AN: This is my first story for Twilight but I've been in a Twilight kick thanks to a movie marathon last weekend, and this plot bunny attacked me. The fic picks up when Edward breaks up with Bella and will essentially replace New Moon. It's Bella/Victoria-centric but there's a very focal love triangle involving Bella/Jacob. I hope you enjoy!
Seduce Me Tonight
Tell me how to forgive you
When it's me who's ashamed
And I wish could free you
Of the hurt and the pain
But the answer is simple
He's the one to blame
"Beautiful Liar" by Beyoncé
Chapter One: Be My Valentine
Victoria could not believe her luck.
She was staking out the woods around Forks, watching the movements of the Cullen Coven, when she caught scent of the human and the mind-reader. She scaled a tree more nimbly than a squirrel and waited two hours for the smell of Edward to fade before she pounced.
Bella Swan lay there, looking broken…
As Victoria approached the limp body, she saw the human girl was unconscious. Her blood smelled oddly sweet, but not too pungent. Smirking to herself, the vampire spent quite a good deal of time contemplating the most painful way she could kill the human.
"Edward?" murmured the girl, and Victoria froze in place. Her eyes were puffy from tears. So sad that humans experienced ugly emotional states. "Don't… don't leave…"
"Why did he leave you out here in the cold?" asked Victoria, kneeling down.
"He's gone," she said, seeming like she lost her mind over losing her boyfriend. "He and everybody else. They'll all gone for… forever."
"Did he break up with you, dear?" asked Victoria, disappointed that it would hurt Edward less to lose the human girl.
"Yes," Bella whispered, so defeated.
"That was very cruel," Victoria said, at least glad she could taunt her. "Did he tell you where he went?"
Bella's cocoa eyes glimmered with tears. "No."
Victoria leaned in to drain her blood before she pulled back.
"I've had a thought," she said aloud.
"Who… who are you again?" asked Bella.
"No one important," lied Victoria. "I should get you home."
After a lengthy walk made quick and easy by a supernatural creature, Victoria invited herself into the nearest upstairs bedroom through the window and tucked the unconscious human into bed. It was far more tender than Bella Swan deserved. After she finished, Victoria's lovely lips contorted into a wicked smile as she crept away into the dark night, leaving no evidence of her interference.
Afterwards, she ran through the forest as quickly as a lightning bolt while on Cloud 9, since Step One of her newfound scheme could not have gone smoother.
XXX
The next morning, Bella woke in her soft, warm bed, her skin damp, and for a moment forgot that Edward broke up with her, and forgot about her strange dream of Victoria. When she remembered, she felt her heart agonizingly crush like a paper cup in an angry fist.
Bella could barely think, barely feel. Her life had been mediocre. It seemed pitiful in comparison to when Edward came into her life. He was the sole most important and unbelievably beautiful thing that had ever happened to her. And now he was gone. He was gone. He was gone.
She burst into tears and could barely choke out the phrase to Charlie.
XXX
Months passed like days, coming and going fleetingly. Bella was numb and half-alive throughout all of them. She went through the motions, pallid, cold and broken. The bright light of her life had been snuffed out. Charlie threatened to send her to Jacksonville more than once, but he ended up sounding quite serious so she scheduled a playdate with Jessica.
The last friend Bella really wanted to spend time with, but the only one who was not afraid of Bella's depression.
Bella chose a zombie movie in hopes of avoiding the reminder that love existed. Then she saw the cute couple and dashed out to hide in the bathroom. She glared at the dark purple stalls and barely held herself together. More than one woman stared at the humiliating spectacle.
She did not care. Her heart was crushed. No, her heart no longer existed.
After she met up with Jessica again, they walked together through the dark streets of Port Angeles. Jessica stuck to the streetlamps and Bella kept up with her, even if she was not listening to the babbling. First, Jessica decided to tell her the end of the movie. Bella managed to hold some interest in that, but then it divulged into a discussion of contouring, which Bella could not care less about. So, they just walked.
Suddenly, Jessica tensed. A few biker guys catcalled her and Bella, calling them sugar, calling them dirtier things. Jessica reached out to grab onto Bella and dash to the car, but Bella stepped out onto the street. It reminded her of Edward.
She wanted to live that memory again. She wanted to remember every second of the day he rescued her.
So, she headed towards the excited, grungy men outside of the bar.
Slowly, she went step after step. Bella waited to collide with a vampire man she knew would not return.
Suddenly, Bella felt the cold hands on her skin and first thought of Edward, but the sharp, manicured nails reminded her that he was gone. He was gone, but she felt like he was right there.
"Bella, there you are," said a voice that sent chills down her spine. Victoria glared with her bright red eyes, looking at the drunk men like they were bile. "Do you need something from my girl?"
"N-no," one stammered.
They somehow feared the slender woman with fiery hair. But who would not? She possessed the charisma of a vampire and it could be used for intimidation just as well as destruction.
The bikers stumbled back into the bar and Bella turned around to see fiery hair and bright crimson eyes. The wicked vampire was close to her, her skin as cold as ice.
