Spare another Twenty-Five Minutes

-Chapter Two: My False Reflection-

[Bella]

"Ma! I'm heading there today, maybe in about an hour I'll be arriving"

"Oh, what you want for dinner?"

"Anything"

"What about spaghetti?"

"Sounds great… take care bye, love ya" I pressed the red button on my phone. I breathed heavily then stared outside Jacob's car.

"That was a long sigh" he blurted out suddenly. I smiled. "I hope it's a sigh of relief"

"Yeah, I guess so… everything seems to be in place right now." I took a glance of him. "Thank you for everything Jake, you're a real friend, I promise you in some way I will repay you for all this."

"You don't really need money to repay me… just be my friend and that's enough." I thanked him with a smile. The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. I took a CD and played it so it won't be as boring.

We soon arrived at my house. Esme was waving to us by the front porch. I gave her a great big hug before running inside the house.

"Hey Jake, come on" I called with a gesture.

"Yup, thanks" he walked over to where I'm standing. I placed my arms over to him and patted his head like a little kid. "Stop that!"

"I love you!" I joked.

"Love you too!" he replied in between giggles.

"Hey, you two lovebirds get over here… the food's ready!"

"Ma! Lovebirds?" I said with a funny rhythm in my tone. "We're nothing more just best friends" I amplified the word 'best' strongly. We were always told to confess about our relationship but no, there was nothing more than just being friends, everyone is always mistaken us to be in a more serious relationship, even my mom teases me with Jacob. "I swear I love him, but as a really, really, really close friend only" I repeated the word exaggeratedly to clarify the truth. I glanced at him with a childish grin written on my lips.

"Yup, Mrs. Cullen" he blurted suddenly. "I tried courting her but it just feels uncomfortable."

"That's what I said to my mom too when your dad and were in high school and I call Carlisle my best friend" she smiled dearly as if telling me that I will marry Jacob in the future. "Ok… enough chatter, let's eat."

I led the prayer then we ate dinner with slight conversations and giggles in between. We silenced when someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it" I stood up then headed for the door.

"Who is it?" I said before turning the knob.

"It's me your Aunt Eloise" I turned the lever.

I hugged her. "You should have told us you're coming Aunt Lou!"

"I just want to barge in… I guess I want to surprise you and Esme" she walked straight to the kitchen as I trail behind her. "Wow, what a handsome young fella!" she exclaimed upon seeing Jacob. I sat down when she followed "Bella, you have a good taste in picking a boyfriend." My eyes widened upon hearing her words.

"Aunt Lou, there's a huge difference between a best friend and a boyfriend!"

"But, it starts with letter b and has the word friend in it" Aunt Lou is always fond of teasing people without any plan of stopping.

"But it's completely different."

"Fine, I surrender, your denial is pretty strong."

"I'm not denying, I'm just telling the truth!" Aunt Lou's face fell to a gloom.

"Ok, stop, Lou, you should be ashamed of yourself, Jacob's blushing!" I sank to my seat with my hands crossed. "Even Ma doesn't believe me," Jacob just resumed eating with a smile on his face.

"Sorry Jake" I whispered.

"Don't worry, I don't mind." he whispered back. "I'm used to it, anyway."

A knock on the door caught our attention. "Who might that be?" Esme said to herself.

"I'll get it for you." Jake stood up and headed for the door.

"Thank you." Esme sat beside Aunt Lou.

Aunt Lou was frighteningly staring at me, she glared at me anxiously. "Bella, dear, I want warn you with Jacob. He's very attractive. He looks like that type of man that would go screwing other women after he's done with you. Just like your Uncle Rob."

"Lou, I said stop it. Don't you realize that she's innocent about those things… and don't bring Rob in the conversation, Jake's not anything like Rob."

"I'm not with Jacob… period." I stood up not realizing my rudeness, I followed Jacob to the door. I saw a guy in a black suit standing by the door with Jacob. "Who's he?"

"Ms. Bella Cullen?" he asked as he saw me, I became surprised instantly upon hearing my name from him. "H-How do you know me?"

"Let me introduce myself." he shoved Jacob off of his way. "I'm Atty. Eric Yorkie" he held my hand to a shake.

"I'm sorry, am I suppose to know you Mr. Attorney?" I pulled my hand away from his grip. "If it's about the house, I already paid for it, I just need to pay for the interest and… you don't need to take it out of our possession, do you?" he just smiled.

"I'm not here in regards to your house… May I come in? I'll explain my presence."

"Yes you may." I looked at Jacob. He has that sense of distrust to the lawyer when he eyed him in a slightly furious glare.

He sat on the couch. "Bella, who is that?"

