Edward sighed as he finally made his way out to the car. Tanya waited, already fixing her makeup in the mirror. "What took you so long?" the blonde demanded, obviously irritated.
"I was having a talk with Bella," Edward explained as he got into the car and buckled his seatbelt, he started the ignition smiling at Tanya. "What's troubling you beautiful?" he demanded, reaching over to touch his girlfriend's cheek with the palm of his hand. "Something seems to be bothering you, what is it? You can tell me, you know I'll listen," he mused as he tried to get all of the troubling thoughts out of his head. Things between him and Bella were over. They weren't friends any long, so he shouldn't worry about her.
"I just hate what she does to you," Tanya whined softly. "Every time she sees you, that girl tries to guilt you into being friends with her again, when you already stopped being around her.. You think she'd take the hint," she sighed as she closed her compact mirror and turned her body so she could watch Edward's reaction.
"When do you think we stopped being friends?" Edward questioned, voice bittersweet as he began to pull out of the parking lot. "Your sister's a nice girl Tanya.. I don't know what you loathe her as much as you do.." he trailed off, searching for some sort of understanding. It hurt to admit, but he did want to learn of a bad side of Bella.
Perhaps if he learned of some skeleton in her closet he'd never heard of.. It would be easier to hate her, and not feel such an extreme amount of guilt throbbing within his heart. "She just pisses me off..." Tanya trailed off with a sigh as she tapped her fingers against the side of the car. "She's my sister.. but we've never had anything in common. Crazy bitch doesn't give a shit at all about how she looks.. nor what other people think of her. But people still like her because she's 'nice'. I don't even think Bella knows how to be nice.. she's just manipulative; like she just was with you.. She probably wishes you'd date her instead of me, can you believe that? Who would want a nerdy little greasy headed idiot over me?" she demanded, running a hand over her leg as if to gesture to how magnificent she was.
Edward sighed. "I wish you wouldn't talk of her that way.. She's your sister.. so I suppose I can't get mad at you for feeling like that.. Siblings have grudges... But she's not like that at all," he mused as he tried to pay attention to the road.
"How would you know?" Tanya snapped, growing more and more irritated by the minute.
"I used to know... though you're right.. perhaps I don't anymore," Edward's eyes hardened as he spoke, it was clear the words were hard for him to admit. He had loved Bella.. but in the way a brother loved a sister.. which made it even harder to see the pain she was going through because of his relationship.. but at the same time.. He loved Tanya, with all the wild passion love could provide.. and he didn't want to have to give her up to soothe her sister's shattered heart.
Seeing an ambulance whizz past as he pulled into his driveway, Edward frowned. "I wonder who they're off to save.." he trailed off, compassion clear in his own eyes.
"Are you going to be sentimental all night, or are you going to shut up and fuck me?" Tanya snapped at him, causing Edward's eyes to widen a fraction.
"Sorry," he apologized, dropping his head. He was often left like this, having to apologize for not being Tanya's perfect version of a boyfriend. He was working on it though, and he hoped one day he could be perfect. That way.. he could make her happy, like he'd always wanted to.
Her fingers tapping against the door of his car brought him out of his thoughts, and with a sigh he unbuckled his seatbelt and went to get the door for the blonde who stepped out and shoved her hand out for him to take. Taking it in his larger one, Edward sighed as he walked her up to the house. "Do you want anything before we go up to my room?" he asked her softly as he unlocked the door and stepped inside the house. The automated lights turned on, lighting the room.
"Your dad's still at the hospital right?" she asked curiously. "What time does he get off?" she continued. Edward went to the refrigerator and checked the calendar there with all of Carlisle's dates. It was hard having his father gone all the time... But Tanya offered more than enough distractions.
"He gets off at 8 o'clock. I can take you home before then, I'll wake you up.. You can sleep a bit," Edward murmured as his hands ghosted over the calendar. It held so many memories. Carlisle had never been the type to throw anything out. It was a refrigerator calendar, the type you could wipe off and right over with expo. He could see the remainder of a date he'd written a year before around the same time, it hadn't erased quite all the way and he could just make out the name 'Isabella'. Feeling the guilt swallow him, his hand shook. He needed a distraction, the kind of distraction Tanya provided quite nicely.
