Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to SMeyer
A/N: My thanks to Team Elemental- keepingupwiththekids, ScarlettLetters, and Katarinasmama! This was a tough chapter for me to write. I thank you for pushing me to do better and keeping me from going on a killing spree. Massive Hugs ladies!
A special thank you to Meadow.
Of course, I can never say this enough, thank you to the readers who take time to read this story, add it to your favorites and alerts lists. Thank you to those who take the time to write a review, stop by the Twilighted thread or Twitter to give this story the love. You guys are awesome!
-O-O-O-
BPOV
Friday at school went much smoother than I thought it would.
Lauren was still absent, but no one said anything about her, so I didn't ask. It was almost if she never existed by the way the other Witches acted. Jessica and Mike joined in the conversation with the rest of us during lunch and Jessica was even polite to me during the meal.
I returned to the main area of the library to sit at the corner table I had occupied on my first day. At least, being in the same room as the librarian gave me an odd sort of comfort and was preferable to having felt trapped by Edward when I sat in the back.
I purposely kept my head down, looking like I was concentrating on my math homework when Edward walked into the library. I glanced up through the veil of my lashes and watched his movements. Was he purposely sitting near me in order to make me feel uncomfortable or was the back area his usual spot? I would know the answer to that question in the next few seconds.
I saw him stop mid-stride, and sensed his eyes on me, but he quickly continued walking and finally turned down an aisle, that lead to the back. I released the pent up breath that I had been holding, glad that I had an hour where I wouldn't have to feel his eyes penetrating into my back.
After school, Alice was vibrating with excitement in the parking lot. When she saw me walk towards her, she called out animatedly. "Bella! I'm so happy that you're coming to dinner at my parents house! I have so much to show you!"
Alice looked like she was doing her imitation of Tigger, bouncing in place. Jasper walked over to her, and placed an arm around her shoulders giving her an affectionate kiss on her forehead. Alice tipped her head up to receive the full pressure of his lips on hers. She smiled her special "Jasper smile" and stopped bouncing.
Jasper looked over at me and winked.
Jasper… Alice's personal Valium.
Alice's attention shifted to a spot behind me. "Edward! Are you following us home?"
Crap, I forgot one detail about me spending the evening at the Cullen House: Edward Cullen. Please just let him stay in another room or something. I don't think I could concentrate on lessons if he was nearby. He would probably be there to judge my actions in whatever Esme had planned for me today. I was already nervous as it was.
"No, I'm headed over to Emmett's to help load his and Rose's cars. Tell Mom we'll be home in time for dinner," he replied as he walked over to his Volvo, a few parking spaces away.
I peeked at him and saw that his sunglasses covered his eyes, successfully cutting off any chance of me reading his expression. He swiftly got into his car and drove off the school grounds.
We left shortly afterwards, taking the back way to our houses.
It was strange passing by the Swan House, since it was where I normally returned to after school. In fact, I don't think that I had driven past our house once since we arrived in Forks. I told Jasper and Alice as much.
"Really?" Alice asked surprised.
"Yeah…just not sure why," I replied.
We were passing another one of the older homes and she quickly pointed out that it was the Crowley House.
As we drove further onto the Coven's property, along the twisted road, I caught glimpses of some modern homes and a few of the original houses. Apparently, the Swan House was one of the few that were situated closer to the town. Moments later, we came to the end of the road to see what was obviously one of the first homes belonging to the Coven. Alice proudly announced that it was the Cullen House.
While I thought the Swan House was impressive, there was something about the house that dwarfed all the others. It wasn't that it was any bigger than the rest or had a better upkeep; it just had a presence to it that both invited and warned me about crossing its doorway.
"Wow, Alice…it's beautiful," I murmured, looking at the gorgeous garden lining the front porch with various blooming flowers in vibrant reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows.
"Come along, Mom is waiting for us," Alice said cheerfully, taking my hand and leading me to the front door. Upon walking into the main hallway, I noticed architectural resemblances to the Swan House. The walls were dark cream filigree wallpaper and the staircase was on the opposite side of the room, but other than that, everything was the same layout.
"Mom! We're here!" Alice called out beside me.
