Bella woke up, yawning. She stretched her hands above her head, willing feeling to her numb arms. Her shoulders throbbed. She massaged it but it still felt sore.
How do people sleep on beds like this? It's as hard as a rock.
Bella looked towards the west wall, beside a small wooden shelf underneath the window, a chair lay, discarded. Bella's stomach churned. She saw a number of papers littered across the floor and her lips tightened as her earlier outburst on getting back from the supermarket a few hours ago hit her.
How was she going to afford all she needed?
How was she supposed to keep up her appearances?
Each silent answer to the question only solidified the lump in her throat.
Suddenly, the smell of food from downstairs wafted into her nostrils. She couldn't quite place what it was but she couldn't deny how her mouth salivated at the thought of eating, especially since she had barely eaten for the last three days. As if to reinforce the idea, her stomach grumbled.
But Miles would be there. And they've been avoiding each other ever since the WDG. Pins pricked her chest, slowly immersing into her flesh, digging through, layer by layer.
Nice to know that even your brother wants nothing to do with you.
Her stomach grumbled again. Unable to hold on any longer, she pulled on a pink bath robe and her slippers before slipping out of the door.
Bella walked down the wooden hallway, her steps echoing in the silence. It always struck her how bare it was. There were no pictures or awards or anything to give it a personified touch. Instead, it was clean yet impersonal. Like the man himself.
Bella forced herself to inhale.
I will be fine.
Bella walked down the steps before passing by the living room that was adjoined to the kitchen and dining room. Her stomach grumbled as the loud sizzling of oil erupted in the silence. The saliva in her mouth thickened, her taste buds desperately waiting at the edge.
She swallowed again.
I still can't believe that he can cook.
Yeah, exactly the way I still can't fathom how useless you are.
Suddenly, Miles looked up from the gas cooker. He was wearing a T-shirt with pajama pants and an apron. He even had a pair of oven gloves sitting right beside the cooker.
They shared a look but Bella broke the stare, her insides clenching.
I'm sure he must think you're useless too.
"-here." Miles said gruffly, pushing a plate down the counter towards her. Bella stared at it quizzically as she noticed what looked like bread and a mix of tomatoes and other things she didn't recognize together on the plate. Miles continued what he was doing.
"Ummm, I'm not hungry." Bella said, rubbing her shoulders even though every fiber of her being echoed the loud contractions of hunger. Even denying it was taking all of her strength.
Miles looked up, his right brow raising just a bit while his left remained in place. He shrugged. "Whate-ver you say."
Bella stood there, rubbing her arms, unable to move yet not wanting to accept the food. She licked her lips again.
I'm sure he just wants to show off his cooking skills.
Bella almost scoffed and she walked to the living room, sitting on one of the three grey couches around a small glass table, atop a dark mat on the wooden floors. They all collectively faced a television that seemed so tiny compared to the almost floor to ceiling length, flat screen tv that she had in the welcoming room back home.
Bella exhaled slowly. That wasn't her home.
Not anymore anyway.
Bella waited, the tantalizing aroma making it so difficult. Once he left, she'd take it. With every peep back, she could see how he was taking his sweet, precious time. Did he know what he was putting her through?
She sunk into the couch. If only he would just leave.....
Bella slapped her cheeks, rubbing underneath her eyes. This was raccoon behavior. She was Bella Cox and here she was waiting for a man to finish just so that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having her eat his food and enjoy every bite. Something, judging from the aroma, that she was sure she would.
So, she waited and every second, felt like she was being eaten alive from the inside as her stomach was clenching so hard that it was hard to keep it in any longer. After what felt like hours, even though in reality it was about five minutes, she finally gave in.
Now, Miles put away the pan in the cabinet filled with similarly neatly stacked pans before pulling the apron and hanging it on a nail by the long line of dark cabinets. He looked around the kitchen, which was now spick and span, nodded and walked to the table which was beside the kitchen. He sat down with his plate of food. Bella looked down at the plate of her own food that he left at the countertop, still wondering what it was.
