Chapter 20
Bella's POV
Jesse slides out of the car and walks around to my door to help me. "I don't think so Jesse. I'm not going to stay here and have the team wait on me hand and foot like an invalid." I push the lock button down and cross my arms.
"Come on Bella. Stop this ok. No one is going to treat you any different. I promise. Now unlock the door so I can get you inside."
I shake my head "no" and turn away from him not wanting to deal with this. Out of frustration Jesse pulls his keys from his pocket and presses the keyless entry button. The door locks release and Jesse pulls the door open. He reaches under my legs with one arm and slides the other behind my back. I open my mouth to protest, but he'll hear nothing of it. Seems Jess has been learning a few things from Dom. The door opens when we reach the porch and Letty and Mia rush out to greet us.
"Girl how ya feelin'?" Letty jokes.
"I'd be a lot better if Jess would put me down and let me hobble along on my own."
Jesse smiles down at me and gently places my feet onto the ground. He holds me around the waist until I can steady myself against the porch support. "Can you handle standing for a minute while I get your crutches?"
I take a deep breath and try to balance on my unsteady feet, "Yeah. I'm fine. Letty'll catch me if I start to tip over. Right girl?"
"Of course, we girls gotta look out for each other."
Letty puts her arm around my back and Mia moves to my other side. Jess jumps down the steps and runs to the car to retrieve the crutches. He returns to me quickly and helps me get the crutches in place. I make my way into the house moving at turtle speed, the only speed I know right now. The house has been cleaned and furniture has been moved to allow me to get into the living room without having to twist around. Leon jumps from the couch when he sees me and runs over to give me a gentle squeeze and kiss on the cheek. Vince walks up from behind me and kisses me on the back of the head. I hand my crutches back to Jess and slide onto the couch. I grimace from the pain that shoots through my back as I sit down causing everyone to panic. "I'm ok. Stop freaking out. It just hurts a little when I sit down. The doctor told me that I would be in pain for a few months. There's a long road of recovery in front of me."
Leon frowns and drops to his knees beside me, "I wish everyday that it had been me instead of you. If I had told Dom in the beginning maybe he'd of let you race with the team."
"You know better than that. My brother would never of let me race if he had his way. Don't you ever think that this was your fault." I look up at the team, "Don't any of you ever blame yourself for this. I have my father's stubbornness and will do what I want when I want. No one, not even my brother can stop me. It was my decision to race that night and my stupidity to not check the car over. My father taught me better than that. The blame all rests on my shoulders."
Mia smiles and wipes a lone tear from her eye, "You really have grown up little sis. Guess it's time we start treating you like an adult."
"Yeah that would be nice." The team erupts into laughter. "Where's my baby at?"
Mia snickers, "Uncle Dommie took Aria to the park. You should see him. It's quite funny the way he runs around here keeping her occupied. Letty's scared to death that he is going to ask her to have a kid, so he can be a full-time daddy."
Letty waves her hands back and forth, "Yo that shit ain't happening. He wants a baby he can carry it for nine months."
"Aww come on Letty Aria needs a little cousin to play with." Leon chimes in from across the room.
"You need to shut the hell up. Why don't you go knock some girl up and see how you like dealing with dirty diapers and 3am feedings? I'm not ready for that, I need my beauty sleep."
Vince throws a couch pillow at her, "Looks like you haven't had enough sleep."
I think it's time to step in, "Well Coyote you'd have to sleep the rest of your life to make that face of yours look good."
"Hey. I am damn sexy. Just look at me."
"If you say so Vince." I stretch and yawn. "You so sexy."
The team spends the next hour getting taking shots at each other and getting back to normal.
Bella's POV
Jesse slides out of the car and walks around to my door to help me. "I don't think so Jesse. I'm not going to stay here and have the team wait on me hand and foot like an invalid." I push the lock button down and cross my arms.
"Come on Bella. Stop this ok. No one is going to treat you any different. I promise. Now unlock the door so I can get you inside."
I shake my head "no" and turn away from him not wanting to deal with this. Out of frustration Jesse pulls his keys from his pocket and presses the keyless entry button. The door locks release and Jesse pulls the door open. He reaches under my legs with one arm and slides the other behind my back. I open my mouth to protest, but he'll hear nothing of it. Seems Jess has been learning a few things from Dom. The door opens when we reach the porch and Letty and Mia rush out to greet us.
"Girl how ya feelin'?" Letty jokes.
"I'd be a lot better if Jess would put me down and let me hobble along on my own."
Jesse smiles down at me and gently places my feet onto the ground. He holds me around the waist until I can steady myself against the porch support. "Can you handle standing for a minute while I get your crutches?"
I take a deep breath and try to balance on my unsteady feet, "Yeah. I'm fine. Letty'll catch me if I start to tip over. Right girl?"
"Of course, we girls gotta look out for each other."
Letty puts her arm around my back and Mia moves to my other side. Jess jumps down the steps and runs to the car to retrieve the crutches. He returns to me quickly and helps me get the crutches in place. I make my way into the house moving at turtle speed, the only speed I know right now. The house has been cleaned and furniture has been moved to allow me to get into the living room without having to twist around. Leon jumps from the couch when he sees me and runs over to give me a gentle squeeze and kiss on the cheek. Vince walks up from behind me and kisses me on the back of the head. I hand my crutches back to Jess and slide onto the couch. I grimace from the pain that shoots through my back as I sit down causing everyone to panic. "I'm ok. Stop freaking out. It just hurts a little when I sit down. The doctor told me that I would be in pain for a few months. There's a long road of recovery in front of me."
Leon frowns and drops to his knees beside me, "I wish everyday that it had been me instead of you. If I had told Dom in the beginning maybe he'd of let you race with the team."
"You know better than that. My brother would never of let me race if he had his way. Don't you ever think that this was your fault." I look up at the team, "Don't any of you ever blame yourself for this. I have my father's stubbornness and will do what I want when I want. No one, not even my brother can stop me. It was my decision to race that night and my stupidity to not check the car over. My father taught me better than that. The blame all rests on my shoulders."
Mia smiles and wipes a lone tear from her eye, "You really have grown up little sis. Guess it's time we start treating you like an adult."
"Yeah that would be nice." The team erupts into laughter. "Where's my baby at?"
Mia snickers, "Uncle Dommie took Aria to the park. You should see him. It's quite funny the way he runs around here keeping her occupied. Letty's scared to death that he is going to ask her to have a kid, so he can be a full-time daddy."
Letty waves her hands back and forth, "Yo that shit ain't happening. He wants a baby he can carry it for nine months."
"Aww come on Letty Aria needs a little cousin to play with." Leon chimes in from across the room.
"You need to shut the hell up. Why don't you go knock some girl up and see how you like dealing with dirty diapers and 3am feedings? I'm not ready for that, I need my beauty sleep."
Vince throws a couch pillow at her, "Looks like you haven't had enough sleep."
I think it's time to step in, "Well Coyote you'd have to sleep the rest of your life to make that face of yours look good."
"Hey. I am damn sexy. Just look at me."
"If you say so Vince." I stretch and yawn. "You so sexy."
The team spends the next hour getting taking shots at each other and getting back to normal.