Broken Soul • Emmett Cullen

chapter twelve

A/N I REACHED OVER 1K VIEWS! omg thank you all so much. ily ily ily!

---

Alaina was cuddled up in her bed, blankets held tightly around her body. Although her alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour, she was wide awake, staring blankly around her room. Thinking about how her life was no more than a few months ago, she couldn't believe how much everything has changed. She felt, for the first time since she could remember, happy... and the thought that feeling could come crashing down any moment was keeping her from falling back asleep.

The court date was looming and every free moment her mother had was spent with the lawyer going over notes and statements. Alaina was grateful that her mother was taking over as much as she could so it wouldn't burden her daughter until it absolutely had to. Alaina tried to keep it in the back of her mind and only worry about it when she needed to.

She was so lucky to have Bella. Even in Detroit she never had a friend that was as close as they were. She didn't even think of her as a friend; they were more like sisters. She was also doing better in school than she ever had before (except biology) and much to her surprise, she was developing a social like with her other friends at school and Emmett.

As her mind often did, her thoughts drifted to Emmett and a familiar rush of emotion swept through her, but she quickly brushed it off. She remembered the day before that Emmett wanted her to come over after school. She groaned, realizing that she forgot to ask her mom last night. She knew her mother would already be awake, so she begrudgingly rolled out of bed and walked to her mother's room. She held her ear up to the door to listen if she was truly awake. Hearing her mom rummaging around, she opened the door and walked in.

"Mom?" Alaina asked, closing the door behind her. Her mother was making the bed as her father was already at work on the new interstate project. A look of concern washed over her.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked, finishing the bed and taking a seat on the edge. Alaina normally had to be woken up several times before she got out of bed, so seeing her at this hour was cause for worry.

"I'm fine, mom. I just woke up early," she said. "I forgot to ask you something yesterday. Emmett wants me to come over after school. Can I?"

"Of course you can," her mom said. Alaina smiled and turned to leave but her mother stopped her. "Not so fast. Take a seat," she interjected, patting the space next to her. "You've been spending a lot of time with this boy. Is there anything you aren't telling me?"

Alaina bit her lip. She knew where this was going. "No, mom, he's just my friend." Her mom raised her eyebrow, so Alaina continued. "I swear. We just click, that's all. If anything was happening you know I'd tell you."

"I know," her mom admitted. "But I can't help but notice that you act differently with him. I can tell you like him. Am I wrong?"

Alaina hesitated but knew she had to tell her mom the truth. "Of course I do, mom. I like him so much it's actually kind of annoying."

"I remember that feeling. Those are always the best kind of crushes," her mom laughed. "The way he looks at you I think he may like you too. Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

"He doesn't like me, mom," Alaina said sadly, shrugging her shoulders. "He's literally perfect. I know guys like that don't like girls like me."

"Alaina," her mom said seriously, wrapping her arm around her daughter. "I know why you said that, but you're not right. Yes, I will admit, you look different than the other girls around here. Your hair is darker. Your eyes are deeper. Your hips are fuller. But that doesn't make you any less of a woman. I know this is easier said than done, but comparing yourself to other women gets you nowhere, and everyone spends way too much doing it. Try to feel comfortable in your own skin and everything will start falling into place."