|just tell me that you love me z.m.|

1.7

The tension in the air was thick as Bella tapped her heels against the floor, hands entwined with Zayn. Her nerves were sky high as she watched her sister order what she desired to eat. Bella was trying to be civil, and she realized there was no way she could do that in her home where no one was watching. She was absolutely positive that if they spoke behind closed walls, she would've done something she would regret.

"Belle you look beautiful in your catalogue for So Chic!" Lexie tries to speak with her stubborn big sister.

"Thank you." Bella gritted though her teeth, before looking up at the waiter.

"The usual?" Niall asked, a smile on his face. Bella grinned and nodded. The Greenhouse was Bella's favorite restaurant and she ate her at least twice a month, so she had become quite familiar with the blonde waiter. They even went out for coffee together twice, and were friends.

"Yes please."

"Mum, Lexie..this is Niall. He's a really good friend of mine." Bella introduces, and smiles as she watches them shake hands. "Niall that's my sister Lexie."

"It's so nice to meet you. I'll go put your orders in. Please let me know if you guys need anything else."

"Thank you." Everyone except Zayn chirped. Bella kicked Zayn's foot, which caused him to fake a smile.

"He so likes you." Lexie says, looking at her sister with a smile. Lexie wore a green long sleeved T-shirt with her straight hair down. Lexie and Bella resembled each other uncannily, so Bella could kind of understand Zayn's side of the story.

"Well I'm so practically married to Zayn so I don't care." Zayn grinned at Bella's words, holding onto her hand tightly. His jealousy has diminished a little because he completely trusted Bella. He knew she was gorgeous and impossible not to stare at, but he also knew she would never hurt him.

That's why it hurts him knowing that he almost broke her. The fact that she would take a grenade for him, and he couldn't wait a couple of months for her. He was so, so stupid.

Lexie swallowed and nodded, a little smile present on her face.

"I heard you got into CLS, congrats." Zayn said, eyes glued on the table awkwardly. Lexie was barely legal, and what he did could have landed him in prison.

"Thank you for writing that recommendation letter. It really helped my transcripts and everything."

Lexie was studying to become a lawyer, and she was accepted to Chicago Law School on Zayn's behalf. Zayn's good friend, Thomas Vowel, was the dean of the academics and welcomed Lexie wholeheartedly. Zayn was an elite alumni, and had many connections there.

"No problem.." Zayn answered, playing with the ring on Bella's ringer. He twisted it around and softly caressed her hand, trying to get her to calm down.

"Okay this is extremely awkward so we need to talk about what you dumbasses did while I was gone because it is definitely not water under the bridge, it fucking flooded the bridge and I need to talk about what happened to properly forgive you ungrateful despicable-"

"Bella, calm." Her mother cooed. She looked at Lexie with disappointment, but she still took her hand. She knew deep down Lexie was crying because of what she did. Lexie is just so.. cold. She refuses to show any trace of emotion and there is no particular reason why. It's just the way she is.

"Anyways, Lexie you better have a good excuse to have fucked my fiancé."

"I don't have one.. I was a little tipsy and we had been hanging out for a while and it just happened." Lexie says, taking another sip of her mother's mojito.

"Lexie things like that don't just happen." Their mother reasoned, "Are you angry at your sister?"

"What..why would I-yes." Lexie answered. "Dad wrote to you, not to me. He invited you to his home and I wrote back, pretending to be you. He said he doesn't want anything to do with the rest of the family. Just you. It's always been you Bella. Always. You got all the boys and the grades and everyone back home in Maine loves you."

"You had all the opportunities I've had I do not understand why you feel jealousy towards me. You're smart and loved and pop-"

"That's not true. I'm just known as Bella's little sister. That's literally all I am and I'm tired of it. I want to be important because of me, not because of everyone's obsession with you."

"So you fucked my fiancé because you were feeling angry at me?"

"That and I mean..look at him he's gorgeous. And I thought you were dead Bella."

"You're just an insecure little brat who wants my life. I'm sorry that you have trust issues and that's why no one likes you. It's not my fault that you refuse to open up. And about your daddy issues, you need to get it through your thick head that he never loved any of us. Not you or me or mom. When he left he only took the dog, Lex. He's heartless and cold and that's not your fault. There is nothing wrong with you, and everything wrong with him."

"I deserve everything you have to do or say but I am genuinely sorry about what I did." Lexie says, looking into Bella's eyes with desperation.

"So am I," Bella's voice broke as she wiped a tear away.

"C-can you forgive me?"

"Slowly. You have a lot of atoning to do."