Hello readers...I need to take the opportunity to say that my email has completely messed up...I do not know whether my updates are being sent to readers when I update chapters because it is not coming up on mine so I am sorry in advance if you do not get 'Alerts' for new chapters I will try and sort this out as soon as I possibly can.
Thanks to 'Archerywoman', Krazykat144' and 'Scrapmypieces' for their reviews....3!
Here is chapter 10 for you on this boxing day...Sending lots of smiles and hugs to the people who are continuing to read and support me with this story.
I do NOT own Twilight....I own my imagination.
~~~Tunes for this chapter~~~:
*Everybody's changing – Keane*
*Guilty – Flyleaf*
*Racal Flatts – My worst fear*
'Previously in 'a Misshapen Life.......
The door guy from the canteen in Forks High was now staring back at me...Piercing eyes in my own astonished ones...I think I am going to throw up'
~*Bella~*
I didn't know what to do...He gave me a look as if he either didn't remember me or whether he chose to suck it up for the moment and then storm away from me as he had done back in Forks...I tore my eyes away from his and put them back to the floor....Esme was still standing beside me, our awkward stares and awkward tension going unnoticed.
"Bella...This is my youngest son, Edward....Edward this is our new family member, Bella" Esme chimed in the exact same fashion as Alice did when she had introduced me to Jasper yesterday...I could feel the contents of the two pizza slices I had earlier moving around and my breathing had started up...I had to resort to closing my mouth in order to muffle the intensity of my emotion.
I brought my gaze slowly back up to Edward and he was still standing in the same position..Almost statue-like the only difference this time was that he had brought a hand up in front of me stretched out towards me....I don't want to touch you....I don't want to be anywhere near you...I grimaced and kept my arms firmly at the side...He put his hand back and gazed downwards our roles of glances now reversed.
"Well...I will let you two get acquainted." Esme said before walking out...There was no doubt that you could read the tension in the room and no doubt cut it with a knife but I have never felt so sick before and it was all over seeing a person...Not an illness or a spot of the flu/cold. Edward stance had not changed and my stomach did one final flip and my throat had automatically begun to open up as I clenched my stomach...Desperately wanting to hunch over and cradle it in my hands like you would a baby.
"Bella..-" He began his voice now steady and normal volume.
I put my hand over my mouth...Turned sharply and raced as fast as I could down the corridor and up the stairs to the second floor to my bathroom...If I was going to be sick then it would be in my own bathroom...I didn't want to have anyone clean up after me.
I managed to get to my own toilet...Crouching down and grabbing the sides of the rim with both hands as hard as I could by a few mere seconds....I violently emptied my system grimacing at the uncontrollability of the whole situation and the grogginess I felt.
A few stray tears had fallen from my face as I finished...I flushed the toilet instantly after me, pulling the lid down as I got to standing...I grabbed some tissue and wiped my mouth making sure I left no traces of that experience left on me...I slowly went to the bin, awakening my legs up again from their crouching slumbers and threw the tissue away...I couldn't hear anything downstairs and I was glad that Esme hadn't heard me – she would be up here in no time at all.
I pulled my hair into a ponytail with a clip I got from the cabinet and grabbed a makeup wipe, removing all the makeup from the day off my face instantly feeling a bit better as I did so. I closed the door to my bathroom when I had finished in there and turned to find him...Standing there with a folded up dish towel in his hand which was pointed out towards me....Again, I couldn't find my legs.
"For your face" He said simply and moved the flannel around in his grasp making some kind of indication that I didn't know what a flannel was...jerk.
Bella the sooner you let him do whatever he needs to do....He will leave I had always battled with my head daily but I had never wanted to shut my thoughts off as much as I did right now. I walked to the bed sitting on the end with my hands in my lap as I heard him move across the room, his feet sinking into the fibres of the carpet quietly.
