CHAPTER THIRTY
BELLA
The air in Wessex, Massachusetts bit at my knuckles, sharp and unrelenting, a cold so piercing it almost dragged me back to Park City’s snow-dusted nights with Cade.
Those moments under the starlit sky, his breath warm against my cheek, his laughter soft as we carved paths through the powder—it all flickered in my mind, vivid and raw, threatening to pull me under.
I tugged my scarf tighter, shoving the memory down deep, locking it away.
Winter here was no joke, nothing like the balmy South Florida breeze I’d left behind.
My boots crunched against the thin layer of lingering snow, and I squinted at the brick buildings looming ahead, their ivy-covered facades glowing under the late afternoon sun.
Lilly’s dorm was in the farthest corner, a good ten-minute walk from the visitor parking lot.
Still, I didn’t mind. The cold gave me a distraction from Cade’s accusations, from the icy detachment in his eyes that still clawed at my heart.
God, what a mess.
I’d landed in Boston the previous night.
The Delta flight was cramped and turbulent, but the decision to come still felt right.
Impulsive, sure, but necessary. Lilly’s holiday concert was tomorrow, and I hadn’t seen her in person since dropping her off at Parkview in the fall.
Yes, the phone calls and texts weren’t enough anymore.
I needed to see her, to know she was okay, and to remind myself why I’d fought so hard to keep her here.
Maybe I also need her to remind me who I am.
The dorm’s common room smelled like burned popcorn and pine-scented cleaner.
A few girls lounged on mismatched couches, their laptops open, laughter bubbling over some shared joke.
I signed in at the front desk, my fingers still stiff from the cold, and climbed the narrow staircase to Lilly’s floor.
Room 312. When I knocked, my heart was thudding harder than usual.
“Lilly, are you in there?” I called through the thick wood.
“Bella?” Lilly’s voice came through the door, then she swung it open. There she was, my little sister, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun, wearing a Parkview sweatshirt and leggings. “Oh my God, you’re here!”
I barely had time to brace myself before she threw her arms around me. “Surprise,” I said, my voice muffled against her shoulder. Her hug was fierce and warm. “Thought I’d crash your concert.”
“You could have told me.” She pulled back, grinning, but her gaze sharpened as she studied my face. “Wait, what’s wrong? You look... I don’t know, sad.”
I forced a smile as I stepped into her room.
It was small but cozy, with fairy lights strung above her bed, a stack of textbooks on her desk, and a corkboard pinned with photos—us at the beach years ago, her with friends, a candid of Mom laughing.
My chest tightened. “I’m fine, Lil. Just missed you. ”
She shut the door and crossed her arms. “Bullshit. You flew all the way up here out of nowhere. You never do stuff like that. Spill.”
I sank onto her bed, the mattress creaking under me, and kicked off my boots. The room felt like a bubble, safe and separate from the chaos of Palm Beach. “It’s... complicated.”
Lilly sat beside me, tucking her legs under her, her sweatshirt bunching at her waist. “Is it about the tuition thing? I saw the email from the admin’s office, but then it got resolved, so I figured you handled it.”
“Yeah, I did.” My fingers twisted the hem of my sweater, the soft wool catching on my jagged nails. I hesitated, the weight of the truth pressing against my ribs. “It’s not just money, Lil. It’s... Cade Weston.”
Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowing like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “Weston? As in, the guy whose dad screwed over ours? The one you’ve been low-key seeing?”
I winced, the bluntness of her words slicing through me. She wasn’t wrong but hearing it laid bare like that stung. “Yeah, that’s the one. Things... they got serious. Or I thought they did.”
Lilly’s jaw dropped, her messy bun tilting as she leaned forward, disbelief etched into every line of her face. “Serious? Bella, you told me you’d gone on a couple of dates with him, like it was no big deal. You never said it was... what, a whole relationship? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
My throat tightened, and I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at the strands as if the pain could ground me.
“I didn’t know how to explain it, okay? It started at that fundraiser I mentioned, the one Kyra dragged me to.
He was there, and we talked, and... God, Lil, it was like no time had passed, but everything was different.
He wasn’t the Cade I remember from Dad’s funeral, all smug and untouchable.
