Hey guys!
So for those of you that have been following my other stories, my most sincere apologies. I know I have not been very responsible with them but I do plan on taking them up again as soon as I find some inspiration for them. I'm on a writing streak right now so that might happen sooner than later. Meanwhile I thought I'd treat you to something new.
Now I claim no creative license for this story, my idea was actually based off from a Mexican soap opera I've just seen called "Al Diablo con los Guapos." while some of the ideas may be mine it's not entirely so. Obviously I'm also setting this in the twilight world as well so I don't take ownership for any of the characters.
That will be my disclaimer for the entire story. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know your most sincere thoughts by reviewing.
Thank you!
Mother superior had just left the room after making sure the two girls were in their bed. They waited five minutes after she turned off the lights and left. When they'd made sure that the coast was clear they collected their flashlights and in quiet fits of giggles they went about putting on their best party clothes and trying to apply their make up as well as they could with the limited light.
"I'm not sure about this Mili" the youngest and most sensible one of them whispered to the oldest and most impulsive one. "What if they catch us?"
"They will catch us if you keep sending all those bad vibes around us. What'sa matter with you? When have we ever been caught?" The oldest girl, Mili, wasn't sure why she was even trying to ease her best friend's nerves. It was standard routine so she supposed calming her was also part of that standard routine.
She glanced at her friend who had yet to look comforted. "Hey are we going to go do drugs?"
"No." Angela responded.
"Are we going to go drink alcohol?"
"No."
"Are we going to go do-"she lowered her voice at the next part, "the deed?"
Angela's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head.
"Then we're not doing anything bad. Since when is dancing a sin? This ain't footloose girl so calm yo-self."
Angela nodded and finally seemed to catch some confidence and relief.
The sneak out went smoothly, as it did nearly every Friday that they went to their favorite club. The fact that they were orphans did not keeping from being able to raise money for their own fun. Mili and Angela pushed through the crowd of bodies and found their own spot and beat to dance to. Mili tossed aside her black curled mane as it stuck to her skin with sweat and took her friend's arms and danced the night away.
At the entrance of the club two guys in their twenties walked in, one with a look of excitement in his wide brown eyes and the other looking around the dinginess of the room with pure dislike.
"Didn't I tell you this place was sick?" The one with blonde curled hair said excitedly as he clapped his hands and rubbed them together in anticipation.
The green eyed man with the strange wild copper hair eyed his best friend suspiciously and then replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "yeah real classy dude." Nevertheless he followed into the crowd as they looked for a table. He looked ahead and felt a body collide with his.
"Oops!" He snapped his head down checking to see if the person was all right. A black haired girl looked up with a mirthful smile.
"Gotta lay off the beer bud! I think it's messing you up!" Quick as a fox she disappeared into the crowd. Edward looked where she disappeared and tried to find her through the crows. She could have been a mirage for all he knew but he admitted to himself that his mind lacked the creativity required to conjure such a female.
"Come on I found a table!" Jasper called tugging on Edwards shoulder. Edward followed but when he sat down he kept his eye out for the girl with the white blouse, and short, red skirt.
After a while of wandering eyes and distracted conversation with Jasper, he finally spotted her curly black hair busily swaying with perfect rhythm to the upbeat music. She danced with another black haired girl. Not daring to tear his eyes from her for fear she might disappear again he nudged Jasper to get his attention. "Hey man, help me out with that girl; I want to dance with her."
Jasper didn't object and he and Edward made their way towards the oblivious girls. Jasper neared Angela and she did not object when he asked to dance with her. Mili looked at Edward as he neared and leaned down to whisper in what he knew to be a tone that would make her willing to do as he wished, "has anyone ever told you you're beautiful."
Mili smiled tentatively and imitated his own tone, "thanks for the roses but you can go ahead and give em to someone that wants em." With that she pulled her friend away and disappeared once more. Jasper laughed at his friend's baffled expression.
"Who the hell does she think she is anyways?" The indignant ring in his voice only made Jasper laugh harder and Edward shoved him a little.
He tried to ignore it but ended up sulking on his table, ignoring the girls that tried to get him to dance, and watched as Jasper enjoyed himself. After a while Jasper sat down next to him, his hair was matted with sweat and he smiled brightly at Edward. Edward rolled his eyes and listened as the club host announced a performance. As luck would have it, it was that same girl. She pranced onto the stage and took the microphone. The music began and her voice filled the club as people cheered her on and crowded around the stage.
Edward let out a small laugh of disbelief at the sound of her voice: of course she would be a singer. He watched her from his seat as he dissected her voice detecting what made it so rich. It wasn't a fake voice like the one every pop singer and wannabe carried. It was the voice that went far beyond the throat. The diaphragm, that's where the sound originated ad it created a certain richness to her voice the kind that was heard over sixty years ago.
Jasper whistled in encouragement. "Man what a woman!"
"She's not all that." Edward countered but the smirk on his face as he watched her dance betrayed him.
Then his eyes zeroed in on a guy close to where he was he neared the stage and Edward heard clearly as the man threw crude words at the girl and tried to reach to touch her leg. In a swift move Edward was up and pulling the man by his shirt, his fist raised threateningly. "If you don't shut up I'll knock your teeth out!"
More guys noticed the commotion and crowded around their friend threateningly as the man pushed Edward back. Edward was just about to throw the first punch when Jasper stepped in.
"woah woah woah! Gentlemen! I have a message for this man here."
"For me?" Edward looked at his friend in confusion.
"Yeah! Dip it man!" and he began to scour away. Edward understood and he began to run as the four men chased them through the crowd.
On the stage Mili continued the show without having even noticed a sign of commotion in the crowd.
If the sneaking out of the orphanage was easy Mili had figured sneaking back in would be even easier. She was right, it was easy. They got into their bedroom through the window giggling at their sneakiness.
"Told you no one would find-"
The lights went on and the last word died in her throat. Mother Superior looked at them with a scowl she was famous for. Both girls were quiet and wide eyed. Mili was the first to speak.
"What if I told you that we had to help a really sick friend?"
Mother Superiors scowl deepened if such a thing were even possible.
"No? Okay well what if I tell you we went to visit my mom's grave…no not that I can't bring her into-"
"ENOUGH!" and she shot her eyes towards Mili, "that is it Milagros. Your time here is up. This week you leave the convent!"
The next morning at the Cullen mansion, Carlisle Cullen stood before a mirror in his bedroom, a jovial hum rang in the air as he fixed his tie into place. His good mood originated from his plans to see Tanya Denali that day. His gentle humming came to a stop as his wife walked in.
She looked at his unnatural good mood and looked down, guessing where this had come from. "Are you going out?"
He looked at her in an almost cynical manner. "No, I'm getting ready to jump right back into bed."
Elizabeth Cullen ignored this and continued as if he hadn't responded. "You didn't eat here last night. Or the one before that."
He turned to fully face her "What for? So I can sit at that table and watch you complain about an alcohol induced headache? I'll pass."
"I thought we could talk."
"Elizabeth, Sweetheart." He walked to her and kissed the top of her head. Despite the loving gesture his voice was ice cold. " Don't bother me."
Elizabeth's face remained stoic as he spoke. "What do you want me here for? To lie on the bed turned away because I can't stand my wife reeking of alcohol? To lay there looking at the ceiling wondering why I married a damned alcoholic?"
Her expression broke and the sharp sound of hand and cheek colliding resounded through the room. Carlisle's face tried to retain his sneer but it was betrayed by loud enraged breaths. "One more time, Elizabeth" he said, his voice becoming low and dangerous, "and I'll cut your hand off"
He turned to leave, ignoring the sting on his cheek, and heard her rummaging through her bedside cabinet. He turned and saw her standing with an empty liquor bottle.
