Chapter Seven
"Three words on the tip of my tongue, not to be spoken
or sung or whispered to anyone 'till I
scream 'em at the top of my lungs again."
-Passenger
"Bella? Isabella?" His voice was soft and familiar. "Can you hear me?"
I moaned, my voice had taken a leave of absence. My head was pounding and my left eyeball felt like someone had dropped sulphuric acid directly underneath the cornea. The world was dark, but I didn't dare open my eyes. Was I Isabella?
"Please wake up." The voice sighed. "Can you move to your bed?" I tried to twitch something, anything, but my body felt heavy and numb at the same time. I laid still for a few more minutes until I felt the slightest sensation return to the tips of my toes. The worst case of pins and needles started to envelope my body. Nine excruciating seconds later, my skin and bones returned to a blissful, pain free state. "Bella?" I had to be Bella.
"Yes?" I croaked, my throat was sore; however, not unmanageably so. Similar to when you wake up with a cold, having taken NyQuil the evening before. You're raw and scratchy, but you can't complain too much. It would've been much worse. I coughed to clear my throat of nonexistent phlegm. "I'm fine. Go away."
"Open your eyes." I huffed and slowly opened both lids.
"It's too bright. Fuck off." For the first time in about a week I craved a large bowl, or milky THC infused vapor collected in a Volcano bag. Anything to take the edge off this obvious hangover. The light from the windows assaulted my pupils, the cold air from a nearby window raised painful goosebumps underneath the black trousers and hoodie I was wearing, and the large hands trying prop up my body was seriously agitating me. I turned my neck and found myself face to face with Jasper. His mouth dropped open. His eyes went wide as saucers. "Jazz?"
"Go look in the mirror," he demanded, cooly.
"But-"
"Now." He backed away slowly and bumped into my small kitchen table.
I was nervous. More nervous than the time my mother forced me to audition for a Port Angeles' Village Players production of White Christmas. I didn't get the part.
I dutifully stood up with hunched shoulders and my fingers absently twisting into the hem of my shirt. I perceived the walk to my bathroom mirror in slow motion. What could be so wrong with my eyes that Jasper felt the need to back further away? Maybe they were incredibly red and bloodshot. This had to be a result of the hangover. Nothing a little water and aspirin couldn't fix, Jasper didn't need react so obnoxiously.
Feeling incredibly optimistic with each step I took, I straightened my shoulders and confidently stood in front of the dirty mirror. I flipped the light on and stared in shock.
"What," I huffed. "The," I could feel my stomach clench and twist into knots. "Fuck." I screeched. I looked back to Jasper for any sign of assurance, but he was just as dumbfounded as me. I looked back to the mirror, leaning in for a close inspection. My right eye was perfectly normal. White on the outside, chocolate brown iris, and a slightly dilated pupil. Nothing to worry about there. The left was another story altogether. My entire iris had turned a beautiful emerald green rimmed with a light gold colour. If it hadn't been so disconcerting, I would've been struck by the sheer beauty of this stranger's eye. My eye.
"What did you do last night?" Jasper asked, approaching the small bathroom door.
I thought back: I'd gone to the shoppes, evaded a rouge vampire by the skin of my teeth, taken a shower... Oh.
"Nothing. I came home after I saw you and went straight to bed," I lied. Jasper raised his blonde eyebrows, looking skeptical, but he kept his mouth shut. There was no evidence to the contrary.
"I need to call Dad and ask him about this. The only other time I've seen this sort of change is in a bonding spell. Did you...? No, that's not possible. You're too new to the magic world. That's way above what you're capable of."
I tried to show confusion and sadness through the large doe eyes I used on my family as a kid. They worked more often than not. Jasper stared at my reflection and grimaced. "I don't want to leave you alone, but I've got plans to meet Alice's family tonight..."
I shrugged and pursed my lips, unable to tear my gaze away from the strange green. He was right, this side effect was unexpected and cause for concern. However, I couldn't have Jasper tagging along in my life. I had promises to fulfil. Even if those promises were to a manipulative, selfish, Vampire. Change the subject, my brain shouted. I asked the first question that came to mind. "Where do her parents live?"
"In Port Angeles, oddly enough. But they're in town for her brother or something, so we're meeting at her brother's apartment. Yesterday you mentioned that you'd met her sister?"
I cursed myself for admitting more of the truth than was absolutely necessary. How was I supposed to explain to my cop brother that a woman I'd only spoken to once liked me enough to lend me her expensive car?
