A/N: Hi readers! Next chapter is ready to be devoured. I haven't mentioned the date in the beginning I usually add as this is just the continuation of previous chapter. I will see you guys at the bottom.
Big thanks to EdwardsFirstKiss for being my beta, pre-reader and above all a wonderful teacher. I'm still learning a lot from her.
Twilight belongs to SM and FY is all mine. Here you go...
CHAPTER 13
BELLA
Drip!
Drip!
Drip!
The annoying sound has started giving me a headache. Where was this sound coming from? I wondered. I don't want to open my eyes, yet. The bed was too comfy to give up. It was a bit cold, but the sheets were damn smooth. Though, the vexatious sound hasn't stopped even after ten minutes. Maybe it is coming from a faulty faucet in the en-suite bathroom. The Manor was very old; so faulty faucets were not a surprise. Wait, a second. Manor!
"Shit!" I cursed loudly and sat up straight when I recalled the events of last evening. My eyes were heavy, probably due to my long slumber, and my vision was blurred. I rubbed my eyes to get a good view of my surroundings and was left slack-jawed.
"This is a fucking dream, this is a fucking dream...," I chanted and closed my eyes again. For once, I expected Alice to shake my shoulders and demand that I wake up. Slowly, very slowly, I opened one eye, still half-expecting four familiar faces looming over my bed. Alas! That didn't happen.
What I saw was glass. Yup, people; you heard me right. It was like I was caged in a glass chamber. Everything around me was glass. Or was it diamonds? That stopped my train of thought. Why would someone imprison me in a diamond chamber, or as a matter of fact, even in a glass chamber? I touched the bed for support to climb out of it, but surprise! I wasn't in a fucking bed. I looked down and I swear that my eyes bugged out of my sockets when I saw that I was sitting on a slab made of glass, or diamonds or whatever you wanna call it. I move my shaking fingers on it and felt its smooth texture. Weren't diamonds and glass hard? Hmm... I wonder if it's diamond or glass. I mean it is kinda sparkling.
Finally, gathering my wits, I stood up. My body felt sore; like someone had beaten me up. I tried hard to figure out what could have possibly led me here, but came up blank. The last thing I remember was that I'd gone to the Street Manor with my friends for the Seventh Street project. I explored the sites with Em and Jazz, and then we went to sleep in our rooms for the night. Then how come, I came to this Diamondotopia! " Huh... Nice name for this place, Bella," I said bemused.
Frustrated, I ran my hands through my hair. Instead of feeling my thick brown locks, my hand touched nothing. That was the first time I noticed my body, or the absence of the said body. I was... air? I raised my hand and saw the diamond wall across from me through my palm. Bloody Hell! My palm was translucent!
"Genius, your whole body is translucent. You've merged in the air around you," I muttered under my breath. I looked around myself again but all I could see were diamond walls.
"I'm definitely dreaming," I stood up straighter and pinched my hand. Oh, but there wasn't any hand. "Fucking great!" I started walking again, and that's when I heard the annoying sound which had woken me up.
Drip! Drip!
"I so want to kiss each droplet," I cheered happily. Now, I only have to find out where that sound is coming from and then I can work out a way to get the fuck out of this place. My ears... umm... my untouchable ears... strained to hear where the sound was coming from. I realized too late that the sound was coming from everywhere. From every direction. It wasn't even exactly the sound of dripping droplets of water. This sound was like something was slowly, very, very slowly... diminishing? The whole concept seemed to be the definition of strange.
I sighed and looked towards my feet. Like my body's other parts, my toes were also translucent. But I could see something silver below them. I stepped back a few feet. It was a large silver line or rather a silver band below the diamond floor. I could also see something white surrounding the band. I sat down and bent my head forward to examine it more closely. The color wasn't white; it was closer to the color of pale skin. Like my own; or like my skin used to be. I rolled my eyes at the correction. I adjusted myself on the floor and sat Indian-style. Once again, I looked up to inspect my jail.
The diamond walls were not flat. They were uneven; like the other layer began way before the first finished. The ceilings have triangular shape cut outs. Umm... Maybe they aren't triangular. They are more like...
