Edward had continued his questions during lunch as well. We sat together all alone away from his siblings and my usual lunch crowd.
"Do you have any siblings?" His velvet voice asked. I dropped my gaze from his beautiful eyes and pretended to be suddenly hungry and took a few bites off an apple.
His words, usually so calming, sent my heart racing. My throat felt dry. My palms were sweaty.
I kept staring at the table as I spoke. "Yes." One word. All I could say around the rock in my throat. My voice broke.
I'm sure he noticed my reaction but he didn't change the subject, despite my silent praying.
"May I ask her name?" His voice was suddenly hesitant and formal.
I nodded jerkily. "India."
It was very quiet. Like someone had hit the mute button.
"India is her name?" Edwards's voice asked and I again heard the hesitation and genuine curiosity. All I did was nod in reply.
"You say her name sometimes in your sleep. Do you miss her greatly?" His voice was still curious but also understanding and gentle.
I nod again.
"What do you miss about her?"
"Everything." My voice broke.
"What do you miss the most about her?"
I thought about it for a minute, all the while trying to swallow the lump in my throat.
I finally spoke and this time my voice didn't break but it still sounded shaky. "I miss the way she wakes up ridiculously early, even on weekends, and make us all breakfast. She's a horrible cook but she always tried really hard to make us happy. I miss how she has such a temper, not bad but if you pushed her too far she'd all but rip your head off. I miss how protective she is of me and Renee. She never lets anyone talk bad about us. I miss how strong she is; while I was taking care of Renee she took care of me, always making sure I didn't forget to do my homework or get too embarrassed when I fell down constantly. I miss how she was always losing her reading glasses. I miss how she's so quiet; she never feels the need to fill the silence with awkward babble. I miss her wild taste in music; one day she would be listening to Blink 182 and the next day Chopin! I miss how she never lets anyone influence her, she was her own person. I miss how she can always tell what I'm thinking and what I'm about to say before I even say it. I miss how she always preferred the rain because it was so rare in Phoenix." My voice broke again. I have to stop talking because I can feel tears starting in my eyes. Not traitor tears, India tears.
Edward takes my hand in his, the only way for me to break out of my depression.
"We don't have to talk about her if it's upsetting you, love." My mind whirls. Did he just call me "love"?
I shake my head, no. Why? Because I'm an idiot. I don't want to talk about India but I can't think straight. We're leaning toward each other; his breath is making me dizzy.
Edward takes a few minutes to examine my expression or he's just giving me time to collect myself.
"What did she look like?" His voice whispered across the table to me.
"She has green eyes a mossy forest color, like the trees or grass here, and long mahogany colored hair that goes down to her waist. Her skin is flawless, she never once has a zit or blackheads and it was porcelain white but still darker than me. She blushes a lot too but her blush was more of a delicate pink. She is very pretty." I say her lovely face a clear picture in my mind.
"How old is she?" Edward asked, his eyes scrutinizing my expression.
"She'll be sixteen January 9th." My voice sounds hollow. Dead. Just like India's.
I vaguely notice how I'm speaking of India, as if she was still alive.
More India tears come to my eyes and I duck my head.
"Bella-" Edward begins and I already know he's gonna say we don't have to talk about her but for some weird strange reason I want to now. How long has it been since I spoke her name aloud?
Another part of me, though, doesn't want to share my little sister with him, with anyone. But he has told me so much about himself. He has given me his most precious secret. Who am I to not try and treat him as graciously as he has treated me?
I interrupt him. "No, Edward. I wanna talk about her."
He nods slowly as asks, "What did you two do together?"
None of your business, the words slips into my mind uncontrollably. I keep them there though, far away from my mouth.
"We did everything together. She loves going for walks and running; she isn't nearly as clumsy as I am. In fact, she is on the cross-country team," I again notice how I keep saying "is" and not "was." I swallow and keep speaking. "She also is a very talented artist. I mean, she can draw the most beautiful pictures, she's always begging me to sit down and let her sketch a portrait of me. She could make a drawing look like a photograph. She couldn't paint though, as odd as that is, she could draw anything but her paintings were never very good."
