Bet On Us [L.P.]

5. Dinner with the Ryder's

The Ryder's residence ^^^

"What?" Belle nervously chuckles.

"N-nothing," I stutter, "I'm just glad you liked the flowers. You're the first girl I give them to actually." I say blushing at my own confession. My new revelation seems to make Belle happy, though, as her eyes begin to light up.

"Really? No one back in London or here ever good for good, old Liam?" She teases me, playfully hitting my arm with her tiny fist.

I let out a small laugh. "Something like that."

After Belle and I have a small conversation, her mother let's all the guests know that the meal has been served in the dining room. Annabella loops her arm with mine, bringing a smile upon my face as we make our way into her home. The dining room is elegantly designed, two chandeliers dangling in the ceiling above the dining table set for 20. I have never seen a table so long before. There are photographs of beaches during sunset and of sunrise by waterfalls and cliffs. I assume they were all taken by Belle so I let her know they're beautiful, making her immediately blush at my compliment.

"Some were taken here in California and the others in Alaska." She smiles at her photographs as if remembering the very moment she took them. "I was having a tough time before I went on these trips, but these sights helped me forget about my problems."

"What kind of problems?" I ask, wondering what kind of problems the beautiful girl in front of me could've gone through.

She looks up at me, an unreadable expression on her face. "Inevitable problems I wouldn't wish for anybody to go through."

Before I could ask her to elaborate on what she just said, we are seated by Maggie at the dining room table. I sit next to Annabella, who sits across from her mother and next to her father who's at the head of the table. Maggie made a delicious steak with salad and baked potato as side dishes. We were served red wine, except for Belle who decided to have lemonade instead.

Throughout dinner, Belle and I shared some funny stories about our childhood. She told me how she once colored her bedroom walls with crayons when she was seven while her parents were away on a business trip. I told her all about the pranks us boys would do at the orphanage in our failed attempts of wooing the girls there.  

The guests all share stories about their adventures in the hospital, and praise Mrs. Ryder for doing a great job at running her side of the wing at the hospital. I made some conversation with a man sitting to the right of me named Robert. He told me he was one of the main nurses appointed to Mrs. Ryder and how he very much loves his job. Even though his stories from the hospital were quite interesting, I found myself staring at Belle interact with the guests most of time. God, how can someone as small as her completely change my outlook on life?

After another hour of good laughs and stolen glances, the guests started saying their goodbyes, thanking the Ryder's for the invitation.

"No, thank you Susan!" Mrs. Ryder tells a middle aged red head. "Hope you have a good night and see you tomorrow at the hospital!"

And with that all the guests have left and Maggie has began cleaning the dining room. I tried helping her but she scolded me and said she had no problem cleaning it herself.

"Maggie hates when we try to help her. She says it makes her feel useless." Belle laughs at me after getting in trouble by Maggie.

"Well that's the last time I try to be the good guy." I fake a scowl on my face making Belle giggle.

"You're too kind, Liam. There's no way you have any bad in you." Belle smiles up at me with adoration, bringing the guilt back to my mind.

I shake my head at her. "People aren't always what they seem, Belle."