18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Ryan
T he morning begins with the sort of energy only kids can bring. Luke is bouncing around with excitement, ready to conquer the world—or at least the mall and amusement park. Alice isn’t far behind, dragging her stuffed bunny with her as she hops down the stairs, already asking a million questions about what we’re going to do first.
I lean against a wall in Bella’s living room, watching as Luke and Alice race each other to see who can tie their sneakers faster. Luke’s competitive streak is on full display, his tongue sticking out in concentration while Alice’s giggles fill the room.
Luke springs up from the floor, triumphantly stomping his tied sneakers across the room. “I won!”
Bella watches the chaos unfold with a mix of amusement and mild panic. “You know you’re the one who signed up for this, right?” she says, shooting me a look.
“Absolutely,” I reply, grinning as I grab Alice and swing her into the air. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Luke rushes to grab his jacket, yelling, “Let’s go already!”
Bella sighs, but there’s a soft smile tugging at her lips. She hands me a bag packed with snacks and other essentials. “You’re way too confident for someone about to spend a day with two sugar-fueled kids.”
“Confidence is key,” I tease, holding the door open for her.
She rolls her eyes but steps outside, her hand brushing mine briefly. It’s a small touch, but it feels like a win.
The mall is buzzing when we arrive, full of families, couples, and the usual weekend crowd. Luke and Alice are immediately drawn to the colorful signs for the indoor play area, dragging Bella and me along like two miniature tornadoes.
“Play area first,” Luke declares, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Then ice cream!” Alice adds, her voice filled with as much excitement as Luke’s.
Bella hesitates as she looks at me. “You sure about this?”
“I’ve never been surer,” I say, handing over my credit card to the attendant at the entrance.
The kids race inside, disappearing into a maze of slides and climbing structures. Bella and I find a table nearby, coffee cups in hand, as we watch Luke challenge Alice to a climbing race.
“You know, I used to hate malls,” she says, taking a sip of her coffee.
“Why’s that?”
“Too many people, too much noise. But now…” She trails off, watching Alice giggle as Luke helps her down a slide. “Now, it’s different. Watching them have fun makes the chaos worth it.”
I lean closer, keeping my tone casual. “I’m glad I could be part of making it different for you.”
Her eyes flick to mine, something unspoken lingering in her gaze. But before she can respond, Luke and Alice come barreling toward us, demanding ice cream.
We head to the food court, where the kids argue over the best toppings for their ice cream. Bella claims she doesn’t want anything, but I order her a cone anyway.
“Chocolate? Really?” she asks when I hand it to her.
“Absolutely. It’s sweet, just like you.”
She snorts, but the faint blush on her cheeks betrays her. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Blackwood.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it might be working,” I say.
Her laugh is soft, genuine, and it warms something in me I didn’t even realize was cold.
The sun is low in the sky when we arrive at the amusement park, the bright neon lights glowing brighter as the evening settles in. The smell of popcorn, fried dough, and cotton candy fills the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and carnival music.
“This place is awesome!” Luke yells, sprinting ahead.
Alice grabs Bella’s hand, tugging her toward the carousel. “Can we ride the pink one?”
“Of course,” Bella says, glancing back at me.
“I’ll meet you after,” I tell her, letting them head to the carousel while I follow Luke to the ring toss.
When we regroup, the kids insist on trying the bumper cars. Bella stays on the sidelines, shaking her head as I climb into a vehicle.
“You’re going down, Luke!” I shout as we start.
The kids gang up on me immediately, laughing hysterically every time they manage to corner me. When it’s over, Bella’s laughing, her cheeks flushed.
“You’re terrible at this,” she teases.
“Hey, they’re ruthless competitors!” I retort.
The kids beg for a ride on the Ferris wheel, but Bella hesitates.
“I’m not a fan of heights,” she admits quietly.
“Then we’ll stick to the ground,” I say immediately.
But Luke and Alice are already climbing into a gondola, and Bella sighs. “No, it’s fine. I’ll do it for them.”
We pile into the gondola, the kids on one side and Bella and me on the other. As the wheel begins to rise, she grips the metal bar so tightly her knuckles turn white.
“Hey,” I say softly, sliding my hand over hers. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
She glances at me, her eyes wide, but she doesn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she lets out a shaky breath and leans slightly into me.
When we reach the top, the view is breathtaking—a sea of twinkling lights stretching out in every direction. Bella relaxes just enough to take it in, her lips parting in awe.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs.
“So are you,” I say without thinking.
She turns to look at me, her eyes searching mine, and for a moment, I think she might kiss me. But then the wheel starts moving again, and the moment passes.
As we walk through the park, hand in hand with the kids, I notice curious glances from people around us. The whispers started almost as soon as we walked into the park. Cedar Ridge isn’t exactly known for its subtlety, and the sight of me, Ryan Blackwood, strolling hand in hand with Bella Parker and our kids, is enough to spark a wildfire of gossip.
I hear plenty of snide remarks as we pass.
“Is that Bella with him?”
“Didn’t she just end things with his brother a few years ago?”
“They look cozy, don’t they?”
Bella stiffens beside me, her hand growing tense in mine. I glance down at her and see the shadow of discomfort flicker across her face. She’s trying to ignore it, to push through like she always does, but I know it’s eating at her.
