He smiled sadly at me. “I get it.” He tilted his head. “What have we come in here for?”
“Supplies.” I walked beside him as we moved up and down the aisles. It was different living in the dorm, so I just got the essentials: peanut butter, jelly, and bread. And some chocolate in case I had a craving for it.
“So no bodyguard today?” Curtis asked, and I whipped my head up to face him.
“What?” I spluttered. “I don’t know what you—”
“Hey, hey.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and halted me. “I was only joking. I was talking about Ford. He’s usually a couple of steps behind you.”
“Oh. Well…” I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I definitely couldn’t tell him that Ford had been my bodyguard while he was here, but now he was gone, just like Stella. “He…erm, he went home.”
Curtis nodded and bent his knees so his face was level with mine. I wasn’t sure why that reminded me so much of Ford, but the way he grasped my chin with his thumb and finger was so similar it almost knocked me off-kilter. “You doing okay, Belle?”
I opened my mouth, about to tell him I was fine, but my head shaking answered for me. I wasn’t okay. I knew that. The problem was, I wasn’t the kind of person who could put a front on. At least, not for long anyway.
“I just…Stella and Justin.” I hiccupped a sob and regretted coming out of my dorm. I should have stayed inside where I didn’t look like I was losing my mind. “They were…they…”
Curtis wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to his chest, rocking us back and forth. He was trying to comfort me, but there was only one person’s arms I wanted around me, and I couldn’t have them.
“It’ll be okay,” Curtis whispered. “They’ll find who did this. The police came and talked to me yesterday and said they’re close.”
“They are?” I asked. I hadn’t spoken to anyone to know any updates, but maybe that was why Dad had been calling me what felt like nonstop since Saturday morning.
Curtis pulled back a little and swiped his palm over my cheek to dry my face of the tears. “Yeah. And Justin’s mom called to tell me they’re arranging a funeral as soon as his body has been released.” He whispered his hand over my shoulder and down my arm. “Have you talked to Stella’s dad?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t. I hadn’t thought about any of that. It hadn’t even crossed my mind.
“I should call him.”
“You should,” he replied. “Now, what’s say we get loads of junk food, go back to your dorm, and watch a movie? Forget about everything that’s been going on?”
I inhaled a breath, and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell him no, but what came out of my mouth was, “Okay.”
Curtis grinned, the kind of grin I hadn’t seen in what felt like weeks. “You get the candy, I’ll get the chips and popcorn. Meet back at the cash register?”
I nodded and stared at him as he spun around, wondering if I was doing the right thing. But, no, I couldn’t keep wallowing. I couldn’t keep going over and over everything and trying to find something I could have done differently so they’d still be alive.
More importantly, I couldn’t keep thinking Ford was just going to turn up, apologize, and tell me he loved me too.
I had to put it all behind me, and this was the first step to that. So I found the candy aisle, filled my arms up with packets of the stuff, and then ambled toward the cash register. Curtis held his hand up to me from where he was already in the line, waiting to be served, but something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.
Shampoo and conditioner bottles covered the shelves, but it was what was opposite them that had me halting and staring at it with wide eyes. And then everything clicked into place. Everything made sense. The way I’d been feeling. The way I’d been acting.
I rushed over to Curtis and handed him the candy. “I need to get something else. Meet you outside?” I didn’t wait for him to answer as I darted back to the aisle and stared at all the boxes.
My life had changed so much over the last six months, but this…
This could annihilate everything.
BELLE
I stared at the lone word.
One word. Eight letters.
That was all it took to change my perspective on everything. I’d expected the walls in my tiny bathroom to close in on me, but instead, I felt free.
I’d been on a roller coaster of emotions as I walked back from the store to the dorm yesterday, and it had taken until Curtis left last night for me to pluck up the courage and take it.
And now I couldn’t stop smiling. For the first time in nearly two weeks, I wanted to call someone. For the first time, I wanted to cry happy tears and not sad.
This changed things. It changed everything.
My stomach dipped as I walked into my room and reached for my cell, and I placed my hand on my stomach.
Pregnant.
I was pregnant with Ford’s baby.
I was growing a tiny human inside of me.
My hands shook as I found his number, and I took a breath as I pressed the call button. I held it to my ear and willed him to answer as it rang out. It clicked over to voicemail, but I didn’t give in. He needed to know. He had to know.
After five times and he hadn’t answered, I started to pace the room. I was still in my pj’s with fluffy socks on my feet to keep my toes warm because the air conditioner was constantly on in the dorm. I kept the test clutched in my hand as I continued to try and dial him, but still, there was no answer.
Maybe he thought I was calling him to beg him to come back to me? Maybe he thought I was in the same frame of mind as I had been when he’d left a week ago. But so much had changed since then. So much.
Hours passed, and still no answer. I was on the verge of calling my mom to see if she could get ahold of him, when someone knocked on my door. I rushed over to it, not sure what I was expecting, but when I opened it, and Curtis’ face appeared, my shoulders slumped.
“Hey,” I greeted and spun around so he could come inside. I clicked the call button again, probably my hundredth attempt as I paced back and forth.
