Chapter. 9

Anything related to Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Epov

I needed a while until I could drive home. I just sat in my car on the side of the road until I was confident I wouldn't cause an accident and end up scaring my mother to death. She was probably already wondering where I was. When I looked at the dash I noticed it had only been an hour since we left school. It felt like a decade. I parked in the driveway and walked to the door fishing the keys out of my pocket. Opening the door I could already hear my mom calling for me.

"Edward honey? Is it you? Where were you I was just going to call you?" She came around the corner stopping in front of me with a concerned look.

"Sorry mom, something came up on the way home so it took me a little longer." I tried to smile at her but she saw right through me. Of course. Sometimes I wondered if she could read minds but she just called it motherly instinct.

"What happened? And where is your bag?" I frowned, then looked at myself.

"I guess I forgot it in the car... I'll get it." I turned to walk back to the car but mom stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Come on, let's sit down." She brought me to the living room couch and sat me down. "Now, tell me what's going on. Something has got you rattled." She began rubbing my back soothingly. I debated telling her about what was going on. I didn't even know how to explain it. I didn't even know what had happened. Maybe mom would understand it better than I. So I told her everything. From meeting Bella on her first day to my multiple screw-ups, and to the car ride and the subsequent troubling ending. She didn't interrupt me. She just let me talk. I hope she could understand what I was telling her because not only couldn't I make sense of it myself but I was so frantic my words were mushed together making them hard to understand.

"Oh, honey. You're already in so deep." She mused when I had finished. She had a mischievous grin on her face and looked somehow...happy. Which was so not appropriate for what I had told her. Maybe she really didn't understand a word I said. "Mom, did you hear what I just said?" She just nodded. Continued her grinning and rubbing my back.

"Thanks. Big help." I grumbled beginning to stand.

"Wait. I'm sorry. I just... You'll see. But you're right. I think you should go see her. Talk to her away from school. On her turf so to speak. But don't pressure her into telling you anything. It's obviously quite personal. Just be honest. Tell her you're worried and wanted to make sure she's ok. I'm certain she'll let you in. The door that is." She added with a wink. Maybe she was right. She would be more relaxed at home. The Chief already knew how I knew her. I'm sure he would let me see her. I stood up going toward the front door again. "Edward, where are you going?" Mom called after me.

"To see her. Like you said." I answered. She chuckled.

"Not right now Romeo. She just got home. And considering what happened I think she needs a breather. Wait till tomorrow." I stopped in front of the door. Right. She was right. I just didn't want to wait. I sighed. If I wanted to really talk to her I had to give her some time to recover from today. Tomorrow. I walked past my mother intending to go up to my room.

"Edward. Your bag." She chuckled again. Shaking her head at me. What the hell was so funny about this situation?

I purposely avoided her in school the next day. I didn't want to push her. So every time I saw her in class or the hall I took a quick look at her and walked away. Later I told myself. Just a couple more hours.

When I stood outside the door of the small White House and noticed that the police cruiser was missing I began to second guess myself. Maybe she wasn't home? She could be with the chief or that Jake guy. Or the chief was just still at work. But he picked her up from school a while ago... Shaking my head at myself I took the steps to the front door. Just knock and see, stupid!

"Coming!" Someone called from behind the door. It was Bellas's voice. I took a relieved breath. It took a while for her to open the door. I heard some cursing and thumping before the door opened. It took me a moment to realize she was sitting in front of me. In a wheelchair. I schooled my expression as fast as I could but she had already seen the surprise and obvious questions on my face. She was clearly shocked to see me standing at her door. I gave her a friendly smile and started with my rehearsed script.

"Hi, I'm sorry I didn't call before I came. I just wanted to see how you were doing." I got all of it out in a rather relaxed way. I was proud of myself. She still had her hand holding the door. She was wearing yoga pants and a cropped oversized sweatshirt. I could see spatters of paint on her clothes her hands and her face. Even in her hair. She must be painting. Maybe she would let me see, I thought hopefully.

