-Round Seven-
Bella
It had only been twenty-four hours, but I just knew the police would be coming to arrest me at any minute, whether it was for assaulting Princeton’s father or unintentionally stealing Princeton’s dog. In fact, I was already imagining what my mugshot would look like, my hair in a weird place between too long to consider a true pixie cut but too short for a ponytail that didn’t look like a rabbit’s foot, my face breaking out thanks to all of the extra hormones raging through my body, and what was once a smile now etched with hard lines from bouncing back and forth between scowling and crying all day and night.
I still couldn’t believe how quickly things had changed between Princeton and I, couldn’t believe I had been foolish enough to think he was so different no matter how right it felt. But to hear his father drag my name through the mud over something that was far from the truth without Princeton immediately sticking up for me told a lot more than he realized; debunked every positive thought I once had about our relationship to the point where it almost didn’t even seem real.
More like a terrible, horrible dream.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t only that that had my anxiety up, but also the fact that I was now sharing my one-bedroom apartment with a bear who was far from pleased to be with me. I could tell Lucy was judging me for having her here, a far cry from the space she was used to. And not only the space, but the food as well, my table scraps nothing compared to the heart-healthy dog-certified meals Princeton fed her. But for now, she’d just have to get used to it because getting her back to her owner meant seeing her owner; something I was far from ready to deal with.
I was also far from ready to deal with jail, though that didn’t stop the police from banging on my door hard enough for me to jump off the couch. I considered ignoring it until Lucy started barking, like she was purposely ratting me out.
“Snitches get stitches still applies to bitches,” I whispered at her, earning another bark that I just knew would have the police busting through my door like a SWAT team. So before they could, I decided to meet my own fate, releasing a heavy sigh before pulling the door open to find… not the police.
“Oh my God, Gina. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
Instead of acknowledging my relief, she wrinkled her nose, pointing towards the corner of my living room to ask, “Uh, Bella? What the fuck is that?”
“Oh, that’s just Lucy. Princeton’s dog,” I explained, though I knew naming her owner didn’t really provide a complete explanation for her being in my apartment.
In fact, I was already preparing to give a full background story on why she was here until I saw how caught up Gina was on her existence, her face twisted as she stayed outside of the door and said, “That is not a dog. More like a, werewolf or some shit.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how I felt the same way during our informal introduction. And while she had managed to scare the shit out of me back then, now I knew, “She’s sweet. It’s fine. Come in.”
Gina didn’t seem too convinced, her steps slow and calculated as her eyes remained locked on Lucy for any sudden movements. And once she made it inside and realized Lucy wasn’t a true threat, she said, “I guess it’s nice of you to look after her with Prince’s dad being in the hospital and all.”
“What? Gina, what are you talking about?” I asked as I went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
She followed me to the kitchen, stopping at the counter to reply, “You didn’t know? Anthony said he had a stroke. A minor one, but still a stroke.”
My heart fell to my feet, along with the water I was holding as I tried to make sense of her information. But making sense of the information required plenty more details, starting with, “When did this happen?”
She shrugged as she answered, “Some time yesterday. I’m assuming in the morning since Anthony cancelled our brunch date to go see him.”
Oh my God.
The panic that coursed through me was overwhelming, my fingers digging into the counter for much-needed support as I peeked up to ask, “Can you... find out what hospital he’s at? I need to go see Princeton. I need to make sure he’s okay.”
Without waiting for an answer, I took off towards the bedroom to find some real clothes to put on so I could go see about him. Though once Gina joined me, her confusion was evident as she leaned against the door frame to ask, “Make sure Princeton’s okay? Why wouldn’t Princeton be okay?”
I released another sigh, my eyes falling closed as I leaned against my dresser and tried to formulate a quick summary. But just thinking about it made me feel sick, especially now that I knew what else had come from it. Still, I somehow managed to push out, “We… got into a fight yesterday. A really big fight that probably contributed to his father having a stroke because… we also got into a fight.”
My explanation was supposed to fill in the blanks for Gina, but it only seemed to create more, her eyes squinted when she asked, “Bella, you got into a fight with Princeton and his dad? How is that even possible?”
“He said I trapped him, Gina! That I trapped Princeton with a baby as if we couldn’t possibly have real feelings for each other, as if I couldn’t possibly be in love with his son. Which… I am; madly. Even though he didn’t stop his father from saying those things about me, I still am.”
By the time I finished, I felt exhausted, my throat knotted and my head aching to the point that I needed to sit down. And once I did, my hands instinctively went to my belly, trying to ease any stress I might’ve been translating to my baby as Gina joined me on the bed.
She pulled me into the hug I desperately needed, rocking me back and forth as she said, “You must really be in love. Cause if I was you, that thing you called a dog would’ve been a stray on the street or in somebody’s river.”
