What Then?
"Edward!" Rosalie
screamed. "How could you?" Her mind threw unmasked insults
at me.
I shook my head, disappointed in myself. "I don't
know. Carlisle," I turned to my foster father. "Please
understand. It was an accident. I was thirsty, and . . ." I trailed
off, too ashamed to finish.
Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder. "It's all right, son. I know it must have been hard to resist as long as you did. You did your best." His mind reeked of disappointment, frustration, and misery.
"But we'll have to leave?" I asked softly, hardly able to hide the sadness in my voice.
"Yes," Carlisle said heavily. "We should at least stay as long as the funeral, though. Just to pay our last respects." He sounded weary.
"Esme," I said, turning to her. "Please, forgive me. I was crazed. I didn't think of how this would affect the rest of us. I'm so sorry. I never wanted to leave."
Esme looked up at me, a deep sadness in her eyes that wounded me deeper than anything she said ever could have. She just nodded once, slowly, then turned and walked away. Her mind was filled with sadness, imagining leaving our beautiful home and friends.
I was left alone with Jasper. I looked at him, silently pleading. He dipped his head, though not unkindly, and left the room. He was sympathetic, but firm. How could he know? He would have killed her too!
I couldn't believe it. How could I have been so stupid! But how could I have resisted? That scent! It was so delicious! "But I could have controlled myself," I said out loud. But it wasn't my fault. It was her fault, for smelling so good. No, it wasn't her fault. It was Alice's. How could she not have seen this? No, it wasn't Alice's fault either. It was . . .
I tried desperately to find someone to blame, but no one came to mind except for me. And Chief Swan. Poor Charlie. He would be heartbroken. Bella had only just arrived. And he was a police officer, for goodness' sake. He would realize something was up as soon as we left Forks. Why would we leave so suddenly? he would ask himself. Then he would know that we had something to do with his daughter's death.
And, I asked myself, what if she was tied in, deeper, with something else? Something to do with us, with me especially, as Alice had said. She saw her, as one of us. Nothing clear, but a big part of our lives. What would have happened then?
Something, a warm wind of some sort, gusted past my ear. I jerked my head up, looking for the source. All of the windows and doors were closed. None of the minds in the house concealed a hidden prank. I lowered my head into my hands again.
Then, suddenly, there it was again. A warm breeze lifted the hair by my ear, and I could have sworn I heard a high, bell-like voice call, "Edward . . . Edward . . ."
I looked around the room in confusion. I scented the air—nothing—then listened to the minds in the house. None were ones I didn't recognize.
I glanced around the room, then gasped in shock as I saw a pale figure up in the corner. She was floating, her fragile-looking silk dress swirling around her. Her face was mournful and regretful. She was transparent. A ghost.
"Edward," she called again, louder this time. "Edward."
"Wh-what?"
But she didn't answer. She just shook her head, looking inexplicably like Esme, and said, "Edward," in her ghostly voice. And then she vanished.
I shivered slightly. Was I seeing things? It was impossible for Bella's ghost to come back to haunt me . . . wasn't it?
This is how the story ends:
-Edward ends up marrying Tanya but isn't satisfied.
-Edward goes insane because of Bella's ghost haunting him.
-Jasper goes insane because he tries to calm Edward down but doesn't possess the kind of power needed, and so he also goes insane.
There is one more of "What Then" coming. Maybe more if I can think of it. But for now, only one.