"A solitaire!" I shouted. "Like my ring..." I trailed off, my eyes widening as memories of the previous evening, the actual previous evening, flooded my mind. Green eyes, haunted Manor, Jake's call and pouring my heart out to... Edward. I remember the chandelier falling from the ceiling...
"Am I dead?" I gasped, my hands gripping my untouchable throat. No. This was definitely some stupid dream. I... I can't be dead. And even if I were, judging by the lack of the appearance of my body, where was I? Heaven or Hell? I wasn't deeply religious, but even I knew that hell or heaven doesn't look like a solitaire... Holy shit! My ring. I was in my fucking ring!
"How the hell is that possible?" I screeched and stood up. The silver band, the pale skin... it was all clear now. The band was the platinum band supporting the solitaire while the pale skin was my ring finger. Somehow I've managed to get inside my ring, however inane as that sounded. My body was still in the Manor, but my soul was trapped in the ring. But again, how was that possible?
I was still flabbergasted by the situation when I heard a noise. It was the deafening sound of wheels skidding on the surface when a vehicle loses its balance. I turned and ran towards that direction. What I witnessed stopped me dead in my tracks. An inhuman cry left my mouth, and I fell to my knees, tears flowing continuously from my eyes.
In the confines of the solitaire, the view changed from diamond walls to a rocky cliff, and I saw an Aston Martin piercing the deadly winds, moving haphazardly along the cliff. I recognized the cliff as the one near the Street Manor. But what brought me on my knees was the man in the driver's seat. A man with green eyes and wind-blown auburn hair. I didn't know how I was able see all this but that didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was the struggle I saw in his face and the fear in his eyes. Not once, not once I had seen that kind of fear in his eyes. There was desperation in his features. He was struggling to control the car, turning the steering accordingly. My breath hitched when I saw his eyes-widening. I followed his line of sight and my heart almost stopped beating when I saw the humongous rock, directly in the car's path.
"EDWARD!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and stood up to run in his direction. Adrenaline pumped through my veins; my brain was commanding me away, accessing the danger. "Edward," I yelled again, my voice breathless from running. I knew it was stupid of me to stand in front of the giant rock as if I could stop the car by my hypothetical super human powers. I knew I could get myself killed. But at the same time, my life was not important. If the man in the car who was my ultimate lifeline, died then there was nothing left for me, anyway. I even thought that Edward could see me standing here, but his expression said he didn't. I was panting hard, bracing myself for the impact.
But the impact never came. The car passed through my body as if I was thin air. It was like watching a movie in slow-motion. I turned on my feet and saw the car colliding with the rock, the hood thrown up immediately. The car was stuck at the edge of the cliff and the door to the driver's side open, revealing the body of a man covered in blood. He looked unconscious but his eyes were fluttering. If he moved even an inch, he would fall straight in the bottomless trench. I noticed his lips moving and blood gurgled out of his mouth.
That set my frozen feet into motion. I ran towards him, shouting his name.
"Edward," I choked, cupping his face. But I couldn't touch him. My hand disappeared inside his face as I tried to cup it. I sobbed loudly, realizing for the first time that I'd witnessed Edward's accident. "Edward," I yelled again, trying to hold his hand and hoping against hope for him to hear me. I touched my virtual head to his shoulder, crying my virtual tears.
"Be...ll...aaaa." It was a soft murmur, but I heard it. If the moment wasn't so painful, I would have danced in immense happiness at hearing his voice for the first time in two years.
"Edward," I smiled tearfully at him, thinking that he had addressed me. He coughed and more blood came out of his mouth. My heart constricted on seeing him like that.
"I... I...," he took a painful breath. "I'm... sooo...," – coughs – "rrr...yyy...," he gasped.
"No, baby. It isn't your mistake. You... you'll be fine... Edward," I cried, realizing how absurd that sounds. He would never be fine. I didn't even know why I was witnessing all this.
"I... I...," – gasps – "Loo...vvveee...," – coughs – "youuuuuu... hhhh..." With that, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and more blood spurted out of his nose and mouth.
"Edward," I sobbed loudly, trying hard to touch him, and drag him to a safer place.
All of a sudden, his whole body jerked forward and for once I thought I would have him in my arms. But like the car, his body passed mine and fell from the cliff.
