Chapter 4: L.P.O.V.
I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. I felt something soft and sat up slowly, realising I had fallen asleep in the huge golden bed upstairs, in the room where I had changed into my mother's tracksuit. I had come back up stairs after waiting for Edward to return. He had freaked me the fuck out. I had never seen anything look so fierce some or pissed off. The way his black eyes seemed to have gotten darker, and the terrifying snarl that had built up in his chest. And what was with the super spit? I had no idea that their spit was like acid? I had waited for Edward to come back, after he had sprinted off, but I had gotten tired fast and went upstairs to sleep.
My body ached as I climbed out of the huge bed and padded to the door, still in mother's pink tracksuit. I walked out into the hall, and I froze for a second. The smell... it didn't smell musty or like something had died in the walls, it smelt... clean and of orange blossoms? Lavender? The hallway was still dark as the curtains were drawn across the massive windows, but a weak sunlight cast odd shadows on the curtains and I drew them back slowly, having difficulty with the heavy weight of the fabric. I gasped as the sunlight filled the upstairs hallway. The carpet was a brilliant white, the walls were smooth and clean looking, there was no dust and no mould like there was yesterday, it was all gone. I walked towards the top of the spiral case, and studied the pictures hanging on the wall, that I hadn't seen yesterday. There were so many of them, all of my mother and me, and occasionally Edward was in them too. I headed down stairs, and once again was blown away with the beauty of the house. The furniture was dust free and the carpets were clean and soft underfoot, the stench of death was gone and the smell of orange blossoms and lavender was stronger downstairs, I wandered into the kitchen, stainless steel and granite marble were polished to perfection and I noticed a sliding door was open and that it led out onto a beautiful deck. There was a cigar butt still smoking in the ash tray on the massive outdoor table. There was also a laptop and several pieces of paper scattered over the table as well. I wondered over to the table and glanced around me, looking for Edward, he was nowhere to be seen. I peered at the email that was open on the lap top, and then decided against it and went back inside. My stomach started to growl and I opened the pantry door only to be disappointed, the shelves were cleaned, and smelt fresh, but there was no food. I went over to the polished sink and turned the tap on; the water must have come back on. I found a glass and took a long drink of water, resting my hands on the edge of the counter.
After my drink of water I wandered back through the house... "Edward?" I called out loudly. There was no response. I looked out the window and realised it was late afternoon, I must have slept the whole day, my stomach growled again and a slight pounding started in my head. "Ugh!" I sighed to myself, 'I need food!' I ran back upstairs and used the shower in the ensuite that was part of the room I had stayed in last night. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a basic fitted top and dragged a brush through my hair. I went back down to the lower level and found the garage adjoining the kitchen.
There was an empty space in the garage where slight oil marks tarnished the concrete floor. The other space was occupied by a sleek red sports car; it was definitely old but looked powerful. I glanced around the garage looking for keys, I couldn't find Edward, and I was starving, surely he wouldn't mind if I borrowed his car to get some food? I felt a little guilty as I found some keys hanging on a key rack, just inside the garage next to the door that led to the kitchen. I tried a couple of times to unlock the door of the red car, and finally found a match. I quickly got in and turned the ignition, the car revved to life sounding more powerful than I thought it would...
I smiled to myself and pressed the remote control fixed behind the rear vision mirror, to let the garage door open.
I stomped on the accelerator and the car swerved before it shot of the garage. I laughed to myself as I got the car back under control and fish tailed onto the highway. 20 minutes later I arrived back in the main street I had been in yesterday and slowed the car down to an almost crawl. I found the Thrift way supermarket and pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. There were only a handful of other cars in the small lot, and I realised that it must almost be closing time for the supermarket.
I wandered in and grabbed a trolley. I had a hard time recognising what everything was, the labels and packaging were all different to what I was used to back home. After about 10 minutes I finally found the choc chip cookies and started to throw several packets into the trolley. A little way down the aisle I noticed a young guy, maybe in his early twenties studying a bottle of something. He was unbelievably hot. I felt my groin pulse slightly as I imagined him naked. He had a deep tan and looked very exotic. His jet black hair was cropped short and messy, and he was wearing a pair of tight denim jeans that fit his ass well. His singlet top was a dark khaki green and showed off his well muscled arms, a long necklace came down to his chest, but I was too far away to see what was on the chain. Suddenly he looked up at me, and I turned away quickly fidgeting with the items in my trolley. I took a deep breath and slowly pushed the trolley down the aisle towards him and came to a stop, pretending to scan the items on the shelves in front of me. I adjusted my top so a little more cleavage spilled out, and put my hand on my hip, trying to find something, anything I could fix my gaze on. I saw the side of his cheek pull up into a smirk. I glanced at what he had in his hand.
