THE BOY NEXT DOOR✓ EPISODE 121✓

"You better come back in one piece." George warns her and she smirks before walking to him. Bending over, she plants a kiss on his upturned lips. "I won't kiss my brother, babe. I'll be back before you know it." Then she walks out of the door. Zac leans back on the couch with a sigh. "This life is like a soap opera." "I know, right?" George replies. "The most surprising thing is that Jade seems to have accepted Ethan already. She hated his guts a few hours ago." "Blood is thicker than water." Jay says with a grin. "I hope having a little sister will make him learn how to he responsible." "Exactly. I hope he regrets what he did to Gianna." I add. "And, he will have to step in and be there for her now that she is going through such a hard moment." "We are there for her. She doesn't need Ethan." George says fiercely and Jay hits him on the shoulder. "Easy bro. Let them talk it out first." "How do you think Ethan is going to react?" I ask curiously and Jay laughs. "I don't care about that but he better learn how to make pancakes for his baby sister." "So I don't have a brother right now?" Zac asks with a yawn. "You never liked him anyway. You are officially an only child." Cara replies. "You still have Ethan." Jay tells him. "He will be staying under your roof. The only person here who doesn't have a sibling is Bella and I. Maybe we can become siblings. What do you think, puppy face?" I laugh lightly. He is insane. "How now?" "Like, you become my sister. Wait, how old are you?" "I'm turning twenty one next weekend." "Good. I'm older than you so I will be the big brother. You will like it." I grin despite myself. "I guess it's a deal then." He leans to kiss me on the cheek and I chuckle. Don't I just love Jay! **** The boys leave after dinner, after promising my Mom that they will show up on time. Cara, Jade and I walk upstairs to my bedroom and Jade sits on the couch. "I'm sleeping here." She states while passing Cara a hateful look. "I don't think so. You are sleeping on the bed." I tell her as I retrieve extra blankets from the closet. "I'm not sleeping on the same bed with her." I grit my teeth before turning to her. Cara looks so helpless sitting on the bed. "You guys are sleeping over and my bed is big enough to accommodate all of us so we are sharing it. If you have issues with Cara, which I really don't understand why, you will deal with it later." "You don't understand why?" Jade asks hotly. "She apologized for crying out loud! She explained everything! We forgave her. You should probably do it too." "You don't understand, Bella. This girl was supposed to be my best friend. She betrayed me!" "I know. And she apologized too. Be the mature one here and let it go." She screws her nose while eyeing Cara. She walks to the bed after casting me a look then sits down. "Move." She tells Cara who scoots away to create space. "I will start talking to you, but that doesn't mean you are forgiven." Jade warns her and I can't fight my fierce grin. We are making progress. "So, how did Ethan take it?" I ask, sitting on the bed cross legged. "He showed me the family photo and guess what? I had seen a similar one in my dad's wallet a few months ago. He is my brother alright. "Wow. So was he cool with it?" She shrugs. "Somehow. We hugged..." "You hugged?!" I yell and she grins. "None of us wanted to but we couldn't help it. Our bodies barely touched." "That's progress " "I guess. I wanted him to meet dad before... You know, anything happens to him but he refused. He said the old man made his Mom commit suicide. I can't blame him." I hug her then I smile when she rolls her eyes before pulling Cara to join our group hug. Baby steps. *** My phone ringtone wakes me up. I roll over heavily and grab it from the nightstand with a groan. I sleepily glance at the screen and it is a new number. The wall clock says it's a few minutes past midnight. A strange call in the middle of the night? Grudgingly, I hit the answer icon then stick the phone between my shoulder and my ear. "Hello?" I ask groggily. "Belle?" I sit up immediately . "Dad?" Why is he calling? It's way past midnight for crying out loud. We have only talked once in the three weeks I've been here. I feel guilty because I rarely return his calls. I just don't feel the closeness so much like before. "My baby. Are you okay? It's been a while." "I'm fine daddy. What are you doing? You don't usually stay up." "I was kind of having fun.." He slurs and I realize he is very drunk. "You've been drinking." I state quietly. Dad has never been a drunkard. In fact, he barely drank at all in the years we stayed with him. What is happening with him? "Yes. I think I've been missing out." He burps. "Where are you?" Panic is striking in. I hope he is