Page 53 of Second Chance with the Single Dad Goalie
I am so screwed.
I don’t think I’ll survive having her around without wanting things I shouldn’t want. Again.
Chapter eleven
Whitney
Too soft.
That’s my first thought as I stir awake, shifting against the ridiculously plush mattress. No way this is mine. My mattress at home is firm, a little lumpy, and doesn’t feel like I’m sinking into a cloud.
Sunlight spills through the windows, warming my face. My eyes blink open, and the sight above me makes me freeze. A chandelier. A big, fancy one.
I bolt upright, heart thudding as I take in the unfamiliar room - spacious, modern, huge windows, plush furniture, and a walk-in closet slightly ajar,notmy tiny bedroom back home.
This isn’t my room.
“Where am I?” I blurt, my voice rough from sleep.
Then I hear it.
A giggle.
Then another.
The fog in my brain clears just as two little voices whisper outside the door.
And just like that, it hits me.
Blake’s house. I moved in yesterday.
I let out a breath, dragging a hand through my hair. Right. I agreed to this. Live-in nanny. Temporary.
Just thinking about yesterday makes my stomach knot. Telling my family - it had been a whole thing - I was prepared for arguments, for my mom to clutch her chest and gasp as I’d just told her I was moving to Mars. Instead, she barely batted an eye. My dad nodded. My sister even muttered something about how I was “finally doing something interesting.”
But the real shock? Mom helped me pack.
No lectures. No guilt trips. Just her folding my clothes, slipping in a few extra sweaters, and telling me to “be good.” It was…, weird. Weirdly easy.
Maybe it’s too easy.
But before I can dwell on that, the giggling outside my door turns into a full-on whisper battle.
“You do it.”
“No, you do it!”
“Okay, on three.”
I barely have time to fully process that thought before two tiny figures burst into my room, practically vibrating with excitement.
“You’re awake!” Mia squeals, jumping onto the bed.
Nico follows, rubbing one sleepy eye. He stops at the edge of the bed, tilting his head at me. “Why were you sleeping so long?”
I blink at them. “Why are you up so early?”
Mia giggles, crawling closer. “Cause, it’s morning, silly!”
