That ring. The white gold band… the subtle diamond… the engraving on the inside…

It couldn't be. What the hell could Remy have been thinking? He gave that to her? And didn't think I would ever find out? They were engaged!? What the hell is going on!?

I know what I'm thinking: this is why Remy didn't come to New York any sooner. He was playing me. All this time he had me thinking that I was the only one for him but here is Bella on our doorstep to prove me wrong.

Bella looked like her sweet self. Her bouncing blonde curls were in full stride and she was wearing a pink coat with riding boots as it was late November. She was so innocent. She couldn't even sense the tension between Remy and I. She just thought she'd pop in for a visit? Because we're all friends right? Just friends? She did say ex... the problem is the fiancé part. We all seem to be keeping secrets from each other.

"This is not what you're thinking Ro'. Trust me."

"This is too good," Bobby said smiling.

"Will you get out of here?" I snapped back. He gave a glancing pass at each of us before joining the others back at the dinner table.

Remy wants me to trust him? Trust? The most difficult word in the English language dictionary when it comes to Remy LeBeau. She had his ring. What more is there to say? I'm always here for Remy no matter what and I thought he was the one to have my back but I'm wrong. I'm wrong about a lot of things and most of them had to do with Remy.

This is just like him. To take the next step with Belladonna and then leave her when things get too serious. His visit to my hospital bed means nothing now. I never told him to break up with her. I let him choose her so I guess I'm to blame. I'm the one that ran away. I'm the one that ruined their fairy tale in hopes of favoring my own. I should have just left everything alone. I never should have kissed Remy in the library the day of the shooting. I shouldn't have told him that I love him because this is where it has gotten me. He came to New York and kissed me and I forgot about everything else. With Remy and I nothing seems wrong but its everything else around us that is wrong, that tears us apart. I'm so sick of this feeling of unintentional bliss.

"Remy, I have come from New Orleans on behalf of your father." Belladonna spoke so serious and I knew it was message, a bad one.

Remy looked skeptical, "Why would he send you? Why didn't he just call?"

"I guess because it has tah do with me… He wants me tah take you back to Louisianna."

"For what? What happened?"

"Its not what happened it's what he wants tah happen."

"Which is what?" I asked because Remy wasn't going to. I could feel his rebellious nature getting the best of him. He didn't want her here that much was sure, but why?

"It kinda has to do wit dis," she says as she gestures to the foreboding ring.

"Where did you get dat anyway?! 'Cause I sure as hell didn't give it to yah."

"Your dad gave it to me." So Remy was telling the truth.

"Why would he do that?"

"He wants us to get married, bring our families together."

"Dis ain't fuckin' England. There is no crown here."

Now Bella was offended, "I hate to break it tah you but dere is a crown. I didn't know but… when we were born our families put aside their feudin' and planned our futures. There is no way around it. I'm sorry de proposition of bein wit me is so repulsive."

"I never heard of dis before," Remy scoffed.

Belladonna folded her arms across her chest, "Well you best believe it Rem."

"Dis is crazy."

"Its not dat crazy. You know our families have traditions."

"You're the one that broke up with me! Dis is where I need tah be. My father knows dat. He knows about my… I'm like Anna. Not exactly like her but we are both mutants." So that was his excuse for being in New York? It has nothing to do with him being in love with me, wanting to be with me. No of course it doesn't. Just say it. Actually it doesn't matter now. Remy may be slick but he was always dutiful to his family. He wouldn't protest. He is going to New Orleans I already know.

"He told me."

"Well, shit! He just told you everyt'ing didn't he?"

"And you're not like Anna."

"I am. And Anna and I-"

"And yeah I may have been de one tah break up wit you but I was t'inkin you'd come back to me! The night Jean-Luc gave me the ring I did dat to test you and de first thing you do is run off like a lil pup!"

"I'm in love wit Anna." Oh, shoot. "That's why I ran away and that's why I am here and why I am stayin' here."

"…What?"

"If you want to know de truth… I have always been in love wit her. She just needed a lil nudge."

"Anna…?" Now she looks to me, her friend.

"We never did anything while you two were together. I promise." Crap, I am already lying. There was the kiss but she didn't need to know about that. At the time it didn't mean anything. Nothing happened until Remy came chasing after me. "I didn't want to hurt you and I told Remy to be with you even though… I had feelins for him too. I'm really sorry Bella. I didn't think-"

"You didn't t'ink I'd ever find out!?"

"I didn't care if you ever found out Bella. I love Anna and dere was not'ing that was going to keep me from her. But when I was with you I had feelins. Don't t'ink dat I didn't. I wouldn't have kissed you. I wouldn't have spent time wit you if I didn't have some feelins for you."

"Are you jokin?!" She stomped her foot, "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW NOW?"

"You just have to believe me."

"Den what happened Remy?! What happened to us?"

"You weren't Anna. She's my best friend. I can't imagine my life without her."

"And you could imagine it without me? So much so dat you moved a thousand miles away…"

"Yes."

"I guess you want this back." She unclasped the chain from her neck and held it out for Remy to grab but then she pushed it in my direction. "I hope you two are happy. You both got what you wanted and I am de only one wit de broken heart here."

"Bella…"

"No, you shut up Anna! I thought we were friends! You were just playing some sick game wit me!" She threw the ring at me. It hit my stomach and crashed to the floor.

