“That weekend…that night Bella,” he stated with a huge smile. “Our baby…”
“Our babies,” she said nodding at the look that came into his eye before he kissed her again. “I love you, Tyler.”
“That’s good because I’m never letting you go, any of you,” he replied pulling her down into his arms as he laid back. “You are stuck with me Bella Reed.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be Ty,” she sighed snuggling against him happily.
Chapter 14
“Ty, we do have a bit of a problem. How do we deal with David and Izzie and their crap?” Bella asked a bit later after the doctor and Evan had assured them that both she and the babies were fine.
“I think I can help with that,” a voice said from the doorway, and she turned in shock to see Xavier standing there.
“Who are you?” Tyler stated noting the slight tension that filled her.
“Xavier, what…how did you know I was here?” she finally managed.
“It was on the news. I saw the crap David had spewed and then they played Izzie’s piece. I want to tell the truth about what happened that night if you do Bella.”
“I don’t know…putting it all out there,” she said as her heart raced.
“You can do it Bella,” Tyler promised holding her tightly against him. “I’ll be right beside you. I’ll never leave you.”
“I don’t…” she started but stopped as she saw the people outside the room. It finally dawned on her why they were there, and she shook her head. How on earth could she not see the truth staring her in the face? She wasn’t Arabella to them; shewasjust Bella, and she knew they’d never leave no matter what spin the media tried to run with.
“Bella, baby what’s wrong?” Ty asked feeling her shake her head.
“Nothing, I think it’s time,” she agreed.
“Time for what?” Mandy asked poking her head around the corner. “I didn’t mean to interrupt but the phones are going crazy everyone wants a statement.”
“It’s time to tell the whole truth; the David and Izzie issues, the real way the Remsens feel about me, and the reason I walked away and came back.”
“You’re not worried that they’ll say you’re making it up to look sympathetic?” Mandy asked replaying one of her reasons she’d used to keep it quiet.
“But I have all the proof, the visit to the ER where they found the drugs in my system, Xavier’s word…”
“And the tape of David threatening me with jail time if I said a word to anyone,” Xavier added. “I didn’t know the extent they’d gone to but once I did…I have it in living color of David admitting what they’d done.”
“You do?” Bella asked in shock.
“After you confronted me, I had to know why, even if you didn’t need it, I did because that night has haunted me for years. I flew out to London and met up with him, telling him you’d seen me and asked if we knew each other, and he told me everything that he’d done that night. It’s right on here,” he stated holding out a flash drive.
“I don’t know what to say,” Bella told him.
“If I’d known the truth back then…if I’d stayed instead of just dropping you off at the ER…I am so sorry Bella. Back then I was the outsider and what they offered…”
“I get it Xavier; try growing up with parents who can’t stand you for some unknown reason. I was the odd duck out, but it’s them who are messed up. It may have taken me years to get that but now, they’re the ones who are going to have to answer to the truth.”
She kept her resolve firmly in place the next morning as she left the hospital with Tyler and his parents by her side. She smiled contently as they pulled up in front of the apartment and hurried inside ignoring the requests for comment from the reporters. The scene inside the apartment was chaotic when they arrived but it was for a good reason. There was only one place she’d feel comfortable enough telling her story and that was home with Ty next to her.
She felt relieved to see all of her friends waiting there as the crew set up the equipment. She allowed Toby and Richard to make her look her best before she returned to the living room greeting Renee warmly.
“Bella, I must admit I was surprised when you called last night.”
“So were we,” she admitted, “but out of everyone who I could tell my story to, you seemed to be the only one who would make sure it got out there right. I didn’t want a sob fest like the ones we see with others.”
“You’re really ready to tell everything?” Renee asked. “The truth about why you and Tyler have been apart, what brought you back together, whether or not Quinn and you had an affair?”