“As if! I’m a hundred times more Chris Pratt than you!”
“Hold on, you guys!” Bella says, her eyes wide, her palms up. “This is ridiculous. I can't publish the book if I don't own the book. I can't do anything!”
I shrug. “Let's just do it and find out.”
“She'll sue me!” Bella barks
, and she's probably right. “She will! I know her!”
“Then she will be suing all of us. I highly doubt she wants to take us on.”
I nod in agreement. “Highly doubt it.”
She looks at both of us, one after another, her head swiveling back and forth as she pieces it together.
“Wait a second… what are you talking about? Why would she sue you?”
Emmet shrugs. “We’re in this together. It's our story too. Not that I'm claiming ownership of it. I just feel responsible. Anything you need…”
“Anything at all…” I echo. I squeeze her hand as she looks down, thinking.
“You're serious? You mean it?”
“Yeah it's one of the benefits of being stupidly rich,” I sigh. “There are very few people who want to get in the ring with us. Maybe they would pick on the little guy… but you're not the little guy anymore, Bella. We've got your back.”
When she looks up at me, she smiles and it's like it has been a million years since I've seen it. Relief explodes in me, and I feel it trickling through every part of me. I'm happy. I'm happy that I made her happy.
Emmet slides from his chair and comes over, taking her other hand in his and kissing her fingertips.
“There, now, not so bad? Right?” he murmurs, looking up into her eyes. She nods uncertainly.
“You guys don't have to do this,” she mumbles. “I could always just write another book. Something. I could work it out.”
“Oh, I know you can!” I tell her. “This is not because you can't do it, this is because you shouldn't have to. No one is going to push my lady around when I'm able to stop it.”
She pulls back, cautious and guarded all over again.
“No, I’m not… what do you mean?”
I look at Emmet, waiting for him to say something but I am not sure he will. We may have waited too long. We have to do it now.
“You have to pick,” he finally says softly, carefully so she doesn’t just run out of the room.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she says, but I think she does.
I lean closer to her, trying to find that way in again. It really does seem like she’s keeping to the agreement — especially the part where it’s over.
“I think you know exactly what we mean, Bella,” I tell her.
“We’ve been through so much here,” Emmet continues.
Finally, a crack in her armor. “We have,” she admits.
I have to touch her. Feeling her retreat is too much. I stroke her arm, needing that reconnection.
“There’s too much…” she starts, then falters. She seems careful, picking her words one by one. “Too much to say.”
“You know that’s not true,” Emmet objects. I shoot him a look to beg him to be quiet. I know he’s feeling the urgency, but she’s in there. She’s just… I don’t know. Cautious? Worried it all might have meant something after all?