“You okay?” Curtis asked, and I held my finger up as the dial tone rang out and then clicked to voicemail again.
“Yeah.” I bit down on my bottom lip, debating whether to tell him or not. This was something I would have spoken to Stella about, but she wasn’t here anymore. And Curtis was my only friend now. “I’m…” I held the test in front of me. “I’m pregnant.”
Curtis’ brows flew high on his forehead as he stared at the test, and his wide-eyed gaze met mine, shock being the only emotion to pass over his features. “Holy shit.” He blinked several times. “Whose is it? I mean, what are you going to do? I mean”—he shook his head—“how do you feel about it?”
“I feel…” I smiled and stared at the wall behind his head. I’d stared at that exact spot when Ford had left, but what I felt now was the polar opposite to then. “I’m happy.” I sighed. “And it’s Ford’s baby.” I paused, not knowing what my next step was. “He won’t answer his cell.” I held my cell up as if that would back me up. “But I have to tell him. He needs to know.”
Curtis stared at me for what felt like forever. “I…erm, can’t you just go to him?”
I shook my head and let my hands flap at my sides. “He lives back home. Five hours away.”
Neither of us said anything for several minutes, and I tried calling him again. Maybe he’d answer now? Or maybe he was in a meeting and couldn’t get to his cell? But I knew he always had it on him.
“I could take you?” Curtis asked.
My head whipped up to face him. “What?”
He shrugged. “I could take you to him so you can tell him.”
“You’d do that?”
“Sure.” He pulled his keys out of his front pocket. “I’d need directions, though.”
Butterflies took flight in my stomach at the prospect of seeing Ford. I didn’t know how
he’d react, but I knew I wanted to keep this baby. I was already so in love with it.
“Okay,” I whispered, and then repeated, “Okay.”
Curtis laughed. “Get dressed and meet me outside.” He spun around and walked out of my dorm, and I got my ass into gear. I rushed around to get ready and grabbed a bag of overnight clothes, just in case. There was no way I’d be back here tonight, not with how long it would take to get there, and if Ford was happy, then maybe I’d stay over his place. And Lottie. I’d get to see Lottie.
I hooked my bag over my shoulder and tried Ford one last time, but when he didn’t answer again, I pulled my door open and resolved to tell him face to face.
It felt like I was floating on air as I made my way out of the building and to Curtis’ car. I pushed inside the black Camaro and grinned over at him. “Thanks for doing this.”
“No worries. It gets me out of today’s classes.” He chuckled and pointed at the navigation system. “Put the address in, and we can get going.”
I leaned forward and put in my home address because I could direct him to Ford’s from there, and then we were off on the five-hour-long journey. I was in my own head for so long, playing over all the outcomes in my head, that I didn’t realize we were so close until we drove past the school my mom worked at.
I pointed it out to Curtis, and he said, “It feels like I’ve known you for three years, and yet I haven’t known you too.” I knew what he meant because I’d kept my home life separate from college, but I didn’t think too much about that as I directed him to Ford’s house.
Curtis pulled up outside, but Ford’s car wasn’t parked on the drive. “I don’t think he’s here. Let me go and knock, but if he isn’t, he’ll probably be at my mom’s house.”
Curtis nodded and idled the engine as I jumped out and ran up the drive. I pounded my fist on the door and spun back to face Curtis as I waited. After a minute and knocking a second time, there wasn’t an answer, so I ran back to the car.
“He’s not there,” I told Curtis. “Go back the way we came, and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
He did as I said and glanced around at all of the houses. “So, this is where you grew up?”
“Yep.” I stared at my cell, seeing it was just after 2 p.m. “Take this left.” Curtis turned into my road, and I frowned at all of the cars lining the street. Each side was full of vehicles, and the closer to my mom and dad’s house we got, the busier it became.
“Looks like someone is having a party.”
I hummed in agreement and pointed outside the house. “Pull over here. I’ll see if he’s there.”
“Want me to wait here or find a space to park?”
I opened the car door and looked up at the house. I recognized my dad’s car and Uncle Jord’s, but the others I had no idea who they were. “Wait here. I’ll come back out if he’s here, and then we can ask Dad to move his car over so you can get on the drive.”
“Okay,” Curtis replied, and I pushed out of the car.
Each step I took closer to the house I’d grown up in made me more nervous. Even if Ford wasn’t here, I knew Dad was, and he’d want to know what was going on and why I was here and not at college. But I couldn’t tell him, not until I’d spoken to Ford.
The front door opened as I got closer, and two people who I didn’t recognize walked out and past me. And that was when I realized all these cars were from people who were inside the house. I could hear the quiet chatter from out here, and as I stepped inside, I scanned the living room. The house was full of people standing in little groups and talking. What the hell was going on?
I managed to push past everyone and make it into the kitchen. I turned left and right, trying to spot someone I knew when I heard, “I’m so sorry for your loss,” from behind me. I spun around, trying to see who had said it, but I couldn’t put a voice to the face. The woman was talking to me, but I had no idea who she was.
