Rising fear

Rising fear
(Bella)

Ivy plopped down on the sofa beside me and gives me a quizzical look.

Derrick isn't left out, he studies me like he's trying to figure something out.

"Okay, that's it. Spill, what is it?" Ivy says, her eyes flickering on me as I struggle to keep my excitement contained.

A smile creeps up my face as I pull my hand from my back, flashing my diamond ring for them to see. "Ta-da! We're official now,"

Ivy's eyes widens and Derrick gasps. Ivy takes my hand, taking in my ring and then she looks at me with a beaming smile. "This is — beautiful. Congratulations sis," she says, pulling me in for a brief hug.

Derrick's eyes glistens. "I'm happy that you're happy sis, you're glowing," he says with a light chuckle.

"Ikr. It was one of the easiest yes I've ever said in my entire life," I beamed, running my fingers around my ring. But then I go silent, suddenly lost in my thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Ivy's voice pulls me back to earth, her face etched with concern.

I nod and forced a smile. 

She rolls her eyes at me and scoffs. "No, you're not!" She insists.

"Exactly," Derrick backs her up and they couldn't have been farther from the truth.

I exhaled and look up to hold her gaze. "I am, really. It's just—--," I trail off, recollecting my thoughts as they both stared at me. "I want this happiness forever but a part of me is scared that something might happen. I mean, there's this thing with Ashley, Judy and no matter how hard I try to push the thought away, it's there, somehow, at the back of my mind," I say, my fingers still circling on my ring.

Is it even okay to still feel this way? But I just can't move on with my life knowing fully well that Ashley is still out there. 

Ivy takes my hands into hers, sliding her fingers through the nerved lines of my palm and then she asks. "I get it and it's natural to feel that way but did you at least discuss this with Dean?"

I nod slowly. I did and Dean was so sure that he wouldn't let any harm come to me, or our kids. He promised to protect us, but that little stubborn voice deep inside my head still screamed what if.

I know I said more what ifs but then…..

"I did, he said not to worry, that he'd protect us,"

"Then you should trust him," Ivy says, squeezing my hands gently.

I drew a deep breath. "I do. But sometimes I just can't help it,"

Derrick straightens up and says. "I understand your fears, Bella. Anyone in your shoes will be this paranoid but I think Ivy's right, you can't live in fear just because some bitch can't read the room. If Dean says he's handling it, then let's believe he really is,"

My eyes darted between him and Ivy and I inhaled deeply. "Right. I guess I'll do just that," I say, my shoulders relaxing a bit, my eyes lands on my ring again and a smile appears.

"Wise decision. Now, enough of the sad mood. You're hooked for life and that calls for celebration, I'll grab us a drink," Ivy says, standing up and darting away.

My eyes shifted to Derrick, and he grins. "You deserve this, everything good, you know that right?"

That warms my heart and my smile widens as I nod. "Thank you, for everything, Derrick."

"You're most definitely welcomed,"

Ivy comes right back with a bottle of champagne and three glasses. She pops it and filled our glasses before handing it out.

We shared and toasted to living a life full of happiness.

I take a short sip and furrowed my eyebrows at Ivy. "So, what's the plan. How's your new merger coming up?" I ask.

Ivy takes a long sip before bringing her glass. "Well, it's not as tiring as I thought. At first, I thought I'd have to deal with some uncouth, crazy ass CEO, but then it turned out that it was a she, an older woman, who I still can't wrap my head around why she loved me at first sight." She says, shaking her head like she doesn't get it.

"What's the name of the company you're merging with again?" 

"Fern's conglomerate. The woman is impeccable, confident and not biased. I think I like her just as much."

I tilt my head, trying to remember but it doesn't click. "I know Fern, it's a big shot but I vaguely remember hearing about it more closely, from someone perhaps, I just can't remember quite well." I say.

"Hmm, I see. Well, I think this merger is what my company needs, plus she said she'd be needing my expertise as a lawyer,"

A smile spread across my face, I'm super proud of Ivy, I really am. "Do not question why she adores you then. A lawyer and a business guru, what's there not to like?"

Ivy chuckles before bringing her glass close for a toast. "To a sister who loves flattering me," she says, eliciting a chuckle from Derrick.

I click her glass and wink. "To that then,"



(Dean)

"You can't come to congratulate me looking all moody." I say, studying Rihanna's ashen face from across my desk. "What's the matter?" I give her a concerned look.

She rolls her eyes. "What gave it away?" 

I stared at her. "Well, for starters. You look quite confused… stressed even, and then you care about your looks to have dropped by with no makeup, Rihanna. What's really going on?"

Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know, Dean. I'm not supposed to feel this way about bumping into an ex,"

My brows rose. "Your ex? He's —- here, in New York?" I ask, surprised.

Rihanna rarely talks about him, and whenever she does, she seems to be in pains and regret.

She nods. "Yeah, I bumped into him at a restaurant, you could imagine my shock,"

"And?"

"He left, without saying a word to me," she says and chuckle but there's no real humor in it. "Not like I expected him to though, I said nothing myself, I just went numb for a moment," sadness coats her expression.

"Wow, that must've been intense and weird." I say.

She sucked in a ragged breath. "Tell me about it," she breathed out. "Bella was so confused, I'd like to think she sensed the tension,"

I roll my eyes. "Bella?"

"Yeah, your wife was with him at the time,"

Air disappeared from my lungs. I blink, and only then did I furrow my eyebrows at her. "What's this guy's name?" I ask, already getting an inkling.

Rihanna opens and closes her mouth a few times before she responded and that name echoes more than it should. "Calvin Williams."

Wait, what?

The man who had constantly made me jealous, who wanted my Bella, was my cousin's ex?