"So... how many calories are in that?"
Miles gave her a look.
"Do I lo-ok like a dieti-tian to you?"
"Of course not, I'm not blind. But my chef usually prepares-"
"If you want some-thing else prepared, you could as well cook for you-rself. Buy your ingredients. Co-ok your food. Eat at your own time. You're not a ch-ild anymore so you should be able to do these things for your-self."
But she can't.
"Why do you act like I'm a pain in your side?" Bella hissed.
"Loo-k, Bella, I don't h-ave time for thi-s. I'm bu-sy."
Bell laughed bitterly, gritting her teeth. "Really? Wow, I never would have thought."
The right corner of his lips quirked down. "Why are you alw-ays so difficu-lt?"
"Why do you act like I'm some-" Bella threw her hands in the air "-stupid child?!"
Miles suddenly stood up, carrying his plate from the table before walking away.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Bella roared to which he looked her way from where he stood across the kitchen. Miles raised a brow and she could see his right eye narrowed slightly.
"I don't s-ee how that conce-rns you."
"You don't get to storm out on me! I am-"
"-Bella Cox!" Miles finished the statement, a vein bulging in his jaw. "So wha-t am I supp-osed to do then? Bow do-wn like a fool?! Only breathe when you permit me?!"
Bella stepped back even though he was a few feet away. Her heart skipped a beat. She gaped at him
Miles leaned forward a little, "May I rem-ind you that this is my ho-use and you have no right to ord-er me around."
"O-"
"You may have cal-led mother out but you still haven't cha-nged one bit. You're exactly like her."
That hit her.
It hit her like a physical blow. She felt the air momentarily leave her with Miles' receding steps. Bella carried her food from the counter and sat on the chair, her stomach twisting.
In the silence, she felt those words taunt her again, scratching her with talons.
You're exactly like her.
Despite the thoughts of how she could add weight as a result, she ate. The burst of flavor made her eyes go wide. It set her tongue on fire. She couldn't help but admit that,
He was such a good cook.
After she finished, she pushed the plate away. The lingering sensations on her tongue still aroused pleasure, yet she could almost hear the tick of the scales. She suddenly felt like she wanted to vomit. Her stomach curled together, tightening and clenching every second.
You're such a glutton.
You judge people for eating so much and here you are, eating so much.
You're only saving grace is that you have a fast metabolism, if not you'd be a fat ass! Real fat ass.
Of course even Miles knows, you haven't changed. You're exactly like her.
Bella switched on her phone, opening Instagram. Her hand hovered over the screen. Bella bit her lip.
It wouldn't hurt to check....
Bella checked her profile, her heart beating more than she would have liked. She once had over ten million followers but now as it stood, she was down to only a million. Bella swallowed.
She searched for her mother's recent interview. Seeing her mother was surely going to reinforce the truth that she was nothing like her.
That she was different. That, she was Bella.
But, halfway through the interview, Bella felt like she wanted to puke. Something in her mother's tears as she lied about how Bella had ODD, reminded Bella of herself. That she too was more than capable of doing the exact same thing her mother did.
I would never lie on that scale!
Never!
Bella's breathing hitched as a voice laughed, the cackle spreading chills up her arms. It sounded like her mother.
Bella shivered. The soft, fleeting kiss almost touched her cheek. Those words, sleek like a cat tailing the line with her prey, floated into her mind.
"Oh, but you do know, you and I, we are one. We are alike. You are the story that I live to show the world. You are my protégé."
Bella pushed her phone away. Her weak thoughts tried to counter it, to cut herself loose from the weights that her mother had tied to her neck, sinking her deeper down the ditch. Then she heard footsteps. Her head shot up immediately, rubbing her face.
She saw Miles walking down the stairs, now wearing a grey polo shirt with blue jeans. Pushing down the pettiness that arose on seeing him again, she sat up straight. She was surprised that he was going out, knowing fully well that it was like he only ever went to work.
