The Con Man

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alex woke up to the sound of Belle's bedroom door creaking, he pretended to remain asleep. Alex had been up for a while because the couch was not the best place to fall asleep and he knew it was only five o'clock in the morning.

"What is she doing up so early?" Alex thought to himself.

Belle stepped out her room and saw Alex asleep in the couch, his six foot three inch frame barely fitting on the sofa. Belle wondered how come he had slept through the night in such an uncomfortable position and guilt surged through her but she tried to ignore it as she had something far more important do and that was run away. She was going to leave California and go somewhere else for a few days till he was here in San Jose and this way she would not have to face him. She was still confused about everything that he had told her last night and she knew that he was not wrong in a way. She had once read somewhere that "It is not the person who is bad but the circumstances that turn the person into what they are" and she could see it relating perfectly fine to Alex. It were the circumstances that made him who he was but he wanted to find a way out and he did and today he was well in his way to be a better person.

"Then why can't I let him come back in my life?"Belle wondered and she knew the answer. She was scared of getting hurt again, she was scared of letting more people into her life and letting them play with her feeling. She was not ready for this and that is why she was going to leave all this behind.

"Running is not a solution" a voice in her head whispered but she ignored it and tip toed to where Alex was asleep on the couch. She stood next to him and looked at his perfect face. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. Belle pried her eyes away from his face and nudged him on the shoulder but there was no response from him. He was fast asleep. Belle hurriedly took some food from kitchen, mostly for Hazel and grabbed Hazel's medicine kit. She then went back to her room and threw everything in a duffel bag along with her and Hazel's clothes.

Belle lifted the mattress and reached for the money she had kept there for emergencies. It was five thousand dollars, sufficient for them to leave this place. She needed to inform her employers and she planned do to that from a payphone the way.

Belle gently lifted the blanket off Hazel and kissed her cheek.

"Hey baby...wake up...Mama is taking her baby bear somewhere...come on" Belle whispered and Hazel rubbed her eyes and yawned.

Belle helped her out of her bed and took her towards the washroom to freshen her up.

"Where are we going Mama?" Hazel asked as they went to the washroom.

"Shhh....I will tell you later. It is a surprise"

"MAMA SURPRISE. WE ARE GOING!" Hazel exclaimed.

Belle hushed her and looked at Alex to see if he was still asleep. She watched as Alex's rolled over and continued to sleep. Belle let out a sigh of relief.

She hurriedly helped Hazel with her morning routine and grabbed necessities from the washroom and packed everything. She changed Hazel into a comfortable dress and she got into a pair of denims and a shirt.

"Now Hazel, be very quite. We don't want to disturb the man sleeping on the couch. He is going to look after our house when we leave okay?"

Hazel nodded and held Belle's hand.

Belle put the strap of the duffel bag across her body and lifted Hazel up. She then silently got out her room and just as she was about to reach for the main door handle, Alex spoke up from behind, scaring Belle out of her wits.

"Going somewhere Isabelle? It is only half past five in the morning. A bit too early don't you think?"

Belle turned around and watched Alex as he got up from the couch and made his way towards her. Alex had realized she was up to something when he heard her sneaking around the apartment and then Hazel had exclaimed something about going somewhere and he knew his doubt was right; she was going to run away.

Belle gulped and looked away from the fury in his hazel eyes.

"I asked you something Isabelle. Were you running away?"

"I need to go Alex. Please don't stop me"

Alex controlled his anger as he didn't want to scare Hazel.

"Yes perfectly great. Run away. I pour my frikkin heart out to you last night, tried to explain everything and fix our relation but what do I get in return?"

"There is nothing to fix Alex. Everything is broken beyond repair. We cannot do anything"

"Hell we can't Isabelle. We can try. WE not just me, I tried last night and now it was your turn to put in your efforts but what are you doing? You are pulling a vanishing act on me. What makes you think if you would have ran away from here I would have not torn the earth in half looking for you?"

"I said I don't want to talk about this!" Belle yelled at Alex.

Alex had enough. He couldn't take this anymore, he had done everything he could but this woman was refusing to put in any effort so now he was going to play dirty as well.

"You know what, I agree, even I don't want to talk about this anymore. I will see you in court Isabelle Hawking, where I will fight you for my daughter's custody and don't even think about running away. I will find you, no matter where you go." Alex said and stormed out of the apartment slamming the door on his way out.

Belle watched as the broken lock could not hold the door in its frame and it rebounded back from the frame, just like Belle couldn't hold on to her life. She was broken and she couldn't hold on anymore.