Bella's Choice (5 page)

She was well-known; the championships the previous year, and the few articles printed had put her in the limelight, making life difficult. And although she loved the sport, the attention she got wasn’t welcomed at all.

Months of hard work followed, days and nights were filled with studying, practices, competitions and campus activities.

Halfway through March, she flew to
America where she competed and won several medals. During this time, and although she had a hectic program to follow, she never neglected one single day.

On the Sunday night when she arrived back in
South Africa, she walked into the foyer where Aldrich met her with a big bunch of flowers and a huge smile. She was in seventh heaven, stepping right into his waiting arms. A few cameras flashed around them, but they only had eyes for each other.

“Hello, sweetheart. Welcome back,” he whispered close to her ear. The bustle of the other passengers as they greeted their loved ones was overwhelming, but she whispered back, “Hello, Aldrich. This is a welcoming sight. How did you know?”

“Monica.”

And right on cue, she stepped out of the crowd, arms falling around Anabella’s neck, and a big kiss was planted on her cheek.

“I have missed you, my friend,” she said loudly, and they continued to talk about the past two weeks while Aldrich gathered her bags on a trolley. Since Anabella’s parents weren’t home, Monica insisted she stay with her, and she gratefully accepted the offer.

It took them near an hour to get back to her house. Aldrich followed and they visited until late.

She showed them pictures about interesting people she met while Aldrich sat next to her and listened. The Richter family eventually retired for the evening, and they spent an hour alone before he, too, had to leave.

“You had an exciting time over there.”

“I loved it, Aldrich, it was so special. To be with people I read about, and being able talk to them as equals was amazing. These are people I never thought I would ever meet, and there I was racing against them. I felt like a kid in a candy shop.” She giggled with pleasure as he wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest. She let him, without any hesitation, just lay her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the solitude his presence brought her.

When he finally left, he kissed her softly on the forehead. She had expected more and was mortified he refrained from kissing her as he’d done before. He chuckled at her pout, got into his vehicle and left her standing.

She was downright fuming. “I mean really, I haven’t seen him in ages, and this is how he kissed me?” she sneered to herself as she stomped into the house and up the stairs to Monica’s room.

When she was in bed, her phone buzzed softly under her pillow. She removed it; it was Aldrich. At first she didn’t want to answer, but when it persisted she answered softly, “Hello.” Wearily, she looked to her friend’s bed but Monica had burrowed under the covers. She got up and walked out of the room and made her way downstairs to the living area.

“Are you still awake?” he asked.

She huffed, which caused him to chuckle.

“Are you angry with me?”

“And why would you think that, Aldrich?” she replied softly, annoyed with his lack of kissing her passionately.

“Please don’t be angry with me, sweetheart. But you are tired, and I didn’t want to keep you from your beauty sleep.”

She could do nothing but laugh softly with him. “I have missed you,” she finally said.

“Me, too. What does the rest of your year look like? You know, so I can make an appointment to see you.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you want to go out with me?”

“No, you are too old,” she whispered on a grin.

He chuckled. “You must go to bed,” he demanded, to which she yawned in reply.

“Mmm, I will, but you could have given me one measly kiss,” she whined softly.

“Another time, I promise. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams, and Aldrich?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I will send you my itinerary.”

On a laugh, Aldrich said, “Okay, go to bed now.” The line went dead.

She sighed and did just that. This time, she had no problem and slept till late the next morning.

When she got to her house, she found it devoid of any human life. Her brothers had bought her a big teddy to congratulate her, which they’d left on her bed. The card attached to its huge red ribbon was signed by both. Two days later, they finally showed up, exhausted from whatever they had been doing. The house filled with sounds as music blasted through the sound system. For the next two days, she enjoyed spending time with them. Since graduating from high school, Anabella and her brothers became good friends. Every time they spent a few hours together, she learned something new about them.

Roy
signed up for a financial course at college and excitedly told her about his subjects, showing her his books. She watched as he transformed into a new person right before her eyes. His green eyes were lighter than usual, a smile adorned the handsome face. He was relaxed, and the new girl he’d met in December was a constant companion. Wanda was three years older than Anabella; a lively brunette with big, blue eyes who was a student at the same college Roy was going to attend. She, however, would be studying Human Resources. Wanda was open and friendly and chatted non-stop. The best part was that she really cared for Roy, which pleased her tremendously.

