The next chapter is finally here! I'd actually thought I'd posted it, but then realised I'd just uploaded it -.-
Well, I hope everyone enjoys it, things seem to be getting worse in the Cullen household, unfortunately they're not going to get better any time soon as Bella learns more secrets and stresses over her own deteriorating love life.
Disclaimer - character's aren't mine.
Chapter Two – Things get worse
After helping with the clean up of morning tea, Bella ventured up stairs to unpack some of her things. She entered the room she was sharing with Edward and closed the door behind her before moving over to her suitcase. It was just as she was opening the zip that the slightly muffled sound of Jasper and Alice's voices came through the wall beside her. Pausing in what she was doing, Bella moved closer to the wall.
"You're so self-centred! Sometimes I wonder what happened to you." Jasper's angry voice could just be made out from where Bella was standing.
"Oh, so I'm self-centred am I? You're so full of crap!" Alice snapped back in a surprisingly venomous voice.
"All you care about is shopping and dressing up people. They're not your models at work, this is my family!"
"Oh, so they're only yours? Last I checked I was the one with the same blood! This will be great though, now I can end this stupid marriage once and for all and I won't even have to see my family again because they're yours!"
"Go ahead: it'd do us all a favour! I'm buggered if I even know why we got married in the first place!"
"Well I can tell you the feeling's mutual!"
There was the sound of silence for a moment before Jasper spoke again, though his voice was quieter and Bella had to strain her ears to understand what he was saying.
"Alice, I'm beginning to wonder if I was ever in love with you in the first place."
Bella gasped quietly as shock ran through her. However, Alice didn't get a chance to reply before there was a slamming of their bedroom door as one of them left.
Sitting down heavily on the bed in shock, only one thought ran through Bella's head.
'What happened to everyone being in love?'
***()
Lunch was a simple affair, with sandwiches for everyone. They then moved on to putting up the Christmas tree, which had been saved for today as a tradition. The Christmas tree was not to be put up without all the family present.
As they all worked together, Bella took a moment to look around at everyone. Edward hadn't really said a word to her all morning, apart from their strained conversation in the car. So far, she hadn't even really seen him since they'd arrived unless it was at mealtime or briefly in passing in their room. He was sitting across the room working on his own assigned task while she was pulling out decorations with Angela. Ben was working on replacing the light bulbs that had blown on the fairy lights for the tree with Rosalie's help. Emmett was putting the tinsel on the tree with Jasper while Alice and Esme giggled like little kids over the ordainments, telling Mike and Jessica stories about where the ordainments had come from while the two listeners pretended to pay attention. Carlisle was pushing out the branches of the plastic tree they used every year so that it would be easier to hang things on it.
"So how are things going with Ben?" Bella asked Angela, turning away from the festive scene before her. Angela's smile got large as she let out a happy sounding sigh.
"It's great! I'm having so much fun with Ben." Angela said, looking down at the ordainment she was unwrapping in her hands.
"It's more than I'd ever thought it could be."
"I wish my life could be that great with Edward." Bella sighed wistfully.
Angela suddenly looked up at her, an odd look on her face as she shook her head.
"There are advantages to not being married too."
Angela then moved away, catching Esme and Alice's attention as she asked about the ordainment she had just pulled out. Mike and Jessica sent her scathing looks for getting the two giggling women started again.
'What an odd thing to say.'
***()
Bella finished washing her hands before exiting the bathroom and heading for the kitchen. It was time to start on dinner and she wanted to help Esme with it. However, when she walked into the kitchen it wasn't Esme standing at the counter, but Rose. The blond woman was standing there, eyes unfocused as she stared out the window and into the darkness, her mind obviously miles away.
Clearing her throat, Rose jumped and spun around, an irritated look crossing her face upon seeing Bella standing in the doorway.
"Hey, I'm here to help with dinner." Bella tried for a friendly smile as she moved into the room. With an almost put-upon sigh, Rose merely grabbed a knife and put it on the marble counter top.
"You can cut the veggies." She said simply.
Surprised as Rose's attitude, usually she flung numerous insults at Bella whenever they were alone, expressing her clear dislike for the girl. Now, she just seemed almost absent-minded and uncaring that Bella was even there.
Feeling curious, Bella decided to try talking to the blond woman.
"So, how are you Rosalie?" She asked in her most neutral voice, beginning to chop the vegetables like instructed.
"Fine mostly, just a little of a stomach bug recently." Rose shrugged her shoulders, not looking over at Bella, her eyes remaining on the darkness outside.
"Oh, yes, I had one a little while ago too. Horrible things." Bella nodded her head even though Rose wasn't watching. The small conversation they had stopped there, both content to lose themselves in their own thoughts as they made dinner in silence.
Bella couldn't understand it, was there something in the water? Why were so many of her loved ones having problems with their significant others? As she sat at dinner, she half listened to Emmett's bad jokes and the slightly strained conversation around the table. She could see the fake smiles on people faces and their laughs were just that little bit too forced, too happy. The sadness in their hearts reflected in their eyes and unwillingness to be too close to one another, lest someone catches on.
Her mind was still plagued with these thoughts as she headed towards the stares later that night, her feet leading her to her bed. However, as she was about to pass the laundry, Esme quickly came out and took her hand, pulling her into the small room. Turning and closing the door and locking it, Esme looked back at Bella with concerned eyes.
"Bella dear, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself since you got here." She said, motherly concern in her voice.
Looking at the love and concern before her, Bella felt her emotions get the best of her and her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh Esme," she whispered. "I-I don't think Edward l-loves me anymore."
The older woman's eyes grew wide and she took Bella's smaller hands into her own.
"Why would you say that? You've been together for at least the last five years and I know he loved you long before that."
"He's just been so distant lately. He never wants to spend any time alone with me. I thought maybe I'd done something wrong, but whenever I try and get him to open up to me, he just blows it off. The only thing left would be to confront him about it and-and I don't think I can do that and have him tell me that he no longer loves me."
Esme looked at her in silent shock for a moment before pulling her to her chest and hugging her tightly, not seeming to know what to say and so showing her support through actions. Bella cried out her frustrations and hurt as the woman who was her mother in all but blood and name held her, allowing her to cry.
"I'm sure he's just had a lot on his mind lately, that's all." Esme tried to reassure Bella, but the hollow sound of her words reflected the ones Bella had said to Esme that morning in an effort to comfort her.
They both froze when they heard voices, holding their breath as the sound of Mike talking to Jessica floated to their ears through the door. They waited until it was silent outside again before letting out a breath of relief.
"Sorry for crying all over you." Bella said, embarrassment taking root as she was reminded of the rest of the household.
"Don't be silly, Bella. I'll tell you what. Tomorrow night we'll stay up late and you can cry as much as you like. I'll make hot coco and I might even join you." Esme said softly, wiping away some of the tears on the younger woman's cheek as Bella let out a chocked giggle.
Splashing some water on her face from the basin in the laundry, Bella took in a few deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down. Shaking her head slightly, she took one last deep breath before bidding Esme goodnight and slipping out of the room unnoticed before heading towards the stares and her room again.
Opening the door quietly, Bella peeked into the room and saw that Edward was already in bed, sleeping if the gentle rhythmic motion of his chest was anything to go by. Moving into the room she quickly got ready for bed with the aid of the moonlight streaming in from the open curtains, thankful it was a full moon that night so she needn't turn on the lights and wake him.
Sliding into the double bed, she curled her hands under her chin and rested on her side, eyes trained on the sleeping man beside her. She spent the majority of the night just watching him sleep, soaking in his handsome features and wishing they could stay like this forever.
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