"Ma, He's Atty. Yorkie." I said as he nodded gently.

"I'm here because of Ms. Bella Cullen."

"What about me?" I reacted. Esme sat beside me on the couch. The mysterious lawyer stared at her.

"I believe she's Mrs. Esme Cullen, the wife of the deceased Dr. Carlisle Cullen?"

"How do you know that?" I asked with one brow up.

"Mr. Yorkie, I know it's rude of me to ask you this, but may I ask you to leave our property? Your company with us in this time of the night worries me. And you don't look like you live anywhere in Washington."

"Ma, please let him talk." Her eyes looked worried.

"Yes, I am indeed not from Washington… I am from Arizona." his tone made me frightened. "But I assure you Mrs. Cullen, I'm to be trusted."

"Then please proceed." I said in a formal tone like him.

"I hate to break the bad news to Ms. Bella, but she has to know."

"Know what?" I wondered in my thoughts.

"Ms. Bella, Mrs. Esme Cullen is not your biological mother."

"Yes, I know I was adopted by them… but how do you know that?"

"Mrs. Rina Swan hired a private investigator from our sector. This is how we got all the information about the Cullens."

"I didn't understand a word you said… Who's Rina?" I muttered with my brows somewhat clutched together.

"Uhm… let's put it this way, you're not adopted." His words struck me. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen took you from the hospital, away from your real parents." His last statement shocked me severely. My breaths sped along with my heart beat.

"WHAT?" I stood up from my seat. I looked at my mom as she has her head down. There was a moment of silence "Ma? Is this true?" I looked at her intently.

Esme didn't answer a word. Aunt Lou doesn't seem shocked at all while Jake sat up as he was mutely staring at me.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" Esme placed her face on her palms. "SO IT'S REALLY TRUE! YOU TOOK ME AWAY FROM ME REAL FAMILY" I placed my hands on my waist, and then cupped by hand over to me mouth as my eyes began to water. "Jake, we're gone." I headed out the door and Jake followed me.

"Bella!" Aunt Lou called out but I ignored her and didn't even bother to look back. I tried to open the door but it's obviously locked.

"OPEN THE DOOR" I demanded. Jake was already inside the car.

"Hey hey" he tried to calm me down.

"JUST OPEN IT!" I kicked the front tire. He opened the door for me.

"Don't hurt my baby." He joked but it made me more pissed off. He started the engine, the only thing heard in the car is the sound of the keys softly cling to each other. "Where are we going?" he said, but now with a more serious tone.

"To hell" I mumbled strongly in between heavily breaths.

"Ok, to hell then…" he drove off. I didn't know what to think anymore. Everything's just so confusing. He then stopped after the awkward silence. "We're here" he went out. "Unfortunately, angels are not allowed in hell." and opened my door. His statement made my lip curved in its corner, but it didn't break me out of depression. He closed the door behind me and turned on the security.

I walked in the dark, I don't really know what I'm doing right now, and I'm all spaced out. The effect of the lawyer's words didn't wear off, the impact was completely tragic. I'm just sure that I'm not crying now because of Jake's presence. I'm really glad he was there with me, even if I was close to pushing him away, he's still there for me.

I stood in the middle of the grassy park. It was slightly lit by the light posts. There's a lake by the park, and a bridge through it. I walked over to it and held the railings as I stared at the dimly lit reflection on the water. I leaned closer, letting my wavy brown hair slid down to my shoulder smoothly.

I found out that I was adopted when I was fourteen, I was still a child back then, I ran away and hid behind Jacob. He's the one who told me to go back home and realize their sacrifices for me. I later accepted that since Esme lost Carlisle by that time and she's still grieving. But now the fact that it's already agonizing to know that I have been only adopted and not a biological daughter, then later after 4 years I'll find out that I'm not legally adopted? That I have a real family waiting for me, they both took away my chances of knowing myself better, being with the real blood siblings. Having my real identity.

I felt delicate fingers tuck my hair behind my ear, he breathed heavily. "Don't tell me, you're planning on running away again." I eyed him. "And please, don't be depressed like this, I hate to see you sad."

"It's something to be sad about, it's something to cry out loud… this is more depressing than finding out I was just adopted… I have a family who's been searching for me in 18 years. That attorney, I treated him bad earlier, I should have offered him tea or something."

"Why did we talk about the lawyer suddenly?"

"He knew who I was before I knew myself… also he knows my real family. I want to talk to him but somewhere inside me is pulling myself back; it's as if I'm not ready to know myself, although I wanted to."

"I think you're just scared of encountering new people in your life… moreover, maybe you're afraid that this may all be lies all over again."

