Nadine Book 2

27. A Drawer

I get down to Tre's office and the door is shut.

Dipak wraps his arms around me and tries to slow me down. "Sweetheart."

I blow the door down with an orb.

"Or we can go in that way."

I step in over the rubble and Tre runs to me. He drops to his knees and wraps his arms around my waist. "I'm so sorry." He starts sobbing and holding me as tight as he can.

I run my hands through his hair and glare at our moms. "What purpose does this serve?"

Asa crosses her arms. "He need to understand what he has done."

"He understands. Stop yelling at him."

Mom rolls her eyes. "He needs to be sorry for it."

"Look at him momma. He is sorry. Now move on."

Asa stands up. "The bond is so messed up between you two."

"And how is yelling at him, and making him like this, going to help the bond at all?"

Momma shrugs her shoulders. "Well, you got us there my child. We will stop. We'll work on the vacations." She glances at Asa. "She's right. We can't change the past. We can only help them moving forward. But if he does anything stupid again, I will never stop yelling."

"Me either Aurelia."

Dipak winks at me. "Take him to the sitting room. At least it will be empty, and you'll have a door."

"Yea doors are nice." I lift on Tre. "Come on. Let's go calm down. Mary more cucumbers."

I get him to the sitting room and sit us on the couch. I think he might try to say something. Then he lies on the couch with his head in my lap and sobs. He puts his face in my stomach. He wraps an arm around my back and holds me tight. He cries for so long.

I rub his head and his back. I don't know what to say, but I know I don't like seeing him like this. It's so sad.

Mary sneaks in long enough to put the pouches by the door.

"I wish I knew what to say."

He holds me tighter.

After a half hour, he finally seems calm. I keep rubbing his hair and his back.

"I messed everything up so much. I was so close to having everything I ever wanted, and I lied to you. I'm so sorry. Mary said we were sleeping together. I didn't know how you would react to having everyone know I was in your bed. It was private between us. I didn't want to tell you everyone knew and hurt you. I didn't want you to be hurt. I didn't want your private life getting spread around. It wasn't right. Dipak started the fight. Because he didn't like me in your bed. He gave me the night duty to keep me out of it. I was so stupid to lie. I'm surprised you didn't kill me."

"I pulled Dipak to my office and asked him what happened. He told me everything. He thought I was going to kill him. Really, I was relieved someone told me the truth. Dipak was white as a ghost. He really thought he was about to die. Then I said 'But I kept Dipak here to keep him alive.' ... Really, I only wanted to end things with you. I wasn't going to do anything. I wanted out. But then Mary stabbed you. She always had no patience. But my anger came out, and I ended up throwing you all over. Dipak did his job though. He kept you alive."

He moves so he's sitting beside me and wraps his arms around me.

"When we were at the unicorn place and I said I could stay for a month under the water, you got so sad. Why? I've thought about it now, and I really can't figure it out."

"I felt like I was in your way. You would have been able to see more if I hadn't been there. I was sad I wasted your time."

"Baby, you make everything better. You never waste any of my time. I love every second I get with you. And think about everything I would have missed if you weren't there. You showed me those flowers and the turtle. You pointed out so much. And I would have punched a fish."

I smile. "That fish would have kicked your ass."

"Yea he was pretty big... But please don't ever think that I don't want you with me. I want you with me all the time. You really do make everything better. And when we were under the water, you were so happy. You kept smiling and watching everything, pointing for me to see stuff. I love seeing you that happy. I think I only watched you for part of the time. I was so happy you were with me. And to see you smiling." He shakes his head then kisses mine. "I love it when you are happy. I love being with you. You are never in my way."

That was really sweet. I can't talk. I'll cry if I do. He holds me for a couple minutes before I can make words. "Do you like fishing?"

"It depends on the company. I always liked cooking you fish and talking with you. I don't mind fishing. But I wouldn't say I like it, or I don't like it. I always did it to spend time with you. Why do you want me to make you some fish for lunch?"

"That does sound good. What about dancing?"

"I like dancing with you. It was fun to learn all the dances with you. And if you think about it, that's the only reason I got to touch you for so many years. When we had those lessons, I could finally get you in my arms. I loved that."

"But dancing now?"

"I still love dancing with you. I'll take every dance I can get. But I really don't want to dance with anyone else." He shakes his head a bit.

"How was the ball with that girl? And what about Thora?"

He rolls his eyes. "She was so boring. And yea, I don't mind dancing for fun with Thora or Mary."

"I didn't think she was that bad. Did you get a kiss at least?"

He raises an eyebrow. "No. She wouldn't take that veil off for anything around me."

"I like her even more now sir."

"You would." He kisses me on the head again.

"What about horses?"

He snuggles me. "I like riding them with you." I smack his shoulder. "Honestly woman. You would always lean into me and relax. It was nice. But other than that it was just something else to learn."

"What do you like?"

"I like learning new things. I like being in charge. That day I dressed like a commoner was horrible for me." We both laugh for a minute. "I like exploring, like we did in the water. I like designing stuff. I like having everything organized. I like fixing jewelry and shoes. Always made me feel useful, like you needed me."

I chuckle. I take his hand and lead him all the way to my place. He gives me a funny look when we get there. Then I pull out the drawer and hand it to him. His eyebrows shoot up. "I didn't have any idea who else to give them too. But I'm running out of jewelry now."