As he led her up to his room, he slowly felt all of his anxiety drift away as desire began to blossom in his brain. Tanya's hands were already trailing over his body, whispering sweet nothings to him as she played with the buttons of his shirt. Just as they were beginning to get undressed and head for the large king sized bed that occupied the majority of his room, her phone began to go off. "Leave it," Edward teased her as he took her hand and led her to the bed. The two began to make out as they had in the club, this time with no one around to watch them. But it seemed someone wouldn't allow them their peace as Tanya's phone went off again.
She smiled apologetically at Edward and stood, going to grab her phone from his desk. She was tempted to turn it off. It was probably just Charlie calling worried about her, and she'd much rather just do what she wanted rather than here what dear old dad had to say. But it seemed this was something important, as her phone kept going off. "I have to take this, be right back alright?" she winked at Edward as she walked outside of his room, leaving him staring at her perfect ass. Really he did become a bit of an animal when it came to sex, he knew it. But at the same time he loved the sensation of letting go and not having to worry about human things.. He could do what he wanted, and have no consequences when it came to sex.
As Tanya began to take longer and longer, Edward began to get worried. What if her father had upset her? Whenever that happened she usually took her anger out on him.. And he didn't know if he could take that tonight after already hearing Bella's broken words. Standing, he walked out of his room clad only in boxers and looked for his girlfriend. She no longer appeared to be on his floor. Walking down the stairs back to the kitchen he turned the light on and glanced around for her a bit more. "Tanya?" he called out. "Are we playing hide-and-seek?" he teased as he searched for her.
When he finally found her, he was shocked at the sight before him. Tanya was sat in the living room, clutching her phone to her ear as her lips shook and she cried. Tanya never cried, she was too above any emotion that would ruin her makeup. But here the girl was sobbing as she spoke softly to Charlie. "Tanya, what's wrong?" Edward demanded as he stooped down onto his knees, kneeling to cup her cheek in an attempt to distract her.
This proved a bad decision. "Don't fucking touch me!" Tanya hissed as she slapped his hand away, closing her phone and placing it in her pocket. She stood, and began to walk up the stairs, leaving Edward to follow her like a lost puppy.
"What's wrong?" he questioned softly as he watched her get dressed. She only turned and threw his own clothes at him.
"Get dressed, I need a ride somewhere," she stated, not answering his question. He only nodded.
"Of course Tanya, whatever you need.." he trailed off, fear in his eyes. It had to be something bad for her to be acting like this. "Where do I need to take you?" he questioned as he pulled on his pants and fiddled with his belt.
"The hospital," Tanya responded softly, not meeting his eyes. All of the anger seemed to have drained out of her, just leaving sadness behind as she got dressed.
"Why are we going to the hospital, is Charlie okay?" Edward questioned, almost afraid of the answer.
"It's not Charlie," Tanya answered as she helped him put on his shirt, buttoning up the buttons as quickly as she could with her hands shaking.
"Who is it then? Why do we have to go to the hospital? Did something happen to Lauren or Jessica? I swear if Mike Newton laid a hand on either of them I'll beat the shi-" he was cut off by a silencing gaze from Tanya.
"It's Bella," Tanya answered softly. "After she left the bar a drunk driver ran into her lane and hit her head on. The bastard's okay.. but she.. Daddy said it's bad Edward. They have her on life support.. they're not even sure she's going to make it through the night.." Tanya trailed off, choking on tears. Edward didn't know what to say. He felt like crying himself.
The ride to the hospital was a silent one. Tanya didn't nag him once about his driving, or how fast he was going. When they got there, both seemed distant as they ran down the hallway toward the ER. "Bella Swan," Edward demanded, breath coming out in huffs from the running they'd done.
"She's been moved to critical care," the nurse informed the two of them solemnly. The two nodded and up the elevator they went, ignoring the cries of the critical care unit nurse as they searched for the room Bella was in. There she was, the first on the right. Charlie was in the room with her, holding her hand as the doctors worked to make her comfortable. They'd operate tomorrow Edward heard someone inform him.
He wasn't listening, too transfixed with the sight before him. Bella sat in that bed looking broken. She was even skinnier than he'd realized..you could tell by her tiny little arms. The IV looked like it could cut into them. Bandages covered most of the visible parts of her skin, and a pipe was shoved down her throat along with oxygen going into her nose. He could think of all the medical purposes, having learned them from Carlisle. But right now he couldn't. They were just pipes and tubes ruining his view of his ex best friend as she fought for her life. "Oh Bella," he groaned, feeling guilt well inside his chest. "I'm so sorry.." he trailed off, tears beginning to run down his cheeks as he pressed his forehead against the window.
