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Chapter 14

"Hello?"

I nearly collapsed on to Valentina's bedroom floor.

My mom's voice sounded like everything I had been missing these past few weeks (Maybe even months): comfort, stability, unconditional love, hope. God, I missed her so much. And the pain hit me all at once and without mercy.

"Hello?"

I leaned against the bedpost. But deciding that it was creepy having Valentina sleep behind me, and possibly listen to my conversation (At least it was better than having Alek walk into his room and finding me crying like a baby), I turned around and leaned against the closed bedroom door.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Uh-" I said in a panic, hoping she wouldn't hang up. "Hi! Hello! Hi!"

Stupid, stupid, stupid, I berated myself. You have been missing for like a week and the only thing you can say is "hi"? Way to go daughter of the year.

"Wait," my mom replied in a whisper.

My heart stopped.

I knew it. I knew she would hate me. I knew she would want to basically kill me for what I have done to her. And what if she found out the real reason as to why I hadn't been home? God, I was so stupid to ever think that I could tell her the truth and still be her daughter! She hates me. She never wants to see me again. Now that she knows it's me she's going to hang up and-

"C-Chloe? Chloe- is that you?"

My heart jump-started.

I felt it beating in my chest like it might break my bones, rip through my muscles, and make a run for it.

"Hi," I said meekly instead of running. I held my eyes shut tight, still anticipating her to disown me.

"Chloe!"

"Mom-," I began, desperate to explain myself. I wanted to tell her so badly. I wanted her to know everything.

Her voice- MY MOM'S VOICE- sounded amazing to me. No, not amazing, perfect! My heart melted. The shadows that had been following me were slowly disintegrating beneath her power. She didn't sound angry. My mom didn't sound like she was going to disown me!

"Why would you skip school? Run away? NOT call me? Chloe I have been so worried about you I thought-"

But she couldn't tell me what she thought because the emotion was just too much.

"I know," I said like a lame teenager.

I took a deep breath. My shoulder blades pushed roughly into the door. "I know. And I am so, so sorry mom."

"You should be- but oh god Chloe when Amy and Paul came over, I was so sure you had gotten into drugs or a gang or gotten pregnant and you were just too ashamed to come home! But-" Her mom paused. "You aren't any of those things? Are you?"

I hadn't realized I was holding my deep breath until then. Slowly, I let it out as the idea that my mom still thought I was a normal, human girl.

"No mom I-"

"-Cause Chloe, baby, if something like that ever happens sure be afraid of my motherly wrath but still come to me so I can help you. You can tell me anything Chloe. I hope you know that."

My insides turned. I could tell her right now. Just go ahead Chloe, let your mom know that you are some impossibly real creature never heard of before in your human world!

"Mom I am-" a cold sweat broke over me. Do it. Do it! DO IT! A voice screamed in the back of my mind. Take the chance, don't be a coward, she's your mom for crying out loud! JUST TELL HER NOW and get it over with dummy.

I shoved tears back with a heavy gulp. If only I could, I thought helplessly. The voice in my mind shivered like an excruciatingly hot flame. But I just couldn't. The words crawled back down my throat instead of out of my mouth. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"-I am sure I can tell you anything," I finally lie. "I just got scared. I didn't want to drag you into this and hurt you. One thing after another and then I found that I had dug myself in to a hole." Well, at least part of that was true.

"Chloe, tell me where you are, I am coming to get you." Mom's no-nonsense-tone. Funny. That used to scare me into submission. But now that her life was on the line, I had to defy her once again. I was so tired of fighting.

"Listen, I am really, truly sorry-" I started desperately.

"Chloe Marie King, I swear to God I will not take anymore aversion from you. You are coming home right now. This is insane!"

"But mom just listen-"

"Chloe," my heart clenched at the sudden tiredness in her words. "At this point, I will listen to your story when you are safely in my arms and both of us are sobbing like babies about this whole endeavor. Please . . . Just come home."

I stared down at my bare feet. I hadn't realized it until then, but I had been picking at a forgotten piece of shattered glass with my toes. My pinky toe was painting the wood floor light red. There I go again with the-getting-my-blood-on-the-floor-thing. Weird I had been so caught up in the phone to not notice the paper cut like sting.

I took a deep breath. I had let this conversation go too far. I had only one option now. Taking in a shuttering breath, I wiped away the oncoming tears and said, "I love you. I will be home as soon as I can-"

"Don- don't Chloe! Wait-"

"-Or maybe I will just stay out of your hair so you don't have to feel such pain again-"

"What are you say-"

"Mmayb-bee go find your-your self," the tears were coming strong now, "A lovelovelovely guy who will love ove you better than I cou-could ever. I wish the best for youuuuu. I just- I just can't keep lying to you mommy. I am so tired. So- so incredibly tired of this all." The dam cracked in uneven halves. The glue flaked away like ashes that rain down after a ginormous fire. I couldn't stop the flow of tears. It was like a tsunami had come to flood the penthouse. I couldn't handle it anymore. I let my back limply slide down the door. My butt plopped to the ground with a mercilessly jolt. The phone slipped out of my hands with a sickening crack. My vision was completely blurred. My chest was too tight. My stomach was clenched. My mind was a landfill of confused emotions.

I sat there and cried. And heaved. And cried for god knows how long. Seconds, minutes, hours, I didn't care. I couldn't care.

All I could do was cry.