282 She Wanted to Hide
Her heart stopped.
Her body froze.
The world around her became muffled and blurred.
Axel, the room, his voice all clouded together as though she were in the eye of a storm.
‘You are mine…’ she heard the haunting voice from her past whisper in her mind.
She heard the sound of her cries, begging him to let her go. His laughter, the sparkle in his fiery eyes as she hit the ground.
She saw him on top of her, holding her down as she screamed, a look of excitement on his face as he pushed his pleasure through their bond, forcing her body to react to him against her will.
There was heavy pain in her chest, and her body refused to move or react in any way. Instead, she took short, gasping breaths that left her feeling like her lungs would collapse.
Her jaw ached; her arms itched. Old bruises and breaks suddenly hurt until her entire body was screaming out in her mind.
Two strong hands grabbed her shoulders, and finally, the world snapped back into place.
“Bell!” Axel screamed with panic.
She lifted her terrified eyes to his, and he looked at her with worry. Bell recognized Axel’s hazel eyes, his warm presence, and she remembered where she was. When and who she was.
“Bell?”
Swirling darkness overtook her as her entire body relaxed. The last thing she heard was Axel screaming her name once more.
***
“She needs rest.”
“Is she alright? What about the baby?”
“They are both fine, but she needs to rest. From what you said, it seems like she had a panic attack. Her numbers are fine now, but it’s not good for her to get worked up like that. So, whatever it was you were talking about, drop it.”
Bell turned her head. Opening her eyes, she saw that it was Peter and Axel talking.
Axel nodded.
Peter turned to gather his stuff when he noticed that she was awake.
“Hey you,” he smiled.
“Did I make a dramatic entrance?” she asked
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Aren’t I in the hospital?” she asked, looking up and realizing that the room seemed very familiar.
“Oh, no, I came to you.”
“Ooh, a house call,” she smiled. “How chic.”
“Nothing but the best for you,” he laughed. Peter took a breath and then looked back at Axel. “Rest.”
Axel nodded again.
“I do have to get back to the hospital,” Peter said, looking back at Bell. “You better sleep, little momma. Your little man needs it just as much as you.”
“Already making demands… little brat.”
Peter laughed as he finished gathering his gear and left the room.
Bell sat up in bed.
“Be careful,” Axel said, reaching out for her.
“I’m ok,” Bell smiled.
Axel sat down on the edge of the bed and touched her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I suspected… but I wasn’t completely sure.”
Bell swallowed and looked away.
“We don’t need to talk about it,” Axel said. “You should get some rest.”
Axel stood up from the bed and turned to leave.
Bell took a deep breath.
“Axel,” she called.
“Yea?” he replied. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
She looked up at him, taking slow breaths.
“Why did you ask about him?”
Axel looked away.
“Like I said, I wasn’t sure that’s who he was,” he said. “I just wanted to confirm. It was stupid. Don’t worry about it, alright? I promise from now on, I won’t mention it.”
“But you had a reason for asking about him at all.”
Axel looked back at her.
“I told you… I was just confirming–”
“I know you, Axel if you just thought you had found out who he was… you wouldn’t have mentioned him to me,” Bell said, licking her lips and swallowing nervously. “There is a reason that you are asking me about him.”
Axel sighed.
“Axel… why did you tell me to reconsider asking Galen to come to Winter?” Bell asked. Her heart rate was picking up, and her breathing was also speeding up.
He moved immediately to sit beside her. Then, taking her hand in his, he gently rubbed her arms and shushed her softly.
“Calm down,” he whispered. “You can’t work yourself up.”
“Answer my questions,” she said between deep breaths.
“Bell, I really don’t think–”
“I guarantee you that the things I am assuming, fearing are worse than whatever the truth really is, so just fucking tell me!” she shouted angrily.
Axel’s eyes widened, and Bell gasped, surprised by her own outburst.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, looking away.
“It’s ok,” he said. “I won’t pretend to understand what you’re feeling… but I know it’s not easy. I wish I knew how to help.”
“Just tell me what’s going on,” she said.
“Peter said it wouldn’t be a good idea, I just mentioned his name, and you went pale and then passed out,” Axel argued.
“Axel, I haven’t heard his name in six years. It was a shock.”
Axel nodded, then sighed.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s not just you. Peter said that getting worked up could also put the baby at risk.”
“In the six years I have lived in Winter, you have never known his name, not from me or anyone else. Now all of a sudden, you know his name,” Bell said.
She swallowed and took a deep breath before continuing
“That is already something that makes the hair on my arms stand on end. But the fact that you know who he is to me, that you were able to put that together….”
She looked to the floor and chewed her lower lip. Then, taking another breath, she continued.
“That tells me that something has happened. And whatever it is, if that monster is involved, my baby is already at risk. So please… cut the silent build-up crap and just tell me.”
Axel took a moment to think about it, to really think about what she was saying. She was right, and he knew it. He was just afraid of how the truth would affect her.
“I told you that Alice basically traded herself for information on Ashleigh?” Axel asked.
Bell nodded.
“I haven’t heard from her since that day, not until yesterday,” he said. “She sent me a letter. In it, she mentioned you.”
Bell let out a shaky breath and nodded.
“Okay…”
“It was a very short letter, probably written in only a quick moment,” he said. “All she said was ‘Roman is looking for Bell, keep her safe’ nothing else.”
She felt a cold spread over her body at the words.
“He… he’s… he’s looking?” she whispered. “Then he already… he knows… oh Goddess….”
Tears fell from her eyes, her heart raced, and panic settled over her.
Axel quickly grabbed her and held her close.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s okay… I’m here.”
Bell wanted to run. She wanted to hide… but where could she even go? She was supposed to have been safe here. He was supposed to think she had died. If Roman knew she was alive, he would never let her go.
The carefully built dam that had held back all of the fear and anxiety from the past six years broke apart. The flood of emotions overwhelmed her, and she sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.