'Oh that's what I was looking for!" I blurted out, pointing to the item in his hand and smiling up at him brightly. He raised his eyebrow at me. "Mr Muscle protein powder?" he said in a deep husky voice, his accent was tainted with a southern drawl.
Shit! I hadn't looked at his item properly, protein powder? "Uh..." I said stupidly... not sure what to say.
He shook his head and then continued on down the aisle leaving me standing there stupidly. Never had a guy walked away from me like that. I blushed furiously and stomped down the rest of the aisle, chucking in anything that looked remotely sugary.
Once I had paid for my items and loaded them into the back of the car, I slammed the trunk down and rummaged around in my purse, I found my cigarettes and fumbled with the packet, I was still so embarrassed about how that guy had brushed me off. I lit up and leaned against the trunk, inhaling deeply on the cigarette, while I pulled out my cell and turned it on.
"Nice car!" shouted a voice a few metres to my left. I looked up surprised and saw the hot guy from the supermarket in an old 4WD; he grinned at me, and took off in his car. I stared after him in awe, and a beep from my phone brought me back to earth. I checked the msg, and winced when I saw it was from Ambrose...
"Lucy my love, did you find what you were looking for? I hope you are ok, you should come back to Europe, how about I organise to fly you to Italy on the way home, and we can have a holiday in Venice or Rome... I really need you..."
I deleted the message and tried calling mother again, straight to voicemail once more. I sighed and got back into the car, squishing my cigarette on the parking lot concrete before starting the car. I easily found my way back onto the main road and started off in the direction of Edward's house. Just before the town limits I noticed a brightly lit small building that was just off the freeway, my windows were down and I caught a drift of country music, and laughter from what looked like a dirt parking lot. I craned my neck as I sped past and swear I saw the same old 4WD that hot guy had been in, now parked in what appeared to be the parking lot of a bar. I kept a mental note of where it was located and pushed down on the accelerator a little more.
After about 20 minutes and nearly missing the turn off, I pulled into the driveway of the house, appreciating the washed walls and now manicured gardens. There were mounds of wet grass from the lawn having been mowed, dumped onto the garden, with the lawns now looking fresh and tidied. I shook my head in amazement at how much he had done in so little time. I waited for the garage door to slowly open and my heart dropped to my stomach as a pissed off Edward stood at the back of the garage, arms folded across his chest. I gulped as I slowly parked the car, and noticed a shiny black Jag now occupied the vacant space that had been there before. I opened the door slowly and got out, trying not to look at him.
"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN? HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS?" shouted Edward. He had suddenly appeared before me and had my wrist in his hand before I could even blink. I dropped the car keys that were in that hand from fright, and his super fast reflexes caught them. It was then that I noticed him...He was no longer sick or frail, his skin was still slightly grey but no longer had the hollow contours, his jaw was squarer, and his shoulders looked bigger, he had literally 'filled out'. His eyes were very black and hardened at the corners, he was breathing heavily, and the super acid spit was pooling at his mouth... I started to feel afraid, and could feel my flight or fight response kicking in, I was shaking heavily and he continued to glare at me.
'EDWARD!" shouted a male voice from the door leading to the kitchen. I gasped in surprise as I didn't realise anyone else was here. What was surely another vampire stood in the door way, the light from the kitchen casting a glowing halo around his bleach blonde hair. Edward snapped out of it, as the golden vampire shouted his name. Edward looked like he was going to be sick. "Lucy, I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me... I'm just so worried about your mother... about Bella and then... and then... you weren't here when I got back... I... I..." he couldn't finish his sentence properly and gripped his tousled bronzed hair; he fell to his knees and started heaving... I thought he was sobbing. I stood there dumbfounded and then the blonde vampire muttered something that sounded like 'Jesus Christ' and crossed the garage to Edward, faster than my eyes could register.
"Lucy, dear, come into the living room... I'm so sorry about this sudden outburst... my name is Esme`, I'm Edward's mother" said a soft, polite voice from the doorway where the blonde vampire had been. Esme`, somehow Edward's mother, even though she looked no older than 25, was a petite vampire with caramel honey hair that was waved in a 1940's hair do. She had on a beautiful lavender knee length skirt, with a white silk blouse tucked into the waist band, her makeup and nails were polished to perfection, and her small feet were in high stiletto's, she was beautiful. I glanced down at the heaving Edward and the blonde vampire who was crouched down to his level, talking to him sternly and shaking Edward's shoulders. I couldn't pick up on the conversation, their words flowing too rapidly.
