A/N: Just a very short One-shot
"That's it," I think to myself, finally feeling like I've entered an episode of the 'Twilight Zone'. This thing that is happening right in front of me is more surreal, more strange and scarier than anything else that has happened to me since meeting the Cullens.
Edward has been slowly distancing himself from me since my tragedy of an 18th Birthday Party a few days ago and stupidly I assumed he was just wallowing and would shake it off eventually or come to realise that he needed to change me sooner rather than later, so I let him. Big mistake, Huge mistake, who was I kidding, this is Edward Cullen after all. Nobody does 'Emo' like my angst-ridden vampire.
So as I stand here watching, what to everyone else is maybe a little unusual, but has my heart pounding in my chest. This would be my first clue to the way things were going because Edward does not react or turn or give any outward sign he hears it at all and I know he does.
I make an astonishing revelation, I have really been so in love and wrapped up in Edward, well all of the Cullens really, that I just allowed him to slowly take over running my life, making my decisions, choices and all without any input from me and any direction it was to take would have to be decided by him, because obviously a mere human couldn't be expected to do the job herself.
Well, who the hell have I become and 'Where is Bella Swan'?
All of these thoughts were rushing around in my head as I trailed behind Edward and Mike as we head out of the school through the swing doors. This in itself is the most telling clue, Edward walks ahead of me talking to Mike Newton and not beside me holding my hand like he always has in the past.
He's talking to Mike of all people, making small talk... Edward does not do small talk ever.
So I drop back slowly saying bye to Jess and waving to Angela as she gets in her mum's car. I move out of their line of vision and head for my truck, fire it up and take off. Looking in the rear-view mirror I see Edward looking directly at me for the first time in days, with a small frown on his beautiful face. Knowing that he can hear me, I tell him "Meet me at your house, when you are done talking to your new best bud, Mike".
A look of panic crosses his face and I know I just know, that they are gone, all of them gone. I bet if I swung by the hospital they would tell me Carlisle had left suddenly, a family emergency maybe. My heart drops like a stone, this was worse than I thought. He had been making some very large and major decisions for us, while I passively sat back and waited. Well, this has got to stop now.
I'm just pulling into their driveway when his Volvo races up behind me and slides to a stop beside my truck, ignoring it I park at the front door and jump out and head up the porch stairs.
Edward calls my name, trying to stop me entering the house, but I push on not stopping in the living area. Heading for the stairs, I hear him behind me, this is unusual. He's dragging his feet slowly upwards as if dreading reaching the top. As I enter his room there are boxes sitting to one side waiting, so I start to open drawers and fill them up randomly.
"What are you doing," he asks softly, "Bella", I just carry on folding clothes and filling boxes. "You're leaving, are you not? So I'm just helping. Is that a problem", I state in a cool, enquiring voice. He's now shifting from one foot to the other and at any other time this might have intrigued or even amused me, but not today. Let him feel uncomfortable and off balance for a change.
"Do you actually need to take the clothes? Won't the shopaholic just buy more?" I ask with a touch of venom in my tone. He grabs my arms asking me to stop and then he just had to say it, "Bella, we need to talk". Five little words that make me explode all over him with the force of a volcano erupting.
"We need to talk" I scoff, " When did my opinion suddenly start to matter to you" I yell, "Your conscience bothering you Edward, suddenly realised that you're not the only person in this relationship have you" by now I'm raging mad, he looks stunned and a little shell shocked. "What? Am I not being the meek, pathetic, passive Bella you can trample all over, sorry it's not to your liking Edward. But this is my future you're trying to destroy and if you think for one minute I'm just going to sit idly by while you tear my heart and soul apart, you can think again", gasping for breath I face him with a steely determination.
"Sit" I demand, "Start explaining your ludicrous plan to destroy both our lives". As I listen to all his excuses and half-baked thoughts and ideas on what I need and should want, it slowly dawns on me he has no earthly notion what a relationship is meant to be like. What he needed all this time was not meek, mousey Bella but strong opinionated Bella to guide him, the eternal teenager through the joys of first and only love.
Without being cruel or condescending, I explain that if this is to work we have to be a team, I'm not his mother and this is not 1901. He has to join me in the 21st century and bend his ideals to fit and grow in this new era. After we talked for a couple of hours and he accepts my right to a say so, in our future, we kiss and make up, I point out I have to go take care of the other man in my life.
But first I ask for his phone, hit Carlisle's name on speed dial and flick on the speaker, "Hello Edward, Is everything okay", comes over the phone. As he starts to speak I hold up my hand and talk, "Carlisle it's Bella, is everyone there... ", he says yes so I begin.
"I just have a couple of things to say before I go and feed Charlie". "First, I don't appreciate being abandoned by my family, no matter the reason that was unnecessarily cruel. Second, since when was Edward head of your family and decision maker. He's seventeen for god sake" gasps are heard over the line and Edward growls quietly, "Don't you dare growl at me Edward Anthony Masen Cullen" is my response. In the background, I hear Emmett laughing along with Jasper.
"Laugh it up boys, Jasper you led soldiers in wartime, ran newborn army's, but can't manage to help guide one family of vampires away from making devastating mistakes, H'mm" the laughing stops abruptly. "And Emmett my big brother, where were you when I needed you to knock sense into your brother's head for me" groans come over the line. "Lastly and most importantly there are always going to be problems in the future, your vampires for goodness sake and I need to be consulted and kept informed at these times, before and after my change, yes" a chorus of yes Bella float in the air.
"Ladies we need to talk when you all get back from your vacation in Alaska, okay," I tell them and they all agree and we hang up. Little do they realise things as going to be changing at the Cullen mansion, well they all drove me to it... and they think Rose is a bitch, they ain't seen nothin' yet. They forget I raised the perennial hippie, from the age of five onwards.