Was I playing a game? I know I liked Belladonna at one point but at the beginning why did I have all this happen? If I just told Remy the truth he wouldn't have hurt Bella. Was I trying to get back at her? For being the cute blonde rich cheerleader that she couldn't help being? And I was the weird goth girl with a crush on the cutest guy in school. I should have just left things alone or taken things into my own hands but I didn't do either. I just waited and lost control of my own life. When I came to New York that was supposed to change but it seems everything is catching up with me.

But I loved Remy. That was always true.

Remy tried to protect me but a woman scorned… "Bella don't-"

"I LOVED YOU REMY! I LOVED YOU AND I LET YOU TORTURE ME! I was never going to be good enough… It was always something… We were never good. We were always struggling. It was always something… or someone…"

"Bella, I'm sorry! I'm sorry it ended up dis way."

"You're not sorry. Neither of you are sorry. You're just happy. Happy to be together finally. Well, you have another t'ing comin for you, both of you! Because Jean-Luc and my father aren't going to be happy about dis. War is comin Remy LeBeau and dere isn't anyt'ing either of us could do to stop it."

"I'm not going to marry you Bella."

"Like I want to marry you? I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!"

"My family isn't going to dictate my life. You do have a choice Bella."

"You don't understand. You don't understand…" She was ravaging her curls with her fingers. Strands came loose, falling to the ground. "If you don't-"

"Bella! Calm down! We can fix this. I will go to New Orleans and talk to my father… both of our fathers and get dis settled."

"There isn't any way around it, don't you understand!? We can't disobey them Remy."

"I'm not marrying you."

"You don't have a choice."

"What the hell is going on here?! All this screaming!?" Logan came to us in the foyer but none of us reacted. Belladonna was on the edge.

"I'm staying here in New York. I'm staying with Anna. I love her and no one is going to take that away from me."

"You're choosing the hard way Remy. I can't control what happens when I leave. I can't come back to New Orleans without you."

"You in trouble or something girl?" Logan asked.

"I will be when I get home."

"Then don't go home Bella," I offered.

"They will find me. They will find you."

Remy yelled, "This whole t'ing is ridiculous! Why don't you say that when you go back!?"

"Enjoy each other while you can." Bella's dagger eyes stabbed us before she turned around going back the way she came.

Logan, still reeling, "What the hell was that?!"

"New Orleans politics," I said.

"Couldn't understand a damn word you all said with those accents."

"Your growl is hard to understand too," I stated.

"Watch it kid. I'm getting out of here while I have the chance. Damn teenagers…"

"Remy…?"

"What?" He just stood there. His brown strands touché his brow as his head leaned down. Remy looked at his mother's ring, picked it up and put it around his neck. "I can't believe I left that there. Jean-Luc knows how much this means to me. Why would he give it to her…"

"Do you think Bella is serious? It's not just her hurting... The threats seem real. She was… scared."

"My father is a scary man."

"You should call him. Explain things."

"She's right. He won't understand. He won't understand why I choose you. Belladonna makes sense and you-"

"Don't."

"Not to my family. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is you. I love you. That's why I came here."

"Then go to New Orleans. Tell him that in person."

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. He has a way of making me do things I don't want to do."

"What? Like get married to your ex-girlfriend?! Please! He can't manipulate you like that anymore Remy. You have done time for him! You have paid your debt to him over and over for giving you a home, for taking you in, but enough is enough!"

"I don't know what to do."

"Go to New Orleans and stand up to your father."

"I can't. Movin here was my stand but that wasn't enough."

"I will go with you."

"What?"

"I will go with you Remy. We will talk to him together and get him to put all the tradition aside."

"He won't listen."

"We won't be askin, we'll be tellin."

"I can't have you come with me." When he brought me into his chest I could hear his heart racing, "I can't put you in danger."

"Me? Danger? I'm not a fragile little girl Remy. I can handle myself."

"Belladonna's threats were real. I can't have you in the middle of all this crap."

"You love me right?"

"YES! Isn't that what this is all about!?"

"You mean… if I had never told you I loved you you would have married her? Without hesitation?"

"No, there'd be some hesitatin."

I pushed him away, "Remy!?"

He chuckled, "I'm joking Ro. If we were both still in New Orleans I couldn't have you in de church pew watching us get married. I'd feel like a fraud. If you hadn't of kissed me that day I would have kissed you. If not that day den the next day… I don't know. But I do know that you had more balls den me and I will always be grateful for that. I was glad you kissed me and I would never take that back."

"It just sucks I had to get shot for us to both do something about it."

"Very true chere. Its always gonna be you I choose. I'd change what happened afterwards. I wouldn't have stayed in New Orleans for so long… I would have came on the next flight out. I would never have left your side. All this bullshit wouldn't have come between us."

"Remy, I love you."

"I love you."

"So… we're going to the bayou?"

"I guess we are."

"We will make things right Remy."

"I hope so."

Wow. Been a huge while since I updated. Just been caught up with life is all. Also I am still working on the non-fanfiction story I have been writing and then my computer crashed! I wrote a whole ten chapters and its a lot more professional than my fanfics. I really want to publish it but no luck. I thought I'd try doing it online through kindle or something like that but am having a really hard time with copyright sheets and making sure its perfect grammatically and fluid. If anyone has any advice it'd be much appreciated! Shoot me a private message :)

But I am getting back into that and trying to hang out to this as well. It really helps that I still get subscriptions reminding me I still have fanfiction peoples! Hope this chap was juicy enough.

This chap was inspired by Kate Voegele's songs Facing Up and Kindly Unspoken. Oh and Good Boy by Dia Frampton even though she wrote the song about something totally different I think it applies to Remy for the most part. Listen to them as you read?