2 weeks later...
As Cyndi was packing up a few boxes of clothes and shoes, her phone rang. So, automatically thinking it was Remy, she perked up and answered it.
"Hey, Baby..." Cyndi replied into the receiver.
"Umm, It's Bella." Bella chuckled on the other end.
"Oh sorry. My boyfriend usually calls me like 5 times a day." Cyndi grinned as she sat down on her bed.
"Wha' ya up ta, girl?" Bella asked.
"Just packing up some stuff for school. I can't believe I'm leaving next week." Cyndi sighed. Bella smirked to herself and rolled her eyes on the other end of the line.
"Ya need help? I ain't doin' not'in." Bella offered.
"I couldn't ask you to do that." Cyndi smiled.
"I don' mind. Really, i's no trouble at all." Bella replied.
"You are just too sweet. I'd really like that." Cyndi gushed. She had never met someone who treated her as nicely as her new friend Bella. They had only known each other a short while and here she was, offering to help her pack up her room. It felt so nice to have a girl friend around. Though, she had many friends back home in New York…she missed having someone to hang around with. Remy was wonderful to be with…but sometimes, she just needed to be a girl and gossip and watch chick flicks.
After they hung up, Cyndi heard a knock at her bedroom door and got up to open it. It was Remy.
"Bonjour." He smiled as he bent down to kiss her cheek lovingly.
"Perfect timing. You can help me and my new friend pack up my room; she'll be over in a few." Cyndi smiled as they both walked back into the room.
"Wha's her name?" He asked curiously.
"Oh, Bella. She's such a sweet girl. You'll like her." Cyndi replied as she went back to packing a box of jeans. Remy felt a hard lump form in his throat when he heard the name. It certainly wasn't a very common name...but perhaps there was another Bella. Maybe it wasn't who he was thinking of. New Orleans was a big place...
"Does she have a last name, Chere?" Remy asked tentatively, hoping to God it wasn't the Bella that Jean Luc had his heart so set on Remy marrying.
"Boudreaux...Bella Donna Boudreaux." Cyndi said as she busied herself thinking of what kind of outfits she would most likely be wearing and what clothes to put in the box she was packing.
Remy's heart stopped beating for a solid 10 seconds. Merde. What the hell was he going to do? And why the hell was Bella suddenly friends with his girlfriend? He hated that Guild business had somehow intertwined itself into his personal life and he had a feeling that it wasn't just a coincidence either. Bella was getting too close for comfort and it would have to be put to an end soon. Remy knew all too well that his father was still harping on the idea of he and Bella marrying and he knew damn well that Henri would be helping him; despite how loyal he was in the past to his little brother. Henri was helpless to do much else but follow Jean Luc's orders; having the stones to go against them might have him killed by the Guild.
"Remy? You alright, Baby?" Cyndi chuckled as she looked up and caught the look of astonishment on Remy's face.
"Oh, ummm...oui. Peachy." Remy mumbled distractedly.
Merde.
Merde!
Merde!!
10 minutes later...
"Hello? Anybody home?" Bella's voice sang from the doorway as she peeked into the room. Cyndi smiled and got up from her bed to welcome her new friend.
"Hey, Bella! Oh, this is Remy. My boyfriend." Cyndi replied as she motioned to Remy who had turned a pale shade of white at the sight of the newcomer.
"Hi, Remy. So nice ta finally meet ya." Bella crooned with a knowing smirk. She knew Remy was practically shitting his pants at the sight of her and she loved every second of it.
"Oui, Bonjour." Remy replied through gritted teeth as he scooted as far away from Bella as possible and got closer to Cyndi, practically hiding behind her like a scared little kid hiding beneath his mothers skirt.
"Cyndi always says how handsome ya are, now I know dat she was righ'." Bella cooed flirtatiously. When Remy didn't respond in anyway, Cyndi smirked at her boyfriend, having noticed him clam up and elbowed him in the ribs.
"You don't say 'thank you' when someone compliments you?" Cyndi teased.
"Oh, ummm...T'anks." Remy mumbled.