"Yeah, ahm...well. Come in. It's raining." It was only a drizzle but I wouldn't complain. She rolled out of the way so I could come in and shut the some behind me. The hall was so small she had trouble turning around. She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I smiled at her.

"No, thank you. Did I interrupt something?" I gestured to her state of coloring. She smirked.

"Yeah...I mean no. I was just painting." She waved it away with a hand motion.

"What were you painting if you don't mind me asking?" I asked carefully. I didn't know how she would react this time. The maybe last time seemed promising. She closed the door and came over to me looking up at me with a searching gaze.

"Again, it's hard to explain without seeing it."

"Can I see it then?" I crossed my fingers in my jeans pocket. She bit her lip glancing behind me.

"I...we kind of... would have to go up...there." She motioned to the stairs. I frowned.

"What do you mean?" She sighed a little frustrated and looked away again appearing embarrassed.

"Forget I said anything..." She mumbled going past me. At the bottom of the stairs was her cane. Without looking at me she slowly got out of the chair and proceeded to make her way up the stairs. Now I got it. Again, Stupid. I followed her way with my eyes. She was obviously self-conscious and that's why she clarified but I couldn't avert my eyes. I took a few steps so I was behind her. If she lost her balance and fell I could catch her. Wrap my arms around her...

We made it to her room and I inhaled sharply. How long had she been in Forks for? Three weeks maybe? It looked lived in. Like she had always been here.

The room was parted in two. Like an invisible line had been drawn. On my left were her bed, a small desk with a lamp, and the right side of the room was filled with scattered art supplies. From canvases to pencils and paper, paints and brushes. A big easel was standing in the middle of the room facing the door with a small rotating stool in front of it. My eyes were fixed on the canvas on the easel. She was right. How would you explain it? I mean, it wasn't abstract. Not in the least. But there were so many different things you noticed all at once. Too much to explain. And was art explainable at all? The colors were vibrant. the brushstrokes were precise but expressionistic. It depicted a large field almost glowing yellow from the sun. There was a barn on the right and woods in the background. Horses grazing, a foal hopping around among them. I swore I could make out the mosquitoes dancing in the sun and smell the grass.

"I'm still working on it." She clarified. I was stunned. how could it not be finished? What was there still to do?

"It's perfect. I wouldn't change a thing... I feel like I'm there." I was still staring at it. finding new things with every move of my eyes.

"Where is it?" It had to be a real place. And I suddenly desperately wanted to be there.

"North Carolina." she almost whispered reverently. I looked over at her. She was looking at the painting a wistful look crossing her eyes.

"When were you there?" I asked carefully. I wanted to keep her talking.

"When I was little. We lived there for almost a year." I wondered who she meant with we. It couldn't be the chief he never left Forks for more than a couple of weeks.

"How was it?" She went over and sat on the small stool. A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Magical. That summer was perfect. Warm but not too hot so you could stay in the sun without getting roasted like in Arizona. But the evenings were my favorite. It would stay comfortably warm till late at night. And when you went to the edge of the woods and waited patiently the air would be filled with fireflies. Like it was sparkling." her gaze had shifted to a point behind the painting. I moved closer to see what she was looking at. A few painted canvases were leaning against the wall. At the front was a medium-sized one that depicted exactly what she had just described. I had never seen fireflies myself but she obviously had.

"You're amazing." I blurted. Quickly turning to see her reaction. She blushed and looked away but still wore that small smile.

"Tell me more." I encouraged. Hoping she would accept my interest. She looked back up at me penetrating me with her gaze like she was trying to figure me out. Well, same here.

"About what?" I thought only for a second.

"Anything." She huffed.

"That's pretty extensive. Care to narrow that down a bit." She joked. I went with the first thing that came to mind. Something that would make the scene she had laid out for me clearer.

