Chapter 7

Bella was lying crying on her bed, curled between her friends. Sarah and Ailani comforted her, brushing her hair and hugging her tightly. There wasn't anything else her friends could do to help her, which was all she needed. She would be lost without them. Bella's heart was broken; she'd broken it herself.

Bella had called Bane and told him their relationship was over. She had made a video call because she wanted to make it as right as possible. If anything, Bella wasn't a coward. She didn't want to take an easy way out. It wasn't what Bane deserved. It wasn't what their relationship deserved. But damn, if it wasn't the hardest thing she had ever had to do.

When Bella had seen Bane's handsome face on the laptop screen, her heart had skipped a beat and started to beat frantically. She had almost chickened out, but Ailani and Sarah had urged silently behind the screen her to keep her promise to herself: she would end it. It would be for the best. For both. In the end.

Bane had eagerly asked about his gift. Did she like the earrings? When he had seen that Bella wasn't wearing them, he had frowned and asked, hadn't she got them, hadn't Ailani brought them to her.

Bella was holding the unopened gift in her hand. Bane had said he thought Bella would love them. He had used quite a bit of his savings to buy them. Bane had started to babble and to get nervous. Panic had risen to his dark brown eyes. He quickly realized what was happening; it was his greatest fear: Bella was breaking up with him.

"No, I won't accept it," Bane had said bluntly.

"You said we will try. You've been gone only for four weeks. What has changed? We can make it work, please, Bella." Tears had started to fill Bane's eyes and Bella's. She hadn't said much. What was there to say? I love you but… We had a great time together but…

For a moment, she had started to have second thoughts. Maybe she shouldn't break up with him after all. He had been good to her. He was sweet and gentle, and their sex was great. Not that they were going to have any for quite some time, not together anyway. And they had to be honest with each other; sooner or later, they would have it with someone else. Bella wasn't sure anymore why they had even thought it would be possible to stay together. It just wasn't realistic at all.

But it wasn't just the long-distance issue if Bella was honest, and she needed to be honest, at least for herself. Bella had needed to get away from Bane and spend time apart before she could see what was bugging her about their relationship.

It was about Bane becoming a bit too controlling and possessive of her. He had started to tell her more and more what he liked her to do, with whom she should or shouldn't hang out, and what kind of clothes he wanted her to wear. It had been very subtle, and it hadn't happened very often. But it still had, and now she understood his need to control her.

And yet it was Bane who had dragged Bella out of her shell and taught her to love herself, to be confident and strong. Bane had taught her to love sex and how it is equally important to give and to receive. And then suddenly, it felt like Bella had become too much for Bane: too confident, too strong. Bella didn't need Bane so much anymore, and Bane couldn't handle that very well.

And then there had been that talk about getting married someday. Bella was pretty sure she would never marry. It didn't mean that she wasn't looking for love and a long commitment with the person she loved, but she didn't need marriage to commit to another person. No, she wasn't the marrying kind. And Bane was. He had parents who had stayed together for 20 years and were still going strong.

Bane had very conservative values about family and raising kids. Bella didn't have anything against kids either; she would love to have someday, but damn, it wouldn't be her who would take the whole responsibility in raising them, being a stay-at-home mum. And again, it was precisely what Bane had thought she would be.

She remembered one of their very few fights, and that was about cooking. In Bane's opinion, it is a woman's job to cook. Bella had flipped her top and made sure that Bane knew that she would never be that lasagna-smelling-henhussy who didn't need anything more meaningful in her life than cooking for her husband and her kids. It hadn't gone down well with Bane, and they hadn't spoken to each other for a week. That big of an argument over who's making dinner. That was crazy shit.

So, in the end, it came to the fact that no matter how good they might be together now, they would not have a future together, not one they both would want. Why keep up with something that didn't have a future? They weren't kids anymore.

On the video call, Bane had gone ballistic. He had shouted and screamed, and it had been impossible to speak with him. They were both crying their eyes out, and Ailani had come to her rescue and finished the call. She had told Bane that she was very sorry about what had happened and that she would come to see him soon after she had returned to Honolulu. And that was it. Bella and Bane was no more.

She was wallowing in self-misery. When she thought she would never be with Bane again, all the memories they shared rushed into her mind. She remembered their first time together, how Bane had blown her mind with his eagerness to make her feel good, to feel good together. How amazing Bane had made her feel. Before Bane, she really didn't know that sex could be so enjoyable.

She remembered their diving trips and all the time they spent together exploring the marine life around O'ahu Island. Many sunny days, many hot nights.

"Oh, God! Why am I unable to love him enough to be with him?" She blamed herself and sobbed desperately.

She wanted to die. Being the one who breaks up was a million times worse than being the one who gets dumped. She would write a letter to Bane and explain her decision. He needs time to think things through. Maybe after a week or two, he would be ready to listen.

How Bane acted during the video call made Bella very worried about him. After the call, she wasn't entirely sure what Bane might do. She had asked Ailani to call his mum to tell her what had happened. Bella had asked Ailani to tell Edena that she was so sorry and that she would call her soon. She loved Bane's mother. She would miss her terribly. She did miss her terribly.

Charlie knocked on Bella's door and peeked in. "What's the matter, kiddo?" he asked.

"She broke up with Bane," Ailani told him. Bella was unable to speak.

"Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

Feeling uncomfortable seeing Bella crying, he sighed and told Bella he would be downstairs if she needed him. Before knocking, Charlie had stood behind Bella's door for quite a long time, trying to decide whether to go to see what was going on or not. To hear Bella crying broke his heart. But there was absolutely nothing he could do to help her in this matter.

The only thing that mattered to Bella was that he wanted to come to check on her, and she wanted him to know.

"Thanks, dad!" she sobbed.

It was the way they were together as a daughter and a father. They didn't need many words. They knew they would do just about anything for each other. That was one reason Bella wanted to be here just now. She needed her dad, and her dad needed her.

Three girls lay on the bed for over an hour until Bella's tears started to dry out. It didn't mean that she was feeling any better; she didn't deserve to feel any better. And she did feel terrible, she had a throbbing headache, and her nose was sore due to all nose-blowing.

"What would you like to do, Bella?" Sarah asked and brushed a strand of tear-soaked hair behind her ear.

"I guess we could watch a movie. Get some popcorn and spend the day on the couch. Dad will be happy to watch a movie too. I think there isn't any important Mariners' game today," Bella said, sat up, and blew her nose.

"Is there anything good on Netflix?" Ailani wondered.

"Would we be ready for Mamma Mia?"

"Maybe it is too much just now. I want to feel better for that crazy shit," Bella sighed.

"I think we need The Office now and definitely the British version nothing too serious, eh?" Sarah suggested.

"Yes, that's definitely in order," Bella said.

"And next, you tell us how the US version is probably the only thing Americans have done almost as well as British." Ailani giggled.

"Damn right I am telling you that," Sarah laughed.

Girls grabbed pillows and a few blankets with them and went downstairs, popped some popcorn, and went to ask Charlie if he was up to some serious binge-watching and feeling a shared sense of shame and laughing his ass off.

Charlie's mustache made a slight twitch, and he pressed himself deeper into his recliner. He was all in.

"Here's some beer for you, Charlie," Ailani handed him a bottle.

If you asked Charlie, everything was good again in Swan's residence.