not driving. Please Daddy don't drink and drive. I pray desperately that he is at home. I don't want to lose him. "I'm home." He says with another burp. "You are worried about me sweetheart?" "All the time. I love you Dad. I don't want you hurt." "I'm already hurt. She is getting married tomorrow." He states sourly. Oh. Now I understand what this is all about. It's about Mom getting married. She has dated quite a few boyfriends since the divorce but none of them ever put a ring on it. Except Daniel. "And that's a bad thing?" I ask, trying hard to suppress my anger. I want my Mommy happy and Daniel makes her happy. If Dad is not okay with that, then that's his problem. "Daniel is a lucky guy. He has my wife and my daughter." "Dad, stop that already. Can we talk tomorrow when you are sober and rational?" "I want us to talk right now." He slurs. "Tomorrow I will be too jealous to hold a conversation." "You will come to the wedding?" "Your Mom was kind enough to invite me. To see her belong to another man." "I thought you moved on!" I shout, almost angrily. "You got married to Celine barely a year after the divorce was finalized. Why are you acting like Mom is betraying you?" "Celine was a rebound and she happened to get pregnant. I never intended to marry her." "Dad, that's too much information. Trust me I don't want to listen to that. Whatever you do, just let Mom be happy. She deserves it." "I know but I feel like you are slipping through my fingers as well. I don't want to lose you, Belle." "I'm not going anywhere. You are still my father." "How is Daniel. Is he better than me?" I frown at that. Dad should just stick to soft drinks. The alcohol is not doing him any favour. "He is good to us if that is what you are asking." "Lucky guy." He states quietly. "I'm going back to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding." "Don't hang up yet. I'm lonely. Can we talk for a bit longer?" How unusual. I never imagined Dad to be the needy type. "Where's Celine?" "At some nightclub with her friends." "What?" I sit up immediately . "Dad?" Why is he calling? It's way past midnight for crying out loud. We have only talked once in the three weeks I've been here. I feel guilty because I rarely return his calls. I just don't feel the closeness so much like before. "My baby. Are you okay? It's been a while." "I'm fine daddy. What are you doing? You don't usually stay up." "I was kind of having fun.." He slurs and I realize he is very drunk. "You've been drinking." I state quietly. Dad has never been a drunkard. In fact, he barely drank at all in the years we stayed with him. What is happening with him? "Yes. I think I've been missing out." He burps. "Where are you?" Panic is striking in. I hope he is not driving. Please Daddy don't drink and drive. I pray desperately that he is at home. I don't want to lose him. "I'm home." He says with another burp. "You are worried about me sweetheart?" "All the time. I love you Dad. I don't want you hurt." "I'm already hurt. She is getting married tomorrow." He states sourly. Oh. Now I understand what this is all about. It's about Mom getting married. She has dated quite a few boyfriends since the divorce but none of them ever put a ring on it. Except Daniel. "And that's a bad thing?" I ask, trying hard to suppress my anger. I want my Mommy happy and Daniel makes her happy. If Dad is not okay with that, then that's his problem. "Daniel is a lucky guy. He has my wife and my daughter." "Dad, stop that already. Can we talk tomorrow when you are sober and rational?" "I want us to talk right now." He slurs. "Tomorrow I will be too jealous to hold a conversation." "You will come to the wedding?" "Your Mom was kind enough to invite me. To see her belong to another man." "I thought you moved on!" I shout, almost angrily. "You got married to Celine barely a year after the divorce was finalized. Why are you acting like Mom is betraying you?" "Celine was a rebound and she happened to get pregnant. I never intended to marry her." "Dad, that's too much information. Trust me I don't want to listen to that. Whatever you do, just let Mom be happy. She deserves it." "I know but I feel like you are slipping through my fingers as well. I don't want to lose you, Belle." "I'm not going anywhere. You are still my father." "How is Daniel. Is he better than me?" I frown at that. Dad should just stick to soft drinks. The alcohol is not doing him any favour. "He is good to us if that is what you are asking." "Lucky guy." He states quietly. "I'm going back to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding." "Don't hang up yet. I'm lonely. Can we talk for a bit longer?" How unusual. I never imagined Dad to be the needy type. "Where's Celine?" "At some nightclub with her friends." "What?"