chapter 19

Bella tried not to think about Damon. Nine days went by without his presence but her thoughts always drifted back to him. By night, she touched her own body as she recalled their single, blissful afternoon together. In her thoughts, she was still in his bed with his strong, warm body on top of her. Together, they stayed cocooned in comfortable darkness within the sheets. If she let herself, she could still recall the roughness of his chin, the solid warmth of his cock rubbing against her thigh. She still knew the taste of his tenderly exploring tongue. By day, the thought of not being with him again filled her with a longing ache, but there was also acceptance. She couldn't fault him for sending her away. This emotional mess was entirely her fault. She'd have to get herself out of it.

"How's it coming in here?" her mother asked. The sound of her mother's voice woke Bella from her thoughts. Bella suddenly remembered she was in the middle of painting a wall.

"Great," Bella answered, forcing an upbeat lilt into her voice. She resumed her task and continued painting a patch where gray primer still showed through. "I should be done with the walls tomorrow. I'll get to the furniture this weekend. I really appreciate you guys letting me do this, by the way."

"We're glad to, sweetie. Your room needed an update." Her mom smiled and folded her arms. "It's looking good. You were right about the yellow. Will you have time to help me with dinner in a little while?"

"Sure, no problem." Bella nodded, then returned her attention to the wall. She failed to notice how her mother carefully watched her expression.

"You miss him. Don't you?" Andrea asked quietly.

"What?" Bella glanced quickly at her mother, blinking with wide eyes.

"Connor. I know you two weren't perfect together but you were pretty close."

Oh, right. Connor. She guiltily realized she hadn't thought of him in weeks. Bella pressed her lips together. "Yes, he was a good friend."

Andrea was quiet for a while, then added softly, "It gets easier, I promise. You never forget the ones who part from us but, eventually, you do learn to remember them without the pain. Or at least, the pain won't be so raw."

Bella's gaze flickered to her mother's face. She knew her mother had lost close family members, people who had passed on before Bella was born, but hadn't considered how deep her feelings still were. It's not something her mother had really discussed. Andrea had no idea what really consumed her daughter's thoughts, yet her advice was surprisingly appropriate. "Thanks, Mom."

They heard the garage door close and heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. A few moments later, Bella's father stood in the doorway to her room.

"Hey, Dad." Bella gave him an upward nod.

"Hey, there." Carson answered. He also gave Andrea a quick squeeze around the waist and a kiss on the cheek.

Andrea smiled at her husband. "You're in a good mood. The meeting went well?"

"I think so. I'll tell you all about it later." Carson then peered into Bella's room and glanced around. "Looking good, kiddo. You did a nice job."

"Thanks. I'm happy with the way it's turning out." Bella continued to paint as her parents spoke.

"Have you seen Damon?" Andrea asked Carson. "The pack meeting was over a week ago. I'm starting to worry about him. I would at least like to know if I should set an extra place for dinner."

"No, not tonight." Carson studied a section of wall near the door frame, examining the paint job. "He stopped by the office and left a message, something about work that's keeping him busy. We'll see him soon, I'm sure. He has to wash his clothes sometime."

Andrea frowned. "Why would he go all the way to your office instead of coming here? That's another twelve miles."

"No idea. Maybe he was in town to pick up supplies?" Carson lowered his voice and added, "He could be in another one of his moods."

Andrea twisted her mouth. "You should probably go check on him."

"I will." Carson gave his wife a reassuring smile and touched her cheek.

Bella kept her head down but glanced between her parents. Damon had moods? She'd only ever seen him easygoing, calm, and sensible. Bella made a mental note to check on Damon herself. She bit her lip and concentrated on painting the wall.

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