AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Thank you for this, Nate, you have no idea how happy you've made me." Bella beams as she reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss me. "You know, when I was young, way before my parents became complete douchebags, my mom and I used to watch the original together whenever my dad had to go away for work. I don't have many happy memories with my mom, but that was one of them," Bella surprises me by admitting.
"Wow, I never knew that. I know you told me that she was your favorite Disney princess, but I just assumed it was because she was a mermaid. Little girls seem to like mermaids, right?" I shrug.
"Yeah, I guess. For me, it was more about the freedom she possessed. The fact that even though she didn't really have a close family, she made her own. She had Flounder and Sebastian, and she just enjoyed exploring. I don't know, it sounds stupid when I try to explain it now." She laughs. " It just stuck with me, that and the fact that it's one of the few happy memories I have of my mom from before all that bad stuff happened. I guess I just clung onto it, hoping it would somehow bring us back to each other," she admits.
"That doesn't sound silly at all, Bella. Everyone wants a connection with their parents, even if their parents aren't the best. I can't tell you the number of times, when I was growing up, I thought that if I was just a bit better; if I did just a bit more for him, my father would learn to love me," I admit, feeling a mixture of sadness and hatred at the mention of my father.
"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" Bella half grins.
"At least we both know what NOT to do when we finally have children one day." I sigh, taking her by the hand.
"Sorry for singing your ear off. I know I'm not a good singer. I just can't help it, though," she replies, twiddling her hair nervously.
"Says who? You sing with love, passion, and heart. That makes you a great singer. "I try saying.I love her to pieces, but she's not wrong. Singing is definitely not one of her natural talents.
"Maybe don't leave the day job just yet, though," I tease.
"Dick!" she replies, smacking me in the chest.
"Perhaps later, when there are no kids around," I joke.
"Eeww, you're gross," she says, hiding her face in my arms. Even without looking at her, I know her cheeks will be as red as Ariel's hair if I do.
"How about we get some food?" Bella suggests. "I’m craving tacos."
My growling belly answers before I get the chance to.
"Awesome, let's go then." She grins, smacking my ass.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ISABELLA
It's Monday morning, and Ava and I are on our way to Mr. Richard's English class when we see the guy from Tucker's party last weekend. He comes at us with a face like thunder. I want to move out of his way, but he grabs me and pushes me up against the lockers, hard enough that it causes me to hit the back of my head.
"Bet you think it's funny to send your trained bodyguard after me, don't you?" he yells in my face. Only then do I see that he has two black eyes, a busted lip, and possibly even a missing front tooth, though, I can't be sure about that. Perhaps he was always that ugly.
"I don't even know who you are. I've only seen you a few times at school," I clarify, trying to pull away from him, but he has me wedged firmly between him and the lockers.
"Let her go, you fucking psycho!" I hear Ava snap, as she tries to free me from his death grip.
"I'm the psycho, am I? I'm not the one who sets out to beat someone up over a misunderstanding," the guy spits.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ava and I say at the same time.
"Then I suggest you ask your brother," the guy fumes, finally letting go of me and stepping back.
"I don't even have a brother," I try to explain.
"The dickhead from O'Malley's Construction," the guy states, rolling his eyes like I'm brain-dead or something, before walking away.
"O'Malley's?" asks Ava.
"Yeah, that's what he said, but I have no idea who he's talking about." I shrug as I bend down to collect the books I've dropped on the floor.
"Well, he knows Tucker from soccer, so it can't be him," Ava says thoughtfully as she paces back and forth like she’s trying to solve a mystery.
"And, I doubt he's talking about Nate because surely no one at school can believe we're brother and sister."