"Well... I met her at the bakery." He nodded, waiting for me to continue my story. "And... later on she returned my phone to me when I'd left it at Starbucks. I told her that I needed to go to the store and she let me take the car. We're not too close, but she's nice enough." He grinned, accepting my story for the truth, which part of it was... I mentally patted myself on the back for tangling the truth into a series of white lies. Less holes for Jasper to discover when he interrogated Rosalie about our relationship.
"How about you come with me?" he chided. "I won't feel so awkward, I can keep an eye on that," he said, pointing a long, skinny finger at my puzzling iris. "and you can see Alice's sister-"
"-Rosalie."
"Rosalie."
Would I be able to handle standing in the same room as a family of Vampires? Would Edward be there? I certainly had some questions for him. Why had he run off leaving me to wake up alone? Luckily Jasper had been there, but Edward didn't know that. Maybe the spell worked and the newly humanised asshole decided to skip town? My blood boiled at the thought. How dare he cause damage to my being and get off scott free. A plan started to brew in the forefront of my mind.
"That's a great idea. When can we leave?"
Around noon Jasper and I packed ourselves and Rolo into his tiny, red Prius and started the fifteen minute, traffic filled, nerve saturated drive. I'd decided on simple high-waisted black jeans, a white knit crop top sweater courtesy of my mother, and my trusty combat boots. I'd gone back to grab my leather jacket at the last minute because it made me feel like a badass. I needed to feel like a badass today. Rosalie's apartment was the war zone and the Cullen's were my enemies.
Jasper chose the classier route. A grey, fitted suit jacket with black lapels; light blue dress shirt; dark blue bow tie; and his nicest pair of dark denims. I didn't usually catalogue his outfits so intensely; however, I'd spent the better part of the morning trying to put together an outfit that expressed, "I'm responsible and care about your daughter, but I'm not a prick." Jasper's words, not mine. When I attempted to coax him into ugly Christmas sweater from a drunken night neither of us remembered, he'd drawn the line and threatened to tell mom and dad about the weed he'd found in my drawer. I immediately pulled out what he specified. He also insisted that my outfit scream, "Stare at this, not my fucked up eye." I only laughed in response.
Throughout our morning of sibling bonding, I casually asked questions about the Cullen family. I asked questions not so much to find out their dirty details. Edward had been more than forthcoming with information regarding his pseudo-family. I only wanted to know what information Alice had given Jasper and if he was gullible enough to believe her. After I pieced together his responses, it was glaringly obvious that Alice had somehow managed to keep Jasper in the dark. How she had managed to accomplish fooling my ever vigilant big brother, was beyond me. I had not noticed Edward's quirks immediately, only his handsome face, but after being held hostage in his apartment and conversing with the guy for more than ten minutes, I'd known he wasn't a normal human. I was unable to guess Vampire, but I was close. Guessing an immortal's 'species' was similar to playing horseshoes or throwing hand grenades. If you even guessed just the phylum you still deserved some credit. At least, that's how I validated my stupidity upon becoming involved with Edward Cullen.
Jasper manoeuvred the car onto a less populated side street and flawlessly parallel parked next to an old brownstone. He tapped his fingers on the dash seven times, pulled his keys out, and silently stepped out onto the pavement. I gathered Rolo in my arms and followed my fidgety brother up the concrete steps. He lifted a shaky fist to the wooden door, but was immediately accosted by a blur of pale skin and short black hair before he could commit to a full knock.
"Jazzy!" Alice squealed, hugging my brother around his midsection. He bent his head down and kissed her on the cheek. I wretched. Agreeing to help a Vampire was one thing, but voluntarily kissing and hugging one made my skin crawl. The Cullens were most likely kosher, but the species as a whole sent off warning signals in magic minds. Jasper must've been defective. Her perfect alabaster complexion, perfect teeth, golden eyes, and the chill crawling up my spine were all dead giveaways. No pun intended.
"Alice," he said, peeling hers strong fingers from his jacket. "This is my little sister, Bella." I shifted Rolo to a football hold and waved, trying to force my lips into an acceptable grin.
"Bella? You're Bella?" She clapped her manicured hands together a few times and moved to embrace me. I gave her the awkward, one-armed, stiff hug that I gave strangers (and Vampires, apparently), but she wasn't content with my half-assed attempt. Alice squeezed me around the waist, seeing as she was several inches shorter than me, and stood on her toes to whisper in my ear. "I know you know about us. I will tell him soon." She pulled away and smiled, waiting for some sort of sign that I understood. I grinned with tight lips. Soon was not soon enough. "Now that we're all acquainted, let's go inside. I heard that it was meant to rain soon." she pushed the door ajar and motioned for us to move through quickly. Thunder boomed through the sky as icy rain began to fall. Stupid psychic. "Rose, Emmett, and my parents are all in the living room and my other brother, Edward, will be joining us soon. Rose said to make yourselves at home!"
