Page 25

Juliette

T he days flew by.

It was hard to not get lost in Lux. Especially when it felt a bit like we were playing house. We had breakfast and dinner together every single day, with both of us spending time with Bella whenever possible. And the girl had really come out of her shell since I started as her nanny.

Sometimes school was still a bit rough, but more often than not, all it took was a good paint session, sometimes a cry, to make it better. Since that one time, she’d never had a breakdown again.

It felt like she was actually healing. Even though I knew grief was not linear.

Or predictable.

So I knew something was coming. I could feel it like a breath on the back of my neck, like having someone’s eyes on me and not being able to place them.

I didn’t fear for my life, but there was a storm on the horizon.

And one day, when I came home with Bella after a not-so-great day, I found it as a neatly dolled-up package sitting on our couch.

She was dressed in a shimmery tweed ensemble with her black hair done in perfect curls. Her delicately plucked brows framed a face full of makeup, and she was holding a bag that I knew cost more than my life’s savings—including the club money.

“Oh, you must be the nanny,” she said, her chin jutting out. “Go make yourself busy while I talk to my granddaughter.”

Her obvious dismissal rubbed me the wrong way. I had been in more than my fair share of situations like this, but this time something told me I had to protect Bella. There was a feeling of unease in my chest that wouldn't leave me, and it was telling me not to leave a young child with her.

She was clearly Lux’s mom, but my instincts told me there was more to this person than the older lady with class and poise she was pretending to be. Bella confirmed my feelings by gripping my side.

“I’ll stay here,” I replied and grabbed my phone, quickly typing an SOS to Lux.

Me

Your mom was in the house waiting for us. I’m not leaving Bella alone with her. Help?

The woman let out a scoff and rolled her eyes at me.

“Who do you think you are?” she asked. “I’m not asking; I’m telling you to leave and give me time alone with her.”

Sometimes being a nanny meant having to deal with people who thought they were superior just because they were paying me for a service. They didn't even stop to think that the service was quite literally one of the most important in the world.

No, they just saw me as someone they could walk all over.

Not today, sister.

“Juliette…” Bella whispered, stepping closer to me.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m staying here.” I looked squarely into her grandma’s eyes. I didn’t really know what their relationship was, but I ventured, “Weird that you chose a time when Lux is at work to come here. You wouldn’t be planning on stealing her, would you?”

She let out a bark of a laugh. I saw nothing of Lux in her except for maybe hair and eye color.

I almost wondered how this person could even have given birth to someone as wonderful as Lux.

“You must really not know who I am.” She stood, closing the space between us. “And it wouldn't be stealing.” She was so close I got hit with her nauseatingly sweet perfume. “I’d be taking back custody.”

It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water being thrown over me. She won’t fucking dare. I won’t let her.

Bella let out a whimper, and I could feel her silent tears dropping on my hand as she held it right up to her face.

I pulled her behind me, shielding her.

“Come on, Bella, let’s go get our snack. Lux and your grandmother can work this out when she gets home.”

Just as I was about to walk away, her clawed grip circled the wrist Bella was holding on to.

“You better fucking listen to me, you little?—”

“What?” I countered, puffing up, shoulder back. I wasn’t going to back down. Not when she reminded me so much of my aunt, both emotionally manipulating women who cared for nothing other than themselves.

She didn’t want Bella. She didn’t care for her. Her actions here only proved as much.

"I have the snacks,” Gina said, appearing by our side. “Bella, honey, follow me to the kitchen.”

Bella was reluctant to leave my side, but I looked down at her, breaking my staring contest with her grandmother, and nodded.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Go. Lux will be here soon.”

At least I hope so.

As Bella walked away, I could feel the woman’s body tensing with anger.

"Sit down, please,” I said and motioned to the couch she had gotten up from. “Would you like a glass of?—”

“You insolent brat!” she bellowed. “You’re nothing but a nanny. You think you can talk to me like this? Tell me what to do? Keep that child away from me?”

“Lower your voice,” I hissed at her. If she thought she could intimidate me, she had another thing coming. “You may not care about Bella hearing this, but I do. She doesn't need this. Not right now.”

“Like you know what she needs! I’m her grandmother. You’re just a lowly servant.”

I looked her up and down, and it finally dawned on me just how vile this woman was.

