A tear rolled down my cheek as I stared at my dull reflection in the mirror, clenching and unclenching my fists to keep myself from breaking.

I can't do this.

I slid down against my bathroom door as pools of tears started running down my cheeks and I hugged my knees against my chest, crying hysterically.

Why did it have to happen to me?

Wasn't I broken enough already? Hadn't I lost so much in my life already? There was only so much a heart could take and right at this moment, when I saw my eyes, the exact same ones papa had, I knew that mine was broken beyond repair.

I screamed in sheer agony as I realised that the only person who loved me to a point where he would lay down his own life for me had gone forever and now I was alone.

Utterly alone.

When I lost my mother, it took a lot of time for papa and I to get back to normal but we knew that even in that, we were there for each other. We were in it together and that was what kept me going. I knew he was there, always.

But now he wasn't and he would never be.

His dream to walk me down the aisle would never come true and I would have to live this pathetic excuse of a life with his absence and the immense pain his memories brought me.

Suddenly the door burst open and Zach was standing there, with a concerned and horrified expression on his face.

"Oh Belle," he said and came to sit down beside me. Hugging me and brushing the tears away from my face, he said sweet nothings into my ear and I cried in his chest.

The only person who knew that I would break without papa was Zach and he knew that no matter what, I wouldn't be able to carry on with my life with his huge hole in my heart.

Zach lifted me up from the floor and walked over to the bed as I kept crying into his chest.

"Why me Zach. I can't," I cried in his chest and he held me close and rested his head atop mine.

"It'll get better. I promise," he said and I closed my eyes and let the tears flow until the darkness of a deep slumber swallowed me whole.

********************

The next five days went by painfully slow and all this time, each and every second I couldn't think of anything other than how was I going to continue living.

I was utterly grateful for Zach who hadn't left my side even for one second. Every now and then he'd put on a movie or he'd simply read a good novel to me until I fell asleep resting my head in his lap.

I rubbed my eyes and smiled as Zach entered the room with a coffee mug in his hands,

"Oh goodie, you're awake. I was starting to think you died."

I rolled my eyes and took the mug from his hands before relaxing back on the bed and sipping the heavenly coffee he made me.

"Zach....you can leave me now. I'm fine. I know you have tons of work to do and I completely understand that. You don't have to stay and babysit me like this all the time," I softly said to him and he looked at me with an expression that said 'oh, fuck off'.

"So now I'm not even allowed to grieve? Good lord, what has this world come to," he said shaking his head and a smile crept up on my lips, Zach always knew what to do or say.

"You wanna go to the mall or maybe grab some groceries with me today?" Zach asked and I shook my head no.

"I don't think so.." I said and he rolled his eyes but didn't press it further.

Since these last few days, all I've wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry or just simply stare at nothing thinking about how unpredictable life is. Zach understood but I knew sometimes it annoyed him when I refused to go even for a walk and sulk in self misery all day.

Later that day, we were sitting on the couch and I had my head on Zach's shoulder as we watched The Notebook for the trillionth time. We heard a knock on the door and I told Zach to take it and if it was someone asking for me then to tell them that I was busy or that I died this morning and they couldn't reach me.

I laid down on the couch and waited for Zach to come back but much to my dismay, instead of one set of footsteps, I heard two and I inwardly groaned when I realised that Zach had brought whoever was at the door in.

"Belle, look who's here," Zach said and I took a deep breath and sat up straight but what I saw was something I wasn't expecting at all.

Mr. Rhodes was standing there with hands tucked in his pockets and a warm expression on his face.

Great. Now I really wanted to be dead.

"Hey....I just wanted to check up on you," he said and my heart filled with this unknown emotion that I wasn't able to place.

"Yeah....please have a seat," I said and moved to the farthest corner of the couch to make enough space for him to sit.

"Alright then. Ace, take care of my girl, I'll be back in a short while. Gotta do the groceries and stuff," Zach said to Ace.

"Sure man, I got it," Mr. Rhodes said to Zach and I just sat there completely flabbergasted as to what in the world was happening here and since when did Mr. Rhodes and Zach become pals.

Zach slipped in his jacket and left but not before winking at me and leaving a rather confused me behind.

"So how have you been holding up?" Mr. Rhodes turned my way and asked.

