The Nanny

I told them we were engaged.

And for a moment I let myself think of how brilliant that would be, to have her say she would be my wife, that the little family we had become would be official.

Of course we just had to get through this fucking custody battle first.

And it was as I thought of that I was reminded that was all this was about.

Aria didn’t actually want to marry me, she wanted her son and I couldn’t fault her in that but a selfish part of me wanted her to want to marry me regardless.

I knew she would do anything to keep her son and so would I but was it too much to ask for her to want to keep me and Darcy too. To have that future together.

It had been a good half hour since our privet talk and all I could do was wonder if I had made a big mistake. I wasn’t thinking as I blurted the lie out earlier but if I was honest with myself it wasn’t like I hadn’t imagined myself saying those words in regards to Aria before. In fact I hoped I would say them eventually, if not so soon.

And I couldn’t help that the idea of having to leave her alone in this room to fend for herself was a major instigating factor in me spilling the untruth. Honestly I would have done anything or said anything so I could stay with her in this moment. She needed me.

My eyes shifted over to Aria as Grace and the other lawyer continued with their back and forth arguments in regards to the asshole across from us who had originally stating he wanted nothing to do with Jamie.

Aria kept her gaze on her hands; listening intently I could tell but not looking at anyone. I wished I could read her mind, I wondered if she hated me for speaking before I thought my actions through; for not involving her beforehand.

Suddenly the mood in the room shifted, the meeting appearing to be drawing to its end as Grace organized her papers neatly to store in her briefcase.

“One more thing Ms. Macdemara,” Daniels said as Mark leaned in to whisper in his ear. Daniels nodded then cleared his throat before speaking to Grace again. “The matter of the child’s exposer to Mr. Styles and subsequently Ms. Reid’s new life style is a troubling one. There is a lot of media coverage and it seems unsafe for a child so young to be around. And with this new development,” he inclined his head towards myself and Aria obviously referring to our ‘engagement’. “It seems it’ll only get worse. My client has concerns for his son’s wellbeing.”

“No one outside of our inner circle knows about the engagement. We are going to keep it that way for a long while. Jamie will be just fine. His safety is always my top priority.” Aria snapped out with a tight lipped smile at the end. Obviously upset that this was even brought up.

I felt a ping of guilt that this was an issue I caused by trying to help.

I went to reach for her hand reassuringly but she pulled in off the table, leaving me to wonder if she had done it on purpose or if she just hadn’t seen my intent.

“Just like no one knew about Mr. Style’s daughter until recently?” Mr. Daniels intentionally ignored Aria’s head on glare to speak to Grace.

Grace sighed deeply before leveling the older man across the table with a knowing glare. “I imagine that this information wouldn’t be readily given to the media seeing as both your clients and yourself have been given a nondisclosure agreement pertaining to anything they hear or learn during these preliminaries.”

There was something in the way Grace said it, the way she looked at Layla and Mark that let me know she knew something more then she had told us and by the looks on both their faces across the table it appeared she was correct.

“Wait a minute,” I furrowed my brow as I glanced from Grace to the two smugly guilty faces across from us. “You told the media about my daughter?” Anger bubbled up in me as I grabbed the arm rests to the chair I was in with unnecessary force.

“Ms. Macdamara may I suggest you control Mr. Styles.”

Grace began to turn towards me opening her mouth to speak words I never even heard as I fumed.

All I could do was glare at Mark’s haughty face as I fought to control my emotions. Did he not realize the danger he put everyone through by sneak attacking us with the media as a weapon. Darcy, Aria, and his own son.

Beside me I could feel Aria’s tension blending with my own, her anger mixing in naturally with mine like any parent’s would when the culprit who put your children in danger were facing you.
And still, Grace tried to calm us, obviously regretting letting the cat out of the bag without warning.

If I hadn’t been so angry I might be bothered to think how hypocritical she had been earlier when she had this little gem stored away.

“Oh please, they were bound to find out eventually. Were you planning on hiding her forever? Were you ashamed that you couldn’t keep it in your pants? Or did you not want to ruin that playboy image you give off?” Mark laughed arrogantly.

“Shut up.” Aria said before I could even think of a reply. “You could have gotten your son, you know the one you are so damn concerned about all of the sudden, and a 5 year old little girl seriously hurt for what, to prove some fucking point?”

Somewhere in my mind I was aware of both Grace and Mr. Daniels flailing about as they tried to regain the control they had rapidly lost to the immense tension in the room.

“But it did prove a point.” Mark said with a smirk.

Aria opened and closed her mouth for a moment, trying to decide what to say in reply but Grace took that opportunity to grip Aria’s arm and shake her head before turning her attention back to Mr. Danials who was talking quietly to Mark. “I think we should probably call this meeting to an end and discuss farther when we are able to assure both our clients are willing to cooperate with the proceedings.”

Mr. Daniels nodded stacking his papers together.

“Until then, I suggest a no contact order between both parties and seeing as Aria is currently the sole guardian she may return to England with no complications until our next meeting in,” she glanced down at a sheet of paper before looking up again. “Four weeks.”

