Page 10 of Misery In Me

“I got it. Live-in means I’ll be covering the food expenses as well.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and starts scrolling. “Chinese?”

That wasn’t a part of the job listing. It was supposed to be room and utility costs with a mileage reimbursement. “That wasn’t in the information on the posting. I’d be happy to cover my food expenses, especially since you're paying well above the going rate.”

The look he gives me leaves me frozen. “Well, it’s part of it. While you're here caring for my daughter, it’s my responsibility to make sure you eat.”

I’m not here to argue with him. I’m here to care for Zoe.

“Okay.”Just keep your mouth shut, Ale. This is an amazing opportunity. Don’t fuck this up.

I move back toward the living room, trying to ignore the way my thoughts are racing. Gage’s presence fills the space, even though he’s not saying much. I know he’s watching me, stillunsure about this whole situation. I can feel the tension in the air, thick and uncomfortable.

“Why don’t you grab her, and I’ll take your stuff upstairs to your room?” He picks the totes back up along with the duffel and motions for me to follow him.

Unbuckling Zoe, I cradle her to my chest and inhale.Newborn baby smell…it’s addicting.I trace her crown of soft hair, admiring how tiny she is.

“No te preocupes, niña. Te tengo.” I whisper, grabbing her thin blanket and covering her up. Turning around, I find Gage’s eyes on me, his face giving away no emotion.

“So,” Gage says after a moment, his voice breaking the silence. “Ready?”

I glance over at him, watching him fidget with the strap of my duffel bag.

“We’re ready,” I reply, my voice gentle. “Lead the way.”

There’s another long pause, one that stretches between us like a gap neither of us knows how to cross. He clears his throat again, then turns, heading straight up the staircase. “This is the spare bathroom,” he points to the door on the left. “Storage room—mostly my gear. I do have firearms in the house, but I assume you're alright with them.”

I nod. “Yep, I have my own in the top tote. Don’t worry, it’s locked up, though.”

A look of surprise flashes across his face as he continues down the hall. “This is my room, and the nursery is next to it. And this,” stopping at the last door on the left. “Is yours.”

Pushing the door open with his foot, he heads inside and puts the totes and my duffel down on the bed. “Let me go grab the last two totes.”

While he runs back downstairs, I take in the room. A huge queen-sized bed and a generous-sized closet are the first things I notice. Then the wall-mounted TV, a desk, a dresser, anda bookshelf with a chair and light. Holy crap, Gage Donovan doesn’t skimp on comfort. I hear his footsteps on the stairs as Zoe and I check out the bathroom.

“¡Mierda!” This bathroom is huge. There’s a tub and a walk-in shower with not one but two shower heads.

“Everything okay?” He peeks his head in, and I spin around.

“Uh… yeah. Well, you know you’re really overpaying for this job, right? I mean, the room and board alone are generous. But on top of all that, you're paying me a monthly salary and reimbursement for mileage, gas, and food.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you a serial killer or something?”

Gage seems to consider my words for a moment before he exhales through his nose, glancing at Zoe. “Nope, just a guy that had a kid dropped on him after a really fucking bad decision before deploying.” He scratches the back of his head, looking defeated. “I’m gonna go wait for the food to be delivered. You got her?”

“Yeah, I’ve got her.”

Then, without another word, he leaves, the door clicking softly behind him. Leaving me with Zoe and a feeling that I struck a nerve with him. I know I don’t know the entire story and maybe one day he’ll tell me. But there is sadness in his eyes and my heart now aches for him, too.

I breathe in, steadying myself. I know this is just the beginning. There’s a lot ahead of us—me, Zoe, and Gage. And though I can’t let myself get too attached, part of me knows that it’s going to be harder than I thought.

FOUR

GAGE

Keep it together, Donovan.

I pace the front sitting room, waiting for the Chinese food to be delivered, all while internally berating myself.You couldn’t pick one of the older women to be Zoe’s nanny. No, you had to choose the hottest fucking one possible.I’m a goddamn masochist, I swear to God.

The one Hail Mary I’m getting in all of this is the fact that I will be deployed more often than not. So it’s not like she’ll be a temptation.

Who the fuck am I kidding?

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