"NO!" I yelled. "EDWARD!" I stood at the edge and saw his body, slowly falling down. "EDWARD!" I fell to my knees, sobs wracking my body.
I had seen all sorts of impossibilities, today. However, nothing prepared me for what I saw next. Edward's body didn't fell to the bottom, but disappeared in thin air. Like it wasn't even there moments ago. It reached the middle of the trench and vanished. I stood abruptly and in a reckless move, fell from the cliff. It felt like I was floating in air. I reached the bottom which was covered in pointed rocks and dirt. I don't know why, but I expected to be wounded. There wasn't a scratch on me. Then I remembered that my real me wasn't here. It was a virtual body. I looked around, but saw nothing except the rocks. It was so deep that I couldn't even make out the outline of the car stuck on the cliff above. I wanted to find his body, but it wasn't here. There was no blood on the ground, considering how much blood he had lost.
"How can he just disappear like that?" I whispered to myself. Slowly, I sat down on the rocky ground and lie down on the pointed rocks as if they were my bed. The rocks didn't touch me. I felt numb inside. Completely emotionless. The scene I'd just witnessed played over and over in my mind. But unlike earlier when I felt my heart breaking on seeing what had occurred, now I felt nothing. My tears had dried, and I was looking up at the cloudy sky.
I still don't understand how this all happened or if it was just a dream. One second, I figured out that I was in my engagement ring, and another second, I found myself face-to-face with a moment that had left my life devastated. Finally, I closed my eyes when exhaustion clouded my mind.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
What was it with me waking up to annoying noises? However, I refused to open my eyes as I didn't want to see myself trapped in Diamondotopia, again. Although, I was confused why this Diamondotopia smelled so... clinical? I could smell the medicinal scent like the one you came across in hospitals. Wonder what this place has in store for me, now!
I had a sudden urge to scratch my nose, so I proceeded to lift my hand. To my surprise, I found someone, holding it.
"Oh God! Bella? Can you hear me, sweetie?" I heard Alice's voice. How had Alice found her way to Diamondotopia?
"Fuck! Is she awake?" Was that Jake? What was he doing here?
"Yes, Jake! I swear, I saw her fingers move," Alice replied. There was relief in her voice.
"Swan? Open your eyes, babe!" I felt a warm, heavy hand on my forehead. Wait, wait, wait! I felt Alice and Jake touching me... That means...
My eyes shot open, and I immediately felt like I shouldn't have opened them.
"Light hurts," I groaned, my voice hoarse. I heard the sound of feet moving heavily and someone pulled the blinds down.
"You can open your eyes now, Bella," Alice almost pleaded. Ok, why was she so desperate?
I opened my eyes slowly this time and Alice's tearful face came in view.
"Why are you crying, Ali?" I rasped and cleared my throat.
"Because you scared the shit out of us, Swan," Jake admonished as Ali wiped her tears. My brow furrowed, and I turned to look at him. That's when I noticed my surroundings. I was in a hospital room. Well, isn't that just great! From Diamondotopia to a fucking hospital. I thought sarcastically. There were tubes running around me, and I felt sore.
"What happened?" I asked cautiously.
Jake sighed and motioned for Alice to answer me. I looked up at her, and she swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry, Bella. It's because of us that you're here," her voice cracked at the end.
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"You remember that you'd asked us to leave you on your own because you needed to rest?" I nodded at her after a few seconds when I figured out what she was talking about. "Well, Jazz and Em left for the sites as soon as we left your room. Rose and I prepared food for us but when I went upstairs to call you for lunch, you were asleep. I couldn't find it in me to wake you up from your peaceful sleep. So, I left you undisturbed. When I reached downstairs, Rose suggested going for a walk as neither of us wanted to eat without you and the boys. We thought that we would be back before you woke up," she stopped and closed her eyes.
"It had been almost half an hour, and we decided to return to the Manor. But suddenly, the weather changed, and it started raining heavily. Luckily, we were near one of the houses on the street. We went inside to take shelter and coincidentally found Jazz and Em there, too. For another half an hour, we were trapped in that house. We tried calling your cell, but you didn't answer. When it stopped raining, we made our way to the Manor. But what we found there, I... I couldn't describe what I felt that time," Alice rubbed her hand to her face.
