Chapter 25
Sometimes I love ya

Sometimes you make me blue

Sometimes I feel good

At times I feel used

Lovin you darlin'
~Fallin'- Alicia Keys

Bella scowled at Caius. "Why can't you leave us alone?" She snapped, finally fed up with Caius and his rude demeanor. She knew that the only reason he treated her the way he did was because she allowed it. She never stood up for herself. Instead, she usually tried to avoid him or responded timidly. Bella poked Caius roughly in the stomach. "I am sick and tired of hearing your complaints!" She screamed at him, causing the the startled man to take a step back. "It's like you have nothing better to do than harass me and my family!" She jabbed him roughly causing Caius to continue stumbling backwards until he was backed up against his apartment door. "Leave us alone or so help me I will make your life a living hell!" She was huffing and puffing at the end of her rant when strong hands grabbed her by the arms.

Caius looked from Bella to the person behind her and his face contorted from shock to annoyance. "You should contain your wife. Clearly she has lost her mind." Caius didn't await a response, instead escaped to his apartment and slammed the door shut.

Jacob lead his wife into their home and closed the door gently. "Not that he didn't deserve it, or that that wasn't the hottest thing ever to see you defend yourself like that, but it's unlike you." Jacob sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him which Bella took immediately. "What's going on?"

Bella didn't understand why her mood was so up and down lately. Jacob was right. It wasn't like her to get angry to the point that she was tearing off people's heads. She was quick to sadness too and even her recent arousal seemed out of place. "I...I don't know." Bella replied honestly.

Jacob scratched the back of his head nervously. "Is it uh, lady stuff. Like period stuff?"

Bella laughed at how uncomfortable Jacob had become while veering the conversation towards 'lady stuff'. "No Jake. It's not lady stuff. I'm not bleeding…" Bella's voice trailed to a stop as she thought about the last time she had a menstrual cycle. She wasn't an irregular person. Mother nature made sure that every month like clockwork, her cycle would start and end at the same time every month. And yet, she couldn't remember the last time she had her period. Jacob roused her from her thoughts with gentle kisses on her cheek. She smiled at her husband and turned her face to connect their lips. "Still want more?" She teased.

Jacob took her hand and placed it on the hard lump in his lap. "You tell me."

The following day, during Bella's first period class, an announcement rang throughout the PA alerting the school that classes were canceled for students on Friday, as there would be an unscheduled Teacher's Day. Bella knew that Teacher's Day, was code for a day of meetings, most likely discussing the drug scandal and who would be the new principal. She sighed inwardly as she wasn't looking forward to that day. Meetings tended to run long, and sometimes they could be tedious and uneventful. Unfortunately, it was mandatory.

When lunchtime rolled around, Bella barely had time to grab her cake from the drawer when Demetri and Alice barged into her classroom. "Big news!" Alice squealed, clearing a spot on Bella's desk before parking her rear on the solid oak. "Lot's to tell you!"

Demetri grabbed one of Bella's student's desks and brought it closer to the teachers desk. "She didn't even let me enter the teacher's lounge." Demetri told her. "It must be big." He turned his attention to Alice and comically leaned his head in both his hands like an enrapt child while watching TV. "So tell us what's going on."

A light blush dusted Alice's nose and cheeks before staining her whole face. "It was a magical evening. He picked me up in a limo!" Alice giggled like a schoolgirl and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Usually it was in spikes, but today she had allowed it to hang straight and frame her face in a bob. "I felt so fancy, I swear. So he picks me up in the limo and it's like time stopped. I don't know how long we were in it but we talked. I never realized how much I love talking." A faraway look came over Alice's eyes as she retold the story. "He listened to everything I said, even making comments and jokes."

"What did you talk about?" Demetri asked when Alice seemed deep in thought and had stopped retelling her story.

"Oh." Alice gestured swept her arm across the classroom. "Everything. School, my students and you guys of course." Alice smiled at her friends and began messing with the bracelet around her wrist absentmindedly. "He would like to meet y'all one day, but for now, I'm all he's getting." Alice winked at her friends and grinned. "We went to this really posh club that I swear you need like, a hundred dollars just to get in. It was amazing though! We danced, then went to the private part of the club that serves food. He reserved us a table in a secluded spot and there was candles, dim lighting and the softest tablecloths I've ever felt. Anyway, we ordered steak and lobster and it was the best food I have ever tasted!" Alice paused and looked down at Bella's cake. "You're still eating that?"

"Hey hey hey, get back to the story." Demetri told her.

"Oh right. Okay so after dinner he said he had a surprise for me. The night was so perfect I knew it was going to be something spectacular. So we go back in the limo and when we arrive, we're in this really big park. At first I was confused, like, why a park? So he takes me to this park. Not the kind with kids, but just a really big field with grass and stuff. Then we walk a little and come across a white gazebo covered with flowers and inside is a little bench. I was happy when we reached the gazebo because my heels were sinking into the ground. So once we were inside the gazebo, we sit on the bench and look at the stars. It was beyond romantic. While we're relaxing, he pulls out a small box and hands it to me. I open it of course and inside is this." Alice pointed to the necklace hanging around her neck. It was a thin chain with a small, silver key hanging from it. "I swear there must be real diamonds on this key! Anyway, he tells me that he's the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and right now I have the key to his heart." Alice rubbed her thumb over the necklace and looked between her friends. "He kissed me."

