Summerfield (15 page)

looked after his parents.
"How's that a bad thing?"
He shrugged, moving a bit closer. "Last night they were talking and
actually said that if possible they would trade me for you."
"Well, I am an angel." I grinned innocently.
He chuckled. "Angel of some kind." He bent down more to my level so
that he was able to whisper in my ear, "Speaking of looking
beautiful."
I shook my head, laughing a bit. "Are you hitting on me?"
"Was it that obvious? Because I was trying to be smooth."
I pursed my lips, patting his arm. "Try something else."
"Belle," Dad called as he walked up to us from coming out of the room
where Aunt Ella was getting ready for the wedding.
Ben stood up straighter and I took a half step back, trying to look
casual as he approached. "Yeah, Dad?"
"It's about time to start the wedding, so you better get ready." He
then glanced a Ben, giving a small half smile. "Hey there Ben."
"Hi Sir." Ben greeted back, his voice a bit tighter than usual.
"Later Ben." I waved a quick goodbye as I quickly made my way into
Ella's makeshift dressing room. "Hey." I smiled when I came into
the room. Aunt Ella was looking in the mirror; her eyes seemed filled
with nervousness.
"Hi Sweetie. How's everything going out there?"
"Great. Everyone’s super excited." I reassured. "Wow, Aunt Ella." I
mumbled, noticing her appearance fully. "You look amazing."
"Really?" She seemed unsure.
I grinned. "Best looking person here."
She smiled, though it was still a bit tense. "Thanks."
"Ella, relax. Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"
She sighed, looking away from the mirror. "I have cold feet."
"Do you want me to get you some socks?"
She giggled a bit. "I'm just not sure if this is the right thing or not."
"Ella, you love Lance, right?" She nodded, like I knew she would.
"And it's clear to anyone that Lance loves you too. And I think,
personally, that you two are perfect for each other. I think you'll be
so happy when you're married and you'll have kids and I can be their
cool older cousin. They'll be beautiful and they'll be loved by two
amazing parents who love each other just as much in a lifetime as they
did the day they got married."
Aunt Ella was wiping away a tear by the time I finished, looking a
little refreshed. "You're right. I don't know what I would do without
you sweetie." She smiled, kissing my head lightly.
She began to fix her makeup as I sat down on the couch, my thoughts
suddenly catching up to what all I had just said and realization hit
me once again.
What if I wasn’t here when she and Lance had kid?
Well, that's depressing.
"You ready?" Aunt Ella asked, knocking me from my thoughts.
I nodded standing and smoothing out my dress. "Ready. Are you?"
She grinned, her smile radiant. "As ever."
***
The wedding was as perfect as Aunt Ella had hoped for.
She looked amazing and Lance couldn't stop grinning. They were
definitely a happy couple.
"What's a lovely girl like you doing over here all alone?"
I laughed a bit at Ben's introduction as he sat beside me at the once
empty table. I was enjoying just watching people out on the dance
floor, especially the couples. Some of them seemed forced upon each
other, uncomfortable and others looked just madly in love.
"Observing." I turned to see him standing there with a grin on his face.
"Observing what exactly?" He question, sitting beside me closely.
I shrugged, my gaze turned back to the dance floor. "People, I guess."
"You alright?"
I shook my head, plastering a smile to my well made up face. "Obviously not."
He laughed, taking my hand and standing up, pulling me with him.
"Dance with me?"
"Sure. I've got nothing better to do."
He led me to the dance floor with a smirk sketched to his appearance.
"See, that was snippy."
"It was, I see that now." I grinned as a slow song began to play and
he brought me closer. I laid my head on his chest, forgetting the
world around me. For a moment it really only was him and me. "Can you
believe it?"
"Global warning, no. It's a tragedy." He mused, murmuring in my ear.
I rolled my eyes though he couldn't tell. "I meant how much has changed
this summer."
"Is this about you or me? Or you and me?"
"Both."
"Good or bad?"
"Both."
He pulled away just far enough for me to see his face, a look of
curiosity and wonder on his face. "What was the bad part?"
"Nothing to do with you." I leaned up without thinking to place a kiss
on his lips. The kiss only lasted for a slit second because he pulled
away, looking a mixture of different emotions.
"Belle." His voice was alarmed as he began looking around a bit.
"What?" I asked, still clueless to what I had done.
"You just kissed me." He stated in an obvious tone.
I stared at him. "Yeah, so?" He glared at me, then glanced around the room.
Oh no. The room full of people. Including my dad. "Oh, crap." I pulled
away from him completely, covering my face with my hands to hide the
red flushing over my cheeks. "Did my dad see?"
"Um, well, I'm not sure, but his face is extremely red and he's
glaring at me like he wants to rip my head off and watch an alligator
eat it. So, I don't think that's a good sign."
"Oh crap, oh crap." I felt like
running. I felt like turning back the time that I made the stupid
decision to kiss him in a room full of people. Why couldn't I have a
normal dad? One who allowed his seventeen year old daughter to date? "I
think I'm going to be sick." I muttered, my head suddenly spinning.
Time for those deep calming breathes.