He was... warm. Real. We got close, really close, faster than I expected.
I didn’t want to jinx it by talking about it too soon. ”
“Jinx it?” Lilly’s voice rose, sharp with hurt, her hands flying up in frustration.
“Bella, I’m your sister. You don’t hide stuff like this from me.
You’ve been carrying everything for the two of us for years, but now you’re keeping secrets about some guy who’s tied to the family that ruined us? What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t thinking!”
The words burst out, raw and jagged, my chest heaving as I fought the tears prickling behind my eyes.
“I was feeling, for once. Cade made me feel like I could breathe again, like I wasn’t the Moretti who lost everything.
He saw me, Lil, not the mess, not the bounced checks.
Me. And I... I fell for him. Hard. But I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d look at me like you are now.
” I sighed. “Like I’m betraying Dad’s memory just by letting a Weston near me. ”
Lilly’s expression softened, but the hurt lingered, her lips pressing into a tight line. “I’m not mad because he’s a Weston. I’m mad because you shut me out. You’ve always protected me, Bella, but I’m not a kid anymore. What happened?”
I swallowed hard, the memory of Cade’s office flooding back.
I could feel his cold gaze and see the binder of lies slamming onto his desk.
“He accused me of sabotaging his big project, the Palm Beach Promenade. Said I was plotting against him the whole time, leaking lies to the media to tank it, all because of Dad’s feud with his family. ”
“That’s delulu,” Lilly said.
“He had this... proof, emails I never wrote, calls I never made. But he wouldn’t listen, Lil. He had decided I was guilty and threw it all in my face—our past, everything. Like I was nothing to him.”
Lilly’s eyes widened, her hand reaching for mine, warm and steady despite the tension between us. “Why didn’t you call me when it started getting serious with him? I’d have had your back.”
“I know.” My voice cracked, and I squeezed her hand, guilt twisting in my gut.
“I should’ve told you. I was scared, I guess.
Scared you’d think I was stupid for trusting him, scared I’d lose you, too, if you thought I was turning my back on Dad.
I’ve been trying so hard to keep us together, to keep you here at Parkview, that I.
.. I didn’t want to admit I was falling for someone who might hurt me. And now he has.”
Lilly sighed, her shoulders slumping as she pulled me into a hug, her cheek pressed against my hair. “You’re not stupid, Bella. You’re human. And I’m not going anywhere, okay? We’re Morettis. We face this crap together.”
I nodded against her shoulder, the tears finally spilling over, hot and cleansing. “Together,” I whispered, clinging to her, to the promise that I wasn’t as alone as I felt. She went quiet, her expression softening. “If Cade Weston is like this, you don’t need his main-character energy.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I’m great at picking them. And anyway, look at me.” I took a breath. “Resorting to FanZone to keep us afloat.”
Lilly’s eyes widened again. “Wait, FanZone? Like, the app where people post... stuff?”
I nodded, my cheeks burning. I hadn’t planned to tell her, but the truth was clawing its way out before I could stop it.
“I started an account a few months ago. Nothing too wild, just... swimsuit photos, some lingerie... and... Look, it paid the bills, Lil. Paid for your tuition when the check bounced.”
Her mouth formed a small O, but she didn’t pull away.
Instead, she tilted her head, her brow furrowing in that thoughtful way she had, like she was piecing together a puzzle.
“Bella, that’s... I mean, I guess I get why you did it, but that app’s so sketchy.
People can be creeps.” She paused, her gaze searching mine.
“And... why didn’t you tell me? We promised to share everything, remember?
No more secrets after all the crap with Dad. ”
I swallowed hard, the guilt twisting in my gut, but a wave of relief washed over me.
She wasn’t freaking out, wasn’t judging me like I’d feared.
She was just... being Lilly, steady and understanding, even when I didn’t deserve it.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I wanted to spare you the details, Lil.
You’ve got enough on your plate with school and everything.
The last thing I wanted was for you to worry about me scraping by like that. ”
She nodded slowly, her expression softening. “Okay, I get that. But next time, tell me. We’re in this together, right?”
“Right.” Relief bloomed in my chest, easing the knot of anxiety I’d carried for months. Seeing her handle it so coolly made me feel like maybe I wasn’t such a screw-up after all.