I looked up at Esme` timidly, who had her pale, thin hand stretched out towards me... she seemed nice enough I mused to myself. I timidly walked over to her, and let her put her arms around my shoulders, as she escorted me into the living room. She had a motherly sense about her, and I felt somewhat at ease as she gently guided me to the sofa. She sat next to me and held my hands in hers. She beamed at me brightly, her white teeth almost too dazzlingly. "Oh Lucy..." said Esme`, as if she had known me all her life. "The last time I saw you, you were still in diapers! You have grown up so much!' she cooed at me.
"Oh..." was all I could come up with. I still felt shaken from Edward's outburst. Esme` patted my hands and then folded her own into her lap. Her head perked up and looked in the direction of the garage, like she had heard something; I turned to follow her gaze, and didn't see anything.
"Lucy I am so sorry for my son's behaviour... my husband, Carlisle and I, have not seen Edward for several years, he choose to live as a recluse, and refused to see us... but after your arrival... he contacted us for err... support... you could say" she looked like stone, and I wondered if she was trying to hide something. I looked at her confused and could feel my brow furrowing. Something smashed loudly in the garage, and a string of curses shouted closely afterwards.
"Oh dear' muttered Esme` bringing her hand up to her mouth. Her gaze flickered back to me. "Lucy, I'm going to cut to the chase, you need to bring your mother here right now! My son is planning on going to Volterra, to find Bella, he wanted Carlisle to come with him, but Carlisle and I are deeply concerned. The political situation in Volterra, is tense, there are talks of trying to throw the current leader off the throne... it's not safe for anyone to be in Volterra. And Edward is somewhat...troubled, he'll get himself killed if he doesn't keep his emotions in check, the only way to stop this madness is to get Bella here now! Surely you can get in contact with her?" pleaded Esme`. My head swam from all the information she was throwing at me Ambrose told me that mother was in Volterra, but I couldn't get a hold of her, and now it seemed like she was in danger... I started to get upset and a few tears slid down my cheek.
"Lucy! Please don't cry! I'm sorry sweetheart, we just really need your mother here, I'm sure she's fine, she's such a strong woman, she can look after herself..." cooed Esme`, as she crushed me into a hug, her body was cold, but she smelt like fresh honey, and her hug soothed me.
"Lucy?" asked Edward concerned from behind me. I broke away from Esme`s hug and wiped at my face, looking up at him over my shoulder. His face was pained, and the blonde vampire, Carlisle was standing behind him. "I'm so sorry sweet pea, I didn't mean to frighten you, it's just been a lot for me to take in, I am so glad you're here, but when you said Bella was in Volterra, I just can't help but worry about her, it's not a safe place and she's so beautiful... "He trailed off... he started to get upset again and Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder...
"Calm down son, she'll come looking for Lucy, I guarantee you she'll be here within a week" said Carlisle, though he didn't seem too convinced.
"Ok I think I've had enough for one night!" I said wiping away the tears that had escaped my eyes. Night had just fallen over the forest that backed the house, sending odd shadows dancing on the extra clean carpet. My stomach growled loudly, and the three vampires looked up at me, almost startled.
"Oh Lucy I didn't even think of food!" said Edward in anguish. "No it's ok, I went out and got some groceries but I think I might head out for a bit..." I said wanting to get away from this mad household, and have some time think.
"I don't think..." started Edward but his mother interrupted him. "Go get some fresh air honey, but don't be too long" she smiled at me. I nodded and shrugged my shoulders, hurrying back to the garage, and grabbing the keys for the red car again.
20 minutes later I found myself pulling into the dirt parking lot of the bar that I saw on the way home from the grocery store. I hadn't even realised I had been driving here until I pulled up out front. It was a small, but well lit building, that had a flickering neon sign, displaying the words "Jack's steak house" but with the letters 'k' and 'u' missing. I heard country music blaring from inside, and laughter drifted out over the parking lot. I got out of the car, and scanned the lot; the old 4WD was still here. My heart skipped a beat, and I let my worries from before disappear. I walked through the entrance and was glad there was no bouncer to check ID. My eyes roamed the restaurant/bar, and it was filled with families eating huge portions of steak and grease covered side dishes, there were groups of young adults with beers in hand, shooting pool, and a well endowed bar chick busy filling glasses with beer. I looked around eagerly for the hot guy and spotted him in the far corner with a group of four other guys, all tanned and dark haired. It was then that I realised he must have been Native American. They were playing pool, and laughing loudly with one another, they seemed to be having a good time. Now that I was here, I was unsure of what to do.
