Choosing Us: The Pierced Hearts Duet: Book One

by M. Robinson

  “I’m sorry.” I spun, looking at her, blushing. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

  “Trust me, it’s hard not to stare. I remember the first time I met Aiden. I think I stared at his piercing blue eyes and dimples the entire time he was talking to me. He’s always been easy on the eyes. You’d have to be blind to not be attracted to him. And don’t get me started on Bailey, she’s like a living, breathing beauty.”

  “That’s exactly how I just thought of her.”

  “She looks like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, right?”

  “Yes! That’s what—”

  “Everyone says. The first time they took the kids to Disney, they actually had children asking her if she was the real Belle. Aiden calls her Beauty because of it. It’s been their thing since they were young.”

  “So, they’ve known each other for a long time.”

  She nodded. “A very long time.”

  “I can’t wait to meet them. I mean … that’s if I get the job.”

  “I would lo—”

  A baby’s wails echoed through the halls and off the monitor in her hand, interrupting us.

  Skyler smirked, and with loving eyes she peered down the corridor where the cries were coming from.

  Announcing, “Get ready to meet the sassiest baby girl in the world.” Without saying another word, she nodded toward the room at the end of the hall and started walking as I followed behind her.

  Moments later, she opened the door to the pair of bright blue eyes I had only just seen in photos.

  Making me fall in love…

  Instantaneously.

  Chapter 5

  <>Camila<>

  Now

  __________

  “Meet Journey Pierce,” Skyler announced, picking the baby girl up from her crib and nestling her tiny frame against her chest. “Shhh … it’s alright, Journey, it’s okay…” she cooed, bouncing her in her arms as she made her way over to the changing table. “Are you wet? Huh? Is that why the world is ending?” She continued trying to calm her down while changing her diaper, but Little Miss wasn’t having it.

  She fell into a fit of rage as soon as the cold wet wipe hit her bottom, causing her pretty face to turn bright red as she made her presence known.

  “She gets like this sometimes, and there’s no calming her down, until she passes out from the exhaustion of her own meltdown.” She buttoned up her onesie and straightened her outfit before picking her up again. “The doctor says it’s normal, though, like anything else, it’s just a phase that will pass. She’s only six months old, but it still hasn’t passed,” Skyler shared over Journey’s tantrum while she rocked her in her arms.

  “I guess it’s pretty handy to have a doctor in the house, huh?”

  “Oh … no.” She shook her head. “Aiden … he’s … I mean he’s not her doctor. He hasn’t even held—”

  BANG!

  A door slammed shut from somewhere within the house, startling us both. Interrupting Skyler and making Little Miss even more pissed off.

  What was she going to say?

  He hasn’t held what? His own daughter?

  “That must be Jackson and Jagger. Is it three-thirty already?”

  Looking at the time on my phone, I nodded.

  “Do you mind holding her for a few minutes, while I go take care of the boys?”

  “Not at all.” I smiled, wanting to hold Journey from the moment I saw her. “Are Jackson and Jagger their sons?”

  “Yes. Just wait, they’re more of a handful than this one.” She nervously chuckled, carefully handing the baby off to me. “Well, Jackson more than Jagger. You’ll see soon enough.”

  I cradled Journey in my arms, positioning her flailing body next to my heart. There was something about the rhythmic beating that reminded babies of their time in the womb. It used to work for my siblings whenever they were losing it.

  “How old are they?”

  “Jackson is going to be thirteen, and Jagger is going to be eleven.”

  “Wow. That’s quite the age gap between them and her.”

  “Yeah.” She cautiously nodded with an expression on her face I couldn’t quite read. “They tried a long time for Journey. She was so loved and wanted before she was even born. They all were, but she was on a whole different level. Especially for Aiden.”

  I wanted to ask why the sudden sadness in her tone, when she was talking about such a beautiful creation. A baby girl who was obviously made from so much love.

  It almost seemed as though everything Skyler had shared up until that point was laced with heartache and sorrow.

  But why?

  What happened?

  Nothing made sense, and the more I tried to analyze the situation, the more I came up empty. These emotions were playing with my mind, and they were starting to give me whiplash. There was already this gravitational pull toward a family I hadn’t even met but felt a profound connection to.

  “I’ll be right back,” Skyler stated, reverting my attention to the screaming baby in my arms.

  “No worries, I got her. By all means, take your time.”

  She gave us one last look before she turned and left the room. Slightly shutting the door behind her, leaving baby girl and me alone.

  “Alright, Little Miss, no need to show off. I get it, you’re here, and you’re fierce and mighty,” I coaxed, gazing down at her adoringly. Immediately noticing how much she resembled her mother. “You are a beauty, Journey. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? Even with all this crying and all those tears, you’re still a stunning baby.”

  Her wails started getting louder and louder, rumbling out of her full force. If she didn’t stop soon, she was going to make herself sick.

  “Alright, that’s enough of that … come on … you can do it… I know you can do it,” I soothed in a lulling tone, grabbing an old, worn down Ninja Turtle blanket from her crib. “You’re a girl. Why do you have a boy blanket? Hmm … maybe I’ll bring you back a new, soft, pink blanket if I get the job of taking care of you, Journey. What do you think? You like that idea?”