"Don't even try looking for it, I threw it out. Try some mineral water honey." He laughed at the fury in her face and closed the door to the bedroom as he left. He heard the crash of the bottle against the door and laughed even more; mocking her.
The door opened and she followed him out. "Carlisle you can't leave! I'm your wife! At least you owe me-"
"What?" he barked at her. "What do I owe you Elizabeth?"
"Please don't leave me here looking like an idiot before the servants. They're starting to notice, they look at me with pity!"
"And why is that dearest Elizabeth, huh? Because you do cause pity." Tears streamed down Elizabeth's face and clouded her beautiful green eyes. How she'd fallen victim to such a life was beyond her.
"How dare you?" she whispered, "how dare you say-"
She stopped abruptly as Edward walked down the hall towards them. "Dad? Dad I need you to tell me if-"
Carlisle didn't look at Edward as he cut him off. Instead he looked at Elizabeth angrily. "Dad…" he smiled coldly and unhappily as if blaming her for the fact that Edward had called him 'Dad' as he always had "dad." He spat once more and walked away angrily.
Edward watched, confused, as his dad walked away, though he was no stranger to Carlisle's insufferable behavior. He looked at his teary mother and hugged her.
"Let's see, what happened to the prettiest of moms?"
She didn't smile, just looked at him and walked away. Worried as he was he didn't push, he was well aware that everyone in the house was a little crazy.
Carlisle was making his way down the mansions elegant staircase where the butler awaited him at the foot of the stairs.
"Sir,"
"And what do you want Eleazar?" he snapped.
Eleazar ignored the rude tone, "your mother wishes to speak to you." He informed.
"Alright then, tell her to come down."
"Sir, you are well aware that Mrs. Marie has not left her room for many years, and you know very well why."
Carlisle huffed and looked at Eleazar in the eye. "Quite honestly, Eleazar, I'm sick of you and my mother. Your sister left, I didn't throw her out. Make sure to make my mother understand that."
Eleazar was well practiced in the art of hiding his emotions, but it took him some effort to push down the rage pooling within him "I will sir." With that he turned and went up the elegant staircase and disappeared.
"Daddy!" the youngest of the Cullen's bounded into the living room. She wore a bright haughty smile on her lovely face as she skipped towards her dad and hugged him. He returned the hug, a smile replacing his glowering. "If you're going out can you take mommy's car? Because I'm taking the other one with Morgan since my car hasn't gotten here yet.
"Morgan? Is he a new boyfriend?" he asked wondering why he hadn't been aware of this.
"Ugh obvi no!" she looked at him as if he'd said something ridiculous. "My new driver!"
Carlisle still did not understand. "But his name isn't Morgan."
"I know. But I like the name Morgan better; it doesn't make him sound so…ordinary." Of course when she said ordinary she referred to peasant-like.
Carlisle looked at her a moment then rolled his eyes and walked away not bothering to understand his daughter.
Upstairs in the Cullen home an old woman paced around her bedroom as Eleazar informed her of her son's response to her request. Marie Preston was clearly displeased.
"What's left of my son, Eleazar? Where's that young man that was once so full of dreams emotions, and love?"
"We all changed after she died." Eleazar answered casting his eyes down at the memory of his sister.
Marie turned her head sharply; "she's not dead." her voice was firm if not stern. "Your sister is not dead."
Eleazar knew better than to argue against this headstrong woman. He merely looked at her and wished he could believe his words.
"We have to hire another detective-"
"Dear lady you've hired 23 detectives and all have returned the same outcome-nothing! It's been nearly nineteen years."
Marie shook her silvering head frowning. "But she could not have been swallowed by the earth!"
"Your son made the choice to marry someone else, and that destroyed my sister!"
"Yes," the elegant woman admitted. She wrapped her fine shawl closer around herself. "And that's why she ran away from here, from us, taking with her my grandson who was yet to be born." Her frown shifted and her determined voice became a lament. "I don't want to die without meeting him, Marcus. If only I'd been stronger. If I'd confronted my husband so that he would not have forced Carlisle to marry someone else."
"Do not torture yourself. Do not blame your husband. He thought he was doing the right thing."
"Have you forgiven him?"
"Him, yes."
"But not my son." It was more of an affirmation rather than a question.
Eleazar seemed uncomfortable and brought things to an end. "If you do not require my services I will leave now."
Downstairs in the sitting room a man with shoulder length black hair and an ill fitting suit picked up the newspaper from the coffee table and was just about to sit and read when his sister walked past.
"Ah! Elizabeth." He had a habit of speaking in an unusual cheery way that often led people to wonder at the things going on through his head. "I hear your husband didn't sleep here last night."
"Where did you hear that?" She snapped unable to tolerate her brother at the moment.
"The servants seem very well informed." He took a seat and looked through the newspaper.
"The servants are incompetent fools!" She made to leave and then turned back.
"You know, Aro, instead of snooping around in others business, why don't you tend to you son?"
That was all it took to wipe the smile from his pale face. With a feeling of satisfaction she left the room to tend to her garden.
He looked down at the paper, suddenly thinking about his son, and didn't notice as a maid walked in looking around to make sure no one was around. When she verified that the coast was clear she sashayed over to Aro and stroked him with her feather duster.
Aro jumped up in surprise. "Jessica! What are you doing? Are you crazy? Someone can see us." as he spoke she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "If your mom sees us-"
"She's not going to see us, she's in the kitchen, cooking."
"Oh."
"Soo." She said with a small tentative smile. "Have you spoken to your brother in law?"
"About what?" he said trying to shake her off and play dumb but she was impossible.
"About my job!" she whined bobbing up and down slightly. "I told you I don't want to be in this uniform anymore."
"Right, right. I'll do it. But what do you say, today after dinner you come by my room and you show me just how much you want to get rid of that uniform; which by the way looks very good on you." His eyes raked over her thin body, clad in a pink maid dress with white trimmings that ended mid-thigh. She smiled flirtatiously and twirled for him.
"Okay, tonight." She promised and began walking away squealing when he slapped her behind.
He took a seat once more and Edward walked in.
"Hi uncle Aro." He was about to walk away when he saw his dad walk into the sitting room.
"Heard you didn't sleep here last night." Edward called out, making Carlisle stop at the foot of the staircase.
"What's it to you huh? Since when do I have to answer to you?" He spat
Edward scowled and angrily strode out to the mansions gardens, it didn't matter that his dad had seemed to hate him since he could remember; it still stung to be treated as vermin by his own father.
"You shouldn't treat your son like that Carlisle." Aro lectured him while still glancing at his newspaper though not really reading it.
Carlisle's anger flared further at being addressed by yet another person he disliked, even more so at being told what he should and should not do.
"You're right. I should follow your example right? I mean you've done it all! You killed your wife your son's girlfriend, you left him in a wheelchair. You really are the role model huh?"
Aro trained his eyes onto the newspaper and felt his hand crumpling it.
"Carlisle!" Elizabeth called from the top of the staircase, having heard him. "Is your cruelty really necessary?"
"Tell your brother not to meddle with me." and he walked up the stairs. Elizabeth looked at Aro it was her turn to give someone a look of pity.
Carlisle knocked on his mother's door before entering.
"You wanted to see me?" there was nothing in his voice to signal that he was happy at seeing his mother, or that he was speaking to his mother. He didn't even look at her. He merely walked over to the French doors wanting to, as always, be anywhere else instead of in his mother's presence. There was only one thing this woman could be interested in talking to him about and it was a subject he wanted to kill and forget forever.
"I hear you did not sleep here last night."
"For someone that spends all her days locked up in this room you sure are well informed."
The woman looked at his son trying to find something that would remind her of who he had once been. Regret filled her heart at her inability to be stronger for him when he had most needed her.
"I told you so." She said, "I told you not listen to your father, not to ruin your life and look at you now."
