Month 10

Grey called me every night when I traveled to California for some interviews and meetings, he never said he missed me tho, he just said he called to check up on me ,but I knew he was lying and I teased him about it.

He then said he wouldn't call me again, but he did the next day and finally admitted that he missed me.

And honestly ,I missed him too, way more than he did.

Ever since my name appeared in the Millionaires under thirty list, I had become more popular than I was, I had interviews every single day asking me how I had done it over night.

I would usually laugh nervously and say I owe it to determination and hard work,but that was a lie, it wasn't my money, it was Grey's.

I had told Grey how I was feeling guilty about it and he said he that I was crazy..... which was kinda true.

But then I eventually got used to it.

I missed Grey, and it was driving me crazy.

There was a time I said it out loud and got embarrassed and ended the call... but then he called back and said he missed me crazier.

I had slowly began to understand my feelings for Grey and fuck it I was in for him too.

It wasn't about his physical appearance either.

You know that satisfactory feeling you get when you meet someone as fucked up as you are and cares for you regardless and understands you and tries to make you sane even when the person isn't, that's the feeling I was getting.

It was so funny how just months ago I wanted to leave, I was filled with dislike for him.

Now that feeling was gone, and it was replaced with something very nice and overwhelming.

Grey was right when he said that hate was easier to kill than love.

I just didn't know if I should allow myself love him finally and fully, or allow my insecurities get in my way.

Oh and about Suzie, her mood had been different, I knew it was about Martins, that was when I explained that she was really allowing herself fall for Martins because she thought he liked her too, she said she studied his behaviors well enough and she knew what she meant.

Him being gay simply meant she would never have him... ever.

I knew Suzie right from when we were kids, she was this play girl kinda person who lost her virginity at 15, she hang out with a lot of guys but barely took them serious, so I understood why she was sad.

Just when she wanted to finally settle down, everything changed.

But she said she'll be over it pretty soon and I was okay with it.

Finally, the one month back to back working was over and I went back home.

I opened the door and met Grey on a phone call standing close to the wine booth with a glass of wine in his hand and his phone in the other.

Unfortunately, he was shirtless.

His lips spread into a pleasant smile and he walked over to me and pulled me into a hug in his bare body.

.."I'll call you later..I'm kinda busy right now..." He said and ended the call.

Then he put his phone in his pocket and hugged me properly.

"Fuck I missed you so much" he said.

"Me too" I replied.

Then I pulled away abruptly.

"And go put on a shirt or something". I scolded.

He laughed and pulled me back into a hug.

"How was your trip?" He asked.

"Stressful... California is so cold right now.. worse than here honestly" I said.

Then I looked around the house.

"I don't understand,is today not 21st of December??, Why isn't there any Decoration ?? Why haven't you started decorating the house?? What happened to the Christmas trees?? Lights?? Snow man? Decorations?? Where are they??" I asked.

Grey giggled," you're not turning my house into a fucken play house for Christmas baby"

"A play house? Oh my God that is the Christmas spirit! What's a Christmas without decorations?? What's a Christmas without the Christmas tree!" I continued blabbing.

"Fine fine do whatever you want but we are taking it off after boxing day okay" he said giving in.

I smiled victoriously, he knew I wouldn't go down without a fight.

Then I went upstairs, took off my clothes and started moving towards the shower.

Grey had never seen me naked before, and I felt like if he did , I would faint at the spot and start crying.

Then I noticed a golden card on his side table, it looked at shinny and catchy, I was tempted to open it and find out what was the content of it, but there would be snooping.

So I went into the shower peaceful and had a long bath.

I came out and walked into my closet, dressed up and went into my room .

I laid on the bed exhausted and then my phone began to ring.

I thought it was Suzie calling probably because I forgot something, but it wasn't.

I read the caller ID for about three times before I picked it .

"Mom?" I asked because she hadn't called in a while and I worried something was wrong.

"My baby, how are you doing?" Her cheerful tone cleared all the worry.

" I'm fine mom" I said.

"Well I just wanted to tell you that we are waiting for your response,I would have called Grey but... you know" she said.

"Response to what?" I asked confused.

"Well the Christmas Eve dinner, the invitation we sent to you since 1st, you know, the shinny envelope thingie". My eyes grew shocked.

Grey didn't tell me about any invitation.

I walked over to his table and picked up the card.

  To Mr and Mrs Grey Hampton

Why didn't Grey tell me about it??

"What's it all about?" I asked.

"It's just a small family dinner that Mr Hampton suggested we have together you know, that's all,you weren't aware?"

She asked.

"I've been busy, he probably didn't want to disturb me" I said trying to convince myself that.

"So would you like to come my jewel? I've missed you so much,I want to see you again" she said sincerely.