'Excuse me miss, are you here for dinner or drinks?' said a young high pitched voice. A girl with blonde curly hair, not much older than myself, was standing next to me with a tray of empty glasses balanced on her hand. The boys in the far corner laughed loudly, and the waitress glanced over at them, a small smile playing on the corner of her mouth.
"Ummm some food would be good" I said to her. "You here all by yourself?" she asked me raising an eyebrow at me, as she scanned me over with her dark grey eyes. "
'Bitch' I thought to myself.
"Yeah" was all I responded with...
She smiled and sat her tray down on the bar; she looked over at the group of boys again and then placed a menu in front of me. I sat down at the counter and I felt slightly uncomfortable being in full view of the restaurant but also hoped that the hot guy would notice me. I flicked my long hair over my shoulder and sat up a bit straighter. The waitress narrowed her eyes at me, as she put the tray with dirty glasses away. I ignored her and scanned the menu in front of me. It was plastic and covered in stains, but my stomach growled loudly and I wanted food now!
"Hey Britney!' shouted a voice over the loud country music. I glanced up and saw the hot guy was shouting out to the waitress. Britney lit up and smiled at him. "Another round honey" he said raising his beer bottle in the air.
"Sure thing Chris!" she said too enthusiastically. She grabbed five bottle of beer and strutted over to the corner of the bar where the boys were playing pool. They were rowdy and my eyes were drawn to Chris, the hot guy. His smile was brilliant and white, his height was impressive and he looked seriously muscled. Britney was flirting with him outrageously touching his arm and laughing along with them all. She had perched herself, in her tight denim shorts on the corner of the pool table and was ignoring the rest of the restaurant, I was starving but she was too busy flirting. I looked around for other staff, but there was no one else to be seen. I kept glaring at her, hoping to get her eye, but she had most of her back to me. Chris was smiling down at her, playing with the end of her blonde curls, and suddenly he looked up at me. He registered recognition and grinned at me nodding his head. He said something to Britney the waitress and she looked over at me annoyed. She rolled her eyes at me and sauntered back over. I couldn't help but feel triumphant.
"You know what you want yet?" drawled the waitress. I ordered a steak, medium rare with mushroom sauce, and fries and salad, and handed her back the menu, I asked her for a scotch on the rocks, and turned my attention back to Chris, I could feel her eyes blazing into my back. To my disappointment, Chris pretended like he never saw me, and didn't once glance in my direction.
Twenty minutes later, Britney clattered my food down, and finally had made my drink. I shot the Scotch back in one go and got stuck into the steak, it tasted of fat and the outside was char grilled heavily. I didn't care and finished the whole meal in less than ten minutes. I sighed in appreciation. My stomach was no longer growling but now I looked like I was pregnant, I was so bloated; I tucked the waist band of my jeans up a little higher, to hide the bloat, and then was startled when Chris sat down heavily beside me.
'Well hey there... how'd ya go with the protein powder? Got a work out in before coming out tonight?' he chuckled at me, as he tilted his head back and swallowed his beer. I tried to turn my flirt on, but was still so rattled from before.
"Of course! I work out all the time" I said sarcastically flipping my hair back over my shoulder.
He raised his eyebrows at me. His lean forearms were resting on the bar, and his body was angled towards me, as he perched on the bar stool, too tall to sit down properly, his feet were braced on the floor.
'You're not from around here are you kid?' he asked me. I narrowed my eyes at the word "kid".
"No I'm not" I said running my hands through the ends of my hair. I could see Britney pretending to dry glasses, listening to our conversation.
"You want another drink?" he asked me, looking at my empty glass. "Sure" I said as coolly as I could manage, I was still embarrassed about the previous meeting we had, and wanted him to think I was super cool.
"Another beer Britney and whatever she's having" he said jerking his thumb in my direction. He winked at Britney and she looked at him seductively.
"So where you from?' he asked picking up a tooth pick and twirling it between his teeth, the way most American guys seemed to do.
"I'm from Monaco" I said, trying to tilt the French accent just a little more than necessary.
Britney slammed our drinks down and then walked over to Chris's friends, obviously annoyed that Chris was talking to me.