Anabella wasn’t privy about how much Wanda knew regarding their life, but she truly hoped that
Roy had told her before their parents’ return from their business trip.

Derek mostly slept, but when he did join the little group, he was full of jokes. Several times, he would leave for the evening, only to return in the early hours of the morning to find her at the swimming pool, busy with her laps. This was a time Anabella cherished and although not forthcoming with what he was up to, they spoke easily enough; mainly about her career and studies. He’d always been the one to show more interest in her.

He was a tall, blond man, with eyes the same color as hers; exceptionally well-built, his athletic body lean and well-toned. He was intelligent, too, but it seemed he had no desire to study anything further, seemingly satisfied with the life he lived. But yet, she found some changes had taken place within him, not really noticeable but there beneath the surface, regardless.

Anabella saw Aldrich every night as she was on her break. During the day, she would catch up on projects she had to hand in when classes resumed for the next term. He was always considerate of her time, making sure she did not stay out late. He also always greeted her with a kiss on the forehead, as if she were a small child, which aggravated her no end. She didn’t know what to think about this new twist, and he said nothing.

She knew she was still young, something they’d discussed several times. However much she appreciated his control, how wrong could it be to ask for one kiss?

During the nights she was plagued with dreams filled with her parents, brothers and strangers’ faces. It was always the same dream. Hands would reach for her, dragging her into their world, or they’d be strangling her, pushing the life out of her lungs. And then she would wake up screaming, gasping for breath. During these episodes,
Roy would rush in and calm her down.

When classes started again, the dreams continued and Monica would comfort her, allowing her to cry. Sometimes, they would sit and chat afterward, the dreams too terrifying for Anabella to return to sleep.

One dream especially exhausted her physically and mentally, leaving her drained the next day. This particular one didn’t happen often, but when it did it scared her. It always started the same; she’d walk up to her parents’ house, and her mother would answer the door with a beautiful smile on her face. People within would greet her, her father though, would stand aside not talking to her, the scowl on his face saying he was angry about something. She couldn’t understand why. She was then invited to their bedroom to look at a present they’d bought her, and upon stepping into the room, the door shut with a loud bang and she was covered in darkness. Faces appeared, lights shining directly on their eyes, giving them a ghostly effect. Hands groped, taking her closer to a fast, spinning wheel as someone laughed eerily, and a soft voice tried to calm her as she fought against the hold on her.

The more these dreams haunted her, the harder she worked. Swimming was the perfect escape, filling her with joy, calming her, allowing her to be a young eighteen-year-old student enjoying life. If anyone on the outside looked at her, they would see a well-balanced young woman who had everything the world could offer, but those closest to her knew it wasn’t so.

After the championships the previous year, and the three gold medals she brought home, she received a letter from the Olympic Committee informing her she’d been invited to compete in the next Olympics, which would take place in four years. She also swam for the university team. Mr. Clark―her new coach―was very strict, which she didn’t mind at all. She had a lot of support from the university, her classmates, friends, and Aldrich. His constant encouragement with either a phone call or text message uplifted her, and gave her the assurance to excel. She received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from his firm after her last championship in March, and in return thanked the partners with a handwritten note.

The last year of student life would be a very busy one, filled with studies and the Olympics simultaneously, the same year she would turn twenty-one. Time was of the essence, and the last thing she needed was her personal life interfering with her future.

How she and Aldrich would come together, she didn’t know, but she knew that she missed the teddy bear, his warm arms and those gorgeous lips; dreamy. The void when she’d left his arms the night of the dance was still incredibly real to her.

What Anabella didn’t know was that Aldrich was always in the background watching her. Monica would phone him to let him know how she was coping, and his heart would ache with the news. Feelings of protection were especially strong, and all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and take away all the hurt he saw.

He kept his distance, knowing full well she wasn’t the least bit happy about it, but he wanted her to experience life. Her swimming career would only last a short while, so he was willing to step back and give her the space to shine.