"She sounds very nice." Edward says his voice is sincere.
"She is." I agree.
Edward decides to change the subject at last asking me questions about my old high school and the people there.
I'm grateful but I can't get the picture of India's face out of my mind. No matter what's happening around me her green eyes, her wavy hair, her soft skin, never leave my head.
And it breaks my heart.
"Mom!" I yell to Renee but there is no reply. Where is everyone?
"India?" My voice is getting more frantic by the second.
A piercing shriek of pure terror shatters the dark quiet of our quant house.
"India!" I scream, running to her room. "India, I'm coming!"
It's like I'm on a treadmill, my legs are pumping, my feet are moving, but I'm not going anywhere. Weak little me, I soon run outta breath but I can't stop moving. My sister screams again and I feel my heart skip several beats.
"India!" I yell towards her white bedroom door. If only I could reach it!
"Bella!" India's screams in response. "Bella, help!"
"India, I'm coming hold on!" Please be safe!
Her door seems to be moving away and I feel tears racing down my flushed cheeks.
Everything is silence now; even my rapid breathing has muted.
The worst scenario comes to mind. My sister stopped screaming. My sister stopped moving. My sister stopped living.
"No!" It's my own voice that forms the piercing shriek of pure terror this time.
I'm finally off the invisible treadmill and India's door has stopped racing away from me. I sprint as fast as my frail legs can move. The door knob is freezing but I ignore it and yank the horrid piece of wood out of my way running into my sisters' tiny room.
India lies on her twin-sized bed. Her skin more pale than it should be her lips white. Her beautiful green eyes are open and glaring unseeingly. Her reddish brown hair is spread out around her like a halo made of mahogany.
Her full, white lips part suddenly and even though she whispers I hear the accusing words as if she had screamed them.
"You should have saved me."
My eyes fly open and I bite my tongue to hold back the scream struggling to break free eventually I taste blood. My breathing is rapid and my hair is sticking to my sweaty neck and face. I raise my hands, they're shaking like leafs in the wind, but that's not what makes me release the small scream that might've been loud enough to wake Charlie up. My hands … aren't my hands. The fingers are too long and delicate, the nails are too short, and I never put that black nail polish on. These hands aren't mine. These hands are India's.
I shut my eyes, squeezing them roughly, and then I open them. And my hands are mine again.
I do this several more times, and each time I open my eyes my hands are still mine.
It takes at least 15 minutes for my breathing to slow. It takes another 40 for my muscles to relax. It took uncomfortably long for my heart to slow back down to a normal rate.
Once I felt like a somewhat sane person again, I felt another uncomfortable feeling- someone was watching me. My eyes searched the almost light room- the Sun had decided to grace us with its rare presence today- till I find a pair of topaz eyes that I could recognize anywhere. They practically glowed.
I felt a prickle of unease. Edward is in my bedroom, in my house. And Charlie is sleeping right downstairs. Oh God.
"Edward." I say his name in a voice that makes me a little freaked out by me.
"Bella, what were you dreaming about?" He asked and again I hear the genuine curiosity and worry in his smooth voice.
"Uh … nothing, I just miss Phoenix." It isn't a complete lie.
Edward doesn't buy it but he doesn't press the matter any further.
"What are you doing in my house?" I ask him.
"You are very interesting when you sleep. Bella, I've been coming here for quite awhile. I told you this." Edward seems amused, a very appealing smirk playing on his icy lips.
"Oh right. I'm um … not totally awake yet." My excuse is pathetic but true.
He chuckles and walks toward my bed, sitting down gracefully next to me. He is so unfairly amazing.
The closeness isn't helping my heart keep its normal pace.
"Bella …" Edward seems like he has something on his mind.
"Yes?" I say, focusing on his voice committing it to memory.
"Your sister, India, is she still in Phoenix?" His voice was barely a murmur. I know what he's getting at but I can't come to terms with that just yet. I need more time.
