Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews!
Fran, Mr G and Me, and Monica03, thank you so much for all of your help. (Any mistakes you see are my own!)
SM owns everything Twilight.
Saturday arrives with the loud voices of Rose and Vera. They talk over one another in between rounds of hugs and squeals; I can't make out a single word they're saying, but all that matters are they can.
Their voices get louder as they come up the stairs, disappearing into Rose's room, filling the upper level of the house with excited tones. I wish I could tune them out by putting in my earbuds and blasting my music, but I don't want to ruin them with hair dye.
Made that mistake before.
Nearly an hour and a half later, I'm dressed and downstairs, replying to one of Alice's many texts with a heavy sigh. She's asked me more than once if I'm coming over and whether I'm done with my hair, but I couldn't exactly answer since I was in the shower.
I fire off a quick reply, telling her I'm leaving.
In the living room, my mother is dancing and singing along with the radio as she dusts, her hair billowing out behind her. Dad sits in his recliner, television off, watching with an affectionate smile.
She stops when she sees me, a bright smile on her face.
"Oh, you look beautiful!" she says, cradling my cheeks between her palms. She does a quick once over on my hair, nodding in approval. "Beautiful. You're getting better."
"It's about time."
"Perfection takes time," she reminds me. "You're going to Alice's now?"
"Yep. What time are you and Dad starting your date?"
"I don't know. Probably four or so," she answers, leaning down to kiss his cheek. He smiles sweetly at her in return, looking love-struck. It never fails to amaze me that they're still so much in love after being together nearly nineteen years. "I'm so excited! Are you going to be coming back by the house after you're finished at Alice's, Bella?"
"Yeah, Rose, Jasper and I have plans, I think."
I'm not too sure about Jasper joining Rose and me; he said he would think about it and get back to us, but so far, he's been quiet on that front. I guess we'll see what he's doing later. It makes me wonder why he's acting so evasive.
"Wonderful. Have fun!"
I nod and start to head out, but Dad's voice calls me back. I walk backward, turning so I can see him.
"Do you have your cell phone?"
"Yep," I reply, patting my purse.
"Good. Call if you need anything."
"I will."
I start out the door once more, but pause I hear Dad's words. "While you're over there today, invite the Cullen's over here."
I backtrack, staring at him with wide eyes. "Why? What for?"
"Because you're friends with Alice and we should meet your friends." By his side, Mom nods with a smile.
"Fine," I say a sigh.
"I'm telling Jasper to invite Emmett and Edward too." I freeze, hoping my ears were deceiving me. "It'd be nice to have the whole family over, don't you think?"
"Not really."
"Bella," he says, his tone disapproving. "Jasper is friends with them. Be polite."
"If I have to," I reply with a grumble. "Don't you have a poker game with Carlisle? Can't you ask him?"
"I could," he hedges. "But it'll look nicer coming from you."
"All right." I sigh dramatically. I'm not too sure about Edward being here, but then again, he'll be on my turf.
Oh, the possibilities.
"I have to go now, though. I'll see you later."
Taking the truck keys off the hook, I tell my parents goodbye. I'm tempted to take Rose's car, but she would never let me forget it if I put a scratch on it … again.
"Be safe!"
"Have fun!" my parents shout at the same time.
"Of course. Jasper, I'm leaving!"
I jump in the truck, watching as Jasper comes running out, his shirt halfway on with a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth. I watch with amusement as he tries to dress, eat, and run.
He's not very successful in his tasks. He drops one piece of his toast and nearly trips over his untied sneakers. I muffle my laughter with the back of my hand and bite the inside of my cheek.
"Hey," he says, jumping into the cab, breathless. After his seatbelt is buckled, he turns to me with a glare. "You couldn't have waited for me?"
"I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Barely," he mumbles around another bite of toast, still looking displeased.
"Jeez, you're a crab this morning. I'm half tempted to push you out," I mumble, accelerating down the road.
He sighs, leaning his head back. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous. I still haven't sorted out everything."
"What about? Alice?"
A quick, worried look out of the corner of his eye tells me all I need to know. "You're overthinking this, Jasper. Just take your time and think things out. No one is forcing you to make a decision right now."
