Chapter 80

Bella-Rose POV

"You don't know the whole story. Let me speak to Bella first", James said as he ran his hands through his hair once again.

"We don't need to hear your story, Mr. McKenzie. And neither does Bella. You have done enough. Now, please leave my home", dad said adamantly, his hands on his hips.

"I won't move a step until I talk to Bella. You can say whatever you want, but she will listen", James matched the posture of dad as he stood straight within a few steps of dad.

"I'm asking you kindly to leave Mr. McKenzie. Otherwise, I may have to use the help of law. You are trespassing after all", dad said cracking his knuckles, showing James he is ready to take him down if the occasion calls for it.

"You are Bella's father, that's why I'm overseeing this threat. However, do not threaten me with the law again. You won't like the consequences", James said calmly though, a storm can be seen brewing in his eyes. Dad is taken back with his undeterred stance.

"What did she see in you?" Dad asked as he took a step towards James. Nana quickly sprang into action and blocked his path.

"William, maybe we can let him talk to her", Nana tried to cajole dad, clutching his arm.

"No! My daughter is going nowhere near this guy". Dad then turned to him, poked on James's chest, and said, " you have messed up her life enough. I won't let you ruin it anymore"

"I'm not the one who is ruining it", James said as if he was gritting each word out.

"Aren't you the one who hides the fact that you are married?" Dad tilted his head a bit and narrowed his eyes

"I will talk about that to Bella", James said as he stared directly at dad. Dad fisted his hand and took a step back composing himself.

"Answer me, Mr.McKenzie. Have you married Jacqueline McKenzie 13 years ago or not?" Dad asked in a neutral tone with a straight face giving nothing away.

"I don't have to answer you", James said, breaking the eye contact, avoiding dad's intense gaze.
"You have answered anyway, Mr. McKenzie. Denying the question in itself answered it", dad said triumph lacing his words.

"I have my reasons", James said loudly, not budging before dad.

"And we are not interested to hear them. From your words, you have agreed that you married Jacqueline McKenzie 13 years ago. Yet, you tried to date my daughter. You may have an open marriage Mr. McKenzie, but my daughter is not a tool to play with. You had no right to trifle with her feelings. What has she done to you to play with her emotions like that?" Dad snapped his anger mounting as he barrelled with his words.

"I would never hurt her. Never", James said, raising his right hand as if to stop the attack of dad's words.

"You already did Mr. McKenzie. Now, kindly leave my home before I arrest you", dad said jutting his chin.

"Just try it officer and see what happens", James taunted with a tight-lipped smile.

"Why you-"

"Dad! Let me talk to him", I said loudly, stepping down the remaining steps and making my presence known.

"Oh, Bella! You shouldn't have come", Mom said as she wrung her hands nervously.

"I asked you to stay in the room Bella", dad scowled, disapproval ringing in his tone.

"Bella!"James said, his eyes piercing me, scanning me from top to bottom. It shouldn't have affected me. Yet it did. His glance rejuvenated the feelings that I thought were under control.

Both pain and pleasure wrecked me at the same time. My heart skipped a beat while my gut clenched in pain. I took a long breath to control my body's reaction to him. Stupid body. Even after learning the truth, it is doing this. I turned my neck, avoiding eye contact with him, and said to my dad, "let me speak to him alone"

"No!" Dad gave a bellow displaying his anger.

Mathew, who has been silent since this ordeal, gently laid his hand on dad's shoulder and said, "Let her do the talking, William. I think Bella is sensible enough to make her own decisions"

"But-", dad tried to protest, however, Mathew gently pressed his hand on dad's shoulder and said, "she needs to handle this herself, William. Give her a chance. She may surprise you. She is stronger than you give her credit for"

Mom who stood silently also chimed in, "yes, William. It's Bella's decision. We shouldn't push our decisions on her. She is our girl. She will choose wisely. Let her decide"

"Very well. But note that I'm just a few steps away", dad warned James as he threw daggers with his eyes at him.

Mom, Nana, and Mathew followed suit, giving me the privacy to sort out the matters.

I never saw dad getting angry at anyone. This side of him is new to me. However, it's not time to hash out dad's behavior. I shielded my heart and wiped my face clean of any emotion as I turned to face James.

What I saw in his eyes made it difficult for me to say what I meant to say, but I have to. For my own peace of mind.

