CHAPTER 11: SECRETS UNVEILED

ROSALIE'S POV

"BELLA, WHY DON'T YOU HEAD UPSTAIRS TO MY ROOM? I'LL BE UP IN A MINUTE. I NEED TO TALK TO EDWARD HERE FOR A MOMENT." I COAXED. I SAW BELLA NOD IN AGREEMENT. SHE KISSED EDWARD AND HEADED UPSTAIRS. "EDWARD, BEFORE YOU GET MAD, BREATHE. BELLA IS GOING TO CRY TONIGHT. IT'S JUST PART OF THE BONDING EXPERIENCE. SHE WANTS TO KNOW EVERYTHING AND AS I'VE COME TO FIND OUT SHE CRIES WHEN SHE GETS EMOTIONAL IN ANY WAY. SO DON'T COME SAVE HER; SHE'S FINE I'VE GOT THE JOB OF COMFORTING HER TONIGHT. IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE HEARING BELLA CRY THEN GO TO A MOVIE OR LONG DRIVE. BECAUSE THINGS ARE SURE TO COME UP, THEY ALREADY DID TODAY." I SAID RUBBING EDWARD'S ARM.

"ROSALIE, HOW CAN I LEAVE KNOWING BELLA'S CRYING? I'LL TRY TO STAY AWAY, BUT I CAN'T PROMISE ANYTHING. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO WIPE AWAY HER TEARS." EDWARD SAID.

"YOU WEREN'T THERE WHEN YOU LEFT HER BEHIND." I SAID UNDER MY BREATH.

"AND THAT KILLED ME TO KNOW I WASN'T THERE FOR HER AND YOU KNOW THAT!" EDWARD SPAT.

"I KNOW. I'M SORRY. BUT PLEASE LET US WORK THIS OUT. IF IT GETS TOO BAD SHE'S ALL YOURS FOR THE NIGHT." I OFFERED.

"OKAY, PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON BELLA. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS THE TRUTH, BUT SHE REALLY DOESN' T WANT TO FEEL THE PAIN OF THE TRUTH." EDWARD PLEADED.

"NO PROBLEM. NOW GO OCCUPY YOURSELF BELLA AND I HAVE SOME BONDING TO DO." I SAID RUNNING UP THE STAIRS. WHEN I WALKED IN BELLA WAS SURVEYING MY ROOM. "LIKE ANYTHING?" I ASKED STARTLING HER.

"OH HEY ROSALIE I WAS JUST LOOKING YOU DON'T MIND DO YOU?" BELLA ASKED MEEKLY.

"NOPE. ME CASA ES TU CASA." I SAID SMILING. BELLA SMILED A CONFUSED SMILE. "IT MEANS WHAT'S MY HOUSE IS YOUR HOUSE AS IN FEEL FREE TO LOOK."

"WOULD EMMETT MIND?" BELLA ASKED.

"WHY WOULD HE?" I ASKED FORGETTING BELLA KNEW WE SLEPT TOGETHER.

"WELL, BECAUSE THIS IS HIS ROOM TOO." BELLA SAID LOOKING AT ME FOR A REACTION. "ROSALIE IT'S FINE I KNOW YOU AND EMMETT SHARE A BED. IT'S NO BIG DEAL TO ME. HONESTLY."

"RIGHT." I SAID PULLING MYSELF FROM MY TRANCE. "HE WOULDN'T CARE. HE'D LOVE IT IF YOU LOOKED THROUGH HIS THINGS, BELLA."

"ROSALIE, CAN WE GET STARTED? I HAVE A FEELING WE HAVE LOTS TO TAKE ABOUT." BELLA SAID. I CRAWLED UP IN MY BED AND SAW BELLA FOLLOW SUIT. THEN I REALIZED BELLA WAS IN JEANS, TENNIS SHOES, AND A TEE SHIRT.

"SURE BELLA. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?" I ASKED,

"WHY'D YOU KILL 7 PEOPLE?" BELLA ASKED.

"LIKE I TOLD YOU BEFORE ROYCE LEFT ME TO DIE SO I KILLED HIS FRIENDS FIRST TO PROVE A POINT TO ROYCE. WHEN HE FOUND OUT HE WAS AFRAID I'D COME BACK FOR REVENGE. SO HE LOCKED HIMSELF IN A BANK VAULT LIKE ROOM. IT HAD NO WINDOWS AND WAS GUARDED BY TWO ARMED MEN. I SAVED ROYCE FOR LAST; I CAME IN WEARING A WHITE WEDDING GOWN AND SLOWLY KILLED ROYCE MAKING SURE NOT TO SPILL ANY BLOOD." ROSALIE SAID.