"Yes." It's not really a lie; her grave is there, but the fire destroyed her body leaving nothing to bury.
"Does she still live with Renee?"
A shudder passed through me. "No." The word tasted so sour on my tongue.
Edward nodded, his eyes never leaving mine, locking me in his topaz stare. "I'm sorry," was all he said.
I shrugged feigning nonchalance. Now, he knew everything.
"It's okay, love." He tried to comfort me, tried to stop the India tears that were forming in my eyes.
"It was a fire that did it. She was cooking dinner early because she wouldn't be home later, she had cross-country practice. They said that it was probably the smoke that got her, and the fire just destroyed her remains." India tears spilling over, leaving salty trails down my cheeks. My voice broke on the last word and a sob racked my body.
I was extremely aware of Edward taking me in his arms, picking me up with one hand and cradling me in his lap. His face was tortured.
I cried myself into a tired coma that night, when I woke up later the Sun was streaming a bright yellow streak into my room. I smiled, India loved the Sun.
"Bella." Edward made his presence aware. He was sitting casually in the rocking chair I've loved since childhood.
"Edward." My heart fluttered, he stayed! I'm sure any other day under any other circumstance I would've ran into his arms but my body felt heavy and tired. I couldn't move.
"Apparently, Charlie decided you needed to stay home today and he came in and turned off your alarm clock before he left for work he also left a note explaining his actions downstairs in the kitchen. I can't say I disagree with him either, you need a day to relax, collect yourself." His voice was calm, gentle. It melted around me and then hardened like a protective cocoon.
How does someone respond to this?
"Oh," was all I could think to say.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Did I, uh, say anything?" I took a deep breath and readied myself for the coming embarrassment.
He smirked but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, not as much as usual."
I gulped. "How much is 'usual'?"
He chuckled this time, the sound made me instantly feel warmer. "Last night, after your nightmare, you mainly just muttered 'India' over and over again. You said my name a few times as well and some other things…" His smirk escalated into a wide, happy grin.
My eyes narrowed. "Anything else?" I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Yes," and suddenly his eyes were full of an unfathomable emotion that made my pulse speed up, "you said you loved me." He seemed proud to say the words.
My face, of course, turned tomato red. I conjured up all my strength and moved my suddenly 1,000 pound body over to him. He opened his arms up to me and I all but collapsed into them.
I gulped again and buried my face in his cotton tee-shirt.
"I love you." I whispered the words. It was surprisingly easy to say them, I had thought I would need to force them up but they came freely.
"I love you Bella Swan, more than you know." He spoke the words into my tangled hair. I felt chills go up my spine, but not from his cold body.
My stomach ruined the moment, growling. I felt heat rush to my face and Edward laughed.
"Oh, shut up." I teased getting up and walking down the stairs. I felt light as air now.
I made myself some cereal and sat down. Edward stared at me, making my blush refuse to leave and making me feel uncomfortable.
"Can I get you anything?" I didn't wanna be rude.
He rolled his liquid gold eyes. "Just eat Bella."
I laughed a little, shoveling some more Count Chocula into my mouth and trying not to laugh at the irony of the moment.
"So, what do you wanna do today? Since neither of us have school apparently." I said eyeing the incredibly surprising sunlight outside.
"Hmm … would you like to go back to my house? Meet my family?" He asked.
"Um, do you think we could go outside? I should probably try to absorb as much vitamin D as I can." Plus I wanted to see him in all his glory in the Sunlight again.
His jaw locked and I wondered if I had said something that offended him.
"Actually Bella, there's …" he paused, scrutinizing my expression, "some other vampires in the area. We're monitoring them and we believe that they are getting ready to leave but we can't be sure. I'm sorry; I just don't want you in the woods is all."
"Oh! All those missing hikers…" I mumbled, the light bulb going off in my head.
"Yes, the missing hikers are the work of the nomad vampires. We believe that there are four of them, two male and two female. They seems to be heading south, they came in from the north." Edward spoke slowly, trying to give me time to let all this sink in.
I took a deep breath and let it out in a big huff.