I bit my lips, I missed her too.

"I wanna see you too" I said.

"I just hope you'll be able to make it, I can't wait to see you again" she said.

Then the door opened and Grey looked at me, then the card in my hand, and then me again.

"I'll call you later mom" I said and cut the call.

"Why didn't you tell me we got invited to a family dinner?" I asked.

He sighed, definitely not happy.

He collected the card from me and walked over to the bed and sat on it.

"Because I don't want to go. And if I had told you, you would try to make me want to go" he said.

"But Grey I want to go..I haven't seen my mother in almost in year now" I said.

"I don't want to" he said using his hand to cover his face.

"Everything is going to go wrong in that dinner and I know it" he added

"Why?". I asked.

"Fuck Bella I don't want to see my father, I don't want to have anything to do with him again, I don't want to see him, I don't.. we've been in the worse relationship now and I don't want to see his goddamn face... he's going to ruin my life and I know that very much" he said.

I could see fear in his eyes but I didn't know why.

"Do you want to keep on running from him? Can't you just go see him and straighten things out? I mean like, you can't keep avoiding him, it's like running away from yourself, you just have to face your issues and tell if that you're done Grey.thats just it. He didn't look convinced.

"Bella please I don't want to go there, don't make me go there please" he looked like he was going to cry.

I sighed, but I wasn't going to give up so soon.

"You... you're the one that told me to stop allowing my insecurities get in the way of my happiness.

Grey you can't keep allowing this to keep haunting you...it's gonna end you.

Go and fix your shit with your father. Currently, he's the only family you have right now... you can't be living like this." I said.

Grey bent his head on his legs to think.

After a while he carried his head up.

"We'll leave on the 23rd "

I smiled.

          ∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆

You know that feeling you usually get when you think everything is working out perfectly fine? Well that was what I was feeling.

Suzie called the next day and told me she was on her way to England to spend Christmas with her Aunt.

I then told her that I was also spending Christmas in England too and that I was going to have a diner party with my family and Grey's.

She said she would come over to the place on Christmas day to say hello and asked me to drop the address when I get there she dropped hers.

Through The whole ride in the plane, I kept on thinking about my mother being so happy that I would finally see her after such a long time, I missed her so much.

And I had made up my mind to tell her the truth about me and Grey and how we had a Rocky start.

Grey on the other hand was lost in thoughts probably thinking of how he was going to face his father and clear the air between them.

I knew I shouldn't have forced him into coming with me, but in as much as u wanted to see my mother, I also wanted him and his father to sort their issues because I was tired of their every day heated arguments.

I crawled up to where Grey was laying and put my head on his legs, he pulled me closer to him.

"Wake me up when we arrive" I mumbled and fell asleep.

Grey's Pov

When the plane landed in England, I wished it never did, I was hoping it would get lost and we would find ourself in some nice island somewhere and never get back to England.

I dreaded this place, it held too many bad memories, too many sad ones.

And I knew that coming to England will be the end of the best thing that ever happened to me.... Bella.

I didn't even want to wake her up when we arrived, I wanted to call the pilot and tell him to turn the plane around and fly back to San Diego.

But then I couldn't.

I tapped her gently and she woke up.

Weirdly, I liked how she use to look at me whenever she woke up, she was usually squinting and looking lost and confused and tired at the same time.

I told her we had arrived and she looked happy.

Fuck...if only she knew.

Now I was regretting why I didn't resist further when she said she wanted to come here.

But the way she usually begged me made me weak.

Fuck!!!!!

We both got out of the plane and into the a vehicle waiting for us outside and we went to our hotel.

This was the headquarter of all of our hotels.

We had one here in England, another one in New York and two others in Dubai and China.

We got into our hotel room pretty quick and she scrambled into the bedroom and jumped on top of the bed.

"I'm so tired" she groaned.

I giggled.

"Mrs Grey" I called teasingly and I saw her flinch on the bed.

I laughed

"Mrs Grey the dinner is in 6 hours so sleep all you can" I said.

She turned and looked at me with that her cute face that usually made me laugh when she was in shock.

"What? That's your name isn't it?" I teased again.

She eyed me and crashed on the bed.

"Whatever" she mumbled and went back to sleep.

Fuck...six hours till the end of my happiness.

I wished I had told her earlier, this was exactly what I was trying to avoid.

I was so confused and afraid at the same time.

I wished I had been completely honest from the beginning...but I wasn't.

Time flew faster than I thought it would and it was already 6pm.

I didn't even realize when I found myself in the car, and I was on my way to my father's house.

I didn't realize it was so obvious that I was nervous until I felt her warm hands on mine.

"It's gonna be okay Grey" she assured me. But it wasn't going to be okay.

