"What happened, Bella?" Charlie shouted through the door, pounding again even as he started jiggling the knob.
"I broke up with him!" I shouted back, jerking on the zipper of my bag. Fredward's capable hands pushed mine away and vampire-strength-zipped it smoothly. He put the strap carefully over my arm.
"I'll be in the truck—go!" he whispered, and pushed me toward the door. When I turned, he'd already vanished.
I unlocked the door and pushed past Charlie roughly, struggling with my heavy bag as I ran down the stairs.
"What happened!?" He was right behind me as he yelled. "I thought you liked him!"
He caught my elbow in the kitchen. Though he was still bewildered, his grip was firm. "Did... did he touch you?"
He spun me around to look at him, and I could see in his face that he had no intention of letting me leave, at least not until he'd heard me say it. I could think of only one way to escape, and it involved hurting him so much that I hated myself for even thinking it, but I had no time, and I had to keep him safe.
I roared. "I can't do this anymore! I can't put down any more roots here! I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like Mom! I'm not going to make the same dumb mistake she did. I hate it and I hate you and I can't stay with either another minute!"
His hand dropped away from my arm like I'd electrocuted him and then turned his arm into stone. I turned away from his shocked, wounded face and headed for the door.

394

Chapter 19

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