"In the kitchen!" I heard Esme respond in kind, from the other end of the hallway.
We found Esme leaning against a marble-topped island in the middle of the kitchen, placing foil over a deep-dish pan. She smiled at us in greeting.
"How was your day?" She asked us as she continued to wrap the pan.
"Boring until art classes," Alice replied walking over and hugging her mom from behind. Esme smiled warmly, twisting slightly to place a kiss on her daughter's head.
Jasper walked past me with a grin on his face over to the two women, where he stopped to place a quick kiss on each of their checks before grabbing a small water bottle out of the fridge.
"Bella, why don't you relax a little bit, have Alice show you around before we get started. I just need to finish a few things for dinner tonight," Esme said.
"Okay."
"Let's go, Bella. We'll start upstairs and work our way down," Alice said, practically skipping over to me with an infectious smile.
I looked behind her and saw that Jasper was following her.
Where one went, the other followed, it seemed. If Alice and Jasper were in the same room they looked like they orbited one another, never too far apart physically. When they were touching, it was as if they were a matching cup and saucer; they just belonged together. You couldn't think of one without the other. Now that I thought about it, Angela and Ben were the same way.
Alice started talking about each room we entered, and I shook myself out of my thoughts, giving her my full attention. Alice displayed a lot of love for her family home, and pointed out each room's special piece that had been hand selected by Esme. It was evident that everything was the best that money could buy, whether it was an antique vase or a raw silk quilted duvet. Alice said that Esme had redecorated the house after it was given over to her and Carlisle.
What a strange thing to say.
"Alice, what do you mean by 'given over' to them?" I asked, a small part of me thinking it was just slip in my hearing.
Alice turned to me and gave me a thoughtful look. "Well, when Mom gave birth to me and Edward, the house was turned over to my parents. It's just how it is," she explained with a small shrug.
"Is that how it works? When the next generation is born the house is passed down to the new parents?" I asked.
"Exactly," Alice replied with a smile. Jasper came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"The Cullen House will go to Edward, and when Alice and I have children we'll inherent the Whitlock House," Jasper explained.
"So…um, since you're…ah, together." For some reason I couldn't bring myself to say mated, but was curious to know how all this worked. I was sure I was blushing, as I could feel the heat in my face. "Where do you live?"
Alice arched an eyebrow at me with a smirk over my choice of words, but didn't mock me further. "Usually once we mate, we live with the male's family, but Jasper and I also have a room here so we switch on and off between the houses."
I just nodded my head and we resumed the tour. Looking out one of the back bedroom windows, I saw that their backyard was immaculately landscaped. It was like something you only saw in magazines featuring State-owned parks and gardens or fancy estate homes in England or France.
"Wow…" I whispered impressed by the view.
"Yeah, Mom designed the back and tends to it personally," Alice told me softly, coming to stand next to me at the window.
"By herself?" I asked surprised. There was a huge variety of greenery; I was thinking that it would take a small army for its upkeep.
"You should see the greenhouse," Alice mentioned as she took Jasper's hand and walked out of the room.
There was more?
As we made our way back down to the first floor, Esme called to us again. We returned to the kitchen to see her setting a timer on the microwave. She turned to us with a smile when she finished.
"You have a beautiful home," I told her with admiration. "I especially love your garden."
Her smile grew wider. "Thank you, Bella. It's my pride and joy," she responded happily.
"I thought I was you're pride and joy," Alice teased, with a mock hurt expression on her face.
"No, that's Edward," Esme teased back with a straight face.
Jasper and I laughed, followed by Alice and Esme. It was odd to see a mother and daughter with their sort of relationship, as there was no animosity in their words or emotions. I could never joke with my mom like they did.
"Alright, it's time for Bella and me to have a lesson," she announced, shooing Alice and Jasper out of the kitchen.
"Let's go into the greenhouse…" Esme said, leading me into a smaller hallway, to a wooden door with inlayed antiqued-warped glass.