He knelt in front of me and began to move closer...I didn't flinch or move away...I couldn't even if I wanted to....It was as if my body refused to but my mind was thinking otherwise....The coolness from the flannel hit my forehead...it felt so amazing on my clammy skin and I leaned into it slightly soaking up as much of the coolness as possible...I knew that he was close to me....A little too close for comfort and I didn't want to look at him again so I closed my eyes...Keeping my concentration on the cold sensations rather than the itchiness of my fists wanting to be in contact with his face.
He gave my forehead a few strokes and pats before moving down to my cheeks....my jaw...the other cheek...my nose and my mouth whilst remaining silent. I couldn't deny about how good it felt.
He stopped and I opened my eyes again, the now almost dry towel was on the floor by his knees and I looked up at him...His eyes now smoother and less intimidating....He leant back and put his weight on his knees.
"Are you okay?" He asked me...Wow his voice was like velvet..SO similar to Carlisle's and I instantly had the feeling that maybe this was going to be a situation where I would pour my heart out...I did it with Carlisle so right now, anything was possible. Why would he care if I was alright anyway?
"You don't care" I said..Sharpness to my voice...Let's see how he likes being spoken to like that.
He exhaled, our gazes still locked but he wasn't angry like I was waiting for him to show to me again his eyes were soft...They almost had a slight hint of regret in them but I figured it would be best to throw that idea out of the window.
He was silent as we looked at each other...If only I could read minds then I would be able to handle this whole situation so much better.
"I am officially....An arsehole" He said frankly and I burrowed my eyebrows together...Did he just say that?
"First I treat you like dirt...Then you are sick BECAUSE I was a bastard to you and now I ask if you are okay...Instantly thinking that you would just answer me like nothing ever happened...How stupid is that?!" Okay, what the hell is going on?! I gaped at him probably looking like an idiot I had no idea what he was babbling on about and I didn't really want to stay around and listen.
"I am so sorry, Bella... for today....After I left I instantly felt horrible about it and made a promise to myself that I would find the girl I yelled at and apologise. I had no right to make you feel like that and it could have happened to anyone but you caught me at a bad time and whether or not I was in a shitty mood does not condone my conduct...If only I knew that you were my new sister, then I would have felt what I have been feeling since we all decided to adopt you....Excited".
WOW...I have never heard an apology like that...His words seemed so sincere and genuine and I found myself instantly wanting to forgive him...What was it with these Cullens? I wouldn't have it any other way but they were going to have to teach me to speak like they do someday. I smiled a little at him...My body starting to ease up slightly. He did not return my smile; he was waiting on my answer which I could see in his eyes....I exhaled a little.
"You were really horrible to me.....Edward" His name felt so much better coming out of my mouth and it also sounded better than 'him' which was what he had been called in my head.
"Bella...You're eyes were puffy when I saw you downstairs....I need you to be honest with me...Was I the one who made you cry"? He asked...With a surprising amount of concern...How could I have made such a big deal about any of this – I needed to learn how to not take things literally and to not care what others thought...I felt terrible that Edward had done those things to me without any of us realising that we were now adopted-siblings...What is happening to the world? I always want to stay in the loop of things...I don't take risks and I don't like spontaneity...I am too scared to face all of those things.
"You want the truth...Or a 'good' lie?" I asked him still hinting sarcasm.
Edward smiled a little at my remark and stared at the floor for a moment before scrunching his face up...Obviously in a battle with his head and his morals.
"I would like to hear a lie..-" He began looking back up at me."But, the truth please Bella?" He said with an exhale...I knew what it was like to want to accept a lie when in an actual fact it isn't the truth and isn't the reality of the whole situation.
"Yes" I said simply...Wanting to hide again.
"I am so sorry Bella....I really am...If only you could turn back time eh?" He said and I was amazed that I was able to smile back at his attempt at making a bad situation a little funnier...Maybe there isn't anything wrong with him after all...He seems genuinely sorry, Bella.
I could hear my mother's words in my head now...'Everyone deserves a second chance'...I usually disagreed with her and we would get into a heated discussion about our contrasting opinions but this time I was willing to give Edward another chance...He was after all, my family now.
