Heyyy Kewties I just want to let you all know that I plan on finishing the book soon. So thank you all for your support and love because it means a lot to me. I plan on finishing by chapter 50 max we'll see how it goes... I know that I'm taking more time than usual to update but it's because I can plan the chapters carefully.
SO to make it up I wrote a long chapter hope you all enjoy!!
Don't forget to VOTE+COMMENT :)
Chapter 43
Mariah/Bella's POV 😇
"Jared," I whispered looking at Diego's lookalike he had the same jet black hair, big blue eyes, long nose, and pink lips.
Almost exactly the same. He just looked younger he had more of a babyface and a birthmark on the corner of his lips.
But what could I expect they were brothers after all.
He jumped from the van easily and strolled down to where I was.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me to his chest. My body immediately stiffened at the contact.
Caleb silently watched our interaction warily.
"This is going to be fun," he murmured in my ear and I suddenly felt something poking my side.
I looked to see him holding a gun to my side.
I glanced at Caleb who was unaware of what was happening since Jared was shielding it with his body. For Caleb, it probably seemed like a reunion between two long lost friends.
But it didn't matter I had everything under control. And the worse that could happen is that I die. Which I didn't really mind.
Death was nothing new.
On numerous occasions, I was faced to face with it. Hell, I even died both figuratively and literally. During that accident six years ago, I technically died. My heart stopped for a good seven minutes, but I awakened from the darkness to yet another dark placed called life. The doctors called it a miracle while I guess it just wasn't my time yet.
And my figurative death was when my world came crashing down three years ago knowing and all I ever knew were lies.
And I had nothing.
I made what I have today out of nothing.
I wasn't really lying when I said that the Bella people knew died, she was brutally killed by this world. She fought for so long but in the end, she wasn't strong enough.
I looked at the youngster in front of me. He has a life ahead of him, but here he was pointing a gun at me. The world was cruel to him too and it made him who he is today.
He probably blamed me for taking his brother away from him, away from this world.
It was understandable he wanted revenge. At the price of wasting his own future, for someone like me. A mistake. That's what I was. Wherever I went I brought pain. I was and am a living curse.
Death didn't faze me. I was ready to die but I cannot die yet.
Before I had one thing to take care of- I need to make sure my kids had a safe place to call home with people that will love them.
'And after that, I'll let you get rid of me, Jared.' I vowed to myself.
"Be- Mariah," Called an all to familiar voice from far behind me.
The tone of his voice showed concern, care, and emotions that I haven't received for so long. He always did that. He always showed up at the most unexpected moments making me doubt my choices, making me consider things.
However, he didn't come for me all these years when I needed him. I wanted to blame him. I wanted to yell at him that he didn't try hard enough even if he didn't even know I was still alive. Maybe he just didn't care enough to try.
I strained my neck to see behind me Derek who was still a good distance away and narrowed my eyes at him before looking at Diego's younger brother.
Jared pulled away slightly enough for him to see me. I stared back void of all emotions while his blue eyes shone with something and to my surprise, it was not hate nor desire for revenge, but the opposite before I could question him about it he let out a chuckle.
He handed me the gun his eyes never leaving me.
"I look forward to be working with you," He said brushing past me and walking in the opposite direction from where Derek stood.
What just happened?
"Mariah," Caleb called from the van as he jumped and closed the door so that Derek couldn't have a glimpse of the electronics inside.
"What are you doing here?" Derek asked glaring at Caleb as he approached us and I tucked the gun hiding it under my skirt.
"I told you she's my partner in crime," He smirked further agitating Derek.
He was about to say something, but I couldn't care less as I retorted to him, "I told you to mind your own business." making both men stop their staring contest.
"This is my business. I l-you're my student," He replied with hesitancy.
I scoffed at him in disbelief.
"Well, you still broke the-"
"Rules are meant to be broken." He cut me off with a shrug.
"Well, conditions are meant to be kept." I retorted back with sass.
"Bella, don't you already know that no matter how many rules, conditions, lies, walls you build I will break them all? " He quizzed taking a step forward as I mindlessly take a step back.
"Why?"
"Because I feel like it."
