Ch 31

After Raw, Hunter asked Bella to talk. The weight of something unsaid hung between them as they sat in his locker room. Bella fidgeted nervously not wanting to argue with Hunter anymore. She just wanted to have a conversation.

"Listen," Hunter began, his tone softer than she was used to. "I need you to be patient with me. There's… stuff going on that I need to sort out. I promise I'll talk to you once I've got it figured out."

Bella frowned. "It's hard to be patient when you said there were no more secrets after you told me about you losing a baby with Sable. Is that it? Is there another secret from the past you're hiding?"

Hunter avoided her gaze, shifting uncomfortably. "Let's not get into that right now. I need some time please," He quickly changed the subject. "Look, could you do me a favor? Take Samantha with you for the break. I need time to get things straight in Connecticut, especially now that I've ended things with Chyna."

Without hesitation, Bella agreed. "Of course, she can come with us. We're going to Florida to check on the house. Maybe when you're done, you should come down, too. I think it would be good for us to spend time together as a family."

Hunter nodded, though his expression stayed grim. "I'll try to make it there over the break. Thank you again for understanding and taking care of Samantha. I promise we will have a talk soon. I better get going."

When he hugged her goodbye, it felt different—longer, tighter, as though he was trying to say something he couldn't put into words. Bella felt a chill run through her, sensing the heaviness in his demeanor. After he left, she sat in silence, struggling to process her growing unease.

Mark found her a few minutes later. The moment she saw him, tears filled her eyes. "I'm really worried about Hunter," she confessed. "He isn't ready to tell me what is going on. I'm going to try to give him time but he needs to fess up soon. He wants us to take care of Samantha over the break and I asked him to try to come to Florida."

Mark wrapped her in a protective embrace. "Bella, everything is going to be ok," he reassured her. "Right now, Samantha's waiting for us. I'll see if Jessica can join us in Florida. It'll be good for Samantha to have Jessica to spend some time with. Samantha is just as worried as you."

"She senses like I do, that her Dad is not himself," Bella softly said. "I wish I could take all her worries away."

"Darling, only Hunter can fix this situation right now. All we can do is try to distract her from thinking about it," he caressed her face. "I will do my best to distract you from thinking about it too."

"You're always very good at distracting me," she smiled, kissing him softly. He took her hand hoping he could keep her distracted over the break.

The next morning, Bella and Mark arrived at their home in Florida with Samantha. The familiar surroundings brought a sense of peace, though Bella's mind remained clouded with concern for her brother. Bella kept Samantha busy with doing the finishing touches on Samantha's bedroom. She left Samantha with the task of organizing the rest of her closet, while she went to make dinner with Mark.

While Mark and Bella were preparing dinner, the doorbell rang. Bella called Samantha to answer the door. The moment Samantha saw Jessica, her spirits lifted. She hugged Jessica thankfully she was there. Jessica went to say hello to her Dad and Bella then joined Samantha in the family room. The moment Jessica sat down on the couch Samantha let her fears out.

"I feel like my family is about to fall apart," Samantha admitted, her voice trembling. "I know my dad is hiding something bad, and I wish he'd just tell us. The waiting is killing my aunt and me."

"Have you tried talking to your Dad?"

"Yes, he won't tell me anything. It's just weird how he broke up with Chyna suddenly. I thought he was going to marry her," Samantha's blue eyes were filled with confusion and pain. "I didn't really like her but she made my Dad happy. I guess she didn't make him as happy as I thought."

"Hopefully soon your Dad will talk to you about what is going on."

"What if his secret drives my aunt away?" she softly asked so Bella wouldn't hear.

"Your aunt would never leave you. Plus you now have my family to look out for you," Jessica placed a comforting hand on Samantha's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it together. I promise."

Samantha offered a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Jess. I'm so happy you're here."

Back in the kitchen, Bella watched the girls through the doorway. She sighed as Mark placed a reassuring hand on her back.

"No matter what happens, we'll handle it," he said firmly. "Together."

Bella nodded, finding strength in his certainty. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that Hunter was about to tear their family apart.