Chapter Twenty

Spilled Beans

Bella POV

I stared at Emma, mouth hanging open, trying to rearrange my thoughts.

"Oh, my god."

Emma grimaced, looking down at the table. "I know it's an awful thing to do. To tell you, but..."

I opened and closed my mouth several times before speaking. "Look, Emma, I can't,-"

"Bella?"

I frowned, twisting round in my chair. My jaw dropped and I was pulled out of my daze.

"Jason!" I turned to Emma, giving her a wide-eyed, meaningful look as I stood. "Jason, hey! This is Emma."

Emma rose from her seat and shook his extended hand. Emma looked confused, looking from Jason to me.

"I didn't expect to see you here. I'm just here getting a takeaway coffee." Jason grinned at me but I failed to return his smile. "Your Emma? Bella's friend from way back? Your an orthodontist, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma started and I cringed. "But... um... and you are...?"

Jason raised his eyebrows and looked at me oddly. "Oh, right, I'm Bella's boyfriend."

"Well, you better be off!" I exclaimed, pushing Jason away, not able to look at Emma.

"Yeah, see you." Jason laughed, nodding politely at Emma.

Emma turned her head to watch him leave as I sank into my chair. I waited patiently for her to sit before I spoke.

"We met a few weeks ago." I tried to explain to Emma, who had a painful expression on her face.

"Oh."

We sat in silence for some time before being broken by Joan, who was waddling over with our tray.

"One latte and chocolate muffin for you..." Joan called out, setting down my order gently. "And... another latte and a slice of chocolate chip cheesecake. Will that be all?"

I nodded. "Thank you."

I stared into my cup of coffee, wanting to be anywhere but here.

"Well..." Emma sighed, cutting a bite off of her cheesecake with her fork. "I'm not exactly sure what to do now."

I pursued my lips. "What were you planning on doing?"

Emma swallowed, making a face. "I was planning on telling you not to break his heart. But... he'll be crushed now."

I raised my head, wrapping my hands around my coffee cup, enjoying the warmth. "How do you know I won't say yes?"

Emma laughed without humour and turned to glance at Jason, who was just leaving. I waved goodbye to him as he left.

"We've only been going our for a few weeks! We're exclusive."

Emma narrowed her eyes, drinking some coffee. "Are you going to say yes? I mean, do you still love him?"

4 Years Earlier

Bella POV

"How's your pasta?"

I nodded, swallowing my bite. "It's very good."

My dad stared at me from across the table. "So, how have you been Bella? Are you still with Will?"

"Mm, Will and I are still together... Um... College has been great! I'm sharing a dorm with Rikki. You remember me talking about her?"

Dad sighed, thinking as he ate. "Yes, Rikki and Cleo, was it?"

I nod, not helping but thinking about Rikki and if she was right. "Yeah. We're also sharing with a girl Caroline. She's studying to be a pharmacist."

My dad nodded, seeming interested. "And Rikki? What's she set on being."

"She's studying marine archeology. Well, when she actually studies, that is."

Dad's expression stayed stony and I wiped my fingers on my napkin.

"Dad, are you alright? What's going on?"

"I lost my job a few weeks ago." My dad answered, sighing loudly.

I reached my arm across the table to take hand. "Oh, dad, I'm sorry."

He nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. "So, we've been having money problems. Your mother has been working double shifts to help but..."

I thought furiously. "I'll get a job! Cleo mentioned to me about a job as the entertainment at a local cafe. It might help." I looked at the empty plates on our table. "This is on me."

He shook his head, sadly. "Oh, honey. That's very kind of you, darling."

I nodded, secretly debating whether to tell him as I raised my hand for a waiter to bring us our check.

"Dad, we have to talk. But not here." I explained, dropping my arm. "It's about our family trip."

"I don't know if we'll be able to go this year." Dad rubbed his mouth with his napkin, staring down at his knees.

"Oh." I paused. "Well..."

Rikki POV

"Yep, she's probably spilling our secret as we speak."

I could almost feel Cleo rolling her eyes at my from the other end of the line.

"Admit you overreacted."

I laughed, rolling my own eyes. "Oh, never."

I was sprawled out on my bed, flicking absentmindedly through a magazine with Cleo on the phone, chirping away.

"She texted me before she met her dad. She was debating whether to tell him." Cleo stated and I raised my head.

"Oh?" I swept my magazine off my bed and it fell to the floor. I shifted round so I was on my back, staring at the ceiling. "Do you think she will?"

I waited for Cleo to answer. "I think a quarter of her wants to tell him, another quarter is doubtful. And half of her wants to tell him just to prove you wrong."

I grimaced, rubbing my head. "Not looking good then."

"Yeah," Cleo replied. "Where's your other roommate?"

I slid of my bed and slipped on my shoes so I could go to the vending machine downstairs. "Out with her girlfriend. Good for her to be in a relationship where one of them doesn't only think about money and power."

"Oh, Zane troubles?"

I laughed opening my dorm door and locking it behind me. "You caught that, did you?"

I shuffled down the hall in my shoes that I hadn't put on properly. "All Zane cares about is money and work. I realised that a long time ago, remember? And I haven't seen him in weeks." I complained, walking down the stairs carefully. "I can't even find the right time to dump him because he keeps cancelling on me."

I finally arrived at the vending machine and fishing in my pockets, pulled out my change. I shoved the money into the slot and pressed the button, watched the chocolate bar fall.

"Cleo, you still here?" I asked, bending down to retrieve my snack.

"Yeah... I have three missed calls from Bella..." Cleo answered, her voice quiet.

"What?" I looked at my phone and saw a message from Bella. "I got a text from her... Oh, great. She wants me to pick her up."

I pulled myself up the stairs. "I was obviously a last result. Probably to nervous to call me."

Cleo sighed heavily. "This is ridiculous."

I unlocked my dorm door and immediately grabbed my bag. "Cleo, I'm going to go pick her up. I'll call you later?"

After exchanging goodbyes, I hung up and flew down the many stairs until the groundfloor. I pushed open the glass doors and ran to my car, aware of the time and the fact I was in stretch pants.

Rikki POV

I pulled up my car at the kerb, waving to Bella. She scrambled inside, shivering with tears streaming down her face.

"Are you okay?" I exclaimed, uncomfortable around people crying.

Bella shook her head, rubbing her hands together to warm up.

"I thought your dad was dropping you home?" I asked, as the car began to move.

"Dad left!" Bella spluttered and I looked at her in panic.

"Oh no. Please, no." I mumbled, looking through the side view mirror. "Your dad didn't leave because he freaked out about the mermaid thing?"

Bella sobbed, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall. I stopped myself from cursing and tried to calm myself.

"Okay, Bella, what happened?"

She took a deep, shaky breath and I waited. "I told him. At first he... he didn't believe me. B-but then I showed him. We went to his hotel where he's staying... Rikki, he totally flipped! He- he told me to get out! That I wasn't his daughter,-" Bella choked up and I looked at her sadly. "Rikki, you were right. I didn't think he'd react how he did."

I hit my fist against the steering wheel, making her jump. "Okay, calm down, we can fix this."

I gave her my phone. "Call Emma, Cleo and Lewis. Tell them to meet at uh... What's that bar called? Ranger? Is it? Okay, tell them to meet us there."

Bella used my phone with shaking fingers to call everyone while I tried to figure out a plan.

This definitely wasn't one if my best chapters but it accidently got deleted and I had to rewrite it. I'm sorry it's really rushed. Thanks to everyone who had read and waited for me to upload new chapters :-) I really appreciate it!