A second chance

Chapter 14

It was Monday. Bella had felt like a weird teenager again over the weekend, dreading Monday.

She had been doing fine with the two days, so Jasper decided to go for 4. They decided to pull through this time, and not go back, no matter how bad it was, because that would just confuse the schedule.

Carlisle was not happy with their agreement with Sam, but understood that nothing they said at that moment could have changed their minds. He was relived, though, that Bella had managed to get them to promise to bring the culprit to them, first.

"Ugh! It hasn't even been 3 hours yet!" Bella whined. Then she sighed. "God, I'm pathetic."

"You're not pathetic, hon," Esme frowned.

"You don't mope around all day waiting for Carlisle and the others to come back," she pouted.

Esme shrugged.

"And I bet Edward doesn't obsessively watch the clock at school!"

Esme laughed out loud. "If anything, he'll be doing it more than you. God, Bella, he's so inlove with you. It's adorable." She paused. "Something else is wrong, too, though," she said. "I can tell."

She sighed. "I just feel like Renata's been a bit distant lately."

"Oh, how so?"

"Well, she just doesn't sound like herself on the phone. She doesn't talk for very long either before she has to go."

"Hmm." Esme paused. "Do you think it was the right decision to leave like that?"

"What?" Bella asked abruptly.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. Of course we're all glad to have you here, but maybe Renata was a little hurt that you just suddenly left as soon as Edward came along."

"Huh," was all Bella could say. After a while she sighed. "What can I do to make it up to her?"

Esme smiled. "Show her that you still care, and that you're true to your word. You haven't gone to visit like you promised, yet. I'm sure if you did, she wouldn't think you've forgotten about her or anything."

Bella smiled back. "Thanks, Esme. You're amazing."

Esme kissed the top of her head and went downstairs to look at some blueprints for a house she was designing.

Bella pulled out her phone and called Renata. It rang three times before she answered.

"Hey, Bella. Not a good time right now," she muttered. There was a weird sound in the background. 

"Oh, uhm okay.. it's quick?"

She heard a loud sigh from the other end. "Yes?"

"I was thinking of maybe coming to visit soon, since I miss you," she hurried out.

There was silence for a while, even the weird noise in the background had stopped, too.

"Oh, i'm not sure that's such a good idea.."

Silence again. Bella didn't really know what to feel. "Oh."

The background noise started again.

"How come?"

"We're uhm.. really busy at the moment."

"Oh."

"Yea..."

Silence..

"Well, it was nice to chat.."

"Yea," Renata agreed.