Damn. Damn it all to hell and back. Damn Jasper Whitlock and his damn questions. Damn him for eternity.
I couldn't respond right away. Right now, it was as if Jasper Cullen was a feline. Cat got your tongue, Bella? His eyes seem to shout at me and I couldn't help but flinch. I doubt the humans were noticing. This was such a short time for them.
Honesty, mom? Noah's voice rang through my mind, once again pulling me back to reality. I nodded once; they would find out eventually. Why not now and get it over with?
"Volterra… we are from Volterra, Italy," Evie answered. Jasper's eyes widened a little bit but then narrowed on me. They were searching and I knew exactly what he was looking for. The bite marks, the blood red eyes, the incredibly pale skin, the slight sparkle… because of Evie's charms and me being away from the window, all of it was invisible to his eyes, as well as everyone else's.
"How long have you lived there?" he pressed. Before any of us could answer, Miss Kott shushed him.
"One question at a time, Mr. Cullen. You'll have more than enough time to talk to them but for now, let's have everyone get a chance."
I could tell that being patronized by a human annoyed him but he listened, especially after Emmett pulled on his arm. He sat back down but, like his burly brother, his eyes never left mine. To distract me from his constant gaze, I focused on the rest of the students.
The final bell was a savior. I slung my bag back onto my shoulders and helped my children take the stools back to where they were, despite the teacher's protests. I ignored the Cullens and hurried back to the front with Evie and Noah flanking my sides. I could hear their quiet protests but that didn't stop me from moving.
"We need to go," Noah whispered to Evie and she nodded. She curled her hand around mine and tugged me through the door.
"Don't you dare start anything, Noah Jacob; not in front of the humans," Evie hissed. Noah growled lowly as we left the class. We were the first ones out and were 'speed walking' down the hall to our next class.
"Why not? I should tear the both of them limb from limb," he snapped in response. I nudged his shoulder and gave him a look. He knew exactly what I meant; they could hear us as well as we could hear them. He nodded once and lowered his volume. "Did you see their expressions? The bigger one looked like he actually wanted to be forgiven!"
We were silent for a few seconds as we walked through the crowds, trying to make our way through. The school population, though still small, was a great deal bigger than what it had been when I was here the first time.
"Mama," Evie whispered when we were away from the humans. "Does that mean, if two of them are here, so will the others?"
I hadn't thought about that. It was bad enough seeing just those two but having to face the other three would be overkill. I'd either reopen the wound I had worked so hard to seal or I'd murder more vampires then I was sent for.
Even though Aro wasn't fond of them anymore, he still treasured their gifts. If I killed Alice or… him, that would put me in a very bad predicament. Not that I would probably have the guts to kill them, mind you; even if they broke everything I was, they were still my family. As a human, I was obsessed with them. I have no problem with admitting it now because I know how ridiculous it was. I probably should have been in counseling because of them.
Being involved with the Cullens was like being trapped in the center of the Antarctic, having my body tossed and turned by the currents and being on the tip of death. My life had been threatened several times because of their actions. James wanted me as a snack, especially after they pissed him off. Victoria wanted revenge for them killing James. And then he got me pregnant, which if not for Heidi, would have killed me. I don't regret that at all though; they were the best thing to ever happen in my life.
Still though; I was always in danger. If not physically, then emotionally; he ruled and reigned in my human thoughts. He controlled my reactions, my emotions, my being. I was dependent on him and desperate for him.
That would never happen again.
"I don't know, Evie," I finally answered her. She nodded once but when a certain somebody started yelling my name, we all froze.
"I can handle it, mom. I can tell him to leave you alone," Noah murmured. I thought about it for a few Nano-seconds. I wanted nothing more than to forget I saw the Cullens but if they saw the others and told them I was alive, I didn't know what would happen.
"No. It's fine. If I don't handle it now, it'll just come back to bite me later," I responded. They both nodded and looked back to see Emmett pushing his way through the throng of students with Jasper right behind him.