"You know?" Carlisle turned to face her, full anger into place. "It makes my blood boil, having to hear you say 'I told you so'"
"Well I told you so! Carlisle, do you never think of Esme? Of that son that's heaven knows where?
For as much as Carlisle had wanted to forget about her his mother made every effort to remind him every passing day. Always managing to force open that wound. Carlisle took deep breaths trying to keep from saying something he'd regret.
"Why don't you just bite your tongue?" He muttered and left the room. Marie looked at the place where her son had stood and began her second round at self deprecation.
In the mansions kitchen Rebecca Stanley, the cook, stood by a counter and watched as the Cullen's driver ate his soup in delight.
"Mrs. Stanley I gotta congratulate you for the bomb ass food. The best of the best."
"Oh Emmett, sweet boy." Before anything else was said the mansions gardener walked in holding a rose in his hands.
"A rose," he said handing it to Mrs. Stanley. "To the queen of all roses."
Mrs. Stanley blushed and cast her eyes down as she took the rose. "Marcus, the things you say." She smiled and shook her head. "Thank you." She looked up at him a spark in her eyes. "You are a true poet.
Emmett looked away trying not to gag.
"Morgan!" he jumped out of his seat as Miss Rosalie Cullen walked into the kitchen looking exasperated.
"I thought I told you to get the car ready!" she snapped. "What are you doing here?"
"Excuse me miss," Rosalie turned her blonde head to look at Marcus. "Sorry to interrupt but his name's not Morgan. It's Emmett."
"No." she said speaking very matter of factly. "If I want him to be Called Morgan then Morgan is his new name. Isn't that right Morgan?" and her eyes turned to Emmett daring him to disagree.
"Of course, beautiful." He mumbled through his evident daze.
Rosalie looked at him enraged. "Excuse me?"
"Sorry! Miss Rosalie." He amended and she threw him a nasty look. "Is there a reason for my new name? What do I remind you of someone or something?"
Rosalie rolled her eyes at his manner of speech and forced a smile. "As a matter of fact yes. There was this movie I watched when I was a little girl, of a very elegant woman. She had a driver that took her everywhere. Since then that's my favorite actor, and his name is Morgan." She spoke to him as if he was young and had to be explained things very carefully. The fool was too enamored by her he didn't seem to notice it.
"So I have always wanted a dog or a driver that's called Morgan…and I already have a driver." She saw that he had no intention of removing his idiotic expression and she became impatient once more.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Move!" She snapped her fingers at him and he happily hurried out of the kitchen to the garden to get the car started. Rosalie followed him out, the sound of her heels becoming less and less loud.
In another one of the upper rooms of the mansion Eleazar was exiting with a tray of leftover food. "Is there anything else you need sir?"
A voice inside said no and Eleazar closed the door and locked it.
Inside the room a young man with shaggy black hair sat on an electric wheelchair. Surrounded by paintings and art supplies everywhere he gazed at the canvas before him. The soft curves of a nude woman was outlined in chiaroscuro but the face was blank. He contemplated the sensual piece before talking to it.
"You look very beautiful today." He admitted.
Carlisle finished eating his meal and stood up and moved to wrap his arms around Tanya.
"I love that you invited me to eat here." He admitted and leaned in to kiss the strawberry blondes lips. She pulled away a serious look on her face.
"I think you should leave, I don't want you to misinterpret this as something else."
"This is something else." Carlisle moved to kiss her neck and pushed her away. Tanya rolled her eyes at the eagerness of this man and knew she had him in the palm of her hand. Despite this she pushed him away.
"I told you I don't want to have anything other than a platonic relationship to you."
Carlisle looked at her baffled. "Why? What more could you possibly have? Did I not raise your salary? Did I not get you this luxurious apartment to live in?" he gestured around the elegant place. Tanya smiled flirtatiously and slowly and suggestively walked over to sit down on a fine leather couch.
"I don't understand, Tanya, at the office you treat me-"
"I treat you, the way a secretary treats her boss…Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all you have done for me. But I'm not so materialistic that I would tolerate being the other woman. I was born to be the only one in a man's wife Carlisle."
"You know you drive me crazy? He whispered leaning down to kiss her.
"I feel a lot of things for you too Carlisle. But this is not the life I want. Maybe if you consider leaving your wife." She suggested.
Carlisle took deep breaths, trying not to let his frustration get the better of him. Tanya watched, calculatingly and stood from the couch.
"Come, sit down. I'll make you some coffee." He did so and an idea came to her as she watched him.
"You know, I'm tired of taking the taxi." She knelt in front of him and took his hands. She looked at him through thick lashes and Carlisle wanted to eat her up in that moment. "I think a car would be very, convenient. Don't you?" She leaned in to whisper the last part seductively into his ear. When she looked into his ocean blue eyes she knew she'd soon have that car.
Noon drifted over the city of Chicago and Mili ran with the soccer ball speeding by all the other players before putting in a well aimed kick that sent the ball straight from the goalie and into the goal. People clapped and she ran to father Nicholas, a short round man that coached a small, boys soccer team. She approached the closest person she'd had to a father figure and worked to get her breath.
"See father! There's no reason I can't be on the team. I'm s'good as all of 'em."
"There is one reason dear: girls can't be in the same team as boys."
"But-"she was starting to pull the same argument she had every time there was going to be a game.
"Now now dear I told you I can't let you. But you can go ahead and sell those sodas. Remember we need the money to pay for those shirts!"
Mili rolled her eyes and looked longingly at the game that was about to start. She picked up the tray with all the sodas and moved over to the stands were people watched the game.
"Sodas! Get your sodas! Hot day get your soda! Don't want y'all dehydrated and passin out on us! Sodas!"
"So why exactly are we here?" Edward asked Jasper as they moved along the stand full of people to sit and watch the soccer game. "Come on let's do something fun."
"Sorry man, I promised my friend I would watch him play." They both sat down and Jasper was immediately drawn into the game. Edward stared around him at the people he would never associate with. For all the grandeur that Chicago had to offer it still retained those dark corners of low class society.
"So why'd you bring me here?" he grumbled, "I'm thirsty and I have better things to do than to sit here in this sweltering heat." It was the middle of summer and the heat could be a bit unforgiving.
"Just buy a soda from that boy over there and shut up." Jasper pointed without looking at Mili who was still going up and down the stands announcing sodas. Edward looked over and whistled to get her attention, when she saw him he signaled her to come over.
"Coke." Edward said when she got there; he pulled out the money from his wallet not really looking at her the whole time.
"That'll be two dollars," she spoke and Edward looked up in surprise at what he thought to be a boy with an unusually high and feminine voice. In his defense anybody could have made that mistake given the manner of dress of Mili. The bagginess and masculinity of her clothes hid any indication of a woman under them. Her boyish aspect only reinforced by the hat on her head that successfully hid her long locks from sight.
Edward tried to look at the 'boy's 'face but Mili's head was bowed as she got the soda for him.
"Thank you, Johnny " Edward let out a small chuckle at the boy's voice.
" Johnny?!" Next thing he knew there was soda all over him. He looked up in shock to see an angry boy with unbelievably fine features. Small lips pursed so tightly they seemed to form a circle, large blue eyes that seemed like blue fire due to her anger and her cheeks were flaring with pink spots. It dawned on him that this was a young girl.
Mili gave him one last look and turned and left while people around him, including Jasper, laughed at the scene. Edward was seething as he looked at how Mili was called over by Father Nicholas.
"Milagros! I saw you! I saw you!"
Mili was unfazed by what she did or the Father's humorous anger. "You mean what I did to that prick?"
"Yes! I mean not the prick! Yes!"
Mili raised an eyebrow at the Fathers babbling. "Yes or no father? See even you don't understand yourself sometimes."
