Where the Streets Have No Name
Chapter 89
We finally meet Bella...
"Are you sure it won't be a problem, Mom? You just started working there. I don't want you to get into trouble with the family. I can stay with Lauren..." Bella said on the phone after hesitantly springing the news of a surprise visit to her mother.
"Nonsense! You're staying with me. I made it perfectly clear when I took the job that my daughter might visit and would stay with me when she does. Also, Edward's a really sweet guy. He won't have any problem with you visiting.
"What I don't get is why you are flying all the way just for the weekend, in the middle of the term no less. It's not like you to be so impulsive.
"Bella, be straight with me, honey. Is everything okay? Is it Paul?"
Bella chewed her bottom lip in consternation. She knew it was going to be a hard sell explaining to her mother why she wanted to pay an unplanned visit in the middle of the semester. She could hardly afford the cost, and her mother was right, it wasn't like her to be so impulsive.
"Everything is okay, Mom. I promise. Can't I just visit my mother 'cause I miss her? I haven't seen you since I left home after the funeral. Besides, it's study week here; no classes. I saved up a bit from my tutoring job, so don't worry about the ticket."
She heard her mother sigh on the other end, signaling that she was gradually buying on to the idea.
"I miss you too, honey. I can't wait to see you. What about Paul? Is he coming with you?" Renee asked.
Bella squeezed her eyes shut. This was the part she dreaded the most. The blatant lie she would have to tell without raising suspicion.
"Uh... no, he can't get away from practice. But he said hi," Bella blurted out the words fast.
"Well, tell him I said hi too. He's a good kid. You could do a lot worse," Renee said meaningfully.
Her mother liked Paul, Bella knew that.
Before he passed away, her father too liked Paul.
Everyone liked Paul.
Even Bella herself couldn't deny that she liked Paul.
Paul was very likable.
Therein hid the problem.
"Mom, you realize we are not... like that. We are not together like that, and you know it," she said with slight irritation.
"I know, honey. I just want you to think long and hard before you do anything you might be sorry for later. Sometimes we don't know how important something is until we lose it. I just don't want you to live with that kind of regret. But I get it, I'm just your silly old mom, so I'll shut up now.
"Send me your flight number and arrival time, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. See you soon. Bye."
"Bye, honey. I love you."
Bella hung up the phone and stared at her packed bag sitting by the door.
The impromptu trip home would only buy her a little extra time before she had to make a decision once and for all about her possible future with Paul.
She wished she wasn't such a coward.
She wished she hadn't let things drag on as long as she did.
Above all, she wished Paul wasn't such a kind and compassionate human being.
It would have made things so much easier if he weren't.
Thank you Lulabelle98, HeidiJoVT, and Dinx.
As you can see, Bella comes with her share of baggage too. Though nowhere near as heavy as Edward's. But of course Bella knows nothing of that quite yet, so the little trouble she has feels like a mountain to her.