"Monaco?" said Chris in surprise... "What on earth are you doing here in Forks then?" he said curiously, sipping from his beer, and smiling at the same time... my heart skipped a beat for a second, he was just too hot, so much better looking than Ambrose.
"Uhhh" I said stupidly not being able to concentrate. "Ummmm I was looking for my dad" I said truthfully, as I stared into his deep brown eyes.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry" he said getting a little defensive. "No no its fine!" I said laughing it off. I turned my body towards him and crossed my leg over my knee.
Silence. "So ummm you live here then?" I asked trying to pick the conversation up again. Chris had been looking back at his friends playing pool. He turned his attention back to me.
"Yeah, I live in Forks most of the week, I own the local mechanic shop, but my mom lives on the reservation just down the coast, and I visit her most weekends" he said looking at his beer.
He visits his mom? How cute! I thought to myself. "So you're native American?" I asked him as I looked at his deep tanned skin. He nodded his head in response. I glanced down at the long necklace he had on and saw a small ornament hanging from the end of the leather necklace. It was a tiny wolf, carved from wood. I wondered if it had some sort of tribal meaning.
He sat up a bit straighter and continued to sip on his beer. "So that's a nice car you were driving before?" he asked me questioningly. "Your dad's?" he asked almost condescendingly. I scowled slightly and he snickered at me. "You could say that' I half lied, thinking that Edward would be the closest thing I would ever have as a father.
"It's a classic' he said shaking his head in appreciation, and smiling broadly. I shrugged my shoulders not knowing much about cars. "I have a black Jaguar XKR back home" I said smiling smugly, thinking that was all I knew about my car and then hoping he wouldn't ask me any more questions about it.
He whistled low. "Really?" he asked me. I nodded my head in agreement. He leant his arms on the bar more and shook his head slightly. "Spoilt little rich kid" he muttered sarcastically under his breath. "Excuse me?" I said taken aback by his rudeness.
He laughed at me. "Come on kid, surely your mom or dad bought you that car, there's no way a 16 year old..." he said looking at my scotch "... could afford that kind of car"
I started to blush, mother had bought it for me that was true... but I was not a spoilt little rich kid! He noticed my blush. "Oh come on kid lighten up" he said playfully.
"My name is Lucy, not kid" I said indignantly. "Lucy?" he mused to himself. "I'm Chris, nice to meet you" he winked at me. I was getting all kinds of weird vibes from him, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot again...
"Well Lucy, I best join my boys again..." he said standing up to his full height. I stared at him in awe...
"No more drinks for you, if you're going to drive home, you shouldn't even be drinking..." he said to me sternly, before winking and walking off to join his mates. I felt somewhat ruffled by his arrogant behaviour, at least I knew his name and that he owned the local mechanic shop, but he hadn't asked to see me again? Maybe I should take Edward's car in to get a service? Would that be too desperate? As I was lost in thought, finishing my drink, my phone beeped again. Another text message from Ambrose.
"Lucy why haven't you replied to my message? I really need to see you... Are you ok?" I glanced over at Chris and smiled to myself, my thoughts of Ambrose and his kisses in Monaco, washed out of my mind and was replaced with thoughts of Chris and me making out. I deleted Ambrose's message and contemplated getting a new phone, but then I needed this one for whenever mother would call. I jumped off the bar stool and put some American bills onto the counter, making sure there was hardly any tip left over in what would be the change, that bitch waitress didn't deserve a tip. I walked out the door, catching Chris's eye as I left the bar. I smiled to myself and went over to my car.
"You sure you're ok to drive?' asked a deep husky voice behind me. I turned around slowly and leant up against the car, the dim lighting in the car park, cast a soft glow over Chris's face, he was just too damn cute.
"I'll be fine" I said sweetly to him. "Where are you staying?" he asked cheekily smiling at me, as he leant his hand next to my head on the car, he was so much closer to me... I could smell his masculine scent of leather, and a touch of gasoline, obviously from his mechanic shop.
"Cascada Drive' I said raising an eyebrow at him. Chris's smile faltered... "Cascada Drive? No one lives down that way? That was a proposed housing estate that some big shot company wanted to develop, but it never got underway..." he said furrowing his brow.
"Well that's where I'm staying" I said not sure how to respond to his statement.
"Well kid, you know where to find me if you want to hang out again..." he said as he brought his lips close but then backed off and winked at me, as he walked back into the bar. My eyes were half closed waiting for his kiss, my groin had pulsed slightly and I had been ready to let a small moan slip from my lips. "Damn it" I muttered to myself. I got into the car and started the engine.