Father Nicholas was about to say something but had to return to coach the team. He waggled a finger at her in warning. Mili shrugged and continued her advertising.
"Sodas! Sodas! We got em in any color. Y'all come an get it while it's cold." She passed by Edward and his friend, Edward was still fuming. "You want another soda sir?" She taunted and he made a small threatening motion at her. She laughed and walked away.
Edward got up and walked down toward the father.
"Excuse me father but, that's a woman?"
Father Nicholas looked at him in apology and resignation. "That's more than a woman son, you'd best not get in her range of fire."
Angela had been waiting for Mili at the convent. She'd been sad since what Mother superior had said last night. Mili tried not to make too much of it. She was well aware this day would come. She was soon to turn eighteen and she would be forced to leave. That was the way it was in this place.
"Don't you worry about it." Mili said to her. Her back was against her headboard as she looked at her own reflection on the mirror in front of her. "Father Nicholas is looking for a place for me to work and somewhere to live. I'll have somewhere to go. I'm just wondering if I can come to eat because I don't think I can live without sister Magdalene's food. She thought of the plump smiling woman that knew a bit too much about the opposite sex in her opinion. She supposed the sister must do a lot of reading.
She stretched and pulled at the gold chain hanging around her neck, glinting as it caught the afternoon sun rays. Angela turned her attention to it.
"Where did you get that?" she asked.
"I've had this since I can remember." Mili looked at the small pendant with a beautiful old looking tree inscribed into it. "My mom gave it to me."
"You don't have a mom." Angela pointed out, to which Mili smiled sadly.
"No, but I had one at one point." She looked at the pendant longingly wanting to know where it had originated from. "The nuns say that it was the first thing she did after I was born, put the necklace around my neck."
"You've never talked to me about your mom."
"Well I've got very little to say. I don't even know what her name was. She arrived to the convent really sick. She wouldn't talk to anyone and she had me soon after. She was weak you know, she just held on long enough for me to be born. That's what they say anyways. She put the chain around my neck and was able to name me Milagros before dying. She must have really loved me…" she murmured the last part to herself.
"Why Milagros?"
"She was Spanish, so they say, it means miracle. Can't blame em, I mean look at me. Do I not look like a walking miracle?" She joked.
"Let me see." Angela moved over to see the necklace and turned around. "What's this?"
There was another inscription on the back. Three initials C.C.P "don't know," Mili admitted. "I think they might've been my mom's initials.
"Or your dads," Angela suggested. Mili's eyes snapped to her and she was suddenly angry.
"No. Don't even talk of that man. I'm sure he's the one that brought all this misfortune on my mom and me. The nuns said that when my mom arrived she'd been emotionally hurt. She partly died of heart break. And I'm sure he was behind everything. I tell you if I ever have that damned man in front of me I'll make sure to spit in his face."
She did not consider herself a hateful person, but this man was that one exception and she was convinced she would hate her father for as long as she lived.
Monday morning Edward had driven to the family's construction corporation for a meeting. He'd just finished telling Jasper that the one that threw soda at him had indeed been a girl but Jasper failed to believe that.
Upon entering the meeting room he saw everyone was already there except him. His mom and dad and his uncle Aro, all of them owning a percentage of the company's stock.
"Edward, sweetheart," Elizabeth called to him and Carlisle rolled his eyes. He was clearly not happy to see his son there. "What are you doing here?"
Edward smiled proudly and stood taller as he announced that his grandma had just named him her representative in the company; she too owned a percentage of stock.
He'd expected them to be proud of him, his mother smiled triumphantly and he took a seat. Carlisle huffed and puffed as this meant that he would no longer represent his mom; he was inches from blowing a house down. He looked at the papers that Edward had handed him and saw her signature clearly printed on the document as well as Edwards.
"Okay, let's begin." He hissed.
The meeting involved the construction of a new mall. While the location was perfect it was federal land. Carlisle demanded to move to the next proposition as he knew they could not get their hands on the land. Aro on the other hand objected.
"Let him talk dad." Edward demanded, trying to take charge of the situation as he sensed it was going in a wrong path.
Carlisle slammed his hand and stood. "Listen to me you idiot." He looked at Edward who began to glare. "You think this is a damned game?"
"Carlisle please," Aro spoke in his mockingly cheery voice. "If we want to build those malls then those are perfect locations. I already have everything sorted out. You don't even need to worry about it."
Carlisle expressed his distrust in his brother in law stating he was a mediocre fool before calling Edward to his office to berate him for a wrong he had not committed.
"What did I do for you to hate me so much!" he bellowed when he had enough of his father's insults.
Carlisle seemed to want to burn Edward alive with his mere stare and then he said, "You were born."
It was another blow to add to the collection. Edward looked at him trying to show as little of the hurt as possible and he quickly left the office.
Edward was fuming by the end of the meeting and left the building as soon as it was over. He would have to learn to deal with it. He would be working here from now on and this would be a daily think now. He had better learn how to control himself and ignore his father if he wanted to make his working experience in the family business any better.
The drive home was calming him and he reached a stop light and noticed a girl and a boy on the sidewalk. He could faintly hear the boy sing and he thought he recognized the voice. When he looked over he realized who it was and called her over hoping to get his payback for what she'd done.
Mili neared the car thinking they are going to give her money for the performance. When she got near Edward pulled her hand and she recognized his face.
"Hi Johnny." Anger and panic overcame her and she reached to grab at his hair.
"Let me go!" She screamed at him pulling on his hair and threatening to leave him with a bald spot.
"Are you crazy!?" he screamed at her but he'd let go when the pain of his head got to him. She ran and pulled her friend by the hand.
"Crazy bitch," he muttered to himself and rubbed his head. The stop light went green and he turned the car in the direction opposite to his house. This was the second time this kid made a fool of him and that was something he would not stand.
He found her walking alongside her friend on a lonely street. And he drove the car to block their way. They jumped back in fright as they thought the car would hit them.
"Watch it dumbass!" Mili was about to go around the front of the car when Edward stepped out slamming the door behind him. The girls screamed as he went after them. Millie wasn't able to run fast enough and he caught her round the arm.
"You're not getting away from me now you little monster!"
"Let me go!" She screamed trying to hit him. Angela looked at the commotion in fright, unsure on what to do; she clearly could not function under pressure.
"You and I have something to talk about don't we?" Edward asked with a dark smile.
Mili seemed to have gathered her wits and shook her hand free. "You think I'm afraid of you? Please you're all bark and no bite."
"Good to know."
Edward clearly disliked her; it was evident in his eyes and the set of his smile. But he'd never met someone with so much fire in them as this young girl clearly did and he looked into her glaring and defiant blue eyes with a feeling of intrigue.
"You know what you are? You're a rotten brat. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"
"I don't have a mother." She spat, he felt a small tug of embarrassment but it was so hard to feel properly ashamed when this girl looked at him as if her glare would kill him, and he was prideful; his one tragic flaw.
"Well I can see that, Johnny." he sneered looking down at her frayed boy clothes.
She clenched her teeth and those blue flames burned in her eyes again, it occurred to him that there was something familiar in that blue eyed glare.
"I'm not Johnny! I'm a damned girl!"
"Really!" He exclaimed in mock surprise. Then in a quick and powerful movement he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips. She stilled for a moment in surprise then tried to pull away but his hold on her was too hard. There was a cocky smile in place when he pulled away.
"That was to prove if you really were a girl." he said in that haughty manner of his as he looked from her reddening lips to her half shocked and half angry eyes. Her face changed entirely, turning soft and un-frowning. She looked up at him in such a seductive manner he did not believe her capable off and ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders.
Edward leaned down thinking himself triumphant at having tamed this wild little beast. A moment before their lips touched he felt the collision of her knee with his groin and he dropped to the pavement. He could hear her mocking laughter.
