There was a pout permanently etched onto Belle's face. Gold had rented a limo to take them to one of the most upscale restaurants in the city. She was pretty sure that Jodi Benson was sitting in a corner, causing her pout to only deepen. "Trevor, this really is too much."
He chuckled, squeezing her hand on the table. "My dearest Belle, fret not. I come here often. I'll order us a bottle of wine. I don't want to hear another complaint. I want to spoil you, Bell. It's what I live for." He winked at her, causing her face to flush. How he loved doing that. The waiter came and gave them menus, and Gold ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio.
Belle stared down at the menu. There were no prices, which made her stomach tie into knots. But everything looked so mouthwatering delicious. She settled for something simple. Clam and shrimp spaghetti with white sauce. Gold ordered Spaghetti Carbonara. They sat back, not talking while they sipped their wine.
"What are we going to do, Trevor?" Belle finally asked, sighing softly. "Three months is a long time."
"I know it is Belle." He said, feeling her anguish. He wasn't sure how he was going to last 3 months without her. He could already feel the air being sucked out of his lungs, even though she wasn't gone yet.
"We need to make this weekend last. I want to do everything a normal couple would do. I want to go out in the city. Go places I've never been before. I want to feel like a real couple before we leave."
Gold nodded, grasping her hand. "And I will give you all of that, Belle. I promise I will. And who says you can't come up on weekends?"
She squeezed his hand, smiling brightly at him. "I love you so much. Can we go home now? I don't want to get tired before anything happens tonight." She said, blushing.
He smiled, waving for the waiter to get their cheque.
They were in the car 10 minutes later, Belle snuggled into Trevor's chest. It was a 15 minute ride, but she just wanted to be close to him. She could tell something was wrong, but didn't want to bring it up.
The weight on Trevor's chest was only growing heavier and heavier. Each passing moment only reminded him of how he was lying to Belle. Lying by omission. He couldn't keep a secret from her. Not now, not ever.
"Belle. Sweetheart, sit up. There's something I need to tell you."
Belle's heart dropped as she sat up, her eyes searching his for some type of clues. She finally found her voice, clearing her throat. "What's wrong, Trev?"
He took a deep breath, taking her hands in his. He could practically feel the worry radiating off of her.
"Remember how Milah saw me after class before we left today?"
Belle nodded slightly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I do."
"Well, something did happen. I wasn't going to tell you but I feel so guilty about it, Belle."
She pulled her hands away from him, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't want to know, Trevor. Please. Let me be happy just this weekend. I don't want to know."
"Please, I need to tell you. I know you don't want to hear it, but I need to tell you. I don't want to keep secrets from you."
She turned away from him, scooting to her own side of the limo. "I don't want to know. I'm not interested-"
Trevor's sharp voice cut her off, practically shrinking her in her seat. "Goddamnit Belle. You will listen to me." He snapped, his voice on the verge of angry.
By this time, they were at the apartment complex. Before the driver could get out and open her door, Belle was out. She was biting back tears, her nails digging into her clutch purse. She knew something was up, but didn't expect it to be this bad.
She barely registered Gold coming after her, but was stopped at the door. She couldn't get in without a key. Silently cursing herself, she turned around, her face a mix a fury and hurt.
He staggered up to her, out of breath from the exertion of getting up the stairs so quickly. "Please. Hear me out." He opened the door, only to have her turn on her heel again, leaving him chasing after her again.
She didn't care if she was making a scene, and probably looked like a child. But at this point, she didn't care. Her first love had broken her heart, even if he hadn't meant to. She stood in the elevator, a tear falling down her cheek. "I think we need to take a break." She said, her voice cracking.
Trevor glanced over at her, frowning deeply. "What are you saying, Belle?" He asked, leaning against the wall.
"I'm saying we need to break up. You need to figure out what you're doing. With Milah. Because whatever you did with her obviously still meant something because it led you to it." Her voice brought up a choked sob at the end, and she fell back against the wall.
Trevor's eyes widened, and he walked toward her, but stopped as she fell back. "Belle..It wasn't like that. She came onto me. I made her leave before-"
"Trevor. I don't care." She gasped, pushing past him as she stormed to the apartment before her. "I can't do this. I can't be with you knowing you're in love with another woman."
Trevor unlocked the door, at a loss for words. This woman before him was broken, and he wanted to fix her. She had the facts all wrong. He didn't love Milah. He never would. Ever again. "Sweetheart. I would have never done anything to hurt you. I love you, Belle. I can't stand this. Seeing you like this." He said, running a hand through his hair. Belle paused at his musings. He never messed up his hair.
"Do you still love her?" She asked quietly, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.
"I don't know, honestly. I just...I don't know." He said, walking toward her.
She turned, her face streaked with tears now. "Can I just sleep? I'll let you know how I feel in the morning." She had meant what she had said, knowing that breaking up would be the best for them. At least for now. She would see how it goes when he comes back to town. Hopefully that would leave enough time for him to figure it all out. She went into the master bedroom, stripping down to her bra and underwear before changing into a pair of shorts and a sports bra. She came back out, nodding toward the master. "You can sleep there. It's your room." She said, going to sit on the couch. "I'll sleep out here."
"Absolutely not." Gold said sternly, heading toward the master. "You'll sleep in one of the guest rooms. I won't allow you to sleep on the couch."
Belle looked up at him, seeing the pure anguish in his eyes. He was hurt, but she knew she had to go. "I'll be leaving in the morning. I can't stay. Not now. We'll talk." She said, trudging over to the guest bedroom, closing the door behind her. Only when the door was closed did she allow herself to break down into sobs, curling up on the bed.
Gold stopped outside her door, leaning against the wall. His heart was breaking over Belle. He really never meant to hurt her, but his temper got the best of him with Milah. He had let go for a moment too long. He limped into the master bed, spotting her dress on the bed. He sighed, walking over to it and running his hand over it. He spotted her suitcase in the corner, struggling to get it on the bed. He carefully folded it into her suitcase, adding a note to it. He knew she would be leaving in the morning, but wasn't going to fight about it. He didn't want to upset her more than she already was. He stripped down to his boxers, the pair she had worn their first night together, and got into bed.