Edited by Stilldreaming85 and Banshee69
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Isabella Cullen (Marie)
Carmen had always been a confusing person. It was hard to understand her at the best of times.
Don't get me wrong, she was a nice person, my only true friend really. The only person who had done everything in her power to help me fit into this mess of a family.
However, every so often, Carmen would have these moments where she would say or look at me in a way that made me wonder if she was speaking to me or to herself.
True to her word, Carmen had taken me to lunch. We weren't in Manhattan anymore. After dinner Sunday night, Edward had everyone whisked away.
I don't know what had happened or was happening to make him react in such a way. Those were things he never spoke of to me.
We were upstate at Lake Placid. It was a place I knew all too well. It was a place that held painful memories. It was a place that hurt me to be in.
Then again none of that mattered, not to Edward, or any of them. They didn't care that I wasn't able to sleep at night in that house. They didn't care about my pain. They didn't care that it physically hurt me to breath being inside those walls.
No, they only cared about themselves. Even Garrett had said I was over-reacting.
"You need to make some friends. Get out and meet some new people, away from the family," Carmen said.
"You know that's hard for me to do. I can't even go to the bathroom without Garrett trailing behind me."
"I do not like him," she said, looking over my shoulder at Garrett, who was seated at the table behind us.
"Why not? He's a good guy."
Garrett really was, he was better than I thought. He never mentioned my run-in with Michael and neither did his sidekick, Vito. I never thanked him for that.
Speaking of Michael, I carried the piece of paper he had slipped me everywhere I went, even to bed. I didn't want to risk Garrett taking it from me, or worse, Edward finding it.
Michael was staying in a condo in Manhattan, ironically enough across the street from Edward and I.
He was so close, my only friend outside of this family, and yet he felt so far away. It felt cruel, like a child with a lollypop dangling in front of its face. It was so close all they needed to do was reach out and grab it, but they couldn't. That's what I felt like, a child being teased.
"I do...well, I did. I don't...I had another friend, someone not from the family," I said.
"Oh…" She didn't appear as surprised by my news as I had expected her to be.
"You don't look so surprised?"
"No, I am. Tell me all about him," she said.
"How did you know it was a him?" I asked. I don't know why it bothered me that she would just assume.
"I'm sorry, I should not have made an assumption. Am I wrong?"
"Well...no."
"Tell me all about him then. Where did you meet him?"
I turned my head around to glance at Garrett. I had to make sure, double check, that he hadn't moved from his spot, that he wasn't close enough to eavesdrop on me, us. Satisfied that he wasn't within earshot, I turned back to face Carmen.
"I met him on the pier back in Ragusa. We sort of bumped into each other." I paused, waiting for Carmen to give me some sort of reaction, but she gave nothing away. "He's nice. I mean, he doesn't know who I am, who I really am, who the family is. It was nice to have someone treat me like a normal person as opposed to Edward's wife."
"I'm glad you found a friend, Marie. You deserve someone to make you happy, truly happy," she said, reaching out for my hand across the table. "Does my nipote know of your friend?"
"He found out about him back in Sicily. That didn't go too well," I said, licking my dry lips. The memory was still fresh in my mind. Edward's threats, Stefan. I shook my head, trying to rid it of those thoughts. I couldn't think about that. I couldn't let my mind wander to that place.
"What did he do?" Carmen asked, squeezing my hand in reassurance.
"It doesn't matter what he did." I shrugged.
"Of course it matters. Edward has no right to tamper with your happiness."
"Michael was a good friend, but I don't want his blood on my hands. Edward will kill him, he may do worse if he knows he is in New York. So because of that, I don't need a friend."
"I thought you said you met this friend back home?"
"His work apparently transferred him here. I saw him last week, we ran into each other. He gave me a way to contact him. As much as I want to, Carmen, I can't. Garrett was there and I am so thankful that he never mentioned it to Edward. Anyway it was a one time thing, if I were to see him again, Garrett would tell Edward and I can't let that happen, Camren, I can't."