"He really is big, isn't he?" Evie questioned as she shyly looked up at the incoming monster sized man. I could see the hesitation in her eyes; the lioness was gone replaced by a demure cub. I didn't blame her though. Emmett was definitely intimidating.
She turned back to me and put her hand on my arm. "Do you want us to go so you can speak in private? Or would you like us to stay?"
"Of course we're staying-"
With a look from his sister, Noah quieted down. "Only if you want us too; we'll do whatever you need."
I thought about how awkward it would be if I had my children there, not to mention that Noah would probably get in a fight with them. I didn't need that to happen. Besides, I could only imagine how much it could hurt them if they had to talk to the family they were supposed to have but didn't.
"I'll be fine," I answered with a sigh. "I'll catch up to you in a few. If I'm late, just tell them I had to go to the office."
Evie nodded and ignored Noah's protests as she pulled him to their next class. I watched them leave then rubbed my eyes as I waited for Emmett and Jasper to catch up.
"Bella!" Emmett shouted again as he stopped about two feet from me. He froze when I looked up at him, his golden eyes as big as flying saucers. Had this been a hundred years ago and I was still human, I would have been blushing and laughing.
"You're alive," he murmured weakly. I shrugged.
"So to speak."
"How?" Jasper question. He stood next to his bulky brother, watching me curiously. Again, I shrugged.
"Someone decided I would be better as an immortal… you know, like how it was planned?" The annoyance and anger was light in my voice but still could be heard. Emmett flinched and Jasper raised his eyebrows.
"How can you be a vampire? You're eyes are brown."
"Contacts, Jasper," I murmured in return. I could imagine my chest tightening as I said his name. It was one I hadn't spoken in a century.
"But… who changed you? Edward-"
"Didn't change me," I interrupted. "He was too busy deserting me to do so."
"Deserting? What the hell are you talking about? He didn't desert you," Emmett said defiantly. I narrowed my eyes at him and glared.
"Okay if not deserting, how about abandon? Or reject?" I could feel my anger peak as I lifted the synonyms but also felt like a babbling idiot as they continued to stare at me like I had three heads. "He left me," I stated flatly.
"He… he didn't leave you Bells. You kicked him out," Emmett murmured. The confusion in his system was daunting enough to baffle Jasper and me.
"Excuse me? I did what?"
Neither of us spoke as his words and mine lingered in between us. I didn't understand what they were talking about. Why would they assume I made him leave? How could they even think that? I was in love with the bastard, up until I was turned. Even after I was a vampire, it took time to stop loving him, something that seemed impossible from the beginning.
"I don't know where you got that from but I never once asked him to leave," I remarked coldly.
Emmett squinted down at me and stepped forward. "Then why would he say that? He told us you all had a fight and you wanted him gone, that marrying him was a mistake. He's still been pissy about it."
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
The power and volume my voice contained shocked them into more silence. That seemed to happen a lot with our conversation; a few lines and sentences would come out and then we'd be quiet for a few moments. It was quite annoying, really.
"He told you I wanted him gone? He told you we had a fight?!" I demanded to know. I growled lowly, glad that the bell had rung and that the students had cleared the hallway. "And you believed him? Really, Jasper? Emmett?"
Jasper shifted uneasily on his feet, probably from the strength of my emotions. I didn't care what my agitation did to him, though. I was too far beyond furious to care.
"We didn't understand it at first. We knew how much you cared about him but he kept insisting that you were done as a couple. He said you went back home to Charlie and even gave him back the ring."
If I could strangle Edward Cullen, I would crush him into dusk and then feed it to fish before feeding the fish to a great white shark.
"He lied to you," I snapped. "I woke up and he was gone. All he left me was a letter, money to get by, and some food in the house. He just got up and left the island while I was asleep. The only fight that happened was the one I had with myself on what to do when I realized I was alone."
Jasper shook his head erratically. "No that's impossible. Edward wouldn't have done that; he told us how much he still loved you."