As I was speeding back down to the freeway, I started thinking of Edward and his strange parents. What was going on? Edward had seemed to be having a melt down every couple of hours since I first met him. He must have loved my mother so very much, when I first saw how thin and weak he was, it was obvious he was enduring some kind of emotional pain. He had "turned" my mother, whatever that meant? Did he bite her? Is that how one became a vampire?
My thoughts were a mish mash of Ambrose and his creepy behaviour, Edward and his melt downs and my concern for mother, who I hoped was not in danger in Voltara, or whatever the city was called. I wondered if I should mention this 'Prince Aro' to Edward and his family? Somehow it seemed like mother was there because of him. I remembered Ambrose's phone conversation
..." ... when Prince Aro wants something or someone, he gets it, no matter what it takes..."... "And the same can be said for me"
I shivered at the remembered phone conversation. And then my phone started up its loud ring tone. My heart dropped for a second as I prayed it wasn't Ambrose calling. I fished for the phone out of my purse, while I kept one hand on the steering wheel. "Damn it" I muttered as I tried to find the phone. Eventually I pulled it out and flipped it open with the side of my cheek, trying to control the sensitive sports car at the same time.
"Hello?" I said breathlessly, I hadn't looked at the caller ID. "LUCY! WHERE ARE YOU?"Screeched my mother on the other end...
"MOM!" I said almost relieved, but I was so surprised that the car swerved dangerously close to the edge of the freeway.
"Are you ok mom?" I asked concerned.
"WHERE ARE YOU! I KNOW YOU'RE NOT IN THE GREEK ISLANDS, YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I KNOW?" she yelled at me, she didn't give me a chance to respond. "I COME HOME FROM MY WORK TRIP AND LISTEN TO SEVERAL MESSAGES ON THE MACHINE FROM YOUR FRIEND MISCHA, WHO IS ASKING WHY YOU SKIPPED OUT ON HER AT THE AIRPORT?' she shouted. I held the phone away from ear.
"NOW FOR THE LAST TIME LUCY, WHERE ARE YOU!" she screeched hysterically.
"Mom calm down, I err... didn't go to the Greek Islands...' I started, trying to figure out the best way to tell her where I was.
"OBVIOUSLY" spat out my mother, she was so pissed.
"I um I found my birth certificate" I said timidly.
Silence...
"Mom you there?' I asked her.
"You come home right now" she said quietly, but her words dripped in acid.
"Mom I know about Edward, I know about my father... I'm not coming home" I said defiantly. I had approached the garage of the house. I slowly parked the car and got out, listening to my mother pleading with me. I tilted my head back and groaned in frustration as I walked into the kitchen. I could see Esme' and Carlisle sitting on the sofa in the living room, talking quietly to each other. Suddenly Edward appeared in the kitchen, closing the sliding door to the deck behind him, he still had a smoking cigar in one hand, and he looked a mess once again. He looked at me curiously, tilting his head to one side.
"Lucy! Are you listening to me! You come home right now!" Recognition sparked in Edward's eyes, his cigar dropped from his hand.
"No" I said defiantly to my mother.
"Fine then I'm coming to you...and I'm taking you home!" she said nastily. 'I'll be there in 24 hours" she said as the phone clicked and she hung up.
I sighed partly in relief, knowing she was still alive, and partly in fear, because of the wrath I'd be facing in 24 hours.
"Was that her?" choked out Edward. I glanced up at him and bit my lip, nodding slightly.
"She's coming?" he asked seriously.
I nodded again. Carlisle and Esme` were standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Carlisle's nose wrinkled slightly as he looked at me... did I smell bad? I was distracted by Edward's reaction.
"OH MY GOD, SHE'S COMING!" his face broke into a breath taking smile and he suddenly picked me up into a giant hug and spun me around laughing. I shrieked slightly at the velocity of the spin and he put me down gently. He ruffled the top of my hair...
'Thank you" he beamed at me as he sprinted off into the living room and up the stair case... "so much to do... so much to do...' he shouted to himself. I stared after him in amazement and thought how weird this family was. Esme` held her hands to her chest, smiling after Edward, obviously happy he was out of his depressive manic state. Carlisle strode over to me, and then leaned against the kitchen counter, as Esme` trailed off after Edward. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a thin silver case. He flipped it open and pulled out a cigar. He lit up and then blew the cigar smoke out. He fixed his gaze on me.
