Song: "Parachutes" by Field Guide and Begonia
When I woke up the next morning, Bella wasn't next to me on the couch where we had fallen asleep late last night. I rubbed my eyes, still groggy and extremely tired, whether from staying up late with Bella or reminiscence of the exhaustion that was the past few weeks, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that I wanted Bella and they were nowhere to be seen.
"Bella?" I called out, my voice cracking despite my best effort to bypass the morning voice... No answer. Finally, I heard whispering coming from my room, it sounded like Bella was on the phone. I sat on the couch a while longer, putting my hair into a bun and then taking it down and then doing it again, before I grew impatient enough to push myself off the black leather and make my way towards the door of my room.
"Right ok...." I caught a tidbit of Bella's conversation, "we're all set then?" A slight pause followed.
"Ok, I'll see you soon. Bye, Charlie." The name Charlie rang a bell, Bella had talked about him before, though at the moment I could not remember whether he was their accountant, manager, or travel agent... The sound of footsteps behind the door snapped me back to reality and I rushed back on the couch, trying my best to look as inconspicuous and innocent of eavesdropping as possible. The door opened slowly and Bella tiptoed out, turning their back to where I was pretending to read a book and closed the door quietly. They turned around, and when they noticed that I was not, in fact, sleeping a look of surprise swept across their face... or was it guilt...? Had I been wrong about who Charlie was?
"Oh... Hi Alex love. Did you sleep well? How long have you been up?"
"I slept very well! I just got up, just reading my favorite book..." I finally looked down at the book I picked up in my rush to look unsuspicious, "... the Holy Bible." I internally cringed, we were reading the Bible for religion studies and I had been working through it the week before, I must've left it by the couch.
"Interesting reading choice," Bella plopped on the couch next to me, seeming to relax after hearing I hadn't been up for long, probably thinking I didn't overhear their conversation. I know that Bella is literally the most amazing person in the world and it probably meant nothing, but there is always that voice in the back of my head that likes to question. And right now, that voice was being a hell of a lot louder than usual. But this was Bella, not my exes, not Henry... so I put down my "favorite book" and moved to sit crisscross facing them on the couch.
"Um... Bella"
"Yes love?"
"I kind of heard you on the phone earlier... and I was wondering who you were talking to..."
They let out a breath, "damn you heard that? And I thought I was being so stealthy," when I looked at them with a questioning look they continued, "I'm planning a surprise for you so I had to make a few calls."
My cheeks warmed, "oh..."
"Why? You didn't think I was..."
"NO! No... I'm just still recovering from things with Henry and my parents and stuff, I – I think it might take me a while to be able to completely trust people again."
Bella breathed out and smiled tentatively, "that's ok Alex, just know that I would never ever do something like that to you. I hope I can earn your trust."
"You will! I mean, you are... You're so incredible. And you planned a surprise for me and all I did was question you and —"
"Shh," Bella put two fingers on my lips gently, "you have been the most amazing partner, can I not spoil my girlfriend??" I smiled at that. Then Bella replaced their fingers with their lips and I forgot about my worries for a while.
---------------------- (that afternoon)
"Come onnn Bella, can't you at least give me a hint?"
"Nuh-uh, it's a surprise, Alex. Now finish packing, we're gonna miss our train!"
"How am I supposed to know what to pack if I don't even know where we are going?" I retort. Bella laughed quietly.
"Fine, pack clothes that you can move around in and layers, plus a swimsuit. But that's all you're going to get missy!!" 10 minutes later I had a suitcase full to the brim with all the clothes I owned that fit those requirements, apparently, we were only gonna be gone a couple of days but a girl can never be too prepared. Bella led us outside to take a bus to the nearest train station. We walked hand in hand onto the train car headed North from London, I looked at Bella with a quizzical look, but they just shrugged their shoulders as if they didn't know exactly where we were going. 5 hours, multiple train changes, and an Uber ride later, we were standing in front of the most gorgeous lake house I had ever seen in my life. The wooden platform in the front met dark green walls that had both an elegant and rustic look about them. I took in the sights and smells that brought me back to childhood camping trips and Girl Scouts, and breathed in the clean lakeside air with no hint of the typical London pollution.
"What is this place?" I finally asked after a few minutes had passed.
"It's my mother's lake house in Grasmere. I used to come here all the time as a kid, and it brought me so much happiness and calm. I wanted to share it with you." I didn't answer, still overwhelmed by the beautiful nature around me. "I had hoped you'd like it here too..." they continued.
"Bella it's beautiful," I closed my eyes and smiled, "this is perfect."
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author's note: sorry guys I haven't updated in forever but I had a sudden urge to write today :)
YOU ARE READING
Falling In Love (Bella Ramsey)
FanfictionAlex is a first-year student at King's College navigating life with the open wounds of her parent's rejection of her identity and her last relationship. There was very little to her life until she bumped into a person who would change that.