The laugh I let out caused the stream of tears I had been holding to seep out, though it was clear I needed that too even when I smacked her thigh and shouted, “Gina! Just… find out where he’s at. Please?”
“I got you, boo,” she replied, returning my thigh pat with a reassuring one of her own before sending me back to find clothes. But the only thing I really felt like getting into were a pair of leggings and one of Princeton’s hoodies I had taken with no plans of returning it; a hoodie that was way too big but also way too comfortable for me to ever let go of. And not only that, but it still kind of smelled like him, the light scent enough to relax me until Gina announced, “Anthony said he’s down at University.”
“Cool. Let’s roll,” I told her, slipping my feet into a pair of Nike Slides Princeton had bought me after our conversation about his need to wear socks with them. A look I had originally thought of as tacky until I saw him do it and learned to appreciate it along with everything else about him.
Just the thought of no longer experiencing that again made my chest hurt, though Gina managed to pull me out of that downward spiral when she asked, “And leave her here?”
I looked over to Lucy who was already looking at me as if she was seconding Gina’s question. But since I had never dealt with a pet before, I didn’t really have a response, shrugging as I said, “What else am I gonna do with her? I can’t take her to the hospital with us.”
Lucy immediately growled as if she wasn’t satisfied. And Gina practically did the same when she snapped, “Bella, are you crazy?! This Aaahh-Real Monster will destroy all your shit!”
“You know what? I have a key to Princeton’s house. I’ll just take her home on our way,” I replied, quickly grabbing the leash I had used to get her in here.
I was already busy working on getting her secured when Gina gushed, “Wow. He gave you keys to his place and his father really thinks it’s all bullshit for a damn child support check? Princeton must have some half-siblings he doesn’t know about, because only a man scorned by a woman who pulled that trick would even think to take it there off the rip.”
“Maybe. That’s none of my business though. My business is this little nugget’s, and this bigger nugget’s, father,” I replied as I dragged the bigger one out of the door, quickly locking up behind us before making our way out to the car. And after getting Lucy into the backseat, I was grateful when Gina offered to drive, my nerves far too out of whack to do it myself. Though not being behind the wheel only gave me even more time to overthink and freak myself out about what I was getting into.
I mean, what if I showed up to the hospital and only made things worse for Sir Kingfield? Drove his blood pressure sky high with my presence and turned his minor stroke to a full one? What if Princeton had been brainwashed to the point of no return and wanted nothing to do with me? What if he…
“This might be bad timing, but... I’m a little disappointed Prince doesn’t live in a mansion… with his auntie and uncle... in Bel-Air.”
I honestly hadn’t even realized we made it to his neighborhood let alone were sitting in his driveway until I peeked up and saw the house that, in my opinion, was perfectly modest. In fact, I admired Princeton’s choice since he could’ve easily splurged on a place double or triple the size. But it was the perfect amount of space for him, Lucy, and myself whenever I came by. And while I wasn’t sure if he knew I noticed, I had seen the way he’d been slowly removing things from his trophy room to make way for baby Lattimore.
Just the thought of never seeing the room fully transformed into a nursery had my chest hurting all over again, though I still found the strength to tell Gina, “Shut up. I’ll be right back.”
“What? You’re not gonna let me room raid his crib with a black light while you take care of the beast?”
Even during what felt like a crisis, I was glad to have Gina on my side, providing much-needed relief with her crazy ideas. And I couldn’t help but grin when I answered, “No. Cause if you start, you probably won’t be able to stop and we have places to be.”
She seemed legitimately disappointed, crossing her arms as she pouted, “Fine. But if you’re in there longer than ten minutes, I’m coming in after you with my tranquilizer.”
“Tranquilizer? You don’t even have a… nevermind.”
I made my way to the backseat to get Lucy out and she led the way to the front door without a struggle as if she was happy to be home. But once we got there, it felt strange to use the keys I’d more than likely be returning. Still, I managed to steady my hands long enough to unlock the door and open it, Lucy taking off in a fashion that definitely would’ve dragged me if I hadn’t let her leash go in time.
Since I wasn’t sure if Princeton wanted her roaming freely around his house, I made an effort to go find her so that I could put her in her rightful place behind the gate. But once I located her in the kitchen, I quickly realized why she had been in such a hurry.
“Bella…”
Just hearing him say my name sent shivers down my spine, my eyes immediately threatening to spring with tears that I was forced to swallow as I took him all in; from his tired eyes to the clothes I remembered from the day before, both signs that he had probably been at the hospital with his father since the last time I saw him. But just the thought of his father was enough to remind me of the origin for what was supposed to be a pit stop since, “I… didn’t expect you to be here. Figured you’d be at the hospital. I was just… coming to return her. But I can go now.”
