Listen To My Words
Chapter 2
"Day After"
Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. I grabbed my throbbing head and tried to squeeze with all my might. I tried to force out the hard toxins that rushed through my blood and affected my brain. I tried to force out the burning light that flooded into the room with astonishing force. And most of all I tried to force out the memory of last night. The memory of Edward leaving me. The painful feeling in my chest when I saw him pull out onto the corner. The stinging in my throat from the heart-tugging screams and sobs that racked my body. The emptiness that surrounded me, suffocated me to the point that I would want do anything from taking another glass to suicide to release me from this pain.
I grabbed the sheets forcefully and thrashed them off of my body. I took a few forceful breaths and regained my composure that would enable me to take a few aspirins and try and figure out how I was survive my first day without Edward. My first day without Edward ever. We've never been apart. Not permanently or temporarily. We've never had to separate or take a break. I've always had him. Had him by my side. Waiting for. As was I by his side waiting for him. I walked out onto the patio to get a breath of fresh air. The first breath I took was like smoke going into a newborn's lungs. Pouring acid onto a fragile metal tower that held my heart on a pedestal. I hugged my legs as I once again tried to control my breathing. Then I heard a car pull up to the gate and open the garage. A small ounce of my heart wanted it be Edward. No. That is a lie. All of my heart desired, craved, and needed the car pulling up to be Edward. A car is pulling up? I slowly placed my feet on the floor, and walked back towards the family room. As I placed a foot into the doorway, I heard the front door open and the small jingle of keys. My heart picked up again. My vision started to blur at the thought of maybe everything that happened last night was just a dream and Edward was really, all along, buying me coffee as he does on morning after partying. I awoke out of my thoughts to a deep voice accompanied by a woman's melodic voice. I quietly closed the door as they closed the front door. My eyes enlarged as I tried to see who they were around the plants on one of the curio cabinets. Her footsteps echoed as she whispered to the man.
"…he hasn't said any reason why-," She hastily whispered.
"There's no reason why he would say. He was pissed. No, he was hostile last night," The man stated. I placed my feet securely around the base boards of the wall. Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe they wouldn't check very far into the house and head upstairs.
I heard another shuffle from the high heels and then heard them head up the tiles stairs. Each step echoing off the walls. I don't really know why I'm hiding from them. To really think about it, it's pretty infantile, but then again I couldn't face them. Somewhere in my subconscious, I felt guilty. For what? I have no clue. I then started to formulate reasons why I should hide from them. I'm pretty sure I look like shit. Secondly, the bathroom is a mess. After taking a bath and realizing that I couldn't stay in there crying and pruning as the seconds passed I got up, without a single thought about what the water would be like in the morning.
Once I heard the reluctant steps from Jasper follow Alice upstairs, I creeped up the stairs as well.
"Look at the bedroom, Jazz. It's wrecked. What really happened here?" The bedroom didn't look that bad, there was sprawled out clothes lying on the floor and yes I may have drunkenly swung items onto the floor but it was understandable. I was under emotional stress. I had to express myself somehow.
"Well, it's not like they physically fought or anything," Jasper mumbled. He picked up a picture off of the floor. "Damn. It's cracked, Alice." Alice walked up to Jasper and touched the frame.
Alice whispered, "Their wedding photo."
"You guys aren't supposed to be here," I stated.
They turned around slowly. Jasper jerked a little when I had spoken. He placed the picture frame onto the bed and slowly walked towards me.
"Bella, we're just here to help," He spoke in a soft tone. On the other hand Alice had a hard expression on her face. Her blue eyes frozen solid sending death sticks of ice into my eyes.
"Jasper, don't lie to her. Bella, we're here to get some stuff of Edward's."
Edward wouldn't be coming back? "What does he need? Why couldn't he come here himself?"
Jasper whispered to Alice and then, with a roll of the eyes from Alice, spoke, "He doesn't want to come here."
Alice snorted. "He can't stand to be in your presence, but then again who would want to be around their cheating wife."
Cheating wife? I immediately defended myself, "I never cheated on Edward and I'm telling the truth."
I watched Alice as she stared at me with a prominent dubious expression.
Alice, who was obviously fed up, walked away into the master bath. I heard the slamming and shutting drawers and things being tossed aside. I sharply looked at Jasper and ran into the bathroom.
She was tearing everything apart. She tore our towels off the rack. All the bottles from off of the counter. Emptied my makeup from my bag into the sink and turned on the faucet. Whoever she thinks she is, she's got it wrong. Edward is the one who left and I didn't. He left me. He left me with no explanation. I've tried for the past fourteen hours to try and understand why he would want to abandon this life that we had created. Everything was fine and now he's literally thrown me out of his life.
"What are you doing?" I screamed. She couldn't trash all of my stuff.
"This place looks like shit already so I might as well make look a little nicer," Alice sneered at me while she turned off the water.
"It's not like I need it anyways. I can buy more." I stated.
"With Edward's money, huh?"
"What do you mean by Edward's money?"
"Everyone in the family knows that Edward makes a good 40,000 more than you. Everyone in the family knows that you love to spend money on frivolous stuff. Unnecessary shit that blows his income."
What the hell does she mean by that? I make a decent 60,000 dollar income that I can comfortably live with by myself. I have enough to support myself. Even if Edward did really leave me. Why would they talk about me in the first place?
Jasper stepped into the room and calmly tried to reason with Alice, "You know that's not right, Alice. Nobody said anything about that."
I stood my ground, "I don't know what you have against me. I don't know why you would come in my house and come into my bathroom and ruin my belongings, but I do know that you need to get the hell out because you are no longer welcome here. Last night, I woke up in the car and tried to talk to Edward about what happened. He didn't talk to me he didn't say anything to me. I have no clue what is going on nor do I know where he is, but I am going to find out and I will, by myself, get my life into order and I would really like it if you could just muzzle it. Thank you." I stood and watched her as she stared into my eyes, proceeded to roll them, and stepped over the overturned vanity chair and walked into the closet to get some of Edward's clothes.
"I'm sorry, Bella."
I looked at Jasper.
"For Alice's behavior. It's just that she's really protective of Edward and what happened last night is still fresh in her mind."
What could've have been so bad about last night? "What happened about last night?"
"Uh..well, what do you want to know?"
"Everything, how was he? How is he?" I could hardly contain my anxiety and curiosity! How was he? I wonder if he's shaved recently so I could run my hand across his smooth jaw. Then kiss him sweetly on his jaw line.
"Alice and I were at her parent's house when Edward literally stormed in and slammed the door, walked into the kitchen and sat down and pinched his nose like he does and wouldn't talk for the next hour or so. We were just asking him questions and we gave him some time to calm down. Now Bella, I'm sorry, but I believe Edward and what he told us," Jasper paused and looked down at his hands taking a deep breath, "Did you or did you not have sex with another man?"
The second he finished his question my heart skipped a million beats. I couldn't breathe and my eyebrows scrunched together in horror. I opened my mouth the defend myself yet again but as I took a breath in I was flooded with memories.
I looked at Jasper.
You're supposed to be with me so we can have fun. Together. In that room.
I suddenly gasped at the thought.
I felt a cold sweat appear on my brow.
"Bella open up! It's Edward! Who the fuck is in there with you?"
Tears brimmed my eyes.
Jared.
I choked on my words that desperately tried to flood out of my mouth, but all I could do was look at Jasper's eyes that slowly showed his understanding of what happened that night.