"I forgive you" I said as another smile swept across his face...Not out of humour this time...But relief.
"You do?" He said still holding the smile.
"One one condition." I replied.
"Yes"? He asked looking slightly confused.
"I am not buying you replacement books" I said and he chuckled.
"I was never going to hold you to that" He replied and I smiled back.
He put his hands on the floor and stood up to standing...He rubbed his legs down a few times and them shook them lightly before standing upright.
"So I think we should start again" He stated....He held his hand out to me...I narrowed my eyes at him and stood up myself stretching a little as I went "Hello Isabella Swan...I am Edward Cullen" He said before smirking at me.
"Hello Edward, it's nice to meet you" I said...Biting my lip with laughter at how ridiculous I felt.
"Likewise Bella...So how are you liking your time here so far?" He asked me before I felt a twinge in my stomach again....It wasn't vomit this time...I was actually quite hungry and I had forgotten all about the fact that I had thrown up anything I had eaten today.
"Edward...I will answer that but I am going downstairs to eat something" I said before walking away from him to the door.
"Shit...Yeah I should have guessed really" He said with embarrassment. I smiled a little and was pleased that he decided to follow me towards the kitchen...I got inside and opened the fridge when Edward's hand came out to stop me.
"I will sort this out for you, Bella" He said tapping my hand away...I took a few steps back.
"No, Edward it's fine.." I started
"Bella...It's the least I can do right now...Besides can't a brother make his sister a meal?" He asked me. I shrugged.
"You didn't make it...It's just leftovers" I said and he looked down...His expression pained...I instantly felt bad that he had offered to help me and I had made him look like an idiot.
"Edward...I am sorry I didn't mean that like it sounded" I bit my lip and watched his expression as he brought his face back up...His hand still on the fridge door.
Edward smiled a huge smile that showed his teeth this time and I instantly caught on that he was winding me up...I hit him across the chest but he carried on chuckling.
"You really are an arsehole" I said back intentionally wanting it be out of venom but it came out smooth and....Well....Normal.
"That's what older brothers are for" He said gesturing for me to sit down...I sat down at the kitchen table as I watched him work...poking the cling film on the top of the bowl and then turning the microwave on and placing the food in. Once he had pressed the start button he turned back round to face me.
"Would mademoiselle like et boisson avec elle meal"? He asked me with another smirk...His voice was in a different accent...I recognised it as being a French accent but I didn't know anything about the language.
"What's French for....'I don't know what that means'"? I asked him back and he chuckled.
"Okay I know one thing now....You don't know languages but you recognise accents" He stated confidently....Duh!
"I asked you if you would like a drink with your meal...I even kept the English word of meal in there, Bella" He said still continuing to wind me up.
"I will just have water please" I said as he then went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass and then walked over to the fridge pulling out a bottle of Evian and putting it in front of me.
"Thank you...Are you usually this relaxed in the evenings, Edward? Or is it just new girls who smack you with doors who anger you?" I teased.
"You're never going to let me live that down now are you?" He asked me with a sigh...I nodded and he then smiled.
"Touché...I would hold it against you too" He replied and we both chuckled together.
The microwave beeped and he turned back round putting the steaming food onto a plate and putting it in front of me...Before sitting down opposite me he retrieved a knife and fork from one of the drawers and put it in front of me.
"Thank you" I said appreciatively
"You're very welcome...Little sister" He chimed finally taking his place in front of me.
I began to eat welcoming the savoury taste on my tongue...Why is it that you never realise just how hungry you are until after you have eaten something? I smiled as I swallowed the first bite, the slight burn going down my windpipe which ordinarily I would have avoided but today I kind of liked it.
"That good, huh?" Edward asked me from across the table...I nodded.
"Esme is a fantastic cook...You, Emmett and Alice are lucky to come home and have this ready for you every night" I stated grabbing another bite from my fork.
"Yeah you're right we are" Edward said as he reached over to the side and pulled out his phone from his pocket and putting it out in front of him for a few moments...I stayed quiet munching the food to myself before he let out a groan and put the phone on the table.
