The Contract

Chapter 102-The Ground Rules

This was a lot different from my experience, a lot different. I saw the love in their eyes, they cared for each other so much. I sighed and glanced back at the clipboard, "so let's begin..."

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BELLA'S P.O.V

"Thank you so much, I can't believe this, thank you once again" I ended the call and let out a little squeal as I walked into the house. I paused when I saw Derrick In the living room, "hey baby"

He looked up from the TV, "hey"

"Why are you back so early?" I asked, walking to him. "I had a day off today, I was with the guys, I told you" he reminded. "Oh, it must have slipped my mind"

"It sure did, I wanted us to stay at home today. I never get to see you enough" he grunted, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer. "I was out"

"You didn't tell me where you went to" he pointed out, "it's really nothing. Have you had lunch?"

"I'm thinking of something else" he got up and pulled me to himself, I laughed throwing my head back. "Come on, I gotta freshen up, it was so hot today"

He let me go, "I'll make you lunch" I promised. "I already had lunch" he replied. "Alright, I'll be upstairs then" with that I headed up.

I couldn't get over the excitement that I had gotten the place, I couldn't believe I'll soon begin working on it. I freshened up and got out to text Pearl, Derrick was now in the room.

"You never told me where you were all day" he repeated, "I was out on lunch with Pearl"

"I wanted lunch with you" he reminded, walking to me. "You were out with the boys, remember?"

"Yeah but now we are both back..." He placed a kiss on my shoulder, "Derrick"

"Let's have lunch" he suggested, moving the kiss up to my neck. "Derrick, this is not the right time"

"What do you mean this is not the right time?" he muttered, placing more sultry kisses. "This is not... I'm not really -" my phone beeped cutting me off, I picked it back up from the bed, Pearl had responded.

"What's that?" He snatched it from me and checked it out, "Derrick!"

He moved away and read through it, "what's this? What do you mean you got the place? What place are you talking about?" He shot back to me.

"How could you go through my text? Why did you snatch my phone from-"

"You both are still planning this restaurant shit?! You're still talking to her about this?!" He questioned. "It's not shit! How can you say that?"

"We talked about this, Bella! I told you, you aren't gonna start any restaurant"

"It's too late anyways" I muttered, taking my phone back from him and walking into the closet. "What do you mean it's too late?" He followed me.

"I found a place and I'm gonna begin working on it, so there's nothing you can do to stop this!" I stated. He shot me a look of disbelief, "You got a place? You went against my word"

"I don't get why you're so against this! You should be happy for me"

"You're gonna work yourself to death!"

"I don't mind it"

"I'm the man of the house, I work! I work for the both of us!"

"I don't want you to anymore, I wanna help out, I don't wanna sit in this house everyday doing nothing, I'm tired!" I cried out.

"Why are you doing this, Bella?"

"Because I want to!"

"How convincing was Pearl?" He asked. "It wasn't Pearl's idea, she made me realize what I wanted, I want to do this, I love doing this "

"What then happens to us? This family?"

"Nothing! Nothing will change "

"Well, shits have already began changing, Bella! You leave the house without telling me where you are going to and you get back whenever you want! You don't let me touch you! You don't let me get close to you"

"That doesn't have anything to do with-"

"It does! This has everything to do with this shit! You want to be like Pearl and Travis so bad! You want us to grow apart!"

"Stop bringing them into this!"

"This is our family, you suddenly do not care about growing this family anymore " he asserted and I gasped, "How could you say that?"

"I'm making efforts to get us back on track, for us to go back to how things were. What happens to this?"

I locked gaze him and shook my head, "I don't wanna do this " I replied before walking past. "Have you told her? Your Mother, does she know about this?"

I paused, "Why don't you get her opinion first and stop taking it from the wrong people?!" with that he walked into the bathroom, slamming the door close.