In less than 20 minutes, I saw myself in front of my childhood house.

The same one my mother and I once lived in before she took a mysterious journey out of the house and died.

Memories of all the pain and depression I went through here flooded me .

"Grey" Bella's soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

It was only then I realized I was breathing hard.

I nodded. I could do this, all I needed was for Bella to believe me and we would walk out of this place and never return.

I walked into the hallway and a wave of nostalgia hit me.

I had a short memory of my mother chasing me around the house trying to make me eat my vegetables, but I never did, and I would hide under the stairs still I would fall asleep and she would find me and tuck me in bed.

I felt Bella's fingers intertwine with mine and she gave it a gentle squeeze assuring you that everything will be alright.

I hoped...

"Bella.." I heard someone call her from behind. I turned around and it was so easy to identify the woman because of the similarly, it was her mother.

They ran into each others arms, and hugged for a long time.

The woman was already in tears,but Bella wasn't.

I remembered her telling me she hadn't cried ever since she drowned.

It was an emotional moment for the both of them.

I only wished I had mine too

Then the woman turned to me.

" Thank you for taking care of my daughter, she's all I have" she said and I nodded and smiled.

"Well, the others are waiting for us, let's not keep them waiting any longer". She said and led us to the diner room.

The door opened and greeted us with Bella's father and....mine....

They were chatting happily about something.

"Why if it isn't my prodigal son Grey Sanez, how are you doing my son" you could hear the mockery and sarcasm in his voice.

I took a seat beside Bella as she greeted her father, he replied coldly.

Then the both families began engaging themselves in conversations and asking Bella how much she enjoyed in the relationship.

I remained quiet eating my food hoping this would end soon so that I could take Bella out of this place because I was slowly being choked up without realizing.

"Well, it's all sad that this beautiful ship would have to end" my father said with no form of sympathy in his voice.

I froze...

It was time.

"Dad" I called out calmly trying to shut him up but he didn't.

"What do you mean end? Marriage lasts forever unless the two parties agree to split up" Grey's mother said.

"Not if the marriage was a contract buh?" He turned and looked at me.

"Dad" I called again more serious this time.

But he knew that the Time he was inviting me over to this place with Bella, he wanted it to end. He knew what he was doing.

", Contract?" This time it was Grey's father to question. I thought he knew??

"You see... I've been wanting to tell you this, why I initially agreed on Grey marrying your daughter was because I thought that she was going to be a bonus to my company.

But I was wrong, Grey would have taken the position of the 4th under thirty millionaire, but he gave half of his income to Bella, now that is a major loss in my home and I don't want that any more Mr Peters" my dad said.

I clenched my teeth in anger.

."what are you talking about Mr Hampton?" Bella's father asked.

"I'm saying this marriage is over" he announced.

"Dad!!" I called out this time more violently.

"Grey Hampton, don't you think it's time you tell you tell your bribe the truth" he looked at me sternly.

"Tell me what?" I heard Bella asked softly. She hadn't said anything since this discussion.

"Miss Bella, your marriage with My son wasn't just forced, it was a contract and that's why he agreed.

A contract that you would add to his income and not subtract from it, and also, it had to end in a year, Because I want him to marry someone else"

And that was it, that was when my life started tumbling again.

"What do you mean contract Mr Hampton, that wasn't the initial plan, it was to get married for as long as they want" Mr Peters said.

"Well I changed my mind, that would only mean us loosing and you gaining, and I don't like to loose Mr Peters, I don't"

Bella's fork dropped on the table and she placed her hands on her laps.

"So let me get this straight... you asked me to marry your son because you thought that I would be of an increase in your company's income, but I wasn't... and it was all supposed to last for a year" the way she said it broke me.

I couldn't even look at her.

..."and..." She continued..

She pointed to her father," you knew about this.."

"I didn't, did you really think I'll push you into a one year relationship, what will I gain"??

The scumbag was still talking about what he had to gain

She pointed to her mom..." You also knew about this?".

"Bella you know very well that I wouldn't do that kind of thing to you, that wasn't what we opted for, he changed the plan behind our back" her mother said.

Then I lifted up my head and saw her staring at me.

The hurt..

The pain...

The betrayal...

She would hate me forever... she would never forgive me again.

"Grey I...I trusted..." She lost her voice.

It's not what it looks like Bella I swear.

She stood up,"I think I should take my leave now" she said quietly and walked out.

Fuck!!!!!!

"Why did you change the plans, that was not what we agreed on...."

Their voices faded away behind me.

Run after her...

I got up and quickly ran towards her direction.

I caught up with her outside.

"Bella please wait" I heard my own voice break down.

She stopped walking and turned around slowly.

I wished she didn't, because I saw her face broken, I hadn't seen her like that.

