"How are things back home? I know you said you and your brother we having a few disagreements, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay."
DPOV
Before we got into talking about Stefan and how things are in Mystic Falls right now, we couldn't do it here in the middle of her work place. I attempted to call for the waitress, but I think Bella knew what I was trying to do. So Bella stopped me from trying to pay a bill, seeing as Eric had picked up the tab for everyone working for him and their families. I snuck a tip on the table for the waitress, though really she annoyed the shit out of me more than doing her job properly. She continually gave Bella mean looks, and I won't lie and say if I wasn't married to Bella or seeing her that I wouldn't have tried to take the waitress back to her place. But I would have just feed on her, and never thought of her again ever.
"It was peaceful until, I got to the house and my emo little brother showed up." I told her truthfully, as we walked to my car. As I didn't know where exactly Bella lived, she would have to tell me how to get to her place. Talking about Stefan wasn't on the top of my list of things I wanted to do tonight, but she deserved to know what she was going to be walking into once we get to Mystic Falls Friday night.
"He can't be that bad, he was probably just worried about you." If Bella was talking about Elena, I would believe her in a heartbeat. But she isn't, she's talking about my brother. Stefan and I hate each other, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. There are too many years of hatred between us, and though some of it is misplaced a lot of it isn't.
"We hate each other babe, for a lot of reasons throughout the years." Was my response to her, and I can hear her sigh. I know she's an only child, but I still wonder if she had been in a similar situation as me. That's when I realize, she has with her former best friend that was as close as family. She hated him for turning his back on her like the cold one did, and he hated her for even being able to love someone other than her.
As I looked at her face, as she stared straight ahead with a contemplating look on her face. I wondered if there was more to the story, and why she wouldn't want to tell me the whole story. I know some very personal things are hard to tell strangers, and we technically are just that though we know about each other's story about how we knew about mythical creature's and in my case how I became one. Bella took a deep breath, and turned to me. "I have a story I need to tell you, but I would feel more comfortable if we were at my place, instead of in the middle of New York City."
"Then let's get to your place, and you can tell me this story." I told her seeing the scared look in her eyes, it wasn't that she was afraid for her life I believe she was afraid of how I would see her once I knew. She had told me she was danger magnet, and from the stories she has told me I believe it. Elena is the same way though, and that means I'm good with it. Besides I usually am the danger, so I'm pretty sure I can take care of any of the dangers that come Bella's way. We get to my car and Bella stops dead still right in front of my car, and chuckles to herself as she admires it. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, it just so happens that my dad has the same car just in black. When we go to Fork's, I'll have to show you my car see what you think about it." She told me with a wink, as she opened the passenger side door and got in. I quickly got out of my stupor in time, to help her close the door. I looked at her curiously, seeing a very mischievous look in her eyes. She had something up her sleeve, and it made me wonder what kind of car she had. Was she into the older modeled cars, and if her dad liked the Chevy Camaro especially the SS. Then we have more than his daughter, in common. She quickly gave me directions to follow, and with my good memory she didn't have to repeat it.
I was curious as to why she said she would have to get her car when we go to Fork's, did she not have a car here? I guess I could see why she wouldn't, it was a pain to drive anywhere in the city. It was so much easier to just walk or take the metro, she didn't have to fight with the everyday traffic that New York had. Taxi drivers frighten regular human beings, I wonder if they frighten Bella? "So if you don't drive yourself around New York, I assume taxi drivers do."
"If I'm running late, they are the fast transportation to use, but I tend to just use the metro or walk to work depending on the day. New York has a lot of foot traffic, but it's not as bad as the road traffic in this city. It similar in Italy, just less traffic and more risk takers with the drivers, I personally prefer to be able to walk around and see everything around me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being able to drive and see things further away from the small towns, but I realized big city people really don't know you unless you've made a name for yourself like Eric has." She answered thoughtfully, and it made me realize that though she was used to the big city life, she purely enjoyed living the small town life knowing the people were going to interact with on daily basis. In a big city, you can't possibly know every person you're going to run into. And I mean literally run into in this city, and you will never know the personality that they will have.
She stayed in New York for school and work, but something tells me that she wants out of a big city. The question was did she want to go back to Fork's or somewhere new, that she can define who she is on her terms. Realizing I could have the option to do that as well, if she did want to go back to Fork's. But I had things to take care of in Mystic Falls, and before I could decide on anything concerning starting over somewhere new, I had to take care of that. We got to her townhouse, and I had to admit the outside looked nice. The inside didn't look bad either; it looked like it was a little small for her though. She books over flowing from the bookshelves she has, as well as multiple different things around. "You need a bigger place, you have way to much stuff for a townhouse."
