Two Edges of One Sword (Carlisle Cullen/Reader/Charlie Swan)

XI

The clouds were well over the sky when the building's doors slid open.

You silently exited the hospital walking side-by-side with your Mom. Everytime you snuck a peek at her face, all you were met with was a blank, thousand-yard stare. The asphalt crunches under your feet, and far in the distance, you could faintly sense the sound of rumbling thunder.

It seemed like neither of you wanted to say a word.

The car slowly bounces closer and closer as you both near it. The faint click of the keys unlocking the car fills your ears, and you remain quiet as you step around to the passengers side of the car before opening the door and sliding in. Your Mom follows suit not too long after, and once again, you find yourself in a car that feels like it's boiling from the inside. A few empty moments pass before the car vibrates to life, slowly backs out of the parking space, and into the busy streamline of the road.

You engulf a steady breath of air and slowly let it pass through your nostrils.

"Sorry about earlier..." your eyes cut to the moving world outside. In-and-out of your vision it goes, neverending, never beginning.

"About what earlier?" The indignation in her voice seeps through like a liquid-to-cloth. You could tell she was trying, but the tone in her voice immediately makes you frown. You slightly grit your teeth and let out another small sharp exhale.

"Look Mom, don't make this harder than it has to be," your hands fly in the air for a moment before they plop in your lap, "I'm sorry for running off earlier, okay?"

Now she lets out a sigh of her own. A 'splat!' rings in your ears for a moment before you spot the raindrop that had landed on the windshield. Then another. The windshield wipers suddenly flick on and begin their hypnotizing dance, letting them disappear into nothing.

"You've made a bit of a habit of 'running off' recently."

Her sharp words take you aback slightly and you turn to face her, eyebrow cocked straight up. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying I don't know what the hell is even going on with you anymore, (Name). When you don't want to say anything or tell anyone what happened, it leaves everyone else to sit there and play guessing games." The windshield wipers begin to swing faster due to rain coming down harder, causing a small wave of water to fly off the windshield.

"But... I TOLD you what happened, Mom. And I'll fuckin' tell you again if I have to!" The palm of your hand tightens into a small fist as you try to quickly collect your thoughts. "I was working at the cafe a couple of nights ago, and I got FUCKING MUGGED at gun-point."

She's silent for a moment. Then goes, "It's the first I'm hearing about it."

"Well I would've loved to have told you, and guess what Mom, I TRIED to tell you, but this is how it goes, every single time!" Your lip curls into a small snarl as the words continue out of your mouth. "I feel like I can't tell you a goddamn word half the time without you either jumping down my throat or not giving a fuck!"

"YOU need to stop speaking to me that way, young lady!" The rain slams against the windshield now, yet beneath the gray veil that had built itself upon the windshield, you could spot your house and the driveway slowly culling into view in the distance. "You can't just make shit up when you don't want to tell the truth!"

You furiously unbuckle your seatbelt and open the door before your Mom could even stop the car. "(Name), for god's sake, what the fuck are you doing?!"

The car door swung open and you practically leapt out of the slowly-moving vehicle.

"At this point, I don't care!" The blood in your face hotly crawled under your skin as the words shrieked out of your mouth. "Think whatever the hell you want, I'm DONE trying to convince you!"