Chapter 75

Mia and my laughter seems to have broken some of the tension between Neil and me. He still seems a bit off, like he’s distracted and maybe uncomfortable, but he’s not as angry anymore. That feels like a win.

He passes Mia back to me. I finish toweling her off, then set her down on the changing table to put a diaper onto her.

Neil goes to the sink and turns on the water.

I finish changing Mia before I look at him. When I do, my eyes nearly bug out of my head.

Neil has stripped off his shirt and is dabbing at his abdomen with a damp washcloth. His shirt is in the garbage can.

He’s not as muscled as Archer, but he’s still tall and gorgeous, like a Greek god or something. This man could have been chiseled from marble, and no one would even think twice about it.

Politely, I force my gaze away. Lusting after the brothers so far has led me to nothing but trouble. Best to keep my eyes to myself.

Well…

I quickly glance, tracing my gaze over the width of his shoulders and the long line of his spine as it dips below his belt.

Then, I look away. No one’s the wiser, I reason. Except Mia, who is watching me with a big smile on her face, almost like she knows what I was just doing. That’s impossible, of course. I must be projecting my guilt.

I clear my throat. “You didn’t have to throw the whole shirt away. We could have washed it.”

“I have others.” His voice is still gruff. He doesn’t seem mad though. I wonder what’s up with him. Sometimes he’s really hard to read.

When he finishes cleaning himself, he throws the washcloth away too. I mourn it a moment. Such a waste. Just because they have the money to easily replace these things doesn’t mean they should just through things away willy nilly. It’s just going to go sit in a trash heap now.

Somehow I doubt explaining any of that to Neil would make much of a difference, like talking to a brick wall. The brothers are set in their terrible ways.

Still, I mutter. “Could have washed that too.”

He gives me a disbelieving look. “It has pee on it. It’s contaminated.”

“It’s called a washing machine, Neil. The do this thing called cleaning.”

He ignores me. “Follow me back to my room. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

I glance at his bare chest, then quickly away. “It can’t wait?”

“No.” The simple word is definitive and forceful, I guess I have no choice.

Holding Mia, I diligently follow Neil back to his room where he heads straight to his dresser and blessedly puts on a shirt.

“I thought that if I explained a bit more, you might come to see my side of things,” he said. “About the schedule and the value of discipline in Mia’s life.”

That’s why he brought me here? To continue lecturing me about his silly schedule?

I bounced Mia against my hip. “This really isn’t necessary. I get you are mad at me. We don’t need to rehash it.”

“I need order in my life, Chloe, because of the way I was raised. And while I can agree that my childhood contained some elements that were… lacking, I do not regret the man I have become. I am responsible and strong, and I expect those around me to be as well.”

Neil is the most responsible of the brothers, I could agree on that point. And whatever terrible things he experienced in his youth have helped humble him into a man that I could at least communicate with, unlike Asher and Beau.

But that doesn’t mean I’d want Mia to know those same hardships. Especially with the strange caveats Neil acquired as well. He’s a control freak, for one. And apparently a germaphobe, although I suppose that could fall under a lack of control.

“Any weakness that Mia exhibits will be a reflection on all of us,” Neil says. “But mostly me.”

I can see now, the pressure he’s under. It doesn’t change anything, but I can at least see it.

“I hope you understand.”

“I don’t really, not exactly. But thank you for telling me.” I sigh. “I want to work toward a compromise too. I’d like to be on good terms with you again.”

“We are on good terms, Chloe. Mostly. Of course, I wish you sold those clothes –”

“I do feel bad about that,” I admit. It seems important now, with us trying to build a bit of trust between us. “I really didn’t think they were all that important. Look how you just threw your shirt away. I really didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

Neil hums. He’s still frowning but it doesn’t seem as severe as it was just a moment ago. Maybe we were reaching some kind of common ground.

“But you know now,” he says.

“I do.”

“So it won’t happen again.”

“It won’t. I promise.”

He watches me a moment, as if assessing my honesty. I suppose he doesn’t have much reason to trust me, but it at least seems like he wants to.

“Very well. Let’s arrange a time to review the new schedule together. We can see if we can make some revisions that would work for Mia, while still giving her structure to work within.”

I still think it’s ridiculous to make a strict schedule for a baby, but he’s obviously trying his best to accommodate me and Mia both. I can’t begrudge him that, no matter how silly I think this whole thing is.

So I agree with his terms. They’re likely the best I’m ever going to get around here. “Okay.”

Later in the week, it’s time for Nanny Lessons again. The brothers seem less belligerent this time. I wonder if this is Neil’s influence. He seems to be watching Archer and Beau like a hawk. Finally, let his disappointed glances pierce someone else for a while.

The each take their turn with Mia. As soon as class is dismissed, Archer vanishes without so much as a word or a glance at me. He did his best to avoid me all class, only interacting with me on Mia’s behalf.

I hate how much his ignoring me hurt me. Only a handful of days ago, he demanded I strip and touch myself. Now, he’s acting like being too near me repulsed him.

I’m starting to get used to the hot and cold manner of the brothers. How they act friendly one moment, and cold as ice the next. But this feels even lower than that.

I bared a piece of myself to Archer than no one else has ever seen. And he threw me away like I’m trash. Even now, he just keeps throwing me away.

Beau snorts out a harsh laugh. “Sheesh, Nanny. What did you do to him?”

“Nothing,” I say too quickly. My cheeks burn.

Beau’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, really?” His lips curve into a smirk. “How interesting.”

“Leave it,” Neil says.

Beau rolls his eyes. “You’re no fun.”

“Archer has no excuse for being rude to Chloe,” Neil says. “I’ll speak with him myself.”

Oh, no. No, no, no. That sounds like the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

“You really don’t have to,” I say, hoping I hide most of my desperation to stop him.

“No,” Neil says. “His attitude needs an adjustment.”

Beau laughs. Even Steven snickers.

I feel totally helpless. “I’d rather we just let this go.”

Neil looks at me. “This isn’t up to you,” he says, and I know I’ve lost the argument.

Shit.

I just hope Archer doesn’t tell him everything, like how I was so eager to follow his command. I’ll die of embarrassment. I don’t know how I’d ever face any of them ever again.