Trouble : Twilight (Edward Cullen x Bella Swan.)

𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

Trigger Warning.

His eyes were aggravated, and his body language made me instinctively cower. I should be standing up for myself and for my mother.

"She is twelve years old Lonnie!" My mother argued, tears in her eyes. I wanted her to calm down, but I was afraid to speak up for her. The two of us we're already bruised enough without fighting him back, and I was astonished at how she managed to keep pushing on.

"She needs to learn to take care of herself." Lonnie spat, disgusted with the way my mother took care of me. All I had done was ask her for a little help on my science homework, and Lonnie had went mad.

"She is my daughter!" My mother raised her voice, and my eyes widened in surprise. We both knew better then to yell at Lonnie, it was a mistake. But she was so confident. So stubborn. I want to be just like her someday. Lonnie did not see the same heroic, admirable mother I did. Instead he struck is her hard across the face, sending her stumbling backwards.

I watched her get swallowed by the same, cowering fear that I was feeling. She didn't look at me, and she didn't look at Lonnie either. She looked to his shoes, defeated. I glanced away from her, and back up to Lonnie as he spoke again.

"She does not need help!" He barked, and I found myself paralyzed by the look in his eye. It was similar to one of a wild animal; angry, ruthless, and uncivilized. He looked like a rabid beast about to attack his prey. "I have told you many times that she does not need help. She will help herself, and accept nothing from anyone else. She will learn to be independent or she will have to suffer the consequences."

His threatening eyes turned to me, examining my trembling body. I felt myself shrink to feel impossibly small next to the large, horrible man. I cowered on the floor with my text book, waiting for whatever he was going to throw at me next.

"She is a child!" My mother's voice trembled, but she continued to force courage. She looked broken, and helpless. She looked like she was pretending hard to be unfazed by Lonnies painful slap, like she didn't want to look weak in front of me.

I watched Lonnie take a menacing step toward my mother, but she didn't budge. She would not show her weakness in front of me, even though I knew it was there. She wanted to be strong for me. She wanted to fight for me.

"She is twelve years old." My mother said shakily. Although her voice sounded quiet, and defeated, she was looking right into Lonnies heartless eyes. She was looking danger in the face. Her fearful tone could not hide the fire in my mothers eyes.

Renée Swan was not weak, even when she was afraid. She did not cower. She did not accept help from anybody. She was the opposite of me.

"She needs to grow up and learn to take care of herself." Lonnie spat, his voice cold. Maybe I do need to grow up. If I hadn't asked for help this wouldn't have happened. I should have been independent, I can do this on my own. 

My mother was about to argue again, and I found myself searching deep for the courage she had. I couldn't watch Lonnie hit her again. I forced the sentences out of my mouth, my tone wavered and I could hear how weak I truly was.

"Mom it's fine. Lonnie is right. I shouldn't have asked. I can do it on my own."

I was nothing like my mother, you could hear the difference in the way we spoke. You could see the difference in the way I cowered on the floor, unlike my mother, who got back up after she'd been hit. Most importantly, you could see the difference in our eyes.

I was weak.

"Renée. Go upstairs." Lonnie ordered, his eyes narrowing as he examined me. I looked at my mother, silently begging her to leave. I could not watch her get hurt again. Not because of me. "Bella wanted to be taught, so I'll give her her very own lesson."