Nodding, he lapses into silence for the rest of the drive, his head resting against the back of the seat. I give him the silence and space he needs.
Plus, I need to keep an eye on the directions. I don't want to get lost.
Ten minutes later, I pull up in the Cullen's driveway. Jasper straightens, looking up at the house somewhat nervously.
Reaching over, I slap his arm. "Hey. You're here to hang out with Emmett and Edward."
A smile grows on his lips. "Yeah." He trails off in a short laugh. "Sorry. I'm just …"
"Weird," I finish for him. "It's okay. I love you anyway."
He laughs, shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath. I watch with amusement as he jumps out, standing in front of the truck, impatiently waving for me to hurry up.
"Excited?"
"Yeah!" He exclaims, his face bright and youthful, not bogged down by worry.
"For what?"
"I'm playing a game with the guys. It has amazing graphics and new features. I've been itching to play this game for months! I don't know how they got ahold of a copy; I've been on the waiting list since it was announced three months ago!"
"Ah." I nod like I know what he's talking about, and start for the front door, but Jasper isn't convinced.
"I told you about it," he says, trailing after me. "Come on, you remember, don't you? That zombie survival game? The one with a new, mutated zombie with kickass powers? You watched the trailer and said it looked cool; you promised to play it with me."
I vaguely remember seeing the commercials and Jasper's excitement for it after he went online to read all about it, so I nod once more.
"It's gonna be great!"
"I'm sure it will be."
Reaching out, I press the doorbell and seconds later; the door opens to Dr. C's smiling face. "Bella! How lovely to see you. How are you?"
"I'm not in jail yet or wanted in any states, so all is good."
He laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and turns his attention to Jasper. "Unfortunately, we haven't had the pleasure of meeting, and I'm sorry about that. Work at the hospital takes me away from my family quite a bit. I'm Carlisle Cullen. Emmett, Edward, and Alice's father. You must be Jasper; I've heard a lot about you."
Jasper pales, swallowing thickly and tugging at the collar of his shirt. "I … uh … what have …"
Discretely, I kick him in the shin, refraining from shaking my head and muttering a curse.
Of course, he's heard of my idiot of a cousin; he's friends with his sons.
Seemingly catching on to my thoughts, Jasper's face reddens, and he clears his throat, a sheepish expression on his face.
"I'm sorry; I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
Dr. C nods, waving off his words with an understanding grin, but his eyes are dancing with amusement.
"Of course. Do come in, you two."
He steps aside, and we walk in, immediately greeted by Alice.
She rushes up to me, her face alight in excitement and anticipation. "Hi, Bella. I'm so glad you're here! Your hair looks so good," she gushes, fingering a few strands of deep burgundy and purple. "Beautiful!"
"Thanks."
Ever so slightly, her eyes drift over to Jasper. "Hello, Jasper."
He bows his head slightly, murmuring his greeting, shuffling to the left, closer to me. Dr. C quietly whispers something to Alice, who nods, before excusing himself.
Before things can get too awkward, I look expectantly at Alice.
"So, what are the plans for today?"
Alice gestures toward the stairs with a beaming grin. "I have movies set up in my room." She stops suddenly, tapping a finger against her bottom lip as her eyebrows come together. "Do you want snacks? I'm not sure what to do for a movie marathon."
"Maybe later," I suggest, wanting to take the pressure off. I don't want to make this more difficult than it needs to be.
Happily, she nods and heads upstairs, her feet barely making a sound. At the landing, she turns, ducking down to look at Jasper, who is staring after us quizzically.
"I'll send Emmett and Edward down. Make yourself at home."
Without waiting for a response, she rises and prances down the hallway. As I follow, I take in the art hanging on the walls.
Framed black and white photographs adorn the first section of the wall, showcasing different members of the Cullen family; Carlisle standing with his arms wrapped an Esme. Both of their heads are turned toward one another, their foreheads almost touching as they stare into each other's eyes, small smiles gracing their lips.
Next, are pictures of the Cullen kids; Emmett and Alice are always at the forefront, huge smiles on their faces, their eyes twinkling with merriment. One thing I notice is that Edward is either in the background of the pictures, brooding and sullen, or he's missing entirely.
