Chapter 10

Bella POV

The sound of my mom dropping something in the kitchen wakes me up the next morning. And I'm partially thankful 'cause I have no idea where my phone is or if I'd turned my alarm on.

I climb out of bed with a groan.

Next to me, Angela doesn't stir. But I can't blame her. After the weekend she's had, I'm sure she's exhausted.

Even I feel like I've aged a year in the past couple of days.

Tiptoeing over the cold tile floor and to the other side of the house, I find my mom standing by the kitchen sink. She's bracing herself against the counter, arms stretched out and back hunched over, like the weight of the world is on her shoulders and she's seconds away from buckling under the pressure.

"Hey, Mom."

"You were out like a light when I got in last night," she says, without turning around.

"Yeah, I didn't even hear you come in."

I don't bother asking her what time she finished work, and I'm glad she returns the favor by not pressing me about how soon after she spoke to us did me and Angela actually get home.

She turns and stares at me for what might only be a few seconds, but it feels like time drags on forever. Her light brown eyes search mine before she tilts her head to the side. "Rough night?"

With a shrug, I take a few steps over to lean against the fridge, needing the support. "Something like that."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

I'm not sure what she sees when she looks at me, but I have to take in a deep breath to stop myself from falling apart. There are too many things that I don't want to repeat, too many things that will become real, and I'll have to deal with the minute I say them out loud.

"Do the puffy eyes have anything to do with you running into Jacob Black?" her voice is soft, worried, and not at all accusatory.

But still

"What the heck?" How could she know about that?

"I spoke to Angela not long after I got in." She answers my silent question, but I scowl at the response. Angela has some nerve running and telling my mom that. "Fix your face," my mother warns. "She was worried about you. Said you had a long day of looking for her and then running into Jake."

"And his mom," I add, sighing, truly not sure which encounter left me reeling the most.

"She didn't tell me that part."

I shrug again.

After I got in and nearly collapsed in a fit of tears, neither Angela nor I bothered to rehash our day. She'd asked me if I was okay, and what Jacob wanted, but all I could muster up was that I would tell her all about it later. I did not get into how we ran into his mother or anything that he said to me about Jared, the other girls, or Jess.

"Angela asked me if it would be okay if you girls stayed home from school today. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm too drained to go, but that I don't want to miss reviews for finals."

Had that not been the case, I probably wouldn't have bothered crawling out of bed. But we only have a couple of weeks left in the year—I can push through until the summer.

She nods, pouring herself some coffee. "I'm sure you can get that information from a classmate."

I could, but I don't want to. "I'd rather not."

"Either way," my mom continues. "I told Angela that I can't force her to go, but I'm not her guardian, so it's also not my place to give her permission to skip."

Fair enough.

"She needs to call her parents when she wakes up, though. And I'm counting on you to make sure that happens."

"But mom ..."

"That part is not up for debate." She says with finality, pouring me a cup of coffee as well.

"Thanks," I mutter.

It's then that I glance at my mother and realize she's dressed in hospital scrubs. It throws me off for a bit because normally if she's scheduled to work, she's gone by the time I get up.

"I have some house calls to make in Cape Angeles today." She answers me eyeing her outfit.

"Oh." I nod, understanding now. "When are you coming back?"

Cape Angeles is over an hour away from Forks. And whenever my mother does her private nursing gigs out there, she normally makes an overnight trip out of it. Sometimes she even stays a couple of days to 'justify the drive' as she likes to say.

"I don't know what time I'll be back, but I will be back tonight."

I nod, understanding. She hasn't completely verbalized it quite yet, but there's an essence in the air that tells me I'm about to be on lockdown for a little bit. I didn't technically do anything wrong—anything to be in trouble for at least—but my best friend getting kicked out of her house is bound to cause a ripple effect.

"If you decide to stay home today, I want you to let me know so that I can call the school. And if you do go in, I want you to come home right away and call me when you get in."

"Yes, ma'am." I nod. There are a million ways around this, but it's hardly ever worth the fight anymore. "I'm probably going."

"I figured as much. Do you need a ride?"

I purse my lips, realizing I hadn't thought that far. There's no way I'm calling Jessica. And since my mom is doing home visits, it's not like I can use her car. Still, I don't really want her dropping me off me either.

Not only does she work at the hospital, and does house calls out of town, but from time to time she works as a nurse at the free clinic in town which means she knows half of the kids in my school who are coming in for free pregnancy tests and STD checks.

For them, seeing her outside of the clinic is kind of like when I run into a teacher at the grocery store or something—it just doesn't feel normal. And it's taken me a long time to get everyone to believe me when I tell them that she does not and cannot tell me anything about them, even if she wanted to.

I don't feel like dealing with any looks of doubt today at a visual reminder of who my mother is.

"Thanks, Mom, but we'll figure it out."

"How did you guys get home yesterday? I called Jessica when I couldn't get a hold of you and she said she wasn't with you."

I purse my lips, kinda pissed. I know we hadn't talked about it beforehand, but would it have killed her to cover for me?

"Jessica's not the only friend we have with a car, Mom." I do everything to deflect. I'm also not sure what Angela has already told her, so until we can compare notes, it's best I'm as vague as possible.

She hums, but thankfully lets it go. "Is she coming to pick you up from school today?"

I highly doubt it. I think to myself. "Her and Angela are kinda fighting and I'm not sure if she wants Jess to know she's staying here."

Actually, I doubt Angela gives a shit about Jess knowing where she is, but it sounded like an answer that made sense to tell my mom. Because the truth is, I don't want to see her, either.

"Good morning!" Angela's voice sounds from behind us, and as I turn to face her, I'm shocked to see that in the time I've been here talking to my mom, she's already gotten dressed and ready.

She's wearing less makeup than she normally does since I'm a little paler than she is, and with her being taller than me as well, my would-be long-sleeved shirt doesn't quite reach the tip of Angela's fingers. But the fact that it fits in general when she wouldn't have been able to months ago, makes me frown.

.

.

Angela walks right past me and to my mom, pulling her into a hug that seems to surprise us both.

"Thank you, Mrs. Swan," Angela says.

Their interaction causes a small pinch in my heart I can't quite explain.

"No problem." My mother practically beams under her gratitude and affection. "And no more running away, okay? Next time, you come straight here. You're welcome here anytime."

"Yes ma'am."

My eyebrows rise to my hairline. Running away? Did she mean that as a figure of speech? I thought Angela got kicked out.

A honk outside pulls all three of our focuses on the kitchen window which faces the driveway.

Angela leans around my mother to pull the curtain aside and peer out. "That's Peter. He agreed to give us a ride to school today."

"Does he honk like that at your parents' house?" My mom asks, with a hand on Angela's shoulder to stop her from walking forward.

"No, ma'am." Angela grimaces as she pulls out her phone and her thumbs tap at the screen.

"Then he will not be honking for you or my daughter at this house, either. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Speaking of, I dart up from my chair, startling them both. I've completely lost track of time. "I have to get ready!"

I rush to my room to grab my things, then head into the bathroom, just in time to hear the doorbell ring and two distinct male voices sheepishly saying good morning to my mother.

Thanks for reading!