They had all started helping Cyndi pack up her room and Remy actually started getting used to the idea of this girl being around him until Bella took things a step too far. She gave him a wink and puckered her lips at him when Cyndi wasn't looking and Remy in turn glared at her harshly. This girl was simply insane. He had to get out of there and fast.
"Umm, Chere...Remy's gotta get home." Remy replied abruptly. Cyndi glanced up and her eyebrows knitted together in concern.
"What? Why, Baby?" She asked softly as Remy got up from his spot on the floor.
"Umm, Henri wanted to do...somet'in wit Remy. Can't talk bout it here." Remy lied, insinuating that it was Guild business which it sort of was now.
"Oh, well...ummm...call me later?" Cyndi asked gently as he leaned down and gave her a tender kiss.
"Oui. Love ya!" He called over his shoulder as he practically ran out of the room and out of the house. Bella smirked to herself and sat up just a little taller. She had never been so proud of herself. Things were going just as planned...it all seemed so easy. Never before had she had to work so little to get what she wanted.
"Mon Dieu..." Remy sighed as he got in his car and headed home.
XXXXXX
"Quel est erroné (What's wrong)?" Henri asked a very distraught Remy when he caught him walking into the house.
"Bella Donna is wha's wrong." Remy groaned.
"Wha'?" Henri asked, trying to hide his obvious knowledge of the girls resurfacing in the Cajun's life.
"Oh, cut de bullshit, Henri. Ya know somet'in an' ya better tell Remy now!" Remy demanded, his unique eyes glowing brightly with anger. Henri sighed and looked away from his brothers painful glare. He would have to come clean. He loved his brother too much to be so underhanded and cruel.
"Papa is pushin' Bella ta ruin t'ings wit' you an' Cyndi. Ya gon' have ta marry de femme, Remy. Ya can' keep de Guilds at bay any longer..." Henri finally admitted, a weight lifting from his shoulders as he did this.
"Why Remy? Why not you?" Remy asked.
"Ya know de prophecy, Remy. I ain' gon' read it ta ya. It has ta be you an' it has ta be soon." Henri said as he watched the younger man pace about the foyer of their house.
"I can' marry dat girl! Do ya know dat she's become friends wit' my Chere? She's insane tryin' ta get ta Remy anyway dat she can!" Remy suddenly shouted, so angry that he felt he would kill someone.
Henri's eyebrow raised at this news and he fell silent for a moment. Though Jean Luc had laid down the groundwork for Bella to perhaps be jealous of Cyndi and to perhaps try and seduce Remy away from her...Henri never thought she would have been so bold as to insinuate herself into Cyndi's life as well. This was highly unexpected and definitely something he didn't think he'd have to deal with.
"She be doin' her job, Remy. She has ta break you two up. Both our fathers need dis ta happen. Now if ya wanna be kind an' save Cyndi a great deal o' heartbreak...let her go. Break up wit' her an' let her live out her life. You have t'ings dat ya need ta be doin' wit' yaself an it don' include bein' wit' Cyndi...not anymore. Ya marryin' dis girl wether ya wan' ta or not. Papa's head is on de choppin' block over dis an' so is mine. An if ya don' go through wit dis, ya gon' be joinin' us." Henri lectured, hoping to get his brother to see his point of view. For his sake, Henri prayed that he would.
Remy sighed and looked away from his brother. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the boy who had welcomed Cyndi into his life. This was all Henri's fault! If he hadn't dragged Remy over to Cyndi that day at the lake all those years ago...none of this would be happening.
"Remy...I know dis is hard. I know dat ya love Cyndi. But, de needs o' de many outweigh de needs o' de few...an' ya know exactly wha' I mean by dat. Ya need ta be selfless an' fo dat...ya'll be rewarded fo' it." Henri said gently.
"Ya wan' ya brother ta live a lie fo' de rest o' his life? While you probably go on ta find de love o' ya life an' have a family? Don' Remy get ta be happy, too?" Remy asked, his eyes reluctantly pooling up with tears that he didn't want to shed in front of his brother.
To this, Henri had no response. He just hoped that Remy would do what needed to be done before Bella got to Cyndi and unceremoniously ruined everything.