder, like they’re a happy family I’m not a part of. It’s completely irrational, but I can’t help the way I feel.

“I’ll see you later, babe,” I tell Amara. “I’m just going to check up on Colt.”

She throws Thor a vindictive smirk, as though to say, see I told you it was me she was calling babe.

I shake my head and turn away, a smile on my face. I’m blessed to have a best friend like Amara, even if she gave me a sex toy when that’s the last thing I need tonight. I have no idea how to even explain that to Thor — even worse, what if the kids find it? I chuckle to myself as I walk up the stairs, imagining the crazy explanations I’d have to come up with.

Colton seems fast asleep, and I lie down next to him for a moment, my fingers trailing over his face gently. My sweet boy. The way he cried today tore my heart up. How has he been feeling with his mother here? It never occurred to me he’d need me as much as he does, and it kills me to know I let him down. I wasn’t there when he needed me most.

I lean in close and wrap my arm around him, wishing I’d checked in with him more. Part of me worries that him getting sick is my fault. While I’m not sure it makes any logical sense, my mother always told me that kids’ emotional health can result in physical issues, and me not being there seems to have upset him. It’s all I can think about as my eyes fall closed.