"It never used to be like this, until I left for college. My friends tend to go overboard with sending me things, and I go overboard with books as you can see. Make yourself at home; I'm just going to make a pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?" I nodded in agreement, and before taking a seat I looked at all the pictures littering the house. She had a variety of different photos with different people, a lot of them look from her time at NYU and Culinary school. She had several of her time in Italy, and she truly looked happy there. She had quite a few pictures with half naked Indian men, some where they were in groups and others just her and one. I found one where she looked to be no older than 6 making a mud pie with a boy close to her age would be my guess, they looked happy with their laughing faces and dirty hands. "That's Jacob; we used to be best friends. I had even at one point thought of him as my little brother, but when he finally phased into a wolf everything changed. "
She told me all about how she was friends with a bunch of shape-shifters back home in Fork's, but i don't remember hearing anything about Jacob being one of those men. I know she told me that her father and his, were best friends and that they still were despite her and Jacob no longer being friends. "Once he phased, he realized that Cullen was a vampire and I had willing dated something that was dead. I knew that he had a crush on me, but what I didn't know was that it had become obsessive concerning him. He had fantasized about us in every way, just waiting for a moment for me to be willing to be with him. Even though I had told him time and again, that he was my best friend and I loved him like a little brother.
Jacob kidnapped me one day after school; I had thought he had come so we could fix our friendship, but he took me to some cabin in the woods attempting to get me to sleep with him. Saying if I was so desperate to have sex with something dead, I might as well give a man who turns into a wolf a try. He had gotten a hold of some handcuffs somehow, and handcuffed to the bed in the cabin. Before he could even rape me, Paul and Embry come bursting into the cabin. Paul had tackled Jacob to the floor, who at the time was undressing me. Embry quickly un-cuffed me, and helped me grab my things before taking me as far away from the cabin as possible. For a long time, I could go anywhere without one of the pack with me, afraid that Jacob was going to jump out and grab me all over again. If Jacob was around Embry and Paul stuck close to me, while the rest of the pack made sure he stayed a good distance away from me." She told me confidently, let truly shy and what I would do or say now that I knew something unpleasant about her past. I was pissed that someone who claimed loved her, could truly turn that evil towards her because she couldn't love him back the way he wanted. If I didn't think she would hate me for it, I would find him and kill him. As it is, I want thank the wolf pack for taking care of her, and I don't thank anyone ever.
BPOV
Telling Damon about Jacob was hard, but he needed to know about it. Just because we're no longer friends, didn't mean I worried any less about him. Billy was still his father, no matter how disappointed he is of Jacob's actions. Charlie won't even let Jacob in the house, and the pack only really tolerates him. I know he's Alpha now, since Seth and Leah still keep me updated. I was going to need to go back for dad and Sue's anniversary, but that was a month and a half away. "He's no longer you're friend, but you care about him why?"
"Just because we're no longer friends, doesn't mean the worry goes away. I care if he lives or dies, anything else doesn't matter. His dad Billy is my dad's best friend and he's like another father to me. As disappointed as Billy is with Jacob, he's still Jacob's father. Just like you're still Stefan's older brother, you will always care about him no matter what." I told Damon honestly, and I do believe that he and Stefan do care about each other. It's not hard to hate someone, what' shard is to stop caring about them.
It took me two years, to not feel anything for the Cullen's. Even then, I get angry at them when Victoria gets close. Dad told me he got a letter from Carlisle once, sending his condolences on my death. My dad thought it was weird, because there was never a report of my death. The only thing I could think of; is that Alice couldn't see me anymore. I was happy about that though, because it meant they couldn't check up on me. It made it a level playing field, if I couldn't see them; they shouldn't be able to see me.
"Stefan and I used to be the best of friends, before Katherine had showed up and destroyed all of that. We were a game to her, I see that now. I went to Vegas to forget about her, and I'm glad I did because I met you. That little witch I told you about Bonnie, she hates me and I don't really blame her." Damon went on telling me, he was sorry to an extent but he was who he was. He got through the centuries trying to find someone he thought he loved, and that in itself is admirable. "Her grandmother died opening a tomb for me, because I went searching for Katherine. I didn't know that it would happen, and if I could go back in time I would have never opened it. "
"I think you would have, because from the little I've got to know about you when you love someone you love them with your entire soul. Sure you might have been more cautious maybe, but I think you would have still found a way to open that tomb to find her." I told him honestly, and if I was honest with myself I was hurt a little that I could be a rebound for him. He could be using me as a way to get over Katherine not being in the tomb, but I was still willing to risk it because he made me feel more alive than I have felt in years. "I would have done the same, if it came to a person I love being locked away forever and dying. If you truly love someone, you do everything in your power to get them back. I think it's in us to be like that, when we lose the people we think are meant for us. I know I couldn't do it for Edward, because even though I loved him I know he never truly loved me."
