Ebb and Flow (Twilight x Reader)

Chapter 9

Friday morning, Bella practically skipped down the stairs.

Dad noticed, too. "You're cheerful this morning," he commented over breakfast.

Bella shrugged. "It's Friday."

After Dad left, Edward was there again, waiting in the Volvo with the windows down. Bella didn't hesitate to slide in the passenger seat. I didn't look at them as I climbed in the truck, and after they pulled out of the driveway I did the same.

The morning and lunch passed in a blur of routine. Not much else happened, besides Mike asking if Jessica was upset he was taking me to the dance even though they were kind of dating. I just shrugged and said I wasn't sure, but if it really meant that much to her I'd go with someone else or not go at all. Mike said that he still wanted to go with me, but he'd talk to me if Jessica brought it up.

Mike and I walked to Bio and then parted ways to go to our seats. I sat in mine without a glance in Edward's direction.

However, I wasn't so lucky.

"I'm leaving after Bio," Edward said.

"Okay."

"So Bella is going home with you. I can't drive her."

"Alright."

There was a moment of quiet.

"That's it?" Edward asked.

I shrugged.

"No wondering where I'm going? No more interrogating questions about your sister?"

I finally looked at him, gaze hard. "One, I don't care enough about you to ask where you're going. Two, I need Bella to come to the conclusion on her own that you're bad for her. And interrogating you about her isn't going to do anything."

My words must have affected him, because all he did was lean back and face forward to watch the movie without another word.

After school, I tried to ask Bella about Edward during the car ride home, but she clammed up. She'd clammed up any time I'd asked about him, even though the conversation the night he'd saved us still seemed to burn in the back of my memory just as I knew it was doing in hers.

Dad was absentminded at dinner, worried over something at work, I guessed, or maybe a basketball game, or maybe he was just really enjoying the lasagna—it was hard to tell with him.

"You know, Dad . . . ," Bella began, breaking into his reverie.

"What's that, Bell?"

"I think you're right about Seattle. I think I'll wait until Jessica or someone else can go with me."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised. Then suspicion set in. Wasn't Edward supposed to take her? Had that fallen through?

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Oh, okay. So, do you want me to stay home?"

"No, Dad, don't change your plans. I've got a million things to do . . . homework, laundry . . . I need to go to the library and the grocery store. I'll be in and out all day . . . you go and have fun."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, Dad. Besides, the freezer is getting dangerously low on fish —we're down to a two, maybe three years' supply."

"You're sure easy to live with, Bella." He smiled.

"I could say the same thing about you," Bella said, laughing. The sound of her laughter was off, but I was the only one who seemed to notice.

I tried to corner Bella after dinner again but she evaded me to go shower.

***

I woke the next morning because of a knock on the door.