"ROSALIE, SO IT WAS REVENGE FOR LEAVING YOU TO DIE IN THE STREET?" BELLA ASKED KNOWING THE ANSWER ALREADY.

"YES, BELLA IT WAS." I ANSWERED. "NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU?"

"OKAY." BELLA AGREED.

"HAS EDWARD TOLD YOU WHY I FEEL THE WAY I DO TOWARDS YOU?" ROSALIE ASKED.

"HE TOLD ME IT'S BECAUSE I WAS A HUMAN WHO KNEW ABOUT YOUR WORLD. BUT I HAVE A FEELING IT HAS TO DO WITH MY UNEARNED PRIVLEDGES." BELLA SAID. NOW I FELT GUILTY FOR BEING MEAN TO HER FOR ALL THIS TIME.

"BELLA, I HAD A FRIEND, VERA, WHO HAD THE PERFECT LIFE. SHE HAD A DEVOTED AND LOVING HUSBAND AND A BEAUTIFUL BOY. HE HAD DARK CURLY HAIR AND DIMPLES WHEN HE SMILED." I BEGAN.

"WAIT, EXCUSE ME, BUT THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE," BELLA STARTED.

"EMMETT. I KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHY I'M SO DRAWN TO HIM." I ADMITTED. "I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE THAT LIFE BELLA, BUT I CAN'T BEAR A CHILD WITH THE MAN I LOVE BECAUSE OF MY LIFE OR LACK OF LIFE."

"ROSALIE, YOU HAVE A LIFE AND A SOUL." BELLA RECITED AS IF SHE'D SAID IT OVER AND OVER.

"BELLA, BUT DO YOU GET WHY I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS?" I SAID RUNNING MY HAND OVER MY BODY. "BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GO BACK IF YOU REALIZE YOU WANT SOMETHING." BELLA STARED SILENTLY AT HER LAP. "BELLA, DON'T GET ME WRONG I'M GLAD CARLISLE SAVED ME, BUT THIS ISN'T THE LIFE I WOULD HAVE CHOSE. I WANT A FAMILY AND I WANT TO GROW OLD WITH EMMETT. I WANT TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN BAKING COOKIES WITH ME." I SAID DEPRESSED. I FELT BELLA BEGIN TO RUB MY BACK.

"IT'S OKAY, SHHH. ROSE, IT WILL ALL WORK OUT." BELLA COOED IN A MATERNAL VOICE.

"BELLA, PLEASE JUST THINK THINGS OVER. FOR MY SAKE AND SANITY I'D FEEL MUCH BETTER IF YOU THOUGHT OF THE PROS AND CONS." I REASONED. BELLA NODDED YES. "BELLA, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU?"

"OKAY, ROSE. IS IT ABOUT ME?" BELLA ASKED NERVOUSLY.

"IN A WAY." I SAID BEING VAGUE.

"ASK AWAY." BELLA SAID BITING HER LIP. I HANDED HER A BOX OF TISSUES.

"YOU MIGHT NEED THOSE." BELLA TOOK THE BOX AND STARED RIGHT AT ME. "BELLA, DO YOU EVER WISH YOU COULD HAVE KIDS?" I SAW BELLA'S EYES GET BIG AND THEN I SAW THE TEARS. I PULLED BELLA CLOSE AND WHISPERED, "IT'S OKAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER. I'VE GOT MY ANSWER ALREADY."

"I WANT TO ANSWER." BELLA SAID SNIFFLING. "YES, ROSE, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S NO ONE ELSE I'D RATHER BE WITH. I LOVE EDWARD AND I KNOW HE CAN'T GIVE ME THAT AND HE'S THE ONLY ONE I'D THINK OF HAVING KIDS WITH." I FELT THE TEARS FALLING AGAIN. I GRABBED A TISSUE AND WIPED THEM AWAY.

"DO YOU WANT EDWARD?" I ASKED ALREADY GETTING UP.

"I'M FINE." BELLA SAID WIPING AWAY THE TEARS.