Chapter Twenty Six

"Dad?"

"Damn it!" His outburst and surprised tone let me know he had not intended for me to hear any of the conversation he was having with the person at our front door.

"Bella, maybe it's best if we turn on the TV and wait in here until your dad is ready to tell us what's going on," Pretty Boy suggested, gesturing toward the couch.

I figured if I was going to call him Pretty Boy in my head more than using his actual name, it deserved to be capitalized. Apparently, at some point, I'd gotten up and was walking out of the living room. My mind was probably not exactly where it should have been in that moment. I was trying to keep my thoughts from wandering too much to what I knew was being discussed about ten feet away. Dad was acting strangely, and there was obviously something seriously wrong. I didn't feel much like thinking about it, though.

So, I nodded to Pretty Boy and pointed out the remote to him and heading back to my seat on the couch. Going along with his suggestion, I turned my head toward the oversized screen and pulled my legs up against my chest, holding them close with my arms. I liked sitting like that whenever I was stressed out or wanted to be invisible.

Pretty Boy sat close to my side and pulled me even closer after wrapping his around my shoulders. His presence was soothing, and I found myself paying more attention to the show that was on the TV than whatever was going on with Dad. If there was something bad happening, and I was pretty sure there was, maybe it was better to delay the inevitable. I wanted to stay in my bubble for as long as possible. Turned out, that wasn't very long.

"Bells?" my dad's hesitant voice called from the doorway just a few minutes later.

I simply turned my head to acknowledge him. Getting up seemed like too much effort at the time. Not to mention how comfortable I was snuggled up against Pretty Boy. He was warm.

"Charlie, maybe you should just say it, like ripping off a band aid or something. She's kind of freaking out over here," Pretty Boy suggested. I was grateful that he was trying to get the show on the road.

"James's lawyer managed to find some loophole, and James was released into his parents' custody. The damn lawyer somehow got a hearing early this morning, so I didn't find out about it until I got to work. By then, it was already pretty much over," Dad explained from his seat on the coffee table. He was right in front of me, but it seemed to me like he was a million miles away.

My ears were ringing so loudly that I was starting to get a massive headache. I could hear my name being called but couldn't figure out which direction the voices were coming from. It was becoming rather disorienting. There was a thick fog clouding my vision, which seemed strange, and I kept getting waves that felt kind of like being dizzy but different. I couldn't quite find the words to describe the feeling. I had never experienced anything like it before.

I'm pretty sure that's the point I lost consciousness.

James was free, and I was certain he would do whatever he could to make sure he finished what he started. I'd seen the look in his eyes that day he tried to nab me. That was not the look of a rational man. He wanted me and had some misguided notion that we were still together. I could only imagine how much angrier he had gotten after being beaten up by Pretty Boy and then arrested. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be seeing him again.

Disclaimer: If I claimed to own it, would you even believe me?

A/N: Sorry, I really was set to post this earlier, but FFN wouldn't let me.

So, James is on the loose...Is Pretty Boy gonna let Bella out of his sight for even a second? Do you think she'd be okay with that? Hmmmmm...

In case you're interested, I'm on twitter and I always follow back :-) I like to share all the funny stuff my little man does and spew nonsense on there.

I'm feeling rather old lately. My little man is turning 4 at the end of the month. I swear, there is nothing like watching my kid grow up to make me feel older! Plus, he wants a 3D dog cake (that looks like our dog) and I refuse to pay $150, so I've decided to make one myself. I'm pretty stressed out about it. I'm pretty good with the baking aspect but not so much with the creative aspect. I called my mom in for reinforcements, so hopefully, between her creativity and my made fondant making skills, we'll come out okay. Wish me luck :-)

I do plan on updating again on Wednesday, so I hope to see you again then if not sooner :-)

~SP