Loving the criminal 8-last one (Bella's Journey)

"But hating something you love is a painful feeling." - Tetsuya Kuroko (Kuroko No Basket)

_ _ _

The plane landed on the lands of London and an exhausted smile shone on her face. Finally, she will rest after so much tiring work. But Simon wasn't relieved as she was and it was the disturbed look on his face that made her confused.

"Is everything alright?" He then turns to look at her and holds her gaze for several seconds. She knew right then his eyes spoke something. Fear. And there are Neons of disappointment, guilt, and anger. Why?

"It's nothing." A Lie. Something was going on.

"Are you sure, Simon?" She asks before they reach their car surrounded by crazy paparazzi asking ridiculous questions. 

"Yeah." He answers after they get into their car, shielded by their guards. 

As the engine starts, Bella opens the window and feels the air of London whipping her relaxed face. Serene. She felt serenity. It smelt of grass, ice cream, gasoline... and Kerry. It smelt like the good days she was living. It smelt like the man she adorns. 

She told him to meet her here, in London. He agreed without hesitation. He is waiting for her. The thought made her excited like a little kid. She felt like a kid all over again. She felt like she was born again but in a better life. A better life where her father didn't exist. A better life where she is in love with her destined one.

That's love.

It makes you feel young again.

It makes you excited.

It makes hold onto what you have and never let go. 

It makes you think it's always there, protecting your heart, and makes you believe that person you adorn will never leave. Will never change. Will never lie. And that's the worst part.

Kerry was perfect in her eyes. And love was responsible for that. Love was responsible for her blindness.

Amidst the silence, a chime from Simon's phone interrupts her sweet thoughts. Then he frowns as if he received bad news. "Your father wants to see you." He says with a bitter tone. Then he shifts in his seat uncomfortably looking uneasy.

"Is it something bad?" Bella can't help but ask since her daddy didn't ask to talk with her for about a year. As long as she made worthy money for him, there won't be anything that make them meet. As long as she is under his perfect watch...

"I don't know." He says after staying quiet for some seconds long. 

__________

She can feel it crawling back. She can feel her fear threatening to make her knees go weak and make her sag on the floor. Even if it's been years since she stood facing this big gate, trembling, clinching her hands on her dress, praying that devil won't lay a finger on her unknown mother, breaking into sweats as her finger travels ever so slowly to press the bell. 

It is all back again. She wasn't over it at all. The sweat was there wetting the collar of her t-shirt. The fear was still there and it was making her heart shudder. It's making her restless. Whatever was waiting for her in this house wouldn't be anything good. And she knew it deep down.

"Go inside. They are waiting." Simon says holding open the door. Wait... who are 'they'? Before she could ask him, he pulled her inside then stared at her face before leaving her confused. She then strolls inside, gulping every single drop of fear down to her stomach before it bursts and makes her lose her mind.

Here goes nothing. After letting out a shaky breath, she takes a step into the living room. And what she saw left her shocked. 

"Oh? Look who is here?" Her father says. Beside him with a silhouette of a guy kneeling, tied, and face covered with a cloth. And there is a man seated in front of her dad. The man had a demanding aura that made her want to inhale the breath she let out before entering. Her lung is suffering from a lack of oxygen. But that's not the important thing here. Her eyes scanned his face... unmistakably ocean blue eyes like Kerry's. Brown hair like Kerry's. Jawline like Kerry's. Unmistakably Kerry's father or someone related to him. Then her eyes made their way to the man who was kneeling and so much blood gushing out of him. No... Kerry.

"Welcome, dear daughter. It's been too long since I saw you." Her daddy smirks and looks at Simon who is standing behind her. It feels like a silent language. "Good job, Simon." He smiles with delight. Then she notices the photos scattered on the table. All of them were taken in a perfect angel. They show how in love and idiot she and Kerry are. And then the realization hits her.

Kerry. Simon. Her dad. 

Oh no. 

She widens her eyes and looks at Simon. He wasn't looking her way. She can't help but let her tears fall. Why Simon? Why did he do that? Wasn't he on her side? He was watching her every step. How could she fail to notice? How could she be that blinded to see what the hell was happening around her? How dare she? How dare she drag Kerry into her mess? 

"You have gone too far." Her father hisses. "You slept with him." He says with disgust. She watched him give his guard a gesture to remove the cloth from Kerry's face. And she saw him. His nose was bleeding so much. His eyes were bloodshot and bruised and swollen. Not shiny blue like she knew them.

Oh, Kerry.

She shuddered knowing it was her fault.

Her father punches him and she can't help but yell his name. "How dare you, Bella? How dare you sleep with a piece of trash like him?" His face was so red and shaking with rage as he spoke. She had never seen her father this angry before. "Don't you know he is a fucking criminal?" She froze. What does that mean? Kerry? Criminal? Her love is a criminal? 

"A human trafficker. A murderer. A robber. A fucking drug dealer." Her father spits with disgust then continues. "Don't you have some self-respect?" Everything was spinning around and her knees gave in. She collapsed on the floor and turned her eyes to Kerry to tell her this was all a lie. To wake her up if this was a nightmare. To assure her he will stay with her forever. But... but he was just staring at the floor. With no answer. With no assurance. He was helplessly accepting the truth. 

"Good for you. I will throw him to die in jail." Her eyes travel to Kerry's dad but his eyes are full of hatred. Full of betrayal. "Before that, is there anything you want to say to him?" Nothing comes out of her mouth. He then nodes to Simon to take Kerry out. Simon. She watched him drag Kerry as if he was a trash that needs to be thrown out. She watched her breath being taken away. She watched her meaning of life being dragged away. She just watched her love being thrown away. Nothing she could do other than watch. Watch the painful fact.

Everything went blank… her vision was blurry from her tears. She was unable to move… her body was paralyzed by the shock.

They took Kerry away from her…

~

Inside the empty dim room, sounds of sobs echoed. The sounds create a sad girl sitting with her arms hugging her knees and tears of fear mixed with sadness, storming out of her beautiful, lifeless eyes in someone's mind.

Bella…

She is out of energy…

Love, hope, and happiness disappeared from her.

While she stared blankly at the floor, where Kerry was kneeling, she noticed a word written with blood…

'Sorry'

It was from Kerry…

🥀

End~