Luke and Alice, blissfully unaware of the judgment around us, drag us toward a row of brightly colored game booths. Luke heads to one with a giant stuffed dinosaur hanging prominently at the top.
“I’m gonna win that!” he declares, his face lit with determination.
“You’ve got this, buddy,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder.
Bella hangs back slightly, her hand slipping out of mine as she crosses her arms over her chest. Her eyes flicker toward a group of women on a bench, their hushed tones and pointed stares all too obvious.
I step closer to her, lowering my voice. “Don’t let them bother you,” I say, keeping my tone light.
She gives me a small, tight smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Easier said than done. They’ve been judging me since the day Caleb walked out of my life. Now they’ve got fresh material.”
I glance back at the women, their heads bent together like they’re sharing some earth-shattering secret. A spark of annoyance ignites in my chest, but I force myself to focus on Bella.
“They don’t know anything about us,” I say firmly. “And honestly? I don’t care what they think. Neither should you.”
Her eyes flicker to mine, shining with a mixture of gratitude and frustration. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has to live with their gossip every day.”
I step in front of her, blocking her view of the whispers and stares. “No, but I’ll stand with you through it. Let them talk, Bella. They’ll get bored eventually. And even if they don’t, they don’t get to define us.”
Her lips part like she wants to argue, but before she can, Luke lets out a triumphant shout.
“I got it! I got it!”
We both turn to see him holding up a much smaller prize, a stuffed frog, but he grins like he won the main prize.
“Good work, champ!” I call out, giving him a thumbs-up. “Want to give the dinosaur another shot?”
Luke nods enthusiastically and Alice cheers him on. Bella smiles faintly, her tension easing just a little as she watches the kids.
“You’re good with them,” she says softly, almost to herself.
I nudge her lightly. “You sound surprised.”
Her eyes flick to mine, and for the first time since we entered the park, there’s a hint of amusement there. “Not surprised. Just…noticing.”
I smile, letting the moment settle between us. But as we move to the next booth, the stares and whispers pick up again like a swarm of flies that refuses to go away.
“Is that Bella?” a voice says from behind us.
“I can’t believe she’s out here like nothing happened,” another chimes in.
Bella stiffens again, her steps faltering.
“Hey,” I say, stopping to face her. “Look at me.”
She hesitates, her gaze darting to the side.
“Bella,” I say more firmly, stepping closer. “Forget them. It’s just noise.”
She exhales shakily, finally meeting my eyes. “It’s not just noise, Ryan. It’s my life. My reputation. And now…it’s yours, too.”
“Good,” I say with a grin. “Let them talk about me. It takes the pressure off you.”
She shakes her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“And yet, here you are,” I tease, reaching for her hand again.
This time, she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she lets me guide her to the next booth, where Luke is trying his luck at a ring toss. Alice bounces excitedly beside him, her energy infectious.
Bella leans closer, her voice low. “Do you ever feel like…maybe this is too much? Too fast?”
I glance at her, surprised by the question. “Do you?”
Her eyes drop to the ground. “I don’t know. Sometimes, it feels like everyone’s waiting for us to fail. Like they’re just sitting there, ready to say, ‘I told you so.’”
I take a deep breath, considering my response carefully. “Bella, the only people who matter in this equation are standing right here: you, me, Luke, and Alice. That’s it. The rest? It’s just background noise. They can say whatever they want. It doesn’t change anything.”
She studies me for a moment, her expression softening. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
“I do,” I say without hesitation. “And I’ll keep believing it until you do, too.”
Before she can respond, Luke lets out another victorious cheer, this time holding up the coveted stuffed dinosaur.
“I did it! I did it!” he shouts, running over to show us.
Bella laughs, the sound light and genuine as the tension melts away from her shoulders. She ruffles Luke’s hair, her smile brighter than I’ve seen it all day.
“Great job, kiddo,” she says, her voice full of pride.
Alice pouts playfully. “What about me? I want to win something too!”
“Let’s go find a game for you,” I say, scooping her up and spinning her around. She squeals with laughter, and for a moment, the whispers and stares fade into the background.
As we move deeper into the park, Bella’s hand finds mine again, this time with less hesitation. She leans closer, her voice just loud enough for me to hear.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
“For what?”
“For making it easier,” she replies. “For being here. For…everything.”
I squeeze her hand gently, quietly reassuring her with my presence. “Whatever challenge comes our way, we’ll face it together. Let the town gossip. Let them stare. The only thing that matters is us,” I say.
As we leave the park, the kids clutch oversized stuffed animals and their laughter echoes in the night air. Bella and I walk behind them, our hands brushing occasionally.
“Today was fun. Thank you,” she says quietly.
“It was my pleasure,” I say, stopping to face her.
She looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
“I’m very serious about this. I promise.”
Her lips curve into a small, hesitant smile. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Maybe,” I say, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “But you’re stuck with me now.”
As we reach her place, the kids race inside, their energy seemingly endless. Bella lingers on the porch with me, the night quiet around us.
“I meant what I said,” I tell her. “About us. About everything.”
She hesitates, but then she reaches for my hand, her fingers curling around mine.
“I know,” she says softly. “And I’m starting to believe it.”