"I'm going to need some help baby."

"Yea it's a lot. When you first went to night shift, every time something broke, I would cry. I had a complete breakdown because of a shoe. It was bad. Then I started putting them all in the drawer. That seemed to work. I was going to show up to a meeting one day with the drawer and tell daddy it's all boob jewelry."

"I'll take it to the afternoon meeting with me. We'll sort it out. Can't afford to buy you all new jewelry, that would get pricey."

"Actually." He puts his eyebrows up. I open another drawer. It's full of money. "All the times I cleared the money drawer. I spend some and put the extra in here. I'm getting quite a lot and not sure what to do with it. But I can't stop getting more. I really like it." I stare at it confused. "I think I need another drawer."

"Yea baby, we're going to take that back too. You can keep getting money and you can keep some. But this is to much to keep in a drawer. It needs to be locked up. Spend what you take and then get more ok?" He puts some of the money in another drawer and then takes my money drawer and puts it on top of the jewelry drawer.

"Ok. But I like it."

He smiles at me. "Let's go to the last half hour of the meeting, and then I'll take you to the river and make you some lunch."

He picks up the drawers, and we go to the meeting together. We get outside the meeting, and I am about to cry.

"What's wrong baby?"

"They are going to be mad."

He smiles at me again. "I'll deal with them. Just don't take this much again. It's not safe." He walks in before I do.

I must seem scared because Dipak puts his eyebrows up.

Tre nods. "I already dealt with it." Then he puts the money drawer down in front of Dipak.

"Hadn't seen this one."

"I didn't figure."

Everyone stares at the money drawer and then back to me. Frode goes to say something. Tre puts his hand up to stop him. "It's done. She won't do it again. She knows it's not safe."

Dracul shakes his head. "The other one too?"

"No." He puts the jewelry drawer down. "It's all broken. Unless we want to buy her all new jewelry, we're all going to have to deal with this."

Kane busts out laughing. "I haven't had to fix jewelry in forever." He moves down to Dipaks old spot and picks through it. "I use to love doing this for all the girls. I got quite good at it."

I raise an eyebrow. "ALL the girls?"

"Well, I was the prince after all."

I sit down in my spot. Dracul, Frode, and Dipak count the money. The rest of the table is working on my jewelry.

Thora leans towards me. "So who's hotter today?"

We both yell "Gunner" at the same time.

Gunner stands up and takes off his shirt and we both squeal.

Even Mary runs in and sits by us.

Tre shakes his head. "Why do you both always say Gunner?"

We say it at the same time. "He takes his shirt off." Tre smirks.

Kane stand up and takes his shirt off. We scream louder. Even Mary yells. Something about the best show ever.

Then Dipak takes his off and Thora covers my eyes. "DIPAK YOU CAN'T DO THAT. YOU KNOW WHAT IT DOES TO HER EYES."

Daddy yells "DIPAK."

I hear him laugh and then Thora takes her hand away. He's got his shirt back on. "What was he doing?"

"Playing with his sword shirtless."

He winks at me.

Momma comes in and gives Kane and Gunner a second glance. "If I knew it was this kind of meeting I would have joined. I need Tre for a bit."

"MOMMA."

"I need some information about Egypt. I promise. Just Egypt. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. I'll take Dipak during the afternoon meeting."

Tre winks at me. "I'll take you fishing when I'm done with that. Change clothes first. Although watching you walk across the field in those shoes would be hilarious."

"Oh yea, someone needs to fix Tre's door where my child blew it apart."

Dipak sits up. "Oh I forgot about that. I'll get the builders down there. Was the wall blown in too or only the door?"

"Door and the frame."

"Ok."

Momma leads Tre out. Kane and Gunner both put their shirts back on.

Me, Mary, and Thora all make a sad "awww" noise.

Daddy gives us a dirty look.

Dipak puts an eyebrow up. "47k"

I lean into Thora and whisper. "Tre was supposed to save me. He said he dealt with it and I wouldn't get yelled at. What do I do?"

She smiles at Dipak. "We are not answering any further questions and we have no comments. Any questions can be directed to Advisor Tre."

He shakes his head.

Frode nods. "I'll get it locked back in the safe. There's nothing that can be done. Be grateful he found it before it got worse."

Dracul rolls his eyes. "You 2 let her get away with everything."

Daddy smiles at me. "Oh she didn't know it wasn't safe. She likes to shop. Did he at least leave you some money my princess?"

"Yes, and he said when I run out I can get more. But I'm not allowed to get any more until it's almost out, and I'm not allowed to collect it anymore."

"He did the right thing Dracul. She's still learning about money. Now she knows not to do that again. And next time she needs money, maybe she will go to him instead of finding a new hiding spot to collect it."

Dracul rolls his eyes at daddy. "She had 47k in a drawer, Miculai. A DRAWER."

Kane laughs. "How many places has she seen money being kept?"

Daddy smirks. "Only in the drawer Kane."

Kane winks at me then looks back to daddy. "You all did it. You have to show her how to keep it now that she knows how to use it. She didn't know any better."

Frode nods. "He's right. Especially now that she has the shop. She needs to know all about the money system or this will be the first problem of many."

Daddy and Dipak both nod.

Dipak stands up. "This meeting is over. Come back after lunch. We'll sort this out."