  “Wahhhhh!”

  “Okay, never mind. Ninja Turtle blanket it is.” Even though she was a little too old to be swaddled, I did it anyway. Seeing if maybe that would help.

  It didn’t.

  Her ear-piercing screams could wake up the dead.

  “Phew … you got a set of lungs on ya, kid.” I moved around the vast room which was more like a suite than a nursery, still rocking and bouncing her.

  My eyes scanned the space, noticing for the first time her room was something out of a magazine as well. The walls were a pale pink with white crown molding. The furniture looked vintage and expensive. Her crib was decked out in whites, grays, and pinks with Journey written in script on the wall.

  The space was gorgeous. Black and white portraits lined the walls with two large book cases, and an old wooden rocking chair that had intricate designs on the back were situated in the corner by the bay window.

  “Shhh, shhh, shhh. Look at all these books, Journey. Shhh, shhh, shhh. How about we try to read one?”

  As if she understood what I was asking, she sucked back another sob.

  “Okay, we’re onto something. What do you want to read? Hmm? Let’s see what we got.” I grabbed the furthest one in the corner. “Baby Einstein?”

  “Wahhhh!”

  “Definitely not that one.” I grabbed the one on the other end. “Goodnight Moon?”

  “Wahhhh! Wahhhh! Wahhhh!”

  “Alright, you definitely don’t like that one.”

  Reaching for the book in the middle of her collection, my eyes caught a story hiding behind all the other books instead.

  I gasped, “Little Miss, look what I found. This is my favorite book of all time. It looks like it might be yours too. Hmmm … is that why it looks like it’s been read hundreds of times? Is On the Night You Were Born your favorite too?”

  She whimpered, sniffling.

  “Ah, good choi
ce.”

  I sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, reading her the story, and with each turn of the page she cried a little less. Until finally…

  She was calm.

  Listening intently to every word that fell from my lips. Softly smiling and showing off the two tiny teeth she was cutting on the bottom.

  Of course, that explained a lot. She was teething.

  I didn’t have to spend hours with Journey to know that this baby girl would own my heart and soul.

  I grinned, rubbing her soft cheek with the back of my hand. “Are we friends now?”

  She cooed, kicking her chubby, little legs at me.

  Smiling.

  Drooling.

  Squirming.

  Being the most adorable thing I’d ever seen.

  “Now what? What do you want to do? Should we go look for Skyler?”

  “Wah!”

  “Alright, alright, we don’t have to go look for her. I don’t want to share you anyway.”

  She cooed again, and I swear she understood me. Already, we had this crazy bond, and I’d only been with her for maybe twenty minutes.

  “You want to sing? How about we sing?”

  She wiggled and giggled and drooled some more. Gnawing on her little fingers to sooth her gums.

  “What should we sing? Oh! I know. How about this? The sun’ll come out tomorrow, bet all those dollars that tomorrow. There’ll be sun shining bright and happiness. Just thinkin’ about tomorrow.”

  Her face lit up, and her eyes widened, kicking harder and faster than she was before.

  “Oh, you like Annie, do you? Just thinkin’ about tomorrow. Clears away the sadness, the rain, and the empti—”

  “Oh my God, Sky! Just back off! We don’t want or need you here! Go home and raise your own damn kids!”

  “Jackson! Don’t you walk away from me! You come back here right now!”

  “Screw you, Sky! I’m so sick of your shit!”

  I jerked back from hearing the disrespect spewing out of this boy’s mouth from the hallway.

  “You’re just as big of a pain in the ass as your niece! But at least I can make Harley go away! Wish I could say the same for you!”

  “Jackson! I get it! You’re angry! We’re all angry! Do you think this is easy on any of us?”

  “You don’t know anything! Especially, how I’m feeling!”

  “Jackson, I’m just trying to help!”

  “Nobody wants your help! When are you gonna get that?”

  “You need my help, your dad needs—”

  “My dad?” he scoffed out with pure disgust I could feel through the walls. “You’re seriously going to play that card? Oh, come on, Sky! That’s a joke, and you know it!”

  “That’s not fair. Your dad needs you now more than ever, and you being a little shit doesn’t help any!”

  “Where’s my dad, Sky?! Huh? Tell me! Where’s the man who needs me! Because I haven’t seen him in months! But why would he come home when you’re always here taking care of his responsibilities!”

  I should’ve stayed out of it.

  It was none of my business.

  I should’ve stopped myself from walking toward that door…

  From standing in that hallway…

  From opening my mouth when he shouted, “How many times do I have to tell you, you’re not my mother?! So just turn your ass around and go home for once! Nobody wants you here!”

  “Jackson Pierce, you do not talk to her that way!”

  Instantly, everyone’s heated glares shifted toward me. My eyes widening when I realized what I had just done.

  Jackson narrowed his eyes at me, scanning me up and down with a demeaning stare. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Jackson,” Skyler snarled, bringing his attention back to her. “I’m interviewing her to possibly be your new nanny.”

  His mouth dropped open, snapping, “Are you fuc—”

  “Boy, you finish that sentence, and I swear I will wash your mouth out with soap. Do you understand me?” I warned, interrupting him.