The photos transition into color, showing varying events; anniversaries, fundraisers, and candid family portraits.
From the stunning pop of color and effects in some, it's clear Alice is responsible for these shots that look as if they belong in a movie, rather than here in the real world.
Artwork takes the place of pictures the further we go down the hall, and I pause at one particularly odd piece. It almost looks a blanket, with a series of different colored fabrics of a creamy beige, navy blue, forest green, and burgundy stitched together.
It's kind of an odd piece, and I turn to ask Alice about it, but she's at the last door at the end of the hall.
Hurrying forward, the question dies on my tongue as she knocks on the door.
"Edward's room," she informs, seeing my puzzled look.
Sucking in a breath through my teeth, I step back until my back hits the opposite wall.
The door opens, and Edward is there, wearing a black shirt and dark wash jeans. The darkness of his clothes sets off his pale skin, making it seem to glow in the muted light coming from within.
The corner of his lips twitch in a smirk, and I realize belatedly, that I'm staring at him with my mouth hanging partially open.
Snapping my jaw shut, I look over his shoulder, seeing the walls painted a soft ocean blue, a row of black bookcases and a desk sitting in front of a wall of glass. Vaguely, I surmise it must be the backyard, though I can't tell for sure. On the wall nearest the door is an unmade bed, the mattress clearly visible.
What's surprising is there is nothing in the room; no personal effects; no pictures, posters, books or binders. The only thing that hangs on the wall is a flat-screen television, perched in between two dark, cherry wooden doors.
Why doesn't the room look lived in? Where are his possessions? It looks as if this is just an empty room, ready for an occupant.
"Jasper's here," Alice tells him.
"Thanks."
Alice nods and turns, stepping back as Edward shuts the door once more.
"Obviously, that was Edward's room. And that," she says over her shoulder, pointing to the room one over from Edward's. "Is Emmett's."
"Where the magic happens!" he booms, opening his door and coming out into the hallway.
"I'm sure you and your right hand had many happy memories in there," I joke.
Emmett laughs, throwing his head back. "If you only knew the half of it," he says with a wink.
"Ew! Too much information, Emmett." Alice groans as I laugh.
"I'm joking!" he says with a chortle as his phone dings from the pockets of his shorts. The smile on his face is huge as his fingers fly over the screen. "Is Jasper here?"
"Downstairs."
He pockets his phone and nods once. "Excellent. Is Mr. Moody coming?"
"I'm here," the person in question says.
"Let's go get this party started then!"
Emmett bounds down the steps and Edward follows after him at a calmer pace. Before he disappears out of sight, he glances back at me with a slight smirk, leaving me to wonder what the hell he's up to.
I decide to put it out of my mind and go into Alice's room, stopping in the doorway in awe and shock.
Clothes, shoes, accessories, and various papers are strewn about the floor. I have to give her credit; you can see the carpet, but still. I would never have thought Alice was messy. You look at her, and her appearance just screams "calm and organized."
Appearances are deceiving, I guess.
Alice laughs at my shocked expression. "I know. It's a mess, but I know where everything is." Her eyes scan the chaos and she nods with a smile, seemingly satisfied with her appraisal. "As long as I tidy it every week, my parents don't have an issue. Come in."
Once I'm completely inside, I can take in more of her room, and I have to say, I'm impressed.
The walls definitely scream Alice with their mint green, and swirls of bright blue, pink, and yellow interspaced throughout. In the corner, next to a small desk, is a bookcase filled to the brim with books and binders, overstuffed with papers. On top is a small television, a dull red light gleaming in the corner.
Opposite of that is a daybed covered in a pink and purple comforter. Her room is nice, but the most magnificent feature is the wall of windows that overlooks the backyard.
From here, I can see the thick woods that surround the house, encasing the property with trees. I take all of it in with embarrassing awe, gazing through the glass with my mouth open in astonishment.
"Pretty cool, huh?"
"That's an understatement." If I had this view, I would never leave my room.
"Over to the left there, you can somewhat see the river that runs behind the house. It's kind of hard to see on this level; it's better from upstairs. But I love this view; the trees are very peaceful to me."
