Page 47 of Changing Rules

“No. I don’t want anyone else. I love Bella.”

“That’s nice to hear, Walker. Start acting like it,” he chides. With that, he hangs up.

My music immediately blares—a punk song from some random playlist. It’s exactly what I need to calm my nerves.

Please let her be safe.

Her mom’syard is neatly kept, with a few well-manicured trees. The two-story house is white, with a high-pitched roof and tidy flowerbeds. The small porch is covered, giving me a reprieve from the rain that started halfway here.

I hold the bouquet of flowers I stopped for down the street. I’m ten minutes late, and arriving empty-handed felt wrong, even though I don’t care about making a good impression. Bella’s mother put her through hell; she doesn’t deserve anything but disdain. Still, I don’t want to give her any reason to give my girl shit.

When the door opens, a beautiful brunette comes into view.

Damn. I’d never considered that Bella could’ve inherited her beauty from her mother—probably because the woman in front of me is so ugly on the inside, while my girl has the purest heart.

“Hello,” she greets me. Her voice is melodic and light, just like Bella’s.

“Hey, um, I’m sorry for being late.” I extend the bouquet to her, and she takes it, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.Fuck. One more thing her daughter inherited from her. “I’m Alexander, Bella’s boyfriend.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Alexander.” She smiles. “I’m Samantha.”

“Nice to meet you too.” I nod. “Again, I’m sorry for being late. Practice ran long.”

“That’s okay. You came, and that’s what matters.” She steps aside. “Come on in. We haven’t started yet.”

Hands in my pockets, I step into the house. Instantly, a strange energy vibrates around me. This is where Bella grew up, the place where she suffered from her mother’s silent treatmentand abuse, the place where she felt unwanted. The place where her stepdad?—

“Let’s go to the living room.” Samantha stops beside me.

The smile she gives me is also reminiscent of Bella’s, but unease fills my veins and turns my heart to stone.

Getting through this dinner will be harder than I thought.

CHAPTER 13

I RAISED A MONSTER

XANDER

A year and one month ago

July

“Isabella,”Samantha says as we step into the dining room. “Your man has great taste. The bouquet he brought is beautiful.”

I imagined the home where Bella grew up as a dark and oppressive place, something out of a horror movie. The kind of home with an evil aura that can be felt the moment a person steps inside.

This place is nothing like that. It’s spacious and tidy, full of light and fashionable details. It looks like it could’ve been a safe place for her, a home she’d run to when she was hurt, where she could seek comfort.

Instead, it was her personal hell.

When I find Bella sitting at the table, I give her a small smile. I was upset with her for leaving without me, but now that I’ve got eyes on her, I’m just happy she’s safe.

With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she glances at the woman beside her. Her perfectly styled hair brushes the shoulders of her beige cardigan. Her crystal blue eyes study me intently as she flattens her lips. Bella’s grandmother. She’s theonly reason my girl agreed to come. I’m curious to find out how this woman treats her only granddaughter.

“Alexander, don’t just stand there.” Samantha grasps my arm and playfully pushes me to move.

I head to the table, taking in the room, looking for the prick. So far, it appears it’s only the three of them. I stop by Bella’s side and ease myself into the chair beside her.

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