His | Mine | Ours

Chapter 16 - Life Goes On

It was early Wednesday morning and the sound of my alarm blared through my ears repeatedly. I lie in my bed, somehow tuning out the noise. It was oddly chilly in my room and I hugged my blanket. Ten minutes later, I finally grew tired of the annoying alarm and shut it off. Afterwards, my room was replaced with silence.

I sluggishly move onto my back, staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever. I eventually made my way out of bed and dragged myself to the bathroom.

I really didn't want to go to school today, but I needed to. I'm nearing the end of my junior year and can't afford to allow something as petty as attendance keep me from passing on to the next grade. Also, finals will be here soon and how I perform is very important if I want to get into a good college. It's a good thing I already took my ACT and SAT before I got here. It would have been a drag if I hadn't.

After cleaning up, I got dressed and took a seat at my desk. I wasn't planning on cooking this morning so I had a bit of time on my hands. I logged on to my computer and began checking my securities. I frowned a little at what I saw. The stock market didn't seem to be doing so well. Once I ran an analysis on the stocks with software I just created, I brought and sold accordingly before going into the dark web and checking the hacker forum I often visited. I raised an eyebrow at what I saw.

Cryptocurrency, huh? It was my first time hearing about it. I sent a message to the group before logging off my computer. After shutting it down, I got up and gathered the tutoring material I prepared for Emmett and Rosalie. I haven't been to the Cullen house since Friday so I've already missed 2 sessions. I felt a little bad about it. I didn't like neglecting my commitments.

After grabbing my things, I went to check on my grandmother. She was in the dining room, sitting at the table with a book in her head. She had music playing as usual and was drinking a cup of coffee. When she heard me coming, she looked up from her book and turned toward me.

"Good morning, grandma." I said with a small smile.

"Morning, sweetheart." she replied softly, accepting my kiss on the cheek.

"I'll be grabbing something quick and heading to school." I said, opening the refrigerator. "If you need anything, give me a call and I'll come back, okay?"

".....Alright." she replied.

After grabbing an apple and some yogurt, I went to the table and took a seat. The room was silent, but it didn't hold the contentment I was used to. The air carried solemnity and sadness. Seeing my grandmother so down, I felt my heart ache for her. I put my spoon down and reached across the table to grab her hand. She looked at me.

"I miss him to, grandma." I said softly. "I may not have known him long, but Waylon was like an uncle to me. I just wish I could've done more for him. He did so much to help us."

My grandmother didn't say anything. She just squeezed my hand. With a sad smile, I brushed over her knuckles with my thumb. I eventually released her hand and continued eating. I may not be able to cheer her up, but I can let her know that I was there for her.

"Iris?" she called out, catching my attention.

I looked up and saw her looking at me with watery eyes. There was a pang in my heart at the sight of her pitiful look.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Don't leave me." she begged.

I was shocked before my gazed softened. I stood up and walked over to her. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. I closed my eyes and rubbed her back in a comforting way. A few tears rolled down my cheeks and I held her tightly. Of course, I wouldn't. I just realized how similar we were in our loneliness. There was no one else to count on but each other.