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Notes: continues scenario & characters established by "Curtains". Rated M (themes).
*as always, not beta'ed.
prompt: Bathtub
The water is lukewarm now, but I'm too languid and lazy to reach over and turn the hot water on again. Instead I scoot my butt forward more so I can submerge more of my body, nothing but the mountainous terrain of my knees and breasts and face above water.
Edward's house has the bed and the curtains but mine has the perfect bathtub, the only place I truly enjoy being alone.
If I was suicidal maybe this would be the place I'd choose for The End but I'm not; it's impossible to be that depressed when you're sort of just … frozen inside.
Hot baths help with this; they tend to thaw even the most frigid of moods. I feel human, more of myself after long baths.
The peace never lasts, however.
My phone rings from the opposite side of the bathroom and I ease onto my water-wrinkled feet, remnants of suds sliding down my stomach. Digging the stopper out of the drain with my toes, I reach for my towel and step judiciously onto the bathmat, taking my time. If the phone stops and starts again, it's Edward.
Probably.
I've wrapped my needs-a-haircut long hair into my towel and am strolling naked to my room when it starts ringing in my hand.
"Hello."
"Why aren't you picking up?"
"I just did pick up," I answer dryly.
"Why weren't you before?"
"I was in the bathtub."
"You still could have answered…"
"What is it, Edward?" I sigh, not in the mood.
Up until…last week? – his voice made my stomach flip-flop. Now it just makes me tense and anxious, a weird feeling of dread settling over me.
It reminds me of how I felt when they first went missing.
"Are you still sick?" he asks.
"I never was sick."
"Why'd you say you were?"
"I'm sick of you," I pause, catching sight of myself in the mirror on the back of my bedroom door.
I have a nice body. I wonder why Edward never noticed.
"You're a bitch," he says calmly.
I press end on the phone and toss it onto my bed, where it starts to ring in earnest. It stops after several minutes and I exhale in relief. Ringing phones really stress me out, but I refuse to just turn it off. He doesn't get to have that kind of control over me.
Later, at the supermarket, I run into Alice.
"Bella," she smiles, sincerely happy to see me.
I'm happy to see her too; I really, really love her and I miss hanging out with her.
My visits to the Cullen household weren't always at midnight and limited to Edward's room. I'd end up there, but I'd also spend time with Alice, in her room, talking. The more infatuated with her brother I became, though, the less interested I was in chitchat.
I regret that.
We begin walking, our shopping carts side by side and gleaming in the harsh artificial light."How have you been?" she says.
"Okay," I shrug, not needing to sugarcoat. If anyone, Alice understands completely. "You?"
Her face warms into a bright smile and she tilts her head. "I met someone actually… he goes to your school."
"Who?"
"Jasper Hale…"
That name rings a bell… "The cowboy?" I say, without thinking.
Her grin disappears. "Did Edward say something?"
I wince, grabbing her hands. "No! I mean, nothing bad. He just… mentioned him. He told me to call him actually, but I didn't know who he was."
"He's such a jerk," Alice sneers. "He doesn't think I should date him, so of course he'd try and pawn him off on you…"
"Forget him; he's miserable and sad and pathetic," I say, shaking my head. "I'm glad for you, though. I'll look for Jasper at school."
"You can't miss him," she laughs. We're in the cereal aisle now. "He…doesn't wear a cowboy hat or anything, but he is kind of a cowboy."
Picking up one box of cereal for my father and another for myself I walk silently beside Alice, listening as she talks in her soft voice. Sometimes it's soothing just to listen.
"You should come over," she says, stopping her cart.
"Definitely not. I think I hate your brother."
"Really?" she asks, a quizzical expression on her face. "I actually thought you had a thing for him."
"I did. But he's a weirdo. He's sweet one second and a giant ass the next."
She nods. "Well, that sucks. Maybe I can come over to you."
"I'd like that," I say, and we hug goodbye.
That was nice, I think, loading groceries into my truck. Normal. I feel like a normal teenage girl.
My phone rings again and against my better judgment, I answer it.
"Yes, Edward."
"I'm sorry I called you a bitch," he says. "You're not a bitch."
"I know," I nod, turning the key in the ignition.
