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time. Belle was always shocked at how fast things could change in an instant. like in the summer, one second she was on a boat ride with her four best friends, the next she was falling in love, the other she had lost her best friend since they were kids and now?
Belle Lively sat in an empty beach, the wind blew through her black hair as she kept her eyes on the ocean watching the sunset.
in the last few weeks everything changed, getting used to not having her best friend around and not being able to run next door to wake him to surf, getting calls and texts from her parents who had returned and now getting used to that now things were different. that was another thing Belle was shocked at, change. and she did not like it.
she breathed out rubbing her eyes feeling her phone buzz from her pocket, she reached into her pocket grabbing her phone seeing a text from her brother who had told her to come home twice. standing up Belle slipped her shoes back on walking back home, she threw her bag over her shoulder that had a book and a blanket inside.
once she arrived at her house, Elizabeth and Noah Lively pulled up to the small house, in the last few weeks Elizabeth and Noah have been around a lot more trying to redeem their relationship with their children. Belle and Zale had even gone to Figure Eight a few times to visit their parents.
three weeks ago
the two Lively siblings never thought they'd end up being back in Figure Eight unless it was for work but here was Belle in the car with her brother driving towards their parents house. the last few weeks Liz and Noah tried getting them to just come visit to take a look around at the house and to try and be a family again.
Zale and Belle didn't like the idea. but they couldn't avoid their parents now that they were back in OBX and as much as Belle didn't want to be around her parents, something told her this was different.
"holy shit." Zale muttered pulling up to the house, Belle looked out the window her eyes widening.
"i really thought their new business was a joke." Belle leaned down seeing the house.
it was beautiful, a bit bigger than the Cameron house, Belle turned her head to her brother who parked the car turning his head to her.
"you ready?" he asked her.
"no," she leaned back into the seat, "but let's just get this over with."
the two siblings unbuckled their seatbelts hopping out of the car making their way to the front door. Zale wasn't sure if he should knock or just open the door, so the two silently debated on who should knock first.
"you know you can open the door." they both jumped holding up their hands into fists, turning around to see Noah with a few towels in his hands.
"we just weren't sure if we could open or knock." Zale pointed to the door watching his father walk up the steps.
"you can open it," Noah chuckled, opening the door while walking inside but his kids didn't move.
"and you can come in." he turned around, seeing them still standing on the porch.
"right." Belle mumbled following her father in grabbing her brother's arm pulling him inside.
"what's with the towels?" Zale asked shutting the door.
"your mother flooded the shed, not a surprise." Belle chuckled quietly to herself looking at Zale who smiled.
"Belle did that two years ago, with John B and JJ." Zale laughed, Belle slapped his arm pushing him away from her.
"it was John B and JJ, i didn't do anything." Belle said.
it was true.
she left the two boys alone for two minutes and when she came back with more wax for their surfboards the entire shed was filled with water.
"so i see they're still the same boys?" Noah asked leading them outside.
Belle looked down at her shoes while walking, "dad." Zale interrupted, shaking his head.
"shit. i'm sorry, Bells-"
"no, it's fine. yeah they're still the same but things are different now as you know." Belle shook her head, her parents know what happened, they had gotten to the tent right on time when Shoupe explained everything.
Noah cursed silently to himself making his way to the shed followed by his two kids. the three walked in to see Liz trying to kick the water out of the shed but clearly it wasn't working.
"Liz-"
"i needed to improvise, give me the towels."
Zale and Belle looked at each other holding in their laughs, they watched Noah hand Liz a few towels and they both set down a bunch of towels letting them soak up all the water.
"hi babies," Liz smiled once she finished setting down the towels looking at her kids.
"hi mom." Zale said as Belle just waved to her mother.
"let's go inside, are you guys hungry? your dad has been wanting to try out his new barbecue so if you want to stay for dinner, that'd be great." Liz offered her children, they both looked at each other silently.
Zale sent a nod to his sister who turned to her mother nodding her head.
"sure, sounds good." Belle said, Liz smiled gently patting her daughters cheek and they were all making their way back inside.
"Belle, come with me, i wanna show you something." Noah said once they were inside.
Belle and Zale made their separate ways with their parents. Noah led Belle upstairs showing her around. it was beautiful the house, Belle wasn't gonna lie it was absolutely gorgeous.
"this already came with the house but i just wanted to show you it." Noah opened up a door walking inside and Belle's eyes widened.
"holy shit." Belle couldn't believe what she was seeing.
a library filled with books, there was a balcony that gave an amazing view of the beach, bean bags around the room, a few desks and couches.
"that's what i said when we first looked at it." Noah laughed walking around.
"reminds me of you, ever since i read you Charlotte's Web when you were three and wanted more books. remember you used to sneak into the living room to get that book?" Belle laughed at the memory.
"then i woke you and mom up so you can both read it to me until i fell asleep." she laughed walking around the room taking it in.
"do you still have the book?" Noah asked, sitting on the couch.
"yeah, it's somewhere around my bookshelf, i just need to organize it." she sat besides her father, leaning her head back.
"dad, this place is beautiful." she turned her head to him.
"i know you don't wanna live here, but you're welcome to come here whenever you want, even if it's just to read. i don't expect you and your brother to forgive us that easily." Noah started to say, Belle stayed quiet listening to him.
"your mom told me what happened the other day, about the whole Kook academy thing. she feels terrible and you don't have to go to the Kook academy." Noah said, the few days they've been back Belle has noticed how much they've been trying after they last saw each other.
"and i told her if you did go you'd try and get suspended the first day," he chuckled, Belle chuckled nodding her head.
"that's true i would." she added.
"we do wanna make up for the lost time, we know it's gonna take a while but we just wanna prove to you guys that we're really sorry. business with Barry was something we both regret doing," Noah continued, Belle just continued to listen.
"now the business we did in California was a boat shop, we didn't think it was gonna go so well at first but they did and the second i knew things were good i told your mother to come back and bring the boat shop down here," Belle remembered how badly her father wanted to run his own boat shop, he loved boats.
when Belle was seven he would always take her to the boat shows OBX would do and take JJ and John B with them, it was one of the things they bonded over.
"you finally got your boat shop." Belle spoke up looking away from her hands as she was picking on her nails.
"i did." he nodded look at her, "i'm so sorry for leaving you and your brother, Bells. i'm so fucking sorry and i regretted it everyday since the day we left and i still do."
"dad.." Belle sat up shaking her head.
"i am. i'm truly sorry and i want to prove to you and your brother that we're here to stay for good." Noah's voice cracked as he wiped his eyes, Belle stayed silent.
Noah Lively was never one to cry and when he did that's when Belle knew he was being honest. the last time she saw her father cry was when her parents left, she wasn't sure how to feel at this moment but she did miss her parents.
Belle threw her arms around her dad's shoulders hugging him tightly, Noah hugged his daughter letting out a soft sob, he rested his hand behind her head holding her close to him. shutting her eyes she hid her face into the crook of her fathers neck, Belle loved her parents, despite how angry she was for what happened she still loved them deeply.
this is when Belle knew her parents truly wanted them to be a family again.
and Belle trusted them.