I was already turning to leave when Princeton professed, “Bella, I’m so sorry. All that shit my father said about you was foul as fuck. I know you didn’t trap me with a baby. Hell, if anything I trapped you.”
I couldn’t turn back around fast enough to ask, “Excuse me, what?!”
Princeton immediately put his hands up in defense, walking towards me as he replied, “I don’t mean that literally, B. I guess I just… fell for you so hard that the consequence of a child didn’t even faze me because I could already see that shit happening anyway. Could already see myself being with you for the long haul.”
“Princeton…” I sighed, turning away as my eyes began to gloss over with tears yet again.
But Princeton forced me to deal with them as he continued, “Nah, let me finish. This whole thing with my dad has me thinking maybe you were right to be concerned about my health. Maybe I really should be done with this boxing shit. I mean, it’s brought me some good, but it’s brought a lot of bad shit too. I couldn’t even finish high school cause my father was so pressed for me to turn pro. Wasn’t no prom, no graduation, no teenage mistakes. I had to grow up, fast, fight grown ass men all because my father wanted me to even though I saw what it did to him; who it turned him into. And now I’m at the point where it’s like, is this really what I want? Something I never seriously questioned until I saw him lying in that hospital bed. Something I never even thought to question until I met you.”
I wasn’t sure if it was the weight of his confessions or my pregnancy hormones, but my eyes were a mess of tears by the time he finished. While I would never approve of what his father had said about me, I also couldn’t ignore the fact that I wasn’t the only one who had caught his wrath of hatefulness, his mean words nothing compared to the emotional damage he had done to his son. And not only the emotional damage, but the physical as well, putting him in a position that he was forced to defend himself through or risk getting himself seriously injured.
It was fucked up, but it was also a testament to his resilience which allowed me to reply, “Princeton, I don’t want you to stop boxing because of my insecurities about your safety. You’re an incredible boxer. It’s in your blood, what you were born to do regardless of how I feel about it.”
He shook his head, stepping even closer as he said, “Nah, B. That’s not what I was born to do. I was born to be happy, have my fair chance at bringing good to the world in any way I choose, a fair chance at living a normal life, having a normal family. With you.”
“Prince…”
“Did you mean it, Bella?” he asked, my look of confusion prompting him to explain, “When you said you were falling in love with me? Did you mean it?”
I nodded through the knot in my throat, sucking up the snot that rivaled Viola Davis’s when I answered, “Fell fast and hard like every single one of your opponents. Well… except for “Big Time”.”
“Ouch. Too soon,” he replied with a little chuckle before pulling me into an embrace that I greedily fell into, his chin resting on top of my head as he rocked me while confessing, “Bella, I want this so bad. I want you, and our baby, and everything else that comes with it. And I’m just… I’m sorry, okay? I know you. I always knew the truth. And I’ll never let him get in the way of that ever again, I promise.”
His words were like music to my ears, a rush of relief running over me as I asked, “Is he okay though?”
Princeton lifted his head so that I could lift mine, finding his eyes to explain, “Your father. Is he okay?”
“I honestly can’t even begin to think about him right now until I know we’re okay,” he replied, his expression fearful as if he legitimately wasn’t sure.
I was glad to put all his worries at ease when I smiled and replied, “We’re okay, Princeton. We’ll… be okay.” And I truly believed that considering we had been weathering storms left and right.
Still, I wasn’t expecting Princeton to take things to the next level, giving me a kiss on the forehead as he whispered, “I love you, B.”
“I… love you too,” I replied, my heart thumping through my chest as I tried to process what that truly meant for us.
But my processing was interrupted by a voice behind us adding, “And I love y’all both. That was beautiful.”
Princeton let out a low chuckle as I turned around in a fury to find Gina wiping her eyes. “Oh my God. How long have you been standing there?!”
“Long enough to start planning your bachelorette party. After you give birth, of course,” she replied as she made her way deeper into the kitchen, an act I knew was just part of her ploy of being able to explore Princeton’s home.
I was just getting ready to put her assumptions to bed and stop her from being nosey when Princeton chimed in, “That’s if she ever lets me put a ring on it.”
His words surprised me just as much as the ones before them, his talk of our love and the future for our family - for us - enough to have my cheeks aching from smiling so hard. And now that we were back in good graces, I couldn’t help but tease, “I know you work hard, but you gotta grind a little bit harder for a victory of that magnitude.”
Even if we seemed to be back on track, launching ourselves into something like that so soon was far from appropriate regardless of how we felt about each other. And I was glad to hear we were on the same page when he replied, “Don’t even trip, B. I’m in it to win it.”