Bella
"Aye, what's going on?!" I heard a deep, familiar voice yell from behind me. The chaos halted for a few seconds as we turned around and saw our dad coming from the living room. I hadn't visited him in a few months, and this was the first time I'm seeing his hair grown out. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I guess it kind of suited him.
He looked less intimidating.
"Nothing." Blue and Jeremiah said quickly. Brooklyn and I rolled our eyes.
"Then why the hell are you—" My dad paused, seeming to notice me for the first time since we'd arrived. His jaw slacked, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost. I don't think I've ever witnessed this man being speechless in my life, but he was definitely stunned beyond words.
Good. I hope he continues harboring the guilt, because he's equally at fault. Forgiveness is not on the horizon for him either.
"Isabella," He took a step forward, and I took two back. My glare hardened and I shook my head, silently warning him to keep his distance. This would not be a jolly family reunion; I refused to pretend like it was. They should know me better than that.
His frown deepened, but he didn't say anything else. We continued standing in an awkward silence until the front door was suddenly pushed open, and Luca came stumbling inside.
"I know you said to wait in the car, but I really have to pee." Luca whispered to me as he swayed back and forth. It took him two whole seconds before he realized that my dad was standing a few feet away, and I guess his bladder changed its mind because he ran towards him at full speed.
"Papa!" He yelled, jumping into my dad's arms with a massive grin on his face. I sighed deeply and crossed my arms over my chest, eyeing them carefully.
"Little man! When did you get so damn tall?" My dad chuckled while hugging my son tightly. I could hardly resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Jay, what—"
My gaze immediately shifted to the right, and an intense flame of anger sparked in the pit of my stomach. I could physically feel my body heating up, so I briefly looked to the side and tried suppressing my fury. I pinched the insides of my palms in an attempt to distract myself from my feelings, but nothing was working. The only thing I felt was uncontrollable rage.
The intensity of my response only confirmed what I'd suspected this entire time: I still hadn't healed, despite the years of therapy, and I refused to forgive her. She deserved nothing from me.
I finally cleared my throat, trying to stabilize my voice. "Luca, let's go." I said evenly, extending my hand for him to take. When he remained in the same spot, I silently communicated my threats by raising my brow and nodded when he began walking towards me.
"Bella, wait." My dad tried, reaching for Luca before he could grab onto my hand. My eyes cut to him as I snatched Luca away. He looked hurt, but I didn't care.
"Don't touch him." I hissed. I could see Jeremiah approaching me out of the corner of my eye and quickly held up my hand. "I wouldn't," I warned.
"Bella, come on. We talked about this." Jeremiah whispered while motioning between me and our parents. "It's the holidays, we're supposed to be together. At least stay for dinner," He pleaded. Blue, Brooklyn, and Livia were all looking at me expectantly, and I wanted to body slam Jeremiah right then and there. He didn't know the full story. None of them knew the full story, which is why they were so adamant to force me into forgiveness.