"Your girlfriend?" I asked...Feeling a bit uneasy about whether if I should ask him about it.
"You could say that" He answered me glumly...I held my tongue and took another bite.
"She's a girl that I have fun with occasionally, she is.....Needy to say the least" He stated...Why would he go out with someone he didn't like?
"Oh...I see" I replied.
"Anyway...I reckon Alice and Emmett know more about you than me so I need to get catching up, Bella" He said...Licking his finger and gesturing it to the air...I took a sip of my water and waited for him to ask me something.
"Favourite music?" He asked...You need to get better knowledge in music Bella!
"I have only ever listened to classical music...That was all my mum would listen to...Yiruma, Christopher Beck, James Newton Howard and Debussy were her favourites" I replied.
"Nice...One brownie point to Bella" He laughed out.
"Are we keeping points?"
"Of course...We shall see who scores the most" He smirked.
"Okay....Favourite artist?" I asked him...Finishing my last bite of dinner and pushing the bowl away from me to put my arms on the table.
"Picasso by far" He answered
"Picasso? No...It has to be Van Gogh" I replied "Minus one point to one"
"Okay, I have a feeling that this isn't going to be easy" Edward replied with a chuckle.
"Favourite Books?"
"The Bronte's and Austen"
"Which ones?" he asked studying me.
"Persuasion..."
"One point"
"And Wuthering Heights" I added
"Minus one"
"Favourite Books?" I directed the question back at Edward
"Hardy and Dickens"
"Two points" I said and smiled.
"Playwrights?" He moved on
"Wilde, Shakespeare and Ibsen"
"Three points"
"Favourite subject"? He continued.
"A toss between Biology and History"
"One point"
"Nature or Construction?" I asked.
"Nature"
"One point"
"Risks or sensible choices?" he asked me.
"Sensible choices"
"Minus one"
"Love or lust?" I asked.
"Lust"
"Minus one"
"Favourite colour?" he asked. Wow...These were a lot of questions!
"Yellow" I answered even though I like brown too.
"Minus one" Damn It! "Okay the final scores are....Bella has a total of 3 points and I finish the game with 1 point...Did I do that right...Oh I can't be asked, Bella you won, congrats" He said giving me a mocking cheesy smile and a thumbs up.
"Yeah thanks I guess" I answered him, giggling inside...Like Alice and Emmett, Edward knew how to make me laugh...Not necessarily WITH him but it didn't matter..Everything that happened today has long gone out of my head.
"So Bella Notte...What do you want to do?" Edward asked getting up and getting my plate off the table..I had gestured to protest but he tapped my hand away again...Bella Notte? Tess had called me that at Sandgrove.
"Edward what does that mean?" I asked....Maybe he would know.
"What does what mean....Oh, Bella Notte?" He replied and I nodded at him.
"Bella in Italian is Beautiful and Notte is night...It means beautiful night" He answered....Beautiful night? Why would someone want to call me that? That didn't even make sense?
"It is better known as a love ballad in the Disney film 'Lady and the Tramp'" He then explained.
"Oh...I understand it now" I gasped and he chuckled.
"You read detailed novels Isabella and the only reason you know two words in Italian is from a DISNEY movie...Seriously? I didn't know you had it in you" He said with his back to me.
"Some of us aren't chained to books, Edward" I replied.
"Do you write, Isabella?" He asked me after a moment...Looking like he had completely forgotten my last remark.
"I keep a diary but that's it...I don't write stories or anything" I said with a bit of uneasiness.
"I thought so" He said...Emmett was right, Edward is unpredictable.
"What do you mean?" I asked, vaguely interested.
"I can tell you write a lot...You're a deep thinker, right? Writing is a form of therapy for you...Something to make you feel better at the end of the day?" He asked me...I gaped at him, had I ever mentioned my diary to him in the last two hours?
