Ch. 11

"I thought we agreed not to get involved with Bella," Edward accused as Esme and Jasper came through the door.

The pair had just returned home from the food cupboard. Finishing up the shopping, Esme and Jasper had decided to take the food over that night rather than in the morning since it was going to be sunny and they did not want the fresh produce to spoil.

"You had agreed to that, not me," Esme quipped as she slid her jacket off.

"Perhaps we should discuss this in the living room," Carlisle interrupted as Edward opened his mouth once more.

Realizing the comment was more of a command than a request, Edward pivoted about and went to join his other three siblings.

Catching hold of the doctor's hand before he could follow suit, Esme gave the appendage a brief, grateful squeeze.

Smiling in reply, Carlisle escorted Esme toward the love seat that had been left open for them.

Before anyone could speak, Carlisle cleared his throat. "Before we ask questions or jump to conclusions, why don't we allow Esme and Jasper to explain the latest revelation."

Glancing over at Jasper, Esme took an unnecessary breath when she realized that he was offering her the chance to explain what happened. "I ran into Bella at the grocery store today and after a brief conversation, offered to take her to Seattle for the day in a week's time," Esme summarized.

She felt no need to add unnecessary details, such as how she felt when she saw Bella in the store. Even if the girl had not lit up when she registered who had interrupted her shopping, Esme still would have been compelled to linger for a time. Esme did not mind that Jasper was aware of her spiraling feelings, however she did not want him to share his knowledge with the rest of the family. At least not yet. After a brief discussion in the car about him keeping the details to himself, Esme was grateful to not add those worries to the growing list.

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Emmett sighed from his spot on the couch. With one foot on the cushion and an elbow perched on the armrest, Emmett was able to slouch in the corner in a fashion where his knuckles held up his head while Rosalie snuggled contently into his side. "She seems interesting. Why can't we get to know her?"

"Besides the obvious reasons we've already been over?" Edward growled at the larger man.

"I'm just saying, there's something off about her and I'm not the only one who is curious," Emmett argued. "If we're trying to figure her out, why can't we allow some diversity into our lives at the same time?"

"He does have a point," Alice considered from Jasper's lap.

"I thought you were against it," Rosalie quirked an eyebrow at her younger sibling. She knew that Bella was a conundrum to her sister right from the start, but the blonde woman figured the concerns that the family held had outweighed the need to inquire. However, now that Alice had become intrigued, causing the majority of the vote to tip the opposite direction, Rosalie knew it was only a matter of time before the entire family gave in.

Tilting her head to the side, golden eyes gazed out the floor to ceiling windows. "Even without knowing for sure, I would bet that she means no one any harm," Alice reasoned after a moment.

"Are you insane!?" Edward growled. The first day Bella had stepped foot in school everyone had been on board with his plan, especially after his first day back at school. "Bella is not safe to be around. You're all talking about not if she finds out, but a matter of when!"

"Were your reasons of offering to drive her the same as working on the projects?" Rosalie inquired while ignoring the outburst. So far the only one not safe around her was Edward from what the family had observed both at and outside of school.

"There were multiple reasons, but many of them the same. Some have simply expanded," Esme replied honestly.

"And you Jasper?" Carlisle inquired. "What is your take in regards to all of this?"

Frowning for a moment, Jasper tightened his grip around Alice as he considered the question. "That response fluctuates. I agree with Alice. I do not believe that she means any of us ill-will," Jasper shared as he thought back to the way Esme and Bella interacted in the store earlier that evening. "Although I believe it would be in our best interest to tread with caution, it would not hurt to get to know her considering there are details and questions left to answer."

"Are you all serious?" Edward growled. "You're willing to jeopardize our lives here simply because you're curious about her?"

"You're one to talk," Emmett grumbled.

Glaring at the larger man, Edward ignored the remark as he turned to look at Esme and more so Carlisle. "Besides the obvious reasons for avoiding her, I thought we agreed that she would be safer if we stayed away. We haven't seen the red-headed woman since the other night and keeping at bay seems to be doing the trick," Edward reminded his family.

"And what if she's just waiting for the right moment when Bella's alone?" Esme countered, golden eyes darkening at the thought of danger coming to the girl.

"We'll do something to keep her in town," Edward shrugged, not caring about how they worked their way around that concern. "Allowing her deeper into our lives is just going to damn her and cause us unneeded troubles."

"Just because you have issues maintaining your cool around her doesn't mean we should be punished," Emmett argued.

"I'm fine around her," Edward gritted out.

"Riiiiiight."

Ignoring Emmett, Edward tried reasoning with the family from a different angle. "Are you all willing to have the town find out?"

"About what exactly?" Carlisle inquired, uncertain the precise direction the conversation was turning.

"About you and Esme," Edward supplied without going into details.

"If it means Esme is happy, then yes," Carlisle replied.

Gripping Carlisle's hand, Esme squeezed the limb in gratitude for the second time that night.

"She is a child! A simple girl," Edward screamed. "Even if you were to reveal that you two are not together it would still be inappropriate on multiple fronts."