"So yeah, I think I'm afraid of lies. Afraid that maybe tomorrow, this life I lived throughout is all lies. This is something like finding out that this planet is not really blue… I lived my life in a mere mirage. Even my name is a ruse, I'm not really Bella Cullen, I don't even know real my name, who am I really? I don't have an identity to start with."

"You know, your name may change, your birthday and your certificates and other legal papers, but all of those are just written, you'll still be Bella Cullen I know of."

"Finding out all these lies, I can't bear them all. And everything now seems like lies. And I think the only honest thing I know of… is you." He breathed heavily.

"Uhm… There's something you need to know" my chest began pounding. This is not happening, I can't believe that even my best friend has lied to me too.

"What?" I was severely anxious.

"I… I…" I was waiting for his words to come out and leaned closer to hear the words clearly. His face was dull and filled with guilt. "I'm wearing boxers with teddy bear prints." I laughed hard.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I punched his shoulder while a smile was written in both of our lips. "What was that for?"

"Making you smile… and it worked too!" he chuckled lightly. "That embarrassing thing just now made you happy."

"Yeah thanks!"

"So what are your plans?" the atmosphere fell a bit serious.

"I think I'll let the problem cool off in about three days, then ask the lawyer about my family and all those stuff."

"And?"

"Apologize to Esme… I shouldn't have acted that way to her." I saddened once again. I faced Jacob, still with weary eyes. I didn't think properly when I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. He placed his hands on my waist thus pulling me closer when I finally pulled away.

"That was awkward" I stared at him still has my arms tied to him.

"No it wasn't awkward, it's… it's crap!" he unclasped me as I did with him. "I imagined that kiss to be perfect but it's nothing more than a crap."

"Yeah! Let's remember not to do that again… sorry, it's just plain stupid."

"Agree… so what do we do now?"

"Head home… in Sacramento"

"Ok"

~ζ~

I was seated on Jacob's passenger seat. I was completely spacing out as stare outside the window, watching each raindrop fall. I was thinking about Esme, what if she had an attack that night I walked away from our house. How did she take my reaction? It was really depressing to find out that I've only been stolen from my real family for their own sake. But it still leaves me reaching for my real identity. I was close to being me the Bella I knew of, but my real name may not be Bella. I was still afraid of knowing myself.

"Hey Jake, did you buy apples?"

"Huh? No, I forgot… sorry" he has his eyes peeled on the road.

"Go back" I commanded.

"Huh? What? Go back? That's thirty minutes from here… we'll be losing an hour if we go back now."

"GO BACK" I repeated the words stubbornly.

"Fine" he took the next u-turn and headed to the market like I asked him to, he seemed pretty annoyed with me.

"Sorry, Jake, Ma just loves Washington Apples, I can't come home without them"

He nodded weakly with his lips tightly pressed together. He started ted car's engine and dove away. in the middle if the trip, my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw the number is not registered. But I answered anyway.

"Hello?" I spoke.

"Ms. Bella Cullen, it's Atty. Eric Yorkie… may I know where are you are right now?"

"On the road to Forks… why?" I heard him sigh as he heard me.

"I'm in Sacramento hoping you're here… but unfortunately, I was wrong… say Ms. Cullen, can we arrange a dinner for us to talk privately, your family have been meaning to meet you since the last two weeks."

The last two weeks is the time that I found out that I'm stolen from my real family, through this person on the other line.

"I'll give you a schedule, I'll bring Jacob with me."

"Ms. Cullen, the matter at hand are confidential details, you can't bring him with you."

"Ok, fine whatever."

"My I suggest our quarters for out discussion."

"Ok, that will be good." I nodded.

"Just give me the time and I'll pick you up in your apartment in Sacramento."

"Private investigators suck, they know too much of me…" I mumbled over the phone. Yorkie chuckled.

"It's our job, Ms. Cullen, thank you for cooperating." I say goodbye politely and pressed the red button. I stared at the phone in my hand.

"Don't go, I don't trust him." Jacob caught my attention, I looked at him. he was shaking his head.

"Me too, you're going with me."

"I am? But I just heard you over the phone that you bring anyone with you."

"He can't stop me."

Soon we reached our house, I suddenly my senses were telling me that something's not definitely right. The house seems like deserted. I stepped on the front porch I pulled the keys from my other pocket and placed a key inside the keyhole. I turned the knob and the house was all dark, it appears that no one's here. But I was not fully convinced myself. I went the second floor, no one's there.

"MA?" I screamed out. I went to the living room and then to the kitchen. I searched every place possible but I never saw her not even her shadow. I sat over to the chair in the dining room. I noticed a note on the fridge. I stood up to take a closer look.