"Cal down, Belle. We don't know that he saw any-" His voice suddenly
cut off, his tone turning more frightened. "Okay, he's coming towards
us and looks about ready to murder. Oh, God. I'm going to die. I'm
going to die a virgin."
Was he seriously joking at a time like this. I slapped his arm,
glaring harshly. "Ben, don't you know what-"
"Belle, Ben." Dad growled when he approached us. His face was red and
his eyes were slit, like he was trying to make us both burst into
flames. "What the hell is going on?" His words left his mouth slowly
and I could easily tell that he was trying to keep his temper in check
and not scream in front of everyone.
I moved in front of Ben, between him and my dad, hoping to protect him
while putting myself in danger. That was okay, I probably wouldn't
have lived that much longer anyways. "Dad." I tried to stay something
but the look he was giving me was so intense that I nearly flinched.
The truth was I had nothing to say to defend myself. "I'm sorry."
"Explain." He ordered, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was
having a migraine.
"We, well, we're..." I stumbled to find the right answer.
"Belle." He growled, his voice snapping up a volume and causing some
people around us to turn their attention.
Great, this really needed an audience. "Dad, listen, we were
just...I..." I took a deep breathe, something I had forgotten to do
during this.
His jaw tightened, trying his hardest to keep under control. "How long?"
I glanced back at Ben, who looked hopeless then back at dad before
hanging my head. "Most of the summer."
"What?" He didn't even try to stay calm this time or keep his voice
down. He just went straight for it, not caring that almost everyone
had heard him yell and were now tuned in to what was happening with
us. "Belle, what the hell is wrong with you? How could you lie to me
like this?"
I moved back closer to Ben, his hand secretly on my back as a way of
comfort. "You would have said no." My voice was low and tired. I just
didn't want to do this.
"Of course I would have said no! Are you out of your damn mind? You
two, you're over. Belle, get in the truck." When I didn't move he
barked, "Now!"
I did flinch this time, running out of the room and out of the church,
not even trying to get a glimpse back at anyone. I couldn't take
seeing their stares.
I came to the truck and considered to just keep going, but I figured
that wouldn't do any good. I had to face up.
Ben and I had to be over. And I couldn't stay in Summerfield anymore.
Chapter Thirteen
"Dad, please just listen to me." I pleaded when we arrived back home
after a very tense, almost painful car ride home.
"I don't want to hear it." He yelled, slamming the front door shut
with a loud huff. "You're going back to school in fall. You'll never
see Ben again."
"You can't do that." I argued, whatever strength I had was being
poured into my power of voice.
Dad shook his head. "You don't have a choice Belle. You're only
seventeen. You live under my roof and I make the rules."
I shook my head, feeling angry and more light headed by the second. "I
don't live under your roof, remember? I live under the roof of Lavance
All Girls Boarding School, remember? The place you shipped me off to
so that you wouldn’t have to put up with me. I mean, never mind if I
was miserable there and hated the school and being away from the only
place I have ever known. No, why would I be so selfish as to complain
about your choice to send me away?"
"Don't try to turn this around on me and school. That has nothing to
do with it. I'm your father and you're not allowed to see Ben or
anyone for that matter."
"I'm seventeen! I'm allowed to have a life, aren't I?"
Dad shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose again. Yeah, he
was getting stressed. Never mind the dying girl over here. "That's
just it Belle," He argued, his voice calmer than before. I had a
feeling that wasn't going to last long. "You're seventeen. You and Ben
would have been over soon enough as it is when you went back to
school. And really, I don't see why you're so upset."
I stared at him for a moment. I was trying to recognize him as my
dad. "I love him."
He rolled his eyes, snorting at my answer. "You're too young to know
what love even means." He grumbled, turning to walk out of the room,
obviously wanting to put an end to the bickering.
"You said you fell in love with mom when you were eighteen. Didn't
you really love her then?"
He turned and stared at me, but I had a fearless feeling in me. "Don't
bring your mom into this."
I sighed, tossing my arms in the air. "When am I allowed to bring her
up, huh? Is it another rule that I'm not allowed to talk about my own
mom?"
"Belle." He warned.
"You would rather talk to Ben about her then talk to me. Your
daughter. Her daughter. The one who should be remembering her."
"You don't understand."
I rolled my eyes, refusing to cry even though I was beginning to
really want to. "No, you don't. You don't understand how much it hurt
me when you sent me away after she died. You don't understand how much
I wished you would just say one word about her so that maybe I could
let go of all the baggage. You don't understand how much I needed you
there when she died. I needed you to be my dad. But instead, you
shipped me off to a school I hated where I knew no one. I had nobody
to tell anything to, to talk to about it. And now, when I'm finally
happy again, you're trying to take that away. I need Ben, dad. I need
him. I love him."
His features were hard, but his eyes were colored by emotions. "I'm
sorry that I wasn't a very good dad after-" He didn't finish. I knew
he wouldn't. "But Belle, I did what I thought was best."
"Dad," My voice was shaky and my eyes were tear filled. "Your decision
nearly killed me inside. And even now, you can't even say her name."
His eyes were hard again in an instant and his voice was back to
commanding. "This isn't about all that. This is about you going behind
my back and lying to me. First of all, you're grounded until you go
back to school. No going to town, no phone, and especially no