"Hello?" I asked, my voice scratchy.
"Carlisle? This is Bella," Her sweet voice said.
I let out a huge breath and said, "You have no idea how wonderful it is to hear your voice."
She giggled and said, "Are you close to Chicago?"
"I'm close..." I trailed off.
There was a slight pause and then she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I miss you."
"I miss you too," I replied instantly.
I really did miss her.
I glanced up at the sign that read: CHICAGO.
"I just reached Chicago," I said, I knew my voice sounded worn out.
There was a wave of silence, not exactly uncomfortable...more like there was an elephant in the room waiting to be discovered.
"How are you holding up?" She asked, her voice seemed to take on a concerned tone...and for some odd reason that angered me.
"I'm ha-hanging in there," I said, cursing myself for letting my voice crack.
I was actually crumbling. Mary, Elizabeth's mother, just died from cancer. Most guys would find this upsetting but not terribly life altering. Well Mary was practically my mother, my parents, after discovering I had proposed to Elizabeth, disowned me. They said I was throwing my life away for some dumb girl that I would divorce in my thirties... Well they were wrong... I bet they feel horrible. Anyways Mary was like my mother, she was always there for me, caring, heart felt, kind hearted, and a good listener.
"Carlisle you don't have to be tough with me, I understand exactly what you're going through," She said.
She was being nice and instead of examining her statement and asking what she meant, I got mad.
I snapped and said, "Do you really, Bella? Do you really?"
This must have caught her by surprise because she didn't answer right away.
Actually I thought she hung up, which I wouldn't have blamed her for.
I was extremely rude.
I checked my phone and saw she was still connected.
I was about to go full fledge apology mode when she said, "This isn't a conversation I wanted us to have over the phone, Carlisle,
Just-know I'm not mad at you, I love you, and you can call m-m-me when you get the ch-chance."
She hung up.
I felt my heart shatter at her broken voice, I could easily hear the tears from her end.
I was such a prick.
I stared up at the red light in front of me.
I sighed and asked the empty car, "Why do I suck so much?"
I drove over with Bella to get her boyfriend's kid. He was the one that had answered the door when Sam knocked. We had gotten lost and decided to ask for directions.
While we were in the car I took the oppurtunity to ask her about Carlisle. I even asked if she really liked him.
She said of course she did.
When we got to the house she knocked on the door.
Carlisle answered looking crazy.
"Hi Bella," He said giving her a kiss.
"Jared," He said nodding my way.
"Carlisle," I nodded at him.
He let us in and continued to walk around the house chanting, "Keys," over and over again.
I heard him in the other room say, "A ha!"
Edward walked into the entry way and said, "Nice to see you, Bella."
He nodded at me and said, "I don't believe we had the chance to get introduced."
I was about to say my name when Carlisle came back into the entry way and said, "I've got to get going."
I nodded and Bella said, "Carlisle can I talk to you really quick?"
"Oh, ah, sure," He said.
They walked out of earshot and I was left with Edward.
"Jared," I said, extending my hand.
"Edward," He said, shaking my hand.
I looked around the house and took in the perfect order and spotless rooms.
We stood in silence for a little bit and then Bella came back.
Carlisle was behind her and hugged Edward before saying, "I hope to see you again, for a longer amount of time. Um, Edward don't forget to be on your best behavior, you are Bella's guest."
For some odd reason we all said, "Bye," at the same time.
While driving back to Bella's place Bella said, "I expect you to be yourself, Edward. No 'best behavior' because these guys aren't on their 'best behavior.'"
She made the air quotes and everything.
"Okay," He said quietly from the back seat.
"And let me just say, I've known them forever and they will tease you until they think you are 'in', anything else I missed Jared?" She asked.
"Food," I said.
"Right, when there is food, if you are hungry don't wait for them to be done, there won't be any left," She said.
He let out a small laugh and I saw him nod.
"And don't take anyone's sleep area," Bella said as we pulled up to her driveway.
"Okay," He said.
We all got out of the car and headed up to her house.
She opened the door and the conversations paused as Edward walked in.
Quil stood up and walked over.
There was a tense paused and then Quil clapped Edward on the bakc and said, "Ed my man."
Everyone resumed their conversations and Quil dragged Edward over to the couch.
The whole time Edward was trying to tell Quil his name was Edward not Ed.
But Quil was ignoring that comment.
I stole a glance at Bella and noticed her smiling at the scene.
I kept quiet and went back to my chair.
After a few minutes of listening to Edward try to say his name was Edward not Ed I saw Embry walk over to Bella.
They disappeared down the hallway and I could still see them.
"Edward seems to be nice," Embry said.
I nodded and he said, "I told them about the pull out bed and they all begged me to change places to sleep. Well not all, everyone but Paul and Jacob."
I nodded again and he said, "Are you alright?"
