Heavenly Body | J. Hale

17| Days To Pass

Months had passed since they left. Orion fell into a paralyzing sadness, one that he hadn't felt since the death of his father. October and November went by quickly, not that he noticed. Then came December, Orion's birthday.

His mother forced him to celebrate, not allowing the boy to wallow in his sadness any longer. The day was rather depressing; he spent his 18th birthday at home, trying his best not to break down in front of everyone his mother invited.

She hadn't invited many people, just Orion's closest friends or family friends. Of course, the Swan family was invited, his mother knowing that Bella and he had gotten closer if that was even possible. Along came Billy Black's family, as well as the Clearwaters.

The only thing Orion desired on his birthday was for a certain blond to be here celebrating it with him. Once everyone but Bella left the party, he finally let go. His powers overtook him, causing all the lights in his house to flicker. It was followed by heavy rain and thunder rumbling harshly through the sky.

Bella held the boy in her arms as he sobbed, whispering comforting words, the same way he did to her when she had her night terrors. Orion was eternally grateful for her

That's all in the past. It's January now, and some days the sadness still sneaks upon Orion, but he is tired of letting them have such an effect on him. He didn't want to be swallowed by his thoughts, so he fought against them the best he could.

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Orion weakly opens his eyes, yawning. He gets up from his bed and walks over to his window. Outside, he can see Bella and her dad talking, though judging by the girl staring at the ground, it seems more like he's scolding.

He doesn't pay much attention to it, taking a quick shower before heading downstairs. As he reaches the end of the stairs, he sees his mother. Every time he looks at her, he can't help but feel guilty for putting her through all of this.

"Good morning, baby." She greets him, taking a sip of her coffee. "Are you leaving already?" she asks, putting the cup down.

"Yeah, Bella is outside already." He replies, gesturing to the front door.

There's a cold silence that lingers for a moment before his mother speaks. "I was thinking," she begins, slowly approaching him. "I know how tough everything has been since the Cullens left-" The mere mention of them causes Orion to wince, noticing the way his mother's eyes soften before she mutters a small sorry.

"I wanted to know if you were open to the idea of moving back to California. I saved up enough money that could sustain us for a couple of months there until I could get a job." His mother rambles.

Hearing his mother's offer brings an entirely new feeling of guilt. Though the idea did sound appealing, he was starting to love forks, and he didn't want to leave. "Mom, you know that I couldn't ask that of you." He tells her honestly. "Besides, I love Fork," he mumbles.

His mother stares at him with a look of sadness. "Okay," she sighs, moving to hold her son's face in her hands. "You're strong, Orion; never forget that." She whispers before letting him go.

He exhales, letting the words sink into his brain before heading out the door. She's right; he is strong.

As he steps outside, he walks over to Bella's truck, getting inside. Seeing the girl's annoyed face, he can't help but question her. "What's got you sulking this early?"