14. Vegas in Seattle
"I miss you already."
"I don't need to leave, I can stay," I heard Bella mutter in between Edwards lips. Do not let her back out, Edward. We're literally leaving within the hour. I yelled at him in my thoughts, knowing he would hear me.
"No, no. It's your bachelorette party. You have to go. Besides, Emmett and Jasper want to go hunting one last time, and the girls are really excited to go with you on this trip."
I tried to block out their kissing noises as I helped Alice carry down our suitcases to the car.
"Bachelor and bachelorette parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind me. So there's really no point."
"True," Edward muttered as their make out session continued.
I nearly ran out the front door to try and block out the noises as much as I could.
"Oh my god how do you guys stand hearing them suck face all the time?" I muttered while shoving the last piece of luggage in the trunk of our car. Edward insisted that we take Bella's Mercedes Guardian that he gifted her as an early wedding present to make sure that her travels would be absolutely safe.
"You get used to it," Rosalie answered behind me. "It sounds weird but we all do it, you learn to drown each other out" she shrugged. She had a point, as I was the only single one in the house.
"Well maybe I'll meet someone in Seattle so I can suck their face all night and annoy all of you," I said, curtly.
"Finger crossed, hot head," she joked while hopping into the passenger seat of the car. Everyone slowly trickled out of the house to say their goodbyes and pack any last minute items.
"You're packing a pillow? With Alice driving I don't think we'll be in the car for more than an hour." Rosalie commented, laughing.
"Alright my ladies," Emmett's voice boomed as he stuck his head in Rosalie's window. "You," he pointed at me "Go nuts and live a little," I rolled my eyes with a smile. "You," he then pointed to Rosalie "Yes?" she smirked. "Don't break too many hearts, ya drop dead gorgeous son of a gun," he grabbed her face with both of his hands and kissed her with more passion than I'd ever seen before. Edward was always so...gentle with Bella...this was so much more intense than that.
I quickly averted my eyes but I could feel my cheeks getting warm with blush. It was weird seeing Emmett be so serious, so lustful, with Rose. Usually I only saw the big-brother/funny-guy attitude with him.
I wondered if I would ever find something like all my vampire family members had. Someone to lean on for eternity. Someone to experience immortality with… if I even had forever. It was still so uncertain what surprises my hybrid state would bring.
Carlisle packed 6 vials of venom shots for the 2 day adventure, just in case.
Alice had booked the presidential suite at one of the best hotels in Seattle for the "grand experience" as she put it. Everyone was a little nervous when we revealed what our plans were, Edward Carlisle and Esme the most, but they knew we would be smart and truly agreed that Bella deserved to have a bachelorette party like other humans. We didn't have to explain ourselves too much.
Alice was suddenly opening the driver side door and hopped in her seat. I couldn't help but notice the small black leather clutches she had in her hands. "For you," she said handing me one, "for you," she handed another to Rosalie. "for Bella," she tossed it in the empty back seat next to me "and for me." I slowly turned the wallet trying to find the opening. "Ooooh what's my name this time," Rose commented. "This time? How often do guys you do this?" I chuckled.
"Well we have to have them changed every time we move, and Carlisle needs the proper documents to work," Alice shrugged. I felt silly after asking. Oh...duh I scolded myself.
"I think you guys are all set, just missing the bride," Jasper remarked before shutting the trunk. I rolled down my window and could see Edward and Bella walking down the front porch steps as painfully slow as they could muster.
Honk honk! Alice tapped the horn, startling Bella. "Oh my god I'm coming," she muttered under her breath, but we could all hear it.
"What are you guys gonna do now that your gals will be out of town?" I narrowed my eyes, mainly asking Emmett and Jasper. "We might go to Canada, maybe find a cool casino or something," Jasper shrugged. "Vampires like to gamble?" I asked "Isn't that cheating the system or something?" Edward groaned. "We are only hunting, I hate everything about casinos."
Jazz laughed. "We try to stick to the slot machines, keep it as fair as possible." he winked, ignoring Edwards complaining.
"Or maybe we'll surprise you guys and show up," Emmett joked, still stealing kisses from Rosalie. "Absolutely not. It'll be hard enough to get Bella to loosen up with just us, she doesn't need a bigger audience."
Esme and Carlisle cleared their throats to signal they were approaching the car. "Alright, all of you guys be safe and call us if you run into any trouble." Esme walked up to my window and gave me soft, yet concerned, eyes. "You sure you'll be okay? I feel like you've grown up overnight." I smiled and leaned out to give her a hug. "I promise. I'm excited to experience some of the real world with my family."
Carlisle stepped towards us and placed a hand on Esme's shoulder while we separated and I sat back down in my seat. "High School is going to be awfully boring compared to this weekend, I'm afraid." Carlisle joked.
"Something tells me that I won't mind the boring life after this wedding is over," I muttered, grinning sarcastically. "Hey, you're going to be begging for my wedding planning skills when it's your turn" Alice nearly shouted on the defense. "Kidding, kidding... geez."