As I stepped through the door, I gasped with delight to see all the healthy fruit bearing trees and bushes near the entryway of the metal and glass room. Again, I was hit with the feeling of the Cullen House being grander than the other houses; the energy felt more intense. Esme led me to the center of the large room, to a circle in the floor similar to the one at my house, except it had another larger circle outside of it.
"Esme, why are there two circles?" I asked.
"This is the heart of the Cullen House as well as the Coven," Esme replied walking into the center to stand over the purple stone, before turning back to me. "This is the point where the leader of the Quileute Tribe advised our ancestors to hold rituals for Element work. When we have more members of the Coven working together, we need a bigger circle to encompass us."
No wonder everything felt more enhanced here…
"I know that Emmett had you work a little with your Earth Element in helping to grow plants, and of course there was your circle work, but I want us to focus on working with two Elements at once. You with Earth and me with Water," Esme said.
I was intrigued as it felt like a more basic lesson than what Emmett had given me, but working with another Witch using our Elements at the same time was something that we hadn't hit upon yet. I was actually a little excited to experience working with a Witch of Esme's caliber.
Esme led me over to a back corner of the greenhouse, where a large group of dead looking trees was situated in individual clay pots. My immediate thought was to run over and heal them. It was becoming almost second nature for me to want to help a sick plant.
I must have made a distressed noise, because Esme reached over and placed a comforting hand on my back. "I know, it's hard for me to look at them too," she said. "The more in tune we become with our Element the more we feel its energy, both good and bad."
I nodded my head. I had felt a gradual shift in myself with each lesson. I was starting to feel the different levels of energy that came from the plants when I concentrated on them. Each one had a special frequency.
"What I want you to do is to get in tune with Earth and ground yourself, not healing the plants, but getting them ready to receive Water."
"Okay," I said as I kneeled down on a pad that Esme placed on the brick floor next to the first sickly tree. She took one opposite of me and picked up a small glass of water to sit in between us.
"I have already cleansed the area, so you may start when you are ready," she said taking my hand in hers, holding it gently, palm to palm.
"Do you need me to speak each step aloud?" I questioned, not sure how I was going to go about this lesson. Maybe it wasn't as easy as I thought it was.
"No, I'll be able to sense you," she said indicating our joined hands.
I closed my eyes for a second and concentrated on my breathing, cleansing myself and opening up to Earth. As soon as I felt a stirring of Earth, I opened my eyes and looked down at the dried dirt in the pot, seeing whitened roots climbing the burnt orange clay sides desperate for nutrients.
"Place your hand into the dirt," Esme whispered gently to me, so as not to break my focus.
I lowered my hand down, and broke through the packed dead soil with the tips of my fingers. I felt a shock of pure pain coming from the tree course through me and almost pulled away. Esme reached over and held my hand in place.
"Shhhhh…I know, I know…it hurts, don't pull away it needs our help," she whispered, calming me with her melodic voice.
The first rush of excruciating pain coming from the sick tree made me feel nauseous, but as I let myself listen to its heart, I connected with it, finding the paths that would need to be healed first.
"So thirsty…" it cried to me.
Hold on, we are here to help you. I thought to it, mentally.
"Bella I'm going to bring in Water, stay grounded and keep focused on those main roots," Esme said, as she dipped her hand into the glass of water and cupped a small amount in her hand, bringing it close to mine in the pot. As she turned her hand over letting the small spray of water run down my hand, I felt the presence of Water running through it. It wasn't as powerful this time as it was during the ritual with Emmett, but it was enough that I could feel its eagerness to help the tree.
Esme placed her wet hand over mine as I kept myself in position. I felt Water nudge Earth as it sought guidance from it. I led Water to the sickly roots needing the most attention, feeling it expand in volume as it ran up through the tree's veins feeding it. I added a small amount of Earth healing, letting it travel with the water cells, hoping to speed up the process.
"Good…" Esme whispered to me.
Seconds, or even minutes later, I felt the tree on its way to being completely healed and let Earth depart slightly, pulling Water with it. I felt Esme take control of Water, letting it leave. I gave one more subtle push of healing energy to the tree and felt it's gratitude in response. I let Earth depart shortly after, pulling my hand out of the now moist soil.