"That was to prove that you really were a guy, you'll get there eventually sweetheart."
Edward grunted grabbing at his crotch and looked up to find her running out of sight with the other girl.
In the Cullen mansion Eleazar was about to open a bedroom door when Aro walked in.
"Let me do it Eleazar."
"But sir, he doesn't want anyone else-"
"I said let me do it." Aro's smile was hard, wide and threatening. Eleazar nodded and opened the door. Aro walked into his son's room, carrying the lunch tray with him. The room was dark and Eric sat on his wheelchair looking at his dad.
"You stay here all day doing nothing? You don't even paint anymore." Aro looked around the room and saw the faceless woman on the painting. "You haven't even finished that."
"I can't."
"Then throw it away." He said clearly unable to understand the value it held for his son.
"Stop it dad." Eric snapped. "If I'm tied to this chair it's because you wanted it that way."
"It was an accident." Aro defended.
"Because you were drunk! I told you to let me drive but no, Mr. Perfect says and does as he pleases. You killed my mom and my girlfriend YOU!"
Aro said nothing; he walked to the door and stopped before leaving. "It's useless, trying to get close to you, it's useless."
The door closed and Eric's glare did not leave his handsome features. He stood up from the chair with perfectly strong legs angrily muttering that it was his dad's fault.
Edward had picked up Jasper and had told him of what happened. Jasper tried to overcome a laughing fit at the story and Edwards glaring face. He could still feel the pain on his groin. He parked at the church where he knew Father Nicholas resided.
"I'm telling you dude, that monster is going to pay for that she did. She has no idea of the grave she's dug for herself."
He got out of the car when he saw the father walking into the church and ran to catch up to him.
"Father!" Father Nicholas turned to him. "I was looking for the girl from the soccer game. You know the soda incident." Father Nicholas nodded in acknowledgement. "Where can I find her?"
A slow smile took over the Fathers plump face before he exclaimed, "Mili? Oh dear please tell me you're looking to hire her!"
Edward frowned momentarily in confusion before deciding to play along, "Yes."
"Oh she'll be so happy!" he said to himself. Edward smiled knowing that he had her in his hands.
The next day Edward had installed himself in his new office and insisted that Jasper be there to prove to him that this Johnny kid was a girl.
Mili walked into the building looking around with a scowl on her face, the last thing she wanted was to work around rich snobby people and she had a feeling that this building was crawling with them. She went to the secretary whose name plate read Tanya Denali. She stood there while Tanya continued talking on the phone as if there was no one there.
"Are you gonna help me or what!" Mili finally said when she'd been waiting long enough. Tanya's manicured hands delicately removed the headset from her head and looked at her in distaste before speaking rudely.
"What do you want?" a perfectly arched eyebrow pointed up expectantly.
"I'm here to see this dude." She dropped the card with Edward Cullen's name and Tanya laughed at her when she saw the name.
"Of course you are." She tossed her strawberry colored hair back.
"Listen fish face, if you don't let me in to see him I'll hit you so hard even your hair dye will fall off."
Tanya looked at her angry and insulted then with an arched eyebrow and a challenging smile she called Edward. Moments later she let her in.
Someone was talking as she walked in and she immediately recognized the voice and groaned. Somebody must have something against her, she figured.
"As you can see Jasper our Johnny boy is not much of a boy as we thought. He's actually a girl!"
Mili scowled at both men.
"You have to be joking!" Jasper looked at her and began to see the truth.
"Of course she is can't you see she's got breasts? And a very nice set by the way."
Mili frowned and crossed her arms across her chest, she'd made it her goal to never feel humiliation and right now she began to feel more humiliated than she ever had before.
"Go on Johnny; show something to my friend to prove it." Edward sat on a big chair and leaned back looking at her cockily.
She was mad, it took very littler to raise her temper and she walked around the desk pushing Jasper out of the way, her hand ready to strike at Edward and he caught her. His grip on her wrist threatened to cut her circulation and he stood up and she finally seemed to notice just how tall and handsome he was.
"Now what huh? What are you going to do now?" he walked forward forcing her to walk backwards from him. Only when her back had hit the door did he stop.
"What happens if I call security and tell them you were stealing from here?"
"I'm not a thief!" she spat.
Jasper looked away feeling like this was getting out of hand.
"And you think they'll believe you?" he looked down at her clothes in clear disgust. "Please, have you looked at yourself in a mirror? I should call them to bring down that air of grandeur you have."
It was all she could do to keep herself from knocking him out into next year. And rather than being so humiliated that she wanted the earth to swallow her, she wanted the earth to swallow him.
"Unless you apologize to me." he said and waited but her eyes were hard and prideful much like him. When he saw in her expression that she wouldn't do it he took her by the shoulders and shook her roughly almost knocking her head into the door. "Say you're sorry you deranged beast! Go on! I can't hear you!" She looked at his angry green eyes and wondered if all the handsome ones were just as rotten as he was.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled quietly.
"I can't hear you!" he shouted again, hurting her ears and making her heart rate increase. He was so close she wondered if he could hear it
"I'm sorry" she said louder this time.
"LOUDER!" he shook her again.
"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Her voice broke and she quickly caught herself. Edward released her and she made a go for the door. Before she left she turned to face him, her ocean blue eyes red and angry.
"I'M SORRY YOU'RE SUCH AN INSOLENT SHIT FACED BITCH!" before he could say anything she left and ran past the chuckling secretary.
Instead of feeling triumphant Edward really did feel like an insolent shit faced bitch. Boy attire or not she was still a woman and he had been brought up better than that. He'd been crude, violent, and disrespectful; all the things he disliked and that went against his nature.
"You went over the line dude." Jasper said, as if Edward didn't know it. "Happy now?"
"No, I messed up dude." Edward agreed. This didn't feel like he thought it would…
Outside the building Mili ran past Angela who had been waiting for her and straight to the street. There was a moment in which she heard the screech of tires and she saw the car coming at her through her blurry vision and then everything went black.
She opened them again minutes later feeling disoriented. Someone was holding her and shaking her and she feared it was Edward again. But when she looked at the person she saw an older blonde man with an overwhelmingly attractive face and striking blue eyes that she was sure she'd seen before.
"Are you okay?" he was scared and worried. Mili looked to the side and saw Angela crying.
"What happened?" she said slowly getting up. Carlisle Cullen stood but his hands hover about her fearful that she might faint again.
"You ran into the street and fainted when you saw the coming car!" Angela hugged Mili tightly and Mili tried to look at the man.
"Do you want me to call an ambulance?" in that moment Carlisle wished he'd pursued a career as a doctor as he had always wanted to.
"No…thank you." She mumbled not meeting his eyes she pulled her friend along and they both left quickly. Carlisle was left looking at them flabbergasted.
Mili and Angela didn't speak of the incident but Angela wanted to know what had gotten Mili so worked up. The last thing Mili wanted to do was think of that so she kept the information to herself much to Angela's regret.
Saturday morning the Cullen family made their way to the Saturday mass as it was the anniversary Elizabeth's father's death
"Eddie this is just too much." Rosalie complained, "don't you think? Wasting a perfectly beautiful Saturday morning."
Edward smiled at his only sister, "come on it's not like we do it all the time. Remember it's for grandpa, he always loved us so much."
Rosalie rolled her eyes but smiled at him and got off the car while smoothing down the expensive fabric of her dress and fixing her perfectly styled hair.
They went into the church and Edwards's eyes fell on the small body of Mili clad in her usual boy attire. She stood with the choir members and seemed utterly bored. The family sat down and the choir began to sing leaving the solo for her. It was going smoothly, everyone was listening attentively to her voice and Edward noted that her voice sounded very familiar to him.