I laughed though the sound was hardly humorous. Jasper's confession about Edward's 'feelings' hurt just as much as knowing he lied to his entire family about what happened. Or, in his case, what didn't happen.
"If you believe that, you obviously didn't know me too well, then. Did you honestly believe I would give him up after putting myself through something I wasn't even sure I wanted?" I questioned. When they didn't respond, I continued; "I married him, despite my aversions to it. I gave up something to be with him, to live with him for eternity. If all of you truly believed I would give that up, even if we did have a fight… I don't know what to say to you."
"Bella, we really didn't know," Emmett whispered. I felt the suspicion set in.
"Then why couldn't I contact you? I tried calling every one of you, even the Denali coven, just to get help. They didn't even answer," I questioned. They looked even more puzzled.
"We never received any calls from you, Bells. We actually waited a few days when Edward came back but he said it would be better for you if we moved. We went east to give you the space he told us you needed," Jasper explained.
"Every phone I reached was disconnected. The Denali's never returned my message. You want me to believe that you didn't know a damn thing about this, Jasper? You want me to believe that he did that all on his own without any of your family knowing?"
"Maybe he changed the numbers to our old ones and told the Denali some sort of lie to explain. Honest to God Bella, if we knew you were trying to reach us, we never would have left you."
I just stared at them. A dire and desperate part of me wanted to believe them; I wanted to so much but I couldn't. For the moment, it was hard to even look at the both of them. If I was still able to, I wouldn't doubt the possibility of me crying. I could feel them now, the nonexistent memory of tears filling my eyes. Of course though, vampires weren't allowed that relief.
"I don't think I really give a damn anymore. That part of my life is done."
"Bells," Emmett started softly but Jasper cut him off. I looked up at him and was met with a hurt and angry glare.
"Then why are you here?"
"A mission; apparently there is another group that's drawing too much attention and I have to take care of it," I muttered. I couldn't help but resent Aro for all of this.
"So it's true. You and the other two work for the Volturi. You're a guard now," he continued. I nodded sharply and let him continue. I already knew what was coming next. "Who are they, Bella? Who are the two playing your siblings?"
I purposely ignored it. I couldn't tell them the truth and I wasn't that much of an idiot; I knew they would tell him immediately. I wasn't about to drag my children into this mess. It was bad enough they had to know who they were in the first place.
"Who else is here?" I asked. Jasper raised his eyebrows while Emmett was perplexed. They both let it go through.
"Just Rosalie; everyone else is still out east finishing up records and other business. They'll be here soon enough though, probably about two weeks," Emmett answered. "Do you plan on avoiding them too? I'm sure they would like to hear your side of the story."
The violent shiver that wracked my spine was involuntary. I didn't know what I would do, especially when I saw them. I was hoping I would be gone by then, back home with my family and in peace. I had a feeling I wouldn't get my wish though.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the others about me," I muttered and turned away from them. I was tired of talking. I wanted to sleep. Too bad though, right?
"You can't run away from this Bella," Jasper said flatly. I continued to ignore him and his brother while I made my way out of the hallway and toward the office. I could have gone straight to the classroom and dazzled the teacher for a free pass but I wanted to take my time and think over what had just happen. Of course being a vampire doesn't mean much with that want; I have all the time in the world to think it over with more free time than any human. I don't have an escape and time goes by too slow.
When I got into the office, I convinced the receptionist I had dropped everything out of my bag in the hallway after I ran into someone, making me late for my next class. She immediately gave me a pass and told me to never worry about that and just to come find her if I needed help. I smiled politely, said my thanks, and was off. I guess shyness came in handy.
I got to my next class in record time, History, and quietly entered the room. Despite my tries to be inconspicuous, I managed to have the whole class turn and watch me. Without a word, I gave the flustered teacher my pass and took a seat next to Evie, ignoring both their worried stares and focusing on the boring subject of American history to distract me. It was a long time, too long, before the next bell.
Hope you guys enjoy!