I looked up at the tree and saw the beginnings of new green leaves, while its bark lost it ashen appearance and was turning a deeper brown. I smiled knowing that it was going to recover and become a beautiful apple tree.
"Nice job, Bella," Esme said.
I looked over at her to find her smiling at me with pride.
"I liked that you gave it another dose of healing at the end, but to give it in small doses with Water, was something I hadn't tried before," she said.
"It felt right," I replied.
Her smile grew. "Ready to help the others?" she asked.
Knowing what my job was here, I felt a little more confident as I approached the next tree. Time flew for Esme and me, as we healed each tree. She had me try different ways of healing for each one. Some were slower methods and others faster, but the feeling of working with Esme and her Element gave me more courage to believe in my abilities instead of constantly questioning them.
As we finished with the last tree, I looked outside the glass wall to see that the sun was getting lower in the sky, leaving us surrounded by shadows of the plants around us.
"How are things going in here?" I heard Carlisle's voice from behind me.
"Good," Esme replied with a smile, getting up from the floor and helping me rise.
Carlisle approached us with his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, his eyes on Esme. She walked over to him and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips by way of greeting. He wrapped one arm around Esme's waist and held her next to him before turning his attention to me.
"How are you feeling, Bella?" He asked with concern.
"A little tired, but well." I smiled back.
"Great. Why don't you come in and get cleaned up for dinner? It's time to relax a little…" he said as he led us out of the greenhouse.
Esme showed me to a small bathroom so that I could wash before dinner. I was surprised that I didn't feel lethargic, but more energized. I was sure that it was from the excitement that I felt from this lesson. I was able to truly understand what it was that my powers were capable of doing, especially working with Esme and Water. I thought, based on my experience with holding all four Elements during the ritual, I would become drained by Water. Instead, it was as if I was supporting Water with Earth, not actually holding it. Esme had explained that when I called the Elements during the circle ritual, I had contacted their spirit form. When we worked with the Elements, like we did with the sick trees, it was their physical form we channeled and needed to be in bodily contact with that Element in order to heal a plant.
As I walked back into the kitchen, I saw Alice helping Esme with moving the covered dishes into the dining room. Alice gave me a greeting before dancing out through the swinging door with a large bowl filled with salad.
"Do you need any help?" I asked, starting to feel unsure again.
"No, I have everything ready. Let's go sit down in the dining room," she said, picking up a basket of rolls and nodding for me to precede her out of the kitchen.
Emmett was the first to greet me, giving me a hug that nearly crushed my ribs and spine. A wave of sadness came over me, as I remembered that Emmett and Rose were leaving tomorrow for Seattle. Emmett and I looked at each other for a moment, our thoughts reflective of one another's. He was the brother I always wanted and it felt unfair in some way that he was moving so soon after we had met. He gave me a sad little smile and nodded his head to me as if to say that he felt the bond between us too.
Rose came forward and gave me a brief hug, breaking up the maudlin mood. Carlisle motioned for everyone to sit, so I chose the chair on Esme's left. Emmett sat next to me while Rose took the remaining chair on our side of the table. Carlisle was, of course, at the head of the table, with Alice to his left. Jasper took the chair next to his mate, so that left the space directly across from me for Edward.
My mood turned a little sour expecting another hour of the silent treatment.
Lovely…an evening of holier-than-thou glares over lasagna and buttered rolls.
I kept my eyes averted, without looking like I was trying to ignore him. Thankfully, the first few minutes involved passing the dishes around the table. I gave myself over to helping as much as possible, looking in Emmett's direction or across the table to Alice, anything not to look at him. When it became impossible to avoid looking his way, I kept my eyes trained on one of the buttons of his shirt or his shoulder.
Conversation was easy, as Alice commandeered the majority of it with questions about Rose and Emmett's apartment in Seattle. I picked up bits and pieces from what they were saying, but I was having a hard time focusing or even participating due to feeling Edward's eyes on me. He was making me conscious of everything I was doing.
"Bella, is everything okay with the meal?" Esme asked me softly.
I turned my head her way, locking eyes briefly with Edward, before giving her my full attention.
"It's delicious," I told her sincerely, all the while feeling my cheeks heat up, still feeling Edward's gaze on my face.