Fuck this. I need to get to Bella.

I turned to walk away again, but this time she pulled me back with a jerk. My head whipped to look at her.

“Don’t you fucking touch me?—”

I saw a flash of her diamond bracelet as her hand raised, ready to strike. I didn’t have enough time to protect myself, or even try to, so I braced for impact, flinching.

But the blow never came.

My eyes had closed on instinct, so I peeled them open to see Lux’s strong forearm and her hand gripping her mother’s, stopping her.

Relief crashed through me. I looked up at her, finally feeling like I could breathe.

She was staring at her mother with anger clear on her face. Her eyes were wide, her jaw clenched, her breathing heavy. She looked like it was taking all her strength to stop herself from returning the blow.

I’d never seen her this angry before. And it was all for me. For us . She had come to protect us .

“Juliette!” Bella cried, running to me.

“I’m okay. I’m okay,” I said and turned to hug her as she clung to me. Her small hands were shaking as they fisted my clothing. I patted her back as her breathing quickened, a sure sign that another panic attack was making its presence known. “Over here. Come on.”

“Don’t you walk away?—”

“You don’t get to order her around,” Lux spat. “You don’t get to be in this house.”

I got Bella far enough away to have her full attention, carefully angling us so she couldn’t see the showdown in the living room. Kneeling down, I placed my hands over her ears so she didn’t have to hear it either and turned her so she was facing me.

Her face was already red, her eyes watery as they darted around, trying to take it all in. Ideally, I would take her to her room, but she was spiraling so fast into her panic attack I didn’t want to risk it.

“Look at me, sweetheart,” I said when she tried to turn her head around. “Just me.”

I mimicked blowing out candles, and she shakily held up her hand before she weakly started blowing.

“Juliette,” she whined, her little voice full of despair. “Don’t let her take me.”

My heart broke into a million pieces. I wanted to promise it. Vow that I’d never let her get taken.

But it wasn’t in my power, and promising her that would only exacerbate matters if her grandmother was ever granted custody.

“I told you to never show up here uninvited again,” I heard Lux growl.

“I’m allowed to see my granddaughter,” her mother huffed. “I’m the one who’s supposed to have her anyway. I don’t know what you did to make your sister change her mind, but I know for a fact I was the one supposed to be her guardian.”

“Have? Have ? Do you hear yourself? Bella is not a thing to have. She’s a beautiful, resilient young girl who doesn’t need this. Doesn’t need you. Now leave on your own before I make you.”

Bella tried to turn around again, but Gina was there now too, blocking her view. She crouched down at her side and held out three fingers.

“Blow them out.”

Bella took a deep inhale and blew one out, her breath shaky. Slowly, Gina lowered it and gave her an encouraging smile. Bella hesitated, then did one more.

“You see what you’re doing?” Lux asked on a whisper. My gaze shot to them to find them staring at us, both scowling but for entirely different reasons. “Leave if you really care about her.”

“We’re not done,” she warned and sent me a glare before storming out of the house.

When the door slammed behind her, there was a collective exhale from all the adults in the room. I waited a few moments, making sure she was completely gone, and only then did I take my hands from Bella’s ears.

“You did so good,” I said with a small smile. I ran my hand down her hair, fixing the bits that had gotten messed up. “I know it can be hard, and blowing out the candles can seem a bit silly, but you did so good.”

Lux was suddenly on her other side, kneeling down like us, and as soon as Bella saw her, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

“Don’t let her take me, Auntie Lux,” she pleaded, her eyes wide and her lip quivering.

Lux rubbed her back. “I don’t know what she told you back then, but I won’t be letting you go without a fight.”

She pulled away and looked at Lux with tears in her eyes.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Lux said, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

I didn’t know it was possible, but in that moment, I fell for Lux even more. Not just because she had protected us, something no one had ever done for me before, but because of how gentle and caring she was afterwards.

Lux had admitted that she didn’t think she was made for this, but I knew she was. She just needed a little help to bring it out. She had changed in the short time that I had been here.

Maybe I have too.

“What did she say to you last time, Bella?” I asked once she was calm enough.

Bella looked down at the floor, her hands gripping the side of her dress.

“She said I wouldn’t be here long and that she’d come get me soon. I thought that’s why she was here.”

Poor girl.