Daniels looked at his own sheet before glancing at Mark and Layla who both nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Alright.”

The rest of the short conversation went unnoticed to me as I glanced back at Aria. I knew how much she wanted this to be over, or to at least have made some head way but all that seemed to be accomplished here was the dropping of multiple bombshells.

And then there was Mark’s last words.

Fuck.

I could see it in her eyes the fear I had managed to chase away not that long ago was creeping back. The fear of being the cause of something happening to Jamie.

I wanted to tell her that it was one of my fears too. That something happening to Jamie, or Darcy, or her were at the top of my nightmare list but I would hire a whole damn army of guards to protect them if that is what it took to keep them safe.

I would never let anything happen to them.

“Aria-“

I whispered as we gathered our things to leave.

She glanced up at me and shook her head, knowing where I was going just by the tone my voice took in saying her name.

“Not right now Harry.” She said quietly enough for only me to hear.

And that’s how it was the whole way down the on the lift and during the whole taxi trip back to our hotel where we luckily only had to dodge a few photographers since word hadn’t made it out were we in town yet.

Grace quietly reprimanded us on the scene we participated in towards the end of the meeting, reminding us again and again that we spoke through her, that she could handle it and we needed to trust her.

If I hadn’t been steadily staring at Aria silently pressed up against the SUV door with her cheek resting on the cool glass I might have contributed to the conversation but instead both Aria and myself let Grace speak into the still space until we arrived.

It wasn’t until we were safely locked away in the privacy of our room that I had to break the unbearable silence out of slight paranoia.

It was never a good sign with Aria when she was that quiet. And with the combination of events that had occurred within the last 24 hours, her mind could be anywhere. And I was terrified it was taking her away from me.

“Aria-“

“Fucking hell Harry I don’t want to talk right now.” She snapped before her name completely fell from my lips. It took me back a little as she threw her bag onto the bed and stormed into the bathroom.

All I could do was stare at the door.

I didn’t know what to do or where to begin; everything about this day was a disaster.
And I knew it was more to do with the situation then with myself but it still wounded to be shut out when I was so sure we had gotten past this by now.

I sighed as I walked towards the door and leaned my head against the surface. “Please talk to me, baby. I need to know what you’re thinking.”

I needed to know Mark hadn’t put any ideas in her head.

I needed to know she wasn’t thinking being with me was a mistake again.

But all that met me was silence for a long while until a soft sob broke it.

Resting my back against the wall beside the door I slid all the way down, waiting.

Come back to me baby.

“Aria.” I heard her take a deep breath in and shuffle, so I carried on softly. “I’m still not letting you run away. I’m here and I’ll be here until you want to talk.”

Another long moment of silence. It was so long that I feared I would be sleeping right here in this stop as I waited for my girl to finally let me in.

And then the door opened and Aria peeked out with puffy red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks.

My heart broke again for this woman who was having her life torn apart and shook up all at once but god did I love her.

I want to marry her.

If only she wanted to marry me too.

“Hey.” I cooed holding my arms out to her. With only a slight hesitation she sank down next to me and nestled into my arms. “It’ll be ok.”

And really hoped it would.

“It just keeps getting worse. And this meeting…. Harry we dug ourselves into such a hole. Engaged? Really?!” She laughed bitterly and I couldn’t deny it stung much more then I would like to admit hearing her say it like that.

“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say.

I’m sorry I spoke a hidden yearning of mine at completely the wrong moment so now I had no idea how she really felt about it. I was sorry I still couldn’t say that out loud because my biggest fear was that she didn’t see us heading that way in the future at all. I was sorry that I was using her situation to play out some fantasy and she was only going along with it because it made the odds even out in her favor.

I was sorry that even though I didn’t want to admit it, Marks words had been starting to get to me.

All I could do was hold her a little tighter and think off all the I’m sorry’s I owed her but couldn’t actually voice.

“I’m so sorry.”

Notes

HEYYY!!!! Here is another chapter. I would have updated it sooner but I was kind of having a really great week (And tiring) So I got to see One Direction last week. (Orlando is my hometown) Stood out at Citywalk from 3am until 10am with about 15,000+ other fans and I didn’t get to see them that well. I unfortunately couldn’t get park passes BUT I did get to go to the privet concert that you guys well get to see on Dec 23 ANNNNNNDDDDD….. I touch freaking Louis Tomlinson guys, ahhh. Check it out here. Im in that group of people and it was wonderful. They were so funny and sweet and it was so freaking cold (apparently colder then Scotland according to Niall.) And all around it was the best thing I have ever got the chance to do. Plus the fact it was such a small crowd it felt like we were just hanging out with them. Here’s some of my pics from sound check because we weren’t supposed to have our phones out during the actual filming and believe it or not I actually got closer than that. Also my phone is crap so my pics aren’t so great. AHHHHH. Okay anyway back to the Nanny. So yea this chapter had about three ways it could have gone. This was the version I thought best fit in with future chapters so I hope you guys like it. Please let me know what you think and thank you to everyone who reviewed and read last chapter. Love you kiddies <3