So, Mr. Mood-swing would be making an appearance later in the evening... I internally giggled at the thought of some minor payback throughout the night. A few level one spells and a floating object or two would keep him on his feet. I couldn't wait.
Jasper and Alice lead the way, hand in hand. The "apartment" was more like a high-class nineteen-thirties townhouse. All of the decor looked old, but well cared for. The white and crystal chandeliers were perfectly dusted, the vintage salmon coloured satin couch and matching navy high back wing chairs sat atop a beautifully woven persian rug in the front room. I didn't dare set Rolo down in fear of him running through the house and destroying everything Tasmanian Devil style.
We approached an archway intricately carved in beautiful cherry wood that appeared to lead into the family room. Rosalie and Emmett sat on a blue and white striped love seat laughing loudly and enjoying each other's company. Rosalie was as gorgeous as ever, but that same bitch-face was forever etched into her features. The blonde man from Edward's picture stood holding a crystal glass full of whiskey. It appeared to be untouched. A woman with long, gently curled, caramel coloured hair put a hand on his shoulder to alert him of our presence.
Alice cleared her throat theatrically. "Mom and Dad, This is Jasper," she beamed. Jasper instantly shot forward and firmly shook the man's hand.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." A tiny bead of sweat trailed down his forehead. I scoffed.
"Carlisle, son. My name is Carlisle," he smiled. "And this is my lovely wife, Esme. Welcome to the family." I cringed as a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Were they going to steal Jasper from my family? I wasn't an expert in Vampire relationships, but I'd have to imagine that Alice wouldn't be introducing Jasper to her family if she wasn't in it for the long haul. All thoughts of petty pranks for the evening flew out the window. My new mission was to save Jasper from the clutches of this greedy Vampire family. First, Edward came along to sign my death certificate with The Witches Council and now Alice was playing with Jasper's life like a marionette. I set to work on saving yet another life.
The thought of was exhausting. I grimaced. Why was I suddenly the tragic hero in this shitty story. I once believed that my modus operandi was to avoid emotion, feel detached, work hard, and not care. This new Bella seemed to care a little too much.
Esme approached me, her face was motherly and kind. My instincts were conflicted. I kept my eyes down and focused on Rolo. "You must be Bella," she whispered. "Edward has told us great things."
I brought my gaze up to hers, sarcastically grinning in response. I sure Edward told his family all sorts of stories about me...
Esme immediately brought her hand up to her mouth, her golden eyes locked onto mine, they seemed to hold decades of bottled up grief. The whirlwind of events between waking and arriving, had completely driven thoughts of my discoloured iris to the back burner. I stared at the floor once more, tracing the wood grains and trying to forget her distraught expression. Why would she react badly to what appeared to be a textbook case of heterochromia? "Come meet Carlisle, dear."
Esme lifted Rolo out of my arms. I blanched and bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming profanities from someone who surely meant no harm from the action. My body felt vulnerable without the protection of my baby boy. To remedy that, I quickly crossed my arms over my body and squeezed my ribcage. My sweet squish-faced companion didn't seem to mind a bit, however. He snorted and licked her chin, causing laughter throughout the room. "Rolo, settle," I chastised. Carlisle approached me after patting a relieved Jasper on the shoulder. A simple fatherly gesture. My vision turned red.
"It is so very nice to meet you, Isabella. I believe you've met my daughter, Rosalie." I nodded curtly and exchanged a guarded glance with the blonde bombshell herself. I detected a slight English accent within Carlisle's voice. One worn down by years of chasing the American dream, but English nonetheless. He seemed to take notice of my unusual eyes, but didn't mention anything or portray any sort of dejection, so I couldn't be entirely sure. "And her husband, Emmett. We're all glad you decided to join Jasper this evening. The more the merrier, yes?" His mirthful smile seemed to exponentially lighten the tension in the room but increased the tension in my body. I wanted to hate them. They wanted to break apart my family. Only I was allowed to cause turmoil within my family.
"Nice to meet you too, Carlisle." I stuttered. When would this hellish night be over?
