Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Kate nodded her reply. She has at least five minutes more left to think about her answer. As Kate gave it a more profound thought, she realized Nick had a point. Letting her mom know about what really happened today will sadden her that Kate is being bullied at school. She might even know the extent of her misdeeds about having a boyfriend and inviting the guy to their home when her mom was not around. Kate was even more afraid of Kelly finding out that Kate had made out with her so-called boyfriend that time he came over to their home right at their very own living room.

Kate knocked her head. She silently cursed herself for her stupidity. Lucky for her, Nick came, or she wouldn't know how far they could have gone with how persistent Andrew was and how pathetically weak she had been.

The car stopped. Nick looked to his side. He saw Kate still had her face covered by both her palms.

"We have to get inside now. What have you come up with?" Nick casually asked.

Kate cleared her throat, rubbed her face with her hands, and groaned.

"Please help me," Kate looked so pitiful.

"I am. That is why I am here with you, remember?" Nick's eyes widen. What is she talking about? Hasn't he been helping her?

"I want to tell her everything but not now, only when we have dealt with them," Kate explained. Her words were rumbled in her mind that the most crucial ones came out first. And that was needing Nick's help to solve her problem at school with Andrew. Kate can never do it alone. She will need help. And other than her mom, she only has Nick to run into.

"So, does it mean we will proceed with what I already told mom?" Nick asked for clarification.

"Yes," Kate whispered. She wasn't so confident, but with Nick on her side, her silence would be helpful enough.

"Okay, we're good. Now, let's get in," Nick got out of the car, and Kate followed. "Act normal," he reminded Kate.

"Mom, we're home," Kate smiled at Nick. She was actually practicing to be normal in front of her mom. But Nick was stunned at her lovely, just woken up face showing a natural smile at him. He had to stop walking, or he might stumble and brush his face on the cemented floor.

"Kate Taylor..!" Nick growled in a low voice.

Then he saw Kelly coming out of the kitchen, so he had to be as how he would usually be.

Kate did not see her mom coming as she was looking at Nick behind her. Kate then stopped from her tracks and walked back to grab Nick by his left arm and clung to it as she led them both to where she thought her mom, Kelly, was waiting for them. To the kitchen.

"Hurry up, mom's waiting, remember?" She raised an eyebrow as she urged him to start walking again.

"Well, look at you, finally!" Kelly smiled when she saw the two youngsters coming in with harmony.

And by harmony, it meant Nick wasn't too cold towards Kate as he was not shaking Kate's hold on his arm. He wasn't frowning or annoyed either.

"Hi, mom, sorry about today," Nick did not shake Kate's hands off him but did not hold her either. He just let her hold him while he quickly apologized to Kelly.

"It's alright," Kelly answered with her gentle smile still visible. Kelly started to walk back to the kitchen.

Nick was about to take a step to follow Kelly but Kate tightened her hold in his arm, not moving a bit from where she was standing. Nick turned his head to look at her face to ask.

"Thanks!" Kate whispered to Nick's ear. She had to stand on her tiptoes as she grabbed her arms for leverage. Nick is almost two heads taller than Kate. She has the average height for her age based on her mom's genes, but Nick stands tall with his two hundred and six centimeters height while Kate is one hundred and seventy-eight. She is considered tall among other girls at school when she stands along with them, but with her conservative fashion styles, her height isn't well presented, unlike girls who choose to wear short and fit kinds of clothing styles.

Nick inwardly shivered. The feel of her breath on his skin gave him goosebumps all over him that he could not hide his cringing body for a very brief moment. He tapped Kate's hands in his arm and nodded his head. He was too eager to answer so she wouldn't do the same thing again. He worries his proof of virility would show up in front of these two significant ladies in his life right now. That would never be good. It would make things even more difficult and complicated.

"Let's go," he whispered back. He was worried Kelly would look back to check on them as they weren't showing up in the kitchen.

To his relief, Kate did not make anything difficult for him anymore. She walked ahead of Nick and hurriedly checked on the food on the table as soon as she got seated.

"Mom, I'm starving," Kate was chirpy when she saw her favorites on the table. "You must be hungry waiting for us," Kate hurriedly scooped food for her mom. She chose a slice of steamed salmon with soy sauce, knowing it was one of her mom's favorite. She knew because they both love that menu.

"Kate, Nick hasn't even arrived at the table yet," Kelly sheepishly laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm to let her start eating. Kate would always do that. She will only eat when the eldest person at the table has had their first bite of food. Kelly just assumed it was how Kate was raised in her boarding school, so he did not correct her. Anyway, it wasn't wrong. She even feels proud that her daughter honors her in such a way.

"No, mom, it's okay. Go ahead, Kate," Nick was already pulling his chair to sit along with the mom and daughter at the table. He wasn't offended at all. They both arrived late, so Kate's actions were applaudable, in Nick's opinion. It was almost nine, too late only to be having dinner, but they were just about to start.

"Yeah, mom, it's okay. It's his fault we are late," Kate winked at Nick, knowing her mom was looking at Nick as well. Kelly would not see Kate's face from their position as they were sitting side by side. "And because you had to wait for us, you're having dinner too late," she added. Then she handed Kelly the cutleries. "Mom?"

Kelly had no choice but to accept the spoon and fork Kate was handing her and started to eat.

Nick was sitting across Kate, and he waited till she looked up at him again so he could glare at her. But Kate intentionally avoided looking at him. She had to say something to solidify their claim that it was Nick's fault they came home early, so she expressed it casually.

So casual that Kelly did not ask anything anymore. They started to eat, and as it was already late, they did not take their dinner long.

Kate was thinking about explaining to Nick later, anyway, she would be his slave for six months, he could retaliate when they're alone. Now they just have to let dinner pass without so much of a fuss. As of now, Kate is in crisis to assure her mom she is okay. She will prepare herself with how Nick is going to deal with her later.

"How about you rest here tonight since it's too late?" Kelly asked Nick as they were keeping the tables.

Kelly decided to just call for cleaners to come over twice a week. She cooks and does the laundry since only two of them, Kate and Kelly, stayed in the house. It's too big for the two of them, but Nick insisted on moving into a pad of his own. Kelly did not want to spend so much money on things that could be avoided. Having twenty-four hours helpers didn't seem to be necessary anymore, so she decided to help their helpers find another employer before she sent them away. Kelly even helped them get high-paying employers to prove that she wasn't after sending them without a job. Cleaning the whole house was too much hard work for her, so she called for weekly cleaners.