Thanks be to Ms. EBT.
"She did what she needed to for herself, and I have to let her do that. I have to respect that she needs space, no matter how much I want... You know how Bella is. You can't force her to do something."
I nod automatically.
"You could show up there tonight, tomorrow, or next week, and she'd slam the door in your face."
Without thinking about it, I smile at the memory going through my head.
"You remember that time Mike tried forcing her to be his partner in History?"
"Yeah," you chuckle. "He didn't leave her alone for two days, and she stuffed him in his locker."
We laugh a little before it drifts off.
"I sometimes forget how tough she can be," you say.
You rub your eye a little, and that's when it dawns on me.
"Bella's the one who punched you?"