"Wow. How do you leave your room? This view is amazing!"
"It is pretty great," she replies with a laugh. "I'll admit, when we first got here, I just sat on the floor, staring outside. It's so peaceful."
I nod. I would do the same thing.
On her desk, I see a photo album resting on top, this one green and blue. I wonder if it has more of the pictures she had shown me before.
My fingers twitch to pick it up, but I remember my manners and ask before I make a move toward it.
"Of course!" she replies, snatching the book and thrusting in my direction.
She bounds over to the bed, patting the space beside her. "Come sit."
Taking the seat, I look through the album, seeing the same women—along with Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and a couple of new faces—littering the pages. The pictures are in a sepia tone, with a folded, crinkled appearance, giving it a vintage feel.
The dresses are gothic Victorian; all black lace, midnight blue, and deep red, the color of blood. They're all awe-inspiring, and I tell her so.
She looks up at me through her eyelashes and smiles shyly. "Thank you."
I want to ask her about the gorgeous couple in some of the pictures, especially about the light-haired man; there's a sense of familiarity in his strong features, but I never get the chance. She gently takes the album from me, setting it aside with care.
"So, ready to watch movies?"
Nodding, I watch as she turns on the television, settling into the mattress next to me. It surprises me that she didn't even have to find the channel hosting the marathon, but I guess she was completely prepared for today.
A quarter of the way into the second movie, an indignant shout reverberates throughout the house, making me jump.
"What the hell was that?"
"Emmett," Alice answers nonchalantly.
"Is he okay? He sounded pissed," I reply, slightly worried for the safety of the people downstairs.
Alice waves my concern away. "He's fine. He's only loud like that when he's losing. Pay him no mind."
Another shout and a loud crack have Alice sighing heavily, her head falling onto the mattress.
Grumbling under her breath, she jumps up and motions for me to follow.
Downstairs, the first thing I see is the flat screen television hanging at an odd angle on the wall, a large crack splintered from one corner to the middle. Glass litters the carpet, and a broken game controller sits among the mess. Off to the side, Carlisle looks on with exasperated disapproval as Edward and Jasper attempt to control their laughter, though the former looks a little shaken.
Esme runs into the room shortly after we arrive. Upon seeing the mess, her eyes widen, and she spins around toward Emmett.
"Look at what you've done! How many times have I told you, you need to control your temper?"
"More than a couple," Emmett mumbles, looking like a scolded puppy.
"Yes, more than a couple." Esme sighs in exasperation. "This is the third thing you've broken this month."
Edward, no longer able to control his humor, snorts, and Esme's head shoots up. "And you!"
"Me?" he asks, trying to be innocent. Honestly, I'm shocked he's behaving like this. I haven't seen him this carefree … ever. I wasn't even sure he was capable of having fun. This is certainly a strange week … I'm seeing a whole new dimension to Edward Cullen I never thought had existed before. "What did I do?"
"You know very well what you did. You egg him on, and this happens!" She waves her arms around, pointing to the broken television.
"I swear, this time, I'm innocent."
Esme regards him for a moment before shaking her head. "Nevertheless, you do egg him on, and that has to stop. Plus, this isn't funny!"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Emmett, you're cleaning this mess up right now, and you're purchasing a new television with your own money. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Mom."
That's all his punishment is going to be? At my house, that would have equaled months—if not years—of grounding and chores.
Jasper, seemingly on the same path as my thoughts, meets my gaze with an astonished look of his own.
"Wow," he mouths.
I nod in agreement, and our silent conversation gains Edward's attention. His eyes study me with a calculating gaze, searching my face for something. Not willing to play whatever mind games he has in store, I turn my eyes to Emmett, who hasn't moved from his position and is pouting at the television, much to the annoyance of Esme.
"Emmett?"
"What?" he questions, confused.
Esme looks astonished he doesn't know what she's talking about and looks at her husband. "Carlisle, what is wrong with our children?"
"I don't know, my love," he answers, trying to control the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Esme closes her eyes, drawing in a deep breath through her nose and holding it for a moment before releasing it and opening her eyes.
