Well, I'm on a plane with guards A, B, and C. I'm not joking either they're Alex, Brian and Charles. Alex is still on alert like someone is going to try to hijack the plane in midair heading for a landing. Brian is attempting to entertain the twins with one of the books I read to them. Surprisingly, because of these insanely funny voices he uses, the both of them are watching and listening intently. Charles is taking this as free time. I think he's asleep.
As for me, I'm sick to my stomach with nerves. I feel like I have to go to the bathroom more than once. I keep adjusting my position in the seat. I have no idea why I feel so uncomfortable. I think it's because I don't know them all yet. I've only spoken to my parents a few times. Now, I was getting a crash course in meeting the whole dang family. There was a thrill and panic set in my bones.
When the plane landed, all three of my guards and I, with the twins, piled into a huge SUV. They flanked the twins and I on all sides. I cursed big time when we pulled out of the parking lot. How in the hell did these people discover that I was here? Outside there were tons of paparazzi that Brian had to drive us through. I ducked down and covered my children. I did not want them to put pictures of my kids in the magazines. They had nothing to do with Logan's career.
"This is crazy," I uttered.
"You're telling me," Alex replied. "These people go ape shit over celebrities."
"I'm not a celebrity."
He laughed. "Honey, you had babies by Logan Spade. You and your children are celebrities."
I groaned. Their lives would never fully be normal. I suppose they could've had my life. I shouldn't even be complaining. I should let them soak it in for all it's worth. I would one day maybe when they're old enough to understand.
It would take us a full thirty minutes to get from the airport to the cabin my parents talked about. ABC refused to let me out of the car until they went inside and fully checked everything out. Then they came back in the car and went over their plan of attack. Apparently, someone would need to be in the front of the house while someone would be behind the house the whole time. The odd man out would either assist or use the time to sleep. They actually met up with some local law enforcement who would help out. Personally, I didn't think I was that important, but considering my stalker did actually call me a few days before we left. Let's just say, I'm not the fool to turn down help.
ABC finally cleared the twins and I to go inside. Charles carried our bags inside. The place is said to be a cabin, but it looks more like a home to me despite us being seemingly in the woods. It was such a beautiful day out. The sun is shining bright, birds chirping, and squirrels running up trees. I don't think I'm a nature girl, but this is cool.
The cabin is pretty big. Not anywhere near the size of the home I stayed in with the Spade family over Christmas break, but it's nice. In fact, I like it even better. It is far more 'homey', if that's a proper word. I can see why they call it a cabin. The inside of the place has all wood paneling and flooring. We walk straight into the family room which is surrounded with tons of pictures, knitted blankets, and a small dog which makes me instantly raise the car seats a bit higher.
"Roscoe is harmless," Oliver says. "He's more likely to run from you than come to you or the twins."
I nod. I'm still not letting him anywhere near my children. "This is nice." I say.
Gloria smiles. "Ah, we should let you see the rest of the place."
"Where's everyone else?" I ask.
"The children have their own cabins. There much smaller, but since they're married with kids we figured they'd want their own place. We're all in a straight line. It's about a quarter mile that way. We keep a good distance for privacy. I called them and they're on their way."
I nodded.
Gloria showed me the kitchen which was just on the other side of the family room. It was a bit old fashioned in design. I grinned because there was something about it that reminded me of Gloria. A strange feeling considering I didn't know her all that well. Next, she showed me the downstairs bathroom and then we went upstairs. She showed me their room and then my room. She even had a spare room for the twins complete with design and cribs all set up.
"Wow, you did this. Thank you." The room was beautiful. Heck, I didn't need to bring anything for the twins at all. There are diapers, wipes, toys, clothes, bouncers, and anything else I'd ever need for the babies.
Gloria surprised me by resting her arm on mine and kissing my cheek. Before I could even respond to the close contact, the doorbell sounded.
Gloria's whole body screamed happiness. "Let's meet everyone."
I smiled back.
When we made it downstairs, we walked back into the now completely packed family room. I was glad to be able to sit the car-seats down. Charles had disappeared in the middle of the tour. I stared at all the faces. I tried to picture who was who. They weren't biologically related to me so it was difficult.