"Hey now, if you want to see him again, I can help you," she said.
"How?"
"Trust me, alright," she said, although her eyes were not on me, her focus was directed behind me. I presumed she was watching Garrett. "Just have a little bit of patience and everything will work out. I promise you, trust me. You and me, we are going to be…"
"Get up now, we're leaving," Garrett said, tugging on my arm.
I don't know what had gotten into him, he tugged frantically on my arm, willing me to stand up. He was looking all around the small cafe, for what, or better yet, who, I don't know. He spoke with someone through his smart watch.
"Isabella, I swear to God. I have his permission to manhandle you, to get out of here if you don't move," Garrett said, as he waited for someone to reply through his watch.
"You do not need to be so rough with her," Carmen glared at him.
"Move it, now," he demanded.
I didn't want to cause a scene. I didn't want to draw anymore attention to us than Garrett already had. I noticed his hand went into his jacket reaching for his gun.
Seeing that, I shot up out of my seat, almost knocking Garrett in face in the process. Carmen followed suit as Garrett tucked me into his side and dragged me out of the cafe into the waiting car out front.
Garrett pushed Carmen into the front seat beside Vito, which left me all alone with him in the back with the privacy screen up.
"Overreacting much," I said, folding my arms.
"You need to be completely honest with me here, Isabella," he said. He held his watch to his ear, clearly someone was talking to him through it, I just wondered who it was.
"I haven't done anything."
"Your friend, you remember him. Who is he really?" Garrett asked.
"My what?"
"For your sake, I would answer the question."
"What the hell is going on?" I demanded. "Why did you drag me out of there like that? I have a right to know, Garrett."
"Your Sicilian friend, the one who you supposedly ran into last week."
Michael? What did Michael have to do with any of this? Who was Garrett whispering to through his watch?
"What about him?" I asked, cautiously.
"What aren't you telling us about him?"
"Us? Who are you talking to through that watch?" I asked. Then it hit me. "You told him didn't you!?" I yelled.
"Shut the fuck up, Isabella," I heard Edward's angry voice vibrating from Garrett's watch.
"Who is he?" Garrett asked.
I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe he had told Edward. I thought he was...No, I couldn't trust Garrett either. I should have known better than to trust him. I should have but I didn't.
"Answer the fucking question!" I heard Edward's voice booming in again.
"He is...Was, he was a friend."
"Bullshit," Edward said.
"Hang up on him," I said. I wouldn't sit here and listen to him yell at me through a damn watch.
"He was at the cafe, Isabella, he was watching you. Him being in Manhattan may have been a coincidence, but not here. No one knows we are here, so how would he? What did you tell him? I know he gave you his number. Did you tell him where you were?"
"He didn't give me anything," I lied. "I didn't tell him anything. It probably wasn't even him. You're overreacting."
"I'm not an idiot, Isabella, I know who I saw."
"Well then, you're blind."
He was, he had to be, because there was absolutely no way Michael would be here in Lake Placid.
"It's my job to keep you safe. You can say whatever you want, that I'm blind, that I'm overreacting, but I can see what you are too blind to see. There is something not right with him. Wake the fuck up. There is more to your friend than you think."
~MINY~
Back at the estate, things were awkward. Carlisle was nowhere in sight, that in itself was a blessing. The last thing I needed right now was to hear him talk about me reproducing with his son. It baffled me how he could want that. How could they want to bring a child into this life?
Edward was, well, I don't quite know. The way he was acting, the look on his face, it was unrecognizable. I think he wanted to hurt me. He charged at me the moment I stepped out of the car. Grabbing onto my shoulders harshly, I could feel his nails as they dug into my skin, leaving cuts and bruises from his fingers from the strength of his grasp. Yes, Edward wanted to hurt me and if it had not been for Garrett stepping in to stop him, he would have.
Even though this was all Garrett's fault to begin with. He didn't need to tell Edward about anything. He didn't need to overreact, Michael wasn't there at the cafe, I didn't see him, and if he was, I knew he would have come up to me.
