💫She's Different💫

Bella Avoids

May 4th
"Bella, breakfast is ready my love." She didn't budge and I frowned.
"Bella? It's time to wake up." I looked over and her eyes were open.
"Breakfast?"
"Yes. Breakfast. You haven't eaten since last night baby."
"I'm not hungry."
"Bella, you have to eat something before gym today. You can't function on an empty stomach."
"I'm not in the mood for gym." I sat down next to my daughter and moved her long, curly hair out of her face and moved her finger from her mouth and she turned over and looked me in the eye.
"You have to go."
"Please Mom. I really don't want too."
"Tell me why."
"Because I don't wanna go if I can't pay attention. Last time coach scolded me because I wasn't being attentive."
"Why weren't you being attentive?"
"Because."
"Because?" She turned away and didn't answer.
"Bella, answer me when I'm speaking to you."
"Woof!" Chase jumped up and Bella played with him.
"I just wasn't paying attention."
"Baby, what has been on your mind?" She stopped petting Chase and got up.
"Bella?" She got up with Chase in hand and started to walk.
"Hey, we're just talking. Don't be afraid."
"Woof!" She gave Chase a kiss and sat back down.
"I'm not thinking about anything. Nothing at all." She's lying. Bella was looking down at the floor and kicking her feet. What is she hiding?
"Bella, you don't have to hide anything from me. If you have to lie to me, it shouldn't be something to hide."
"I'm not lying." She got up and went downstairs. Chase followed her and after they left I rubbed my forehead. Usually she'd give it up by now. What's so different this time around?!
*********
Long Island, NY (Bella's Perspective)
We were getting some groceries so we could have stuffed peppers for dinner. Mommy was trying to get me to eat more so I guess she decided making one of my favorite foods would do the trick. But it wouldn't. But it's nice to see her try.
"Can you get the cheese please Bella?" I put it in the cart and kept going.
"Mom, can we get fruit roll ups?"
"No, we have plenty of snacks at home."
"I wanna go home." I said.
"Bella, we have to get the ingredients for your favorite meal. Aren't you excited to have stuffed peppers?"
"No. I'm not."
"Why are you being so sour and grumpy?"
"I'm not." "You're amazing Bella." Why can't I stop thinking about him?!
"Bella?! Come on!"
"Sorry!" I walked up and Mommy wouldn't stop looking at me.
"We're talking when we get home."
"I said that there's nothing to talk about. I'm fine Mom."
"Oh really?! Because what just happened certainly isn't fine."
"I said I'm okay. Why won't you just understand that?!"
"Because I know it isn't true."
"It's not nice to assume things. Your own words."
*********
My Room
"Open the door."
"Sometimes when it gets hard for me I smile about it I guess. What do you do Bella?" She came in and saw me on the floor.
"Oh honey. Come here!" I stood up and she gave me a hug.
"Were you crying?"
"No. Just sitting here." She gave me a kiss and rubbed my back.
"What has been going on?"
"I really don't want to get into it. And I feel bad for lying to you."
"Why don't you want to get into it?"
"Because, it's weird to talk about and stuff I don't want to talk about it."
"Trust me babe, I'm a couple of years we're going to be talking about a lot of weird things."
"I guess so."
"Liv!" Tucker was downstairs from what I could hear. He's probably back with food!
"Hey,where ya going?!" It gave me the perfect chance to avoid talking to Mommy.
*********
Therapy
"How do you feel?"
"Fine." "You're pretty Bella."
"Who's Elijah?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You zoned out for a second and then said Elijah."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"It's looks like you just had a flashback."
"What's a flashback?" I joked.
"Bella, is there something we should discuss?"
"We could discuss food. That's something we should totally discuss."
"Bella, you know what I mean."
"No I don't. You're confusing me." I've been lying so much lately. I don't like this at all.
"It isn't like you to lie Bella. What's going on?" I started pacing back and forth.
"Why does that matter?"
"Because, I care about your wellbeing."
"Wellbeing?"
"Yes, are you okay Bella?"
"Okay?! I'm perfectly fine! I'm happy!"
"Happy?" She wrote down some things and looked at me.
"I'm great!"
"You seem tired."
"I'm not!"
"Bella, have you been getting sleep lately?"
"Yeah!"
"All through the night?"
"Why not?!" I felt super guilty. I didn't want to lie but why would I tell her? That's weird.
"Okay, Bella."
*********
My Desk (Olivia's Perspective)
It was dark outside and I had just gotten off the phone with Bella. We barely talked. She seemed very sad about something, she didn't tell me. I filed some reports and I looked down at my phone.
Bella's Therapist: Good Evening Ms.Benson, whenever you have the chance I'd like to discuss some things with you concerning Bella.
"Oh my god." I said out loud.
"Hey Liv, we've got some new info."
"Lieutenant are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. What are the developments?"
"We learned that the vic used to be a part of a brothel."
"So either, she rebelled, or-"
"Or she killed herself."
"Either way, she's a rape victim." I said while eyeing Amanda.
"There was DNA under her fingernails and the rape kit tested positive for semen. They're running the tests for a match now."
"Okay, anything else?"
"No."
"Alright." I sat back down as everyone else left and Carisi stayed.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, don't worry about it."
"Alright Lieutenant." I looked down at my phone and gave the therapist a call.
"I apologize for calling so late."
"No, it's alright. Has Bella been okay lately?"
"No, she really hasn't. I tried to talk to her over the weekend and had no success."
"Has she been showing any signs of abuse?"
"No, not at all. Lucy told me that she's just been more reserved and saying something about Elijah."
"Elijah?"
"This friend of hers. I've been paying attention to those two. Something I know is that if anything happened she'd stop talking to him. She's hiding something concerning him-"
"How old is he?"
"9."
"It can't be anything like that."
"Does Bella like him?" Like him? She's only
8...
"Not that I know of..."
"Were they ever alone?"
"Why does that matter?!" I asked worriedly.