  “Oh … this is bulls—”

  The expression on my face was enough to render him silent.

  He scowled, shaking his head as he backed away. “Whatever.” Eyeing only me. “At least Mary Poppins is hot. Maybe her ass will make my dad leave the hospital and come home for once.”

  I jerked back, and Skyler seethed, “Jackson Pierce! You apologize! Right now!”

  He rolled his eyes, snidely smiling. “You’re the one who hired her, right?” He shrugged. “Should have thought of that before you decided we needed a babysitter. I am a growing boy, after all. So now what? Should we call you Mommy?”

  “Oh my God, Jackson,” she bellowed, her face turning bright red from embarrassment.

  Mirroring mine, I was sure.

  Before either of us could say another word, he abruptly spun around and stomped into what I assumed was his bedroom. Slamming the door so hard behind him, it vibrated the walls down the long hall.

  Skyler sighed deeply with humiliation clearly written across her face. “Wow … that is not how I thought this would go down. I’m so sorry, Camila. I completely understand if you no longer want the position. I truly apologize for wasting your time.” She spun and walked away. “I’ll see you out.”

  I peered from her, to Jackson’s door, to the other boy Jagger, who I’d just noticed was standing behind the wall where Skyler was arguing with Jackson. His face looked as thrown off by the whole encounter as we were.

  Both sons were spitting images of their father with brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

  “I have to ask,” Skyler stated, interrupting my train of thought. Once again staring at me. “That song … the song you were singing to Journey. Why that song?”

  “The Annie song?” I replied, caught off guard. Realizing she was still holding the baby monitor in her hand.

  “Yeah. Out of all the songs you could sing to her, why that one?”

  “Oh … um… I used to sing it to my siblings all the time. They loved it. I mean, my sisters must have watched the original movie a thousand times.”

  “You never saw the remake?”

  “No. Why?”

  “You really don’t know who I am, do you, Camila?”

  I arched an eyebrow, taking her in from her head to her toes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know—”

  “Please don’t apologize. When I first promised Bailey I’d be here for her family, I was terrified I wouldn’t find the right woman to help me take this on. I had this nagging fear the women I interviewed would be here for the wrong reasons. For who I am and not for the kids. I didn’t want to mess it up, you know?”

  I nodded, perceiving she was trying to tell me something deeper and more meaningful.

  “Bailey’s my best friend. She’s the older sister I always wanted. When we first met, she didn’t know who I was either, and because of that I loved her instantly. To go from my world, to one where no one knows who I am, was something I prayed for every night. I used to be a celebrity, an actress, and singer. It was a hard life, and if you Googled my name you’d know why. So, to finally find that in her… well, it meant… everything. I guess I’m just trying to say that,” she breathed out, shaking her head. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

  I didn’t hesitate in replying, “Like me being here is meant to be.”

  “Yeah, but that’s crazy, right?”

  I was the first to break our intense stare, gazing down at the sleeping baby girl who wasn’t fazed in the slightest by what just occurred.

  As if I brought her the peace she’d been fighting for.

  “No. I don’t think that’s crazy at all.”

  She scoffed out a smile, about to turn back around.

  This unexplainable sentiment took over every inch of my body. I couldn’t ignore it.

  I was there for a reason, and without thinking twice about it, I asked, “When can I start?”

  Knowing in my he
art…

  This was where…

  I was supposed to be.

  Chapter 6

  <>Camila<>

  Now

  __________

  To say I wasn’t nervous for my first day at the Pierce residence couldn’t be further from the truth. I was beyond anxious for what would happen once I stepped foot into their house again tomorrow morning. Hoping, praying I would be accepted, but knowing deep down there was no way in hell it would be that easy.

  At least not so soon.

  The crazy thing was, as nervous as I felt, it didn’t overpower the fact that I was also very much excited. I wanted to help this family as best as I could, fully aware it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

  If anything, it was going to be a lot harder than I imagined it would be. I was up for the challenge, though. There wasn’t much that scared me in life, but with that being said, letting someone down who counted on me was one of the things I feared the most. And it wasn’t just Skyler who was relying on me, it was the entire family.

  They just didn’t know it yet.

  My cell phone ringing on my coffee table tore me away from my trancelike state, only thinking about the Pierces. I hadn’t stopped thinking about them since I left their home almost three days ago.

  The events played over in my head.

  My encounter with the oldest boy, Jackson, the Little Miss Journey in my arms, the pictures, the house, it all replayed on a constant loop in my head. There were so many unanswered questions that had no rhyme or reason. They were just there, lurking in the forefront of my mind.

  Waiting…

  For I don’t know what.

  “Jesus, Camila, stop,” I ordered myself, reaching for my phone from the couch. “Hello,” I answered, shaking away the uncertainty that was starting to take its toll on me.

  “Camila, mami! Que paso, chica? Donde tu andas?” Danté asked, shouting over the loud Reggaetón music blaring in the background. “What’s up, girl? Where you at?”

  “I’m home.”

  “Perro, chica, te necesito para ahora,” he added, “But, girl, I need you tonight.”