I looked back down at my plate and concentrated on the lasagna, carefully cutting a bite size piece.
"…and we'll be back in time for Bella's birthday," I heard Rose tell Alice. I looked over at Alice to see the sparkle in her eyes.
Not good.
"Uh, Rose…Alice, please nothing big," I pleaded. I really didn't want to have this conversation in front of the Cullen family.
"Bella, it's your eighteenth! You have to do it up!" Alice exclaimed.
"That's what I told her," Rose said, leaning forward, matching Alice's excited tone.
Carlisle looked amused at the two of them, but didn't interfere with their discussion. I looked over at Jasper, willing him to calm Alice down, but he wasn't looking at me at all, in fact he seemed to support her manic party planning with the happy gleam in his eyes.
Et tu, Jasper?
I felt a gentle pat on my right hand and looked over to see Esme give me a compassionate look of understanding. I looked down at her hand covering mine. I had unknowingly fisted an ivory napkin on the table between Esme and myself.
"Alice, why don't we discuss the details of the party later, I need help with dessert," Esme called over to her enthusiastic daughter, as she got up from her chair. Alice followed dutifully.
Emmett fell into a discussion with Edward and Jasper about a video game, which went completely over my head. I stared off into space, lost in thought in the direction of the swinging door to the kitchen. I don't know when my line of sight changed, but I found my gaze on Edward's hand. It was casually lying on top of the ivory damask tablecloth. I noticed that his fingers were long, like an artist's. I unconsciously started to rub my right hand over my left under the table in the same way that Edward had done a few days ago.
"Belllaaaa…" I heard my name being called as if from far away. I sightlessly turned my head in Emmett's direction, to see first Jasper looking at me concern, and then Emmett's larger hand waving in front of my face, effectively breaking me out of my trance.
"Hmm?" I asked.
"I asked if you knew how to play Guitar Hero and that we needed a fourth so we can go two against two," Emmett asked me with the look of an eager ten-year old.
"Uh, no, I've never played," I replied. I definitely didn't want to be caught up in one their competitions.
"It's not hard; I'll teach you how to play!" He begged.
"Emmett, I need to talk with Bella. Ask Alice to be your fourth," Rose told her mate sternly, leaning over to give him a kiss on his cheek to soften the blow.
"Okay…" he sighed in defeat.
"Who wants apple pie and ice cream?" Alice came striding out from the kitchen, carrying a glass pie dish with oven mitts.
My eyes once again met Edward's as I turned at the sound of Alice's cheerful voice. His ability to resemble stone was remarkable. I matched his stare for a few seconds before turning my head away, letting my hair fall in front of my face to block his view. He was seriously annoying me with this staring shit.
Esme came in with ice cream and small plates for everyone. After we were served the delicious smelling dessert, the table fell silent. The pie was that good. Once we finished, I complemented Esme, who told me modestly that she made it from scratch using the apples from her own garden.
After a few more minutes of relaxing after Esme's excellent meal, without being asked or even whining, Carlisle and the boys collected the dishes and moved them back into the kitchen. I must have had an incredulous look on my face, for Esme quietly chuckled and rubbed her hand over mine.
"House rules: I cook, they clean," she told me, letting her head fall against the high back chair, and briefly let her eyes close.
"Bella, I would like to work with you in the greenhouse for a quick lesson in Fire," Rose said, twisting in her chair to face me.
I nodded in acceptance, and rose from my chair to follow her back to the greenhouse. She led me into the center of the room where there were fewer objects that could potentially catch on fire. She dug into the pocket of her jeans, pulled out a matte red and silver object, and handed it to me. It was a lighter.
"This was my training lighter. I want you to have it for your lessons," she told me with a soft smile.
"Thank you, Rose." I was surprised by the generous gesture.
"I know I won't be able to be here for your training, and selfish part of me wants to call you my apprentice, but just know that I'll always be a phone call or email away if you have any questions," she said sincerely.
Touched by her words, I felt tears well in my eyes. I reached forward and gave her a hug, letting my actions speak of my gratitude.