"Yes" I said still awestruck
"Don't worry Bella I am not a mind reader or a physic there is just this insight and wisdom about you...My dad was right...You are mature for your age" He said turning to me with an enthusiastic smile.
There was the sound of a key turning in the lock as myself and Edward turned to find Carlisle entering the house...Soaked from the rain...He turned towards the kitchen immediately and saw us both in there, he placed his briefcase down and walked towards us.
"Hello Bella" He greeted me, kissing the top of my head...He then walked towards Edward and pulled him into a hug...The two patting each other on the backs in welcome.
"Hello Son" He said whilst they were still entwined
"Hi Dad" Edward answered with a smile....The two men broke apart and I was fascinated at just how similar they were and they weren't father and son biologically...I could sense that Edward was probably more prone to moodiness and broodiness than Carlisle and I could tell that maybe Carlisle could have his own bad moments if he were pushed but together when they were like this they were two pieces of a perfect shape.
"Did you have a good day, Carlisle?" I asked him
"I did, thank you Bella....Tess and Frank send their love...I see you two have already met" He said looking at myself and Edward in turn.
"Poor Bella was wondering when she was ever going to meet her new brother, Edward" He smiled cheekily at me and I looked back at Edward who was biting his lip...No doubt thinking about how we first met and how we had started off this evening...I snapped out of the memory I wouldn't tell Carlisle...I didn't want to...Edward has proven to me already that he didn't mean it and I believe him....Just like I do all these Cullens.
"I am glad I did, Carlisle...My family is now complete" Edward smiled at me and Carlisle returned the smile as well.
"Have you seen my Esme anywhere?" Carlisle asked Edward.
"She went to see the Newton's...Something about a recipe...Mrs Newton wants mom to give her a cookie recipe for her sister's party in Los Angeles next week. She should be back soon though" He reassured Carlisle and Edward then moved to his original seat opposite me.
"Well I will wait for her to come back; will you tell her that I will be taking a few calls from my office if she asks where I am"? He asked both me and Edward.
"Yes" Edward said and I nodded at the same time.
"Thank you" Carlisle said lovingly and walked out of the room.
"Thank you Bella for not telling my dad about today" Edward said once we both heard Carlisle close the door to his office.
"That's okay Edward" I replied.
"Well, I have about an hour to kill before I go out...Would you like to watch TV or something"? He suggested.
"Where are you going out?" I asked
"My best friend, Seth he owns a bar down in La Push...The Quileute reservation and I normally pop down for a few...I get discount" Edward said as I thought about the fact that if he was ever caught drinking in England if he was underage he would get fined on the spot...I didn't know what the age limit was in this country but it certainly wouldn't be Edward's age.
"Relax..Bella...I don't drink down there where the local chief of police can spot me, Seth closes up and Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and I all bring store-brought products and have a get together with Seth and his partner Leah."
"Oh I see that sounds like fun...Are Alice and Emmett there already?" I asked, knowing that I hadn't seen Emmett since lunch today or Alice since I got home.
"No I don't know where they are at the moment...That's the thing with those two they just flit in and out whenever they feel like it and you never know where they are" He replied.
"I've noticed" I replied with a small smile.
"I'll meet up with them later...Hey you want to come with us?" He asked me with a tone change in his voice.
"Oh no thank you, Edward...Parties they just aren't my thing" I said feeling embarrassed, Edward nodded in understanding.
"Some other time then?" He asked me and I nodded.
"So...We have time before I go...Did you want to do something?" He asked me again getting up from his seat.
"Like what?" I asked standing up too.
"Hold on...I think I might have something that might interest you" He stated before gesturing me to walk towards him...I was behind him when he started walking out of the kitchen, into the living room and up the stairs.
We got to where my room was on the second floor and carried on going up another flight of stairs and I groaned again when we went up some more stairs, now on the fourth floor there was only one room at the end of the corridor and the door was open.
"Come with me, Bella" Edward said grabbing my wrist to lead me the way.
