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Chapter Thirteen

"Look who's home," Riley said, not bothering to look up from his video game as I walked through the door "You should sit down. We need to talk."

"I'll stand, thanks."

Riley frowned, pausing his game. "Let's start with where you were last night."

I laughed. "Oh, now you're interested in where I was."

He sighed, obviously not in the mood for my sarcasm. "When was I not interested?"

"You didn't come after me when I left the restaurant. You didn't call me. You didn't even get worried that I never came home." I tried to keep calm but my tone was betraying me.

"You're my fiancée. I didn't think I was supposed to chase you around."

There was nothing that I could say to that. I figured saying apparently, you thought wrong wouldn't go over so well.

"So you aren't going to tell me where you were?"

"I don't think it really matters right now."

"When will it matter?" Riley asked. I looked away. "Rosalie told me about your fight."

Fucking whore. "And?"

He ran a hand over his chin and said, "Should I be worried that you ended your friendship with Rosalie over Edward?" Too much poison was coating his words. Edward's name didn't sound right coming from Riley.

"No." I rolled my eyes. "What Rosalie did was wrong. How am I supposed to trust her after lying to me? It was unfair," I added with a nod.

"How am I supposed to trust you when you lie to me about him?"

"When did I lie to you about him?" I asked. Avoiding his eyes was easier than I thought it would be.

"I asked you after our engagement dinner if I should be worried and you said he was just Edward. Now, all of a sudden, it's just Edward who you secretly have lunch with."

Rosalie needs to keep her goddamn mouth shut. I hope, for her sake, that I don't ever see her again.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't be suspicious."

"Suspicious? I think it's suspicious that you're taking Rosalie's side. I think it's suspicious that you let your mother speak to me like...like I'm beneath her!" Wow. It felt good to say all of this out loud. I think I felt as surprised as Riley looked. "I think it's fucking shitty that you expect so much from me, yet you don't give anything in return."

Riley stood. "Don't you think all of this is your fault?"

"My fault?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. You've apparently felt this way for a while, yet you said nothing to me."

"Well, I-"

"Communication is key, Bella. If you've been walking around here feeling unappreciated, you should have spoken up."

"Yeah. You're right. This is all my fault."

"Were you with Edward last night?" Riley asked, his tone soft and eyes focusing on the ground.

"Nothing happened. We just...hung out," I explained.

"So, lunch, hanging out at night." Riley made a list. "Were you really working late Friday?" When I avoided his eyes, he knew he had his answer. "What do you expect me to do about this?"

"Nothing. I expect nothing." The same words I had spoken to Edward just a couple of days ago.

"You can't see him anymore," Riley ordered. "There's just no way I'm going to let that happen."

"I really don't think that's up to you."

"No? You're making a huge mistake," he warned, sending a chill down my spine.

We'll see about that. I stormed into the bedroom and reached under the bed for my suitcase.

"Where do you think you're going?" Riley snapped.

"I can't be around you right now," I admitted as I stepped around him to stand in front of the closet.

Staring at all of my expensive, sleek, designer clothes, I gagged. Just a little.

This isn't who I used to be. I didn't used to care about shit like this.

I opened the very bottom dresser drawer and pulled out two pairs of old jeans, then grabbed a handful of t-shirts from my pajama drawer.

"What are you doing?" Riley questioned. As if packing only jeans and t-shirts was simply unfathomable.

"I'm leaving," I explained slowly.

"And where exactly do you think you're going?"

I had no idea. And the little fact of not knowing my next move made me happier than I had been in a long time.

A/N: Do you think Bella is being a little hasty? Anyone agree with Riley? Thanks for reading!