Envy and Evelyn || The Twilight Saga

Chapter Five: Crash

The following Monday, Edward Cullen was back at school. Bella seemed to be intrigued or infuriated by that, but I couldn't care less. I was still reeling with the information that my father was out there, somewhere, and that he'd left my mother a note. Plus, the affair wasn't some sort of one-off. They were in a relationship.

    The note was carefully tucked in my bag, out of sight from Bella or Dad. I didn't want them to know that I'd found it, lest they ask me any questions about it. I still didn't know how I felt.

    Within the week, the roads were ice-cold, as was the air. I dressed in a white turtleneck and jeans, with my gray, fur-lined parka and the gold hoops that Mom had given me at Christmas. I could say what I wanted to about Renee Dwyer, but she had excellent taste in jewelry.

    We went out to the truck, where Dad was standing outside before work.

    "I put some new chains on the tires," he muttered. "Wouldn't want you two to get in an accident."

    I smiled tightly. "Thanks, Dad."

    Bella smiled and muttered a thanks, too, before we got in the truck and drove off to school.

    "Bells, did Mom ever tell you anything about my, um, biological father?" I asked as the truck gritted against the ice on the road.

    She shrugged. "I can't think of anything. She's pretty private about it. Why?"

    "No reason," I muttered. "Just curious."

    "I asked her once, after Dad told you," she said softly. "She just said she was in love."

    "Pretty crappy of her," I muttered. "Cheating on Dad."

    "Yeah, but... I don't know," she replied. She chewed on her lip for a minute. "What do you think about fate?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Like things happening for a reason," she said. "Maybe she had to cheat on Dad so that I could have you."

    A lump formed in my throat. "Bells..."

    She just smiled softly, not saying anything else. My heart tugged. She was right, I guessed. Maybe things did happen for a reason. Whatever force was out there, whether it was fate or the universe or God, I needed Bella, and apparently she needed me, too. Whatever else I screwed up, I couldn't screw up my relationship with my sister. She wouldn't let me.

    Soon after, we pulled up to the school parking lot.

    I hopped out of the truck, shrugging my backpack onto my shoulder. "I'll be right back. I need to talk to someone."

    She waved a book awkwardly in the air. "I'll be studying."

    I caught sight of him by his car, standing with Eric and Jess. Mike Newton was the same as always– and it was time for the both of us to grow up.

    I strutted over to him. "Mike. Can we talk?"

    He looked at me, wide-eyed. "Sure."

    I glanced at Eric and Jess. "Alone?"

    Eric complied, ready to leave, but then Jess grabbed Mike's arm and said, "Anything you can say to him, you can say to me."

    I raised an eyebrow, but accepted it. "Fine. Mike, you need to tell everyone that you lied."

    He scoffed. "About what?"

    I crossed my arms. "It's not middle school anymore, and you know I didn't cheat on you with a college guy. I was fourteen, moron."