Secrets | 5SOS

[17]

As I stepped into the house, the tension between Calum and me was palpable. His disapproving gaze followed me to the porch, where he confronted me about being late and hanging out with Jasper.

"Bella, you’re late," Calum stated firmly, his voice tinged with frustration. "And you were with him?"

I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. "Calum, it’s not what you think. We were just hanging out."

"I don’t like this, Bella," Calum responded, his tone firm. "I don’t like you hanging around with someone like him."

"You don’t get to decide who I hang out with!" I shot back, my own frustration boiling over. "You’re not the boss of me!"

Calum’s expression hardened. "You’re grounded, Bella. For a week."

I felt anger flare up inside me. "You can’t do that! It’s not fair!"

But Calum was resolute. "It’s done. Now go to your room."

I stormed off, slamming my bedroom door shut behind me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I flopped down on my bed, feeling a mix of defiance and hurt. Why couldn’t Calum understand? Why did he always have to be so controlling?

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on my door. "Bella? Can I come in?"

It was Luke’s voice, gentle and caring. I wiped away my tears and called out, "Yeah, come in."

Luke entered, his expression filled with concern as he noticed the bruise on my arm. "Bella, what happened?"

I sighed, feeling a rush of emotion. "It’s nothing. Just some jerk on the way home."

Luke sat down beside me, his presence comforting. "You can talk to me, you know. What happened with Calum?"

"He grounded me," I muttered bitterly. "He doesn’t understand. Jasper was just trying to help me, and Calum—"

Luke interrupted gently, "I know Calum can be overprotective, but he’s just looking out for you."

"I know," I said, tears welling up again. "But I’m not a little kid anymore. I can make my own decisions."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I get it, Bella. I do. But sometimes, we have to see things from their perspective too."

I leaned into his side, feeling a mix of frustration and gratitude. "I just want to be able to figure things out on my own, you know?"

"I know," Luke murmured, squeezing me gently. "But sometimes, asking for help isn’t a bad thing either."

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of our conversation hanging in the air. Finally, Luke spoke again, his voice soft. "Do you want to talk about Jasper?"

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "Yeah. He was there when that guy grabbed me. He scared him off."

Luke smiled gently. "Sounds like he cares about you."

"Yeah," I admitted, feeling a small smile tugging at my lips. "I think he does."

Luke pulled me closer, holding me in a tight hug. "Just be careful, okay? And try to understand where Calum’s coming from too."

"I will," I promised, feeling a sense of peace settle over me. "Thanks, Luke. For everything."

"Anytime, Bella," Luke said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Now, how about we go downstairs and I make us some hot chocolate?"