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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❝ EMBRY CALL CAN GO FUCKHIMSELF. ❞ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
THE SOUND OF Bella's scream tore through the quiet of the house, piercing and raw. Talia froze mid-step in the kitchen, her glass of water slipping slightly in her grasp. For a moment, she thought she'd imagined it, but then came another cry—louder, anguished.
"Bella!" Talia's voice wavered with panic as she abandoned the glass on the counter and bolted toward the stairs.
Charlie burst out of his room, his face etched with fear. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice gruff from sleep.
"It's Bella! She's screaming," Talia replied, already halfway up the stairs.
They reached Bella's door at the same time, and Charlie pushed it open, revealing Bella thrashing in her bed, her face twisted in agony.
"No! No, please!" Bella cried out, her voice hoarse, her hands gripping the sheets like they were her only tether to reality.
"Bella, wake up! It's just a dream!" Charlie rushed to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed and shaking her gently. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay. I'm here."
Talia stood frozen in the doorway, her chest tight as she watched. She had heard about Bella's nightmares but had never witnessed them until now. The rawness of her screams and the sheer terror on her face were overwhelming.
After a few moments of Charlie's soothing words and soft touches, Bella jolted awake, her eyes wide and unfocused. She gasped for air like she'd been underwater, her body trembling violently.
"Dad?" Bella's voice was a whisper, her gaze finally settling on him.
"I'm here," Charlie said firmly, his voice filled with calm reassurance. "You're okay. It was just a nightmare."
Bella collapsed into his arms, her breathing still uneven as she clung to him. Charlie held her tightly, murmuring soothing words.
Talia lingered by the door, feeling like an intruder in a moment that was both deeply personal and heart-wrenching. Her heart ached for Bella, but she knew this was Charlie's moment to comfort his daughter. Quietly, she backed out of the room, leaving them to their privacy.
Downstairs, the weight of what she'd seen pressed heavily on her chest. Talia curled up on the living room couch, pulling a blanket over herself. She stared at the ceiling, replaying the scene in her mind—the terror in Bella's cries, the anguish on her face.