"Where are you going?"
He looked like he wanted to ignore but he answered, rather reluctantly."To W-illow Crest, it's-" he cut himself off, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It's an elderly hom-e."
Bella raised a brow, snickering. "You're going to an elderly home, Miles? Seriously? You do nothing else apart from work and the next thing that you're doing is going to an elderly home? Isn't that a bit-"
She tried to gauge her next words as she could see his face darken. "-I don't know, depressing? I mean, you should be doing something fun-"
"Like what?" He snapped. Bella raised both hands up in surrender but her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Calm down. I was only trying to help, I mean I don't personally see that as the best use of your time. I mean you're young, enjoy life a little." She shrugged though there was a biting note to the statement. Miles leaned against the chair opposite her, tilting his head and allowing the right side of his lips to curl into a smile that looked very forced.
"And w-hy do you s-ay that?"
Bella looked at him incredulously, as if it were the most obvious thing. "Because they're not your responsibility. There are other people doing those things for a reason. Cleaning poop? Having to deal with old lady smells-"
"Let's get one thing strai-ght." Miles cut her off. "Not everyo-ne gets to live in a mansion all day, hav-ing fun. Not ever-yone gets to have servants watc-hing over them and doing their every bidding. Do you think they like having pe-ople wash them up and clean up their poop? Do you th-ink they want to be there?"
"Well it's not my fault, they're there, is it?!" Bella roared back, her back pricking with needles.
Miles kept quiet for a while and Bella immediately regretted what she said. Miles gave her a long, hard stare.
"I-"
"That's how the re-al world works, Bella. Maybe you would ha-ve known, if m-other hadn't taken you away."
Even though there was concealed anger, there was something different. Something that even chilled her more than the anger. Pity. He regarded her with a strange look before walking out the door.
The silence he left behind unnerved her.
That pitying gaze. It rubbed her with spires of iron, scraping off her skin little by little. Bella leaned back on the chair.
What did he mean?
She sat there for about an hour, endlessly hung up on that singular statement. The longer she stayed, the more overbearing the silence became as other voices joined with their own heated responses, fueling the fire that Miles had started when he left.
He only sees you as a child, nothing more.
Selfish, greedy, you know what you are.
I'm surprised he still lets you live here.
Bella's nose wrinkled. Heat crashed over in waves, making her breathing ragged. Her ears rang. Her muscles went taut. Her breathing skyrocketed as the voices grew louder.
Suddenly, she stood up and hurled the empty plate at the wall. A sharp, splintering crash bounced through the thick air. The plate fell away into jagged pieces, ricocheting off the wall in an explosion of movement.
Bella fell back on her seat, swallowing again as the voices came back to taunt her.
Bella, the insolent child!
The voice said, shaped in a blend of her mother and Miles' tone. Bella gritted her teeth, gripping the table.
"I am not an insolent child!"
Really? Prove it!
Bella stood up, kicking the chair. Heck, she'd prove it! Prove to him that she wasn't the child that he saw her as! He'll see! Bella stormed out of the living room, and up the stairs, before banging his room door open, which was the first door on the left.
This was the first time, she realized as she calmed down a little, that she was entering his room. It was clean, a desk was pushed to the corner and the bed was neatly made. A large shelf stood at the North wall, filled with loads of books that seemed to run on for ages.
"You don't need to go to college, my dear. College is for the poor ingrates who have to scrape tooth and nail, for their money. But with this face," Her mother kissed her forehead and smiled, her dark eyes gleaming. "You'll have all you need and want."
Bella shook herself out of it, eyes moving away from the shelf.
Where does he keep his money?
The fact that she was planning to steal from him made her feel even worse than before.This was racoon behavior at its finest!
"No, I'm not stealing. I'd give it back to him once I get my money back."
And when will that be? Don't be a fool, you're going to be stuck here forever.