I managed to pause over one face. I squinted and leaned forward. My jaw dropped because I did recognize him. "Paul," I said, surprised to see him.
His eyes snapped to me. "We know each other," he replied almost ashamed.
I shook my head. "No, I just used to ogle you in high school. Well, I was in middle school. You were in high school, a senior I think."
"No," Gloria gasped.
"What," I ask.
"He was adopted when he was sixteen."
Oh, I realized. This meant that Oliver and Gloria were close to me without ever knowing. Gosh, Rupert was such an asshole he probably did it on purpose.
"Mom, I'm sorry. I had no-"
Oliver stepped forward and touched his shoulder. "Paul, don't worry. Isabella was older then. You'd only seen a baby picture of her at the time."
Paul stepped forward to me and smiled. A petite blonde stood at his side. She was short, barely five feet with big brown eyes. "This is my fiance' Courtney." I greeted her by shaking hands. "We're cooking a little boy as well, Auntie." He called me and I genuinely smiled.
"Ben," a big burly man stepped up. He had a huge beard. A preteen child and a teenager stood in front of me. "This is my daughter, Isabel and my son Benjamin."
My lips parted. He named her after me or rather after a child he had never met. I stared after the girl. I know right away she is biracial by her skin tone. I wonder where their mother is.
As if sensing the question in my eyes, Ben answers. "Widowed."
I felt bad. "I admire your strength in coming to meet me."
Ben smiled. "She died long ago. But the day to day does require us to have strength."
I nodded before lowering my head to speak to my niece after greeting my nephew. "Nice to meet you, Isabel. Our names are similar. I'm Isabella."
She laughed. "I know, silly. I'm named after you."
I laughed this time as another male stepped forward. I was beginning to recognize a pattern. He's tall and slim. A brunette woman by his side. She's holding a toddler in her arms. A little girl of about four is glued to her side.
"And you are," I asked.
"Eric," the man replied. "My wife Stacy. Our son Rick and our daughter Vivian."
"Hi," I said to them all. I shook little Rick's hand as he blushed. I kneeled down and said 'hi' to Vivian, but she kept hidden by her mom. I laughed and gave her the space she wanted. I stepped back and surveyed them all. "Well, you all know me. Now, you can officially meet Tegan and Logan junior. They were entertained on the flight so they are passed out."
"It's okay, dear." Gloria replied.
"You adopted all boys," I asked.
Gloria half smiled. "I'm afraid back then every girl we saw reminded us of you. Boys were far easier to handle."
Then there was this awkward silence. All of us standing there glancing around at one another. Someone asked how my flight was. I gave a generic answer and then more silence.
Oliver broke it up finally. "I think it's time to have fun. Izzy, what do you think?"
At first I thought he was referring to me. I didn't like the nickname Izzy. I knew he wasn't when I heard a squeaky answer. "Badminton."
"I'm first captain," Ben called out.
"Second," Paul spoke up.
"I'll get started on the barbecue," Gloria stated. "Bella, why don't you play? Courtney and I will keep an eye on the twins. Otherwise, you can help cook if you like." She laughed when she saw the horrified expression on my face.
"I can't cook a thing," I told them.
"How did you survive?" Ben joked.
"Eighty-eight cent TV dinners."
"Bella's on my team," Paul called out.
"No fair," Eric yelled back.
Paul made some sort of funny look by sticking out his tongue and shaking his head.
I laughed. This was family. I kissed the twins and handed them over to Gloria and Courtney. They were going to put them up in the cribs.
All the rest of us went outside. It turned out to be Paul, Oliver, Isabel and I against Eric, Stacy, Benjamin and Ben.
I would think we would've kept the time fun and light. Nope, we were as aggressive as can be even the younger kids. I have had the most fun that I've ever had in my entire life. We were joking, throwing insults at one another, and at one point I jumped on Paul's back. I even gave Oliver a really big hug. Our team won the first round. The second round in, Courtney called out for me. I groaned.