"Emmett, start cleaning this up and order a new television. Now. In the meantime, you'll be bringing your television down here. I refuse to miss my shows because of your carelessness."
Emmett jumps into action at Esme's firm tone, running into the kitchen and bringing back a trash can and the vacuum cleaner. While he cleans, Esme looks at Jasper and me.
"I'm sorry the two of you had to witness this."
"They better get used to it," Alice chimes in, walking over to her mother and placing a hand on her shoulder. "If they're going to hang around, they're going to see a lot of that and more."
"Isn't that the truth," Esme mumbles. "And, Emmett, if my wall is damaged, you're fixing that too."
"Yes, Mom," he says without argument, almost done with cleaning the mess on the floor.
Esme nods once. "Alice, come help me with something," she says, turning and leaving the room.
Carlisle follows after them, disappearing around the corner with a gentle smile. At this point, Emmett is done cleaning up the glass and mumbles about ordering the new television and making a phone call.
Having no idea what those two things mean unless he has a TV dealer, I shake it off.
Jasper saunters over, leaning against the banister. "Can you believe this? At our house, that would have been, what? Six months grounding?"
"If not more. I can't believe it; they are so cool."
Jasper nods in agreement. "Yeah."
"What happened?"
Jasper laughs, casting a nervous glance at the television. "Emmett chucked the controller right into the television. Hard. I don't know how he did that much damage, honestly."
"Emmett's a big guy," I murmur. "He probably has more strength than we think. Plus, some TV's are made shitty. You can look at them wrong and they'll break."
"Yeah," he mumbles cynically, looking at Edward as he steps closer. "So what are we going to do now?"
Edward shrugs. "I'll bring down Emmett's television and hook it up. It won't take long."
"Excellent." Jasper rubs his hands together in anticipation. "Can I help?"
"No, I got it."
"Are you sure?" Jasper questions, skeptically. "Those can be a little heavy."
"I'm sure. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Edward leaves us alone, but tension immediately begins falling like a heavy fog. When Alice reappears, and she and Jasper exchange awkward, stilted glances before quickly looking away. Jasper rubs the back of his neck, boring holes into the floor, while Alice stands at my side, twining her fingers together.
Feeling uncomfortable, I turn to Alice. "Do you want to continue the marathon?"
Eagerly, she nods. "Yes. Let's go."
Two movies later, it's late afternoon, meaning it's time to go.
I fully prepare myself to have to wrangle Jasper away from playing the video game, but to my surprise, he's standing near the front door, quietly talking with Edward.
When I reach the bottom step, Edward's eyes are on me, and Jasper follows his gaze.
"Hey, Bella. Ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"Wait!" Alice exclaims, holding out her hands. "I'm going to tell my parents you're leaving; they'll want to say goodbye."
"Okay."
"Let me go say bye to Emmett, and we'll get going," Jasper says shortly after she's gone, scurrying from the room, following behind Alice, leaving a good distance between them.
"Tell him goodbye for me, too."
"Will do."
With Jasper gone, it's just Edward. I try to focus on anything else besides him, but unfortunately, my eyes keep landing on him, and he keeps staring at me with an infuriatingly thoughtful gaze.
"What are you staring at?" I blurt out.
"Nothing," he answers easily. "You hair looks nice."
I give him a peculiar look, wondering if he's insulting me or complimenting me. It's hard to tell with the neutral sound of his voice … and the fact that he's never given me any compliments before.
"Was that a compliment?"
"Didn't it sound like one?" he questions, tilting his head to the side as he looks a tad confused.
"It did, but I was just so surprised to hear one come from you, I wasn't sure."
"I live to keep you on your toes. It keeps things more interesting; don't you agree?"
I scoff. "Maybe for you."
"Don't be so put out," he replies smoothly. "You'll think of a good comeback soon."
I find myself smiling at his teasing words. A pleasant thrill races through me as we converse like this. As much as I don't want to admit it, I much prefer this side of Edward. This is an Edward I can grow to like … and it scares the crap out of me because I think a part of me already does. A lot.
Edward smiles back, his face and posture relaxed. It's weird to think we're both smiling … at each other.
Knowingly.
