He Hurt Me, Now He Wants Me Back

Imogene Scott

The next few days are hectic. The gallery opening turned out to be a huge success even after the little ruckus my ex-husband caused. Now, I have to juggle working at the gallery and interviewing the ladies that applied for the role of Lily's nanny. None of them seem to be trustworthy until I interviewed Breonna Jenkins and she really is a responsible young lady. She just graduated college-so she told me and is taking a gap year to figure out what she wants. Elinor also likes her so I think it's only natural that ICòntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

also like her.

Elinor is never wrong.

She's starting today to and as I prepare to leave for the gallery, I hear the door bell buzzing. Perfect timing. I glance at Lily for a second. She's sitting in her high chair, her tiny hands clutching a spoon as she attempts to scoop up some oatmeal. Her little nose scrunches in concentration, and I can't help but smile, even as the knot in my stomach tightens.

I take a deep breath, smoothing down my skirt as I walk toward the door. I open it and let Breonna in. Now in the living room, I take a quick glance at Lily, who's now tapping the spoon against her bowl, then back at Breonna.

She's smiling warmly and it immediately puts me at ease at least a little. She's dressed casually in jeans and a comfortable sweater.

"Good morning, Miss Scott. It's great to see you again."

"Good morning, Breonna,"

I lead her into the kitchen, where Lily is now more interested in banging her spoon than eating. Breonna's eyes light up when she sees Lily, and she crouches down to her level.

"Hi there, Lily," she says softly. "I'm Breonna. We're going to have so much fun today."

Lily regards her with wide eyes, her little mouth forming a perfect 'O' as she studies this person. I can see the gears turning in her mind, and I can only hope that she'll warm up to Breonna quickly.

I clear my throat, pulling Breonna's attention back to me. "So, I just want to go over a few things before I leave," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. I walk her through the essentials-where Lily's food is stored, how she likes her naps, where the diapers are kept. Breonna listens attentively, nodding along as I speak. "Don't worry, Miss Scott," she says when I finally pause. "I've got everything under control. You focus on work, and I'll take care of Lily."

I want to believe her, I really do. But

as I turn to look at Lily, who's now waving her spoon in the air, the idea of leaving her feels almost unbearable. I swallow hard, forcing myself to remember why I hired

Breonna in the first place.

"Okay," I say, more to myself than to Breonna. "Okay."

I walk over to Lily, bending down to her level. Her big, innocent eyes meet mine. "Mommy's going to work now, sweetheart. But Breonna's going to stay with you, and you're going to have lots of fun, okay?"

Lily doesn't fully understand, but she smiles at me, her little hands reaching out. I gather her into my arms, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of baby powder and oatmeal. She wraps her arms around my neck. I hold Lily tightly, pressing a kiss to her soft, chubby cheek. "I love you, baby,"

Lily giggles.

I take a deep breath and gently pull away, placing her back in her high chair.

"I'll text you updates throughout the day. Lily's in good hands, Miss Scott."

I nod, as I grab my purse and keys from the counter. I force myself to walk out the door.

I step into the elevator, my heels clacking. As the door's about to close, someone else steps in. It's hard to miss the broad shoulders a well tailored black suit but I don't bother to look at him. The elevator closes and it starts to go down. It's just us two inside so there's absolute silence.

"Miss Scott?" that familiar voice finally fills the small space.

I furrowed my brows as I turn to my side to see who it is. That dark

blonde hair, and that carefully sculpted face of his. I swallow hard. I know him from that night at the grand opening. He's the one

danced with at the party.

Does he live in the building?