A/N: All credit to the great S. Meyers.
Read on!
Chapter 3
Bella stood before her best friends nervously playing with her keys and shifting from foot to foot.
Alice and Rosalie both sat on the black leather couch anxiously looking at their friend.
No one seemed willing to start the conversation, since the girls on the couch didn't want to trigger an adverse response in their friend. What they had heard last night while Bella had barricaded herself in her room was enough. They didn't want to cause more tears or pain.
Alice was about to open her mouth when Bella's cell phone went off again. Bella shoved her hand in her bag intent on finding her phone this time. She found it after a few seconds and shoved it toward Alice.
"Take it, I can't answer it and it just rings constantly." Bella offered.
Alice took the phone and answered it. The conversation heard by Rosalie and Bella was clipped, but bother knew who was on the other line.
"Hello?, yes." Alice said then paused to listen. "Mmmhm, okay." Pause. "No, please don't." Pause. "Seriously don't." Pause. "I know, but it won't help." Pause. "I have no idea." Pause. "I suspected." Pause. "She's my best friend." Pause. "I'm turning her phone off." Pause. "Leave it alone for now, seriously." Alice added before snapping the phone shut and putting it in her pocket.
Rosalie scooted over to make room for their friend while Alice enthusiastically patted the empty space between them. Bella timidly sat down, and once she was seated immediately sunk into the couch.
Rosalie and Alice wrapped their arms around their friend and all three sighed together in unison. They all started to giggle quietly as they noted the synchronic sigh.
Alice took a sharp intake of breath before starting.
"We can deduce what happened last night Bella, you don't need to tell us the details of the date, but.." Alice trailed off while brushing Bella's bangs away from her eyes, "we really need to know why you did what you did."
Rosalie picked up where Alice left off without missing a beat, "We really love you, and we stand behind every decision you make. We think we understand but you need to talk to us honey, okay?"
Bella looked down at her lap, considering her words before opening her mouth.
"I just panicked," she offered. "It was what I expected, but I just couldn't." She drew in a long breathe before continuing, "I don't know, I just saw my future life and I couldn't do it."
Alice nodded urging her gently to continue.
"I love him, I really do, you guys know that, but I couldn't help but think there was more to life and love. I don't even know what I mean by more, but I don't want to be miserable thinking I made the wrong decision."
She took a shaky breath as tears welled in her eyes, "I don't know if it was even the right decision. Did I throw something great away for nothing? Probably."
Rosalie jumped in before Bella could get anymore self-loathing. "If there was even a doubt in your mind, which we both knew there were a couple, you made the right decision."
Alice picked up where Rosalie left off, "Honey, you weren't happy, you shouldn't just settle because you think there is nothing else out there for you. You will end up being so miserable with life, and you will hurt Jake even more in the long run."
At the mention of Jake Bella's eyes spilled over and tears began to roll in earnest down her cheeks. "He hates me." Bella whispered, "I'm such a terrible person."
Rosalie shushed her as Bella snuggled closer to her friends. "If he loves you, which he does, he will understand. Yes, he will be upset and angry for awhile, but it's not always just about him. I know you are a completely selfless person, but sometimes you just have to look out for yourself."
Alice nodded and then added, "You know how many late night discussions we have had about your relationship, and there were doubts in all of our minds, the problem is the fact you think you aren't good enough and won't find someone else who will want you."
Tears flowed down Bella's face as she gave no inclination of agreeing or disagreeing with Alice's statement.
Alice continued, "This won't be easy, things will be hard for awhile, and painful. You may lose Jake completely, even as a friend." At the mention of this a sob escaped Bella's lips. Alice and Rosalie's arms tightened around Bella as Alice continued, "but, deep down inside I think you know you made the right decision. We will get through this together, and things will be okay, trust me I know it."
They always joked Alice could tell the future, one day she came home and blatantly told Bella and Rosalie she would meet the man of her dreams tomorrow. She acted like she was commenting on the weather, and both Bella and Rosalie chuckled at their friend shaking their heads.
The next day, Alice came home with a new boy in tow and at the sight of him both Bella and Rosalie burst out laughing. The girls joke it gave Jasper a complex, since to this day Jasper is still confused at this strange meeting.
Alice continued, "Everything will work out, it always does. We will always be here for you love, you know that. We've been through a lot together; we can make it through this."
Rosalie added, "Please, please just don't go into self-loathing mode Bells, no guy is worth that, when you are ready you can sit down with Jake and talk about this, but we will be there when that happens. You made this decision and you will stick with it, because when it came down to it, it was fight or flight with you. If you wanted to marry him you would have instantly thought of the dress you would wear to your wedding, not 'where the hell is the door?'" The girls chuckled at this, and even Bella cracked a small smile.
Alice sighed before turning to look at Bella in the eyes. "You really have to love yourself, before you can really love and give yourself to someone. We know you, and we know how little confidence you have. You may really love Jake, but you need to figure out if that love was fueled by desperation or not. That kind of love won't stand the test of time, and that means there is someone else out there you should be looking for."
Rosalie agreed and added, "You know we are right, we always are my dear. For now we will leave this alone, but you are not leaving our line of vision for awhile."
Alice grinned and said, "We love you so much Bella, and we want the best for you in life, you know that. Now buck up love, we're going to have a girl's day."
Rosalie laughed, "More like a girl's month. Our main goal is to make you happy, and you will be in time, we promise."
"Pinky promise." Alice added.
Bella wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, "Okay," She whispered. "Okay." She repeated, this time with conviction.
Everything would be okay.
xx
A/N: I love Alice and Rosalie, aren't they great? I'm going to have a leap in time so the wonderful Edward should appear in the next chapter, if you are lucky.
As always, please review, I don't like to think I'm writing for myself. Even if I have only 2 people reading my story I'd be motivated.
Thanks guys!
Cinnamon