Belle

Chapter 24

Bella's POV

Three weeks have passed since James's parents found out about my pregnancy. Honestly, it feels great being able to talk to them about the baby. Pam and Victor have always been like my second parents, and they've proven it by being by my side through my pregnancy unlike my own mother.

My bump was a lot more noticable now and my clothes aren't fitting anymore. I've been getting more stares recently and I thinks it's because I've been wearing tight clothes that show off my bump. It's not like I have a choice, really.

Kyle and I were officially boyfriend and girlfriend as of last week. He took me to a movie and a romantic dinner before asking me to be is girlfriend. It was the most romantic night of my life. We've been spending a lot more time together and he now sits with us at lunch. Maybe it's just my overthinking pregnancy brain, but I could help catch the death stares James have been sending towards Kyle and honestly, it's pissing me off. He said that he would cool it with trying to control my life and he hasn't said anything to me, but I can tell he isn't happy.

"Why doesn't Michelle sit with us, James?" Kyle ends the silence that was floating around us at lunch, pulling me from my thoughts. James looked up from his salad, an annoyed expression on his face but he quickly hid it with a fake smile.

"Belle and Michelle don't get along, remember?" He said sarcasm oozing from his lips. An embarrassed expression came across Kyle's face with a slight blush.

"Ah, right. I forgot, sorry babe." He said, turning to me with a shy smile. I chuckled, kissing his cheek. I saw James tense up from the corner of my eye and I had to push down the anger burning in the pit of my stomach.

What is his problem?

"It's alright, Kyle. It's not your fault she likes to start shit with me." I say, blushing as I realize how immature I sound.

"I think Michelle is just jealous of your friendship with James." Megan cuts in, making us all face her. "You've been best friends since childhood. She'll never have that kind of bond with him that you do." She gives me a knowing look, trying to send a message through her eyes.

"Yeah well, she doesn't need to be a child about it." I mutter, turning back to poke at my salad. I felt Kyle's arm around my shoulder before the smell of his gum hit my face.

"Don't worry about Michelle. She's just a bitch like everyone else in this school." He whispers in my ear with a smirk. I heard James sigh quietly, tossing his fork on his tray before standing up and walking towards the trash cans.

Seriously, what is his problem?

~~~

An irresistible smile grew on my face, my heart fluttering in my chest. I turned the page of the photo album, my eyes wondering over it with such curiosity. A picture of my father, holding a baby in his arms. The date on the picture was my birthday, which only made me heart flutter more. A huge smile was spread across his face as he looked down at me, his eyes sparkling with happiness. I smile, looking at another photo on the same page. It was a picture of my father, around four or five, sitting in the bathtub, a bubble beard on his face. I giggled to myself, thinking about how childish my father always been.

"I wondered where that went." A voice brought me back to the real world. I look up, startled to see my grandmother watching me with a smile. "I thought I lost it in the move." She walked over and took a seat next to me on the couch.

"I saw it in a box upstairs, and I got curious." I say shyly, looking back down at the pictures.

"I'm glad you saw it, I probably never would've found it." She smiled at me. "Do you remember this day?" My grandmother said, pointing to a photo of James, Megan and I sitting on the jungle gym at the park, big goofy smiles on our faces and ice cream cones in our hands. We were probably six or seven at the time.

"Yeah. That was the last day of summer so dad took us all to get ice cream and to play at the park." I said with a smile, tears forming in my eyes. I turned the page and a photo I never thought I'd see again caught my eye. My breath caught in my throat as my heart literally skipped a beat. It was a photo of my father, a couple hours before he died. Him and I were sitting on the couch, eating chocolate ice cream out of tubs with baby Abby sitting on his lap. We had chocolate all over our faces and big smiles. I was five at the time and I had just lost my front tooth. I remember that day like it was yesterday. My father wanted to have an ice cream party just for the heck of it, because that's the type of person he was. My mom managed to dig out two tubs of ice cream from the freezer, but my dad didn't think that was enough.

"Where are you going, daddy?" I asked him, jumping up down with excitement as he put on his jacket. He smiled down at me, crouching down so we was eye level with me.

"I'm just going to run to the store to get more ice cream. I'll be back in ten minutes, okay princess?"

"Can I come with you? Please daddy?" I pleaded, not wanting to be far from him for too long.

"No, princess. You stay here and watch over mommy and Abby for me." I pouted, which made him chuckle. "I'll be back soon, princess. I love you."

"I love you too, daddy." I said and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Be back as soon as you can."

"I will, princess. I promise." He chuckled and I released him from my hug before he opened the front door and walked out.

That was the last time I ever saw him.

"I miss him so much, nan." I choked, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I should've stopped him."

"Oh honey, you didn't know that would happen. You couldn't of, you were too young." My grandmother said, pulling me into a side hug and rubbing my back soothingly.

A couple hours later we got a call from the police. My father was found dead in a car accident just two minutes away from our house with two tubs on chocolate ice cream in the passenger seat. When my mother tried to explain why my father wouldn't be coming home, I couldn't understand why. My five year old mind couldn't understand why the person I adored the most would never come home again. As I got older, I started to realize and put the pieces together.

"I wish he was here right now. I wish he was here to yell at me for getting pregnant and then hug me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I wish we could have an ice cream party and go to the park and play tag." I sobbed and rested my head on my grandmother's chest. "I wish I had my dad."

"I wish he was here too, Bella. But Danny is watching over us and guiding us through the hard times." She squeezed me tight, trying to comfort me.

"I'm hungry." I blurt out, trying to change the subject. My heart was aching for my dad to pop out of the sky and give me to the biggest hug, but that wasn't going to happen so I just had to continue moving on. My grandmother chuckled.

"How about I make you some tacos?" She offered, making me sit up with a smile on my face.

"Please?" I sniffled, wiping the tears that were falling down my cheeks.

"Of course, sweetheart." She kissed my cheek with a smile before standing up and walking into the kitchen.

~~~

Vote if you've got Daddy Issues. <3