Page 75 of An Unexpected Everything
WESTON
Bella had beenquiet ever since her father’s letter, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do to make it better.There was no making this better.Her father had always been an asshole. Everybody in town had known it, we just hadn’t known the full depth of his assholeness until he’d finally died. And with every newly unveiled secret, he just got even worse.
How he could attack Bella from the grave with nearly the exact thing she was worrying about, tore at me. The man had known exactly where to tear her down, highlighting the insecurities she tried to overcome—and the ones that plagued my mind when it came to a future together. Bella had a whole career, a life down in Denver. And I was in love with her. In love with Isabella Cage Dixon.
I was at my kid sister’s high school graduation. The ties that bound me here in the first place were slowly leaving. So I could find a way to live in Denver or any of the surrounding suburbs. If Bella wanted to work full-time at Cage Enterprises, I would find a way to make it work.
I wasn’t about to let her think that she had to give up one thing for another. Not like I had the first time without talking to her. I wasn’t going to make that stupid mistake again.
“Bruh, you paying attention?”
I looked over at Lance, shaking myself and my thoughts “What?”
“It’s almost the girls’ time. Aren’t you going to record this?”
I cursed under my breath and pulled out my phone as the principal called out their names.
“Samantha Robin Caldwell.”
Samantha skipped across the stage, tears sliding down her face. However, with the wide grin there, I knew it wasn’t about terror like what was running in my veins. She dashed off the stage after smiling and waving and I held up my phone, trying not to let my hands shake in excitement. And then she jumped into Mason’s arms since he had been two ahead of her. The crowd cheered, and I rolled my eyes.
“Seriously?” I mumbled.
Bella leaned into me, clapping along with the others. “He punched somebody for her. And though violence is never the answer, she probably thought it was hot.”
“Please don’t say things like that. Especially because I’m recording this,” I said.
Bella let out a laugh. “Oops.” And for the first time since the kitchen I saw humor in her gaze. Not the confusion and downright despair that had been etched over her features before.
“Sydney Anastasia Caldwell.”
Sydney lifted her chin but had no smile on her face. Instead she prowled across the stage as if she would be queen and these were her subjects. And when she took the diploma from her principal, she finally smiled.
Then she turned to the crowd and held up both hands.
“The Caldwells did it!”
The crowd roared.
This time I truly rolled my eyes.
“I love her,” Bella whispered.
Another kick to the gut.
It was so easy to say things like that, the fact that she loved my family.
Well why couldn’t I say the damn words that meant everything.
I nearly opened my mouth to say something, but we were drowned out by shouts and calls from other family members. I slid my phone into my pocket and inhaled deeply through my nose.
“We should talk after this.”
She looked up at me, startled. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”
My stomach fell, and I swallowed hard. Was she going to take her father’s words to heart? This couldn’t be over. We weren’t going to let another damn note ruin us.
I somehow made it stoically through the rest of the graduation, but I wanted to be anywhere but there. The girls were going to meet us later, and Lance was headed off with Joshua and Hudson for something. I wasn’t sure what they were planning, but all I could do was focus on what I needed to say to Bella.
