
Taming The Nerd
- Genre: Romance
- Author: Wizardsboss
- Chapters: 15
- Status: Ongoing
- Age Rating: 18+
- 👁 22
- ⭐ 5.0
- 💬 1
Annotation
In a world where people with abilities and power, hides in plain sight, an unexpected love story emerges from the shadows. Alison Evans, a fierce and unyielding woman with a past that’s built walls around her heart, crosses paths with Nigel Knight, a seemingly meek and awkward man. Sparks fly as Alison's tough exterior begins to crack, but Nigel's sudden entrance into her life leaves her with more questions than answers. As Alison's protective instincts kick in for him, she notices strange peculiarities about Nigel that don't quite add up. Beneath his nerdy façade lies a man of surprising strength and hidden talents. As secrets unravel and danger looms, Alison is drawn into a web of intrigue and unexpected passion, risking everything to protect the man who has shattered her defenses and exposed her heart. Alison: "You think hiding behind that nerd act is going to keep me off your trail? Think again." Nigel: "Maybe I'm not the only one hiding something, Ali. Maybe it's time you looked in the mirror."
Chapter 1: Keep The Baby
When can you call yourself a mother? Is it when you conceive and give birth to a child? Or is it when your child is old enough to recognize you as one?
For Alison, it was the latter. She didn't conceive a child, but she had one. As she stared at the sleeping face of the 2-year-old little boy in her bed, her worries from the whole day's work seemed to vanish.
The little boy stirred from his sleep and, after a few seconds of dazed confusion, awoke.
"Mommy," he said in a sweet tone, his blue eyes misty from sleep, and gave Alison an innocent yet bright smile.
Alison booped his nose, feeling a wave of warmth wash over her. This little guy always knew how to make her feel better, even during the toughest times.
Remembering the days when she and her mother had fought before she left home that night, Alison sighed but felt blessed that she hadn't given the little boy to just anyone.
---
Two years ago...
"Whose child is that?" her mother demanded, knocking on Alison's door after hearing a wailing voice the previous evening.
Alison knew she couldn't hide the baby for long, considering she was still living in her mother's house. She emotionlessly fixed her disheveled hair and appearance after finally making the baby sleep. She appeared before her mother, blocking her gaze from the inside.
"Tone down your voice, Mom," she said, closing the door gently behind her and facing her mother with tired eyes.
"Don't tell me what to do! Tell me whose child is that?"
"He's my son," Alison stated after a brief hesitation, deciding to test her mother's reaction. She had been gone from the house for a whole year, and it was plausible that she could have had a baby during that time.
But her mother instead laughed mockingly, scrutinizing Alison. Alison was wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, black eyebrows, and black painted nails, contrasting with her fair white skin, which made her look gloomy and anti-social.
"Don't make me laugh. No one would be crazy enough to hit on you. Whose child is that?" her mother asked, looking at the door as if seeing the baby inside even when the door is closed.
Alison saw her mother didn't seem pleased, which she hadn't expected anyway. Her mother never cared for anyone, not her, not even her elder brother.
"He's my friend's son then," Alison said nonchalantly, her mind in a mess after the events of the past week. She hadn't had time to think and just brought the baby back home in a daze. Fortunately, she was sane enough to buy some cheap baby products to help the baby alleviate his hunger.
"Don't talk to me with that tone! Why are you carrying your friend's child with you?" her mother reprimaded her as she asked, looking at the door of Alison's room with obvious disgust. "Don't tell me it's that Crystal Brown?" Seeing Alison's face become rigid, she knew she had hit the truth. "So it's her. That bad news of a woman! Associating yourself with that caliber of a woman is already very wrong, and now you are also bringing her b*st*rd of a son of who knows where she plucked!"
Alison, already tired and exhausted, finally lost it.
"Mom! That's an innocent baby, for f*ck's sake! Can't you even spare a baby from your words? And Crystal...!" Alison yelled, her voice hoarse as she breathed in and out to contain her emotions. "...you know she is not that type of woman. It's been three years since then. F***ing get over it!" Mind tired from all the troubles she had been through since last week, Alison finally yelled back.
"You learned to talk back to me like this?! Is that what you have learned outside, huh, Alison?!"