Bella,

Your mom had an attack right after you walked away that evening, she's in the hospital right now, sorry if I can't watch over the house. Your Uncle Rob will kill me if I leave our house. But I'm watching over Esme for some time now. And please forgive her, go to the hospital as soon as you read this note.

~Your Aunt Lou

The note was written on a sticky paper, I posted it back on the fridge. My knees suddenly felt weak. This is all my fault, if I hadn't acted that way, Esme will be here for sure. I'm really frightened right now, I mean, the doctor said last time that another attack may lead to severe coma. My head hurts. Please not now, Ma.

"Bella is there something wrong?" he held my waist to prevent my fall. He looked at the fridge. "She's in the hospital again?"

"Let's go!" I said in a weak voice.

On the way there, I called Yorkie.

"Hello? Ms. Cullen? Why are you calling?"

"I want to meet my family, let's talk tonight!" I was serious when I said my words, I don't really know what I was thinking of. I just want to meet them now, it was an impulsive move I did but somewhere inside me.

"WHAT?" Jacob screeched. "Your meeting with that Yorkie?"

"Yes, after we visit Esme."

"Bella, you should have thought first."

"It's been decided." I said coldly as I went out the car.

"Fine, that's your decision."

I passed the lobby then the receptionist. "Hi" I said awkwardly. "Esme Cullen."

She looked at the clip board on her table. "Room 35"

"Thanks" I walked away then headed straight to the room. First I hesitated to turn the knob. I was thinking this whole thing was just a dream. I can't believe that because of me, she's here right now.

"Aren't you gonna open that?" he shoved my hand away from the knob and pushed the door open. "Bella, this isn't your entire fault." He placed the apples on her table.

"Don't say that, of course I'm at fault." I walked over to Esme's bed and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry." I cried as I pulled away. The respirator was the machine that's keeping her alive. I need to thank that machine.

We stayed for a couple of hours and left. I was spacing out completely. Heavy breaths filled my atmosphere with Jacob. We arrived at my ghost house and saw a black car and a man in a suit was standing on the porch.

"Ms. Cullen"

"That was fast."

"Actually, I'm on my way here when I called you." I nodded. I made my way into my house and opened the lights.

"What do we talk about first? Your identity? Parents background? Family background? Your father's family?"

"My father's family?" I asked. "You mean my real parents are divorced?"

"So it's your father first…" he breathed heavily making me nervous as he sat down the couch and Jacob sat beside me. "His name is Charlie Swan, he remarried when he was widowed by Renee, your mom."

"My mom's dead?" I sighed.

"She died in an accident on her way to Florida. You were with her when the plane crashed" I nodded.

"Plane crash" I repeated. "What's my real name?"

"Katalina Swan, born September 13, 1993, you were 1 year and 2 months old when you were stolen."

"I was always told that my birthday was June 20, 1992." I sounded cold "I'm only 17?"

"Now, about your father's family; he remarried Sue Clearwater and has a daughter named Leah Swan and a younger son named Seth Swan.

"A half sister and a half brother." Jacob barged in. Somehow hearing all this made me uneasy.

"Where do they live now?"

"Phoenix, Arizona"

"That's far from here." I bit my lip. "Though I want to see him."

"He's deceased…" he whispered. As soon as I heard his words my jaw dropped wide.

"When?" I held my hand into a fist, trying my hardest to suppress my emotions.

"Four months ago…" he sighed. "I'm sorry."

At by this moment I have nothing in my mind but depression. Both of my real parents are dead. But why? Why did this man tried to take me back?

"That's unbelievable!" Jacob reacted. "Why did you still want her? Her parents are dead!" he seemed to have read my mind.

"Jake, stop" I held his wrist.

"Can we go to Phoenix… tomorrow?"

"I'll arrange that." He nodded.

"BELLA, YOU CAN'T!" He stood up from his seat. "You can't possibly trust him."

"Jake, just shut up." I hissed strongly.

"I can't come with you" he added. "And what about Verdiana?"

"Tell Nessie I'm taking a vacation and it's ok for you not to come." I said motionlessly.

"No…"

"Please stop… I'm going and it's final."

"I guess I'll go now" he said coldly standing up, he knew that he's always defenseless against my stubbornness. "Just be careful." He leaned closer and gave me a strong hug. He buried his face to my neck.

"Thanks"

~ζ~

**MsDayDream Notes**

I love the Bella x Jacob scene at the park… tell me what you thought about it. So maybe some of the readers of this story are waiting for Edward to come out but I think it'll be on chapter four since the first three chapters will focus on Bella's life, these chapters are what I call introductory chapters. And I swear… this is a Bella x Edward fic, it's just not heating up yet, sorry to disappoint you all!

P.S. When I introduce Edward, it will be his POV