"We will cross that when the time comes," Carlisle determined.

"You can't be serious!"

"As Carlisle said, if it makes Esme happy, then I'll back the decision," Emmett shrugged.

"I agree with Emmett," Rosalie decided after a moment of watching Edward fume. She was not fond of putting her family at risk, but she knew that Esme was not the reckless type. If there was a reason for pursuing a relationship with the girl then Rosalie would be supportive.

"I always wanted a best friend," Alice chirped in delight now that the ban of getting to know Bella was lifted, causing Jasper to chuckle.

"You mean my best friend?" Emmett countered.

"Pfft. You wish," Alice rolled her golden eyes.

"Seriously?!" Edward cried out. "You all are willing to put not only her, but us in danger?"

"We will take things slow," Carlisle determined. "If there comes a moment of alarm, we will discuss the matter further at that point. In the meantime, we will figure out how to break the news to the town to allow Esme the freedom to explore this relationship."

"And if she doesn't return the feelings?" Edward sneered.

"Oh, she will," Jasper grinned, causing Alice to giggle as Rosalie and Emmett chuckled at Esme's flustered appearance.

"Towel. Check. Change of clothes. Check. Sunscreen. Check."

Going through the pile on her bed, Bella sorted everything into the duffle bag before carrying the bag downstairs and into the kitchen. Setting it on the counter next to the cooler Charlie had lent her, Bella scrounged the fridge for the drinks, sandwiches and snacks she had prepped the night before. Setting her armload on the counter, Bella quickly filled the bottom of the cooler with the drinks before adding a layer of ice. Once done, she topped the ice off with food that needed to be kept fresh and cold. Closing the lid, Bella slid the remaining items into the separate compartment.

Putting the cooler next to the duffle, Bella did another mental check before remembering her phone and wallet upstairs. Dashing back up to her bedroom, Bella slid her wallet in her back pocket before unplugging her phone from the charger. As the screen lit up, Bella noticed a missed call from Jessica and text messages from the others who were going.

Biting back a frown when she saw no message or call from Esme, Bella slid her phone into her other back pocket.

Bella knew that she would probably have to be the one to initiate the conversation, either via text or call, but to be safe, she was holding off until the weekend was over. Her avoidance was not due to not wanting to talk to Esme, but rather due to her behavior Friday night after dinner.

Charlie had surprisingly said yes to both the beach and to Seattle. For as much as she wanted to take complete credit for swooning her father with her cooking, Bella knew he had agreed for other reasons as well. As far as La Push went, Charlie was happy to hear that Bella had made friends. He also mentioned that Bella should hook up with Jake while down there. To top off his reasoning for accepting, with Bella in the area Charlie felt he could go fishing with Billy and still be close by if she needed him.

As for Seattle, that had taken a bit more to entice out of him. The saving grace was that she would be with Esme. Originally Charlie had offered to take Bella himself, but when she mentioned she wanted to shop for clothes and feminine products, Charlie thought better of his act of kindness. Instead, Charlie asked similar questions that Esme had and finally caved when he discovered Esme had offered to drive her. He didn't mention it to Bella, but Charlie figured having a positive mother figure in Bella's life would do his daughter wonders. Renee was fine and all, but she was a kid herself.

Excited about Charlie agreeing, Bella had offered to tidy up the kitchen, much to Charlie's protest. In actuality, Bella wanted nothing more than to rush upstairs and to call Esme about the news. However, when her thoughts wandered to inviting Esme to the beach, Bella had to slam on the breaks. Not only was Bella making assumptions that Esme wanted to be her friend, the invitation would also result in social awkwardness due to inviting her classmates' mom rather than her classmates.

In an effort to reign in her emotions, Bella assured her father that she didn't mind and sent him off with another beer to go watch t.v. while she set to scrubbing the entire kitchen. The brunette knew that she would find nothing but trouble by chasing after a married mother of five. Despite trying to sober her thoughts with a shower afterwards, Bella had collapsed into bed with a smile gracing her lips and her tail swaying happily in the dark.

The same tail was currently swaying once again at the thought of the caramel-haired woman. Sighing, Bella checked her appearance in the mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door. Making sure both her tail and ears were gone, Bella took a final glance around the room before heading back downstairs to load up Ol' Red. She had promised herself not to contact Esme that weekend, or at least until after the beach, and that is exactly what she would do. Setting the truck in gear, Bella focused on the day's events ahead. For as much as she disliked water, she was genuinely curious as to why her classmates were so hyped about La Push.

"About time you showed up, Phoenix!"

Rolling her eyes at the nickname Mike had given her Friday night while on the phone, Bella climbed out of Ol' Red.

"Someone forgot to bring a towel, so I had to go back since I was the closest," Bella reminded the blond haired jock as she tossed the spare towel at him. Despite her words, Bella smiled as the boy inhaled the scent of the towel before letting out a content sigh. "Careful there, I think Charlie uses that one to clean the fish guts off his boots," Bella teased.