"V-Victoria?" Bella stammered, starting to step back. "Please don't kill me. Please."
Victoria cocked an eyebrow. "If I wanted you dead, I would've let you run off with those men."
"Oh," croaked Bella, but she still knew Victoria was dangerous. Then, she remembered her strange dream about Victoria in the woods after Edward died. She thought it was induced by shock, but perhaps there was truth to that.
"This is to apologize for what my mate did to you," Victoria lied. Bella's lips parted, but she did not know what to say in this situation. "It is fine; you have no need to say anything. I would understand if you still hated me for what we did last year. However, I let no debt go unpaid. Goodbye, Bella Swan."
She turned to leave, counting to three inside of her head. On the third count, Bella shouted after her, "Wait! Thank you, I guess, thank you!"
Victoria spun around. She lied with ease, "And for the record, Laurent and I both went to start our lives over with more compassion like your Carlisle suggested. I merely returned to Forks because I knew I owed you."
Bella stammered out, "I'm sorry about James, what Edward did to him, I mean."
Slyly, Victoria replied, "Sometimes moving on with life means leaving toxic people like him in the dust, Bella Swan. Again, goodbye."
Victoria strode away, confident that she had succeeded at phase one of her scheme to destroy those who destroyed the one she loved, and left Bella agape and confused in her wake.
"Who was she?" asked Jessica.
"Just a… an old friend," Bella dazedly replied.
Jessica shrugged and started jabbering again.
XXX
Bella needed danger. She needed a rush to feel alive. She needed something.
Maybe she needed to hope she could draw out Edward somehow. The feeling of Victoria grabbing her made her think that perhaps she could lure another vampire by giving his future-seeing sister a glimpse of her activities.
Right now, she was staring at the two motorcycles in the back of her truck. They were a foolproof plan, perhaps. She just needed to make them work again, which was a surmountable task when it had such a strong reward.
Bella got directions from her dad and headed to La Push to track down Jacob. He built cars; why would he not be able to repair motorcycles?
When she arrived, he jumped up, as excited to see her as a puppy.
"Hey, Bella!" he cried out.
Bella honestly felt a rush of happiness when she saw his smile.
She might like this. She might really truly like this.
"I've got a proposition," Bella said, unable to stop herself from smiling at him.
XXX
For weeks, Jacob and Bella studied together to cover up their real activities, and repaired motorcycles. He was excited by her. Honestly, her visits in La Push were the highlight of his life. He waited for her day and night, too nervous to call and beg her to spend more time with him.
Her cheeks glowed when they were together, so he knew she liked their gradually building rapport too. Laughter, fun, Jacob trying to show her how to build the motorcycles herself and failing to make a dent. He did not love those moments as much as the ones when they just sat in the backyard and talked about this and that.
Finally, the motorcycles were fixed.
"Ready to ride?" he asked and Bella just nodded. "You're nervous. You are kinda accident prone and I don't know if I can foot your ER bill."
"I'll be fine, Jake," Bella insisted and he laughed at her assertion. He knew there would probably be an injury or two, but he also knew he could protect her.
"Let's ride then," Jacob said, then he nervously added, "Babe.""
"Babe?" Bella grinned from ear to ear.
"I'm trying to fit the motorcycle rider stereotype… babe," Jacob said, winking and laughing. Bella shook her head, cheeks flushed.
Bella mounted hers and immediately toppled. Jacob helped her up and grabbed her by the waist to secure her on top. The feeling made him shiver, and he tried to hide that.
They began to drive over the rainy streets. Bella smiled the whole time and he felt great about it, his heart soaring at how truly happy she was. She zoned out on him once or twice, but he tried to keep focused on her incredible, subtly beauty.
Jacob sped ahead of her slightly and she tried to follow.
Then, the accident happened. Bella went flying and he quickly leapt off. He had been ready the entire time to rescue her from her injuries.
"It's nothing," Bella croaked, brushing off the huge gash on her arm.
"I, uh, I think that might need medical attention, Bells," Jacob said and she blanched, shaking her head with a frown on her rosy lips.
"My dad can't find out," Bella breathlessly said, looking petrified.
"He won't," Jacob insisted, making sure he would hold true to his word.
"Alright," Bella relented, letting Jacob help her to her feet.
He eased her back to the truck and they raced off to the ER.
XXX
On Valentine's Day, Bella avoided every reminder that love existed. She muddled through her day like a zombie, as per use since Edward left. But when she got home, she saw a humongous bouquet of flowers on her porch, a heart-shaped box of chocolates tucked amongst the stems, and a card attached to it. She blanched, then she got her hopes up; maybe it was a message from Edward.
Slowly, Bella stepped forward and dared to pick up the card. She opened it and saw dated calligraphy reading: Port Angeles, The Specter Theater, 8:00 Tonight.
Then, befuddled by the date request, she slowly turned around and saw a beautiful creature: Victoria.
"Do you like your gift?" purred Victoria, her lashes fluttering. Bella could not help but stare at a being so beautiful, so flawless, so awe-inspiring. Vampires were amazing, all of them, not just Edward or the Cullens.