The good conduct ended when she forgot the rest of the lyrics and she completely substituted the song by something that was most likely pop music and began to dance to it. Elizabeth stood up, her stern green eyes zeroing in on Mili and the father who had a panicked look and was trying to get Mili to shut up. Edward tried to contain his laughter at this girls antics, as rotten and ill mannered as she was it was easy to find her liveliness endearing.
"What is this Mili! For heaven's sake!"
Mili smiled apologetically and nervous. "It's cuz, uhm it's cuz. I'm sorry father it's just that-"
Edward stood up and walked towards her and the Father, knowing it was his turn to apologize.
"Please father forgive her," his was a kind smile; kind being a word she wouldn't have associated with him. It frustrated her to see that it fit him better and added to his unearthly good looks. "Please forgive her like I hope she forgives me.
"Don't you forgive me Mili?"
She looked at father Nicholas and spoke to him as if she hadn't heard Edward. "Father you can tell this dude that he can very well go to hell!"
Father Nicholas raised his hand in exasperation, "don't say that in here!" Edward smiled in amusement at her slip and tried to hold back his laughter.
"Well then please tell him to follow me outside?"
"For what?" the Father asked.
"Whadaya mean 'for what'? So I can go tell him to go to hell outside! To hell with the handsome father!" she turned on her heel and walked out.
Father Nicholas called to her and then apologized to Edward who assured him everything was fine and not to worry. He began to follow her out when his mom got up and went to Father Nicholas.
"Father when you finish, because I assume you will finish this right? I want to talk to you." She was clearly unhappy and she looked at the door where the dirty little girl had walked away and where her son had followed.
Edward found her in a small garden, her back to him and leaning against a tree. He looked around and saw a shrub of thorn-less roses. He cut one from the stem and walked up to the unsuspecting girl with the baseball cap. While standing behind her he drew his arm around her, presenting her with the rose.
"I know for these cases it's the olive branch but how about the rose of peace?"
Mili didn't turn to look at him but took the rose in her small hands feeling touched by this act of kindness. She turned to face him and he felt triumphant that he had brought about that small embarrassed smile to her face.
"I see you and I don't understand." he admitted with a dashing smile of his own that made her really look at him and the perfect imperfection that he was. "But I really like you."
He leaned in searching for a kiss and she pulled away. He smiled in understanding.
"I have a friend who can let me borrow her apartment. Want to come?"
"For what?"
And he could not believe that along with the list of things that infuriated him yet he found endearing, he had to add her naïveness
He smiled gently and it did a little to bring her guard down, "what do you mean for what? So we can be together."
"Sorry nope, sister Magdalene says when a guy tries to get you alone it's because he wants' to do the deed"
Edward nearly laughed at her choice of words but he knew that would earn him no marks towards getting her trust.
"And how does a Nun know that?" he asked finally letting out a small chuckle and there was no presumptuous air in his laughs. It made Mili smile and laugh a little.
"Edward?" Mili looked over his shoulder and saw a tall mouth dropping blonde walk over to them. She suddenly felt small. "You missed the whole ceremony!" She turned her blue eyes towards Mili and she made a face of distaste.
Edward looked between them and noted that Mili and his sister had the same unusual shade of blue in their eyes.
"Why are you talking to this…thing?" Edward almost groaned knowing what was coming.
"Thing? Thing?" a big word was about to make its way out of her mouth and Edward already knew it.
He raised his hands toward her and made a calming motion. "Hold on, it's all right." He said feeling as if he was talking to a little kid.
"Johnny is a,"
"Johnny your ass you dumbass!" Edward pursed his lips trying not to let things get out of hand. Rosalie looked like she wanted to laugh. Mili looked at Rosalie and her defensive manner surged. "What? Do I have tentacles on my face or what!?" Edward smiled somewhat resigned and entertained.
"Why do you dress like that?" Rosalie asked and Mili felt the anger licking at her at the prospect of being belittled by this snobbish and rotten brat.
"Like what?"
"Well you know you'd look better if you dressed like a girl." Edward wanted to stop her then but he was amused at the same time. "Oh! I understand you're a he-she" Rosalie taunted with a mocking smile.
Mili made a run at her and Rosalie shrieked and ran away, Edward followed after the two of them trying to catch Mili and calm her down. He caught her around the waist and pulled her while Rosalie screamed "get that thing. Edward, keep her away!"
He lost his hold on her and Mili caught Rosalie and began to shake her while Edward caught her around the waist again and tried to pull her away. For someone so small she was unbelievably strong. When he'd finally gotten a firm hold on her Rosalie took her chance to scamper away from the rabid mongrel, as she now depicted Mili.
Mili pushed away from Edward, muttering angrily to herself and wanting to tear apart the rose in her hand.
"Please excuse my sister" Edward apologized, being most sincere; "she was rude to you for no reason."
Mili turned to face him and the blue fire in her eyes seemed more subdued. "I suddenly feel bad for you." She admitted. "I would be insufferable too if I'd been forced to grow up with someone like that."
Edward took the insult lightly but could not help and respond in what he hoped came across in a joking manner. "You're insufferable enough as it is, and that's without someone like Rosalie by your side."
She scowled and he thought she would hit him with the flower in her hand but just then the voice of Father Nicholas came from within the church and called Mili over. She didn't turn to look at him as she left and failed to see his curious smile set upon her covered frame. He walked around the church to the entrance and rejoined his family; his mom was fussing over the ripped strap of Rosalie's dress.
"Sweetheart are you sure you didn't get it caught on something?"
"No mom, I told you some rabid dog tried to attack Me." she whined in exasperation.
"Well that's because you provoked it." Edward responded in his best teasing voice. He wasn't going to pretend he hadn't been amused by the way Mili had shaken Rosalie, he felt like sometimes Rosalie really needed it.
Rosalie looked at him with an incredulous look on her beautiful face, "don't defend that thing!" she smacked his chest with her purse and got into the car. Elizabeth made no more questions on the subject.
"Are you sure you won't come with us?"
"No mom, I agreed to meet Jasper here."
Elizabeth nodded and bade her son goodbye then they left, leaving Edward alone and waiting for Mili to come out of the church.
Inside, Father Nicholas explained to Mili that he'd found a job for Mili.
"Where?" She asked, her tone un-matching with the Father's joyous one.
"In a well respected family's home. You'll work as a maid there. You'll live there and eat there." Tears welled in her eyes, Father Nicholas's happiness felt like a betrayal to her. "They'll treat you well dear! The pay is good, you will have free days and you'll be able to go to mass! They'll treat you just like family!"
She smiled sadly; she knew they'd treat her as anything but family. She had her own prejudices against the wealthy that no matter how wrong she might be about them she didn't try and make herself think otherwise. She could see the arrogance in their eyes every time they looked at her, judging without knowing her and was therefore quick to attack anyone that looked at her in such a manner soon before they could say anything against her.
"So it's really happening?" She asked, unable to hide the tears and broken voice; they were hell bent on betraying her.
"Dear I thought you'd be happy about this"
"I'm leaving my home, and you expect me to be happy about this? I grew up here, this is all I've ever known and now I'm just being kicked out; just like that.
"I know dear but you knew this day would come sure."
"Well the knowledge sure didn't make it any easier." She wiped away her tears only to make more room for the oncoming ones. She walked away not bothering to listen to whatever else the father had to say. She promptly walked out the church doors trying to dry her tears.
"Mili?" She looked up in surprise and looked at Edward who walked towards her on impulse. Before she could process it she was wrapped in his arms and she had her own around his waist as she cried into his chest.
"Hey, what's wrong pretty girl?"
She didn't want to talk. She just wanted to be held by comforting arms and his, though strange to her, felt perfectly safe and familiar. She looked up wondering if his pretty green eyes would be just as warm as his arms. She flinched in surprise at seeing that his face was so close to her own.