Bella's throat clogged. She tried to still the tremble in her fingers. Bella looked around and on top of the pile of papers on his desk, she found a wallet. As she picked up the wallet, she noticed an A4 drawing book next to the pile of papers and that looked very old. Its covers were already smudged by what looked like dried ink with dirt all over the front page.
Bella picked it up and flipped through it. Her eyes widened.
The drawings in each page looked so breathtakingly life-like that she would have thought that it was an actual artist that drew them.
Did Miles actually draw this?
The first one was him in front of a house, smiling with two adults, a woman and a man, with a hand placed on his shoulders. He looked younger in the picture too.
Were these supposed to be her parents?
As she flipped through, the drawings improved. Bella noticed how all emphasized on a good life, most involving a guy whom she assumed to be Miles, smiling in different scenarios but at some point, there was a change in the drawings
His drawings became less dreamy and it all involved him running away. There was emphasis on the wind whipping through his hair as he jumped out of a window and into the sunset.
And there was something else she noticed with all of those pages, there were brownish yellow spots that tainted the corners of the pages. Plus, the sketches also looked more.....
Shaky.
Bella closed the book abruptly, pulling out of the haze. Bella typed in Willow Crest into her phone and she realized that it wasn't too far from here. She took a few notes before dropping the wallet back on the table. She walked to the door, then she took one more glance at the drawing book.
Shaking her head, she walked out the door.
***
The elderly home was better than Bella had expected.
The iron gates, which has a large wooden plaque with Willow Crest, written in elegantly curved letters opened up to a large cobblestone driveway, lined by hedges, dandelions and roses dancing and shifting with every sweep of the wind. Off to the side there was a large wooden gazebo, underneath a massive oak tree, the trunk spread like the sweeping edge of a couture gown, bold and expansive.
Bella stepped out of the cab which backed away, her eyes fixed on the buildings.
The three buildings sat together, one in front of the other two. The three were interconnected by small walkways, shaded by archways with dark metal panels. The buildings themselves looked old yet in good condition with its red brick walls, white rimmed windows and a great amount of flowers along its balcony.
Bella looked around, only a few handful of cars in the silent driveway.
So, what's the plan?
As if he could hear her thoughts, she heard him hiss from behind her.
"Wh-at are you doin-g here?"
Bella turned, meeting his narrowed gaze levelly. She shrugged. "I believe it's not your business." She gave a saccharine smile to which he ran a hand down his face.
"Look, I don't ha-ve time to deal with-"
"Me? Don't worry, you won't even know I'm here. Besides, I need to experience the real world, don't I?"
"I-"
"Miles, there you are!" A tall woman walked up to them, a wide smile on her face. She had long auburn hair that was already greying at the ends. There was something about the way the woman walked, her eyes crinkling and her thin lips pulled into a slight smile as she had a clipboard in hand. Even though she was dressed in a plain blue blouse and a midi skirt, Bella could evidently see the confidence and power that radiated off of her.
If not with the very different physical features, it almost reminded her of her mother. Bella clicked her tongue, her mouth souring. She watched her warily.
The woman only seemed to notice her when she reached them. Her eyebrows rose. "Oh my, you must be Bella Cox. What a small world we live in?" The woman laughed to herself, her dark blue eyes glinting in a beautiful way.
She offered her a handshake. "I'm Kelly Clay, director of this humble place." Mrs Clay smiled widely as she gestured around the compound. "But everyone just calls me Mrs Clay. My daughter is a huge fan." Bella shook her hand too, her walls still high up though they chinked just a bit at the genuine, warm reception.
"Do you two know each other?" She looked between them
"Well she's-"
"He's my brother."
"Really?!" Mrs Clay, laughed, color rising in her pale cheeks. "I wouldn't have ever believed that someone like Miles here was related to a big shot! I mean Miles is such a sweet boy, but he can be a bit-" Mrs Clay trailed off, a teasing note lingering in her words.