"Another apology?" Bella asked, taking a subconscious step backwards towards her door.
"No," Victoria purred, smirking. "I'll let you figure it out."
She was gone in a flash, not unlike Edward. Bella gazed longingly after her, because she was the one thing that truly made Bella feel like she was in Edward's presence again.
Bella inhaled the intoxicating flowers, slid the glittering card into her backpack, and tenderly tucked the roses back into their vase on the porch.
She went inside and prepared her things to visit Jacob as blissful memories of her old romance with a vampire played on repeat in her mind's eye.
XXX
When Bella visited Jacob, she settled on his porch. She pulled out homework to continue their studying, but he kept smiling at her.
"What?" Bella asked, turning to face him.
"It's Valentine's Day," he said and Bella blushed. Jacob looked exalted; Bella did not have the faintest idea why. "Will you be my Valentine?"
"I—" Bella paused. She was not certain about what she said next, but she said it anyway. "I have a secret admirer, I think. Does that make me taken?"
Jacob shot her a lopsided grin. "Nope."
Bella blushed. "I… I think I might have a date tonight."
Her best friend suddenly looked crushed. It made Bella's heart hurt.
"Have fun," Jacob said coldly. "Let's… let's get back to polynomials."
Bella bit back tears.
She did not want to hurt him, but she wanted to see Victoria again.
She wanted to pretend she was with Edward again.
XXX
Charlie squinted at Bella when she tried to tell him about her date.
"It's this—this girl—you can meet her," stammered Bella. "She's—she gave me the bouquet and chocolates and I'd really like to go on this date with her."
Charlie leaned back and nodded. "Bells, I don't want you to get caught up in somebody so fast just because you miss Edward."
"I'm not caught up in her yet. I just wanted to give her a chance. I'm moving on, dad," Bella said and he sighed, knowing she was right.
"Fine, but if you get obsessed with her like you were with him, I'm sending you to Jacksonville," said Charlie. He gruffly added, "And if she hurts you like he did, I'll kill her."
Bella smiled. Right on cue, the doorbell rang. She turned around and went to answer it. Victoria looked amazing, in a bright red dress and—
"Your eyes are blue," Bella commented.
Victoria ran her fingertip over her eye and the blue nudged. "Contacts. My venom melts them after too long, but I do have to meet your very human father."
Bella smiled.
"I was scared of you," she admitted.
Victoria smiled wickedly. "You still should be. I'm not an animal-drinker like your boyfriend. I'm dangerous, Bella Swan, but I don't intend on hurting you."
"I…" Bella was suddenly uncertain. She thought Laurent and Victoria were trying to be vegetarian vampires like Edward and the Cullens, but Charlie walked onto the scene before she could ask more questions.
Victoria charmed Charlie Swan like a pro.
XXX
Bella sat in the movie with Victoria, who bought her popcorn and soda and candy but of course did not eat any human food. During it, Victoria barely touched her and was not as pushy as Bella feared she would be.
After it was over, they walked into the lobby and then onto the sidewalk.
"Are you really dangerous?" Bella finally gained the courage to ask. "I thought you were…"
"I said I was trying. I did not say I had yet succeeded," Victoria said. "I rarely hunt anymore. Only when I can't resist. I had a coyote before tonight, if it makes you feel safer."
That was a lie. Victoria devoured a hiker before tonight to keep herself from draining Bella dry.
"Oh." Bella nodded.
"The only human I drank in the past months was dying from a bear attack," lied Victoria, using the newspapers as a cover. "I couldn't resist his blood."
"Can I be honest?" Bella asked.
"I see no reason why not," purred the vampiress, tucking a lock of Bella's hair behind her ear. It was a calculated and effective move, seeing as it made the human quiver.
Bella took a deep breath and explained nervously, "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm with Edward again."
A smirk flashed across the vampire's lovely face.
"I can settle for second best," Victoria said, winking. "But I doubt I will be for long. Goodnight, my dear. Perhaps we'll meet again."
Bella watched her walk away, and remained in her daze while she got in her truck to drive home, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles blanched.
As if Bella was not confused enough by Victoria's lingering presence in Forks, after her movie date, Jacob did not call for a week. He didn't answer her either. Billy said he had mono and Bella tried to believe him. She realized then how much healthier she felt when she was with him.
With Jacob, she forgot Edward ever existed. Maybe that was better than the feeling she blew him off to go experience. She did not know.
She just knew she felt sick every time she looked at a phone and knew he might never speak to her again for as long as they lived.
XXX
Victoria went home after the date. She found Laurent sitting in the motel they were staying at. He toyed with a tacky keychain he stole from a hiker he ate.
"Did you have a nice time with the Cullen's pet?" Laurent asked, shaking his head.
Victoria sat down across from him. "This will be worth it. If you disagree, you can return to your mate up in Alaska."
He shrugged. "I will give you a few days more of my trust."
"Then, Laurent, my dearest friend," said Victoria, setting her hand atop his, "I need your help with something."
Laurent smiled. "I am listening."