It was close to midnight, and Edward was locked in his office with Emmett. Carlisle had still to make an appearance.
I came down to the kitchen to grab something to eat, with Garrett following behind me. I never had a chance to finish lunch and I had skipped dinner. I refused to come down and eat with any of them, to sit at the table and smile and pretend everything was ok.
"Oh, you've decided to come down," Esme said.
She startled me. I didn't think anyone was down here at this hour.
"Jesus, Esme. You scared me," I said, holding on to my heart. Garrett put his hand on my shoulder, but I was quick to shrug him off. I didn't need him or his lying traitor hands on me.
"Why did you not join us for dinner?" She asked. It did not go unnoticed by me that her attitude towards me had changed. She sized me up and down with narrowed eyes. She looked at me as if I had committed some crime against her. It made me a little uneasy to be standing in the same room as her right now, even with Garrett behind me.
"I didn't…" I was going to lie and tell her I had not been feeling well, but why would I do that? Why would I lie to spare her feelings? I don't know what's come over me, but I just did not care any more. "You know what, I didn't want to come to dinner. I didn't want to sit at a table surrounded by any of you," I said.
She chuckled. Licking her lips, she came around the table at me.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't. I'm sure you would much rather be with your friend. What was his name...Michael, that's right," she said.
Her words would not have affected me as much if she were not looking at me with that expression, as if I had somehow betrayed her, her family, Edward.
"I'm sorry that you feel offended by my friend, but that's all he was, a friend," I said.
"A male friend."
"I do believe he was a male, yes."
"My family is not for you to degrade. Our family, our associates saw you in Ragusa, parading around with a man who was not your husband, a man we do not know anything about."
"If you are going to scold me for this, Esme, then you should also go after your son. After all, he did parade his whore around and you tried to cover it up," I said, watching as her face turned into one of pure rage.
"How dare you," she spat.
"Not so good when the shoe's on the other foot, is it?"
I don't know what had gotten into me. I don't know where all this was coming from, but it felt good. It felt good to know I was making Esme angry. It felt good to let it all out. It felt good to not care anymore.
That was it, that's what it was, I didn't care anymore because there was nothing they could do to me that hadn't already been done.
I was going to leave, I had lost my appetite, I couldn't stomach anything, but before I left I turned back around to face Esme.
"You know, I envy Anthony."
I watched her face fall at the mention of her dead son's name. It was a low blow for me to attack her there, but as I said, I did not care. I was prepared to deal with whatever consequences came from this.
"He got the easy way out. He got death. He got to leave all you fucked up people behind and burn in hell. I wish I would have been that lucky. Burning in hell would have been better than burning here with you all." With that I turned and left not waiting for any response.
Garrett was hot on my tail as I made my way back up to my room.
"That was harsh. There was no need for that," he said.
"The truth hurts. It's not my fault she can't handle it." I shrugged.
I reached my door. I turned around and put my hand on Garrett's chest, pushing him back.
"I'm going to have a shower and then I'm going to go to sleep. You don't have to come in after me and I don't need an audience," walking into my room and closing the door in his face, locking it to make sure he would not come in.
I didn't want to take a shower and I couldn't sleep either. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Edward's car keys sitting on top of the dresser, but he wasn't in here.
I grabbed the keys, tossing them around in my hand as I went and sat by the open window. Looking out the window, I could see he had left his car further away from the house. He had been driving behind us earlier. I guess in his anger, he had left his car as quickly as he could to come and get to me.
This room was on the second floor. I stuck my head out the window looking down at the drop. It was a long way down. I noticed there was a lattice with some sort of vine along the side of my window. I wondered if it would be strong enough to hold me?
I shouldn't do this. I know I shouldn't do this. I didn't think about it, no, I didn't give it a second thought as I climbed out the window, with Edward's keys hot in my pocket. I climbed down the lattice. It was unsteady, I thought it would break with me at one point, but I made it to the bottom.