Bella snickered. "A bit what? I'd like to know what my beloved big brother of mine has been up to?" She threw a hand around his shoulders.
"Plea-se get your hand-s off me." Miles hissed lowly.
"Well, I mean he loves the elderly, of course. The sheer devotion and kindness he puts in is so inspirational! I mean, I haven't seen anything like it." Mrs Clay said with a soft smile, adoration ringing in her tone.
From the corner of her eye, Bella could see Miles' face redden. Just a bit.
"Really?"
"Oh yes, really. You know he doesn't like when I compliment him, he says he makes him uncomfor-"
"I think that's eno-ugh." By now, there was no way you could miss the obvious red tint coloring his otherwise very pale cheeks.
Bella and Mrs Clay shared a look before they laughed. The load on her chest gave way, now forgotten.
Even if it was just for a moment.
"Anyway, back to the matter at hand," Mrs Clay stated, pushing her hair back as she checked something on her clipboard. Bella tilted her head, staring at her.
She wasn't the most conventional beauty with her too pointed nose, or thin lips but yet, she was a beauty in herself even without a dusting of makeup. Her smile, her laugh.....
Was beauty really in the eye of the media?
Bella swallowed again.
"The Silver Steps cancelled on us. They're going to be a no show." Mrs Clay's light brows wrinkled.
Miles sighed. "I knew those guys weren't to be taken serio-usly from the begin-ing."
Bella looked at Mrs Clay. "Are you guys doing something today?"
Mrs Clay nodded. "Nothing much. It's just that we have a monthly entertainment day, we usually bring a range of guest artists, artisans and all to come and help them unwind with their families you know? But now, with this sudden change of events, I don't know what we'll do."
"Can't anyone in your...." Bella tried to search for the right word.
Mrs Clay raised a brow, though a smile curved her thin lips, one that only warmed Bella rather than chilled her in the bones. "Team?"
"Yeah, that. Can't anyone sing?"
Mrs Clay shook her head.
"I think I ha-ve a solu-tion." Miles spoke suddenly, his voice a bit quiet as though he'd struggled to get the words out. "Bella cou-ld sing and play the grand pia-no we have backstage."
"Me?!" She almost screeched in return, making Miles momentarily lose the faraway glint in his eyes.
"That would be wonderful! But I never knew you could sing though?"
"I-"
"When we were youn-ger, she and.... our father pla-yed and sang a lot." There was a hollowness in his voice but Bella took no notice of it as her heart was beating so fast that she feared she would faint.
"But that was so long ago, you can't judge-"
"I heard wh-en you were singing last week. So beli-eve me, I know what I'm sa-ying."
"But I-"
Bella cut herself, unable to bring herself to accept. She didn't understand what Miles was saying. Yes, in the moments that she was able to finally catch a breath from the world and her mother's constant watch, she liked to play the piano and sing. It had always been part of her life. She'd wanted to go into music even, just like her dad.
Her stomach clenched as her mother's words flashed in her head. Long story short, her mother had ruined that too.
"So, Bella will you do it?" Mrs Clay asked, hopeful.
The expectation of Mrs Clay made her chest tighten. What if she failed?The last time she played in front of people was when she was much younger. How would uld she even do it?
How can I be anything else?
"I really thi-nk you should go for it. You'd do gre-at." Miles nodded, a smile quirking his lips just a little.
She agreed after some time, swallowing down the lump in her throat. "Yeah, I will then."
***
Bella couldn't breathe.
She peeked from behind the curtains again. The medium sized hall which was now thrown in semi- darkness was filled with about 50 elderly, all seated in a number of wheel chairs and cushioned wooden chairs alike. A number of them were with their families too and plus the volunteers, they numbered about 150.
150 people watching her fail.
The smell of freshly baked pie spun through the air, making Bella more nauseous than before.
Why did I think I could do this?
