Stupid Love

Chapter 11

"Care to explain why, exactly, you were sleeping with Bryce?" my mom asked furiously, her arms crossed. We were all sitting on the two couches across from each other. And by all, I mean me and Bryce on one love seat, and Amy, Jesse, and my raging mother on the other.

"Mom, it's not-"

"Are you using protection?" she quickly asked, cutting me off. Beside me Bryce slightly choked, and I threw my head into my hands, hoping that the embarrassment would just hurry and come to an end.

"We aren't doing that," I said, forcing my eyes to travel up and meet hers. Amy, who had been quiet since this whole debate had started, appeared to have a small grin on her face. Maybe she found this amusing, but I, for one, did not. And I doubt Bryce did either.

Jesse, on the other hand, just smirked in my direction. She'd been shocked and slightly upset when she'd first found us, but it was obvious she was completely over that now. Why wouldn't she be? She'd just found her best friend in the bed with the guy said best friend had liked for a bazillion years. Too bad it wasn't what she thought it was.

My mother rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at me before saying, "Yeah, right, Caroline. I wasn't born yesterday, you know. I keep up with how teenagers act and what they do, and if you so much as think for a second that you're going to get away with fooling me, so help me-"

"Mom!" I shouted. The whole conversation was giving me a major headache. No wonder Bryce didn't want to share a bed with me.

"Really, Ms. Miranda, Caroline wasn't sleeping with me in that way. She's just been having some nightmares," Bryce explained, leaning so his elbows were on his knees, his deep eyes trying to persuade my mom into believing him; into believing the truth.

"Nightmares? Caroline's never had nightmares before."

"Well she is now," he politely said. When his gaze slipped to me for a second, I knew right then that he didn't want to reveal why I was having the nightmares; he didn't want to embarrass me more. 

"Why?" Jesse asked. By the way she quickly shut her mouth, I knew she had only been thinking outloud. She had always done that.

Before Bryce could come to my rescue again, I hurriedly whispered, "The fire."

"What?" my mom questioned.

"The fire," I repeated. "Ever since the day the Hart's house burned down I've been getting nightmares. Sleeping and talking with Bryce is the only thing that helps keep them away."

The room got silent; the only sound I could hear was the drumming of my heart against my ribs. I absentmindedly wondered if everyone else was able to hear its beating as well, as I fidgeted and anxiously waited for a response.

"Why didn't you say something earlier sweetheart?" my mother asked, guilt clouding her beautiful face.

"I didn't want to worry you anymore than you already were. Besides, it's kind of embarrassing, you know?"

"Actually," she started. "I don't understand at all. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Caroline. You saw something that obviously was very frightful, and it's completely normal to have night terrors over it. What's more embarrassing is that I'm your mother, and you don't even feel like you can confide in me."

The hurt look in her eyes caused a feeling of guilt to settle itself deep within my chest.

"Mom..." I whined. "It isn't like that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

The next few minutes consisted of the adults and us going back and forth about the whole situation. My mom held back tears, while I held back the disgusting hatred for myself; I should've just told her in the first place. And then I explained everything to everyone. Once my explanation was finished, silence coated the room for several agonizing moments.