Belle's POV
"Run!"
My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I turned and bolted down the hallway, away from the bedroom, away from the sight that would be burned into my mind forever.
Noah. My Noah. In bed with Talia. My best friend.
The flowers scattered behind me as I ran. The gift I'd bought with my last twenty dollars lay forgotten on the floor. None of it mattered now. Nothing mattered now.
"Belle, wait!" Noah's voice echoed behind me, but I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop.
My hands shook as I fumbled for my phone. The screen was blurry through my tears, but I managed to find the number I hadn't called in four years.
Dad.
The phone rang once. Twice. Please answer, I thought desperately. Please.
"Belle?" His voice was shocked. "Sweetheart, is that you?"
I broke down completely. Four years of acting to be strong, four years of working myself to death, four years of believing in love that was all a lie. It all came crashing down at once.
