A/N: Thanks again to KiwiCantDance, the best beta a girl could have . Thanks also to Terry Tarhop, BlondieAKARobin, and everyone else who voted for me in the Twilight Awards! If you haven't yet, vote for this story in the categories of Angst/Drama and Post-BD. The link is in my profile. It'll say Acceptance by PeaceLoveTwilight, NOT CedwardPattinsonian because I have a different penname on . Thanks!

Chapter 11: Suspicions and Secrets

It was decided; I would be taking a vacation to "ease my mind". Then maybe I wouldn't think of him, my mind could just drift, drift into indifference. Maybe, just maybe.

"Somewhere warm—" Jacob mused.

"But not too warm," I interrupted.

He gave a sad little chuckle and said thoughtfully, "Of course."

I glanced at him. He was slumped in his seat, his eyes half closed. I knew my "condition" was taking its toll on him. Or rather, I was taking my toll on him. I couldn't deny anymore that it was solely my fault, I was acting as a burden to them both and they didn't deserve that. No one deserves that.

"Jake," I said suddenly. He looked at me from under his eyelashes. "I'm leaving today."

This sparked his attention. "So soon?" I noticed the surprise—and was that suspicion?—in his tone of voice.

"Yes, I'll pack up and leave. You won't have any more trouble from me," I promised solemnly.

"Okay," he spoke slowly, "Where to?"

I hadn't thought about that yet. "Uh—Argentina?" I named a place Rose had recommended for hunting in her last letter. The temperature seemed very comfortable too, perfect for relaxing.

Jacob frowned. But after a moment of seeing how cheered I had become, he brightened up and let excitement drip into his voice, "Sure, I'll book you a flight to Buenos Aires!"

I grinned, "Thanks, Jake! You're really the best, y'know? I'm feeling better already!"

He laughed, "Sure, sure." Then he began to dial up the airline.

I leaped up the stairs to tell Renesmee. I wasn't going to leave without a goodbye again, however short a trip this could be. Her door was closed. I was about to knock when I heard her speaking in hushed whispers to someone unfamiliar. I shouldn't have eavesdropped, but I heard her say "my mother", and my curiosity got the best of me.

"Yeah, she's going crazy. She really needs some help." She was pleading with someone. Who would she be confiding in? As far as I knew, her closest friend was Jacob. She didn't talk of anyone else that often. Of course, she was the most beautiful girl in school and the nicest, too, so both the girls and boys flocked to her in droves. But she never really connected with them. She had always told me it was 'weird' or 'awkward' for her.

"Oh, would you? You would do that for me? Thanks—"

I opened the door, not wanting to hear more. She stared at me guiltily. "Uh, gotta go," she said quickly into her cell phone before she flipped it shut and set it down on her desk.

"What is it, Mom?" she asked brightly, feigning innocence.

I sighed, "Sweetie—is it nosy of me to ask whom you were talking to?"

Renesmee fidgeted in her swivel chair. "Not at all, Mom. I was talking to Leah. She's—real easy to talk to about things, you know?"

I relaxed. "Girl talk, huh? That's nice that you and Leah can connect like that, I didn't even know you two were that close."

She smiled. "Yeah. Leah's one of my best friends." Then she changed the subject. "What did you come up to tell me, Mom?"

"Oh, uh—I'm leaving. Just for a short time! But leaving all the same," I told her ruefully, the last part anyway.

I saw no traces of real shock on her face. She seemed...glad. Not mad or sad, Renesmee was all about 'Get Glad!' at the moment. Her voice expressed what was written all over her face: "Well, that's great, Mom! You'll have a chance to recover."

My eyes widened slightly as she said this to me. It hurt, a bit, to hear that she wanted me gone, but I reminded myself that she meant well.

"Yep," I replied in the same tone she had just used.

Her phone vibrated, and after reading a text message, she began to type what I presumed was a reply, humming quietly to herself as she did so.

"Who're you texting?" I inquired.

She looked up, flushed. "Uh, just L-Leah," she stammered, and then looked down again intently.

I raised my eyebrows. It seemed awfully suspicious to me. I rarely saw her texting or talking to anyone on the phone. What had struck this sudden friendship between my daughter and Leah? I thought hard.

As I was leaving the room, in the corner of my eye I noticed Renesmee looking up at me quickly. It was then I finally realized she wasn't texting Leah at all. She was hiding something from me. Someone.