Xavier~
"Mr. Thompson, please get up; we have to leave." I rubbed my eyes as I listened to her gentle voice. I attempted to straighten my body and almost managed to avoid falling off the couch. I looked around me and found myself sleeping in an unfamiliar room that was on the couch.
"Don't look at my room in awe; I know it looks beautiful." I turned my head to look at her. She was standing in front of the dressing table and combing her hair.
"I apologize; I can't recall when I fell asleep last night." It was quite embarrassing for me to spend the night in her room.
"That's okay; everyone feels calm in my room." I turned to stare at her, bewildered to find my body covered in a blanket.
Did she wrap a blanket around my body the night before? But looking at her cold face, I find it hard to believe that she truly cares for me. Why didn't she wake me up and ask me to leave her room? Once again, my mind was filled with countless questions as I observed her mysterious behavior toward me.
I immediately rushed to Alan's room and found him getting ready for school.
"Uncle, good morning." His warm smile made my day.
"Alan, why are you going to school today? You should take a rest." I kneeled in front of him to see his deep blue eyes.
"No, uncle, I can't take leave from school. Mama says, "If I want to be a police officer, then I have to study hard."" His voice was filled with determination.
His words remind me of my childhood memories. When my dad requested I take a day off from school, I acted just like him.
"Let me comb your hair." I took a comb from his hand and combed his hair. As I helped him get ready for school, I experienced an odd sense of calm.
After changing out of my last night's attire, I sat in Alan's room to wait for her since she had requested that we go to meet someone special outside of town.
Alan grabbed my hand and dragged me to the dining hall for breakfast. I don't want to upset her by joining them at the dining table, but I can't resist Alan's persistent urging. She didn't have the same frown on her face as last night. Instead, she sat calmly and served breakfast.
The breakfast table felt like an invisible wall between us. Bella was back to that distant, guarded version of herself. It was like last night never happened. Her sudden shifts in mood left me wondering if I'd ever really understand what was going on inside her head.
When I saw that she was serving us breakfast by herself, I glanced at her in bewilderment.
"Is your maid on leave?" I could not hold my curiosity for too long and broke the silence by questioning her. She flinched at my question for a moment and then tried to speak, but before she could speak, Alan interrupted.
"No, uncle, we don't have any cooking maids in our house because my Daddy and I prefer the food prepared by my mama."
"Alan, how many times have I told you not to talk while eating meals?" She widened her eyes in an attempt to intimidate him.
After hearing Alan's words, I stared at her face in confusion. Why did she lie to me about those lunch boxes? Was everything she cooked specifically for me? She fixed her gaze on her plate quietly in an attempt to avoid any questions from me.
"Where do we have to go?" We sat in my car for a long, awkward silence before I questioned her.
"We have to visit Alicia's mom." She buckled up her seat.
"What? But why?" I didn't anticipate her visiting her stepmother due to the ongoing murder case.
"It's important to talk with her." She sat calmly in the passenger seat, as this seemed like no big deal to her.
"You have the right to question her in the courtroom, but why do you feel the need to meet her in person? Are you aware that Derrick could potentially use this meeting as leverage against us in court proceedings?" I am now fearful of her serene demeanor, as each instance of her calmness seems to portend a new storm in our lives.
'This is personal and has nothing to do with the murder case. Now drive; we are getting late." Her commanding tone prompted me to turn the car key.
I stole a glance at Bella. Her face was calm, but I knew better. There was always something bubbling beneath that surface of hers. What was she thinking, taking us to her stepmother's house? The more I tried to understand her, the further she seemed to pull away. And what was that phone call earlier about? The mention of DNA reports left a knot in my stomach, but I stayed quiet. Bella wasn't one to open up easily.
I am well aware of how Alicia and her mom used Bella's innocence against her and compelled her to stop her studies in the middle. Bella never tried to dispute with her stepsister or stepmother, even after witnessing their harsh side, so I'm not sure why she wanted to visit her today.
The entire drive to Alicia's mom was filled with awkward silence, but my inner conflict made me anxious. Bella seemed peaceful as if she were visiting her neighbor's house, but my pulse raced, thinking of her mother's response as Bella pressed her house doorbell.
"Why did you come here?" As soon as her mom, Lisa, opened the door, her face turned into bitterness upon seeing Bella in front of her.
"Mom, how are you?" She smiled warmly and attempted to wrap her arms around her.
"Don't come to me; you killed my daughter." She held her palm out in front of Bella to stop her from hugging her.
"And what about my dad? Does it need to be mentioned that you killed my dad?" My eyes widened in shock upon hearing Bella's words.
Did she already know this truth?
"What do you want from me?" Lisa looked scared upon hearing Bella.
"Mom, you are so kind, I want to visit Alicia's room." Her triumphant smile gave me the impression that she had successfully executed her plan.
"No, you can't visit my daughter's room." Lisa tried to oppose her.
"Do I need to file my dad's murder case in court?" Lisa gave her the key to Alica's room the moment she met her heated gaze.
I never saw her manipulative side before. Bella drew on all of her abilities in her pursuit of proof in this murder case. Initially, Bella demonstrated her flirting skills, and now she displays her aggressive side.
I followed her quietly to Alica's room, clearly unaware of what she was looking for in her room. She pulled out all the old diaries and albums from her cupboard and started looking for something. I wanted to ask her what she was searching for, but due to her intense focus on her work, I chose to remain silent.
While she was attempting to retrieve an album from the upper shelf of the Almirah, another album accidentally fell onto the floor, leaving it wide open. Feelings of shame welled up inside me as I looked at the snapshot of our college romance. To cover my embarrassment, I bowed my head and stared at the ground.
The sight of that old photo tore open a part of me that I had long since buried. I found it difficult to look at it, as it served as a stark reminder of my past actions. But Bella? She closed the album without flinching as if she'd already made peace with it. When all I could think about was the past, how could she be so detached?
"Yes, I found it." She jumped with joy at finding an old diary. I'm uncertain about the contents of the diary, but the contented expression on her face suggests that she has undoubtedly found a treasure.
She returned all the albums and documents to their proper places, but then a photograph fell on the floor again, reminding me of the biggest mistake of my life.