On purpose.
It's weird.
"All right, you ready Bel … la?" Jasper trails off awkwardly.
I break away from Edward's eyes and turn to Jasper, who gives me a knowing smirk. I screw my face up at him, sticking my tongue out slightly.
"Yep. Let's go taunt Dad with the takeout food we'll be having tonight."
Jasper chuckles, shaking his head. "You're evil."
"Of course I am. You should know by now."
Esme, Alice, and Carlisle come in, giving Jasper and me warm smiles.
"I'm sorry about Emmett's behavior earlier. I hope you both had a nice time, regardless," Esme says, her arm wrapped around Carlisle's waist.
"It was a blast. You're the first parents I've seen that don't ground, so that makes you pretty cool," I tell them seriously. "In fact, I'm going to adopt you as my second pair of parental figures. Congratulations, it's a girl!"
They both laugh. "Well, we already think of you like family, so now it's official," Carlisle says.
"Yay! We're family!" Alice squeals.
It's then I remember the conversation with my father earlier this morning. "Oh, yeah. My dad wants to have you all over some time."
Esme smiles kindly. "That would be wonderful. I'll call your parents soon and set something up."
"Okay. See you later."
Jasper gives Edward a quick goodbye and follows me as I start to leave.
Before I'm fully out of the house, Emmett shouts from somewhere, "Bye, Bella!"
"Bye, Emmett!"
Jasper and I go out to the truck and leave the Cullen house, all without looking at Edward. Even though I'm not looking at him, I somehow know his eyes are watching me.
8*8*8*8*8
At home, my mother greets us at the door, wearing a white flowing summer dress, her light brown hair loosely curled, framing her glowing face.
She glances between us with a bright smile as she asks about our time at the Cullen house, and while she's happy Jasper and I have new friends, I know most of her happiness stems from the upcoming evening with my father. She loves their date nights.
"Did you two enjoy yourselves?"
"Yes, it was interesting," Jasper replies. "Emmett lost the game we were playing and broke the television."
Mom releases a short laugh, covering her mouth. "Oh, dear. That sounds … What happened?"
"He flung the controller straight into the screen; cracked it in half. His parents made him pay for a new one."
"As it should be." She nods firmly. "Bella, did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, it was really nice. I see you're ready for your date tonight," I say nodding to her outfit.
She spins, the skirt of her crème dress billowing out like a cloud around her. "I am. I got this earlier in the week; I saw it in a store window, and it spoke to me. I had to have it."
"It's definitely you. You look great."
"You really do, Aunt Ren," Jasper tells her, kissing her cheek. "And speaking of getting ready, I have to get ready myself. Excuse me."
Mom says something about prepping dinner, and I watch with amusement as she takes out bizarre ingredients, setting them down on the counter next to the skillet. I can't fathom what she would make with them, but my father will find out soon enough.
Ha!
In the living room, Dad is watching sports, but his eyes worriedly dart to the kitchen periodically. When I enter, he sheepishly smiles, shrugging his shoulders and patting the space next to him on the couch. I take a seat and lean against his arm, resting my head on his shoulder.
"What is she pulling out in there? I've heard her make frequent trips into the pantry."
"I believe there was a lemon, vanilla, chili pepper, and basil leaves."
Dad looks disgusted by what I've told him. "I can see I'll be sick tonight."
"You never know. It might be good."
He gives me a dubious look, but shrugs and changes the subject. "Did you have fun with Alice?"
"Yep. She's pretty cool."
Reaching over he pats my hand. "Good. I'm glad you found a friend in her. I get the feeling not a lot of people make that effort," he trails off, thoughtfully. I nod in agreement. There have been a few people who attempted to speak to her, but after a few minutes, they scatter away. I guess being different will do that to people. "Did you tell her and her parents about your folks wanting to meet them?"
I nod. "Yup. Mrs. Esme said she'd call you."
"Esme?" he repeats, raising an eyebrow.
I hold my hands in defense. "She insists on it. She gives you that scary 'mom' look if you call her Mrs. Cullen."
"Carlisle is the same way. He insisted at every turn for me to call him Carlisle when I met him."
"Yeah, he insisted with me too."