'So Lucy, did you have a pleasant evening?' asked Carlisle. He intimidated me and I didn't like it.
"Yes thank you..." I said non committed as I turned to leave. "Lucy" he called out after me. I glanced back at him. "You be careful who you hang out with" he said staring at me levelly. I furrowed my brow at him and trudged up stairs, dismissing his statement. I could hear Esme` and Edward talking excitedly from a room down the hallway, presumably his office. I went into what used to be my mother's room, and stripped my clothes off, jumping into the big golden bed. The room had been cleaned since I was last in here. The sheets were fresh and the room smelt of lavender and rosewood. I drifted off into a restless sleep, anxiously thinking of my reunion with mother.
The following morning, I was up early, unable to sleep much at all. I came downstairs, after showering and changing. And stared at the room before me... Every spare surface was covered in massive bouquets of flowers. The smell was overpowering, but was the most delicate mix of fragrances. There were new cushions on the sofas, in hues of pink and cream, mother's favourite colours. The low table under the TV with frames of mother and I were rearranged carefully. I padded into the kitchen, to see Edward stocking the fridge with bottles upon bottles of champagne.
"Good morning princess" said Edward in a happy tone. 'What on earth...' I started. "I know, I know it's a bit over the top, but I really want your mother to come back to what this place used to look like... we always had plenty of champagne on hand" he said as he closed the fridge and clapped his hands together. His suit was impressive, incredibly wrinkle free and smooth, the fabric was expensive looking and hinted at designer origins.
"I was thinking if you wouldn't mind, that I might move you into the guest bedroom? I would very much like Bella, to have her old bedroom back, if that's ok with you?" he asked politely. His topaz eyes were shining.
"But you guys don't sleep, why would you want the bedroom..." I trailed off... "Oh dear lord!" I winced as I realised he was hinting at bedroom activities...
He laughed loudly... "Here's hoping" he grinned at me. I shook my head and wandered back into the living room and flipped the TV on. I channel surfed and found a trash TV show to watch. He followed me into the living room.
' I was thinking maybe you could wear one of her outfits, like maybe a nice dress or something, you know something that would remind her of living here..." he asked me lost in thought.
I started to think that maybe he had gone delusional again, mother wasn't coming here for him, she was coming to take me back home... whatever their history was between them, I figured it wasn't good, he was getting a bit carried away.
"Sure' I said softly nodding at him, and then taking my attention back to the TV screen. I sat in front of the TV, watching the time go by, it was close to lunch time and I was starting to get bored. Edward was getting on my nerves; he kept rearranging everything and adding more flowers. Carlisle and Esme` had gone back to their own home, and had promised Edward they wouldn't be far away if he needed them when my mother came back.
I went upstairs to grab my purse; I was desperate to get out of the house. On the golden bed, were several dresses laid out neatly.
"I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of putting some choices on the bed" said Edward from behind me. I jumped startled, not knowing he was there. I sighed and looked at the dresses. They were beautiful, old school, but very classy. He left me to get changed and I picked out a cream dress, that had thick straps, and a heart shaped neck line, it fit me well enough, the skirt was slightly full and came down to my knees. I rummaged in the wardrobe and found some cream coloured wedge shoes. I went into the ensuite and brushed my hair out. The little make up I had brought with me, I dug out from my bag and plastered it on. I stepped back from the mirror and admired my reflection. "Not bad' I thought. I went out into the hall, where Edward was waiting impatiently.
His face lit up. "Perfect!" he said clapping his hands again. "You're so grown up" he softly, as he brushed some hair off my shoulder. I didn't know what to say to him, it felt like we were having a father, daughter moment, but I wasn't sure how to respond.
"Umm well... I'm going to head out for a bit, grab a few things..." I said awkwardly. 'Right, no worries... "Said Edward, just as awkwardly.
"Make sure you're not late!" said Edward after me as I pranced down the stairs. I rolled my eyes at him, it was still early afternoon.
