Sharing Their Nanny (The Nannies)

Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the apartment building that he’d discovered was where Raine was staying. With the live-in position he and Dylan had given her, Raine had allowed the rental on her apartment to run out.

She hadn’t owned the place she’d shared with her ex, and she hadn’t fought to keep it after she discovered he was cheating on her. It had taken a PI to find her new address.

The apartment was a nice place in a good neighborhood. She already had a brand-new job working at a department clothing store in the local mall.

Hearing this news, Max knew he had to stop it. He had to make this work, for Dylan, for Lake, for himself.

He’d already gone to the department store and discovered Raine wasn’t working that day. Staring up at the building, he glanced down at the address he’d paid a small fortune for. The PI had done an amazing job.

Going to the door, he glanced through the list of names and came to the one he wanted, Granthum. He pressed the button next to her name and waited.

It already felt like too long ago that he’d been with Raine. He hadn’t heard her voice. His hands shook and he waited.

“Hello,” she said.

He couldn’t move.

Her voice was perfection.

“Hello, is anyone there?” she asked.

“Raine, it’s me.”

Silence.

“Please, don’t go. Don’t leave, okay? I know I fucked up. I know I made a mess of things, but I want to make it up to you. I want you to know that I don’t know what happened that morning, okay? I was … a mess.”

“Max, I … I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He gritted his teeth.

Never had he hated the way he was until that very moment. He hated being this horrible robot so damn much. Emotions, feelings, he needed to get them right.

“Raine, I’m in love with you,” he said.

He was sure he heard her gasp.

“I’m not lying either. You know I’m … look, many years ago, there was a woman, okay? Dylan doesn’t know about her. I was young, in my early twenties, and I thought I had found the perfect woman for me and Dylan. She made us both laugh, and we were happy. One day, I found the pregnancy test in the bathroom trash bin. It was negative. I was so relieved, and I knew that she wasn’t the one for me and Dylan. I went to go and find her, and what I heard was that she was going to lie to us. She was going to tell us that she was pregnant, and she was going to milk us dry. That’s what she said. She thought we were made of money. At the time, we’d started to make some money, but we weren’t rich. She said she knew a meal ticket. I must have made some noise, because the next minute, we were arguing, and I was kicking her out. All of it had been a lie. She was poison.” He paused, taking a deep breath.

“Raine, I know you’re not poison. I know you’re a good woman. A kind woman. A woman I love more than anything, and I know I messed up. Please, please, if you can’t forgive me, could you please forgive Dylan? He hates me. He loves you as well. He loves you just as much as me, but he’s not like me. He knows what to say. He knows what to do to make it up to you. Please.”

He’d never begged someone in his life.

He had also never told Dylan the truth about that woman from their past. She’d been a big mistake. Fortunately, Dylan hadn’t truly loved her.

He’d accepted the lies that he’d told and had gotten on with his life without a single care in the world. Max would have to tell him the truth one day.

First, he needed to make it right with Raine.

The door to the apartment opened.

Max stepped inside and went to the elevator. He clicked the button for the top floor and watched the doors close. This was his one chance to make it right.

His hands were sweaty. He felt a little sick.

I can’t do this.

The doors opened, and Raine stood on the other side of the elevator. She looked pale, and it looked like she’d lost a little weight as well, which couldn’t be good for the baby.

Max didn’t think. He went to Raine and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “I’m so fucking sorry. I’m a fucking animal. I can’t believe I did what I did.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine. I don’t know … I’m so fucking sorry.” He pulled back and cupped her face. “I will understand if you never forgive me. I don’t forgive myself. I’m a fucking asshole.”