"Well, that's okay then."
The front door opens, and Rose and Vera's voices meet my ears. They come into the living room, whispering and giggling before Vera departs to get something from Rose's room.
To my surprise, Rose looks completely different … and I don't mean the lighter and more carefree aura she's radiating.
Her hair, once dyed a dark chocolate brown, is back to its natural appearance: a shimmery golden blonde that matches Jasper's perfectly.
"What?" Rose questions, fingering her new-old strands. "No good? I just … I'm just tired of being someone I'm not. I'm tired of not being me. Someone … someone told me I shouldn't allow people or fear to dictate who I am. I thought it was good advice. I thought it was time to look like me again."
Dad smiles fondly, rising from the couch. "You look beautiful, sweetheart." He pulls her into a hug and holds her tightly, whispering something in her ear.
She returns his hug, squeezing her eyes closed and rests her head on his shoulder. From my position, I see the gentle flow of tears cascading down her cheeks.
A moment later, she pulls away, laughing lightly as she wipes the wetness from her cheeks.
"I'm taking Vera home. Bella, you're coming with us, right? Maybe you, me, and Jasper can get some dinner and see a movie; spend some quality time together. What do you say?"
I give her a skeptical look. Dinner is fine, but Rose has different tastes in movies than Jasper, and I do. But who knows, maybe we can find common ground. It'll be good to spend time with her, as well. We haven't been together much since she's been studying so hard.
I miss the days where we would spend hours talking and painting together. Hopefully, before she leaves for college, we can do that again.
"Sounds good. When are you leaving?"
"When Jasper makes an appearance and when Vera comes back down."
"I'm here," the girl in question says, her black curly hair bouncing on her shoulders as she jumps off the last step. "Thanks for letting me borrow Rosalie today, Chief Swan."
"No problem at all, Vera. It was nice seeing you again. Hopefully, you can make another visit soon."
"I'll certainly try."
Dad nods, and I rise from the couch, going to stand with Rose. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"Your hair looks more vibrant today," Rose observes. "Did you renew your color?"
"I did."
Rose's lips twist with disapproval, and I shake my head, indicating I don't want to hear her lecture.
"I think it looks great, Bella," Vera tells me, smiling softly.
I thank her, and she smiles brighter, almost like she was afraid I would refuse her compliment. Although, I suppose that's a fair conclusion to come to; we haven't spent much time together, so she doesn't really know me that well. Plus, I'm sure if Rose tells it, I'm a terrible, morbid brat, which is only half true. I don't consider myself a brat.
"Let me see if Jasper is ready and then we'll go."
"No need," Jasper says, answering Rose's questions as he enters, looking put together in a pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt. He stops mid-step, staring at Rose for a long moment before a slow, proud smile stretches across his face. "You look great, sis."
Mom wanders in to say goodbye, immediately gushing over Rose's hair and Jasper's nice clothes.
"Oh, my babies are so grown," she enthuses, a little teary-eyed. "You're all so beautiful and grown-up looking. When did that happen?" Fondly, she cups my cheek, sweeping her fingers over my temple. "And you two!" She cries turning to Rose and Jasper. "You both look just like your parents. Don't they, Charlie?"
Dad nods, his eyes glassy looking. I know he misses his best friend; it must be hard to see reminders of him everywhere, but I know he wouldn't turn Rose or Jasper away for anything. He loves them as if they were his own.
"The spitting image of them. It's remarkable. It's like I've stepped through time."
Jasper's chest puffs up with pride while Rose blushes. That's the best compliment they could ever receive from anyone, I think.
"Thank you," Rose and Jasper murmur in sync.
After collecting themselves, Rose clears her throat. "We need to be going."
I take the hint and start for the door, turning back to my parents. "Be good and behave. Remember, we look up to you, so anything you don't want us to do, you shouldn't do," I joke.
They laugh, shaking their heads. "All right, all right. Get out of here. Be safe, be good. Call if there's anything you need, okay?"
"We will," Jasper and I say at the same time.
As I open the door to the backseat, the sounds of Katy Cyrus or whatever the hell her name is, meets my ears, and I groan under my breath, preparing myself for the longest hour of my life. The only good thing about this trip is, I won't suffer alone.
