An Introduction to the Cullens
By: Lab7417
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of The Twilight Saga. It all belongs to Stephanie Meyers.
Chapter 7: Commiserating with Rosalie
Rosalie and Emmett's room is on the third floor of the Cullen home and faces north with a beautiful view of the forest. Jasper's study and my temporary residence until they can renovate some space for me is right next door. I've never mentioned it but Rosalie and Emmett tend to get pretty aggressive in their room at night. It's no secret that there is plenty of love in their marriage even after all these years.
The room was painted a beautiful soft green and had one window floor-to-ceiling glass. There were also French doors out onto a sizable balcony, their own private bathroom with humongous shower and tub and a closet that Alice must have had a hand in. It was absolutely enormous and accessed by double doors. It looked like a high-end department store in there with everything group by color and season, two rows of designer jeans, an endless collection of designer silk dresses and more shoes than I could hope to count in a day immediately had me wide-eyed in astonishment.
"See Bella appreciates my handiwork," Alice said with mock-snugness.
"Actually I was just wondering how Rosalie could possibly have found the time to wear all this even once," I exclaimed.
"Change several times a day," Rosalie and Alice replied. I mentally hoped that Alice had no such designs on my room but even as I was hoping I knew it was fruitless. Alice was a 'shop-aholic' and deigned so much delight from shopping for everyone else that it was absolutely fruitless to try and prevent her. Alice would be Alice after all.
I continued to survey the contents of the closet even as Alice and Rosalie began arguing over what was going and staying. I finally came upon a large hanging section of nothing but large white zipper dress bags all labeled with date tags. Most only had one date on them but a couple had two.
"My wedding gowns," Rosalie said where she had joined me on my left. "I just can't bear to get rid of any of them. I love my weddings. It is one of the few things Emmett indulges me on. I suppose he knows how much it means to me."
"He's obviously very in love with you," I smiled.
"Of course he is," Rosalie replied firmly. I was just about to turn and see if I could be any help to Alice at the other end of the closet when Rosalie spoke again.
"It was the eve of my wedding when Carlisle took me," Rosalie began, "the church had been decorated and I had finished my final fitting earlier that day. I was going to be a gorgeous bride and it seemed for once that my parents were truly pleased with me. I had gone to visit a friend of mine that evening – she had the most delightful baby boy and even though she was now poor that little boy seemed to make up for it. I was envious of her. I was on my way back home from the less respectable side of town when I met my fiancée and a bunch of his friends, drunk by the wayside. I could hardly believe it when he began to taunt me, to torture me right there in my neighborhood. His friends joined in and before I had even fully comprehended what was happening to me I was lying on the ground gasping for breath and praying that death would take me – I could suffer no further humiliation. Carlisle found me instead and changed me. At first I was very bitter. I took revenge on all of those who had brought death in my former life. I saved my fiancée for last. I wore my wedding gown when I killed him. It's the only wedding gown I don't have."
"Oh I'm so sorry Rosalie. That must have been so awful for you," I sought to express my concern.
"Well it is over and done now, same as you. There's no turning back and we simply make the best of it," Rose replied frankly. "Would you like to see some of them?"
"Of course, I bet you make a beautiful bride," I replied.
"Yes, I wager you'll be in our next wedding – since you're planning to stick around."
"If you'd like," I replied trying to sound as offhanded about it as she had. She modeled several of the gowns for me and in each one she looked stunning. A sort of radiance came over Rosalie as she slipped on the confections of silk and satin. In anything Rosalie was unrealistically beautiful – the kind of beauty that cut the self-esteem of every other female in the room – but in these bridal gowns she became even more like an angel. She seemed to radiate bliss and delight even though she had only slipped the gowns on for me.
"They're beautiful," I commented and was rewarded with a genuine smile.
"You two aren't helping!" Alice exclaimed, "Rose I know you're not getting rid of any of your gowns so stop dawdling and get over here and sort.
Rosalie and I exchanged glances and sighed before putting her bridal regalia away and returning to do Alice's bidding.
"So…you and Edward," Rosalie dropped his name into the sorting. I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, frozen.
Rosalie shrugged her shoulder, "the whole house knows. It's of little consequence to me. I was only going to warn you not to hurt him."
"Nice Rose," Alice glared at her. She turned to me then, "really Bella we're all happy for the two of you. Rosalie is just a little possessive of her family of which you are now a member."
Rosalie aired her viewpoint on the subject with a 'harumph' as she hauled a pile of the garments that were going from the closet.
"I think it's great," Alice smiled.
"It's not really anything yet," I said softly. I didn't want to assume too much where Edward was concerned. Just because my feelings for him were filling my heart it did not mean he was in the same position.
"Edward thinks it is," Alice said. She giggled, "oops I am supposed to be keeping my thoughts to myself."
"It's okay," I reassured her.
We spent the rest of the morning digging through Rosalie's closet and then Alice hauled out her laptop and set about convincing Rosalie what to replace it with. I took this as my opportunity to slip away and I did.
"Are you trying to make a break for it?" Edward laughed softly as I made the second-floor landing. "I've got a pretty fast car I could probably have you to Mexico in two days, day-and-a-half pushing it."
I laughed softly, "no, I think I got away for good behavior. I don't think she'll send the hounds after me just yet."
"In that case would you like to come to my room? We could listen to some music?" he offered hesitantly.
"Sure I'd love to," I smiled. He smiled back and grabbing my hand he raced us up to his second floor bedroom. It faced south and afforded my favorite view of the forest. I was standing at the open French doors gazing out as he selected some music to put on. A moment later he wrapped his arms about my waist from behind. I leaned back against him; into his embrace.
We watched the sun crest and wane as it began to make its descent towards the horizon again. An entire CD of Debussy played through and I tried to listen to the notes, tried to keep my breathing steady but all I could concentrate on was the feel of his body against mine – the way his arms held me.
How could I feel so much in such a short time? Were Alice and Carlisle right – that this was meant to be between us? Was it at all possible that his lifeless heart contained some amount of the feelings towards me that mine was filling with for him?
That was when it hit me. I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen.
"Come, let me show you something," Edward said then and he hefted me onto his back before he leapt out the French doors and over to a tree about fifteen feet from the house and from there to another. He quickly scaled the huge tree and when I removed myself from his back and grabbed some branches I took in my surroundings. The view went on for miles from this vantage point and you could take in the nearby river as well as the forested mountains.
"This is incredible!" I exclaimed with delight.
"Yeah one of the perks of being a vampire," he smiled.
We sat in that tree for hours making conversation. Occasionally we changed positions and our view changed but mostly we seemed to be focused on each other. I was surprised at how much we had in common and how much he had observed me.
We watched the sunset before he helped me back down again.
"I had a nice time this afternoon," I announced when we returned to his room.
"So did I," he smiled. He leaned in and ever so gently gave me a kiss. I leaned in and met his lips again and then again. I couldn't seem to get enough. His arms went to my waist and he moved me back against the wall as one kiss turned into another. He raised me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he held me pressed against the wall, mouth seeking mouth. Finally, Edward sighed and backed up returning me to my feet.
"I'm going to have to watch myself with you," he smiled, "it would be very easy to forget myself. You make it too easy."
I was still struggling to regain my senses when he leapt out the doors again. I watched him go into the darkness and then made my way downstairs to join the rest of my family.
