Small town life had never been my cup of tea. That's why I took our move from L.A harder than my brother or my sister. Alice has always been one to blend right into the scene and Emmett just seems not to care where he is. Me however, I am forever a city person. "You have to be kidding me." I said with a laugh as we literally entered a one horse town. I read the sign that said "Welcome to Forks". What kind of place is named after an eating utensil? No place that I want to be that's for sure.
"Carlisle, pull in here. Maybe someone can help us find Mel's old place." Esme, my adopted mother said as we passed a series of small businesses. Mel was her sister who recently passed away. Now we are relocating out here to take over the family bait shop and help raise her teenage daughter Rosalie.
"Here, you go dear. Kids why don't you look around for a minute." Carlisle said as Esme opened her door. Alice got all excited and practically ran out of the car. "Watch her guys." Carlisle said as he followed Esme.
"Come on dude." Emmett said as we followed behind Alice. We walked down the street a little before Alice picked up a conversation with an old lady selling fruit on the sidewalk. That's when I noticed some people our age standing by a truck. They were two girls. One was tall with long blonde hair. The other shorter, but not as short as Alice the elf as Emmett calls her, she had long curly brown hair. Both were thin. That's why I was a little surprised that they were unloading large boxes full of fruit.
"Morning Mary Lou." The blonde said as she sat the box of fruit down in front of the old lady. "Billy says take what you want before we run them down to the school." She said as the other girl place her box next to the other.
"That Billy is so sweet. How is he doing?" Mary Lou asked as she looked at the girls.
"Great, the girls are in town for a week. He is one cloud nine." The other girl answered. She seemed more of what you would expect to find in a small town. Pretty, but her beauty is hidden behind cut off shorts and an open plaid button up shirt that revealed a tank underneath.
"Oh that's great." Mary Lou said as she smiled.
"Well, we will be back in a bit. We need to go talk to Maggie." The girl said as she turned around. I couldn't help stare at her. "What you lost? The highway is that way." She said as she point in the direction we just come from before running across the street with her friend.
"That Bella is a sweet girl." Mary Lou said as she looked back at Alice. "You know her father is the Police Chief and her Momma ran off when she was a baby. That's why everyone was so happy when she found Jasper. I think they will get married when he gets back. He is spending a year in Italy for school. I know that is tearing the poor girl apart." Wow, it is amazing what people will tell complete strangers in a small town. "Everyone thought he would have come back when his mother died, but according to Rosie some family member talked him into staying there." Shit. That would be me. I told the poor bastard not to give up a chance to get out because his mother died. I lost my mother when I was two and my father a year later. I turned out just fine. Jasper can deal.
"Some family member you say?" Alice repeated as she looked at me. "And now the poor girl is heartbroken."
"Shut up Alice." I said as I walked away.
"Oh no I caused a fight. I didn't mean any harm. My husband always tells me to keep things to myself." I heard Mary Lou say.
"Edward deserves to feel like shit." Alice said loud enough to make sure I heard. I walked across the street. I looked into the window of a dress store. I saw Bella and the girl she was with talking with I assume Maggie.
"You should feel bad." Alice said as she came up behind me.
"Why?" I asked as I looked at her.
"You took her true love away from her." She answered as she looked in the window also. That's when I noticed that she had a peach in her hand.
"No, he left on his own. I just suggested he didn't come back. Did you steal fruit from the old hag?" I asked as I looked at her.
"Same thing and no she gave it to me." Alice said as she looked at me. I was going to question her, but Esme walked up to us.
"You guys coming. The nice man in the market gave us directions to our new home." She said with a smile. Wow, this is going to be fun. NOT! We drove up to the actually rather large farm house. You could tell however, this land was never really used as a farm. Well, at least the corn growing type. Esme seemed so excited. Her other sister CeCe was here earlier in the week and unpacked all of our stuff that was shipped ahead of time. So, the house was move in ready and all we had to do was unpack our suitcases. There was a note on the front door. It read "Dear Aunt Es, helping a friend with running in town will be back later. Love, Rose. P.S the key is under the plant."
"Well, come on let's get inside." Esme said as she held the door open for us. It didn't take long to 'settle in'. I found myself looking out the window. I could tell that I would spend the next year watching the rain from this window.
"Welcome home." I whispered to myself as I watched through the window. I was there no matter where I wanted to be. Me Edward Mason Cullen tied down in Forks. God, I never thought I would see that one. It was about twenty minutes after my pity party began that old beat up red truck pulled up. I watched as the same two girls from earlier got out. They seemed to be having the time of their lives. How can anyone actually enjoy this place?
