AN: I apologize for any mistakes.
Chapter Two:
I feel like a hooker in a pair of high-waist shorts that are so tight I'm pretty sure they're going to chafe my butt crack by the end of the night. My legs are on full display and I'm wearing wedge sandals that are a size too big, but Rose swears they look fine. I feel like I'm going to fall and shatter a hip at some point with all the wiggle room. Rose insisted on dressing me after getting a good look in my closet. I drew the line at wearing the dress she picked, the short purple one that would have made me look like a walking eggplant. Some girls just don't have the torso to pull off ruffles while maintaining a human shape.
"You look beautiful, Isabella," Alice says as she kisses both of my cheeks. She's French... Canadian, but she studied art in Paris, so she claims to be straight from the motherland.
"Thank you, Alice. You look nice as well." She likes black. Black clothes, black hair, black eye liner, black lipstick. She looks darkly chic. She even smokes imported black cigarettes. Some people will go far to achieve a certain aesthetic. It's like she walked right out of a tumblr blog.
"This is Jasper. He is my lover for now."
I look at the super tall guy standing just behind her and wave. He's baby blue eyes and sandy blonde hair that's brushed back away from his face. "Um, hey."
"Ma'am," he says with a nod in my direction.
Am I the only one who hates being called ma'am? I grimace and take a look around at the new club. It's dark wood and has a masculine, speakeasy feel, like it's a secret place. I think it's a gimmick, a smart one, because the only indication we were at the right place was a small metal sign with a half moon on it hanging above a flight of stairs in an alley. People like secrets, exclusivity, and the amount of bodies packed in here is proof of that.
"What the fuck is he doing here? Oh my God, Bella. I think Emmett's on a date with someone else," Rose says with a quivering chin.
I grab a free drink from one of the trays being carried around before I spot Em's hulking figure. He does look cozy with the little brunette standing next to him, but what did Rose expect? "Well, you've been stringing him along for like three years and you did sleep with that fake agent dude a month ago."
"I thought I'd get a break! Fucking is one thing, but look at him. He has his arm around her shoulder."
"Arm around the shoulder isn't okay, but dick in the vagina is acceptable?"
Rose rolls her eyes. "You don't get it. Sex is a release. It looks like he actually likes her."
"If you're that insecure, go talk to him. And maybe try commitment on for size."
"Come on," she says as she grabs my hand and almost makes me fall.
"Watch it. My shoes don't fit."
"You'll be fine," she growls and continues to weave us through the crowd.
I'm waiting for the inevitable awkwardness when Rose stops right in front of Emmett, her hand still clenching mine, and says all sultry-like, "Emmett, hi. I didn't know you'd be here, though I have to say my night just got infinitely better seeing you."
Oh, that line was smooth as a baby's ass.
"Rose," Em says with a nod. "Hi, Bella."
"Hey you." I adore Emmett. He's nice, has his shit in order, and loves Rose in a way that makes me jealous sometimes. I'd say she doesn't deserve him, but I'm loyal.
"Who's your friend?" Rose asks, and I see the cheetah inside of her readying for the kill.
"Marcy McCarty," the woman says with her hand out. "Emmett's cousin."
Blood rushes back into my hand once Rose lets go of it. "Cousin?"
"Yeah, my uncle Vic's daughter. She's new to the city and I told him I'd show her around."
"Cousin. Right. I'm Rose."
"Lovely to meet you," Marcy says. "And you're Bella, I gather?"
"That would be me," I say taking a good look at her. It's creepy how much we resemble each other. I think she notices it too because we just kind of stare at one another for a few moments, probably both wondering if we were twins separated at birth. Or maybe that's just me.
Rose clears her throat and I divert my eyes to the drink in my hand. It has an orange rind in it and tastes like ass, but I've never been much of a drinker. It was free, though, so what can I expect?
"Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?" Rose asks Emmett. "I'm sure Bella would be happy to keep your cousin company."
You ho bag! I don't want to sit with her. I want to go home. I stare into Emmett's eyes since he's right in front of me, trying to telepathically communicate with him my desire to leave, but it doesn't seem to be working. He just stares back dumbly for the longest minute ever until understanding lights up his face. I smile in relief. "You're trying to read my aura aren't you? I read that post on your website last week," he says proudly, completely missing the mark.
My smile falls. He failed me. "Yeah, and it's as black as your heart," I say as I take Marcy's hand. "Let's go find a seat before they're all gone."
We find an empty corner table that has a divider screen right next to it that looks perfect for me to hide behind. I'm feeling anxious as it is having to make small talk with a virtual stranger. I used to be amazing at chatting with random people all over the world, sometimes brokenly as I stumbled over translation books, but things change. After buying my house six months ago and cutting back drastically on traveling, I've become a mean hermit who practically hisses at new company. I'm hard-pressed to wear pants most days.
"Sorry I was pawned off on you. Emmett's told me about the infamous Rosalie Hale. I wish she'd get her act together and see what a catch Emmy is," Marcy says as if we're long lost besties.
I may agree with her, but Rose has been my friend for eight very long years. "Whoa, slow your roll there. It's like foreplay for them."
She arches an eyebrow. "Is it?"
I nod as I sip my nasty beverage. I don't want to talk about Rose and Emmett. One thing I've learned is how much people like to talk about themselves, especially my fellow Americans, so I decide to turn the tables. "How about you? Are you seeing anyone?"
Marcy giggles and crosses her legs like she's gearing up to tell me something good. "I had a fiancé back in Tennessee, Michael, but I knew it wasn't going to work out. Instead of picking out a wedding dress, I was applying at any job I was qualified for out here in Seattle and making arrangements to stay with Em. I knew it was the right decision, especially when I met someone practically as soon as I stepped off the plane."
"Awesome," I say into my glass. "Where's he at?"
"This is actually his place. He has a few other start-ups around the country. One in Brooklyn, one in Las Vegas, and another in Austin. He said it felt like the right time to come home and be around his parents. Isn't that just the sweetest thing?"
I smile and I can feel how fake it is. "So sweet."
"I'm meeting his mother tomorrow for brunch. Emmett's coming too, so I shouldn't be too nervous."
"Why would Emmett be going?"
"He's the reason I met E. They've been friends since their college days."
I'm mad at Rose. If she wasn't so funky about commitment, maybe I would have been introduced to this guy instead of Em's cousin. Then again, he's probably a huge tool and I may have dodged a bullet. My phone vibrates on the table top and I see a new email notification. "That's lovely, Marcy," I say distractedly as I begin to type out a quick reply to one of my mods.
"There you are," some guy says just as Marcy squeals, "E!"
"We were just talking about you."
"Who?" he asks.
I look up from my phone, and once I do, my body takes over and flings me backward, toppling my barstool over with me in it. It could have been bad, but the wall catches me so I'm just teetering. There's a warm hand around my wrist pulling me forward and I blink once, twice, three times. It's definitely him.
"Compass," he whispers his old nickname for me as he gently rubs his thumb over the compass tattoo on my inner wrist. It was my first, his drawing, that I got over a decade ago here in Seattle. It was the last time I saw him.
"Hello, Edward."
AN: Thanks so much for reading! I plan to update as often as possible until this story is finished.