"Who did you see the fireflies with?" I thought it was a rather innocent question but by now I should know not to preempt anything. Her face crumpled and the agonized look I had seen multiple times now was once again displayed clear as day. Her fingers went to toy with the ring I had noticed. She hung her head.

"My brother." I hadn't expected her to answer and I almost missed it. Her brother. She had a brother. But what did her reaction mean? I slowly sat down on her bed. Like she would get scared like a... if I moved too fast.

"Tell me about him." Please keep talking to me please keep talking to me. To my surprise, she didn't even hesitate. Like she had waited for me to say exactly that.

"His name is Emmett." She stumbled a little over the word is. My heart clenched in dread.

"We are six years apart. But you wouldn't notice it if you saw us. He looks like our mom." She was staring at the painting in front of her again.

"He taught me how to ride a horse when I was six. It didn't go well." A chuckle escaped her followed by a choked sob. Without thinking and on instinct I reached out my hand and grasped hers that lay on her thigh the other was over her lips trying to keep anything else from escaping. The contact immediately started the now familiar electric hum. The warmth again traveled up my arm and settled in my chest. She stared at our hands. Then laced our hands together just as she had in school. I was determent to not pull back this time. Still, I watched her face for any sign of discomfort. She lifted her head and I caught her eyes. Being bold I lifted my other hand and scooted a little closer to her and cupped her cheek with my hand.

"Please, tell me," I whispered. To fixed on her eyes to realize I was probably prodding her too much. Her eyes slid close.

"He died." She whispered back. My breath caught involuntary and I could feel her cheek move under my hand when she flinched at the sound. Died. The obvious question running through my head was How. I ignored it. Focusing on Bella. Her eyes were still closed. I untangled our joined hands noticing her cringe probably taking that as she did last time. I moved that hand to cup her other cheek. Her eyes flew open.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine..." I thought of my sister. How much I looked forward to her going away to college. We didn't get along. I knew that. But she was my sister. Losing her would destroy me.

Her hands came up and I thought she was going to move my hands from her face. But instead, she wrapped her fingers around my wrists her thumps moving over the sensitive skin on the inside. The feeling of connection was overwhelming. I had to ask.

"Can you feel that too?" She nodded. Our eyes still locked.

"What is that?"

"I have no idea." She answered giving me a small smile. That made me focus on her lips. Not a good idea. My rationale tried to warn me. But I was hypnotized. Moving closer like we were magnetic I glanced up a millisecond before our lips touched. She hadn't moved an inch. When I saw her eyes I moved my head to the side and instead moved my lips to her cheek. She breathed out heavily. I Instantly chastised myself for trying to kiss her after she had made herself so vulnerable by telling me something so painful.

"I'm sorry," I said pulling my hands from her face and looking away.

"Don't be." I whipped around. She was blushing.

"I'm just... overwhelmed." She smiled. It was an honest one. I smiled back. Maybe I hadn't screwed up anything yet.

"So... Where did you learn to paint like that?" She let out a laugh.

"Nowhere."

"What? Are you shitting me? How long have you been painting then?" She got a glint in her eyes like she had expected that follow-up question.

"Around ten months." My eyes bulged. How was that possible? She then told me about her grandma. I guess it was in her genes. The conversation was lighter now. But her revelation was always in the back of my mind. I absorbed every bit of information about her like a sponge but she kept moving the conversation to me. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable so I told her about my family. Especially my mom. I knew she would love Bella.

It was dark outside by the time I got a text from my mom reminding me of my curfew. I cursed my sister for that. Dad had caught her sneaking back in when he came home early in the morning hours after a night shift. She had been to a party. The curfew was now at ten-thirty instead of eleven-thirty. So I already had to go home. Bella wanted to show me to the door but I declined. I didn't want her to have to go down and up the stairs again just to show me out. She agreed reluctantly. I couldn't resist kissing her cheek again before I left. She didn't disappoint by blushing profusely. I grinned the whole way home.

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