55.
"Bella, the Denalis are our friends. Irina is already dead, and–"
"And WHAT, Carlisle? That's supposed to appease me?"
"Tanya has to live with–"
"WRONG! She has to die. And that's what she's going to do. And that's the end of it."
"Kate is a good person, Bella. And without a doubt innocent in this. Tanya, no matter what she is, is all the family she has left, and–"
"I HAVE NONE BECAUSE OF HERS!"
"That's not true, Bella."
"That shut up, Alice? From before? Didn't have a time limit!"
"Thank God CNBS does…"
something tells me Alice is going to regret me asking this…
but "What's CNBS?"
"Cranky Newborn Bella Syndrome."
and i was right…
she does "Ow, Bella! Geez… save it for Tanya!"
and agrees with me?
well, maybe she doesn't have to totally shut up… "You're on my side?"
"Of course I am. I told you… I loved Charlie, too. And, cranky or not, I love you. And Edward…
"So, whether you want me or not, I'm with you."
"Me too." Jasper says "Though I know you didn't ask.
"But wrong is wrong and right is right… and I kind of owe you, so…"
"I was always in, Bella." Emmett says from the doorway with a hammer salute
and then i look at Rosalie
more out of curiosity than anything else
and know where her loyalties lie before she says a word "I know the sweetness of revenge, Bella. And what the ache for it feels like. And having it to soothe that ache... I'd never begrudge you that."
but she doesn't stop with the ones she said
and looks at Edward as she says more "And I know what it's like to be treated like a piece of meat. And, friend or not, she doesn't get to decide that lives should end because my brother denied her his. Or whatever she was after.
and then at me "That no matter what it was… belongs to you. Because he loves you. Enough to have wanted to die rather than live without…
"So, yeah… I'm IN, too. As in as in gets."
"Family first, Bella." says Esme
a voice i didn't expect to hear
but did…
and with it so much more than the three words it spoke
that seems to have reached Calisle's ears too
well…
his something "Yes… Esme's right... family first."
"I hope I'm a given." Jake says
and i smile at him because he is
and now there's only Edward…
who's yet to say anything at all
anything that i'm afraid to hear
because i'm afraid that what i will will be the last thing i ever do from him
and pray as he starts to speak that it isn't… "You really don't believe in me, do you, Bella?"
"I want to." i tell him
to make sure that he knows that
no matter what happens now
"Well, then maybe we could talk about it?...
"Because I agree that she should die… for what she did… and coerced others to do while she hid...
"But knowing that what she really wanted to destroy was you…
"Bella, I wanted the honor of killing her for that myself. For it to be only and completely and forever mine. Almost as much as I only and completely and forever want you to be."
