Bellatrix

New Flat Mate

CHAPTER 40

Gabriel

I didn’t intend for my words to come out so angrily and loud, but it did, and it woke my princess up, and she started to cry. My Bella rushed to her and tried to soothe her. While she was doing so, I told her “I’m sorry, my love, but please put yourself in my shoes for a moment. I have been desperately waiting for you to return to me. How can I just let you go again and especially now knowing that we have a baby. Please, I beg you, don’t push me away, please” She held my princess in her arms and patted her back gently and said to me in a soft voice, “We can’t just pretend that everything is back to normal and besides, I created a new life for myself. I can’t just drop everything and rush back into your arms. I still love you, Gabriel, and I know that I always will, but you have to understand that I started to build myself up again. I was so messed up before I left, I was going to reach out to you for help that day when I came to your office but then I saw you with that woman and heard all those horrible things she said. It broke my heart, and even more so because I didn’t hear you defend me. Perhaps it was meant to happen that way and for me to leave. It gave me an opportunity to rediscover myself and to heal, not just from that but also some of the wounds of my past life”

I wasn’t sure how to take all that she said in. It made sense but she had more than enough time and space to find herself and have her “me time” or whatever but she can’t expect me to just be okay with them staying apart from me now. “I tell you what, how about a compromise? Moving back here so soon would be too overwhelming for both you and our princess, so how about I move in with you?”

I could see the disapproval on her face and before she could refuse I quickly added, “It would just be sort of like a trial period and you would go about your life as you have been and it will give me the opportunity to bond with our princess. I promise not to get in your way, and if you don’t have a spare room, I would sleep on the couch”

Her expression changed, like she was seriously thinking about everything I said. “What about Jacob? she then asked. I then told her that he’s home schooled and I got him the very best tutors too. I wouldn’t want to disrupt his routine and that I would speak to him. I was confident that he would understand and would not mind staying with my parents and Arianna. Anyways, he’s grown to love them just as much as they do him. And besides, this was temporary, I was planning on bringing my Bella and my princess back home soon. We had our own home waiting for us. That reminded me that I would have to contact Alex to start getting the place cleaned up and to put together a household help team and get a nanny. We would need one because my Bella and I have a lot of lost time to catch up on.

“I live in a small flat. It’s not what you’re used to. I can’t allow you to come live with us knowing that you would be uncomfortable.” My Bella tells me, trying to sound convincing. But I just told her that I didn’t care how big or small the place we live in would be so long as I am under the same roof as her and our princess. She just looked at me defeated and then said “Well, you have to let everyone know then” I nodded a yes and smiled from ear to ear. My princess was wide awake now and looked around curiously, I took her from my Bella and then asked if it’s okay for us to go join the others. They were most probably freaking out! She said it was fine with her, and I led them out. When we reached the living room together, I could see the relief on everyone’s faces. Mum asked if she could hold my princess, and when my Bella nodded yes, she picked her up gently from my arms. I then asked Jacob if I could speak with him in private. He gave me a worried look and then hesitantly nodded a yes.

We went outside to the patio area. Once comfortably sitting down, I explained everything to Jacob and what led to the compromise I made with my Bella. I assured him that it was just temporary and that I was planning to bring her back home soon. I shared the secret about our new home with him and swore him to secrecy. He was ecstatic when he heard that part and was more than willing to wait a bit longer, knowing that we would all be together soon and that too in our new home. I noticed that the sparkle that was lost from his eyes this past year had returned. I told him that Arianna would bring him over to my Bella’s place often, and he was happy with that. I then asked him in a soppy way if I could maybe get one of those special hugs he used to give me and told him that I missed them a lot. He looked surprised, then rolled his eyes and said that I behave like a big baby and came over and gave me a really big, warm hug. Gosh, I missed those so much!

When we got back inside, everyone was busy catching up, and I looked over at my princess, who was still in mum’s arms. She looked crabby and upset. That was all my fault, disturbing her beauty sleep. She looked at Jacob, and her face lit up. He went over to her, took one of her tiny palms and started making patterns on it with his finger, and spoke to her in a silly baby like voice. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it and started smiling again. I decided to inform everyone of the decision my Bella and I made. Mum was about to say something, but dad tugged at her hand and bent over to her ear and whispered something to her. She didn’t look happy but didn’t say anything, though. Arianna said that would be okay so long as we don’t mind them visiting us almost every day. That made everyone laugh, and then dad said, “They need some space to figure things out, not you in their face every day!”