The following ten minutes were spent in silence. We'd retired to the chairs and couches surrounding a large coffee table, each with a drink in hand. Rolo eventually managed to wiggle out of Esme's grasp and plop down on my lap, letting out tiny snores and high pitched yelps every so often. Occasionally, a member of the Cullen's would attempt to start a light conversation, but neither Jasper or I knew how to respond for completely opposite reasons. Jasper was worried he'd make a bad impression or give away too much of his deeply rooted magic history. I simply did not give a fuck about anything and only wished for Edward to walk through the door so I could interrogate him about the previous evening.
Until that moment arrived, I decided to have a little fun a few unsuspecting Vampires. They were well aware that I was privy to their undead secret, but Jasper was completely in the dark and blinded by love.
"So, what do you all think about Vampires?"
Alice stopped swirling the extraordinarily expensive wine around her crystal glass and glared daggers at me, pleading that I would not say another incriminating word. "Jasper, do you have an opinion?" I grinned, staring her square in the eye.
"Umm... Well." He swallowed harshly and apologised to the Cullens, mostly Carlisle, for my outburst. He knew they were real, he just wasn't aware that his girlfriend belonged to their ranks.
"Yes, Jasper," Rosalie quipped, she smiled and exposed her fangs. Although, I'm sure he didn't take notice. He was too busy wiping sweat from his brow. "What do you think?" Alice shot her a warning glance.
One question and the entire family was pitted against each other. Lovely.
"Let's talk about a topic we can all agree upon, okay?" Alice added, innocently. Rosalie and I both shut her down with similar negative responses. Maybe there was one Cullen worth genuinely befriending... Ms. BitchFace McGee was a worthy acquaintance once the 'bloodthirsty killer' bit was overlooked. I smiled, accepting the new camaraderie between a previous enemy and I.
"Carlisle, do you have an opinion?"
Years of conflict appeared on Carlisle's youthful face. Completely torn between betraying his daughter or keeping secrets of his true nature from a hypothetical son. Obviously, Alice was keen on telling Jasper at her own pace, but keeping Jasper in the dark for so long without letting him make his own choices was borderline criminal. The truth needed to come out.
"What about Witches?" a deep, velvety voice asked from the dark archway. I locked eyes with the only person I craved to see. "Stories about the Salem Witch Trials have become quite popular recently. Right, Bella?" Edward chuckled as he watched Jasper squirm. I hated him, but he could make a helluva entrance.
"Magic obviously isn't real," Jasper quickly noted. Trying to keep any attention away from our 'hidden' abilities. Alice sighed in defeat, knowing that if she didn't take control of this conversation, Jasper's revelation was going to be ugly.
"Jazzy, I haven't been completely honest with you." He looked nervous. He knew what she was going to say, but didn't want to hear it. My brother was no fool and he had followed the conversation up to this point. I remembered having a similar response only a short time ago. "We know what you are, but you need to know about us." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I wanted to tell you another time, but 'carpe diem,' right?"
"Stop beating around the bush, Alice," Rosalie screeched. "You've kept this poor boy out of the loop for far too long." She squared her shoulders with Jasper's and looked him directly in the eye. "We're Vampires."
I feigned surprise, but I was no Academy Award winning actress. Jasper saw through my transparent act. Edward approached the back of the couch Jasper and I were planted on and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry it had to happen like this. I am Edward, by the way. Bella and I are well acquainted." Well acquainted. Hah. People who are well acquainted do not leave when the other is clearly in some form of distress.
Jasper transferred his dejected gaze from Edward to Alice. "How?"
"It's not too complicated. When a Vampire bites you, he takes your blood and replaces it with his own... when you wake up, you're a Vampire as well." Alice twisted her hands uncomfortably. She was obviously embarrassed of her nature.
"No, I get that. We're taught about Vampires as kids..." he trailed off before looking me directly in the eyes. The pain within his blue orbs made my stomach hurt and my head ache at the same time. "Bells, how do you fit into all of this?"
I was speechless. I hadn't imagined I'd be put on the chopping block so soon. I'd known that I'd need some phony story eventually, but I hadn't imagined Jasper would piece everything together with such grace. His whole relationship up until this point had been a lie and all he cared about was how his sister had been privy to the largest Cullen secret.
"She's my mate."
Well, shit.
Very grateful for all of the reviews :)The holidays are a rough time for me. I'm not even twenty yet and I'm forced to spend the holidays completely alone, but your reviews (and blog mentions) absolutely warm my heart. Consider all of your reviews my Christmas presents, for my metaphorical tree is quite empty this year.
Check out the song Patient Love by Passenger if you need a feel good tune. The man is a genius.
Cheers!
