An Interesting Visitor

Edward whispered while he pushed me behind him, so I couldn´t see the unwelcome visitor anymore. ¨How do you know him?¨

I gasped and held his hand in mine. ¨Wait, you also know him? How?¨

Something here was way off. Edward frowned and turned his head to the visitor again, eyeing him out and anticipating what he would do. I felt in the core of my stomach that Jacob -that was his name, I was sure of it- wouldn´t do anything to harm us. I didn't know why, but I felt it.

However, the rest didn't feel so at ease. Jasper stood in front of Alice just as Edward did with me, trying to protect her. The little pixie didn't need protection, as she clenched and unclenched her hands, preparing herself for battle.

Jacob quietly looked at everyone and an annoyed smile settled onto his face.

¨Well, well, well. After all this time, this is how you welcome me?¨

Emmett took an angry step in his direction. His shoulders were tense and that surprised me.

I mean, sure, everyone here was anxious, I guess. Well, except for me, of course. But Emmett seemed so far off from his normal behaviour. It was weird seeing him like this.

¨Em, don´t,¨ shouted Alice.

¨Yeah, Em, don´t,¨ imitated Jacob mockingly.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. I glanced at Jasper and knew he had something to do with it. Emmett even backed off, so whatever Jasper was doing to us, it clearly worked.

¨And you,¨ Jacob pointed at Rosalie, who looked paler than she ever did before. ¨Blondie, is this how you welcome your own brother?¨

I gasped and Edward shot me a warning glance. Right, I needed to keep quiet.

Rosalie shook her head and tossed her pom-poms to the side. She ran a hand through her long curls and took her place next to Emmett. She looked at Jacob and smiled without humour. ¨You lost that title a long time ago.¨

¨Still as fierce as ever, I like that.¨

But Emmett didn't like how Jacob spoke to his girlfriend. He took a step further in his direction and I held my breath.

Now that he had his back turned to me, I could finally see how ripped Jacob really was. His shoulders were extremely broad and it almost matched Emmett´s. Jacob was dressed up as a werewolf for the occasion, a fur tail and fake claws completed his brown outfit.

Standing in front of each other, I noticed that both men were equally as strong, it seemed and I didn´t want to see what damage they could do to the other.

Luckily, Jasper sent another wave of calmth through the air before it could lead to an actual fight and I sighed with relief.

Jacob might be a trick, Jasper sure was a treat at this point.

Because I suddenly made a sound, Jacob glanced in our direction and noticed me standing right next to Edward. Edward blocked the view, trying to keep me safe but it was already too late. Jacob cocked his head to the side and frowned.

¨Bella?¨

I smiled. I didn't know why or how I could smile after such a nerve-wracking encounter, but I did. ¨Jacob?¨

He laughed. ¨Where the hell have you been, loca?¨

Edward looked from Jacob to me and his face became unreadable. He let go of my hand and I instinctively missed his touch. I tried to reach out to him, but Jacob quickly took his place. It happened so fast, even I couldn't see it with my hybrid vision.

Edward stood on the other end of the living room, with such an odd expression on his face. I couldn't quite understand it at all. But I didn't have long to think about it, as Jacob demanded my attention.

¨Well?¨

I blinked. What did he ask of me again? Oh yeah, where I´ve been. That would be easy enough to answer, because the answer was as weird as could be.

¨Well, I've moved around a lot, I guess,¨ I said lamely.

He rolled his eyes. ¨I figured as I haven't seen you or your family in ages.¨

¨Yeah.¨

A sound made me look up. Rosalie had broken Emmett´s shirt with how hard she held onto him. She looked angry and I didn´t know why.

I looked at the rest of the Cullens to see what they thought of it, but much to my surprise, they all seemed… odd?

Alice looked as if she could cry, Emmett looked as if someone had slapped him and Edward seemed… like a statue. Motionless. Dead. Not human.

Scary even.

