Soothing Cold

Chapter 16

BPOV

It was an ordinary day, or at least I thought it was. Rose and I were sitting downstairs lounging on the couch (cuddling really) as we always do. The only odd part is that Emmet is nowhere to be found, maybe camping with brothers.

The VT buzzes like static for all the attention we pay to it; it's just a background noise to our mindless chatter and giggles. My chest has never felt so light in my life

I don't know how it started, or what we were talking about. All I know is suddenly her celestial gold eyes fluttering closed and her cool petal lips molding to mine. Our contrasting temperature, for the first time, steals all the breath from my lungs, and I don't care if I ever get it back.

All I care about is that her mouth never leaves mine. My fingers find their way into her soft golden hair, tangling and holding firm, desperate to keep her here.

All I feel, all I live for, is this new experience of soft gliding lips of an angel. It wouldn't matter if I died right then, because I was already in heaven.

I jolt awake, breathing hard as if my breath really had been stolen by an angel. The light feeling in my chest lingers a moment before I realize that it was just a dream, and I'm mercilessly brought back down to earth.

My cheeks burn as I realize what I had just been dreaming about, and glance desperately around to room, hoping for once, that Rosalie isn't here. It's little comfort finding that she isn't.

I nervously touch my bottom lip, imagining the feel of the cool petals that caressed them in my dream. My face grows increasingly hot to the point that I have to throw the blankets off and get out of bed. A thought, that a drink of water might help cool me, has me teetering down the stairs in the early morning, the sun already up and casting a grey light through the windows.

I pause at the bottom step hearing Charlie arguing hushed over the phone. His voice sounds controlled, carefully and purposefully calm.

Pushing my feet forward, I poke my head around the corner alerting my father that I was present.

"We'll talk about this later," he grumbles into the receiver and hangs up quite sharply. "Hey Bella," he sighs wearily, causing unease to stir in my stomach. "That was your mom."

"What did she want?" I ask softly, bringing both hands in front of me to wring them together. My eyes dip to avoid my father's gaze, instead staring a hole into his shoes.

"She wanted to talk about your summer plans." He admits. I bob my head, expecting this. "She's not happy that I only relented to you going out for one week, but I simply can not miss more work than that, let alone pay for a hotel room for longer."

"What?" I startle, lifting my head

I watch him frown. "I'm not letting you stay in that house Bells, and you are not going back alone. You didn't actually think I'd send you back there did you?"

I shrug awkwardly, hugging my arms close to my chest,

"No. I don't know," I mumble lowly. "Maybe."

He steps forward holding out his hands to me. I only hesitate a moment before I uncross my arms and let him take my hands in his. I look up when he squeezes them.

"I wont send you back there. He will not touch you again. And if you don't want to go out there and see your mother, I will put my foot down and tell her that we are not going. It's your choice Bella. Whatever you want."

My lips twitch into an awkward smile, but I can't help feeling appreciation for Charlie.

"Thanks Dad. I-" I picture my mom and how devastated she would be if I refused to visit, and the arguments and animosity that would rise between my two parents. Charlie never really got over mom, but I know that he would go head to head with her for me. And it would hurt him every moment. "I think I'd like to visit. Just for a little while."

"Okay," he nods, releasing me and placing one of his calloused hands on my head, quickly followed by a kiss. He goes past me towards the stove, pulling out a pan and some eggs. "Do you want some breakfast?" he asks. "Or is Rose coming to pick you up?"

I flush at the mention of my best friend, the image of my dream suddenly coming back to me and making me feel embarrassed. "Sure," I say, going to the sink to get me the water I originally came down here for. I really need to get this blushing under control if I'm going to ever interact normally with the pretty blond again.

…..

I've only seen Rosalie's eyes turn black twice, only seen her angry once. This time, Esme's lamp shatters against the wall.

"Rose, it's okay," I insist, grasping at her arm as spins to find something else to throw. It gives easily under my strength, though I know if she wanted, it could be immovable. There is a warmth in my chest, that it seems to be unconscious that she allows me to stop her and pin her their. "It's okay-"

"How is it okay?" she growls, almost baring her teeth at me. She's never looked so much like a vampire as she does now, but her stone body still gives and maneuvers wherever I move her. "He can't just send you back there! Charlie knows what He did to you!"

I manually wrap Rosalie's arms around my shoulders, and sidle closer to her body and pressing my ear against her chest.

"Calm down," I soothe as best I can. "I told him I wanted to go. And dad will be there with me the entire time. I'm not even staying at the house- we're going to have a hotel the entire time."

Rose's chest heaves, but the longer my arms are around her, the longer I talk, the less stone-like her body becomes. The more soft.

When I glance up again, some topaz has swam back into the irises, and she's looking at the lamp in regret.

I nudge her to bring her attention back to me. She smiles slightly (just the corner twitching up).

"I don't suppose you'd let me come with you?"

A giant smile splits my face. "I would really like it if you did."

"Oh, I'm coming too!" I glance over at the giant boy, who'd I'd forgotten was there in the wake of Rosalie's tantrum. Emmett lounges casually on the couch, arms thrown over the back and man-spreading his legs. He takes one hand and smashes it into the other. "Does this mean I get to finally beat this dude yup?"

I groan, and burry my face back into Rosalie's shirt, truly uncertain if Phil will survive my visit to Arizona. Between papa-bear-cop-dad and my two avenging angels.

I'd never felt so secure at the thought of going back. Though anxiety still makes my heart race and palms sweat, it's not as overwhelming as when I was told that they were coming for a visit.

A/N: So it has been a really long time... Sorry. I went to Field Training and then got busy with school, and then I tossed my phone (which had all my stories on it) over the rail to concrete three stories down. Needless to say, I lost ALL of them.

Sigh. I hate myself so much. So, to be realistic, I probably wont update until summer. Sorry guys. But I will make an effort if I have time. It's just been a rough school year. Anyway- so, reading all the reviews inspired me to go ahead and write this. Please review and give me some more inspiration. Thanks for reading!

~Silver~