Edward stared at her wide teary blue eyes and experienced that feeling of familiarity again. Her eyes shifted between his eyes and his lips, giving away a part of her thoughts. He leaned into her and felt like it had taken him a lifetime to reach the soft skin of her small lips. He felt it instantly. He felt the difference between this kiss and all the other ones he'd stolen from countless of dazzled women. This kiss hadn't even been like the first one he'd given her, that one had been too hurried for him to even begin to feel anything. There had only ever been lust in every kiss he'd ever given. He'd never kissed a woman he didn't intend to have sex with. While the thought had been on his mind when he invited Mili to be alone with him, sex was not the primal thing he associated her with.
He'd expected the lust, but lust was only a minor character in this gesture. It was completely overshadowed by tenderness that he'd always been a stranger to and had not realized, until now, that he'd always been craving this feeling.
As if she could sense the sudden greedy turn of his thoughts she pulled away and he was baffled by her angry expression.
"Do you make a habit of going around kissing random girls?" she willed her anger to cover the odd emotions that had spread like a virus from that kiss; pretending she felt nothing peculiar about the act.
"I'm sorry," he defended. "It's just that I saw you crying and then you were in my arms and…I couldn't contain myself."
"And what'd you think? ' I got this idiot around my finger' bullcrap! Listen pennyhead, if you wanna go 'round kissing girls then go look for frogs in another pond, don't even start to think that I'll turn into a princess."
Edward smiled softly looking at her blotchy face and wondered how someone with such a character could be alone in this world.
"You're so violent…and yet so delicate." He wanted to touch the softness of her round cheeks but knew it'd probably earn him a slap.
"Delicate your grandma! -and anyways I wasn't even crying."
Edward tilted his head back and laughed. "And I suppose you just had something in your eye."
"Actually no, that something was actually on my mouth and it left me with such a bad taste!"
He smiled at her theatrics, noting how exaggerated her movements seemed though he realized that she wasn't trying to be dramatic at all. Through his musing he saw her walking away and he knew he hadn't had enough of her yet.
"Wait." Her head snapped back when he caught her by the arm. He let go of her and she didn't move away. "I want to see you again."
"Not even in your dreams pretty boy."
He shrugged with indifference at her negative response. "Well I know your name and that you live in the convent. I also know you like to play soccer, finding you won't be very hard."
"Actually it will be. I'm moving out of here."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know." And by her expression it was clear that she was unhappy by this. "But at least one good thing will come out of this. I won't ever have to see you again!"
He didn't think about it, he simply saw her walking away-almost running- and shouted "Johnny, wait!"
It stopped her; she turned to him with a warning look and scoffed before walking away as if she'd heard nothing.
At the Cullen mansion an argument had ensued amongst the servants when Alice Brandon, another one of the maids, had caught Jessica in mid act with Aro Volturi and she'd informed Eleazar of it.
"You're a dirty rotten snitch!" Jessica bellowed, pushing past her and Eleazar and hurrying over to the room she shared with Alice. When she'd fixed her uniform she hurried down to the kitchen and was not surprised to see that Eleazar was there and had already begun to tell her mother of what happened.
"Don't listen to what Eleazar says. You know he dislikes me. He and Alice both want me out!"
"There's a reason for that, and I'm not going to go around and pretend that you're a saint Jessica." Rebecca had heard one too many complaints from Eleazar to know just what kind of a person her daughter was.
"I'm sorry Rebecca but I must ask your daughter to collect her belongings and leave this house."
"Only one person will be fired today," Aro intervened and Jessica smirked, knowing that he wouldn't let her be thrown out. "And that will be you Eleazar."
Eleazar was still, his face completely smooth and calm. "You can go get your belongings and leave now."
Eleazar nodded and walked out the kitchen.
"See mom, I told you I did nothing!"
"Don't think I'm buying that. I know you Jessica." Rebecca turned to Aro who watched the exchange with a disinterested smile. "And you sir, I don't care if you're the boss's brother in law; if you want something with my daughter you will marry her by the church and give her a decent home."
Aros smile turned cold and he quickly invented something, "I better go back to my room, I left the water running."
He left the room quickly, wanting to hear no more of such talks.
"Would you stop that mom?"
"What do you think you're doing, messing around with that man? He's old enough to be your father!"
Jessica rolled her eyes knowing what she was going to say.
"So what ma? I like him!"
"What kind of future will that man give you? He drinks he gambles; haven't you heard he killed his family in a drunk driving accident? He spends his time asking his sister and brother in law asking for money and losing it in gambling. He's using you the way he uses everyone else!"
"So? I'm using him too! Aro has money and that's what I want. Don't you dare think that I'm just going to work here the rest of my life and be a failure like you mom. I will be with all those important people and Aro is my one way ticket to that. So don't you get in the way of my plans or you'll regret it."
Rebecca was unable to respond in her state of shock. Jessica looked around the kitchen at Alice and Marcus who had seen the entire scene and both looked at her with a reproachful look.
"What are you looking at!" she snapped and walked away feeling satisfied with her mother's reaction.
Marcus was quick to hug this woman he'd loved for so long and wanted so desperately. She started to cry and he held her tighter.
"What have I done to make her feel so ashamed of me Marcus? Why is she like this?"
"Shh, Jessica just can't understand the great woman she has for a mother and how lucky she is."
"Yeah, it's okay Becky." Alice reached to rub her back in comfort. "She doesn't deserve a mom like you. Heck I wish you would be my mom; she doesn't understand how sad it is to grow up not knowing your mother."
Upon his exit from the kitchen, Eleazar passed by the luxurious sitting room and found the man he'd been looking for. Carlisle listened to his explanations of what had just occurred with disinterest.
"I just want you to know, sir that the moment I step out of this door I won't carry anymore of these family secrets. I will make sure to make them known everywhere and by everyone."
Carlisle picked up the warning and was suddenly very attentive to what Eleazar was saying.
"Don't worry Eleazar, you're not going anywhere." Eleazar's intentions had worked.
"Oh Carlisle, glad to see you, I wanted to inform you that I have just fired this man."
"Well I'd like to inform you that you are an idiot but I expect you already know that. Eleazar is not going anywhere except to go about his usual duties."
"Carlisle please, do not limit my authority before the servants."
"Yes Carlisle it surprises me of you. If my brother says-"
"Your brother only says idiocies. And if he wants to talk, then he can start by telling you why he's been having sex with the maid."
Elizabeth closed her eyes trying to contain her anger at her brother it wasn't right for the servants to see these things. "Carlisle please do not be crude."
"If you don't need anything else," Eleazar interjected, "I will be leaving now."
Nobody answered until he left.
"Well, you owe me one Carlisle. You're lucky I'm not a hateful person. By the way do you think you could lend me some money? I'm running low."
"You know I would prefer you be hateful Aro; seems like you lost everything in the game last night. Unfortunately you can't make any withdrawals from the company until the end of the month. I supposed you'll just have to make due with playing cards and betting beans."
Edward was out in the mansions basketball court playing with Jasper but his head was not in it. Only when he'd tried to catch the ball and it had hit him did Jasper finally stop the game.
"Sorry man, I'm just not in it."
"Well I can see that."
Edward placed his hands on his hips, regaining his breath. "Call me crazy but I can't stop thinking of that kiss with Johnny."
"I didn't know you were batting for that team now" Jasper joked and received a small shove from Edward.
"I told you that she's a girl."
"Yeah but you have to admit that those kicks she throws are not very feminine."
Edward smirked and mentally cringed at the memory. "Well it doesn't matter anymore, it's not like I'll ever see her again"
"That's the spirit. Let's see if you can play like a man now."
"Watch it!" He called.