“Tell me about it.” I sighed, leaning back against her headboard. “I made decent money, though. Enough to give us some breathing room. I’m looking into starting my own scarf company.”
“What? That’s so cool. You were always so amazing at designing outfits for your American Girl dolls.”
“You remember that?” I was surprised she did, to be honest. It seemed so long ago now.
“Yes. Of course. I always wondered why you didn’t go to fashion design or something.”
Life went a little pear-shaped after Mom died.
“I’m glad you’re done with FanZone and I am totally sure you’ll slay it with the scarves. We’re Morettis. We don’t give up, right?”
“Right.” I managed a smile, her words echoing the mantra I’d clung to for years. Did I really still believe it?
Lilly tilted her head, thinking. “What would Mom say? Or Dad, before... you know.”
I swallowed hard, picturing Mom’s warm smile, Dad’s booming laugh before the drinking took over.
“Mom would tell me to listen to my heart but keep my eyes open. Dad would probably say to never let a Weston win.” We both laughed.
“But honestly, I think he’d want me to be happy.
And Cade... when it was good, it was good. Like I could breathe again.”
“Seriously, Bella, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I wish I could help more.”
“You’re helping right now.” I pulled her into another hug. “Seeing you, knowing you’re killing it here... it’s why I keep going. You’re gonna do big things.”
She hugged me back, her voice muffled. “Only because you gave me the chance.”
We sat like that for a while, the dorm’s quiet hum wrapping around us.
Outside, the snow fell harder, blanketing the world in silence.
For the first time, I felt a flicker of hope.
Maybe I can find my way through this. Cade’s words still hurt, but Lilly’s belief in me, her unshakable Moretti spirit, reminded me I was stronger than my mistakes.
Stronger than FanZone, stronger than a broken heart.
“I’m gonna stay for the concert,” I said, pulling back enough to look at her face. “But also... what if I stayed longer? Through the holidays, I mean. And maybe a little after that.”
Lilly blinked, her eyes widening with surprise that quickly melted into excitement. “Wait, really? Like, stay here in Wessex? With me?”
I nodded, the idea solidifying as I said it out loud.
“Yeah. I could rent a place nearby or even crash at a hotel for a bit. I’ve got some savings now, and honestly, Lil, I need this.
Time away from Florida, from all the mess back there.
We used to be so close, you know? Before Dad, before everything fell apart.
I want that back. Us, bonding again. Just sisters, no secrets. ”
Lilly searched my face, her expression softening as she processed my words. “Bella, that sounds... amazing.” She squeezed my hand, her grip firm and reassuring. “Can we talk about the bullying thing here? Remember I told you about those girls in my bio class giving me crap about our family name?”
I nodded. “Such horseshit.”
“It’s died down a little, but if you’re around, maybe we can deal with it together. Talk to the dean or something. I don’t want to run from it anymore.”
I winced, remembering her texts about the snide comments, the whispers about Dad’s downfall echoing even up here. At first, I’d hoped it would go away, but it clearly hadn’t.
“God, Lil, I’m sorry I haven’t been more on top of that. Yeah, we’ll handle it. I’ll go with you to talk to whoever we need to.” Warmth spread through me, chasing away some of the chill from outside. “So, you’re cool with me sticking around?”
“Absolutely.”
“We could do holiday stuff, like bake Mom’s old cookie recipe, watch those cheesy movies you loved when you were a kid, maybe even hit up Boston for New Year’s.”
Her grin lit up the room, brighter than the fairy lights above her bed. “Stay as long as you want. It’ll be like old times, but better.”
“Deal,” I said, pulling her into another hug. Whatever happens, I’m done letting the past call the shots. This was about the future, and for the first time in a long while, it felt within reach.
We spent the rest of the evening talking about her classes, her friends, the cute boy in her history class who kept stealing her pens.
Normal stuff, and the kind that made me forget, for a little while, the chaos waiting back in Palm Beach.
But as I curled up in the nearby hotel room that night, I knew I couldn’t run forever.
Somewhere deep down, I wanted to believe there was a way forward, a way to rebuild what we’d lost.
But it’s gotta be on my terms.