The room was huge, there were six main windows covering the walls...Medium sized with a view of the forest outside...The walls were white and the ceiling a wooden flooring. Artwork was covering every empty space of wall, many I didn't recognise and there were collections of family photos of the Cullen's some historic where the canvas paper had faded and some modern and bright white. There was a grand piano in the centre of the room which I immediately assumed was Edward's as Carlisle mentioned he was musical.
Edward was silent as he went over...Past the piano to a wall by the furthest window by the door...I stayed where I was not wanting to knock anything over or damage the room in any way...He pulled a small picture that I couldn't make out towards him and it came off of the wall on one side. He pressed something and the wall then came out...Only it wasn't a wall it was a sliding door disguised as a wall.
Edward turned to me and lifted up his index finger gesturing to me to go to him...I took slow, gradual steps making my way towards him.
"Its okay, Bella the only thing that is valuable in here is the piano and the thing I am about to show you behind this door" He said as I finally stood next to him. We both walked into the door together and once it had closed behind us, Edward pressed another button behind another picture frame to his right and another door opened in front of us.
Oh my god
We stepped into a room, designed the same way as the one we had just left only this time there were ten different double books shelves shaped around the room as a semi-circle...I couldn't describe it...It was just too beautiful.
"This is our library Bella" Edward told me as I stared open-mouthed at the sight before me "Around seventy percent of the books you are looking at are all antique editions...There are no more left in the world now...However." He stopped and went to one of the bookshelves trailing his finger along one of the rows...He stopped and pulled one out nodding before coming back to me.
"This is for you" He said before handing it to me I took it, the smell of old books hitting my nostrils....I opened up the book which was a surprisingly small hardback and blew the dust off the cover before opening the first page.
My Darling Edward
I have left this for you to give to someone who has real need for it and someone who will love it as much as I did
All my love
Mom
I turned the next page and there in the most elegant script I have ever seen was the book's title:
Persuasion
By Jane Austen
I shot my glance back at Edward who was smiling down at me.
"I like Austen but I never read it often...Or even appreciate it as much as you probably do Bella, I want you to have that... it has been here for years since my mom died and it should go to someone who deserves it" He told me.
I shook my head violently...
"No, Edward I appreciate it...I really do but I would lose it or damage it or something" I put the book back out to him and he stopped me with his hand.
"My behaviour today was unacceptable and I am aware that Emmett and I are the only ones who have yet to get you something as a welcoming present...This is mine...Please take it Bella, I would prefer it if it went to you" He replied his voice sentimental and caring.
I didn't know what to say...I was so choked up it was beyond words...This was a copy that never belonged to anyone else in the world...It was to be mine and ONLY mine. I looked at Edward through tear-rimmed eyes.
"Edward...How can I ever thank you?!" I choked out.
"You don't need to...You have forgiven me and that's all I ever ask of you Bella" He replied and he grabbed my free wrist and took me back to the piano room...We walked down the stairs and another to the second floor...He stopped me as we reached my room.
"I will be taking you into school tomorrow...Emmett has to go in earlier for practice and Alice doesn't have lessons until the afternoon, would that be okay?" He asked.
"Yes thank you, Edward" I replied
"Right..Well I better be off" He said before leaving me to walk back down the stairs.
I went into my room and sat on the bed...Immediately going to the first chapter of the book...I was about to read the first line when there was a light tapping on my door...I looked up from my book and across the room to find Edward standing there leaning against the door...His car keys in his hand.
"One more question Bella" He said
"Yes?" I asked putting the book down fully on my lap.
"Good brother or bad brother?" He asked and I giggled a little.
"Do you want a lie or the truth?" I replied back to him.
"Truth please?" He said smirking.
"Good brother" I said with a nod.
"Ten points" He answered and he chuckled."Goodnight little sister"
"Good night, bro" I answered as he chuckled one last time before walking down the stairs.
I picked the book back up and began to read again....
Edward was a nice guy after all
Thank God!
Okay that's it for Chapter 10....PLEASE keep the reviews coming guys and any thoughts you may have or where I need to improve.
Thank you!
.S. x x