Okay here is the next chapter and don't worry i am still writitng the next one as we speak so it should be up hopefully soooooon, this chapter took a lot longer to write and it went a little differently that i expected so hopeyou ENJOY

Chapter 37

My steps are hesitant as I walk up to my mother's house, I can't even process the fact that it is my house yet. My hand falters as I reach for the doorknob, the school had to have called them, I mean that is what schools do when you just don't show up. A deep breath and a long pull on my eyelids later and I rotate the knob before forcing my feet forward.

The warm air washes over my face as I step inside and close the door behind me, she is sitting on the sofa watching some soap opera. Her gaze turns on me with a smile and I brace myself fro the blow.

It never comes.

"Hi, how was school, Bella?" She asks with a smile and it makes me want to cringe even more.

"It was great." I mumble with a finality to the conversation and start towards the stairs.

"Bella, I would like to have a word with you before you start on your homework." I stop mid-step and swivel around. "Come have a seat right here next to me."

I walk over to her and sit next to her. My mother's face looks stern and without much emotion, how can this not pull emotion out of her, hell I am barely holding it together. I don't think I would have held it together if I had to stay at school today and now I have to deal with her.

"Bella, I know you think that you are in love with that man, but you are just too young to really know what love is. I was your age once, yes I haven't forgotten no matter what you may think I am just trying to protect you. You are my little girl and I don't want you to throw your life away like I did. I had dreams once Bella…"

"Oh, dreams that didn't include me, your daughter. Mom, I don't want to fight with you, hell I don't even want to talk to you right now. I am not a little girl and I stopped being one awhile ago I am 17 years old not 7. You can't control me forever, I like having friends and I like feeling normal for a change. You may be able to make my life hell for another year, but if you think that will continue you are sadly mistaken. A few months ago before I moved here I was ready to let you run my life, but Edward showed me that there is more to life than just school and brief acquaintances."

"I understand what you are saying, Bella but I won't let you run amuck with these so called friends you have made all of which I think are several years older than you. It is just not natural for kids to have adult friends…what kind of men and women want to hang out with high school girls they must have something wrong with them is all I can say. As for your friends at school, you are welcome to invite any of them over for me to assess while you are grounded."

"Grounded?"

"Yes, grounded you will go to school and come home and that is it, any friends you have that go to your school are welcome to join you for studying or even to hang out on the weekend here. Furthermore, I don't want you hanging out with those older friends of Edward's while I am sure they are fine people I don't think it is healthy."

I roll my eyes at her; I knew this was coming even before she said any of it. She can't surprise me anymore. Just then the front door opens and Phil walks in.

"How was school, Bella?" He asks with a hint of sarcasm, crap does he know I wasn't there.

"Fine." I reply, "Though I don't appreciate being treated like an inmate while I am here." I say glaring at my mother.

"Bella, would you excuse us for a moment I want to talk to your mother about something." Hopefully he is still on my side, I censor my response and just nod and head upstairs.

I leave the room knowing full well I would be able to hear their conversation from by bedroom, the sound in this house sure carries.

"I thought we agreed to talk to her together." Phil sound like he is a little frustrated and annoyed by my mother's actions.

"I know, but you were supposed to be here before she got home, what took you?"

"Sorry…I just got caught up, but that is besides the point you can't just treat her like this it just isn't right. Edward isn't here now but he is coming back, do you really want her sneaking off to meet him?" Phil says in what I can only guess is a hushed whisper cause I have to strain to overhear.

"She won't have a chance in hell of doing that!"

"Really, don't be so sure of yourself…I guarantee that she can and she will have the opportunity to sneak off with him and I don't want to see the strain that that would put on not only her mental but also physical health."

"What do you mean exactly? What do you know that I don't?" Uh-oh I don't want her to know anything Phil might know. Please don't rat me out if you know I skipped school today. I close my eyes and wait for his response.

"Nothing that you wouldn't if you would just open your eyes…now I understand that you are angry and disappointed in the decisions that Bella has made but she does not deserve complete lockdown, you are not her warden, we are her parents."

"I don't want her sneaking off to go have sex with that…that Edward, it just isn't right."

"Come on, you need to relax while we discuss this." It is the last thing I hear before I hear the front door slam shut.

I flop back onto my bed wondering what exactly Phil wanted to discuss with my mother without me hearing. Is he gonna side with her and doesn't want me to know it? Damn, I wish he didn't know I could hear them. I take a deep breath and stare up at my ceiling looking at the cottage cheese texture with a complete loss of thought.

It may have only been 20 minutes or it could have been a few hours later when I hear the front door open once again. I tense against my bed and wait for the telltale signs that one of them is ascending the stairs. I hear it and relax as I hear the heavier footsteps of Phil against the hallway flooring.

"Bella, are you awake?" He asks quietly.

"Yeah, sorta…"I say with a yawn as he flips the light on in my room before leaning against the doorframe.

"Now I want the truth, I'm not your mother so do not lie to me." He says with more force than I have heard from him ever. "Where were you this afternoon?"

My mouth opens but nothing comes out as I try to recover from the flinch I experienced from his voice. "How'd you find out?" I mumble quietly.

"Do you forget that I was taking Edward to the airport this morning? His flight was delayed or you would have been in the clear when he received the phone call that you weren't in school. Don't worry they now have the correct phone numbers to call if you decide to skip out again and trust me when I say I will find you and drag you back to the building myself." I flinch again under the weight of his voice, no one has ever talked to me like this before let alone Phil. "So I repeat for the last time where were you?"

"I was at the beach with a friend, I just couldn't stay there everyone was staring at me."

"I told the school you were sick, but do not make the mistake of thinking that this will be something I will do again. Now, I've talked with your mother and we both agree that for the time being what she has said will stand at least for 2 weeks. You are grounded. After those two weeks you will be allowed to come and go as you please within reason, but you will not be allowed to contact Edward or any of his friends. Your mother is adamant about you not seeing them or talking with them, I'm sorry but that is just how it is. I don't want to trying to get a hold of Edward through any means at least for now." Shock washes over me…he wasn't on my side after all. I suck in a deep breath but I forget to exhale until my chest starts to hurt and tear threaten on the rims of my eyes. Defeat washes over me and my lower lip starts to tremble as I turn away from Phil and curl up onto my bed.

"Bella," I hear him plead as the silent tears start to drop onto my pillow. I pull my knees up to my chest as I hear him close the door quietly behind him leaving me to my misery.

How could he give in to her? How could he just let this happen when he knew about us from the beginning? My mothers claws must have tore him open. There is just no other reason for him to sentence me to this state of living hell.