"You were on the floor, unconscious. I don't know how, but the chandelier broke from the ceiling and it was on the floor beside you. The right side of your body and face was covered in blood and glass. Jazz and Em managed to get you into Jazz's car to take you to the hospital. Rose and I packed our bags, locked the Manor and followed them to the hospital in Em's car. Luckily, the chandelier didn't fall directly on you, and I thank the higher powers for that," Alice smiled.
"The doctors said that your injuries are only external and you should recover soon. However, what both we and the doctors don't understand is why you were unconscious for a whole day when you have no head injuries. The doctors attribute it to your fragile body," Alice narrowed her eyes at me. "You bet your ass that from now on, I'll be seeing to the amount of meals you'll have, Missy," she warned.
"So, I was out for an entire day?" I asked, ignoring her last warning. She hummed in response. So, I now knew that I had been dreaming about Diamondotopia and whatever happened there. However, I don't want to ponder on what happened there, yet.
"Ok, but what are you doing here, Jake?" I turned my head towards him. He sighed and sat on the chair beside my bed.
Taking my hand in his, he said, "Shorty called me. Mom and I were already packing to come back to Rochester, the next day. But after Shorty's call, I took the first flight to Rochester and came straight here."
"You didn't have to do that," I whispered.
"The fuck I didn't have to," he huffed. "Swan, I care for you too much to not be here for you when you're in this excellent condition," he arched an eyebrow, and I giggled, but quickly cursed my sudden movement when I felt a stinging pain in my arm.
"Easy, tiger," Ali gently patted my head. "I'll inform the others that you're alright. Esme was worried to death about you."
"What? You told Esme!" I shrieked.
"You don't have to over-react, Bella," she rolled her eyes. "Em called Carlisle to tell him that you couldn't attend work for few days."
"But...," I started to protest.
"No ifs and buts, Swan. Shorty, go tell the crew about the good news. I have it under control here," Jake shooed her away. Ali left the room, smirking at us. What the...
"Ok. What was she smirking about?" I asked Jake.
"I don't know," he shrugged.
"Uh... huh... Come again," I narrowed my eyes at him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Swan, I don't think it's the right time for this conversation," he said honestly.
"Try me," I encouraged.
"I... I don't want to lose your friendship, Swan," he admitted nervously.
"You won't," I assured him. But inside I wondered what would make him lose my friendship.
"Bella," and that's when I knew, I shouldn't have encouraged him for this conversation. No good comes out whenever he calls me Bella. Please! I don't want another 'Bella's special, mood gone crappy' moment.
"I know this isn't the right moment, but...," he shook his head and took a deep breath. "Seeing you like this... I... I thought I had lost you. The doctors said that you would wake up soon and that your injuries weren't life threatening, but I... I don't know how to explain it to you, Bella. It was like a part of my body had been ripped out. I felt so damn helpless. There were so many things, I wanted to tell you. I thought... I would never be able tell you those things. I was berating myself for not telling you sooner. But I won't wait any longer. We don't know what is in store the next day, so it's a waste to procrastinate."
"You are scaring me, Jake. Just get it out," I told him anxiously. He took both of my hands in his and pinned me under his gaze.
"I... I planned do this in a more elegant way, and definitely not with you lying in a hospital bed," he chuckled nervously. "But I guess my options are limited, so...," he took a deep breath and whispered the words that felt like the bane of my existence.
"I'm in love with you, Bella Swan." He searched my eyes, like he would find the same feeling there. But he didn't. I stared blankly at him, processing his words.
"Are you kidding me?" I blurted out after a few seconds. He immediately released my hands and stood up.
"What? I just told you that I'm in love with you, and you are asking me- are you kidding? Bella, are you fucking serious?" He yelled. Shit! I think that wasn't a good response.
"Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't want to blurt it out like that...," I tried to explain, but he cut me off.
"I get it, Bella. You're still hanging on to him, aren't you? I'm a fucking fool to believe Alice," he muttered under his breath.
"Wait! What does Alice have to do with this?" I gaped at him.
"Doesn't matter," he spat.
"Will you tell me already, Jake?" I was getting irritated.