"I have long been this way!" Alison brush her face in annoyance, "I just came to get my things. Don't worry. I will leave before evening." Although Alison had considered what to say to her mother beforehand, she still lost her temper and ended up saying the wrong things. It was always like this, they never have a single conversation where they didn't lash out words to each other.
Funny how she even thought she could leave the baby with her mother for a while as she looked for a job. Alison felt stupid for even thinking about it... thinking her mother would consider that ridiculous request... thinking her mother would care for even a bit... Expectations always hurt the greatest.
"And now you are planning to leave this house as if you could live a life of your own? Weren't you fired from your work!" her mother retorted with obvious contempt. "That wretched woman made you like this! Her son should be cut out from her---"
"You made me like this! If it weren't for you, wouldn't Michael still be with me and not have chosen Crystal after you humiliated him at the party?" Alison cut in bitterly, turning her back. She twisted the knob with force, opened the door, and slammed it shut.
Inside, the 6-month-old baby was already crying his lungs out because of the noise, and it became louder after she slammed the door.
"If you leave this house, don't expect to come back! I raised you for 27 years, and you repay me like this! Carrying someone's child and talking back to your mother who fed you your whole life. Look at your clothes, do you even see yourself..." her mother's words continued outside the door, but Alison was frozen in place.
She heard the baby crying but was confused.
Why was she defending this baby from her mother when she could just go to child protection services and give the baby to them, forget everything, and live as she used to? But why couldn't she?
The wailing grew louder until it sounded so aggrieved that you could feel the strain in the baby's throat from crying too much, as if it was on the verge of giving out.
In that moment, Alison snapped out of her thoughts, took the baby from the crib, and clumsily but gently carried him in her arms.
She didn't notice her tears falling.
Maybe it was because she was fired from her work, or because she was fed up with her mother's constant accusations, or because she hated her father for abandoning his responsibilities and choosing another woman, making her mother hate them but still pretending to care enough to deserve her insults, or maybe she just hated life in general.
But this little baby, why... Why could he make her sadness disappear in a second after touching her face?
Just like now, as she clumsily carried the baby in her arms while trying to stop him from crying, when the baby's hand touched her face, she felt the sadness dissipate as if it was never there.
Why...
There were many whys in Alison's mind as she stared at the baby's now-open eyes. Because of the crying, the baby's face was red and his eyes swollen, but he unexpectedly had a smile with watery blue eyes as he looked at her.
He looked so innocent and free from all the worries in the world, as he should be as a baby.
This little guy didn't know how many times he made Alison question her sanity.
Alison blamed it on her originally moody character. Maybe it's true that a smile from an innocent little creature like this baby could melt anyone's heart and alleviate even the toughest problems.
She kept hearing her mother's constant insults outside, but Alison was already calm.
"Thank you, little guy," she whispered, giving the baby a strained smile.
Maybe she was stupid for not giving this child to the authorities and acting like a mother even though she was obviously not qualified.
But this little guy, even though she didn't know why or how, or even if it really happened, gave her hope that day. She knew she might change her mind the next day when reality struck her, but at that moment, she felt she could stand on her own.
"Exen..." Alison whispered, "From now on, you will be Exen, and I am your mother, Alison."
---
"Thank you, Exen. Mommy loves you," she whispered to her son's ear as she coaxed him back to sleep.
"Exen loves Mommy so much too..." Exen murmured between heavy breaths as he smiled and slept again, his little hands wrapped tightly around Alison's nape.
Alison smiled.
Chapter 2: Mysterious Man
"Ali, make sure you get enough rest. You look so tired. Exen won't like seeing you stressed out," her brother, Abram, advised her.
Alison was indeed stressed out with her presentation today. She had personally visited potential places their company could invest in for their new business venture and had been in and out of the city a few times. Their company had recently opened its doors to the furniture business, and she was one of the few chosen to make a business proposal.
"I know, but I'm doing just fine. Please help look after Exen, okay? I gotta go." Alison was gone before Abram could say more. "Look after yourself too! Be careful on your way to work!" Abram managed to say.
"I will! Bye!"
Abram sighed. His little sister had changed drastically after having Exen in her life. She had gone out of her usual persona and transformed into a normal woman. It must be true for some women that becoming a mother could really change the