I nodded again and said, "I'm waiting for you to ask me again."
He laughed a small laugh and said, "What if I just wanted to chat."
I shook my head and said, "That's not how you are, Embry. And if I say no again, you are just going to get Jake in on it... So I might as well just tell you, right?"
He nodded and said, "Those were my exact thoughts."
I giggled and said, "Will you promise not to tell everyone else?"
He nodded and said, "Promise."
I knew it was dumb to ask but I asked anyways, "Will you promise not to go all 'protective mode' on me if I tell you?"
He shook his head and I said, "I figured as much."
I stared down at my shoes and said, "Carlisle was my doctor when I was at the hospital. I was put on his floor, for the coma patients. I uh, swallowed a couple hand fulls of pills on Christmas day after I was um r-raped."
I continued to stare at my shoes and I felt my face blush.
I stole a glance at Embry and he said, "Why can't I tell the others?"
"Because they would die... or kill someone... and Edward is the only outsider so they would attack him," I said.
He nodded and pulled me into a hug.
Though I think it was more for his comfort than mine, considering he suffocated me into his chest.
I smiled into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his chest.
To anyone else it would look like we were going out, but really we just were that close of friends.
I had known him just about as long as Jake.
He pulled away and said, "I know saying sorry won't make you fell any better, so I won't say it."
I nodded my thanks and I said, "Your choice tonight, Mexican or Pizza Hut?"
He smiled and said, "Pizza Hut."
I smiled and thanked God, or who ever was up there listening, for sending Embry... The pestering best friend.
Bella told us we were having Pizza Hut.
I was assuming it was good because everyone shouted out what they wanted.
Bella asked me what I wanted and I said, "Whatever is good with me."
She smiled and thirty minutes later I was watching the pizza man freak out because Jared, by far the biggest and scariest out of the group, answered the door.
Jacob, he was scary alright, I just hadn't seem him stand up, and if he would just stay seated I wouldn't have to change my pants.
Seriously... I thought all of those guys did steriods or something.
Quinten? No... Quin? No... Quincy? No... Oh! Quil, he was nice. He came over to me when I first walked in and called me Ed.
Which I hated.
He was nice, funny, and really big. He was big enough to make me want to go hide underneath a rock.
Paul had a temper, he always questioned everything someone said about him. I remember being on the verge of telling him to calm the fuck down but... I didn't want to die.
Embry was nice, he was tall. Really tall. Like Sun Ming Ming tall. And built like fucking Ray Lewis. Scary... I know.
Shit that wasn't the worse though, Sam. Oh my God, I fucking wanted to cry when he stood up. It was a mixture of Lebron James and Orlando Pace.
Jared was really quiet, he didn't join in much of the jokes and fighting. But he was built like Korey Stringer and just about as tall as Alex Pledger.
I took Bella's advice and grabbed what I wanted, which I didn't end up eating. I only ate a piece.
Jacob stood up and I died. I swear to God, I died. He was fucking huge. William Perry and Yao Ming would be Jacob.
He asked me if I wanted my left overs and I shook my head.
He scarfed it down and threw away my plate.
I seriously was going to need to put my ego in the hospital. It was bruised like none other.
Eventually Bella told us it was the end of the night and she had work the next morning so everyone had to go to bed and, "Shut the hell up."
I had to sleep on a bed made of blankets.
I woke up and everything hurt.
I heard a loud laugh and realized that was Jacob laughing.
I groaned and walked into the kitchen.
There was a plate with a biscut, like the size of the biscut amount of eggs, and a strip of bacon.
"Hey there Sleeping Beauty! We saved you some breakfast via request of Bella," Quil said.
"Uh, thanks," I said sitting next to Quil at the dinner table.
I ate my small breakfast and then started to wash my dishes when Jared said, "That's my job, for today."
I nodded and left the dishes to him.
I was sitting on the couch once again pulled by Quil while he called me Ed.
He nudged me in the ribs and I covered myself by not wincing.
Eventually Bella called and said to order lunch without her.
Sam ordered from family owned Mexican resturaunt and after we were done eating Jared did the dishes again.
I ended up listening to Paul tell a story that Jacob said he doubted happened so I laughed.
Yeah... I laughed.
Mistake.
Paul turned to me and, with blaring eyes, said, "Did you just laugh at me?"
I stared at him and just, well, stared at him.
He punched me square in the eye and I hopped out of my seat and said, "What the fuck?!"
"Dude, Paul, man, calm down," I heard Embry say.
"Calm down? That's what you tell him? He just fucking punched me in the eye and you tell him to calm down?" I yelled.
So I overreacted... I was in a tramatic state... Or so I was told.
I walked out the front door not taking a second glance back.
Oooh! Did you see what happened?
Yeah.
So review... it makes me happy :)