My new sister had an iron grip on my forearm. "What is it?" I complained. I was playing badminton and I was winning. I never knew I was so competitive.
"You have to see this, it keeps running."
We walked into the living room to see Oliver and Gloria with their eyes glued to the screen. "What," I asked.
"Did you know about this? It's going to be a media frenzy."
"What," I asked again.
"Bella, look." Courtney pointed to the black bar at the bottom of the TV screen.
I stared. I saw nothing of interest. It was tidbits about this celebrity or that one. Logan's name came up.
My heart stopped.
I couldn't move at all. I waited for the message to recycle and come back through. It would take a full few minutes before it would do so. There it goes again.
Vanessa Spade stated in a press conference today that Logan Spade and Isabella Emerson were having a secret affair behind her back. This news comes just a day after Logan Spade filed for a divorce against his wife of ten years.
"We were not having an affair." I state.
"It's okay, honey, we believe you." Gloria told me.
Logan filed for divorce. He actually filed for divorce. I wonder what made him do it. Did Vanessa tell him the truth? Was it for me? Was he doing this so we could be together? Ah, that thought made her statement true. Regardless, the two of us were not having an affair. No matter how much I wanted to.
I bit my lip. "Excuse me," I said.
I ran upstairs to my designated room for my bag. I dug through to find my cell and dialed Logan's number.
"Bella," he answered.
I paused. "I just heard the news on the TV."
"Yeah," he replied. "It's about to get dirty. Maybe you should stay there with your parents a little longer."
"Okay, if you think that's best."
"It is. The press is going to get ruthless. They'll do anything to get pictures because they're going to sell for even more right now. I'm about to head out on this press tour anyway."
I nodded knowing he couldn't see me. I wanted to ask him what caused his decision. I needed to know. What did this mean for us? Was there even an us? Was my staying here intended to be permanent? Is he pushing me away? What is going on? I wanted to scream out at him.
"How is everything there?" Logan asked.
"Good, we just arrived a few hours ago.We're playing games. I've got brothers and sisters now along with nieces and nephews. This is insane."
"I'm glad for you," he said softly. "And the twins?"
"They were asleep. They're up now being spoiled, I believe."
Logan laughed. "I should go."
"Wait," I asked. "Logan, why are you getting a divorce?"
Silence.
"You mean to ask if my divorce has anything to do with you and I." I don't say a word. "It has everything to do with you and I and nothing to do with us at all."
I completely understood. "I know this is going to sound crappy, but I don't mean it to. I am truly sorry that this is happening to you."
I could hear him sigh on the other end of the call. "In a perfect world, Bella, you and I would have never met."
Ouch.
I gulped feeling like the weight in my feet was going to give out under me.
"My marriage was doomed before the two of us met. Our meeting did nothing except bury it under six feet of dirt. Because, truth is, even if you hadn't been pregnant I would have found some way to keep bumping back into you. What kind of person does that make me? Am I cheater? I want you right now. I want you so bad I can taste it. Would i get bored with you too in ten years? Would you be able to trust me? Would you," Logan asked.
Before I could respond, he hung up the phone. Leaving me reeling and breathless. I walked over and laid back on the bed. A smile crept on my face as my entire body burned with a lit fire simmering in my veins.
He wants me.
Logan Spade wants me.
He's also right. Every single word he said is true. Could I trust him? I don't know. I suppose if he is wrong then I am too. I never rejected his soft caresses or his lips on mine.
Preview of the next chapter:
I awoke to hearing the twins sounds. They weren't crying. They were laughing it sounded like. I rose from my bed and crept down the hallway toward their room. Sleep present in my eyes, I rubbed constantly so I could see straight.
Their door stood their wide open. I cut off the gasp forming in my throat. Fear seized my whole body making me rigid. There in the middle of the twins cribs stood a man all clad in black from head to toe. My first thought scream and my second to attack. He's too close to them. He could hurt them.
Someone help me.
My eyes were stinging thinking of my babies. They were innocent. They are innocent.
"I know you're there, Bella."
For an instant, dread took hold of me. Then I realized I knew that voice. I know that voice well.