Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Edward or Bella. I'm just using them for my own devious ends! XD
A/N at the bottom. Full Summary is coming soon. XD
Chapter 2 – Chicago, August 1918
EPOV
"Edward Anthony Masen!"
The happy bubble in my chest abruptly burst as my mother's angry shriek filled the room.
I quickly pulled back from Bella and stood from the piano bench, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. My mother was staring between us, her eyes wide with horror and her hand pressed over her mouth. I stepped in front of Bella, shielding her from view as my father advanced towards us with his hands balled into fists.
"What is the meaning of this, Edward?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger. He stopped a few feet from me and crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you gone mad? Do you know what this will do to your chances of finding a suitable wife?"
Bella whimpered softly from behind me and I suddenly felt irrational anger raging through my veins. "I don't care," I snapped.
My father's eyes widened in surprise. "What did you say to me?"
A wave of guilt washed over me for my disrespectful tone, but I could not calm the anger still pounding in my ears. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to control myself. I could feel Bella trembling behind me and I longed to turn and comfort her, but I knew that it would only fuel my parent's fire and give them even more reasons to bar me from seeing her.
"I will not tolerate this, Edward," he said through clenched teeth. I opened my eyes cautiously. "You have gone too far." I waited with dawning horror as he paused and took a deep breath. "You will not see this…this girl ever again. Do I make myself clear?" He glared at me, waiting for me to agree, but I was frozen with horror.
With an angry huff, he stormed from the room, past my mother who was still standing in the doorway with her hand over her mouth. As I stared at the place my father had disappeared, she shook her head and began to cross the room toward me. I sank onto the piano bench next to Bella and put my arm around her. She buried her face in my shoulder and began to cry in earnest. I patted her back, trying to comfort her, but I knew I was doing a miserable job. My heart felt like it was breaking in two.
"Edward?"
I looked up into my mother's eyes and was surprised to find that she didn't look angry or reproachful, but merely sorry. I raised my eyebrows at her.
"I'm sorry, dear," she said, placing her hand on my cheek. "But you know this is for the best." Her eyes flickered down to Bella, who was clutching the front of my shirt, still sobbing. "Say your goodbyes, Edward. I'm sure your father has gone to call a carriage to take her home."
I nodded glumly and she strode away. I waited until I was sure she was gone before I turned and put my other arm around Bella. I pulled her closer and rested my chin on the top her head, stroking her hair softly.
"Bella, I'm so sorry." There was a lump in my throat that was making it difficult to speak, but I couldn't clear it. Anguish was ripping through me, leaving my heart in shreds. Bella pulled back and smiled slightly, her unseeing brown eyes piercing me through with sadness.
"You mother is…right," she said, her voice breaking. "It's for the best. You deserve someone better than me, Edward. You deserve someone whole." By the time she was through, her voice was barely more than a whisper. The sadness on her face snapped something inside of me.
"How can you think so little of yourself?" I asked, outraged. I took her shoulders and shook her gently. "Bella…I don't care what I deserve. I don't want someone I deserve. I want you."
Her mouth opened in surprise and she raised a hand to my face, feeling my expression. As her hands roamed over my cheeks, I closed my eyes and sighed.
"This is wrong," she whispered finally, her fingers tracing the shape of my lips. "You cannot throw away your life for…someone like me. It's not worth it." I opened my eyes, caught her fingers, and kissed them lightly.
"It is worth it," I said softly, cupping her cheek with my hand. "You are worth it."
She smiled sadly and shook her head. I opened my mouth to argue again, but I was interrupted as someone cleared their throat from the doorway. I glanced up to see our driver standing timidly against the door frame.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Master Edward," he said, smiling apologetically. "But the carriage is ready. I'll be waiting out front to take the young lady home."
"Thank you, Thomas," I said disdainfully. He bowed deeply and strode from the room and I turned my attention back to Bella, taking her face in my hands.
"I will find a way to make this work, Bella," I said, resolve flooding through me.
"I wish you wouldn't try," she said, her beautiful brow creasing. "It will only make things that much worse."
"They can't keep me from you," I said stubbornly.
"They can and they will." She stroked my cheek lightly and stood from the piano bench. "It's time for me to go."
"Bella…I…" I clutched at her hand, desperate to keep her from leaving. She sighed softly and pulled me in for a hug. My ear pressed against her chest and I could hear her heart racing there. "I love you, Bella," I whispered, my voice breaking.