If Edward really loved me and I was his mate, he wouldn't have been able to leave me like he did. That and he would have never changed me. Which I find myself grateful for; because I'm happy with how my life is turning out, I wouldn't have been able to go to college when I did, or taste any of the amazing foods I have tasted over the years or the ones I created. I don't think I would be who I am now, if I was changed into a vampire like the Cullen's. "Do you wish he would come back?"
"No. At least not anymore, for several months after he left, I wished so hard it was all a dream and he was still right there next to me. But after awhile I realized it was better that he left me, because he had been changing me into something I never was. He made me an insecure little girl, when I used to be more open and fun. If he did come back or I run into him at some point, all I would want is to show him that I'm stronger than he thought I was. That I might fall and I might crack, but I don't break so easily like he thought I did." I told Damon, knowing that he remembered me telling him how I was found in the woods by Sam when Edward had broken up with me.
Damon was furious to say the least when I had told him that, but I told him not to worry about it as far as the Cullen's are concerned they all think I'm dead anyways. He wondered why I just happened to disappear from Alice's visions, but he was more curious about anyone else in the Cullen family having certain powers. I had told him about Jasper's empathy, and Edward able to read minds with the exception of mine. "I think I'm starting to get, that Katherine was the same way with Stefan and I. I'm still curious about Edward not being able read your mind, when he didn't have trouble with anyone else's. We already know that I can't use compulsion on you, but when we get to Mystic Falls we will get Stefan to try."
"It would probably be good to know, if you are the only one I'm immune to but not to another of your kind. But I swear to god if we find it does work, you better not use it on me Damon Salvatore or I will come after your ass once I figure out how you did that shit." I told him bluntly, because I would really like to know if I was immune to the originals vampires' gifts as I am to cold ones. And I would definitely come after him, if I ever found out that he had someone use compulsion on me in anyway.
Damon had chuckled after my statement, but something told me he knew I was being serious. He should take me seriously, because I've learned to have a back bone since Edward and Jacob. That was thanks to Paul and the rest of the pack, for teaching me how defend myself against someone trying to take something away from me. "I think you will like Mystic Falls honestly, it's a small town where everyone knows everyone. They don't know everyone's personal business, though a lot of them try. I don't think you will have too much trouble getting along with the people there, and I don't think you will have a problem with Stefan and Elena once they realize I'm not playing with your head."
"They honestly don't trust you? I mean I get it somewhat from what you've told me of yours and Stefan's past with each other, but I would think he would be a little more supportive of you finding someone who isn't Katherine. I know for a fact that my dad was over the moon when I had told him I had a date, months after Edward had broken up with me and again after the whole thing with Jacob." I couldn't understand how a brother could be so uncaring towards his brother's feelings; Damon was easy enough to read if you just looked into his eyes. I know he cares about me, and though I don't to what capacity he cares enough to want me around.
Damon looked at me, looking for something in my eyes. I don't know what he found, but he smiled and took me by the hand and pulled me to him. He kissed me soundly on the lips, before turning me so my back was against his chest. "You are stronger than a lot of humans I know, and it makes me think you were made tougher than most because you were always meant to be in this world of mythical creatures. Every time I learn something new about you, there is some trial and tribulation that you have to go through so you can stand above all those who thought you would crack and fall. You always prove them wrong, and I hope we can both prove my brother and Elena that this isn't a game I'm playing."
"As long as you're always honest about what is going on with us, I don't see how they couldn't believe you. I see the truth in your eyes, whenever I ask a question. I've learned from my past that you have to look someone in the eyes when you're talking to them, because that's the only way to know if they are lying to you or not." I said knowing he probably knew all that, but in case he hadn't I still gave him my thoughts on it. I know he changed the subject on his brother, but I think they just need to know how to live with each other or to at least get along and stop accusing one another of something they didn't do.
His hand came up to my chin, and turned my head to have me look at him. He looked at my eyes, and I saw his eyes look down at my lips. Before I could blink I was on my back, with Damon on top of me and a look of passion in his eyes. He lowered his head closer to mine; he was a millimeter away from touching our lips together when he looked back into my eyes before whispering to me. "You don't know how much it means that you trust me, and believe in me. I haven't had that in a really long time, not the real thing I tended to have to use compulsion to make people believe they trusted me."
"I will always believe you, until I'm proven not too. I think you will lie to protect me, but I don't think you'd ever lie to hurt me." I whispered back to him, before closing the distance between us. The kiss starts out slow with both of us trying to pour all of our feelings into this one kiss. He could break me, but as I have learned I'm strong enough to stand alone on my own if it ever came to that.
A/N: Sooooooo very sorry it has taken me so long, but I had a lot of work to do and not enough time to write. I promise I'm already working through the next chapter, and hope to have it up in the next few days.