Hell And Back(53)

The door opens with Brenda walking out first. Right behind her follows Bella. They washed her hair, and it’s now in a side braid. Not a trace of makeup on her face, and I could swear right then and there that she is the most gorgeous person to ever walk the earth.

Her shorts fit her perfectly with her tank top molding her breasts. My dick finally wakes up. She doesn’t see me yet, but the minute she does, something flickers in her eyes. I just don’t know what it is.

Maybe she’s scared of me? Maybe she looks at me and all she can see is Adam and the hatred that she feels?

I push myself off the wall, saying hi to Brenda.

“Ackson, Momma go home,” Lilah says next to her mom, smiling while holding a balloon that says ‘Get Well Soon’.

“I know, I heard. Are you happy?” I ask her when she just nods her head yes.

She reaches out her hand that is holding the balloon and waits for me to hold her hand. Once I have her hand in mine, she looks at her mother. “Let’s go home, Momma.”

Bella doesn’t say anything to me, her eyes avoiding me at all costs.

Brenda and Mick walk ahead of us with Bruno following behind us.

“We play sand castles, Momma?” Lilah looks over at her, waiting for an answer when her mother just shakes her head no.

She then turns her head in my direction, looking for me to jump on her side. “Maybe when Momma takes a nap, Ms. Brenda can bring you over so you can play.” I suggest more for Bella than Lilah. “I’m going into work today, so you can go anytime.”

The answer seems to satisfy her for now since she doesn’t say anything while we wait for the elevator. Some nurses stop by us while we are waiting to wish Bella well.

The elevator ride down is silent, everyone on alert and unease thick in the air.

“We go Ackson truck, Momma?” Lilah asks when we make it outside.

“No, honey, we are going to take Ms. Brenda’s car.”

Once we make it to Brenda’s car, I see Brenda help Bella into the car, then I go to settle Lilah in her car seat “I’ll see you later, princess, take good care of your mom.” I kiss her on the nose and close the door the same time Brenda closes the front door.

“Give her time, Jackson, but whatever you do, don’t stay away.”

With those parting words, she gets in her car and drives off, leaving Mick and me standing in the parking lot.

“Let’s go get you something strong to drink. Fuck, I think I need it more than you do after that scene,” he says while walking away.

We end up at our favorite watering hole where I nurse a beer for six hours while Mick drowns himself in a bottle of Jack.

The messages I receive from Brenda have my mind at ease. They are both home. Settling in. Brian is outside, sending me hourly updates.

By the time we make it out into the darkness, I carry Mick into my truck and dump him off on his couch while he keeps talking in his sleep. No idea what he’s saying, but I’m sure he obviously owes someone an apology since he’s been muttering ‘I’m so sorry’ over and over.

By the time I park my truck in my driveway, I look over at the house that is pitch-black.

I know the alarm is set since it sends my phone a notification when she turns it on and off.

I wave to Brian, who sits in his car while I go sit on the swing outside of her house.

I can’t even explain what is going on; my feet just led me here. So here I sit outside, knowing just inside those doors lies the woman who has taken over my mind, heart, and my fucking soul.





Chapter Thirty-Five


Bella





I lie awake, staring outside while Lilah sleeps next to me.

I know I should be sleeping, but it’s almost like I’m so excited to be home that I just can’t turn it off.

As soon as I stepped into the house, I knew things were different. The first thing was the alarm beeping while Brenda put in her code. She turned and looked at me. “We each have our own code so they can see who turns it on and off.”

I looked around the house, taking in the alarm panel at the door as well as all the cameras in each and every single corner.

Brenda walked over to the computer screen right next to the television and switched it on. The screen filled with small squares from every room in my house. Lilah must love this because she ran over to the middle of the room. “Momma, watch me on the television.” She then squatted down, shaking her bum while trying to dance.

I sat down on the couch when the front door opened again and it was followed by a ding dong. “What is that?”

“Every door has its own sound so you know where it’s coming from,” Brenda explained while telling Hulk to put the things on the table. “If you go out the back door, it does this.” She opened the back door to a sound of beep beep.