author's notes: it's my very first Twilight series, and i'm really curious to read any reviews and general responses. special thanks to my wonderful beta helaluvE.
characters: Bella, Lauren
warnings: au. wip. all vampire. all canon pairings/characters. changing POVs (underlined)
disclaimer: without prejudice. the names of all characters contained here-in are the property of Stephenie Meyer. no infringments of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.
IN THE SHADOWS;;
chapter 1: Isabella Swan
(Bella POV)
I didn't sleep. At all. But I was lying down with my eyes closed, pretending that the images that were playing behind my eyelids were the dreams I would have had if I'd still been human. And it was actually a relief to not have to wear the contacts. I normally would at a time like this, but Lauren knew how I got sometimes.
Lauren was my agent. No, that's not right. She wasn't just my agent. She was a confidant, my eyes and ears, and yes, out there she was even my body. But I didn't like her. Because I couldn't like her. If I allowed myself to get too close I could lose control, and I'd been trying so very hard to avoid that.
Lauren made it easy though. She was of the conviction that I was one of those tortured artists that revelled in their own solitude, martyrs of sorts, completely of their own choosing. In my case, I didn't think she had any idea how close she was to the actual truth. I heard her coming up the stairs, but I didn't make a move. She knocked, as always, but she never waited for me to answer. Somehow she'd grown accustomed to me just knowing when she was there. Luckily, she didn't question that ability.
"Bella?" her voice was high and sharp, a perfect complementation to her mannequin protein-shake constructed body. Probably a good thing we weren't friends; she wouldn't taste good either way. "Oh, there you are." She sniffed loudly, probably bothered by the smell of turpentine. "You really should open a window in here. Honestly Bells, how can you stand this smell?"
Easy, I thought, I don't breathe. I heard the vibrations her waving hand made in the air, but I still didn't move. She opened a window to ease her own breathing, and when she came closer to me I started faking my own. She must've realised what I was doing, because it was quiet for a very long time, only the sound of our breathing. I briefly wondered why she was there in the first place: we hadn't agreed on a meeting.
"Is everything in order for the exhibition tonight?" I asked, slightly worried that she would say no, and that I would have to help make arrangements. That's what I paid her for: sell my artwork, socialize with the clients and not ask me questions.
"Of course it is," she sighed, a highly unpleasant sound. "Have I ever let you down?" No, I thought, but in my personal experience there was a first for everything. Just like there was an exception to every rule. You know, those trite things humans invented but deep down still held some truth. That's how they became trite in the first place, commonplace, myth, rumour. Like the fact that vampires exist. I was the exception to that rule.
"So you're really here to try and convince me to attend?" I kept my position on the floor, my eyes remaining closed.
"I know we're past this. But yes." She tapped the tip of her shoe against the wall a few times; the reason eluded me. "There are some pretty important clients coming tonight. The Cullens." She spoke the names as if they were to be worshipped.
"Never heard of them," I said.
"They mostly keep to themselves, but you know you're doing something right when they come out for a personal visit," the reverie in her voice was easily imaginable. I thought about it. What would reverie look like outside the human face? I thought it must look something like a halo of light. "Trust me, these folks? They know their art."
"And you don't think you can handle them?"
"I'm saying they're the kind of people that like to know the person behind the art?" She made it a question, as if I was already supposed to know the answer after the amount of time I've spent in this business. She didn't seem to understand that I had absolutely no care for the business, I merely liked what I did, and the lifestyle was a perfect excuse to avoid crowds.
"You know I don't like to be around people," I said, and it was true, I just barely tolerated Lauren's presence right now. But an entire room full of people? All veins and rivers of red for me to be tempted. I didn't think I was strong enough for that just yet. Or ever for that matter.
"That's what I'm saying, neither do these folks," irritation sounded through in her voice, and I heard her heart beat faster. It didn't do that very often, her heart. Lauren was usually in control of her temper. These Cullens really must be something. "But they're willing to make an exception to buy your art and meet you."
Wait. Her heart skipped a beat, probably because she saw how I suddenly stopped breathing, humanly thinking that I had merely come to a shocking conclusion and would start breathing again in a matter of seconds. I couldn't. So I sat up on the floor quickly, and turned my back on her when I opened my eyes: the deep crimson colour in them would only scare her off. "You've already arranged for me to meet them, haven't you?" I asked when I realised that her irritation was actually nervousness.
"Don't get mad," she sighed. I couldn't get mad, not without directly exposing myself, or worse, kill her.
"Lauren," I threatened, suppressing a hiss. I balled my hands up in fists and stopped breathing again. I couldn't afford to lose control, not now that I'd finally settled in. And I planned to stick around for at least five years. That was the plan, and I would stay true to it.
"I gave them a preview last night," she blurted out. I recognized this, I believe humans called it word vomit or something equally distasteful, either terms were lost on me completely. I didn't speak that much as it was and when I did, it wasn't really worth listening to. "You should have seen the look on their faces, Bells." I winced at her nickname for me. It was worse than people calling me Isabella – my artist name, because everyone seemed to think that it sounded more artsy – but I didn't need that either. It was Bella. "You'd think they'd never seen art before. They liked the Woman with Child immediately."
The Woman with Child? That old thing? Not to mention completely wrong. Why Lauren insisted on keeping it around was beyond me. "You sold them that?" I frowned, mostly to myself, and chewed my bottom lip.
"Bells, they loved it." Lauren took a few steps and stood by the window; I wasn't aware the smell was that bad. It helped when breathing wasn't necessary. "They stood discussing it a while at first, like they didn't know what they were seeing. But then it was like the truth was revealed to them or something. Seriously." Sometimes I really enjoyed Lauren's way of putting things.
"They want to meet me?"
"Tonight at the exhibition, yes," Lauren answered, tapping her heel against the wall this time. I really wish she'd stop doing that. "Please please please, Bella, you have to meet them. It could be extremely beneficial for your career. These people are loaded."
I was still hung up on the specific painting they had bought. My other work was very good as well – no, I wasn't walking next to my shoes when I said things like that, a vampire's eye saw much more of the spectrum than a human's did – but for these ordinary people to actually buy my early work. But then, who said anything about ordinary?
"What did they look like?" I asked, lost in thought.
"Does it really matter?" Lauren retorted.
"Humour me."
"Well, they were—" Lauren took a breath and thought through her answer, which was unusual for her. "Come to think they were extremely— well, he was attractive. Very attractive. And the missus was just downright gorgeous."
I knew it, no human would go for my early work because they thought it was beautiful. There was too much going on in the canvas for a human mind to capture. But a vampire mind. Yes. "Bring them around to the apartment when they arrive," I said, unexpectedly, because I was almost sure I was yet to make up my mind. The words were out before I knew it.
if you can please let me know what you think!