"Okay, okay…let's not ruin my make-up," Rose jokingly said, pulling out of the hug. I knew that she didn't always display such affection because it would ruin her image as a strong, independent woman, but she was all heart if you looked past the surface.
"Let's start with something basic. You may know this already, since you were able to tame the fire in your class, but it is the most important lesson you need to remember when dealing with Fire," Rose became all serious. "Fire is the most unpredictable of all the Elements. In some ways it needs to be handled with more respect than the others because of its fickleness."
"I noticed that I needed to concentrate on its energy more so than Earth," I told her.
"Yes, and to even turn away for a moment can be dangerous," she said."I want you to become acquainted properly with Fire tonight, maybe even hold it, but nothing else."
"Alright," I said as I brought the lighter up into both of our line of sight and flicked it on. A strong flame ignited immediately, casting a warm yellow glow over Rose and me.
"Now find its essence and focus," she whispered.
I did as she asked, first calming myself of all my nerves and worries, and looked into the heart of the flame. Within moments, I felt a connection. The flame started to dance happily in greeting, asking to bond with me.
"Yes, I would like that very much," I whispered lovingly to it, as if talking to a small child who was asking me to come play with it.
I nervously raised my other hand slowly and brought it closer to the flame. I leveled my upturned palm next to it. I looked to Rose to see if I was doing this correctly.
"Don't look at me! Don't take your eyes off the flame, ever!" She whispered harshly through gritted teeth.
I focused myself on the flame and reconnected with it. I once again moved my palm close to the flame. This time it moved onto my opened hand and I could feel its giddiness as it moved across my palm, leaving a warm trail, but not burning my skin. My face broke out into a large smile, enjoying the feeling of its playfulness.
In my peripheral vision, I saw Rose raise her hand, palm up, to align with mine.
"Bella, push the flame onto my hand," she said quietly.
Rose would like you to be with her now. Will you go to her? I mentally thought to it.
It agreed and slowly toddled its way along my fingers towards Rose, then leaped onto the center of her palm. She praised it for a few moments and then released it. When Fire retreated completely we both looked at each other and grinned.
"Good," Rose told me. "Just keep in mind with any lesson in Fire to keep your eye on it at all times."
"Thanks, Rose," I said as we both turned to leave and join the others. I was slightly startled to see that Carlisle and Esme were standing just inside the doorway of the greenhouse watching us.
"Excellent control, Bella," Carlisle told me with a warm smile, as we walked closer to them.
Esme nodded her agreement. "Emmett is upstairs with the others still playing that rock star game," she informed Rose.
"I'll go pull him away, we need to leave early in the morning," Rose said as she walked ahead into the house.
Esme followed her, leaving me with Carlisle. I clasped my hands in front of me, feeling awkward. I didn't know what to say to him. He placed a hand on my shoulder, leading me forward through the door.
"Relax, Bella. You've done well today. Go join the others," he said, ending my nervous tension around him.
I followed the sound of laughter and AC/DC up to the second floor. One of the doors furthest from the stairway was open and had bright light streaming onto the wooden floor. I peeked in and saw Emmett and Jasper standing in front of a flat screen TV that was attached to the far wall, holding guitars. Edward, Alice, Rose and Esme stood off to the side and were either cheering or heckling the two players.
I hadn't seen this room during the tour that Alice gave me earlier. It was a large warm room with a masculine feel, and was extremely tidy. It could only belong to Edward, remembering how clean his car was. Esme noticed me and waved for me to join them. Edward turned his head to see who Esme was motioning to, and his grin quickly fell when he saw it was me.
Of course! So typical, so predictable, so damn annoying!
I felt my anger start to rise to the surface. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared back at him. I was tired of his attitude. How dare he look down on me! Just then the game ended and Emmett pumped his fists into the air, yelling excitedly about winning the game. Edward broke eye contact, looking back at Emmett and Jasper. Rose and Alice launched themselves at their respective mates congratulating them, while Esme just clapped her approval.
"Alright, guitar hero, it's time to leave. We have a big day tomorrow," Rose told Emmett, with her arms wrapped around his waist, leaning back to look him in the eyes.
