Reading The Stars

Chapter 15

-Continued From Last Chapter-
Trigger Warning

As we drove up to my house, I noticed Bella sitting on the steps, shielding her eyes from our bright lights.

As I climbed our of the car, she came running to me and engulfed me in a tight hug, and for once, I didn't care. We stood there, together in the drizzling rain, both crying. I was slightly shorter then her so I buried my face in her shoulder.

She felt like my best friend, she cared, she didn't think I was stupid.

She was crying for her sister and I was crying for my parents. We understood each other. And we stood there for a good 5 minutes before she let me go, staring up at the sky.

"How did it go?" She asked softly, her eyes averting to my face for a few seconds before she slowly started pulling me to the house.

I shook my head, indicating I couldn't talk right now and she nodded understandingly.

Damien was sitting on the couch, doing nothing. He was staring at me, and his expression was sad.

Bella sat down beside him and I went straight to my room, getting dry clothes and then headed to the shower.

I stopped at the bathroom door, eavesdropping on Bella and Damien.

"I wish I could make her pain go away." That was Damien speaking.

"I know. I feel so sorry for her."

"She cried, Bella. She was so broken. She doesn't deserve that."

It was then that I walked into the bathroom and shut the door, trying to breathe without breaking down.

Looking into the mirror, I was shocked and terrified of my reflection. I didn't know the girl looking back at me. My eyes were bloodshot, my cheeks were splotched red, and my hair was disheveled.

I turned away from the mirror, stripping from my clothes before climbing into the shower and turning on the hot water.

I sank into the water and stared unseeingly at the wall, my eyes overflowing again.

I thought I would stop crying soon, but it seemed like my eyes wanted to let every single tear fall that I had held back.

After showering, I slipped on a pair of jeans and Mom's sweater. Carrie had given it back to me after the accident. She said she had washed it a lot of times but Mom's perfume smell was etched in it.

Slipping it on, I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly, trying to remember what her voice sounded like.

The recording.

My mind said no, but I was already walking out of the bathroom and  towards Damien.

"My phone." My voice came out raspy and he narrowed his eyes, taking it out of his pocket but staring at me.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to listen to a recording of my mom's voice ok?" I held out my hand and he slowly gave me my phone.

Just then, my phone rang and I sighed to see it was from Carrie.

"Hello." I answered the phone, waiting patiently for her answer.

"Hey honey. Thought I'd check up on you and see how you are."

"I'm great, Carrie." My voice came out strangled and I mentally facepalmed.

"No you're not. Cece are you crying?" Her voice raised and I held the phone an inch away from my ear.

"Nope."