But Jasper gave up soon when it was evident that Edward was clearly not in the best of spirits. Edward was left alone with his thoughts. They channeled between the family business and things he had to do and Mili and that kiss. It called for a cold shower that helped ease the frustration; but just as he was preparing for bed the thoughts came back. His mind replayed the same words she'd said about leaving and not having to see him again. He couldn't help but be bothered by this. Here he was, for the first time in his life, after a girl that expressed no interest in him. To say it bothered him was an understatement. If he was honest he'd admit his pride was being injured. But he had a hard time understanding why someone as ordinary and uncultured as Mili had caught his eye, why was he chasing after someone that in any other day he would have found beneath him?
The thoughts continued and followed him into his sleep.
The next morning after breakfast he Aro and Elizabeth were called over to Carlisle's study.
"Carlisle must we really talk of business today? It's Sunday." Elizabeth had no patience for business talks in the moment, especially not so early in the day.
"Elizabeth, everyday is a Sunday for you. I won't even mention holidays because you immediately associate them with alcohol."
She glowered at him, "Dad what did you want to talk about?" Edward interjected before an argument broke out.
"Aro has managed to find a way to secure our control over those lands for the mall; of course it will have to include bribery-"
"Come now Carlisle." Aro interrupted with his usual smile. "Let's not speak of bribery, we are business people. It's just a payment of a million dollars you know to secure our control on these lands."
"I thought it was already secured." Carlisle barked.
"Well so to say, you know it's just to split it amongst these delegates in the chamber." He purposefully left out the fact that five hundred thousand of that money was to be kept by himself.
Carlisle huffed and continued. "Well since we all agree on this-"
"Wait dad, we should put this to a vote."
"Edward, with your uncle and I it's more than enough he has twenty percent and I forty. We don't even need your mothers twenty."
"Let's vote." Edward repeated.
Carlisle huffed and looked at him coldly through icy blue eyes, "alright then, let's vote. Those that are in favor of this." Carlisle and Aro raised their hand but Edward was surprised when his mother did the same.
"Why are you agreeing with them, mom?"
"Because your father asked me to."
This fueled his anger; the fact that his mother wasn't even able to make a choice of her own.
"Fine, but be aware that grandma did not consent to this, and neither did I. I did not think you could sink so low. And then you go around speaking of corruption, bunch of hypocrites."
He left slamming the door while everyone was silent. Carlisle smiled loving any moment that he was able to shoot down his son.
Edward headed upstairs to his grandmothers room and crossed Eleazar who was just about take a breakfast tray with food to Eric.
Eleazar continued his path and opened Eric's door just as Eric had hurriedly taken a seat at his wheelchair.
"Good morning sir."
They both exchanged the regular greetings and Eleazar set the tray on the desk where Eric kept all his art things.
"I must say sir," he began as he took a look at the piece of the faceless woman. "When you finish this portrait of your girlfriend it will be most exquisite. If I may say so, sir, your girlfriend was very beautiful."
"That's falling short of words Eleazar. She was magnificent, she had light."
Eleazar smiled at the twenty year olds conviction, "you really loved her didn't you?"
"I love her." he corrected.
"Please allow me to say-"
"Say what?" Eric's voice already sharp as he knew what was coming.
"You're a young and handsome man-"
"Without legs."
"You have legs."
"Without heart."
"You do have a heart. It's just wounded but-"
"Thank you Eleazar, you may take the tray. I'm not hungry." His voice was dismissive.
"But sir-"
"I said go Eleazar!"
"As you wish sir." He did as was told and left. Eric gazed at the faceless portrait with a melancholic expression.
"Don't worry my love. No one will ever separate us."
Rosalie laid on a reclined pool chair taking in the sun on this warm morning on Chicago. Nearby Emmett had rolled up the sleeves of his driver's uniform and was busy washing the car. He purposefully used more water than necessary so he'd have to walk past Rosalie's unnoticing form to get more water.
He passed by her but was unable to see, blocked by her sunglasses, if she was awake or asleep. He stared at her scantily dressed body, his mouth watering and becoming more convinced that he was in love with this goddess. Before he knew it he'd walked too close to the pool and had fallen in.
Rosalie shot forward from her seat and removed her sunglasses. She began laughing as she saw Emmett splashing about, trying to compose himself.
"Morgan!" she laughed. "What an idiot!"
Emmett didn't hear it with the splashing of water as he got out of the pool.
"Don't go in there miss, the water is cold!" he was now close to her and his movement sent water her way. She jumped and tried to ignore it.
"Morgan now I'll have to disinfect my pool!" But she could not stop laughing while Emmett shivered and spluttered.
Edward had been greeted warmly by his grandmother; she was the only one in this crazy family he ever felt true affection from. Even his mother had always been somewhat distant from her children, though this was mostly due to her alcoholic tendencies.
He talked to her for a while of other topics, not trying to ruin her good mood too soon. She was amused as he talked to her of his latest conquests.
"You're just as much of a womanizer as your father!" she chided. She'd hoped it would be taken lightly but it bothered Edward to be compared to his father. He liked to think he was nothing like him.
"I just hope that's the only defect I took after him." he said with a grimace.
"Look, what you need to do is look for a girl that will match all your expectations. But first and foremost you must define what your expectations are. Otherwise you'll spend all your time looking without knowing what you're even looking for."
"Well it's not that easy, grandma, sometimes we can be deceived."
"Hmm you sound disappointed." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Would you like to tell me?"
Edward smiled, "who else better than you?" he gathered his thoughts and began to explain. "Something odd happened to me recently. I met this girl that…" he got this faraway look as he thought of her and tried to explain himself. "I don't know. Honestly she's not the kind of woman I normally associate myself with but…she's something special, different," he rolled his eyes and smiled, "sometimes insufferable."
Marie's eyes were wide in delight and wonder. If there was one thing Edward knew about his grandmother, it was that she was a hopeless romantic.
"But she's got something like a…a –I don't know. But anyways, don't listen to me; I don't think it's even worth talking about her."
Marie sighed recognizing his impulse to lock away his feelings in a drawer and forget about them. She'd seen it happen too much in her own son.
"And why's that?" she asked.
"Well because I don't think I'll ever see her again."
"Well," she said with a disappointed huff. "If you just met her then it won't be that hard to forget her. But when the love is great and intense, and it suddenly leaves like-" she stopped there, catching her slip.
Edward furrowed his eyebrows, "like whom?"
"Like your grandfather." She quickly covered up and Edward didn't seem to notice the lie, much to her relief. Her grandson was quite perceptive when he wished to be.
Edward smiled softly, understanding that she must feel lonely without him.
"Grandma I wanted to talk to you about the corporation." He quickly filled her in on what had just happened and what he'd done.
"You did well, I would have voted against it too."
"But they're still going to do it grandma."
"Oh yes. Carlisle is just like your grandfather, always buying their way, even going as far as buying a wife."
Edward was puzzled once more by his grandmother's words. "What do you mean he bought you grandma?"
"Oh he didn't buy me; I gave myself on my own. I'm talking of someone else's wife."
Before being able to elaborate there was a knock on the door and Marie granted them entrance.
Elizabeth walked in, an uneasy look on her face. "Marie, here's the girl that will tend to you." She looked at someone outside the door. "Come in."
Edward hadn't expected to see Mili come into the room. Her head held high and sure of herself, her usual clothes hanged loosely around her.
"This-this – what is this?" Marie asked, looking at Mili without understanding.
Mili raised a delicate and stern eyebrow at the way in which she was addressed.
"Johnny?" Edward blurted without realizing that Mili was on the defensive side as it was already.
Her hands fisted at her sides and she didn't even try to stop herself from retorting. "JOHNNY YOUR RETARTED ASS!" Elizabeth and Marie's mouths dropped in shock and joined in on Edwards shocked expression as Mili looked on with a defiant look.
And that ladies and gentlemen is where our story really begins.