Chapter 13

"Honey, do you want one?" She asked me.
Isabella shook her head. "No, I'm good."
"But you love pancakes, Isabella. They're your favorite!" Sue protested. "I made them for you."
Isabella looked at her mother. She looked older and had worry lines on her face. She waited with a smile on her face.
She shook her head.
She forced herself into an upright position.
Inez growled warningly.
She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't feel like talking today.
Inez stood up brutally and walked away. she stood there, tears threatening to fall. she'd made her father angry at me.
Isabella looked at Callie, who was locked in Silas' embrace, and shook her head.
She ran to her room and locked herself in. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. I won't cry, I won't cry. she sang. she won't cry.
She took three deep, loud breaths in and out. After a minute, the sadness faded and she focused on counting. She wanted to count exactly the hours she'd left until she saw Peter.
A thud sounded at the door. Isabella ignored it at first.
"Go away, there's no one there," she finally said when the knocking was unbearable to her ears.
"I just want to talk to you," Lee replied.
She sighed, rolled off the bed, and walked very slowly to the door. She wanted to delay the confrontation that was sure to come. And the pity she knew would be in his eyes.
"Open the door before I -"
He stopped as the door opened. Isabella met his gaze, in which there was no trace of pity; instead, she saw concern and disappointment.
"Come in," she said sarcastically as he pushed past Isabella and sat down at the corner of the bed. "Oh, I forgot to say, make yourself at home."
He rolled his eyes and looked away. She closed the door and leaned heavily against it.
"What do you want?"
"What makes you so cranky? It's irritating. You might want to explain that."
She snorted. "I don't owe you anything, Lee."
He shook his head. "At least now I know where I stand."
She turned abruptly and opened the door. "If that's all you're going to tell me, then you can go."
He looked at Isabella sincerely. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you'd better stop pushing everyone away."
She laughed bitterly and even considered adding my evil laugh, but I held back. "I don't need you."
"You'll one day." He said honestly.
Isabella nodded. "I always knew you hated me. It was only a matter of time before you showed your true colors."
"You people?" he asked incredulously. "You mean us, your only family, your friends? You push everyone away. Now I understand why you haven't had any friends since first grade. You're selfish."
She could feel her hands shaking. "Then what're you still doing here, I thought you were leaving?"
He stormed to the door and said through gritted teeth. "Sometimes I wonder why I worry so much."
"Maybe you shouldn't."
"Maybe I shouldn't," he said, leaving a wave of sadness behind him. Isabella closed the door loudly and sank to the floor. She cried until she couldn't anymore.
She fell asleep thinking about how much Stephaney had grown attached to Isabella and how much she wished he was here. she doesn't know why, but she felt that if he were here, everything would be much better.
Isabella awoke to the sound of her name. She looked around her room, no one was there, but the voice sounded very close. It was a cold and dark night. The draft coming from the window made it impossible to breathe without shivering.
"Maybe you should look inside your head."
"Go away.", she muttered. "Wait.", she sat up straight when she recognized the voice. She couldn't believe it still felt as natural as breathing to have him in her head after locking Isabella away for an entire mouthful.
"I'll be waiting for you in the clearing." said Peter a little enthusiastically.
She got out of bed and threw in the first thing she could find.
"I missed you." He said awkwardly.
Isabella bit her lip thoughtfully. "I missed you." her voice sounded just like his. It was all as new to him as it was to me.
"Would you hurry up?" he asked after a second.
She nodded and crept down the stairs to the front door. Lee hadn't woken up yet, a shock since he's a light sleeper. She opened the door as quietly as she could and slipped out of the house. She took a deep breath, the air a fresh breath of the coming season.
"Hey Sid," Isabella sang cheerfully as she passed a wolf lying nearly passed out in the woods. He bowed in response and she smiled. She couldn't help herself. The thought of seeing Peter again put a permanent smile on Isabella's face.
She quickened her pace as she made out the clearing in the distance. The tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach almost made it hard to breathe.
A loud growl stopped her. She glanced up at the tree she was under and looked into coal black eyes that she couldn't mistake for anyone else's.
"Nick, what're you doing here?"
He gave Isabella one of his thoughtful wolf grins. she slapped her own face in her mind . Of course, he couldn't answer me. He was in wolf form.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she said, feeling foolish.
He nodded once and looked behind. she followed his gaze and came upon a tanned chest.
"Lee," she confirmed stiffly, surprised.
He nodded, bored. "What're you doing here?"
She thought for a while. Why couldn't she come up with something? "I'm . . I'm ... taking a walk."
"That's the worst lie you've ever told."
She pouted. "I'm not lying?" she asked him uncertainly.
He gave Isabella his rare lopsided grin and said with a confidence she didn't think she could ever muster. "You're lying. You always blink more than you should and get nervous. Need I remind you that I can smell emotion?"
She admitted. "You act like you're the only one who can."
He tilted his head to the side. "I know that. But I just thought I'd remind you what werewolves are capable of."
Seeing that Isabella wasn't going to say anything, he said, "You're smart, I'll give you that. But you're also dodging my question." "I've an appointment with someone."
"May I ask who?" he seemed interested.
"You may, but I can't tell you."
"It's a boy." He remarked.
"Why do you say that?"
He looked at Isabella as if she'd lost her mind, "Sweetheart, not when your heart is pounding so hard. You like him."
She tore her gaze away from him. "Whatever."
"You're mad at me."
"No, I'm not. I'm mad at myself. You're a great brother and I ... sometimes I use that against you. I'm sorry."
"Sometimes?" he asked casually.
"Okay," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "I always take my frustrations out on you."
He nodded in understanding.
"I've to go," she said, turning her back on him.
"The moon will be full soon, and you know how wolves are. You're unmatted."
Isabella smiled at him. "I know that. I'll be careful, I promise."
A look of disbelief crossed his face. "Wait, you're not going to tell me to leave you alone, are you?"
She shook her head with a smile. "No. Your intentions are good."
"So ..." he said, taking a few steps back. "This is the part where you wink at me and she runs away. Nobody's blackmailing you, right? Nobody's trying to kill me, right?"
She nodded and looked him in the eye. "I'll never let anyone blackmail me or help them kill you."
"So if you don't want to scold me or kill me...."
"I'll say thank you."
"All this for a boy?" he laughed bitterly. "I'm dying to meet him."
"Not yet."