"Good....it's been hard but I'm coping, I guess....." I trailed off, not sure what to say and how to respond when his mere presence made my heart do somersaults.

"Mhmhm," he hummed and kept staring at me and I fidgeted with my fingers, getting nervous each passing second.

I still hadn't gotten over the fact and Mr. Rhodes and I slept in the same bed. Like not even in a thousand years would I have thought to get condoled by him, but what he did in the first two days of papa's death was something I'd be thankful for my whole life.

He was still staring at me with so much intensity that if I didn't know better I'd say I was seeing passion and adoration in those eyes of his.

"I'll make you something to drink," I said and stood up from the couch rather reluctantly.

As I made my way towards the kitchen, I heard him following close behind and I closed my eyes and tried to keep my nervousness at bay.

"Tea or coffee?" I asked.

"You already know," he said and leaned against the doorframe as I tried not to ogle at his sexy self.

"Coffee it is," I said to myself and started making the coffee hoping for myself to get distracted by it and not think of the way Mr. Rhodes was shamelessly staring at my back.

"You know, I've missed your coffee," he told me and I felt him getting closer as I tightly clutched the island's edge in my hand to try not to pass out.

"Yeah?" I mustered up the best casual response but I knew I was sounding like a dying seal.

The next thing I knew was that Mr. Rhodes was standing so close to me that I could feel his breath fanning the back of my neck and I tried not to shiver under the power and dominance he radiated.

He placed both of his hands on the island on either sides of me, caging me between him and the island. I could feel his face getting closer to my neck. My breath came out in short gasps as he whispered,

"It's kind of hard not to."

What the hell was happening down there?!

My emotions went overdrive and right in that moment, all I could think of was to turn around, lean up and feel his lips against mine.

Mr. Rhodes ever so gently placed my hair on one side of my neck and rested his head on my shoulder. I unintentionally leaned into him and boy did he smell so good. I was having a hard time trying not to sniff him like the creep I was.

"I've missed you, princess," he whispered right in my ear and such a strong shiver ran down my body that my knees completely gave up and I couldn't stand and as a result held onto his arm for support.

He pressed his lips on my cheek, kissing me slowly and teasingly like he had all the time in the world. His kisses went down to my neck and he left a trail of feather kisses all over my neck and my shoulder.

A moan escaped my lip when he softly sucked on a sensitive spot right below my ear. I felt him groan against my skin when I couldn't keep the stupid noise to myself.

"You're driving me crazy..." he whispered huskily right into my ear.

Tell me about it.

"I want to take you so bad, Isabelle. Here, do you feel me?" he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled my back into him and a blush crept up my cheek when I realised what he was talking about.

Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking at the front door caught us both off guard and Mr. Rhodes groaned and stepped back from me while adjusting his pants and I on the other hand, quickly threw all my hair on my face to hide the redness in my cheeks.

Without saying another word, I made my way out of the kitchen and towards the door. I didn't know whether I was to thank this person for stopping us before we took it too far or to kill whoever it was for ruining such a perfect moment.

I opened the door and saw my neighbor's six year old little girl standing there with a basket in her hands.

"Hey Livy," I said to the girl and sat down in front of her to be on eye level with her.

"Hiiii Belle. Look I brought you cookies 'cause mommy said you were sad,"she held out the basket for me and I smiled and took it from her hands.

"Aw thank you, my love. That's so kind of you!" I kissed her cheek and she giggled.

"Who is that?" she asked as her eyes found something behind me and I looked back and saw Mr. Rhodes leaning against the doorframe, staring at us.

"That is my friend," I said and brought her in as she held onto my pinky finger.

"Ohhh. Hi friend!" she brightly said to Mr. Rhodes and I couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable she looked.

"Well hello there, little one," he replied and sat down in front of her.

Livy got real cozy with Mr. Rhodes in no time and I left them in the living room and went to the kitchen to make coffee for Mr. Rhodes.

When I came back, I saw Mr. Rhodes sitting on the couch with Livy beside him.

"So she's a princess then?" Livy asked Mr. Rhodes with eyes filled with curiosity.

Mr. Rhodes saw me standing in the doorway and he looked straight into my eyes and said,

"Yes, she's my princess."

********************

❤