Choosing Us (Pierced Hearts Duet #1)(8)

“But I don’t want to go anywhere else. I want to go with you. I’ll be a good boy, Misty. I promise. I’ll be a Little Man for you, like I was for my momma. Just take me with you. Please, Misty, just take me with you,” I begged for what felt like the millionth time that day.

“Aiden, I can’t take you with me and do the work I do for other kids. But I do need you to be that Little Man like your momma taught you, okay? Can you do that for me? Can you do it for your momma in Heaven?”

I ripped my face out of her hand. “I hate her. I don’t want to do anything for her.”

“I know it feels that way now, but I promise it will get easier.”

“When? When will it get easier, Misty? When you put me in a foster home I don’t want to be in? When I become someone else’s problem? And you forget all about me like Momma has. Is that when it will become easier? Because that doesn’t sound easier to me, Misty. It sounds harder!”

“I know it does, but it will take time. I promi—”

“I don’t believe you! You don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me! You’re just trying to get me to do what you want! I’m not stupid!”

“Aiden, I know you’re not stupid. I know you’re scared—”

“I’m not scared. See … you don’t know anything. Let’s just go. I’ll follow you inside, so you can place me in a foster home where the monsters can find me.”

“Aiden, that’s not—”

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” I went around her and started walking toward my temporary placement like she called it.

I didn’t need her.

I didn’t need anyone.

I’d take care of myself.



Now and forever.

It was only me.





Chapter 3


<>Aiden<>

Then: Almost eight-years-old



__________




I spent the rest of the night pretending like I wasn’t there. Sitting in what Misty called “the common area” of the kid’s shelter, I ignored everything around me as she did my paperwork.

“Here’s your dinner,” another woman said, placing a plate of food in my lap.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Hey, everyone!” the same woman called out, not listening to me. Bringing the other kids’ eyes over to us instead.

“Everyone say hello to Aiden Pierce. He’s going to be staying here for a little while. I need everyone to make him feel welcome, alright?”

I went back to ignoring everything and everyone around me, staring at my plate of food. It didn’t look like anything my mom ever made.

I don’t know how much time went by before I heard, “So your name’s Aiden?”

I looked up, seeing an older boy who was maybe twelve or thirteen-years-old standing there. Looking down at me like he had the right to.

“How old are you?”

I didn’t answer him. All I wanted was to be left alone.

Why was that so hard for everyone to understand? Just leave me alone.

But he went on. “Why are you in foster care?”

I still didn’t say a word, and I could tell by the look on his face, he was getting mad at me.

Screw him.

Screw all of them.

I hated this place.

I hated everything about this day, about this boy, about the kids around me.

I hated it all.

The boy didn’t stop. He just stood taller, pushing his chest out in a big, bad, I’m better than you, sort of way.

“Don’t you talk, or are you just stupid? Is that why you’re here? Your mom didn’t want to take care of her stupid son anymore?”

My teeth tightened, and my body shook, wanting to wipe that stupid smile off his face.

“Did your mom do drugs? Did she beat you? Why the fuck are you here, kid?”

An angry feeling deep in my stomach took over.

“I'm not looking for trouble. So back off,” I told him.

“Oh… I know what happened now. Did she sell you?”

My heart started beating really fast, and my hands got really sweaty. I knew something bad was about to happen, and for the first time, I didn’t care because all I wanted was my voice to be heard.

Someone, please … just listen to me.

“You’re a pretty fucking boy, so I bet she sold you. That’s it, right? Did she sell you for drugs? Or did she sell you for dic—”

Before I knew what I was doing, I pushed my chair back and threw my plate of food in his face.

I didn’t care he was bigger than me.

I didn’t care that I was going to get in trouble.

I didn’t care about anything other than shutting him up.

“What the fu—”

I ran my shoulder into his stomach as hard as I could, and he fell to the ground with me on top of him. The kids started hooting and hollering as we wrestled each other on the floor. It didn’t surprise me that I could keep up with him, everyone always said I was big for my age.

“Break it up!” a man yelled from behind us, yanking me off the boy who looked like he was ready to kill me.

Yeah, me too, bro.

I shoved off the man I thought was the guard, and before anyone could say anything to me, I ran.