Chapter 8 Get close to her

" What about my Lilly?" Alexander asked dropping the papers in his hands, giving me his full attention. 

The boldness I had gathered to knock on the door suddenly disappeared as he stared at me.

" Well... Er..." I stammered. 

" If you don't have anything reasonable to say, leave". Alexander resumed his gaze at the large paperwork in front of me. 

How should I begin?

Should I... I glanced up at Alexander who was behaving like I was no longer in his study. 

I was already here, let's just get this done and over with. 

" Do you know what's going on with her?" I asked after a few moments. 

Alexander hands scribbling something on a paper froze, then he looked up at me. 

" What do you mean? " 

" Lilly came back home today in tears. Well she wasn't exactly in crying, but I could tell she had cried. Her eyes were red and puffy and her voice hoarse. This isn't the first time this has happened, I noticed it for a few days now. "

Now Alexander's attention was fully on me. He had dropped the pen in his hands and was concentrated solely on me. 

" Explain more". 

I sighed loudly, shrugging my shoulders. 

" Well, for the past three days I've noticed that Lilly comes home a bit later than normal, her eyes always red and puffy like someone who had just cried. But today it was way obvious because I caught her". I explained. 

I could see the worry in Alexander's eyes as he let out a loud sigh. 

" Do you know what happened?" He asked me. 

I immediately glared at him. 

"If I knew would I ask you..." I quickly clapped my mouth with my hands to shut them. 

Damnit, it just slipped out. 

I really need to control my temper. 

Alexander gaze at me turned cold. 

" Why did you just say?" He raised a brow asking me coldly. 

"Nothing... I mean, I don't know. It's best you talk to her " I bowed my face down to prevent him from seeing the embarrassment on my face. 

Alexander stood up and walked to the floor to length window by the side of the office and looked out through it. 

" I don't know how to talk to Lilly". I heard him say. It sounded like a whisper but I was still able to grasp it. 

How can he not know how to talk to his daughter? Just talk to her. 

" Alex... I mean Mr Alexander, I think you should find out what is happening with her, because I don't think its a trivial issue" I answered my head still looking down. 

The office went silent. There was no sound apart from the noisy sounds of some insects of the night. 

Is he not going to say anything?

I waited few more minutes but Alexander didn't say anything else. 

" I'll just leave". I backed away slowly. I was just about to turn the door knob when I heard him speak. 

Did he just speak to me?

His voice was too low that I was unable to grasp anything he said.

" What did you say? " I turned back to him asking. 

" I said I have a new job for you". He removed his gaze from the window and places it back at me. 

"Excuse me?" I asked in confusion. 

" I want to watch Lilly closely. I want you to find out what is it that is disturbing her".

"Mr Alexander..."

I shook my head in disagreement. 

" You can do that, you should do that. You're her father. I'm just her nanny". 

" I want you to be more that just a nanny to her. I want you to her friend, a close confidant to her, one that she can tell all her troubles to". Alexander added looking at me. 

I stared at him in disbelief. 

" What makes you think I can do that? I'm not good with children, you would have noticed that if you have seen me try to take care of Lilly... " I shouted out of annoyance. 

My temper was slowly getting the grip on me, I could feel, but I was way to angry to care. My frustration from this morning was coming back to me, everything just adding up made me just want to scream. 

" That's the problem. I've to work all the time, that's the reason I can't give Lilly the attention she wants. " He shouted a me. 

" The just stop working.... You're the boss, you can give yourself a break to be with your daughter ". I shouted back. 

Alexander smiled sadly walking towards the couch. He sat down on it stared at me. 

" I love Lilly. I really do. But I can't always be there for her". 

I saw the pain in his eyes and my anger vanished, it was replaced with sympathy for him. 

" Then get yourself a wife". I said calmly this time. 

He snorted. 

" I can never love another woman apart from Lilly's mother. She was... The most beautiful woman in the world". 

I walked towards him slowly, taking a seat on the couch next to him. 

" What happened to her? " I asked slowly. 

" She died. Few months after giving birth to Lilly. I don't know how to love Lilly the way a mother would, and I tried to get her good caretakers, but they always had another motive. " Then he looked up at me. 

" All I want is someone she can relate well with". I shut my eyes as I thought of his words. 

" Plus... If you can do this, I'll relief you of all your debts and you'll be free". He added. 

My eyes widened at his statement. 

Did he really mean that? Was I really going to be free?

" I'll do it". I nodded at last. 

Alexander had helped me alot, from buying me away from that stupid slaughter house to bringing me to his house when even my parents didn't want me, the least I could do was to fix his relationship with his daughter and I regain my freedom. 

" Thank you". 

My heart fluttered when he said those words. 

Why was he thanking me, I'm yet to do anything! 

Heat rose up to my cheeks. And a smile grew on my lips. 

Why the heck am I smiling. 

I stood up from the couch like I was shocked with lighting. 

"I'll...em... I'll be going back to my room now". I was just about step out when my stomach grumbled. 

This time around my face turned hot with embarrassment. 

Why now for Christ sake!

" Are you hungry?" He asked me standing up from the couch and walking towards me. 

" Oh... No" I shook my head fiercely. 

Why was he coming so close to me...

I step back as he kept coming forward. 

" You know what? "

"What?"

" Starting from tomorrow you'll be joining us on the table". 

" What? " I asked in disbelief. 

" I said, you'll be eating with us, my daughter and I, of just my daughter when she's the only one around ". 

" Em... That would be... Er... Thank you". 

Why was he so nice to me?

" Thank you... I be leaving ". I rushed outside the door before my stomach would make another sound. 

I couldn't complete my mission of getting food from tbe kitchen again, I raced to my room, my heart beating widely in my chest. 

" God... What just happened ". I held my chest with my hands.