Professor Astor (Off-Limits)

I stare up at the unfamiliar mansion while a security guard checks my ID, my nerves getting the best of me. I couldn’t sleep last night, my thoughts running wild. I can feel it in my bones. The house I’m about to walk into… it’ll be his. It isn’t even just a house. This is something else. I’ve worked in expensive houses before, but none of them had this level of security.

Though I try to deny it, Thor has been on my mind from the moment I saw him at Amara’s wedding. Even more so since the meeting I had with him. But it’s more than that. I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like I’m on the cusp of a major pivoting point in my life, and I have a feeling it’s got everything to do with Adrian Astor.

I’m trembling as I walk up to the door, surprised when it opens before I even reach it. “Leia!” My eyes widen when Amara’s mother waves at me, a wide grin on her face. “Come in, darling!”

Pressure rises to my head and my breathing shortens as I try to comprehend what’s going on. Of course. Amara and Adrian are cousins. It makes sense that Charlotte would be here, but I still can’t wrap my head around it.

“Charlotte,” I say, my voice wavering.

She hugs me tightly before pulling me into the house. “I’m so glad you’re here. For a little while, it seemed like your sister was going to refuse to send you. I didn’t want anyone other than you looking after the kids.”

She ushers me into the house, and I look around nervously. The inside of the house looks every bit as magnificent as the outside does. It’s huge, and it’s all marble and expensive art. I should’ve said no. When I suspected it’d be the Astors behind the hiring request, I should’ve declined. I should’ve come up with any excuse at all.

I can’t do this. I can’t be around his kids, not without remembering the betrayal I unknowingly had a hand in.

Charlotte leads me to the kitchen, and I freeze when I see Thor leaning against the wall. His eyes widen when they land on me, and he pushes away from the wall, his entire body tense. “Ley?” he asks, almost as though he’s in disbelief. Even though I now finally know his name, he’ll always be Thor to me.

“Oh good, you two have already met,” Charlotte says, wrapping her arm around me. “Adrian, Leia will be your nanny. She’s highly trained and has years of experience. She’s also pretty much family, and there isn’t anyone I trust more with the kids.”

“No,” he says. “Not her.”

I flinch, a stab of pain going straight through my heart. “I agree,” I tell Charlotte. “This is not a good idea. I think you should find someone else.”

I try to turn away, but Charlotte’s grip on me is tight. “And why is that?” she asks, her eyes moving between the two of us.

Thor and I look at each other, neither of us sure what to say. There’s so much left unspoken between us, that neither of us can even quantify our relationship.

“We… we don’t get along well,” I say eventually.

Charlotte looks at me that way my mom sometimes does, as though she’s trying to assess how truthful I’m being. “Hmm… how could that be? You two have only just met, haven’t you? How could you possibly have fallen out at Amara’s wedding?”

My cheeks heat, and I count my blessings that my face doesn’t usually turn rosy like Amara’s does. “I… well, we had an argument. I don’t think it’s wise for us to work together. I’ll find you a replacement, Charlotte. I’ll personally vet them and make sure you’re assigned the most qualified nanny that Asha employs, okay?”

“No,” she says, her nose tipped up stubbornly, her expression identical to Amara when she’s being stubborn. “No one else will do. You’re family, Leia. What the kids need right now is someone who will care for them the way I know you will. I don’t trust anyone else.”

I look down, unable to deny her when it’s clear my agreement means a lot to her. I bite down on my lip and look up at Thor, only to find that his eyes are already on me. I can’t reject Charlotte’s request, but he can.

“Fine,” he says.

What? Fine?

“If the kids like her, she can stay. If she can make Lucy hug her before the day is over, she’s got the job.”

Charlotte’s grip on my shoulder turns stiff, and I turn to look at her. Her smile is frosty, and I’d hate to be on the receiving end of the look she’s throwing Thor’s way.

“Very well,” she says, before glancing back at me. “Let me introduce you to the kids before we do anything else. I’ve already prepared their schedules for you. Absolutely anything you need should already be prepared, and I’m always only a phone call away, but first, we’d better get you all acquainted.”

I nod and follow her, oddly nervous. I can’t quite make sense of my feelings. I’m feeling so incredibly conflicted. On the one hand, I hate being around Thor, but on the other, I don’t want to let Charlotte down. She’s always treated me like family, and she’s never asked anything of me before. Besides, it’s not like she’s asking me for a favor. She’s paying an obscene amount of money to employ me.

We walk into the living room and I notice that the girl tenses from her spot on the sofa, but she doesn’t look up from her book. The boy, on the other hand, tosses me a quick smile before turning back to his game.

“Kids, this is Leia. She’s auntie Amara’s best friend.”

