Breaking

Chapter 26.

Tobias

I can hear Rosalee and Arabella laughing in my room as I approach the door. It's open a crack and I can see Rosalee sitting at the end of the bed with her body facing Arabella.

I exhale deeply through my mouth. And I smile.

I didn't realize it until now but I love the reason they have. I love how Arabella has someone who she can trust. I was always worried after the shitty relationship Arabella had with her mother, she wouldn't do well around other women, she wouldn't trust them, but she trust Rosalee, she even likes Lyla, she's never complained about her.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that Arabella trusts, I can't be the only one.

"Dad?" The door opens and Arabella's standing in front of me.

"I wasn't listening!" I rush out, and Rosalee laughs at me from her seat on the bed. "The food's done."

"I'll go eat!" Rosalee exclaims, struggling to her feet. "You two should talk."

Talk? Talk about what?

Rosalee steps around Arabella, pushes me to the side, and walks away.

"Do you want to talk?" I ask Arabella. She nods, and I step into the room. She sits down on the bed but I don't think I can sit. My heart rate has already increased by a lot and my palms are sweaty. She just talked to Rosalee, what could she possibly have to say to me? They seemed to be having a good talk too. They were laughing.

"Why did you tell me not to do anything that I'll be ashamed to tell you?" She asks. "Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. I didn't mean it that way." Now that I know this is what she wants to talk about, I can breathe again. I sit down next to her. "Did something happen?"

"I don't want you to be disappointed in me."

"No." I shake my head. "I can never be disappointed in you."

"What if I have sex? You won't be disappointed in me?"

"Arabella, I don't want you to have sex at all. I don't care if it's with a boy or a girl, I don't care if you're sixteen or sixty years old, I just don't want you having sex. I don't even want you to kiss anyone." I take a moment to collect myself. "But you're growing up, rather I like it or not, and I can't stop you. I trust you to know what you're doing and I can't be disappointed in you."

She smiles. "I want to go on birth control."

"For crying out loud," I mutter, dropping my head in my hands.

"Um...dad?"

"I just need a minute. I'm glad you're enjoying this by the way," I hiss sarcastically. Because I'm freaking dying.

"Rosalee can take me."

"Yeah." I nod, lifting my head from my hands. I look at her. "But can you wait? You can go on birth control but I don't want to know when..." I shake my head.

"Okay. And dad, nothing happened today, with Alex and me, I mean."

I nod again. "Thank you."

Even after we ate, Rosalee and Michael didn't leave. Even after we washed dishes, they didn't leave. Even after we opened a bottle of red wine and nearly finished it, they didn't leave. We talked and laughed and warmed up some of the leftovers and ate again. I gave Arabella a sip of my red wine and I've never seen her cringe so hard. "Why does it taste like that!" She exclaimed with disgust. We laughed and I poured her a glass of white wine.

It wasn't until Michael closed his eyes and kept them close for about a minute that Rosalee called it. They left and Arabella and I started to get ready for bed.