"I can't do this." Bella whispered to herself as her throat closed up. Her father was the one that was supposed to be on this stage.
Honestly, anyone would do. Anyone but her.
"I didn't th-ink you'd have stage fright. You've been on cam-era in front of millio-ns."
Bella didn't turn to him as she pressed against the curtain.
"Well that's different. Then, I was doing something I knew how to do."
"But..... you kno-w how to sing."
"Maybe, I do-" She finally turned back to him. "I don't know but no one else thinks I do. Mother never thought so, she said it was a waste of time."
There was a brief silence after that. Bella sighed.
"This was a mistake, I should have-"
"You kn-ow when we were younger, I.... sometimes env-ied you." Miles said, looking at the ground.
"You and..... dad-" he fought the grimace off his face on mentioning their father. For once, Bella didn't comment on it, entirely understanding.
After all, he was.....
She didn't allow herself to complete the though. "-shared somet-hing beautiful, you know? I can still remember those times you two w-ould sing by the piano at the balcony, making the neighb-ors gather. And-" Miles cut himself short, swallowing visibly as they were plunged into another small silence.
"I may not have said it at that time but just kno-w, you both sounded... nice. And the night be-fore the WDG, when I heard you sing. I k-new you still had it in you."
Bella inhaled.
"But what if I fail? I haven't done this in years, I -"
"You ca-n, trust me."
"But what if you're wrong?"
"But what if I'm ri-ght?" Miles shrugged. "Besides, my perce-ption isn't the most important thing. It's you-rs."
At that same moment, Mrs Clay came running in. "Bella, are you set?"
Bella looked to Miles for support, he nodded encouragingly, gesturing to the curtain. Bella swallowed again, despite the fear that gripped her, she felt a fire of defiance spark.
Bella pushed the curtains back and stepped outside. The spotlight was fixed on her, glaring and burning her skin. The hall fell silent as if in shock. The mummurs began, faint, swirling through the room as she walked to the grand piano at the centre of the stage. She sat on the seat. A man came to lower the mike stand down to her level.
Her throat closed up again. The weight of all these eyes on her felt like a winding rope that suffocated her, weakening her resolve.
You shouldn't be here.
How could you be so foolish to think you could do it?
Get off this stage now that you haven't embarrassed yourself.
All the white and black keys melded into one. She exhaled slowly but it failed to still the slow, escalating pressure in her chest. Her hands fell to her lap, her dark hair partially keeping the side of her face hidden.
What did she really think she was doing here?
She looked up and she locked eyes with Miles from across the room, where he stood at the very edge. He nodded at her.
Besides, my perce-ption isn't the most important thing. It's you-rs
With the little strength she had left, she gave herself a moment of silence.
I can do this!
Then she began, singing one of her and her father's favorite songs.Each rising and plummeting note, told the story of when life was easy. When her father wasn't a murderer, when her greatest joys were met-sitting beside him as they sang and played together. As the song progressed, everything melted away, the pearls of the past glossing by Bella before she was immersed into its depths.
Bella felt it again, the warm kiss, the dips of each key that aligned with what she played. Their own beautiful melody.
When the song ended, and the world around her came back to sight, she realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. In horror, she wiped her face, very conscious of all the people around her.
The silence was deafening.
She bristled. Now you'll never be able to live this-
Suddenly, the audience erupted into a thunderous applause. She looked at each and everyone and noticed the wide smiles they all shared.
I actually did it?
I did it!
Childlike laughter emptied from her lips and her eyes shifted to where Miles was. The place was empty, devoid of his presence. She felt a small squeeze, her eyes lingering at the corner. Bella shook her head, paying attention to the claps and whistles.
Bella stood up and bowed.
After she climbed down the stage, she was pulled into a number of hugs and very excited compliments, autographs and so much more. The monthly entertainment day continued on with games, some breakout sessions and the likes, most of which she wasn't involved in as she was taken back at how different all of these had turned out to be.