As my feet touched the ground I looked back up at the window to see if Garrett had was standing there watching me, but I guess he hadn't come in yet. I looked all around, there was no one out here.
Very cautiously and as quiet as I could be, I made my way to the car. I climbed in and started the engine. If someone had noticed me, they weren't doing anything to stop me. I drove down the driveway as fast as I could. I knew I needed to get out of sight from the house, I just had no idea where I was going. I couldn't very well drive out the front gates.
Turning off the driveway, I drove along fence line in the grass, hoping I could find another way out, even if I had to jump the fence.
My prayers were answered. A little further up, close to the back of the property, was a wide gate, although I doubt it would be wide enough for the car to fit through, but it was worth a try.
I climbed out, looking around for any sign that someone was coming after me, before I opened the gate as wide as it would go.
I didn't think about it. I knew there was a chance I was about to wreck Edward's car, but it was a risk I was willing to take.
I put my foot on the accelerator and gave the car enough gas to make it through the gate, but not without taking out the left side mirror and scratching the car from hood to trunk.
I had made it through. I had made it out. I couldn't help but laugh. I had made it out undetected. The thought alone made me giddy. I had no idea where I was going. The road I traveled down led me into a part of Lake Placid I hadn't been in before, I doubted it was even part of the town.
I left the car at the top of what looked like the main street. It was well after midnight now and everything was closed. However, I could hear music coming from nearby. The perfect hiding place.
I had never been the sort of person to be interested in clubbing. I had never been to a club before tonight. I didn't understand why people found these places so attractive, if anything, it was giving me a headache. The pounding music, the smell of sweaty bodies and alcohol overwhelmed my senses. I don't know why I came here. However, it was the only place currently open at this time of night and it was dark enough to hide me, for a few hours at least, I hoped.
I knew it would only be a matter of time until Garrett realizes I'm not where I said I would be. I knew he would tell Edward and I knew they would come looking for me.
I know that my actions were going to get Garrett in trouble, if not, killed, but in the heat of the moment I could not bring myself to care. I hated him, I hated every lying part of him. He betrayed me. He was a liar, just like Edward, just like Carlisle, like Esme. They were all liars. That shouldn't have surprised me, not anymore, yet it still did.
I pushed all of it to the furthest part of my mind. I knew my time was limited and I was determined to enjoy every second of the freedom I had made for myself.
I was on my third drink in so many minutes, although I didn't have any money with me, the bartender didn't seem to mind supplying me with drinks. I don't know what it was I had been given, I had asked for something strong and that's exactly what I got.
With my drink in hand, I moved away from the bar and down to where the bodies of people were all dancing together, rubbing up against each other. It wasn't nice to stare at people, especially when they were locked in such an intimate moment. I found myself unable to look away from a couple on the dance floor that were grinding up against each other.
He had his hands on her hips as she moved against him with one of his legs between her thighs. It wasn't there dirty dancing that held my attention, no, it was the way he was looking at her, as if she were special, the only one in this room.
I won't lie, I felt jealous of this mystery couple, of the unknown woman, because she had something I wanted. Not the man, but the attention, the affection he was showering her with. I never thought I would want that sort of attention from someone.
I threw my drink back, letting the strong liquor burn its way down my throat. I started to feel a little dizzy. I hoped it wouldn't take Edward or Garrett too long to find me, because I had no idea how to get back to the estate on my own.
I turned around ready to head back over to the bar. I needed to sit down before I ended up on the floor. However, as my body turned around, my eyes landed on a person standing too close behind me. I hadn't noticed anyone around me. He didn't look angry, even though I had expected him to. As I moved closer to him I realized it wasn't my husband who had been standing behind me.
My mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish. Words failed me. I must have had more to drink than I first thought because this was impossible, this wasn't real. This was a dream, it had to be, otherwise I had to be dead.
He smirked at me, bringing his hand up to the back of my neck and pulling me closer to his face. We stood nose to nose. I could smell him, see him clearly, feel him.
"Hello little lamb."