𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐱 | 𝐚. 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 & 𝐣. 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞

twenty-three | trust

A/N: *bows head* don't attack when u read this first line, okay? all of u who hoped for something bc of the last chapter.... 🙇🙇🙇

The next day was filled with Fork's usual fog that came after rain. It blocked the sun and made the residents of Forks all feel a little drowsy, especially Persephone. She got little sleep the night before, having spent it in the living room with her partners asking questions about their kind. She was curious to learn more to be able to understand them better, and they were happy to oblige.

Now, as she sat in her first period class with Bella's eyes piercing into her back, she feels a little guilty. She hadn't called the girl the night before to let her know how everything went, and figured she was probably extremely confused by Persephone walking into the school hand in hand with the two newly discovered vampires.

She turned and sent Bella what she hoped was a reassuring smile, only to be met by a confused stare. She silently turned away, promising to speak to her as soon as possible.

As soon as class ended, the opportunity arose. Bella walked quickly to her desk before Persephone could even close her tote bag and grabbed the girl's elbow.

"Can we talk?" She said, glancing at the classroom door where Alice and Jasper would arrive any moment, prepared to escort Persephone to her next class as always. Persephone smiled, placed her hand over Bella's, and nodded.

"Of course. We have a lot to talk about." She replied, and gently moved Bella's hand so that their arms were interlocked. She walked off to the bathroom without glancing over her shoulder, unlike Bella. She knew Alice and Jasper would wait patiently for her and had already warned them the night prior that she would need to speak to Bella privately at some point. They both understood and put up no arguments; not that she expected them to. Alice explained the Bella situation to her during their conversation the night before, but even before she knew that Alice was going to be close with Bella and whatnot, Alice and Jasper weren't ones to pry. They respected her privacy, which made her feel a bit guilty at being so curious about what they were hiding from her.

Nonetheless, the vampires and her had already discussed it and she had gained their forgiveness easily. In fact, they said there was nothing to forgive. It was their fault for acting shady, they said, and not telling her the truth sooner. They wanted to, but didn't know how. They were actually somewhat relieved she found out the way she did – it saved them from having to write up the scripts Alice was trying to convince Jasper was a good idea.

Bella and Persephone came to a stop when they finally reached the girl's bathroom. A glance around told them they were alone, so Persephone turned the lock on the main door and did one more check in each stall to be extra sure. Finally, she turned to Bella.

"Well, this might sound crazy," She began, watching Bella cautiously as she leaned against the sink. Bella had a naturally awkward posture; she instinctively closed in on herself, shoulders slouched and arms folded, and today was no different. Persephone thought she was quite cute. "We talked. They know we know, obviously, but they're not mad."

"Really?" Bella inquired. Her face was still wary. Persephone waved a hand carelessly in the air, though she was still a bit worried Bella might think she was crazy.

"I mean, I was already with them before, you know? I can't just get rid of those feelings." She paused, eyes flickering to a random spot on the wall as her lips curled into a tiny smile. "I trust them. They explained everything to me last night, so I understand everything better. They let me interrogate them for the entire night. Anyways, even before that I wasn't scared – I know they'll never hurt me."

Persephone's voice was so sure, so filled with confidence and fondness, that Bella's shoulders relaxed slightly. She nodded, giving Persephone a small smile.

"I'm going to talk with Edward today. If you trust them, I'll do the same. Just–" She paused, looking embarrassed. Her cheeks turned a light pink. "If you need anything, I'm here. I know, too, so you're not alone, or anything." Persephone's heart melted and, before she realised what she was doing, her arms were tossed around Bella's shoulders in an awkward hug that lasted only a moment.

"Thank you, Bella." They parted ways with small smiles exchanged, Bella leaving out the front doors into the foggy morning while Persephone made her way to Alice and Jasper, who held hands at the end of the hall as they waited patiently.

"All good?" Alice asked, pecking Persephone's cheek in greeting.

"Yes." Persephone replied, leaning her head against Alice's shoulder and pressing her body against her side. "Can't we go somewhere? I'm tired of school today, you guys kept me up too late."

Jasper and Alice exchanged a glance, silently expressing between the two of them that the way they kept her up was not, in fact, how they wished to. Their mouths remained silent, not letting the human in on their thoughts that weren't suitable for nine o'clock in the morning.

Finally, Persephone leaned over and tugged on Jasper's free hand, still slouching into Alice's side but now with Alice's hand supporting her waist.

"Jaz, Alice, I don't want to be at school today. Let's skip, please?" The vampires were weak to their human's soft eyes, and even worse was her sweet voice when begging. They gave in with no arguments, and the three were off.

—

thank you all for being so patient and kind.

i read every single comment, and they always make me laugh and smile. thank you for the support, and especially thank you for 100k reads. 💗

this week is exam week: next week i'll be more free, so i may be able to post 2 times next week! i'll do my best. ^_^

–A