33

Dalton comes up from behind and hugs me. "Hey, babe." He says, giving me a long smooch on the cheek.

I immediately scoot away from him. "H-hey," I say, getting all warm and having flashbacks of Lucas and me last week.

"What's wrong? You have barely been texting, calling, and hanging out with me."

"Oh! It's nothing!" I say, blowing over the fact that was a lie.

He holds my arms, massaging them. "You are getting flustered and your stuttering. What's bothering you, baby?"

"Uh..." I say, determining if I should walk away without telling him the truth. I man up. "Let's sit down," I say, bringing him to the bench in the park. "I don't know how to say this, and I would totally understand if you don't want me to be in your life anymore..."

"Spit it out, Bella." He says, trying to understand what I'm attempting to explain.

"Okay," I say, letting out a heavy breath of guiltiness. "Last week on the 4th, Lucas texted me, hey, and I replied, but he never got back to me, so I got worried and went over to his house. He was in a bad state, so I helped him got clean and picked up his place, and then we went to get food."

"I don't see where you are going."

"Let me get there... After we ate our food, he requested to stay at my house because he didn't want to sleep at his that night, and my mom didn't have a problem with it, and I didn't either.

He raises an eyebrow. "Okay?"

I let another heavy breath out. "It lead to us in bed," I say, tearing up. "I'm so sorry, Dalton... I didn't mean it to happen."

He gets up. "You slept with Lucas. Mr Till! Our former teacher? Oh my god, Bella." He says, turning around and sliding his hand through his hair and shaking his head. He turns back around, facing me in the eyes. "Why?"

"Sit back down... I will tell you everything."

I revealed everything to him from where it all began. Me having a crush on Lucas in elementary to us dating last year and the blackmail. I still don't have a clue who it was.

"Are we okay?" I say, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He flinches back. "I need time to process this..."

"I feel horrible, and telling you didn't make a difference. I still have that horrible feeling in my gut. I really didn't mean it to happen... It just... It just did Dalton..."

"It's okay, Bell. I know... I will still fight for you." He says, bringing me close to him and kissing me on the head. "I will talk to you later."

"Wait, why aren't you mad? I seen guys go ballistic."

"I have always figured something was up with you two, but I didn't know if it was my overthinking or not. Now see you later, Bell..."

"I have the car. Let me drive you home."

"No, I need a good walk." He says, getting up from the bench and leaving me in the park alone.

I pull out my phone.

B: "I told him..."

L: "Oh my... How did that go?"

B: "Better than I thought, actually. He just left a minute ago to go take a walk and process what just occurred."

L: "How are you doing?"

B: "It didn't make a difference for me tbh... I wasn't trying to make myself better. I didn't want to lead him on anymore, and I just really wanted to be honest with him."

L: "Give it time and him time."

B: "Have you been cheated on?"

L: "I have."

B: "How did you did you do it?"

L: "Do what?"

B: "Process."

L: "It took me a while because it was a serious relationship, but then out of nowhere, Alexa brought light to me."

B: "How can you look at me perfectly and not see me as a cheater?"

L: "Number one, I was the guy you cheated on Dalton with, and I knew the outcome of it, and I love you so much that any mistake you make, I will still treat you the same."

B: "So... say like I became an assassin, it won't change the way you think of me?"

L: "Haha, that reminds me of Mr. Smith and Mrs. Smith. Will be assassins together."

I went to Google and searched them in the bar.

B: "Haha, cute."

L: "Let's be that for Halloween."

B: "Take me to a Halloween party then, and we will show off our sexiness."

L: "I gotchu love."

B: "But people seeing us in person is a risk because they could think we were with each other when I was your student. We should tell someone... like my parents?"

L: "Haha, we were."

B: "Lucas, I am being serious!"

L: "Okay, I mean... I don't have a problem with it... but we have to make it seem like we didn't get involved with each other before you were 18. We have to make it seem we did after you turned 18."

B: "I will talk to them when I get home."

L: "Should I come over? To be there with you?"

B: "Sure :) I'm heading home now."

L: "Okay, see u in a bit, love."

I walk in the house, sliding off my shoes at the door. I peak over the corner to see my mom reading her novel in the living room, and my dad is on his phone to what seems to be Candy Crush. I walk up to them, nervously with my arms behind my back. "Hey... I need to talk to you both."

My mom puts down her novel on her lap and closes her glasses. She looks intrigued by what I have to say. "What is it? Come sit down next to me."

I sit down next to her. "Once the guest arrives, we will begin."

She gives me a confused look. "Okay..." She says, putting back on her glasses and getting back to her book.

I go on my phone to text Lucas.

B: " I just got home. Come right in. You don't need to knock."

A few moments later, I get a text back.

L: "Almost here :)"

Lucas walks in the door, and I stand up.

"Good afternoon Lisa and Frank."

My mom sets her book down once again. "Oh, what a surprise! What are you doing here."

"He is here because I invited him." I sit back down next to her as Lucas follows after. "Uh... How do I say this?" I pause. "Lucas and I started seeing each other not shortly after I turned eighteen."

"Hunny... What about Dalton? Are you two broken up?"

"Yeah, we did today."

"You lost me. You two started seeing each other after you turned eighteen, but you ended things with Dalton today. Did you cheat on him?"

I fidget with my hands. "Uh, no! I should've clarified better. Lucas and I started texting more, and I realized I liked him, so I told Lucas that today, I was going to end things with Dalton."

"What a shame... you two seemed perfect for each other... But If you are happy, then I am happy too."

"I really think it was best off, staying friends. You now know I broke up with him today, and he needs time to process, so I'm not sure if we are still friends."

"Process? What do you mean?"

I look over to Lucas and then back at my mom. "Um... well, you know he liked me a lot, and I don't know if he can handle being just friends?" I say, covering the fact I cheated on him.

"Yes, very well then..."

"I need to ask you something, Lucas." My dad says strongly.

"Of course, sir. What is it?"

"Have you slept with my daughter while you were her teacher? Or did anything that you were not supposed to son?"

"Absolutely not, sir."

All of our kissing moments wander my head as well on Christmas day and that night before my birthday. My dad crosses his arms but gets up with a strong expression. "Welcome to the family, bud! I trust Bella has good taste in guys." He says, handshaking Lucas. He sits back down. "I wouldn't allow my child to be in a relationship with the age gap between you and her, but you are family son, and I assume you have good intentions for my daughter."

"Of course, sir." He says, looking over to me, smiling, and pulling me close.

"Early as it was, I have thought about you two being together ever since that day Emily didn't want to do water balloons. "

"Oh yeah!" I say, smiling. "I can't believe you guys aren't angry. I wasn't sure if I should have told you or not."

"We are glad you shared this with us, and we trust you, Bella, and Lucas." My mom replies.

He and I get up. "We're gonna go to my room and relax," I say, wrapping my arm around his.

"Okay, darling. Keep the door open."

"Mom, I'm eighteen."

My dad laughs. "Doesn't matter. You are still under our roof."

I groan in annoyance. "Fine," I say, walking out of the living room.

"Make sure to use protection when the time comes!" My mom shouts.

"Too late for that," I say, whispering with Lucas beside me.

"What was that?" She asks.

"I said, okay!" I shout back, walking up the stairs with now Lucas behind me.

Lucas spanks my butt, and I starting running. "Hehe, stop!" I say, racing into my room.

We get to my room, and we start kissing aggressively. I fall on top of him on my bed. I play with a piece of his blonde hair for a split second before looking into his eyes. "I can't believe they accepted our relationship and were so calm about it."

"Must be my charm." He says, laughing.

I kiss him. "Totally."