Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or anything you read that you remember seeing or hearing elsewhere.
AN: A big shout out to my two lone reviewers I'm Your Opheliac and The love of hate and a big thank you to all that added this story.
In the split second it took me to look up in response to hearing my name, I ran through a list of people who might be in Alaska who could possibly know me. I came up empty, until I looked at the person now standing next to me.
"Alice?" I questioned amazed. There was no way that the Cullens, well at least Alice and Jasper (Jasper wouldn't be anywhere without Alice so I knew he was around somewhere), were here in Alaska, and I had stumbled across them so easily. After they left and I had finally come out of my zombie stage, I had spent a good couple of months trying to track down their current location. Of course it was all to no avail. They were vampires who were very very good at disappearing. Speaking of which…
"Alice, what are you doing in a grocery store?"
Alice just simply laughed that tinkling laugh of hers. "Shopping, silly. What are you doing here?"
"Um, the same." I answered stupidly as I stared at the pixie like vampire in front of me. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she gripped her basket in front of her, and I could tell that she was waiting for a greeting akin to what they used to be when we were all living in Forks. But I didn't know if I could give her that. I mean they had left me. Sure it had been his decision, but ultimately the whole family had followed and left with him.
Alice must have sensed my reluctance because she soon stopped bouncing around and took on a more serious demeanour.
"Why don't you come to the house so we can talk some more?" Alice asked me.
"Isn't that kind of against the rules?" I asked in response.
"Against the rules of what?" I could tell Alice was confused. He obviously hadn't clued them in to how they were supposed to treat me now. Upon seeing my look she seemed to sense where I was coming from.
"Oh you mean the nonsense my brother told you? No. You will always be my best friend no matter what the idiot thinks. I should be allowed to have friends over." Alice smiled sweetly as she took my basket from my hands and proceeded to the register.
"You're done, right?" Alice asked, but obviously wasn't looking for a response as she started handing everything up to be rung through.
We exited the store once we were finished with my purchases. Surprisingly, Alice hadn't actually bought anything and I had the sneaky suspicion she knew I was going to be at this grocery store before she had actually seen me in there. As we walked onto the street I looked over at my former best friend.
"So where exactly do you live?" I asked, resigning myself to the fact that I would end up at the Cullens home whether I like it or not.
"Oh, not far from here." She answered, indicating the town of Anchorage. "Here's our ride." She squealed as the familiar silver Volvo pulled up in front of us. The windows were tinted so I had no idea who was in the driver's seat, but of course I had the stupid hope that it was him. Alice opened the door to let me in the back and I climbed in with my head down, trying to prolong the moment of knowing if I would be overjoyed or heartbroken. When I heard Alice settle into the front passenger seat, I allowed myself to look up at the driver. He was turned away from me, still looking out the windscreen but I immediately noticed the honey blonde hair and knew it wasn't him. Come to think of it, if I had let myself really consider the option earlier I would have known that it wouldn't be him behind the wheel, because chances are the first sight of me would have had him running, not pulling up to pick us up.
"Bella." Jasper greeted with such a short abrupt tone that I remembered I no longer belonged to this family.
"Jasper!" Alice admonished him, with a quick slap on the arm. "Be nice."
Jasper turned in his seat to face me with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Sorry Bella." Jasper started. "But you still smell just as good as when I saw you last and I'm pretty sure no one wants a repeat of what happened last time."
I felt a little relieved at hearing the explanation for his demeanour towards me, and I realised that he probably still held a lot of guilt from what happened at my birthday party – and the choices that it led it. I smiled in hopes of placating him.
"That's ok, Jasper. I know you didn't mean anything by it." I replied, and hoped that he knew I meant it with respect to his earlier comment as well as what happened a year ago. Jasper smiled in return and turned back in his seat before putting the car into gear and heading to the house.
As we wound our way through the streets of Anchorage, I figured I would try to establish what I was getting myself in for.
"Alice," I started. "Where are we going?"
"Home silly. I told you that." Alice replied.
"And who exactly is at 'home'?" I asked.
"Everyone." Alice smiled over her shoulder at me.
"And when you say 'everyone'?" I trailed off in the hopes that she would understand what I was asking.
"Yes, Edward is living with us again." I must have had a slightly panicked look on my face because Alice quickly continued. "But him and Carlisle aren't at home at the moment. They were working today."
"Oh." I was able to relax in my seat when I realised that meant I wouldn't have to face him right this very second. Something Alice had just said caught my attention though.
"What do you mean he's living with you 'again'?" I asked confused by the statement. Alice's face darkened slightly as if she was remembering a bad memory.
"After we left Forks it was a hard time for everyone but more so for Edward."
"It was his decision!" I interrupted Jasper frustrated.
"Of course it was, but that doesn't make it any less harder on him. He left the love of his life, which is a very long time seeing as he will live for eternity."
"I was hardly the love of his life." I grumbled as I crossed my arms and sat further down in my seat. Alice and Jasper seemed to chuckle at my comment.
"Oh honey, you don't honestly believe that do you?" Alice asked me as she twisted in her seat to face me.
"Well that's what he said when he left. He said he didn't want me anymore." I answered like a petulant child.
"And I tell people that I'm 17." Alice remarked, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't make it true."
At Alice's comment, I thought back to the months Edward and I had spent together before my disastrous 18th birthday party. All of those embraces and kisses, all of those times he spent in my room watching me sleep, his reaction to James and the ballet studio. The Cullens were good liars, they had to be, but were they really that good at it? Was he that good at it?
I didn't have any more time to ponder on the thought as we pulled up to what could only be the Cullens house. It closely resembled the house in Forks complete with the large open windows on each floor and the forest backdrop. I wondered if the reception would also be the same.
AN: Would you guys want to read the chapters in someone else's POV (ie. this chapter but in Jasper's POV)? Or are you happy for the story to continue in just Bella's POV? Let me know what you think!
Please read and review/alert :)