“My loss?” I asked, utterly confused.
She patted my arm and flashed me a small smile, then walked past me. What the hell was she talking about?
“Belle? What are you doing here?” I blinked and stared at Aria. She’d come out of nowhere.
“What’s going on?” I asked, not willing to answer her question.
Her mouth pulled down into a frown, and she wrapped her hand around my arm. “We’ve all been trying to call you for days.” She pulled on my arm to move me. “Let’s go somewhere private.” I let her lead me through the living room and toward the bottom of the stairs, and that was when I saw it—the sign that the front door had covered up as I walked inside.
My feet stopped working, my brain fizzled in and out, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
“Belle?” Aria called, but her voice was far away as I stared at the sign and read it over and over again. In Loving Memory of “Ford.” May you rest in peace.
“Rest in peace?” I whispered. I couldn’t stop staring at the picture of Ford, and over and over again I read the words, not believing what they said.
“Shit,” Aria cursed, and her grip tightened. “Come upstairs, and I can tell you what happened.”
“Where’s Ford?” I asked her, ripping my arm away from her and stumbling into the wall. My body knew what was happening, but my brain needed conformation. Her mouth was opening and closing, but no words were coming out, so I repeated, “Where is he, Aria?”
“He’s…” She paused, hesitating, and then finally whispered, “He’s gone.” She glanced to the side, and I followed her gaze to Cade, who was barreling through the crowd toward us.
She had to be wrong. He couldn’t be gone. Not now. Not after what I’d found out.
My hand moved to my stomach, protecting the baby we’d created together from the sadness surrounding us.
The front door opened, and someone else walked in. Cade was getting closer to us. But I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t be here. Was this why they’d been calling me nonstop? Were they trying to tell me what had happened to Ford? I should have answered my calls, I should have—
My eyes widened as Cade got even closer, so I twirled around and darted out of the house, spotting Curtis still idling in the middle of the road.
“Belle!” Cade shouted.
I ignored him as I pulled open the passenger door and demanded, “Drive!”
“What?” Curtis asked, frowning at Cade as he sprinted toward us.
“Drive, Curtis!” I slapped my hand on the dash, and the sound caused him to slam his foot down on the gas and speed away from the house I’d grown up in.
“Where are we going?”
“Anywhere but here,” I whispered.
“Back to college?”
“No.” I shook my head and cradled my stomach. “I can’t go back there. I can’t…I need to leave.”
“Leave?” he asked. “Leave to where?”
“I don’t know. I just…” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I can’t be here. I can’t be at college. I need to go somewhere new. Somewhere no one knows me.”
The silence stretched between us, and when I opened my eyes, Curtis said, “I know a place we can go for a while.” He pulled up to a stoplight and reached across to place his hand over mine. “What happened?”
I stared at him, trying to deny it to myself, but I couldn’t. If I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I never would have believed it.
“He’s gone,” I croaked out. “Ford is dead.”
Acknowledgments
I’m not sure where to start with these acknowledgments because so much happened while I was writing this story.
My first huge thank you needs to go to Paige. You’re the most awesomest Alpha Reader and PA. Thank you for loving my stories as much as I do, and generally just being you! But most of all, thank you for reading these on a time constraint. I’m not sure what I’d do without you!
Thank you to my husband and two awesome daughters who never fail to make me smile and continue to support the crazy road that is being an au
thor. I love you all lots and lots like jelly tots!
My next thank you has to go to Jenn, my editor. I swear you saved my life and I appreciate so much you understanding everything that has been going on and still fitting me in. You’re the best Canadian a girl could ask for!
Linda. I swear I’d be lost without you! Thank you soooo much for everything you do. You’re always there no matter what, and I’m not sure what I’d do without you! You push me when I need to be pushed, and tell me to slow down when I need to stop. You save my ass more times than I can count, and I love you!
I’d liked to say a huge thank you to my BETAs readers: Nikki & Yvonne. You ladies are amazeballs and I couldn’t do this without your continued support.
My second thank you needs to go to my husband and daughters. This book became such a huge part of my life, and I can’t thank you enough for putting up with my weird ways.
To my ARC team. You ladies are simply amazing and I love for each and every one of your messages! Thank you for taking the time to ready my stories, I appreciate so much.
To the bloggers who help share EVERYTHING. I love you so much, and I can’t put into words how grateful I am! You are a special bunch of people who continue to put a smile on my face.
My proofreader, Judy. Thank you for putting up with me! I continue to use commas in the wrong places and you continue to correct me. Never leave me, because I’d be lost without you!
To all the authors in the community. You continue to support me and I can’t thank you enough for that. I love our little slice of heaven, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
Lastly, I want to say thank you, to you. Thank you for taking a chance on this book. Thank you for reading. And thank you for being awesome!
Tied Bond
Bonded Duet: Book Two
The Easton Family Saga
The Easton Family Saga can be read in any order. Each duet is a standalone duet but can also be enjoyed as one big series!
Bonded Duet: Ford & Belle: Torn Bond & Tied Bond (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 3) Page 21