Belle Stone

Part 22

The words hit her like the rain hit the roof. Belle froze up in an instant. Her heart was pierced by the harshness, sharpness, and coldness of that word that made her body tense up. The expression that she held showed no emotion though. She was processing what just happened. At least that is what it looked like.

It was all blank at the beginning. Like she was trapped in a dark room with no light. She was swallowed by the blackness and she couldn't think or speak or see anything. After a while, there was turmoil. She started regaining her thoughts and the realization hit her. She remained still on the outside. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't move. A whole cacophony of emotions was going on, on the inside. Pain, agony, and depression were the ones that dominated over her heart and soul.

She just kept staring at James, not moving a muscle. The time felt like it has stopped. She didn't even blink. Her eyes were locked in the place they were and they wouldn't move position no matter what. She wasn't necessarily looking at him. It just appeared that way but if he moved her eyes would stay. James couldn't raise his head up. He couldn't meet her gaze. It would crush him.

Mark was beginning to get worried. He gently placed his big round hand on her back.
"Belle. Belle. Are you okay, princess? Cry if you need to... It is fine, princess, let it go."
His voice snapped Belle out of her darkness. The blank, black space that has swallowed her disappeared. The circles he traced warmth up the cold she was feeling. She remembered the promise she made. The thing she said before she got to the house. A little monologue started playing out in her mind.

You must be strong Belle. You said you can take it. You knew the probability of this happening. Don't let dad regret bringing you. It is fine. You never knew her anyway. Be strong, be strong for dad.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched. A sharp inhale. She ignored the aching of the beat, the pain that clutched onto her tightly. She turned towards Mark. Calm and serene.
"I am fine, dad. Don't worry."

Mark was surprised by her actions, by her words. He prepared himself for a warm embrace, for the river of tears and silent sobs. The second her words escaped her lips so much adoration filled his eyes. The strength fascinated him. The ability to go through something so tragic without even shedding a tear was just worth admiring. While it was just plainly amazing, he was still worried. She must be keeping it within herself. That is not healthy. The pain from it is greater. It damages a person so much more, cuts so much deeper yet he couldn't say a thing. The words were trapped inside of his throat. Mark had no idea what happened to him. He wanted to comfort her. Tell her that she can cry. Tell her it is okay but the words felt too heavy and his mouth too weak to carry them. He signed it up to the shock of her peacefulness. Although, the real reason was a bit different. He didn't want to see her break.

While Mark was mesmerized James was confused. He raised his head at the sound of her voice. Her serenity surprised him too but there was another thing that interested him. The name she called the unfamiliar guy next to her made him snap out of the sorrow and jump into the feeling of intrigue. He looked at them for a little while, analyzing Mark.
"Take my condolences, please dear. Um, I am sorry for being so disrespectful Belle. I was just intrigued by what you said just now. What do you mean dad?"
"No, it is fine, sir. Thank you for being so polite to us. You see, I call him dad because I haven't got a biological dad and he is always been so good to me. Calling him by his name would be disrespectful, minding the things he did for me and the things he is still doing. I couldn't have a greater role model and that is a crucial trait of dads. Don't you think, sir?"
"Ah... okay, dear. You don't have to call me sir by the way. Please call me uncle James. Your mum hasn't got any siblings either way. I am the closest to a relative to you."
James curves his lips slightly. It was merely a shadow of the smile he did before.