AN: I apologize for the short chapter. I originally wrote this as a part of the previous chapter, so it is from Bella's point of view. But then I decided it should be a separate part, so that explains why it's short. Don't worry, the next one should be up soon to make up for it :)
Chapter 25: Here and now
Once I get home, I turn a switch in my head.
The old Bella, the one from a year ago, before therapy, would have broken down at this moment. She would be right back where she started, a complete mess.
But I'm stronger now. I have my eyes open and I don't immediately put all the blame on myself. I see now that my mother is a pathetic human being, too weak to even save herself, and my father is so wrapped up in his own world, where he is powerful and always right.
It's their fault, not mine. And I have put my life on hold for far too long.
Jacob looks at me with a worried expression, as if he's waiting for the final blow, for the crash that is surely to come.
But it never does.
Instead, I join him to work the next day and walk up to Peter's office after kissing Jacob goodbye.
Peter is very much surprised to see me.
"Bella," he beams, "what brings you here?"
"I wanted to know if the offer still stands, to finish my internship as soon as I'm feeling better."
"Of course!" he says, "the season is nearing the end, but there is plenty of work left to finish. The team will be ecstatic to have you back. Well, they are ecstatic anyway, now we're on top of the ranking again, but they'd still like you to join the festivities. So that means you're back?"
I chuckle when I hear him ramble and walk up to him behind his desk.
Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his shoulders, something I never really did when we were still "seeing" each other.
"Thank you, Peter," I say into his shoulder.
"It's no problem," he replies shyly, "I always said you would be welcome here."
I let go and look up into his face.
"Not just for that. For everything. Everything you've done for me."
"That, um…" he suddenly looks very embarrassed. "Please, don't act like I'm a saint, because I wasn't."
"Nobody is, Peter. But you were the only one to not give up on me when I was in the darkest of places. Right when I met you, I had literally nobody who cared. And then you started believing in me. I will be forever grateful and never forget that."
He smiles at me. "I always knew there was more to you than the broken girl you thought you were."
"Exactly," I smile back. "And I hope you'll find a sweet lady to believe in you as well."
At this he starts blushing, "well, um, I sort of am dating someone right now."
"That's great!" I shout.
"It's still early," he says, "I first had to make sure she wasn't in this for the money, or the fame."
It's true, now the team is running high, Peter has become somewhat of a celebrity. As well as the players. I can't walk around with Jacob in this city without being recognized everywhere. Out of nowhere, men walk up to us to congratulate him on his latest game, and girls eye me with envy.
But I don't mind now. I no longer think that Jacob would be better off with either one of them, no matter how pretty or stable they are.
In the next few days, I work my ass off and I like how the atmosphere in the team is rubbing off on me. So much that I don't even break down when a week later, the expected email arrives from Jacob's mother.
My father died...
I'm not sure how to feel about this, so I store it away in the back of my head, in a place I might visit in the future but do not care to dwell on right now.
Jacob pays a lot of money to hire a company that will arrange the funeral, something we don't believe my mother is up for.
After a long debate, I decide not to go.
Maybe some day, when I am ready to give a proper goodbye, I might visit his grave, but right now, I don't want to go back. I have nothing to say to either him or my mother.
They are part of my past now, and for the first time, I'm living in the here and now.
AN: The miracles therapy have done for her... Do you think the blow is yet to come now he's dead?