Gagging, Mike quickly chunked the towel at Eric, who was cracking up next to Tyler. "Not funny guys," Mike grumbled.

"Actually, that was pretty funny," Angela grinned as she helped Bella unload the cooler from the truck. Grunting, she nearly dropped it on the ground due to the weight. "Geeze, Bella, what did you pack in here? A dead relative?"

"Two, actually." Bella smiled as she helped Angela carry it to the fire pit the boys had been building prior to her arrival. Under different circumstances, Bella could have lugged the cooler by herself, but she figured she should keep up the pretenses of being as strong as Angela to avoid unwanted questions.

Setting up the 'campsite', as Eric had taken to calling their spot on the beach, was rather simple. By the time Bella had arrived most of the work was finished. Bella's food contribution was the final touch to the bonfire that the group would be having later that evening when the sun set. With everything put in place, Bella found her way down to the water's edge. She had been to the beaches around La Push when she had visited Charlie in the summertime, but over the years the memories faded the beauty of the real thing.

The ocean was a dark charcoal, even in the sunlight, with the whitecaps creating the only distinguishing barrier are it rolled up upon the rocky shore or crashed against the sheer cliff sides that reached to uneven summits. Each island that rose out of the steel harbor water was crowned with austere, soaring firs, whereas the beach itself only had a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge. The remainder was covered in rocks and stones, each of which were polished by the tender caress of the salty fluids surrounding them.

The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves. Whilst some were piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, others were solitarily scattered about, just out of the reach of the waves. Bella figured this is what the group had gathered to use for the bonfire.

As the pelicans floated on the swells and the seagulls and lone eagle wheeled above them, Bella turned away from the brisk, briny wind that rolled off the waves and made her way back over to her classmates. As she moved closer, Bella watched as Eric and another lad gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles to place them in a fire circle that was filled with black ashes that sat in the center of a ring of driftwood logs.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Mike inquired as he came to stand next to Bella.

"No," Bella answered honestly. The times she had been down to the beach had been with Charlie and they mostly consisted of walking the shoreline for a limited timeframe or out on the waters, fishing.

"You'll like this then. Hey Ben, let me," Mike interrupted the lad who had helped Eric to build the logs into a teepee-shaped construction atop the old cinders. Kneeling by the fire, Mike lit one of the smaller sticks with his cigarette lighter. Placing the blazing twig against tier of wood he quickly lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first.

As the flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood, Bella's eyes widened in surprise as they turned blue. Narrowing as she examined the flames more closely, Bella pitched a guess. "Is it due to the salt?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Mike pouted when his intent to impress Bella failed.

"I'm good at science, Mike. Haven't you figured that out?" Bella teased. "It's really cool though, thank you for showing me."

Beaming at the complement, Mike lit one more piece of wood to help the logs that had not caught yet.

"Seriously though, how'd you know?" Jessica inquired as she came to stand next to Bella when she noticed her and Mike were conversing.

"Oh. Um, I used to be really big into chemistry and biology back in Phoenix," Bella shrugged.

"Used to be?" Angela questioned next as she joined the group as well. Despite the sun still being up, the fire provided the warmth that the season lacked.

"Yeah, well, people grow up. Interests change," Bella lied. She was intrigued by the topics but that was only because she was curious by her own biological makeup. Rather than expressing continued interest in the topic and have everyone press on the matter, Bella decided error on the side of caution.

"I get you, homegirl," Eric agreed as he tried to settle an arm over Bella's shoulders only to frown as his attempt failed when Bella idly slid to the side. "I used to be a nerd. Now? Now I'm cool," he declared while gesturing down his body at his wet suit. "Anyone up to catch the swells?"

Rolling their eyes, everyone agreed and went to put on their suits while Bella and Angela lingered by the fire.

"Not big on surfing?" Bella asked as she picked up a branch to poke the fire with.

"Not overly," Angela admitted.

"And Jess?"

Chuckling, Angela watched as Bella shifted the wood around to get the flames to catch better. "She's just out there to impress Mike in the hopes he'll go to the dance with her."

"Aaaahh, and what about you?"

Blushing, Angela tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear before shrugging. "I keep thinking to ask Eric," she finally revealed.

"You should."

"He likes you though," Angela sighed.

Frowning, Bella jabbed the branch into the fire, allowing the flames to claim the driftwood completely. "Can you keep a secret?" Bella asked while turning to face the one girl she would consider a friend.

Caught off guard by the change in conversation, Angela simply nodded.

"I'm interested in someone - someone who doesn't go to our school. So, he is all yours. Just like Mike is all Jessica's, if she wants him," Bella reassured.

Studying Bella for a moment, the Asian finally smiled. "I appreciate that. Jess will, too," Angela admitted. "So...?"

"No, you can't know," Bella replied, guessing where Angela was going with the question.

Laughing, Angela held her hands up in surrender. "Wanna go take pictures of the driftwood with me while they're out splashing around?" Angela offered.

"I'd like that," Bella smiled. "After you."