Butterflies | Charli Damelio

ch.8

Bella woke up to the blaring sound of her gym alarm. Groggy and reluctant, she lay in bed for a moment, contemplating whether to stay hidden all day. But she knew she couldn't avoid reality forever. She decided that some normalcy might help her clear her head, so she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for the gym. She left without waiting for Vinnie, grabbing Thomas's car keys and heading out. The drive was a blur of music and introspection.

Once at the gym, Bella put on her headphones and walked in with her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. She usually greeted the workers with smiles and hellos, but today, she just kept to herself.

Meanwhile, Vinnie had knocked on Bella's door earlier but received no answer. Assuming she was still asleep, he went about his morning routine and made his way to the gym. When he arrived, he saw Bella at the punching bag, her headphones in place, focused intently on her workout.

Vinnie approached the front desk where the usual staff was.

**Vinnie:** "Hey, any chance you could tell me when that girl over there got here?"

He pointed at Bella, who was lost in her exercise. The front desk worker glanced over.

**Worker:** "Oh, yeah, you two usually come in together, right?"

**Vinnie:** "Yeah."

**Worker:** "She came in about 20 minutes ago."

**Vinnie:** "Cool, thanks."

After buying a Gatorade, Vinnie made his way to the boxing area and set his stuff down. He stretched, keeping an eye on Bella, who was still immersed in her routine.

Bella was hitting the punching bag with fierce determination before stopping to rest her forehead against it. She caught her breath and looked up, finally noticing Vinnie. She gave him a weak smile, feeling a pang of guilt for how she had treated him the night before. He had only been trying to help, and she had pushed him away.

Bella took off her gloves and walked over to Vinnie.

**Bella:** "Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for leaving without you this morning."

**Vinnie:** "Hey, it's all good. At least you're talking to me now."

**Bella:** "Yeah, sorry about that too."

**Vinnie:** "It's okay, Bels. I just need you to know I'm here for you, always. I mean, you should know that, but just in case you forgot."

**Bella:** "Yup, got it."

Vinnie let Bella be, sensing she needed some space. They both continued their workouts with their headphones on. After their session, they left the gym, only to find paparazzi waiting outside, snapping photos and recording videos. Bella remained quiet and Vinnie kept his comments brief. Bella got into her car, said a quick goodbye to Vinnie, and drove off.

As she drove, Bella couldn't stop thinking about Charli. The previous day had been a whirlwind of emotions, and she was haunted by the thought of how she had left Charli. All Bella wanted was to protect Charli from getting hurt, but in doing so, she felt like she was pushing her away. She couldn't decide if she was hurting Charli more by staying distant. The conflicting feelings inside her were overwhelming—she felt like she should fly home to be with her mom, even though her mom had insisted she stay away. The strained relationship with Bryce only added to her frustration. Despite the chaos, thoughts of Charli brought a flutter of happiness that Bella couldn't ignore.

Back at home, Charli had spent the morning with Dixie, trying to distract herself with coffee and a bit of sisterly support. Dixie's attempts to cheer her up were appreciated, but Charli knew comforting wasn't her sister's strong suit. When they returned home, Noah and Dixie went upstairs to Dixie's room, while Charli waited to be picked up by her team for a photo shoot with Born Dreamer.

Bella arrived home, and her family was already in the kitchen. She forced a weak smile and scanned the room for Bryce, but he was nowhere to be seen. Most of the house members were present, but Vinnie and Bryce were missing. As she made her way to her room, she noticed everyone watching her.

**Bella:** "Hey, guys. I'm really sorry for being in a bitchy mood last night. That's not who I am, and I feel bad for coming off as rude. I've just... well, you know, Bryce and I have some tough stuff to figure out with our family and between each other."

**Mia:** "Hey, it's okay. We get it, Bella. We accept your apology."

**Kouvr:** "Yeah, dealing with family drama is never easy. We're here for you."

**Thomas:** "Thanks for apologizing and explaining. It's appreciated. If you need anything, let us know. We've got you."

**Blake:** "Yeah, your brother's not talking to any of us, so thanks for giving us some context."

**Bella:** "Yeah, for sure. I don't want you guys to think I'm a bitch or something, but life is kinda kicking my ass right now."

Bella smiled weakly, and so did the others.

**Bella:** "Um, is Vinnie home already?"

**Alex:** "Yeah, he's showering."

**Bella:** "Cool. Do I need to make any content or anything, Thomas?"

**Thomas:** "Oh, we just have a group video tomorrow. As for today, just do what you've been doing."

**Bella:** "Cool."

Bella walked to her room, locked the door behind her, and began preparing for the rest of her day.