"Fine. She advised me to confess my feelings and convinced me that you are ready to move on. She said you needed someone to rely upon. I'm an idiot to believe her. Because you can never move on, Bella," he barked out. I was really going to choke Alice to death.
"Jake, I don't know what gave Alice the impression that I'm... ready to move on..."
"Please, stop it Bella. You are clinging to your past so much that you don't want to accept that Edward died two years ago. You are still mourning for him. You are not ready to get over it and look around for others who can love you better than he could have. When you kissed me on New Year's Eve, I thought we could have something between us. Apparently, I got the wrong idea. You deserve better, Bella. But I think you're more than happy to cherish your fucking dead fiancé in your memories," he said the last words with so much venom that my heart burned with pain.
"Jacob," I tried to say something to him, but he left the room abruptly. A tear dropped from my eye onto the pillow. How could he say something so callous? I must have hurt him badly, but what else could I have done? I don't love Jake. I mean, I love him as a friend, but I'm not in love with him. That ship sailed long ago. I don't think I will ever be able to love another man like I loved Edward.
Edward... That bought on a whole new round of memories. Had I really been trapped in my ring? So much had happened in the last few days that it was difficult for me to keep up with everything. I still don't have an answer to what I'd seen in the Manor, two nights ago. And how could I forget those events that led me to this hospital? It was clear that there was something going on within the Street Manor. I had to go back there soon.
I was pondering over these things when the door clicked and a man in white coat stepped in.
"Good Morning, Miss Swan. I'm Dr. Warner. I'm glad to see that you have woken up. How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Thank you, Dr. Warner. I feel a little sore and I felt pain in my right arm when I moved it. Though, mentally I'm feeling refreshed," I told him.
He jotted down something on his notebook and prescribed some pills. He left a few minutes later after explaining what I should and shouldn't do for a week. Minutes after he left, the door clicked again and this time a familiar face walked in.
"Oh, dear! Look at you; so pale and thin. Alice was right; you aren't eating properly," Esme chided, sitting on the chair, next to my bed.
"Hello, Esme. It's good to see you too," I chuckled.
"Hush... Don't you try to distract me. You know, how worried I was for you? You're like my child, Bella. Don't you dare to scare me like that ever again," she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Hey, Esme. I'm fine now," I reached out for her hand and squeezed it.
"You better be fine. I have lost my one child. I don't want to lose another," her voice shook with worry. Sometimes I do forget that I wasn't the only one who has lost a loved one. She too, has lost her son. I'd lost the only love of my life, but she had lost her only child.
"You won't, Esme," I smiled up at her. "Ok. Enough with the heavy stuff. Tell me about your vacation."
"No, no. We are not talking about me. You say I heard that you went to Forks for New Year's," she asked, flashing me a knowing grin. Jesus! What else have you done, Alice?
"Who told you that?" I gave her a tight-lipped smile.
"Alice told me. She also mentioned that you're dating someone called Jacob. Isn't he the one who worked in our engineering department, about three years ago?" Esme asked. She seemed excited about the concept of me dating someone. Alice Hale! Better brace yourself as no one can save you from the storm that is Bella Swan.
"I'm not dating Jake, Esme. We had an arrangement to explore our relationship which I think ended today," I sighed.
"What do you mean by 'ended today'?" she frowned. Esme was never one to be judgmental, and so I told her what had transpired between Jake and me, minutes ago. Well, except where he not-so-gently expressed his disapproval of me still loving Edward. She looked thoughtful.
"I think you should give that boy a chance, Bella," she suggested.
"What? Esme, how can you say that?" I looked at her incredulously.
"Bella, I know how much you loved my son, and it's hard for you to forget him. But he isn't here as much as we want him to be," she gave my hand a little squeeze. "If you don't ever try to be with someone else, and just keep on distancing yourself from everyone who loves you, you will find yourself in a great depression, dear. For the last two years, you have been doing exactly that. I talked to Jasper, a few days back, and he told me that you're changing. I was happy to hear about your trip to Forks. So, I want you to try one more thing when you're breaking down the walls you have built up around yourself for so long. Give this guy a chance," she spoke softly.