At the end of the whole program, Bella was on the lookout for Miles who she hadn't met since she began her performance. Mrs Clay walked up to her, a bald, slightly port bellied man by her right, in a suit.
Bella looked at him skeptically.
Was he a modeling agent or something?
At the thought, she looked him over, noticing the flashy watch but rather humble looking t-shirt and trousers. A genuine smile was plastered on his face.
"So, Bella, I want to introduce you to Kyle Link, my younger brother. He's a-"
"Oh, sugar, I'm sure I can introduce myself."
Bella raised a brow but when they both laughed, their eyes crinkling the same way, she realized that there was no bad blood.
He turned to her and she finally noticed his gap teeth.
Didn't he have-
Bella silenced the thought with a sharp inhale as she moved to shake his outstretched hand. "As my dear sister said, I'm Kyle Link. Director of the Vox Lumina."
"What in the world is that?" Bella asked, tilting her head. He laughed which surprised her once again, one that rumbled from the depths of his belly.
"I don't blame you for that. Either way, we're a choir and we perform at different shows across the city, sometimes outside of it too."
"And you're telling me this because...?"
"Oh dear," he chuckled again. "I'm telling you because I want you to be a part of that choir!" He pushed a card into her hands. Bella's mouth fell open.
"I don't think so, I mean I'm not even that good." Bella laughed light hearrtedly as she tried to return the card to him.
"Darling, you're not just good. You're excellent! Imagine what you could do when you actually begin to take it seriously. Now, that's some serious talent right there. And you'll be paid very well."
"Really?"
"Sure thing, love."
Bella exchanged numbers with him and he said he would send the rest of the details by text as he said he had to rush away for an important meeting. When she searched them up using the account he gave her, she confirmed that they were legit. Bella was lost in her own world, the scenery drifting away from her as she was, in this moment, untethered to the world.
This is actually happening!
Still in her internal victory, Miles rushed past her.
"Hey Miles!" Bella called, a jump on her step. Miles turned to her, his face pulled into a frown. That made her pause, unsure.
What in the world.....
She pushed on, despite that. "Guess what? I just got invited to sing in a choir!"
He didn't answer as he walked past her.
The disinterest made her chest squeeze.
Bella inhaled again. He'd helped her so she was going to give him the due respect he deserved. For now anyway.
She followed after him, noticing his tensed shoulders. A few people called out to her but she took no notice, focusing solely on Miles. On reaching his car, Miles pushed a bag into the boot of the car. The force with which he slammed it was almost deafening.
"What-"
He walked to the driver's seat , wrenching the door open before plopping down on the seat. Bella looked at him cautiously, unable to decipher the reason for his sudden change of mood.
"What happened? You were-"
"Don't you have anot-her ride?" He asked, rudely interrupting her. Bella was startled by the sudden change before she narrowed her eyes.
Bella threw her hands in the air. "So what? Suddenly you don't want to be around me anymore? I'm a pain once we're on our own again, huh?!"
"Can you not sh-out in my face?" Miles looked away but Bella could hear the rising heat in his voice. The earlier camaraderie was long forgotten as she gnashed her teeth.
"You're such a hypocrite! Why pretend like you cared back there? Why did you pretend like you actually wanted to help?! I'm not some charity case-"
"Bella-"
"-Why did you pretend-"
"I wasn't pretend-ing, alright?! Everyt-hing I said, I was being perfectly honest."
Bella swallowed at the outburst. Her throat burned and she inhaled again but it brought no relief.
"So what changed then?"
"It's no-ne of your con-cern." His eyes were stormy, jaw clenched.
So he couldn't even trust her, even now.
Bella banged the passenger door shut.
"Where are yo-"
"You said I should get another ride, didn't you?"
He sighed, his brows creasing. "Loo-k I didn't me-"
Bella raised a hand, "Look, it's fine. I'll get out of your hair."
With that, she marched away, a stone plummeting down her gut.