So...this story will most likely not be as long as my stories usually are...probably around 15 chapters or so with each chapter being about 1500 words. Please be patient with our girl and her story will be revealed in coming chapters.
Chapter 4
EPOV
"Is she going to be okay?" I asked Jasper as he showed me to the guest room on the bottom floor of the huge old house that was creepy looking on the outside yet homey and comfortable on the inside.
Jasper nodded. "Yeah, Ali's helping her out. She's not used to many people staying in the house with her. I've only stayed here a hand full of times with Ali and Cassi. Usually it's just Rose and Alice who stay here with her." He rambled as he leaned against the doorframe of the room with the baby monitor hooked in his pocket.
"Does she live here by herself?" I asked because there was no indication that anybody other than Isabella lived here, despite the numerous pictures I had saw as Jasper showed me the bathroom, living room, and kitchen. All of the pictures seemed to be at least a few years old because Isabella's hair hadn't been shoulder length short since she first moved here years ago.
Jasper nodded again. "Yeah, but that's all I can tell you Edward, because that is all I know. That is her story to share and nobody else's, she's very private with her personal life." He informed me quietly as a soft whimper sounded through the baby monitor. "That's my cue. By the way, don't sneak up on her because she will deck you without thinking twice. Announce yourself somehow before you get close to her by making some sort of noise." He said with a wink as he bounded out of the room and up the stairs to Cassi's impressively fully furnished nursery.
I decided to venture outside and ask Bella myself if it was okay for me to stay the night, if it wasn't I could have Emmett come get me and take me home. As soon as I opened the front door I heard a gasp from somewhere to my left. "Isabella?" I called out quietly because it was now fully dark outside and I couldn't really see her.
"Yes, please call me Bella." She said quietly.
I sighed as I closed the door behind me. "Is it okay for me to come out?" I asked her before taking a step further out onto the porch.
I heard her take an audible breath. "Yes."
I walked to the edge of the porch letting my eyes adjust to the darkness when the porch suddenly came to life with blindingly bright lights. "What the-?" I asked startled as I looked around suspiciously.
"Security lights. You triggered them when you stepped to the top steps." She explained softly.
"Well at least I can see you clearly now." I told her as I turned to where her voice was coming from.
She remained silent but nodded as she pulled her knees up resting her chin on top of them and wrapping her arms around them, effectively hugging herself. She was sitting, looking so tiny, in the corner of a huge porch swing that had a shitload of colorful pillows lining the back and sides.
I sighed as I sat in the chair closest to me while her wide eyes watched my every move cautiously. I couldn't stay away from her, not when she was in such close proximity, but I also didn't want to scare her away with the enormity of my feelings or my mere presence. "If you are so skittish with me being here how are you going to deal with the party tomorrow night?" I asked her curiously just trying to get her to talk.
She shrugged but remained silent. "Would you like me to leave tonight? I can have my mom or cousin come pick me up." I told her quickly.
She shrugged and shook her head but still remained silent.
"Are you always so quiet?" I asked her tentatively.
She shrugged again.
"I will take that as a yes." I told her with a slight chuckle.
She shrugged once again. When a few minutes went by with nothing from her I set the chair in a slow motion as I started tapping out the beats to Journey's song Don't Stop Believin before I started singing it which caused the most beautiful sound I had heard in a long time come from the other end of the porch. Isabella was joining me in on the lyrics which really surprised me because a lot of our generation didn't listen to Journey anymore.
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Our voices blended together perfectly as we sung the song that had absolutely no bearing on either of us but I figured since she was a girl she would like the song and I liked the piano music that was played in it not necessarily the lyrics that went along with the music.
A singer in a smokey room
The smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and own the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night
I smiled to myself as I drummed the mucic on my thigh as I listened to her hum the background noise of the song. I took a deep breath before delving into the next part of the song.
Workin' hard to get my fil
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night
I hummed and beat the interlude out on my thighs as we both just stared at one another with small smiles on our faces. This was practically a dream come true and I wasn't going to potentially ruin it until the song was finished.
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people
Once we finished off the song, silence fell around us once again until she shocked me by actually asking me a question for the first time in all the time I had known of her existence. "What was you tapping on your leg?" She asked timidly. The most she had ever spoken directly to me in all the years we had known about one another. I had not only known her from around school but Jasper and I used to play baseball together and quickly became buddies so I often heard Alice commenting about Isabella or overhear her on the phone with her or Rosalie. Even though Jasper had graduated last year, we still hung out working out or playing video games.
I smiled at her as I held my fingers up and wiggled them at her playfully. "There is more to me than just a football and baseball star, Isabella. I have played the piano since I was old enough to sit on the bench by myself. I also play the guitar, which I picked up when I was 12 years old." I told her with a wink in her direction.
She growled at me and rolled her eyes. "I had no idea that you played any instruments. Please call me Bella."
I shook my head. "I detest shortened versions of names."
She rolled her eyes again but we were interrupted before either of us had a chance to speak again. "You guys want to help string up some of the lights tonight so we don't have so much to do tomorrow?" Alice asked as she came outside with a cranky Cassi resting in the sling that was slung around Alice's neck and a weary Jasper following behind her.
"She won't go down?" I heard Bella ask her.
Alice shook her head. "Nope, I guess she's still irritated and anxious from all the earlier commotion. You want to try? You know you have a special touch with her."
I was shocked to see Isabella smile and nod as she held her arms out for the sling that Alice was taking from around her neck. I watched as she laid down on the massive porch swing laying the baby between her body and the row of pillows on the back of the swing with her back facing us. She began singing Adele's song Daydreamer to the baby. "Come on Edward, we are going to string the lights up on the rest of the porch and out in the gazebo." Alice said tugging me up from my chair.
"Dude, what was up with you and Bella singing earlier? I've only heard her sing to Cassi before and only a handful of times." Jasper asked as we strung the lights up in the gazebo per Alice's detailed instructions.
I shrugged as I worked a strand of the tiny white lights around one of the posts. "I don't know, I was just trying to get her to talk so I started singing that song. The piano tune has been stuck in my head for weeks now so it was the first one I thought of. I was honestly just trying to break the tension of the silence up." I told him because it wasn't intentional to have a beautiful duet on her front porch instead of an actual conversation.
"I think you like her."
"I've liked her for a few years now but she's so skittish. She barely talks at all. I actually got a full few sentences out of her earlier but then she went quiet again." I told him quietly because the girls were still up on the porch and I didn't want my voice to carry across the yard in the quiet of darkness.
Jasper nodded. "She's very skittish and private but she's a great girl, Edward. It took her almost three months before she actually carried on a conversation with me that was more than one or two word answers."
"What happened to her, I wonder?" I asked not really expecting an answer because he had told me earlier that it wasn't his place to tell her story even if he had known it.
Jasper sighed because he couldn't and wouldn't betray her by answering that even if he could. "She's got secrets, Edward. She's got demons along with those secrets, Edward. But she's a good girl and very sweet."