"You know... I always wanted to throw a big wedding for Edward. When you both told us about your engagement... I was on cloud nine," she chuckled with a faraway look in her eyes. "That didn't happen how it should have. Edward was my only child, and I longed for a daughter-in-law and lots of grand-children to dote on. With my son gone, the family I dreamed about became broken. But you Bella; you can fulfil that dream. I still have my child, a daughter, in you. I would love to see you get married, Carlisle walking you down the aisle, your children playing in our backyard, and most of all, you- smiling a big smile seeing them laughing." Tears welled up in my eyes at the beautiful vision she painted. But I imagined all these things with Edward by my side. That alone showed me how impossible it was to forget him. I noticed tears in Esme's eyes as she wiped them. "So, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" she whispered.
"I don't know if I've the strength to do this, but I'll try for you, Esme," I told her, knowing full well how wrong and false my words sounded.
"That's all I'm asking for," she beamed at me.
The rest of the conversation was light. It was refreshing to talk to someone carelessly. Esme told me about her latest interior design projects and some bitchy, hard-headed clients. We laughed and shared good memories.
"I think I should leave now, dear. As much as I want to sit here all day, I've to get ready for a meeting," she said apologetically.
"It's fine, Esme. Thank you for coming. I hope I will be able to soon join you at work," I smiled.
"You just rest for a while, Bella. Carlisle has warned you not to set your foot on the office premises until your doctor gives you the permission to do so. Oh, and speaking of your doctor, I met Dr. Warner on my way to your room earlier. I spoke to him about you, and you will be glad to know that he said you can go home tomorrow. They want to keep you under observation tonight," she informed me and stood up.
"That's great, Esme. I want to get out of here as soon as possible," I chuckled.
She kissed my forehead and patted my head. "Get well soon, dear. Oh, and nice ring. This green color seems rare. Where did you get it?"
"It's the same ring, Esme, and it's not gr...," I trailed off as I looked at my ring finger. There lay a green stone instead of my solitaire. But something told me not to say anything to Esme about it. "I... I bought it from Forks. It's artificial jewelery. Nothing special," I answered nonchalantly.
"But it's beautiful. Almost like a green diamond. Anyway! Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll try to come tomorrow when it's time for you to be discharged."
"You don't have to, Esme. I'm sure Alice or Rose will be up for giving me a lift to my apartment," I tried to protest.
"Hush you. Let me do my work and you do yours." She left after that.
As soon as she closed the door, I lifted my hand to look at my ring. It seemed familiar, but it wasn't. I turned my hand side-ways, and it glimmered. Now, I wasn't going to question how it is possible, because I've already witnessed so many bizarre things that this paled in comparison. I was already having second thoughts whether the Diamondotopia experience was actually a dream or not. I brought the ring closer to my face to inspect it. To say I was shocked at seeing what I saw, was an understatement. This ring was a carbon copy of my engagement ring. Esme was right; it was a solitaire except it wasn't the usual glass color. It was a green solitaire if that sort of thing existed.
A thought struck my mind, and I took off the ring. And I saw it. The inscription on the inside of the band- Forever Yours. It was my ring. Can a diamond turn green when a chandelier falls from the ceiling next to you? I don't have any other logical explanation for this. I looked at the green colored gem again. It seemed strangely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on what is was.
Defeated, I sighed and closed my eyes. I know there are things to be considered, but I don't want to think about them, yet. So I did the easiest thing and slept.
January 7, 2017
"Are you sure that you can manage on your own?" Rose asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I'm positive, Rose. I can manage for one night alone. Go with your Mom and have fun," I smiled at her assuredly. She and Alice had been constantly hovering over me for the last two days and hadn't left me alone for even a moment. Well, maybe for a bathroom break, but, hey! That doesn't count! However, today I could have my freedom. Alice had food poisoning, not that I was happy about it, but at least she had to leave me alone. Rose is my mama-bear for today but apparently, she has to pick up her Mom at the airport who surprised her by visiting unannounced from Canada. Thus, she had to be with her tonight, and I could finally have my much-needed space.
"Bella, you know I can come back after dropping my Mom at the apartment," Rose said as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder.
"No, I will be alright. I promise to call you if I have any problem. You've already fed me dinner, so there isn't much left for me to do. Just go, and say my hello to Chelsea," I pushed her playfully towards the door with my good hand. The other one was still too sore to use.
