"How long will I love you, as long as starts are above you…" Ellie Goulding
Rosalie POV
Its dark outside; indicating to the majority of the population that it's time to sleep. But the lights are on in the Cullen Household. I lie on my bed, attempting to relax, to pretend to sleep, but there are a million thoughts running through my mind as a result of my earlier conversation with Bella, about the events leading to my transformation. I get off the bed and change in to some sleepwear, that's kept in the house for appearance purposes, of for Emmett's entertainment. The cold silk nightdress relaxes me, it's comfortable which is exactly what I was looking for; it's not exactly modest and I'm not sure it's suitable to wear outside my bedroom but it's exactly what I was looking for.
Emmett comes in just as I'm getting back on the bed and lies down next to me.
"You alright babe?"
"I've been better, that wasn't easy but she needed to know the truth". He curls up against me and I can feel how hard he is. I roll over on to him and he kisses me passionately. His hands are all over me, as they always are when we're alone, but my mind keeps flashing back to Royce, which is no surprise as I've spent the evening telling Bella about him. Emmett pulls my underwear down and flings them over to the corner of the room and he's kissing me everywhere.
Then I panic. I'm back on the street that Vera lives on, with Royce and his friends drinking under a lamppost, and they've pulled off my coat and their hands are all over me. I scream. I can feel Royce's dirty hands pawing all over me and I start to shake. Dry sobs rack my body and Emmett realises that I'm not in to this, that something is wrong. I feel a set of arms come around me and a flinch and scream and I can hear footsteps coming. Someone help me please.
Edward POV
Bella is sitting on the sofa with me, across from Esme who is chatting quietly to Alice. Jasper is in the corner, his ability to feel the moods of the house's occupant's entertainment enough for him. Suddenly panicked thoughts cross my consciousness and I look up to catch Jaspers eyes. All I can see in my head is Rosalie lying on the floor in the street, her clothes ripped away and her body covered in blood. She must be having a flashback. As an eerie scream rips its way across the room we all dash for the stairs, Jasper and I a split second in front of Alice and Esme, and Bella behind, hindered by her slow human pace.
Jasper is flinching from the harsh emotions coming from both Rosalie and Emmett; Rosalie is full of hatred and angst, and Emmett upset because he's unintentionally distressed the woman he loves and he can't pull her out of it. As Jasper and I enter the room we look away, Rosalie is thrashing around on the bed in her tiny nightdress and Emmett is trying to restrain her. As Esme goes over to the bed Emmett runs out, and Jasper and I go after him.
Rosalie POV
The hands restraining me are gone. I can feel my body rocking as I sob. I edge backwards until my back hits the headboard. I daren't open my eyes in case they aren't gone.
Bella POV
When I reach the top of the stairs, Emmett rushes past, closely followed by Jasper and Edward, who gives me a reassuring look as he passes. I follow the sounds of Rosalie's cries in to a room on the left that I've never been in to. Rosalie is pressed against the back of the bed, shaking, dressed only in a small nightgown. Esme sits down next to her on the bed and reaches for arms, only for Rosalie to flinch away.
"Calm down Rose, it's only me, it's Esme, you're fine, you're safe, and you're home…" As Esme continues with her mantra Rosalie stops shaking as much. Alice sits next to her on the bed and strokes her hair. As Esme pulls Rosalie in to her arms I feel awkward, watching the one member of Edwards family who doesn't like me, fall apart. Rosalie, the cold-hearted uncaring ice queen reduced to tears in Esme's arms.
Eventually the tremors stop completely and Rosalie's cries become much less frantic and panicked. When she opens her eyes she clings on tighter to Esme's in relief, her face buried in Esme's chest.
As I edge further out of the room I must have moved too fast because Rosalie raises her head and notices me. Her face flickers through different emotions so fast it's hard to see how she feels. Humiliated. Scared. Angry. Embarrassed. Livid. Oh no.
Rosalie POV
Relief staggers me when I realise it's all in my head and I cling to Esme, my lifeline. I'm at home, on my bed with my mother, I'm safe. I cry silently in her arms as the memories of my attack are at the forefront of my mind, remembering their dirty hands running all over my body as they each forced themselves upon me. I can feel someone stroking my hair and it calms me, but I see movement out of the corner of my eye as I become more aware of my surroundings.
Bella.
Instantly I'm shocked, hurt, embarrassed. If I could blush I'm sure my face would be crimson. Me, nearly 100 years old, curled up in my mother's arms, with a teenage human girl watching. Cringe. Why is she still here?! Humiliation clouds me and I yank me nightdress up to cover me. I can feel Esme pulling it down at the bottom and I'm even more embarrassed at how exposed I am.
Suddenly I'm angry. I'm lying in my own room, practically naked, looking a total mess, upset, and she thinks it's okay to be here! Something in my expression must have shown how angry I am because she darts out of my room quickly and I hear her footsteps going downstairs.
Esme strokes the hair across my face and pulls my head towards her.
"What happened darling?"
"I'm not sure. Emmett and I were," I glance down at my nightdress, "Well it's a bit obvious what we were doing, but after sharing my human experience with Bella earlier it brought back some bad memories" I flinch and she pulls me closer to her. "I think I must have had a panic attack". I look around and notice my knickers in the corner. Esme sees my glance and laughs,
"You two really are made for each other!"
"Where is he?" I ask, concerned that he isn't here.
"He needed some air, the boys have gone after him and he'll be back soon"
"He'll be back in less than five minutes Rose, don't worry" Alice chips in,
"Why don't you get dressed and we can wait for them downstairs?" Esme pulls me off the bed and in to a sitting position as Alice gets me some clothes out of the wardrobe. Esme helps me change, ignoring the look of embarrassment on my face. As we leave my bedroom Bella is stood outside, looking nervous.
"They're on their way back, Edward just rang", she mumbled "and I'm really sorry I went in to your room Rosalie, I was just worried when I heard you scream and…" I cut her off mid-sentence,
"Don't worry Bella. Worse things have happened than you embarrassing me"
"I'm sorry you felt you had to explain yourself to me, I can only imagine how horrific it was to tell someone you don't really know that awful story"
"Forget it Bella, its fine. Well obviously not fine, but if you're going to be a part of this family you would have found out eventually". I swallow the lump in my throat and look up from the floor, she's looking at me with a grateful smile and Esme squeezes my waist. I know both her and Alice have wanted peace between Bella and I for some time now.
Just then I heard footsteps bounding towards the house and the door opens. I can hear Edward reassuring Emmett that I'm okay and I run down the stairs to stop a few metres in front of him. He opens his arms with a hopeful expression on his face and I run in to them. Emmett holds me against his chest and I feel safe again. I look up in to his eyes.
"I love you",
"As I love you" he smiles at me "I'm so sorry for not being considerate enough to think about how you must have been fee…" and I silence him with a kiss.
"Never let me go?" I ask,
"Never" is his reply, "I will always love you".