"I was a joke to you Grey?" She choked out

"I was just for the time being?"

I couldn't talk...that's not true.

"Bella that's not true?". I answered calmly.

"Then what is it?" She screamed.

"What exactly is it Grey tell me??? I don't understand what I heard in there everything they were saying in there was different from you told me.

Fuck....I believe your lies..."

"I never lied to you Bella, I just didn't say the whole truth.

I...I ... what do you think I told you not to agree to marry me..?? Because I didn't want you to become hurt, the only reason why I was mean to you was because I didn't want you to like me..I wanted this to end earlier than we planned...I didn't want to hurt you Bella, I thought that If I make you hate me, you would quickly end things before it started.

Hate is quicker to kill than love Bella.

Everytime I was arguing with my dad it was about this same thing... over and over again because after I got closer to you and got to know you better, I didn't want to go on with the plan Bella I wanted you to stay, and I knew this was going to happen today that's why I didn't want to come"

"So what are we gonna do now... now that everything you were claiming to avoid has happened what are we going to do?"

"I ...I..."

"Why didn't you tell me.." her voice came out in a broken whisper.

"Fuck Grey you don't know how stupid you made me feel in front of your father, I was looking like a liability to you..."

"Bella..." I called her name softly.

"Fuck why didn't I see the signs earlier...you didn't pay a single attention to me...it took you 5 months to finally get my name...you didn't care about ... "

"I cared about you Bella" I said again

"So then why didn't you tell me...why didn't you??

You said you didn't want me to fall for you so that when we break up..."

"I don't want us to break up Bella I want this forever" I said.

"And how well did you start that? with lies..." Her voice suddenly went down.." I was actually falling for you Grey, I was close to being in love with you" she said pained.

Then, I noticed her eyes began to glitter, my heart beat began to increase tremendously.

Fuck!!! Noooooo!!!....

She was crying.

I took a step in front of her and she shifted back.

I took another step again and she shifted back.

"I told you that if I loose again, I'm gonna loose my shit, and you allowed me to Grey, you promised me you wouldn't hurt me...you did"

"Bella please... just give me a chance to..."

She started shaking her head vigorously wiping the tears from her face.

Tears that she hadn't cried in years,I was the one that made that happen.

"No".. she said shaking her head negatively.

"No...I'm not gonna fucken do that anymore...

I'm not gonna be nice this time...fuck nooo!!!

I've been giving people second chances over and over again, I'm never gonna do that again.

Grey,.... you allowed me to be accepted, knowing that you would end it in a year.."

"I didn't want to end it, what do you think I've been trying to do since, because I lo-"

She stopped me abruptly placing her finger in front of me.

"Don't... don't say that word, don't misuse you, you're the one that said love is deeper than what it looks, don't even think about it.

If you loved me Grey, you would have told me this earlier, so I wouldn't have ended up looking like the fool in this picture..."

(Background song begins to play)

...."talking with my lawyer she say when did you find this guy...

....I say Young people fall in love...

With the wrong person sometimes..."

(Background music suspends.)

"Bella..." My voice came out softly.

"No ...I'm not gonna fall for that either" she said wiping the pool of tears falling from her eyes.

I wanted to talk, to open my mouth and explain everything to her, but I couldn't, my own voice betrayed me, my body betrayed me... maybe I was in too much shock.

"Jacob was right, no one would ever love me... never" she said pained and turned around and walked away.

..."some mistakes get made...

...That's alright, thats okay...

.. you may think that you're inlove, when you're really just in pain..."

I wanted to run after her and hug her and explain everything that happened to her clearly, but my legs betrayed me, I stood in the snow... watching her till she Left.

So this was it? I had lost another important person in my life? Just like that?

..."some mistakes get made...

... that's alright that's okay...

At the end it's better for me..

That's the moral of the story..."

I don't know how long I stood there, an hour? Two hours? I didn't even care.

What I knew was that I stood there for a long time.

I was so afraid to move.

I finally walked up from where I was I started walking towards the road.

For the first time since I could remember, I boarded a taxi back to the hotel.

I went up to my room and took off my clothes.

I laid on the bed, full of thoughts..

So she was gone?? For good??

..."they say it's better to have loved and lost...

...than never to have loved at all..

... that could be a load of shit...

But I just need to tell you all...

I picked up my phone and dialed Martins number.

"Hey man, how did it go?" He asked.

I paused before I spoke.

"She's gone"

...tu tu du..

Tu tu du du du du du tu tu du...

At the end it's just a story...

A/N:

I know I know, very sad emotional chapter right??😭

Bella cried, after so many years of trying to be strong she finally cried.

I felt so sad writing this tho.

Leave your comments, share, recommend, I love you.

Ceejhay ❤️