He didn't know when Carlisle had arrived, but strong arms soon enveloped him.. "Oh son, I'm so sorry," the man stated, though he couldn't help how his eyes searched over Bella, trying to assess what all was wrong with her.
"Is.. is she going to be okay Dad?" Edward questioned as his eyes never left the room, he saw Tanya now. Charlie was cradling her in his arms, rocking her back and forth.
"We're not sure at this point I'm afraid. We can't operate until tomorrow.. have to wait for some of the swelling on her brain to go down. Dr. Gerandy is handling the surgery.. I have faith in him," Carlisle offered, his voice tense. Edward could tell there was something his father was keeping from him.
"But?" he questioned as he pulled away to meet his father's eyes.
"But.. even then we're not quite sure when she'll come out of her coma. If she will.. She's in a vegetative state Edward," Carlisle sighed softly, bringing his son back into his arms. He was shocked to feel his chest pressed away.
"What is she thinking right now?" Edward questioned. "Is she happy? Is she dreaming?" he questioned.
"I don't think even I can answer that Edward... patients like her.. well, we don't know what goes through their heads until they wake up and tell us... or they drift away.." he trailed off, eyes hardened.
"I hope she's dreaming," Edward stated urgently, eyes still watering over with tears. "I hope she's happy."
Bella lay in the hospital bed, unaware of anything going on around her. Her brain was painless, in her thoughts she felt no pain. She was locked away in her thoughts, unable to stop the course before her. Slowly as her life began to flash behind her eyelids, she relaxed and decided maybe.. maybe it wouldn't be so bad to sit back and watch.. and try to figure out where she'd made her mistake.
The childhood years flew by quickly, not much to go on. There were glimpses of her mother here and there, kissing scraped knees. She felt Tanya's tiny grubby hands pulling at her hair and pinching her. She'd only cry, the kind little brunette would never retaliate. Charlie would always tell her he was proud of her for that, and that retaliation was what Tanya was hoping to get out of her before he'd work out some sort of odd punishment for the blonde. Though punishments were made, they never lasted long. Slowly the pieces with Renee began to disappear. She'd left them for Phil, a travelling baseball player she'd met at the stadium in Seattle. She saw herself comforting Charlie.. Tanya had been at a sleepover.. and Charlie hadn't wanted to ruin her childhood by forbidding her to go.
Bella had thrown herself into books to forget her mother. It was easy to forget, putting yourself in the place of your favorite character and feeling loved. Overcoming inhuman obstacles made it feel like she could conquer the real world. Though this was the way Bella had dealt with her pain, Tanya was very different. She went out of the house every chance she got, unable to see the pain etched on her father's face whenever she was around. She continued to tease her sister. Though Tanya had been the queen bee of the middle school, Bella was always left at the bottom of the food chain. These years whizzed past, all built in formulas that would lead to the same result over and over. As middle school ended, things began to slow though. The past became the present in Bella's brain.
A lanky boy with rather bad acne sat on the brick wall at lunch all by himself. All the other kids ignored him. But Bella felt a shot of courage well within her. Tanya hadn't touched this one yet.. and she doubted her sister would bother. The boy wasn't much to look at.. and he was dressed all in black earning shouts of 'emo' from many of her classmates. Bella ignored them though, walking up to the somber freshman. "Are.. are you okay?" she asked as she reached out to touch the boy's hand. He flinched.
"Why are you talking to me?" he demanded of her.
"You seemed sad.. and I thought that maybe you needed someone to talk too.." Bella trailed off, trying to get the boy to open up to her.
"My mother died a few months ago.. and dad moved us out here afterward.. That's why I'm like this if you wondered.. I'm not just some emo freak," the boy sighed. Bella smiled at him, going to sit by his side.
"I never said you were an emo freak," she teased, feeling a spark of happiness fill her tiny body for the first time in years.
"The others did though.. I heard them.." the boy pointed out as he glanced up at her. His eyes.. they were so beautiful. Bella felt a blush rise in her cheeks. "Is something wrong?" the boy questioned as he noticed her blush, worried he'd upset the first person who'd attempted to befriend him the whole entire day.
"No...no.. nothing's wrong," she assured him as she smoothed out her skirt.
"My name's Bella Swan, if you ever need someone to talk to feel free to come to me," the braces faced girl smiled. "What's your name?" she demanded as her brown eyes were forced to meet his green once more.
"Edward Cullen."