Emmett leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "The wife has spoken," he said to everyone in the room and then looked up searchingly, until his gaze landed on me. "Bella? Ready to go?"
"Yes," I said, my anger fading away, as I felt my fondness for Emmett replace my darker emotions towards Edward's behavior.
"I think we'll head out too," Jasper said propelling Alice out of the room with arm wrapped around her. Esme followed them, talking about this coming Sunday's dinner with the Whitlocks. Emmett motioned to me with his head to follow him out the door; Rose was tucked under his arm. This left me alone in the room with my favorite person. I was turned slightly away from Edward in the direction of the open door, but I could feel his eyes on me and decided it would be polite to say goodnight at least. This may have been a mistake on my part, as I once again faced his disapproving scowl. My anger flared back into life instantly, my hands immediately balling into fists.
He was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. I took a few steps forward and addressed him angrily.
"I don't know what your problem is with me, but I don't appreciate being looked down upon or spoken to as if I'm nothing," I practically snarled.
His eyes narrowed for a moment before he uncrossed his arms and moved towards me silently, placing his hands in his pockets casually. He looked down at me without saying a word or even giving away what he was thinking. Was he trying to intimidate me?
We stood that way for what seemed like forever, neither one of us breaking the eye contact. My anger kept rising with each passing second.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Fine! Have it your way and keep being an asshole," I bit out and made to leave.
"Language, Isabella," he admonished coldly, his jaw tightening. "I am your next leader. You will not talk to me that way."
"Except it's okay for you to treat me that way, right?" I whispered, breathing hard.
Instead of responding, he did something that completely surprised me. He reached out and lifted a lock of my hair, rubbing it gently between his fingers. He gazed at it as if it was an object of importance. I gasped at the intimacy of his gesture, alerting him to what he was doing.
His now darkened emerald eyes flashed back to mine, revealing the war of emotions going on inside of him. I started to tremble from the intensity of his anger and…something else. That same emotion that had made those butterflies come back and beat frantically in my stomach.
His eyes dropped to my parted lips, staring at them with the same intensity.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him remove his other hand from the pocket of his pants and carefully raised it to cup my jaw, rubbing his thumb lightly over my cheek. A shock of lighting ran through me, pushing millions of goose bumps to the surface of my skin.
His own lips parted and I could feel his breath gently brush my features. His other hand that had been rubbing my hair, moved to cup my other cheek, tenderly guiding my face up to his. He leaned his face closer to mine, slightly tilting it, moving his lips ever so slightly towards my lips.
I raised my hands to cover his, caressing the back of his hands.
"Bella?" Emmett called from downstairs.
Edward and I froze, staring at each other.
Realizing what I was about to do… with a boy who didn't like me, and who I shouldn't like in return. I removed my hands from his and backed away quickly; horrified at my actions.
Edward frantically scrubbed his face with his hands before looking at me, breathing deeply. His anger returned, blocking out whatever other emotion he had be feeling moments ago.
"Keep away from me…" he gasped out between labored breaths.
I nodded my head in agreement. "Just…st-stop staring at m-me," I stuttered back quietly before running out the door.
Oh god, oh god…what was I doing?
I composed myself before I reached the stairs. No one else had to be privy to the frustration I was feeling with Edward. I had been seriously angry at him, but somehow almost kissed him.
I found everyone in the hallway, giving one last hug goodbye and wishing Emmett and Rose good luck at college. I was grateful that no one was paying attention to me until I reached the bottom step.
"Ready to go?" Rose asked me with a small yawn.
"Yeah, let's go," I said, wanting nothing more than to put distance between Edward and me.
I turned to Esme to give her a hug and thank her for lessons and dinner.
"I will see you Monday after school," she said.
Carlisle was across the room and I thanked him for having me over. Alice, after hugging Emmett and Rose one last time and almost having to be dragged off them by Jasper, came over and gave me a hug as well.
"Don't think that you're getting out of having a party for your birthday," she whispered into my ear.
"Just as long as it's not a big party, and no pink, I'm good," I whispered back.
She gave me a tight squeeze and what sounded like a squeal of happiness, before letting go, blasting me with one of her big smiles as she left with Jasper.
