Recovery- Chapter One
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
The ocean sounded very far away, somehow farther than before, when I was on the path in the trees. I grimaced when I thought of the probable temperature of the water. But I wasn't going to let that stop me. (New Moon by Stephanie Meyer p358)
"Bella?" I heard a familiar voice behind me. I sighed quietly. Edward was here. I didn't turn around, instead I watched as violent waves crashed against the eroding cliff walls. I tried to visualise myself buried deep within the waters. A cage of waves trapping Edward and I together forever. Contentment rose from deep within me like the flames flickering from James' grave.
"Isabella Marie Swan. What the ruddy hell do you think you are doing?!" The voice shrieked. That didn't sound like Edward… I turned around to see my cousin Hermione- Wait cousin Hermione? What was she doing here? Her face was screwed up in sheer rage and anger. I looked around me and realised what it must've looked like.
"Hermio-" I started to greet my cousin but was abruptly cut off.
"Get in the car Bella. CAR! NOW!" I saw that there was no point in arguing and I trudged slowly past her and into the black range rover parked behind her. On my way I couldn't help but think how much she had changed, bushy hair replaced by wild curls and shapely curves. I partially expected her to burst out laughing, there's no way I can imagine the old Hermione being this serious.
I was ripped away from my thoughts when I heard the driving seat door slam shut.
"Look, Hermione, it wasn't what it looked like!" I exclaimed when I heard the engine purring softly. Hermione didn't say anything; she just looked at the road ahead with a murderous glint in her eyes.
"It's just an-an activity. Like rock climbing! The boys at the reserve do it all the time!" I turned and looked at Hermione again, apparently my marvellous argument didn't sway her.
"It looked like fun." I tried one more time, suddenly the car came to a halt and Hermione was facing me, fire practically burning in her caramel orbs.
"You are pathetic! All this for a boy Bella? A boy? What is wrong with you! Where is the cousin I loved gone? Because I can tell you- the Bella I once knew wouldn't do this! You're breaking your fathers heart you pathetic idiot!
Imagine my surprise when Uncle Charlie calls me all the way from America saying how my favourite cousin is depressed because of a boy and he's worried. You should've heard him Bella! The man was near tears! And then I relocate to frickin America- taking everything with me to find my cousin is about to jump off a bloomin cliff! Pathetic." She spat the word cousin out like it was poison and looked at me with disappointment etched into her expression.
"Hey! That is not fair Hermione! You don't even know what love is! You don't even know how much it hurts. How much I miss him, how he easily cheered me up when I was sad, how he made me laugh so easily. I love him okay?!" Tears were streaming down my face and I felt the car stop again. We were outside a magnificent cream-white house that looked like it belonged in Beverly Hills or something, not in the rainy roads of Forks. I mean- the place even had a white picket fence.
"Where are we Hermione?" I ask nervously, I still don't know if she's angry at me or not.
"Home sweet home." She replies with a big grin, clearly forgetting our previous fight in an instant. Until she saw my tear stricken face, that is.
"Bella." She sighed softly, her pale pink lips frowning slightly as she adopted a sympathetic expression. " We're going to sit down and have a serious talk. I know I haven't been a good cousin lately. I promise I will fix that."
I study Hermione's face. She's only a year or so older than me, yet she look so mature, so wise that I'd be a fool to not trust her. Quietly she led me towards the magnificent building. The minute she unlocked the cream white door the heart-warming sound of a child laughing filled my ears. I looked at Hermione with my best 'why the heck have you got a child in your house?' face. She was too busy smiling to notice.
Almost hypnotically she walked forward, past a cosy lounge and into a homely kitchen. I hesitantly followed, unsure what to do. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I saw a handsome man, about the same age as Hermione clutching a laughing baby. The man looked to mature to be called a boy yet almost too happy and carefree to be called a man. Almost. He had jet-black hair that looked like it had professionally been messed up by a two year old and sparkling green eyes that just shone with joy.
The baby, however, was the cutest thing I had ever seen in my life. It was a miniscule little thing with a light dusting of the exact shade of light brown as Hermione, complemented with a pair of twinkling green eyes that oddly looked like it was copied straight from the face of the man in front of me. Suspicious that.
The handsome man wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist whilst passing the baby over to her with the other. They looked like the perfect family. I couldn't help but compare them to the happily ever after of a fairy tale. A beautiful mother juggling an adorable baby in her arms whilst the handsome father gazed protectively at his family.
"How's he been?" Hermione looked up at the man softly with a loving glance.
"The little rascal caused havoc the minute you were out the door. But he settled down once I took his moony bear out the tumbler." The man bent down to Hermione's level and captured her pale pink lips.
In the normal world it would be considered a quick peck on the lips, but from where I was standing the sheer intensity of the moment caused me to blush. And I was standing a good few meters away from the inseparable duo. I briefly wondered if Edward and I were ever liked that, but I quickly dismissed the thought, Edward was always restrained around me when physical affection was concerned.
I nervously cleared my throat to break them apart. Blushingly the two pulled apart and stared at me.