Jacob frowned. ¨You act as if you don't remember me.¨

¨To be quite frank with you, I don't.¨

I shivered, suddenly I felt ice-cold and completely out of place here. I didn't even know this man in front of me. Why was he talking to me as if we were best friends or something like that?

My headache started to come back and I sat down on the cold floor. It was a bit too much. Too many things happened in a too short period of time.

¨What's wrong with her?¨ I heard someone -Jacob, I guess- ask, but I only focussed on my own breathing. It had helped me before so hopefully, it will help me again this time.

A pair of strong hands helped me up and before I knew it, I lay in Edward's arms and he carried me towards his room. I noticed I was put down on something soft, but I couldn't quite guess what it was.

Everything went black.

In my fever dream, I think that what it's called, I dreamt of Jacob. I knew he wasn't always this intimidating. I didn't know why, but I knew it for sure.

When he talked to me, even in the few words we´ve spoken to each other, he seemed genuinely nice. Really nice.

So I wondered why everyone else seemed to… dislike him so much. What had he done? Why did he receive such treatment from everyone else? And since when are he and Rosalie related?

In my dream, I clearly saw his caramel coloured skin without his Halloween costume. It seemed familiar, like I had to know him from somewhere. I had to know him from before today.

Which was basically what he already told me. And it explained why I knew his name.

And even in my dream, I grew frustrated with myself and my stupid brain. My stupid lack of everything ruined whatever had happened before.

When I felt someone close to me, I woke up and realised I was in a bed. I looked around me and noticed the bed stood in Edward's room. I didn't have long to find that cute, that he put a bed in his room, for me to sleep in, because he sat at my feet and the look on his face told me to stay quiet.

¨What's wrong?¨ I whispered, even though I kind of knew the answer already.

¨Besides the obvious,¨ he responded harshly and it sent a shiver down my spine I didn't like.

Because it was not the correct kind of shiver. Not the kind of shivers I wished I felt right now, with him and me, sharing a bed, in his room and being close to each other.

No, these shivers felt different.

They felt wrong.

¨I don´t understand, Edward,¨ I mumbled. ¨I don't know where I seem to know… him… from.¨

He sighed.

I got up and reached out to him. He sat motionless next to my feet, so I removed the blanket and made my way over to him. I needed to be close to him, as he felt so distant.

¨Please tell me,¨ I begged. ¨Tell me what's going on.¨

Edward pressed his fingers to his nose. If I hadn´t seen him tremble so much, I would´ve thought he didn't care at all. He sighed again and his face became unreadable.

¨Rosalie was part of a… different family before she met us,¨ he eventually explained.

¨Different how?¨

¨They didn't only eat animals, if you catch my drift.¨

He glanced over to me and I shivered from fear, I guess. I never knew that. I always assumed the Cullens were all… But I guess they didn´t…

¨So Rosalie…?¨

Edward nodded. ¨Had some troubles with this lifestyle? Yes, of course. She was brought up under different rules.¨

I looked away from him. So Rosalie had a different family, but what did that have to do with anything? And who was Jacob?

¨Jacob´s her brother. Or at least, they´re from the same coven,¨ Edward explained as if he could read my mind. I guess it comes in handy sometimes. ¨And he doesn't like it that much that Rosalie chose a different lifestyle than him.¨

I turned away from Edward and looked out of the window. The moon shined bright and it could´ve been a perfect Halloween. Full moon, rain, scary movies and lots of snacks. Add a house full of vampires to the mix and it would've been a Halloween to remember.

However, something way spookier than any movie was happening right now.

I closed my eyes. ¨I understand there might be some history here or something. But what does that have to do with me?¨

I opened my eyes to find Edward frowning at me. I didn't like that at all. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it again.

I couldn't stand the distance between us any longer, so I reached out to grab his hand. However, he leaned back and stood up from the bed.

¨What does that have to do with you? That's what I would like to know.¨