That's right this was all a game for him. A game to show me that whatever he desires he will get.
But think again bad boy wannabe because I am not girl you once knew.
"Problem?" He inquired with a dumb smirk plastered on his face.
"Looking at it," I answered back without hesitation, making a point by staring at him dead in the eye.
His cocky mood quickly changed to one of vexation while I smiled triumphantly
"You are so-
"Amazing, beautiful, talented, intelligent, and an awesome being. Yes, yes I am." I told him with a hair flip.
I swear I saw the corner of his lips lift as he shook his head.
"You said something similar to this the second time we officially met," He said in a daze as if reminiscing the past.
I ignored him and turned to Caleb who was leaning on the van with amusement clear on his face.
"Caleb take me home," I ordered ignoring my teacher.
"Actually man do you think you can drop her, I have something I need to take care of." He drawled looking at Derek completing ignoring my deathly stares.
Derek on the other hand looked ecstatic at the turn of the situation.
"Yes- I mean sure whatever," he composed himself failing miserably to hide his grin.
He excitedly made his way to his car.
I glowered at Caleb who just shrugged me off.
"It's been ages I saw you like this." He sighed after I make the sign 'you're dead' with my finger.
"Like what?" I asked him unsure.
"Carefree. Take it easy kid. I think that he might be the solution," He muttered under his breath.
"What?" I asked still not understanding what he was saying.
"Nothing,"
And in seconds before I could say anything the van and Caleb disappeared.
I sighed and massaged my temple to ease the headache that was forming and dragged my way to Derek's car. I then proceeded to silently sit down at the passenger seat. He soon started the vehicle and drove away once I buckled my seatbelt.
It's precisely then did I remembered a very important detail; that I had a gun tucked under my skirt and it was poking the living daylight out of me. I stirred in my seat trying to shift the gun. When suddenly Derek took a sharp left and I practically shrieked as I was sure the trigger will be accidentally pulled.
I know I said I couldn't care to die but if the trigger pulls I will most definitely only lose my leg which means my career is over and I will become a part-time sack of potato.
Moving on. . .
He threw me a weird look as I just gulped as I feel the gun on my waist.
Maybe Derek will beat Jared and murder me first.
"Look at the road," I gritted in between my teeth.
"I could, but what's the fun in that," He said still looking at me with a gleam in his eye.
"DEREK," I screeched in top of my lungs when he abruptly pressed the gas pedal making the vehicle practically fly. He then suddenly braked which made my body practically lunged forward.
I breathed heavily and winced at the pain that breathing did to me. I slowly turned to him ready to murder just to see him looking at me in awe.
"What?" I snapped.
"You said my name."
***
*2 hours later*
"Swiper stop swiping, swiper stop swiping, swiper stop swiping," I said reaching my right hand out and my left hand was behind my back hiding my secret weapon. That's right ladies and gentlemen's Dora the explorer was put to shame.
Why?
Well, because that senorita has nothing on me.
You are probably confused at what was happening basically I got home in one piece fifteen minutes later. Ace got the kids from the daycare and we all decided to order pizza. After a blink of an eye, there was only one left and he decided to steal the last piece even after I called dibs.
One thing you should know about me is I am very overprotective of my kids and food.
Beau, Sierra, Archie, and Derek looked between me and the culprit with the uttermost interest.
The swiper aka Ace froze with the cheese pizza in his hand, he eyed the delicious looking meal and then me before making the biggest mistake of his life.
And me being the good person I was decided to help him when he tried to eat the pizza.
That's right tried because Bella the explorer just threw her secret weapon- a slipper at him that landed on his face.
"Goal," I shrieked victoriously.
He groaned out falling on the floor, laying lifelessly and the pizza fell.
I quickly picked up the pizza that was on the ground, blew it, and whispered to it, "You're safe now." and devoured it in seconds.
I feel burning gaze and turned to Derek who had his mouth hanging open.
"Close your mouth before a fly grows an army inside it... How unattractive," I chided sucking my fingers of the cheesy goodness.
"What? There's the three-second rule," I explained seeing Derek look at me in complete amazement.
"You and your rules," He exasperated as he made his way to Ace and stood there like a tree.
