Chapter 22
Chapter 22
The next morning. Mia and I are the first ones up. It’s a brisk winter morning and I can see frost on the ground outside Mia’s room in the pyramid. I scoop her up and get her changed into her clothes for the day before feeding her. I make her some applesauce. It’s usually her favorite. Today, she’s oddly tentative with it. Then, she sticks her whole fist in it and shoves it to her face, squealing and trying to speak to me. I smile back at her, worries all gone.
Slowly, each of the brothers come into the kitchen. Beau comes in with a girl who he’s far too handsy with. I’m tempted to shield Mia’s eyes but then they leave. Archer takes a protein shake from the fridge and doesn’t acknowledge us before he leaves. Neil and Steven are the last two in. They sit and eat with Mia and I before going back to Mia’s room.
Beau’s already there, rocking in Mia’s chair. He barely looks up from his phone as we walk in.
“Amiya leave?” Steven asks Beau. He grunts. Steven’s shoulders sag in relief. “Thank Gods. I heard you both all night.”
Beau smirks and finally looks up at us. “What’s wrong, Stevie? Jealous I was getting some while you
you were eye fucking some chemistry set?”
“No,” Steven scowls. “I could get some. If I wanted.”
Neil pats him on the shoulder. “Sure, buddy.”
“Eugh,” I say. “Enough. We’re here for Nanny training not Hayes Sex–capades. Where is Archer?”
he devil himself comes barreling through the door. The first thing I notice is that he’s slick with sweat. The protein shake then sneaks in my mind and I realize that he’d been training before Nanny school. I rake my eyes over his frame and feel something stir within me.
He’s sweaty, yes, but the sheen on his skin makes him glow. His hair is slightly damp and flopping over his one eye. His shoulders ripple with the post exercise shiver. He looks…good. Very good actually, I can’t help but let my jaw fall slightly as I continue to watch him. I finally meet his eye and his stare is intense. But, unlike every other time we’d made eye contact, it’s not full of anger. It’s full of something else.
I clear my throat and tip my head down. The intensity sent goosebumps over my skin and gave me this unnerved feeli cheeks. I hope no one notices, but of course, someone does.
“You okay?” Neil asks.
“Yeah–uh–yeah,” I clear my throat again and look up. “Okay so Nanny school.”
“Yay.” Beau deadpans. Neil shoots him a look.
“So first thing we’ll do,” I pluck Mia out of her crib. She babbles happily. “Is learn how to hold the baby.”
“Really?” Beau says. “That’s ridiculous. I know how to hold something.”
“Okay,” I challenge. I put Mia into Beau’s arms. “Hold her then.”
ishes into my
Mia babbles more but Beau immediately looks like he’s panicking. He holds Mia under her armpits, about a foot away from his chest. I laugh softly at him and go to correct him,
*So put one arm here and – yep and then the other to support her neck and,” I step back and survey my work. “Wow. That’s pretty good.” “Told you,” Beau says. It’s all soft and gentle though, no teasing. He rocks Mia gently and a soft smile cuts into his face as she babbles louder
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“So hand her to Neil,” I say.
Beau does. Neil shifts her slightly in his arms. He’s a bit awkward at first and doesn’t support her bum enough before he shifts and gets it right. He still looks entirely unsure as he looks back at me. I nod.
“That’s good,” I say. I motion next to him. “Now, Steven.”
Steven holds Mia with about as much ease as trying to eat a rack of ribs without getting the sauce all over your face. He’s much more awkward than Neil and Mia starts to squirm in his arms. She screeches once and Steven looks like he’s about to pass out. Even still, he supports her neck and butt properly and looks pretty good doing it.
“Also good,” I look at Archer. “Go ahead.”
Archer picks Mia up out of Steven’s arms like she’s a rugby and not a tiny human. He belts one arm around her middle and holds her tight to his chest. It’s none of what I’d just told them to do. It’s bad and Mia isnothappy. She squirms and screeches and seems super uncomftable.
“You’re not supporting her neck or butt,” I say to Archer.
“She won’t stop – ugh–moving!”
Mia is squirming violently now. She’s about to slip out of Archer’s grasp when I swoop in and snag her. She immediately relaxes in my arms. She presses her palm to my cheek in a silent thanks.
“You weren’t supporting her,” I say. “She’s a baby not a ball. Plus, if you hold a ball that way you’ll drop it if you get hit.”
“Are you telling me how to play sports?” He snaps. “I don’t tell you how to Nanny. Maybe if I did, you’d actually begoodat your job and not need us to do this stupid training!”
by arms. I look down at her. She’s much more content now and her eyes are Though his words have no basis, they still hurt, I shift Mia in my starting to shut. Her cheeks are bright pink. She’s so at ease in my arms. I can’t bring myself to believe I’m bad at this.
I hand Mia to Steven. He holds her gently and perfectly and she settles into him. I turn to Archer, hands on my hips.
“Yousaid you wanted to be involved,” I snap. “Then you show up with this bullshit ass attitude and start getting pissy because I corrected
you.”
“lagreedto be involved,” Archer corrects. “I didn’t agree to you being in charge. This ismypyramid and I don’t take kindly to being undermined in it.”
“Undermined?!” I squeak. “I corrected your form. Not knocked you off your throne. You’re insanel”
Archer’s nostrils flare and his eyes widen. Neil notices it and steps in between us with his hands up. Archer looms over his head and glares down at me.
“The Hayes brothers are in charge in this school,” Archer growls. “It’ll do you well to remember that.”
The threat applies to much more than just Mia and I feel it in that moment. I hold Archer’s glare as Nell tries to calm him down.
“Okay, okay,” he says. “New rules. Nanny school is Chloe’s time to critique. All other times, we’re all in charge. But for one hour, Chloe gets to speak her mind without repercussions.”
Archer whips his head to Neil. “You give a snake like her an inch and she’ll take a mile,” he hisses. “She’ll think she rules us all the time.
P
Fri,
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“I won’t,” I snap. “We had a deal, remember?” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
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“Deal didn’t include Nanny school,” Beau drawls from his chair. I want to throw something at him but don’t. Instead, I use my eyes. He shrugs. “Just saying-
“Enough!” Neil shouts. “We said we’d help with Mia and so we will.” His hands finally drop to his sides. Archer steps back and leans against the wall. His arms cross over his broad chest.
“Plus, I’ve worked out a schedule for us based on our classes,” Nell goes on. “Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays will be Chloe’s full day to watch Mia. The rest of the days will be split up between the four of us. I want her to have the most even time between her Nanny and us as Dads. This should be a pretty good split.”
“Aw, man,” Beau groans. “Saturdays? That’s my fun night.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t want to know what that means.”
Beau wiggles his eyebrows at me. “You couldn’t handle it sweetheart.”
“Beau, shut the fuck up,” Neil snaps. “We’ll rotate who takes her each Saturday so we still have free time.” He turns back to me.
“Mia is important to us,” he says. “Please, remember that and stop implying she’s not.”
I nod once. I look back at Mia in Steven’s arms. Immediately, my face drops. Her cheeks are now not only red, butpuffy. She looks like she’s having a hard time breathing, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her mouth is twisted into a frown and tears are welling in her eyes. I grab her out from Steven’s arms and start looking her over.
“Something’s wrong,” I say, hurriedly. All the brothers are on their feet in an instance. Steven lifts her jumper slightly and we see a patchy red rash has bloomed on Mia’s chest.
“Anaphylactic shock,” Steven whispers. He locks eyes with me. “She’s having an allergic reaction.”
I whip my head towards Neil. “Take us to the hospital,now.”
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