"So?" Demetri raised a brow skeptically. "Haven't you kissed him before?"

Alice shook her head. "No. This was our first one. It was so sweet. I know I haven't known him long and I know we've only been on a couple dates but guys, I think I'm in love." Alice's blush deepened at her words and she looked at her friends timidly. "Is that crazy?"

"Of course not, Alice." Demetri responded first, then the pair looked to Bella for confirmation.

Bella cleared her throat and looked at her friend seriously. "I think it's really soon to tell. But, I also think that you're falling love." Bella returned Alice's smile tenfold. "Maybe he's your soulmate."

"You believe in soulmates?" Demetri asked.

"I do. I found mine and now, it would seem Alice has found hers as well."

Alice squealed and leaned over to give Bella a hug. "Now it's your turn Demetri!" Demetri in response merely waved away the notion and grumbled to himself. "It was a magical evening. The only thing that confused me was the necklace." Alice touched the necklace gingerly before allowing it to rest on her skin. "He said it was the first gift of many to come."

"First gift? What about the bracelet?" Demetri asked, gesturing to the bracelet Alice had been wearing for days. "Didn't he give you that and leave a sweet note?"

"Or the shoes. Remember, he paid for your shoes?" Bella commented.

"Yeah! I'm thinking maybe he forgot." Alice shrugged it off. "Alright, so I've told you about my date. Now it's your turn. What happened Saturday?"

Demetri didn't give Bella a chance to decide whether or not she wanted to tell the story. Instead he began a full recall of the events that transpired that night. Bella listened with vivid remembrance as Demetri took Alice through the night. When it came to the part where Bella left early with Jacob, Demetri skimmed over that part and continued. "So after Bella left looking all weird, I continued dancing with Corin and Max. Corin was all over me." Demetri shuddered as he was taken back to that night. "Reminded me of when I was in high school as a kid, and pretended to be straight by dating this girl who liked me. Bad times. So Corin kept putting her body on me and Max kept trying to dance with her. It was one big collaso mess. I wanted to dance with Max who clearly wanted to dance with Corin. I didn't even know Corin liked me like that. Now I don't know what to do."

Alice and Bella exchanged looks, then Alice leaned over to pat his shoulder comfortingly. "Hey, it's okay. We probably should have told you that Corin liked you. But we thought you knew."

Demetri looked between the two women. "I had no clue." He told them honestly. "Was it that obvious?"

"Kinda." Alice continued patting him on the shoulder until he continued with the night's events.

"Weird. Well sometime through the night, I guess Corin got tired and called a cab. She tried to kiss me, but luckily she was too drunk and missed. Well after she was gone, I actually did get to dance with Max a little. Then we went home. We carpooled together of course. We were talking in the car, and Max was telling me about his trouble with the ladies and asked if me if there was anyone special in my life. I told him I was a single pringle and I'm pretty sure I saw a smile. So I joked and said maybe he should give men a shot. He actually surprised me with his answer." Demetri paused and looked at his co workers who were staring at him in anticipation. "He said that he wasn't repulsed by the idea of being with men and it actually intrigued him. So I did something bold."

"Don't stop now!" Alice chided. "What did you do?"

Demetri let his eyes droop down to his hands that were clasped together on the desk. "I told him I was gay."

Bella and Alice gasped in mock shock. "What did he say?" Alice asked curiously.

"He just said 'oh that's cool', and then asked me how long I'd been gay. I told him my whole life, and he asked stuff like, who I found attractive, how many relationships I've had and if I've ever had sex before. I was surprised, he seemed fine with it and very curious about how gay relationships work. Well after the car ride, I took him home and then passed out in bed and here we are." Demetri finished with a weak gesture with his hands. "That's what happened, well from my point of view."

"Wow! Look at you," Alice shoved him playfully. "Max just might play for your team." She winked at Demetri who merely tried his best not to grin stupidly at the thought. "Oh Bella. Why did you leave early?"

Bella sighed softly. She knew the topic of what happened with her was bound to come up. She made a decision whether or not to tell them the truth or make up some lame excuse and decided to tell the truth. Alice and Demetri were not just her coworkers but also her friends. Aside from Jacob, they were the people she was closest too. "Remember that guy who tried to kidnap me the first time we went to Victoria's Tavern? Julia was there that time."

"Oh no." Alice covered her mouth in horror. "Was he there?"

Bella nodded nervously. "He was. I was going to the bathroom and he came in behind me. I think he was going to…" She didn't have the nerve to finish the sentence and instead moved on to how she escaped. She explained that her vomit saved the day and she was able to escape.

"No wonder you left early." Demetri looked at her ruefully. "I'm sorry that happened to you Bella."

"Me too." Alice chimed in. "If I was there with you, I would have kicked his butt!"

Bella gave Alice a half-smile. "Thanks Alice. I'm feeling much better now." She took a bite of her coconut cake as if to reinforce the idea and savored the taste. She would have to go shopping for pickles again soon as she'd run out, but coconut cake would do. "So how do you guys feel about the meeting on Friday?"

Alice scowled and folded her arms. "Friday is going to be a long day."