I rolled up my window as Alice purred the engine to life and slowly rolled out of the driveway. Emmett gave the trunk two taps while we passed him and we hit the main road.
I leaned my head against the window and shut my eyes. The sun was beginning to set, thankfully we'd left right on time, so we'd arrive at the hotel with the entire night to begin our shenanigans.
"My fake ID name is Jessica?!" Bella yelled as my eyes snapped open. The rest of the car ride was filled with booming laughter.
Carlisle POV
"Okay, okay, we'll just start with hunting… but try to think about what you want to do afterwards! You only get married a handful of times," Emmett joked with the boys as they walked towards the back forest. I shook my head and took a deep breath before turning to my personal slice of perfection. "And then there were two." I rubbed her arms while trying to read her expression.
"They're going to be okay," "I know." "They deserve to have some fun," "I know that too," she bit her lip and looked down, refusing to meet my eyes. I leaned in to give her a kiss on the forehead while patiently waiting for her to tell me more.
"I was just excited to have a real teenager in the house. Now she's off to go age ten years. Next month I'll bet we'll be having another wedding." She confessed while playing with the collar of my shirt, still avoiding my eyes. "Oh come now, shes not at that point yet. She still has a lot to learn from us," I put my hand under her chin to force her to look at me. "From you," I added.
"Bella and Edward will get married, they'll choose when they want to change her, and things will finally start to calm down."
Suddenly her lips and body were clinging onto mine. "I love you,"
Even after all of these decades those words made me smile from ear to ear.
"You wanna go watch that cowboy show you like so much? We rarely get the entire house to ourselves these days." Esme and I's smile quickly faded just as fast as the wind changed. We both smelled him instantly.
Looking into the forest where they could hear leaves rustling, the opposite direction of where the boys had disappeared to go hunting, out walking came Seth Clearwater.
I could feel Esme slightly relax and she didn't hesitate to greet him. "Well isn't this a lovely surprise."
"Um, hi Mr. and Mrs. Cullen…" the boy was obviously nervous, and already beginning to sweat with anxiety. "How can we help you tonight, Seth?" I added, looking behind him to see if any more pack members were following. "It's just me," he said, obviously noticing the slight shift of my eyes. "I was wondering if Violet was home?" he sounded unsure, almost doubtful that he should've asked.
"Oh shoot, you just missed her, dear. The girls went out of town for the weekend to celebrate before the wedding." Esme was always such a great host.
Seth rubbed his face, his calm front clearly fading. "In that case, can I talk to you guys?" I was instantly baffled, and suddenly serious. "Of course, why don't you come in and we'll talk in the dining room. I think we have some leftover treats from Edward and Bella's cake tasting." Seth nodded and grinned, but the smile never reached his eyes. I watched him closely as we walked towards the front door, my anxiety growing.
Perhaps things weren't calming down any time soon.
Seth POV
Carlisle was staring into the wood of the kitchen table, his mind a million miles away.
My own mind kept racing from angry, to sad, back to angry. "But Violet isn't in any danger?" Esme asked, her face in pain. "No, there's a strict pack law on protecting those we imprint on."
"But if she were to go onto the reservation," my eyes looked down at my balled up fists. "She would technically be fine, but the treaty would still be broken...and all bets would be off for the rest of you." We sat in silence for a few moments. "Does Violet know anything about all of this yet?" I sighed deeply. "No, she had plenty of questions the last time I saw her though so I wanted to update her tonight. You said she'll be back Saturday?" Carlisle finally looked up at me and slightly smiled "Yes, the day before the wedding. I'll get you something though, hold on," he got up from the table, surprisingly at human speed. Esme waited until he had left the room, but I was almost positive he could still hear our conversation.
"So...does Violet have a choice in all of this?" the confusion was clear in her voice. "A choice?" I asked. "I don't exactly know how this all works...but if she doesn't...want to be with you-" the dots finally connected. "Oh, yes, absolutely she 100% has a choice. She would never be forced into anything," she nodded, but I could tell she was still nervous.
"I don't really know how it all works either, but every story I've ever heard, or seen with my own eyes, is truly raw and real. Imprinting isn't magic, it doesn't fog our brain with false pretenses or intense love spells… if anything, the way I describe that night of Bella's grad party, was that it actually cleared the fog. I saw Violet for the first time and everything instantly made sense. I knew that she was the one I had to protect, the only one that truly mattered," My eyes snapped wide "No offense,"
Esme was smiling now, the tension in the room melting. "None taken."
"'I won't lie, if Violet isn't ready for this… for me...I'd be crushed. But I'd also always be waiting. I'll always support her and protect her. That will never change." I started rubbing my temples, trying to control my frustration as I remembered what the pack had told me about the meeting when I was running earlier.
"I don't exactly know how all of this will work out. If Violet, when i do decide to tell her eventually, wants to be with me...I don't know how we could intertwine our families. I don't know where we would live or how La Push could continue to be a part of my future. But I'm also growing to be okay with that. We'll figure something out." I shrugged and put my hands back on the table. It wasn't the greatest answer but it was the only one I had.