"And I love you." She ran her hands through my hair and I closed my eyes. We stayed there for a minute, lost in the moment, but, too soon, Thomas was back.
"It is time, Miss Bella," he called. He held out his arm, waiting for her.
I stood slowly and kissed her cheek, fearing that this was the last time I would ever see her.
No, I thought vehemently. I won't let that happen.
"Goodbye, Edward," she whispered. Biting her lip against the moisture gathering in her eyes, she pulled away from me and crossed the room confidently, needing no guide. She took Thomas's arm lightly and then she was gone.
"Goodbye, Bella," I whispered to the empty room. In the silence, I was sure that I could hear the tearing sound as my heart was rent in two.
EXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXBEXB
BPOV
My heart was breaking.
As Thomas led me out of the house, I lifted my chin, determined to put on a strong face for Edward's sake, but I could feel my strength crumbling. The tears that were gathering in my eyes threatened to spill over and I sniffed, trying to hold them back.
Thomas helped me into the carriage and I arranged my skirts around me and sank back into the deep velvet cushion. There, away from the eyes of the world, I could no longer hold back. Tears poured down my cheeks as I felt the carriage jerk forward. The feel of Edward's heartbreak underneath my fingers had nearly unhinged me and the memory brought forth heaving sobs that I could not quiet.
I desperately wanted to believe that Edward could somehow find a way to convince his parents to let him see me, but I knew that it was not possible. From the first moment that I realized I loved him, so many years before, I had known that we would never be together. I was untouchable for him, no matter how much I wished it weren't so. His parents intended for him to marry a pretty girl that would bear him strong, beautiful children. They would never let him be with someone like me.
I was still sobbing when I felt the carriage rumble to a halt and I quickly tried to compose my face, so as not to alarm my helper, Christine. The bout of scarlet fever that left me blind at the age of seven, also robbed me of my parents. I had long since come to terms with their deaths, but it was in times like these that I wished I had a parent figure to confide in. Christine was five years older than me, but I regarded her more as a sister than anything else.
Thomas helped me down from the carriage and guided me over the sidewalk to where Christine stood waiting for me. I took her arm, thanking Thomas as I went, and allowed Christine to lead me into the house and over to the sofa. Once we were seated, she embraced me briefly. The tears I had only just managed to fight off threatened to spill over again.
"What happened, Miss Bella?" she asked, concern flooding her voice.
I struggled to compose myself, but could not prevent the sadness that rang loud and clear in my words. "Edward's parents have barred me from ever seeing him again." Tears began to stream down my face again as I said the words out loud. Christine gasped and I heard her hand fly to her mouth.
"Oh, Miss Bella," she murmured. "I am so very sorry. Why have they done this?"
My cheeks burned and I lowered my head, embarrassed. "I asked Edward to play for me," I whispered, hearing my voice crack. "It was a new piece, one I had never heard before, and it was so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. Edward told me that I was his inspiration and that he had been working on it for a month. I am not sure how it came about, but, suddenly, he was kissing me and I was kissing back." I swallowed hard. "I have never felt that way before, Christina, about anyone. It was like…my whole world was on fire. I didn't know that there was any such feeling in the world."
Christine took my hand. "And what happened then?"
I shuddered. "His parents came home." The tears streaming down my face began to fall faster and I swiped at them angrily with my free hand. "And Mr. Masen told Edward that he was never to see me again. Edward tried to comfort me after his parents had left. He promised me that he would find a way to be with me, that they couldn't keep him from me…but I can't let him do that, Christine. It will ruin everything for him. I can't be responsible for that."
Christine sighed and pulled me into her embrace once more. "Oh, Miss Bella."
As I sat hugging Christine, I felt as if my entire world was crashing around me. It was like they had taken away my reason for existence, my very core. Edward had always been the eyes and the sun in my sightless life and, now that he was gone, I could no longer see the beauty in anything. It was like the very blackest kind of night. For the very first time in my life, I felt that I really was blind.
Oh, Edward. I silently cried. My Edward…whatever am I going to do?
A/N: I have changed the timeframe of this story just slightly, in trying to keep it as historically accurate as possible. The only change that I made was going from having the story set in January to having it set in August.
As always, thank you for reading and please, please, please review! They make my day! XD