"Edward, Rosalie is here. Come down for a while!" Esme yelled up the stairs. I guess this is where the fun is supposed to start. I walked down the stairs to find the glares of Bella.
"So this is why Mr. L.A is here?" She said with a major attitude.
"Sorry I don't fit the bumkin mold." I replied as I stood by the stairs. I took a real good look at Bella. She was pretty in the girl next store kind of way.
"Edward be nice." Esme said as she looked harshly at me.
"No I want to hear this. So, because we work for our money we are bumkins?" She asked as she stared me down.
"I never said that. I was referring to the pick-up driving, cut off shorts wearing ways." I said as I looked at her.
She took a step closer before she said "Well it's better than the plastic surgery and druggie ways." By this point the whole family was watching us.
"Bella, back off please." Rosalie said as she put a hand on Bella's shoulder.
"No, I want to know what this sorry bastard has to say." Bella said as she looked at me.
"Fine here's what I have to say. At least where I come from people don't get married at the age of eighteen." I said as I looked at her.
"No you're people never get married. And you don't get to come in here and dis on my relationship with Jasper. We have been together for four years. We have been through hell together. Trust me we know what love is." She said as she stormed out of the door.
"Go back to L.A. I will be fine on my own." Rosalie said as she followed Bella.
"Upstairs." I will deal with you later Esme said as she went to the door. I spent hours sitting on my bed. Carlisle came in to make sure I was thinking about what I did. I basically told him to fuck off and I did nothing wrong. However, as I sat in my room all I could picture was Bella's hurt face. No matter how hard I tried to picture home.
"Mom is on her way up here to talk to you. You really fucked up this time." Alice said as she opened my door. Before I could reply she was gone. Soon enough Esme was standing in the door way.
"Don't even bother." I told her. She just came in and shut the door behind her.
"You know I remember the first time I held you in my arms. You were so small. So helpless. I made a promise that day that I would never hurt you. After all here you were three years old asleep in my arms. You had lost your father a couple days before, but you seemed peaceful." She said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Right now. What you did down there makes me want to break that promise." She said as she looked at me.
"She jumped me." I said as I looked down at the book in my hand.
"How can you blame her? You the one who told Jasper to stay away. I spent two hours talking to that girl. You don't know what she is going through." She said as she looked at me. I just shrugged. "I never thought I would see this side of you Edward. Is there even a heart in there anymore?" She said as she looked at me. "I know you are upset about the move, but you can't be this way. Take it out on me. Not anyone else." She said as she got up. "Bella is down stairs. If I were you I would apologize." I watched as she walked out. I don't know what got into me, but I found myself walking down stairs. I walked straight through the hall. I stopped only for a moment. I stuck my head into the living room and said a weak "Sorry." Then I grabbed the keys from the hook by the door. I needed to get away even if I knew I couldn't go home. Or maybe I could. I stopped at the only gas station in town.
"So you're leaving?" I heard someone say from behind me. I turned away to find that beat up red truck. Bella was standing next to it.
"What is it to you?" I asked as I turned back around.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Trust me I wouldn't lose sleep over you up and leaving. But, your folks might." She said as she walked over to my car.
"They want this and I don't." I answered as I looked at her.
"Really? Ask yourself something, is staying worse than leaving?" She asked at first I had no clue she was getting at. "I bet when you turn on to the highway you will see Esme's face. You will think about how much she loves you. How much she will miss you. Then at the next mile marker you will think of your sister. How much you need to protect her over curious mind." I knew she was getting to something.
"You don't know me." I said as I finished getting my gas.
"No, but I have tried to leave before. Every time I get to the gas station I start thinking about my dad. I always turn around. Maybe this will work for you." She said as she walked back to that beat up red truck.
"Why do you care?" I asked her.
"Rose is like a sister to me. Losing someone else will kill her." She answered as she got in her truck. Then a second later I watched her go back to where she came from. I soon after followed. She made a real good point. I walked into the living room and saw Rose curled up on the sofa with a textbook.
"Bella got to you." She said with a smile.
"You make it seem like she is a miracle worker." I said as I sat down in a chair on the other side of the room.
"She got you to come home. So, maybe she is." Rose said with a laugh.
"She is something. That is one thing I know for sure." I said back.
"Don't do that. She will only hurt you." Rose said.
"What?" I asked.
"Don't fall for her. She loves Jasper." Rose said as she got up.
"I don't need a bumkin." I said as I watched her walk away. I knew better to fall for her. Even if she has the perfect smile and was the prettiest girl in town. She had Jasper and I had a calendar to count down my days till I can leave this place. That is how it is supposed to be. Right?