I drove around the small town of Forks, not sure what I was looking for or where I was going. I found a hairdressing salon in the strip mall, and asked the receptionist if anyone had time for a cut and colour. The receptionist beamed at me and made a fuss over me, obviously sensing I was from out of town. After two and a half hours of foiling and rinsing, cutting and blow drying I emerged from the salon with gorgeous hair. I tipped the hairdresser well and jumped back into the car. I noticed that the fuel was low and I scanned the main street for a service station. I found one near the end of the street, and pulled up to the only pump. This really was Hicksville. It was then that I noticed the service station was actually a mechanics shop. My heart jumped as I glanced at the entrance of the workshop and saw Chris bent over the hood of a car. He had on dirty jeans, and boots, with a rag sticking out of his back pocket, his lean upper body was topless, and I bit my lower lip as I perved on him unashamedly. I filled up the petrol tank and went to the workshop front counter. The young girl, who manned the counter, eyed my dress and gave me a small smile. I kept glancing at Chris, but he hadn't noticed me. I finished paying and was unsure if I should approach him.
I bit on my lip nervously and went to stand behind him. "Well hey there" I said playfully, putting a hand on my hip. He turned around and then grinned at me. His eyes scanned me from head to toe.
"Well hi yourself" he said as he wiped his hands on his rag. He brushed his forearm over his forehead, wiping away the sweat from his brow. His chest gleaned with a slight sheen, and I almost gasped at the contours of his abs.
"Nice hair!" he said smiling at me.
"Thanks' I said shyly.
'So you get all dressed up just to see me?' he said raising his eyebrows at me.
"Ha ha, you would like to think so, but actually my mother is coming into town tonight, I haven't seen her in a while' I said truthfully.
"I see" he grinned at me.
"So how long you staying here for?" he asked me, as he opened a bottle of cold water and sculled half of it. I watched some of the water escape his lips and splash onto his rock hard chest.
"Ummm I'm not sure, "I said truthfully. A sudden wave of panic gripped me, as I realised this might be the last time I see him, if mother had her way.
His smile dropped.
"Oh that's a shame, I was hoping I could take you out sometime..." he said shrugging his shoulders, as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I would love that!" I blurted out.
"Well I'll tell you what, why don't you stop by the shop tomorrow around 5:30 when I close up and we'll go get something to eat and have a drink or two' he said grinning at me. I stared at his deep brown eyes and felt my pulse racing.
"Sure that sounds great" I said far too enthusiastically. He laughed lightly, "Alright then I'll see you tomorrow" he winking at me as he disappeared back into the shop.
I felt like I was floating as I walked back to the car, and then sat down heavily on the leather seats, I started the car, and squealed in delight as I realised he had just asked me out.
I sped down the freeway, and turned the music up loud. When I arrived back at the house, I parked the car in its usual spot and slammed the door with my hip. I started humming to myself, as I walked into the kitchen and dumped my purse on the counter. "Hey Edward!" I shouted out. "Can I open champagne, I really feel like a drink..." I said loudly.
I looked up startled, seeing a figure in the doorway to the living room.
There in all her glory was my mother. "Oh my god mom?" I said in surprise. I had never seen mother dressed the way she was. She had a tight dark blue mini skirt on, with a tight white satin blouse that exposed her cleavage, her feet were in dark blue designer heels, and her hair was out fanning over one shoulder, in a cascade of curls...
"GOD DAMN IT LUCY!" she cursed at me. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she looked furious, her eyes were black, and cold.
"Bella! Honey, calm down, I told you she was fine" cooed Edward. He had come up behind her, and his face was a mix of emotions. She turned her head to Edward, and growled softly. He towered over her, she was so tiny.
Mother crossed the room to me, and enveloped me in a crushing hug... "Lucy... oh my god Lucy... "She sobbed... I felt a sense of relief knowing she was ok. I hugged her back and she seemed surprised.
She pulled me back and looked into my eyes, she noticed what I wearing then and a small gasp escaped her lips, followed by a smile. 'You look beautiful" she said to me.
"Thanks' I smiled back at her. Even though I was still mad at her covering up my past, I felt happy to see her, and know that she was safe.
"Mom it's time to put all the bull crap behind us, I know that you're a vampire, I know some of your past, it's time for you to tell me the rest" I said sternly.
Mother winced when I said 'vampire' and I felt her hands stiffen. She sighed in defeat and hugged me close again.
"Alright Lucy I'll tell you, but don't you ever run off without telling me where you're going, ever again!" she said as she kissed her cold lips to my forehead.
Wow that was intense to write! I know I haven't been regularly updating the story, and I'm very sorry for that, it shows in how many little reviews I get. (Thanks so much to those that do review)
Good news is I've nearly finished uni for the year, so I have a 3 month break to write! Yay! Bad news is my exams are this week, so I can't update for the next two weeks. But please please, write a review. Next chapter will be Bella's point of view of when she arrives at Edward's house, so you'll get a look into how he acted when he saw her for the first time in 15 years.