Emmett came over and hugged me to his free side, Rose was on his other. He looked over my head to the stairway. "So, coming to kiss me goodbye, Edward?" He said teasingly, making kissy faces.
I looked over and saw Edward coming down the stairs with an amused grin on his face. "Sure, Emmett, I just ate a bunch of garlic," he said playing along.
How can he be so composed? Like nothing happened?
When he reached us, Emmett let go of both me and Rose and held out his arms to Edward as if he was his long lost lover. Emmett closed his eyes and exaggeratedly puckered his lips. Edward laughed and bypassed Emmett for Rose giving her a big hug, while she placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Be good," Rose told him fondly, rubbing his back before releasing him.
"Be careful," he told her, then turned to Emmett with a raised brow and a good-natured grin.
"Oh Edward…" Emmett sighed loudly in a falsetto voice. "Hold me close."
Edward laughed and reached for Emmett to give him a hug. "Just as long as you don't try to grab my ass," he responded, still chuckling.
I tried not to be hurt by Edward's blatant display of affection for Rose and Emmett, while moments before he treated me so poorly. I reminded myself that this wasn't the time or place for my thoughts. This was Rose and Emmett's moment.
When the hug ended, they both wished each other good luck. Emmett took hold of Rose's hand and reached back to take my mine. He pulled us back under each of his arms.
Edward was standing nearby, but I kept my eyes focused on Esme as she walked over to open the door for us. I didn't have anything else to say to him, my anger was back and I was afraid I do something stupid if I did.
"Thanks again, Esme, Carlisle," Emmet announced. "We'll see you in a few weeks. Just let us know if you need anything before then."
"Good luck, safe trip," Carlisle replied, moving to stand next to Esme.
We walked out into the cool night air to Rose's car, parked along the circular driveway. Emmett turned on the heat, even though it was a short drive, mentioning that he had felt me shivering when we were in the hallway.
He thought I was cold.
Driving through the woods at night was eerie. I could see lights from the houses between the majestic trees, but not enough to guide us along the dark road. Rose had to turn on her high beams in order to see more than three feet ahead of us.
"So, Bella," Rose said, getting my attention.
"Yes?"
"What's going on with you and Edward?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling nervous.
Emmett looked over at Rose giving a perplexed look to her question.
"I mean, you avoided looking or even talking to him. So, what's the deal?"
Emmett twisted in his seat to look at me with raised brows, waiting for me to answer.
"I don't think we get along," I said.
Rose looked at me through her rear view mirror, with her own raised brows in reaction to my answer. She shook her head and gave a small laugh. "You don't get along? Okay, are you two fighting?" She asked, somewhat amusedly.
"Well…we had two disagreements that got loud, but other than that he ignores me," I responded quietly.
Emmett frowned. "Really?" He asked surprised.
"Uh…yes. Can we just forget about this? We just don't get along…" I said, looking down at my hands in my lap.
A few seconds of silence passed before Rose spoke. "Okay, we'll drop it," she said as she turned the car onto the driveway of my house.
Rose put the car in park, but left the ignition running. Both she and Emmett got out of the car to walk me to the front door. I took turns hugging them both, as tears started in my eyes. I was going to miss them both for the next few weeks.
"Call us if you need anything. You have our number to the apartment and our cells, right?" Emmett asked me, giving me one last hug.
"Yeah," I said, wiping away a tear.
"Good, we'll be back in a few weeks," Rose said.
"Good luck in Seattle," I told them, as they made their way back to the car.
Emmett and Rose waited until I got into the house before they drove away. The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed the half hour. Looking at its cream face with ebony Roman numerals, the time was eight-thirty. Not hearing anything coming from the direction of the kitchen, I assumed that Mom and Dad had retired for the night to their bedroom. I made my way up the stairs, feeling my tired legs and wanting nothing more than to soak in a hot bath.
I let out a large yawn, as I reached the top step and turned the light off in the main hallway. I used the light coming from the outside house perimeter lights to guide me to my bedroom; where I prepared my bath with my favorite scented salts and let the stressful thoughts of Edward wash away.