"Whatever your motive was... whatever you came here to explain, I don't want to hear. I have no interest in it. If it's not clear to you, it's over between us James. Please leave as dad said", I laid out poker-faced.

"You don't mean that. Look into my eyes and say that", James said, covering the distance between us with his huge steps.

I hardened myself, stared directly into his eyes, and said, "it's over James McKenzie. Our breakup is fatalistic. Nothing could have changed it. You made sure about that."

"What about being mine? You said you will wait for me. What happened to that?" James asked as he searched my eyes. He raised his hands to touch me. I backed down a step to avoid it.

Unable to face him any longer, I turned away, giving him my back, and replied, " that was before I learned the truth about your marriage. I don't know... what she meant to you or about your past.

Anything... anything that is related to you. You can't blame me for it. I too realized after last night that whatever is between us was just an infatuation. You are the first male I went out with. I was overwhelmed", a hitch escaped my body even though I tried to suppress it, "I think it's in our best interest if you don't visit me anymore"

"Why don't you say that to my face Bella?" James sounded angry as he stood right behind me. Why must he always try to corner me! I closed my eyes tighter to stop the tears that are welling up in them. Clearing the lump in my throat I replied,

"I don't have to. I think I was clear enough the first time. Please leave Mr. McKenzie"

"I don't believe you, little red. You are not thinking this clearly. I understand last night was rough for you. You are not ready to listen to what I have to say now. You are upset. I get that. I will come again. Maybe you will be calmer then. Now that I found you, I'm not leaving you, Bella.
You have to listen then. This is not over between us", James whispered in my ear.

My body tensed, reacting to his proximity. Before it can cloud my senses, I replayed our relationship before my eyes.

In my mind, It all became clear to me as I saw with new light each moment we shared, each mail we passed. How he diverted any topics of his past... how he sabotaged the phone call with Amanda... how he never responded to my question of love with a direct answer.

Shielding myself while keeping his maneuver frontside in my mind, I whirled angrily at him.

I said with angry tears rolling down my cheeks, "that's the thing with you, James. You demand. You don't request nor share. You command. I don't have to listen to you... to look at you... to speak to you. But I'm doing it. Because that's what any decent human being does. But no, you want everything to go according to your wish. Forget about everything. Just answer me one question. Only one. During our entire relationship, has it ever occurred to you, at least once, to tell me the truth about your marriage?"

James' mouth set in a hard line as he avoided my eyes.

"It's not that easy Bella. Do you really believe that I would willingly hide something from you... that I could cheat?", James tried to reason.

The little hairs on my arms stood to attention as he continued to stare, waiting for an answer. I wiped my eyes with my hand and prompted,

"It's a simple yes or no question, James. You questioning me doesn't change the fact." My eyes hardened while inwardly I wailed at his indirect admittance.

"Nothing is simple about us Bella", James said.

A lone traitor tear trailed down my cheek at his indirect answer. As he tracked it with his eyes, I quickly wiped it away, and turning away from him once again, I said,

"It is what we make it, James. But you decided not to. And I'm not ok with that James. I don't know if you are really married or not or whatever you and... her are playing at. Honestly, I don't care anymore. You destroyed our relationship when you decided to keep me in the dark. You have no right... no right to drag me into your life. At least give me the decency to walk away with my head held high. Please, James. You owe me that"

James hugged me from behind, tightly engulfing me in his scent. I stood still, numb to my senses, not accepting his touch nor withdrawing from it.

"This is not over Bella. You. Are. Mine. No one can change that. I will go for now. But remember that I will come back for you", James kissed my head lightly and tore his arms away from around me, and moved away.

I whirled as I saw him walking away from my life. Unbeknownst to me, my feet carried me behind him following his steps.

I couldn't stop myself from calling him one last time, "James?"

He stopped at the front door, giving me his back. It's a good thing because I couldn't question him looking at his face anyway.

"Have you ever... felt guilty?"

"Bella-"

"My answer is in your reply, James. If you think you are doing wrong, then...only then, you feel guilty. So... have you?"

Instead of answering me, James titled his head sideways and without looking at me said,
"We will talk later Bella"

However, just as he opened the front door, a succession of flashes clicked from the other side. A mob has gathered around our home with cameras zoning at James and me standing behind him.
What the hell!