Love, Fun, and Disasters (Book 2)

Chapter 26

Bella's POV

I am glad to be home but at the same time, I just want to be alone and know it's unlikely to happen here. Having eleven siblings really does make finding alone time difficult. 

I get hugs from everyone, although only my sisters and Mom and Dad know about what happened to me. All my brothers just think I got beat up. The little boys wouldn't get it and Alex would feel bad for me and give me a pitying look.

The worst would be if Mike knew. He'd get into super protective older brother mode and want to kill the guy. Despite what happened to me, I still wouldn't want him to do that.

"Everyone stop suffocating Bella," Mom says after a while and I gratefully watch as my siblings step back. 

I take my bag and head upstairs to my room, climbing up and plunking onto my bed. I didn't say anything to anyone but I didn't sleep at all last night. They'd freak if I told them. I'm so exhausted. My eyes slowly drift shut.

Lisa's POV

I'm downstairs on the couch with all my siblings when I hear someone screaming. I face my sisters and I see the same look of fear in their eyes. We know it's Bella. The younger boys look terrified and the older two look confused and a bit scared. 

I jump up and so does everyone else. 

"Everyone just let Lisa and I go," Christina bosses and everyone else but her and I sit down. We run up the stairs as fast as possible and into the room. 

Bella's thrashing about and screaming so loud. 

"Stop! Please stop!! Get off of me, it hurts!" she screams and I have to hold back my tears. Christina and I shake her awake.

"Get your hands off me!" she yells as she opens her eyes until she realizes it's Christina and I that are here. 

"Bella I think you were having a flashback, we could hear your screams downstairs," Christina says quietly. 

"I'm sorry," Bella says before flinging herself into our arms and sobbing violently. Christina and I hold her shaking body tight. I see Christina's hand move to her face and see that she's crying too. She tries to hold it in and be strong but she can't any longer.

I wrap one arm around her while I keep the other around Bella. They both cry into my shoulders now.

Bella's POV

I gotta stop crying. The flashback was so hard and I feel horrible to have scared all my siblings but I can't be a baby about this. I always have to be strong from now on. I'm done with this pain and crap. 

I look up and see Christina holding me and crying hard and Lisa holding the both of us looking like she wants to cry but won't. 

"Don't cry Chrissy," I whisper and she opens her eyes and looks at me. I hug her so tight and she holds on like a lost child. 

"You're going to be okay Bella," she tells me. 

"I know I am and so will all of us. We have each other," I say and Lisa smiles at me. I attempt to smile back, but I know it's fake. I'm just trying to help Christina. I'm not going to be okay anytime soon in all honesty. 

Christina gets up after a while. "I'm going to go clean my face and then go tell everyone that all is fine now," she tells us and I nod. 

Lisa hovers and I look at her. She has a look of sadness in her big brown eyes that I've grown to learn shows her true feelings despite her putting up a brave front. 

"Lise..." I slowly say. She gives me a questioning look. "You don't look okay."

"I'm fine," she snaps and I know I hit a nerve. She turns to climb down the bunk but I grab her wrist. 

"You and I both know that's not true and I will hold onto your wrist until you tell me what's going on."

She sighs and lays on my pillow. "I'm just sad. I'm also scared," she adds.

"Why?" I ask.

"Horrible things keep happening, especially to you but also to my other sisters and I'm just so scared something more will happen," she rushes. 

"I can't say whether or not anything more will happen but you know what, we will get through it no matter what. When we fly, we fly together," I tell her reassuringly. 

Her and I sit there in a comfortable silence until I let out a huge yawn. 

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Lisa asks me.

"Of course," I lie and she buys it. I feel bad but too late now. She nods and then jumps down off my bunk.

"I'm gonna go to my room and go on my phone for a bit if that's alright," she says.

"Yeah of course, I'll see ya later," I tell her and she leaves. It's finally quiet. I lay down on my pillow and I hug a stuffed bunny I have on my bed. I fall back asleep quite quickly.

I wake up to the sound of a knock on the bedroom door. 

"Bella? Dinner's ready," Lauren says through the door and I inwardly groan. 

"I'm not hungry," I tell her and I hear her hesitate at the door before walking back downstairs. Truth is, I'm hungry but I don't feel like talking to people. I just want to be alone. 

I grab my phone and scroll through my twitter feed for a while. Nothing much new on it and neither is there much on my instagram.

The door swings open and in walks Amy. Dinner must be done now. She grabs her phone from the desk and looks at me.

"Lauren said you weren't hungry," she states.

"Nope," I say and she looks confused. 

"But you're always hungry," she says. I shrug and roll over to face the wall. I hear a set of footsteps that signals someone else is in the room. I hear low whispers but can't make out what is being said. Then someone leaves, I'm assuming Amy.

I hear nothing for a few moments so maybe both people left. I sure hope so.

I feel a hand rub my back and I quickly tense up. "Don't get scared sweetie it's just me," Katherine's voice says. I stay where I am, close my eyes, and try not to move at all. I don't say a word yet Kath stays and continues to rub my back. It feels so calming. 

After probably an hour or so Kath starts to turn around to leave but I reach behind me and grab her hand desperately. I want to be alone yet I don't want to be alone. I don't really understand that reasoning but it's how I feel.

She seems to understand and now lays on my bed and rubs my back some more. Tears slowly fall and I'm glad Kath can't see them. I want to be strong so desperately.