His Bella

TWENTY

"Bella!"

"Hi mom!", I walked into the house and hugged her.

"How are you?", she asked.

"I'm fine", I beamed, "I brought someone with me", I added, grinning as I turned to face the doorway where Wade walked in through.

She gasped, "Wade?", she asked and he nodded, "oh my God, it's you!"

She moved quickly to pull him into a hug. "How have you been?"

"I've been great, Mrs. Storm", he said softly as he hugged her, his gaze flickering to mine.

My mom released Wade and pulled him towards the living room by the hand. Everything in the living room was old fashioned besides the appliances. The couches were a faded brown with bleached spots on them. The coffee table in the center used to be brown as well but had been painted yellow by my mother when she decided to add a little color to the room. The walls used to be painted but now plain white wallpaper spread across them and framed pictures with short quotes by famous historians hung proudly on the walls. My gaze was fixed on a picture of Martin Luther King as I planted myself next to Wade. Mom sat on the couch across from us and smiled cheerily.

"You didn't tell me Wade was in town Bella", she said to me.

"I wasn't expecting it", I said turning to stare at Wade who smirked at me.

"I thought I'd visit", he said turning to face her.

"Now isn't that wonderful?", She said clapping her hands together and beaming. "How's the family? your dad and Axel?", she asked.

"Axel is in school right now", Wade said, "and my dad is dead", he added. I watched him tap a finger on the couch's armrest excessively.

"I'm so sorry about that", mom said in a sad tone.

"It's really nothing", he smiled at her, "it's really good to see you. Mrs. Storm", he said, "I heard abut your husband. I'm sorry"

Sadness flickered in mom's eyes for a moment but it disappeared quickly and her smile never wavered.

"Thank you", she said, "It's good to see you too darling", she stood, "and you're in luck today because I'm making mac and cheese", she added, "it isn't ready yet though so brownies?", she asked and Wade nodded excitedly.

"Wonderful, Bella please come help me", mom said as she left the room.

"I'll be back", I said softly to Wade and he smiled in return before turning to stare at his phone.

I walked out of the living room, pausing to stare a picture of my dad right next to the stairs that led to the rooms. He was a younger version of himself- dressed in cream colored khaki shorts and a blue shirt with a hat. He was standing on a boat during one of his many fishing trips with his old friends. My dad loved to fish until he met a woman who was very intense when it came to anima rights. She changed his beliefs about a lot of things. She was my mom's best friend- my aunt Shelby who introduced them to each other. Aunt Shelby and my mom spoke once in a long while because she was travelling the world but their conversations made mom very happy.

She was pouring some orange juice into a glass cup when I walked into the kitchen, "are you and wade back together?", she whispered rather loudly.

"No mom!", I said quickly, glancing at the door behind me and hoping he didn't hear

"What?", she asked, "excuse me if I assumed too much from the way he looks at you", she said and I shrugged. "Stacy called this morning, she's at Linda's?"

"Yeah, Linda's mom is apparently sick and Stacy had to go stay with them for a while", I said as I began to play with spoons.

"Poor thing", mom said, placing the brownies on a plate.

"Linda's mom?"

"No, I mean Stacy"

I chuckled as mom poured orange juice into another cup, "want some?"

"Yup", I said taking the cup and drinking slowly.

"So how do you feel with Wade here?", she asked.

"Honestly-", I couldn't lie to my mom, "-weird"

"It's normal", she said, "does Noah know about him?"

"No way!"

She frowned, "why not dear?"

"He'll freak out about it and I don't want that yet", I said, "but I actually plan on telling him today"

"Really?", she asked

"Yes, we're supposed to meet up when Wade and I leave here"

"Wade is going to see Noah with you?", She asked, her eyes wide open

"God no!", I said as I grimaced at the thought of it.

Mom placed the plate of brownies and the cup of juice on a tray and lifted it, watching as I finished the juice in my cup and smiled at her. I collected the tray and walked out of the kitchen.

"You know he still has that same old look in his eyes when he stares at you", she whispered.

"You're seeing things", I said as we walked back into the living room.

Wade looked up from his phone and smiled at me.

"I'm sure you see it too", Mom said.

***
"These movies are shit compared to the books", I said sadly

When we got back to the apartment, I managed to make Wade get off his phone and watch a movie of his choice with me. He picked 'The Lightning Thief'.

"They should have made Rick the director", I said again

"Who the hell is Rick?", He asked, his gaze on the screen.

"The writer of the books"

"I think the movie is actually cool"

"That's because you haven't read the books yet!"

"I don't really read books", he said, "or watch movies"

I glanced at him, "at all?"

"I have a business to run", he said, "leisure doesn't happen for me"

"That's really sad", I muttered and he snorted.

"This movie would be better with pizza", he waved his phone in the air

"Let's do it"

As he turned on his phone, the sound of rapt knocks filled the apartment.

"Wow, the pizza guy is fast", I said.

Wade frowned at me, "are you expecting anyone?"

I shook my head.

He paused the movie, "wait here and don't move", he rushed towards the guest room.

There was another series of knocks and I stood. Wade appeared in a matter of seconds with a gun in his hand.

"Wade? why in God's name is there a gun in my apartment?", i whispered loudly as the knocks increased.

"Because guns keep people safe where I come from", he whispered back.

"No, Guns kill people"

"Just go open the damn door Bella"

He walked into the kitchen, hiding behind the door- out of sight. My heart pounded as I walked towards the door, opening it and praying silently that Wade was overreacting and it wasn't really a killer.

"Noah?"

"What the fuck Bella?!", Noah yelled angrily, walking past me into the apartment, "you ignore me, refuse to pick up my calls and then you stood me up", he said in an angry tone, "what the hell is going on?"

I shut the door and turned to stare at a furious Noah.

I totally forgot we had plans.