The children looked at me with big eyes and I smiled at them sweetly as if nothing happened.
"Who wants to draw?"I asked with a grin.
"Us," yelled Beau and Archie excitedly.
I looked at Sierra who was jumping up and down enthusiastically. I chuckled in amusement leading the kids away from the lifeless body and the tree.
The kids helped me find the materials such as papers, markers, glue, and the big girl scissor that only I was allowed to use for safety measures. We laid on the floor letting the artist in us go wild.
Soon enough Ace and Derek walked back and plopped near me, sandwiching me.
I didn't give them the time of day as I continued my artwork.
"What is that supposed to be?" Derek scrunched his nose as he tried to understand the message in my work.
Ace held a smug smile, "Obviously that's a dic-"
"I dare you to finish that sentence," I threatened with a pointy pencil.
"Dictionary," he corrected with a sheepish look as Derek snickered.
I put the pencil back down an continued.
"It's a tree." I pointed out the obvious.
I ignored the look of shock on their faces before they both start wheezing in laughter.
"It's awful," groaned Ace holding his stomach tightly as tears were found in the corner of his eyes.
"That's exactly what I said when I saw your face," I dissed as he gasped out dramatically as always.
"Do you remember the first time we met you thought I was Ace after plastic surgery?" Derek roared in laughter smacking the floor in the process.
My cheeks redden in embarrassment as I remembered the day. I was in a phase of weirdness which explains my quite wild imagination, but now I'm all grown up and totally normal.
Yup.
"Wait, what? How come no one ever told me this." Ace whined childishly crossing his arms around his manboobs.
I disregard their bickering and watched the children to make sure they were doing okay when I noticed Beau subtly looking at Sierra who was engrossed in her drawing. She suddenly looked at him and he averted his eyes to the rug they were on as if it was the most interesting thing ever.
The corner of my lips twitched at Beau's action.
I shook my head, boys.
A little while later, the toddlers were conversing, or rather Beau was speaking while Sie just listened. In matter of seconds, he pouted his lips and moved forward as if trying to kiss her and she pushed him away and walked to the corner of the room. Beau called out to Sierra who gave him the cold shoulder and suddenly he burst into tears as his sadness explodes.
"Hey Beau, you have a runny nose," Ace said approaching him with a tissue the boy pushed his dad following Sierra.
"Sierra wipe my runny nose," He cried out as he held her hand.
She shook her head pulling away from him.
"Wipe my booger," Beau whined to her as she ran off.
"I will wipe it." Ace said following him.
"No, I want Sierra to do it." The little boy told his father hurrying after Sie.
Sierra ran away from him. Beau followed after her while Ace just chased his son screaming, "I will do it." Archie running after Ace laughing thinking that this was game.
I let out the uncontrollable giggles that come out of me at the scene.
I turned to Derek still with a giant grin as he looked at me with affection.
"You should do that more often," He said as he intently watched me.
I titled my head something I always do when I was confused.
"Smile, laugh," He said tucking a strand of my hair and my breath got caught.
"Are you trying to steal my line?" I glared playfully nudging his side once I composed myself remembering that I once told him the same thing.
"No, I'm trying to steal your heart."
I swear I forgot to breathe.
"Is it working," He whispered huskily.
No, my heart is not working. It's beating excessively fast that I'm sure it will explode.
All of sudden, my daughter jumped on me breaking whatever trance I was. She kissed the tip of my nose lovingly and I did the same.
"Mommy boys have cooties," Said Archie glaring at Derek sitting between him and I as if to create distances between us.
"Don't worry baby that's why the only boy in my life is you," I winked at him.
His tiny hand held mine as he giggled pleased by my comment while Sierra laid on my chest tired.
I turned my head just in time to see Beau move forward still with snot running his nose.
He pouted and Sierra looked at me and I just nodded my head as I handed her a tissue. She grabbed it and quickly went to him and wiped his nose. He sniffled and grinned satisfied and she shrieked as she ran away from him.
I chuckled shaking my head. Beau was exactly like Ace. Like father like son.
SOOOOOOO what do you think? Am I amazing or what? Also let me know if there something you want to see in the following chapters ;)