That gets the girl’s attention, and she looks up, her expression disarmed. I guess she has a sweet spot for Amara, huh? When she catches me looking at her, she hides behind her book, and I bite back a smile.

“Hi Leia,” the boy says, without looking away from the screen.

“Lucy,” Charlotte says, nodding at the girl on the sofa, “and Colton.”

I nod and walk up to them to sit between them. Lucy tenses, but Colton barely glances at me. “Hmm, Roblox, huh?”

His eyes widen, and when he smiles at me, my heart softens. He looks just like his dad, but with such pure innocence in his smile. “You’ve heard of Roblox?”

I nod. “You’re playing Adopt Me?”

The little guy’s mouth falls open. “What? You too?!”

“Yup. Send me a friend request so we can play together.”

“No way,” he says, as he goes to the search bar. “What’s your username? I should’ve known you were cool when Grandma Charlotte said you’re Auntie Amara’s best friend.”

I smirk at Colton, realizing he’s rapidly stealing my heart. “It’s PrincessLeia2814.”

He sends me a friend request, and then his attention is back on his game, but I don’t mind it. There’s no resistance on Colton’s end. It’s Lucy I’ll have to win over. But then again… if I fail to make her hug me, then I get to walk out of this job, and I won’t have to explain it to Asha.

I glance at Lucy, wondering who will replace me. Will the next nanny care about the way she’s using her books as a shield? Will they see through it? Lucy has her walls up way higher than a ten-year-old should have.

“You’re reading The Girl Who Drank The Moon?” I ask. “Which part did you get to? I loved that story!”

She glances at me over her book, her gaze quietly assessing me. “You’ve read this?”

I nod. “Yep, I read it with my niece. I loved the story so much I had to read it again. I almost never re-read a book, but I just really loved this one.”

She hesitates, and I breathe a sigh of relief when she speaks. “I’ve only just gotten to the part where Xun feeds the baby moonlight.”

“Oh, you’re going to love this story! It’s just so exciting to find someone who’s about to experience a story you love, you know? I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.”

Lucy lowers her book and looks at me, a genuine smile on her face. “I know what you mean. I feel that way every time I recommend a book to my friends. They never read them, though.”

“Yeah, not everyone is into reading, but honestly, it’s their loss.”

Lucy nods and picks her book up again, and I once again try to take a peek at the pages, trying my hardest to remember the story. “There’s this book called Furthermore that was also really cool. I think you might like that too. I think I actually have a copy at home if you want to borrow it.”

“Oh, I haven’t heard of it. I should look it up.”

I nod and take another peek at her book. “Do you… did you want to read this with me?” she asks.

My eyes widen, and I clasp my hand together. “Oh really? Can I?”

Lucy purses her lips, hesitating, but then she nods. I don’t hesitate to scoot closer to her, and she holds her book out for me so I can read alongside her.

I chuckle when she and I both gasp at the same time, and before I realize it, we start to take turns turning the pages. There’s something so sweet about this moment. I once used to be her. When life got tough, and even my own body failed me, I turned to books. I’d escape into worlds unlike my own, where I could be a magical heroine, where I’d be loved, and where there was no pain. I suspect that Lucy is doing the same thing.

“Homework, Lucy,” Thor interrupts, and I glance at my watch to find half an hour has gone by without me even realizing it.

I rise from the sofa, hesitating. I know I shouldn’t, but for a second I consider asking her for a hug. I bite down on my lip and shake my head slightly, dismissing the idea. Though I know I’d enjoy spending time with these two, I don’t think it’s a wise call. What I need most right now is distance from Thor. I won’t have that if I become his children’s nanny. There’d be no escaping him.

“I need to go now, Lucy. I’ll make sure to give the book I mentioned to Charlotte, so she can give it to you.”

Lucy looks up, and for a moment, I recognize the disappointment I see in her eyes. She’s lonely, just like I used to be at her age. It breaks my heart, but I can’t be the one to take away her pain. God, I might well be part of the reason she’s so lonely. Was her father’s infidelity the reason her parents split up? The mere thought of having caused this sweet child any pain kills me.

I swallow hard and turn away. I need to get out of here. “Bye Colton!” I shout, and he yanks his headset off, offering me a cute lopsided smile, and my heart skips a beat.

I hope whoever gets to take care of them does it with all the love I wish I could give them. I’ll personally screen our employees to ensure they’re assigned the best of the best. It’s the least I can do.

My heart feels heavy as I grab my bag, and my guilt only increases when my eyes meet Thor’s.

“Can I have a word with you, Leia? In private.”

I’m inclined to reject his request, but there’s nothing but professionalism in his eyes, so I nod and follow him.