"Okay then. So, you wanna just go to your house. I'd love to meet your family." A big fat lie. I am terrified to meet his family, especially Rosalie. Particularly Rosalie.
Edward saw through my lie easily. "You're a horrible liar Bella. It can wait if you don't want to meet them today; we've got all the time in the world." He did.
I'd rather get it over with. "No no, let's just do it today."
"Alright well, I'll wait down here while you go get ready."
I nod and quickly wash my bowl and spoon, putting them upside down on a cloth to dry.
I run up the stairs taking them two at a time and thankfully not tripping backwards.
I recall Edward complementing the dark blue, low-cut shirt I have and decide to wear that with … what? I have zero history with fashion so I just close my eyes and reach in my annoyingly small closet and I pull out a khaki skirt that I hardly ever wear. Oh well, it looks nice together.
After a few minutes I decide my hair just not going to be cooperating today, like it ever is, so I pull it back in a high pony tail. It doesn't look all that bad now.
I roll my eyes at myself in the mirror and rush down to Edward.
He takes my hand in his and appraises my outfit. "You ready, love?"
"Not at all, let's get this over with." And with that we left the house and he drove us to his own home.
Meeting Edwards family had been … awkward. Carlisle and Esme were very gracious. Alice was comfortable around me which I liked. Jasper was reserved but Edward explained that. He had told me that he asked Jasper to keep his distance because Jasper was newest to their difficult way of life. Rosalie and Emmett were no where to be found. I was grateful for this.
Now, we were going to a large clearing in the woods driving in Emmetts' huge jeep. The vampires were going to play baseball of all things! Alice had seen a thunderstorm coming. I was slightly skeptical; the Sun was still bright, and none of the clouds were dark.
"Bella, was Charlie India's father?" Edward asks his voice cautious and hesitant.
"Yeah, but Charlie never knew about India, she wasn't exactly planned and they were already split up. India knew that Charlie was her father but she never wanted to meet him, she always said that since Renee never told him about her she didn't want to shake his life up or anything. She asked about him a lot though, never to Renee but to me. She always asked what he liked and what his favorites were." India tears came to my eyes but I blinked them away. I'd done enough crying today.
Edward drops the subject with a nod. We don't talk the rest of the way. The silence isn't awkward, it's comfortable.
Eventually Edward turns off the jeep and in the same second opens my door. I still get a little shocked whenever he uses his vampire speed like that. He helps me hop out, holding my elbow like a gentleman.
Surprising me, he took my face in both his hands and gently brushed his icy lips against mine. My heart thumped. He heard.
With a sigh, Edward pulled away and took my hand in his.
I pouted but he ignored it.
Surprising me again, Edward pulled me on his back so effortlessly fast I didn't realize it till we were off running. I remembered to close my eyes this time.
"We're here Bella." Edwards's velvet voice made me slip off him, landing on my backside.
After he got done laughing at my face and we had walked the rest of the way to where his family was they started the game.
I quickly realized why they need to storm which, yes, did happen but only over town so we all stayed dry.
Edward was the fastest of the Cullen family but Emmett hit the hardest which wasn't at all shocking with his massive build. Esme made sure they didn't cheat; I wouldn't have been able to tell if they really did it all happened so fast.
Then, everything changed. Even I, the human, could sense the shift in the air.
"Stop!" Alice called out, loud enough for me to hear. Her eyes were strange, topaz but glazed over like she was seeing something far away. Or something that just hadn't happened yet.
Edward was instantly by my side, making me gasp and then so was everyone else.
"Edward, what is happening?" Carlisle's voice held authority and calmness.
"They're coming, all four of them. Not far." It took me longer than it did the others to realize who he meant exactly.
Hostility and anxiousness radiated off everyone around me, even kind Esme.
"Can you make it?" Carlisle asked Edward.
"Not carrying her." Edwards's voice was just a hiss, my ears strained to pick it up.
"How far away are they?" Esme's voice rang with nervousness, she moved closer to me.
"They are here." Edward said. His eyes were trained on something too far off for my feeble eyes to see.