Esme's hand fell on top of mine as she smiled. Her skin was so much colder than Violets. "Thank you. You've been nothing but good to her," she said, gently squeezing my hand. "To all of us," Carlisle added as he walked back into the room.
My eyes instinctively fell on to the object he was holding. "Here- in case you need to reach any of us." He put a piece of paper in front of me and it listed everyone's numbers. Carlisle's cell phone, work phone, Esme's cell, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Edward, and even Bella's number… and then at the bottom was Violet's.
"If any news comes up from the pack or the rest of your family members, please, don't hesitate to call. If you need anything, or need to find one of us- please reach out." He gave me a soft smack on the shoulder and grinned at me.
It was such a small gesture, but I grinned back- knowing that it was a huge sign of trust.
"If that's all though, I do believe I promised my girl here a date night," Carlisle straightened and walked towards Esme. I nodded and grabbed the paper full of contacts before heading to the front door. "Take care of our girl, Seth," Esme added before I shut the door behind me.
Our girl I repeated with the biggest grin on my face.
Violet POV
"Holy…" "Shit." I finished Bella's sentence. We walked into the presidential suite of the Four Seasons hotel in Seattle and dragged our jaws against the floor. Warm light filled every room, multiple couches and fireplaces against the walls, rich shades of terracotta and chocolate accents in every corner, while the main living room looked out to the waters of Elliot Bay.
A cork popping startled Bella and I back to reality "HAPPY BACHELORETTE PARTY!" Alice and Rosalie screamed. Champagne flutes were shoved into our hands and Bella was suddenly wearing a plastic crown and faux silk sash that said "Bride To Be" in rose gold glitter. Her cheeks were bright red, her heartbeat racing. "Oh my god, we aren't starting slow huh?" She nervously laughed.
I raised my glass and jokingly clinked it against hers "To Bella and Edward" I yelled, laughing at the same time. "To Bella and Edward!" Alice and Rose mimicked.
Bella and I looked at each other and took a sip at the same time… and instantly had the same scrunched up nose reaction. "That… was not as sweet as I thought it would be." I commented, slightly coughing as I swallowed the room temperature alcohol.
Rose laughed as she walked to the mini fridge tucked in a corner and pulled out a small orange juice. "From what I can remember, it tastes a lot better cold. And juice always helps." She poured some in both of our glasses and then her and Alice zipped past us to unpack our luggage.
I tried another sip and it was surprisingly better… a lot better actually. I guess this is what the hype is all about.
I took a few more swigs before I felt my cell buzz in the back pocket of my jeans. I instinctively rolled my eyes.
"There's your fiance, texting to check up on you," I joked to Bella. She had just set her empty flute down on the counter and was opening the mini fridge for another one. I chuckled.
Hey stranger, it's Seth. :) AKA wolf boyMy heart nearly jumped out of my throat. Holy shit I mentally screamed. How did he even get my number? I bit my lip to try and hide my smile.
Guess who just had their first sip of champagne? ;) Also- hi! Oh shit, look at you bad ass. I take it that means Edward didn't kill you after our all-nighter? Ha ha, no. But they definitely all ripped me a new one. My phone was nearly super glued to my hand after that. Still learning how to be a proper member of society I guess. Lol
Our replies were sent within seconds of each other.
I'm sorry. Next time we hang out I'll teach you how to be more responsible. ;) Oh there's gonna be a next time?
Well I do believe I'll be seeing you at a certain wedding this weekend.
My heart was racing faster than I'd ever heard it before.
"Violet!" Alice's voice snapped me back to reality. "Dear lord, what has gotten you in another dimension?" I shook my head, smiling, trying to snap out of it. "Sorry, what's up?"
I set my, now empty, glass on the counter as well and headed to the bedroom.
"I am not wearing that." Bella laughed, clearly more relaxed and holding her third flute of bubbly. "Come on, Bella. You look so good in white! What are you scared of?" Alice groaned.
"I'm scared I'll fall and flash the entire city! These dresses are so short, Alice. Plus…" she bit her lip. "I didn't shave that high up," she muttered, crossing her legs and burying her face into her hands while she sat on the huge king bed.
"Ooooooh," I groaned "I didn't either," I added. It hadn't even been twelve hours since we decided to go on this trip, and I didn't even think about...personal grooming.
Alice pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated that she knew what we were going to say before we even had time to spit it out. "Alright, alright, there's a spa downstairs, I'll call down and see if they can take you both in. But don't bitch to me when you're sore later."
I gulped. "Sore?"
"Well with the wedding in literally three days, you both are getting waxed so this problem won't come up again."
Rose was elegantly still hanging up clothes while this was all going down. "I think that's one of the best things about being a vampire, no shaving. Once you pluck it's gone forever. That and no periods," she commented.
"A wax..." We could handle that, right?