"Ok, ok. Goodbye, Bells," She hugged me and left hurriedly. Closing the door behind her, I did a girly spin and almost squealed in excitement. I felt like a teenager whose mischievous brain comes into action as soon as the parents leave her home alone.
I checked the time, and it was eight in the evening. Like I said to Rose, there wasn't anything left for me to do. But it felt good to be alone. I hadn't been alone for more than an hour, for the past two weeks. First due to the Christmas, then New Year's, and finally the Manor. The latter reminded me of my bizarre ring. I looked at it on my ring finger and the green stone was glimmering ethereally.
I decided to go to bed early. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The mirror hanging above the basin revealed my pale face. Rose was right; my cheekbones were poking out of my face. I pinched my cheek playfully and wrinkled my nose at my image in the mirror. Like the obedient image it was, it mimicked my actions. I snorted at my silly observation and started brushing my teeth.
Rinsing my mouth, I splashed my face with water, and wiped it with a towel. As I reached to put the towel back on the counter, my ring caught my attention. Something seemed off. I rubbed my eyes and looked at it again. The green stone was glowing like a sparkler. It looked like something; some kind of light was trying to escape my ring. Good God! What had I done to it?
Suddenly, I jostled backwards, and almost lost my balance. But the counter saved me as I leaned against it for support. My ring constricted around my finger and the light continued to increase its glow. A blinding white light filled the bathroom, seconds later, and I shielded my eyes from the impact.
"Ahh!" Someone groaned, and I screamed, startled by the sudden noise.
"Jesus! Bella, don't be afraid, love. It's me. Look at me, baby." I froze hearing those words. It... I don't want to say this, but for the millionth time in a week, I thought... It isn't possible. I didn't want to take my hand off my eyes for the fear of not seeing what I expected to. Not finding out that the voice I just heard belonged to the same face I longed to see.
"Sweetheart, will you please look at me? Take your hand off your eyes, and let me see your pretty face," his velvet voice pleaded. No. It had to be him. No one could have that perfect voice and accent. Slowly, at a snail's pace, I uncovered my eyes; my heart thundering loudly inside my chest.
And finally I saw what I had wanted to see for the last two years. For which, I yearned desperately. For which, I cried and yelled, days and nights. The green eyes that had haunted my dreams and memories. The crooked smile that made my heart skip a beat. And that beautiful face which could only belong to one person in the entire universe. I didn't know if I was dreaming; I was beyond being practical. I just wanted to devour myself in the ethereal sight.
For the first time in two years, I saw the love of my life standing across me. Tears blurred the perfect vision in front of me as I stared into his green eyes. My Edward's eyes.
Yayyy! Edward's here! Who cares from where he came from; he is here, finally. What?... You wanna know from where he landed?... hmm... I guess that's pretty much clear. But I would love to hear your theories on how he landed in there, if you know what I'm saying. Well, what do you say about Diamondotopia? Over the top fictional, huh... Jake confessed his feelings... Is he being an ass?
#To the guest reviewer: There are two of you, I guess (as the first one reviewed chapter 14 while the second one started from chapter 5).
To the first one... Thank you for the compliment. Here's your update. I hope you enjoyed it. :)
To the second one... You don't know how deeply moved I am by your encouraging comments. Thank you so much for taking the effort to review almost every chapter. And you're right... People do get lazy to review. But I'm that insecure type, you know. I really doubt myself a lot. I don't know about your comment on me trying to be a best-selling author, but I'm really trying my best to put my imaginations on paper. Thank you so much for your lovely compliments. :) I'm glad you love the chapters.
#Suzy-chapstick: Bella wasn't floating up to the chandelier. The chandelier dropped on her. I think it's clear now in this chapter. And I'm also glad that she said that out loud. Maybe that would be the catalyst for the things which are about to take place. ;)
#sherylb: Is Edward a ghost?... That's for me to know and you to find out... ;) But please know that there will be no vampires. Sorry if that upsets you... I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
It's refreshing to reply to all the reviews, and it feels good to know your perspective. So please take your time to REVIEW, and let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for reading, following and favoriting this. I hope you all are enjoying. :)
See you soon.
-K