An hour and a half later, Jasper asked to be let out downtown, where he could pick up a special order. Rose protested, but he said it only made sense; he could run his errand and pick out a restaurant while Rose had her last moments with Vera.
Rose releases more than a few tears at her departure, which is rather odd. Sure, Vera lives over an hour away, but visits like this can happen frequently over the summer.
When they finally pull away from their tear-infested hugging, I wave to Vera as she goes into her house and gives Rose a few minutes to collect herself. Once her tears are dry, I ask her why she's so upset.
"You promise you won't tell anyone?"
"Rose, please," I scoff. "I'm not that type of person. I don't gossip."
"Of course, of course. You're right." She draws in a deep shuddering breath and begins speaking again. "Vera's leaving Washington in a couple of months."
Ah. That explains the crying. "Oh, is she graduating early like you?"
"No. Her parents are sending her to live with her grandparents in New York."
It doesn't make sense. Why uproot Vera during her senior year? Why not let her complete her last year of high school here, where she knows people and has friends close by?
Seconds later, my unspoken questions are answered.
"She's pregnant."
My eyes widen. "Oh."
"Yeah. Her parents are afraid she'll get picked on, so they want to send her to New York so she can go to a private school for pregnant teenagers."
"Wow. That's kind of old fashioned."
"I thought so too. But you know how it is in this area, Bella. Kids can be cruel, and Vera doesn't need that added stress. Plus, it'll be better for her and her baby; she has a lot of family in New York. She'll have a complete support system while she finishes high school and goes to college." She pauses for a moment, looking down at her hands. "Vera always talked about going to NYU. It's her dream school. She'll just be moving there sooner than she planned."
"What about the baby's father?"
Rose shrugs. "Vera hasn't told him yet. About moving, I mean. She knows he can't come with her and she's scared that once she's gone, then he'll forget about her and move on. I told her it wasn't likely to happen. He loves her; he proposed the second he found out about the pregnancy."
I don't really understand the whole situation. If Vera's boyfriend is willing to step up and be a father, then why separate them? I understand it'll be hard for Vera, but her father is always around since he was injured on the job a few years ago. He could help homeschool Vera during the later term of her pregnancy so she can graduate. Afterward, Vera and her boyfriend can decide what to do from there.
Then again, it's really none of my business, so I stay out of it. Maybe they'll come to that conclusion on their own.
"Everything will work out for her. And you." I will, however, keep my idea on the back burner, just in case I'm ever asked my opinion.
"I'm not important," she replies. "Vera has a lot to worry about; she doesn't need to worry about me."
"If you weren't important to her, then she wouldn't have stuck by you during the whole Lauren fiasco, and she wouldn't have told you about her pregnancy or the fact that she's moving. I'm willing to bet she's hurting over leaving you too."
Rose ponders this for a moment before nodding. "You're probably right. Besides, it's not like I'll never see her. She promised to come and visit. Plus, I can visit her and call or Skype her. It won't be too bad." A few more tears fall, and she brushes them away, taking in another breath. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's have fun."
"Sure. What's for dinner? I'm starving!"
"Italian?"
"Ooh, pizza! Please?" I beg, clasping my hands together and pushing my lower lip out in a huge pout.
"Fine, pizza," she says with a laugh. She shoots off a quick text to Jasper, telling him of our decision for dinner. Seconds later, her phone chimes and she frowns, her lips pursed.
"What?"
"He's meeting up with friends and says to go ahead without us."
To be honest, I'm a little peeved; this was supposed to be our night for hanging out and catching up like we used to do.
Soon, there won't be a time when the three of us can simply hang out just because we want to. In a few months, Rose will be graduating and heading to college in Seattle. It isn't that far away, and I know she'll be home whenever she can, but it won't be the same.
A few months after that, Jasper and I graduate. I know Jasper wants to head off to college, though he's still not sure what wants to study. And me, well, I have no freaking idea what I want to do after high school.
Hell, I haven't even applied to colleges like I told my parents and cousins I did. I'm sure once they find out, I'll be in a shitload of trouble.
I'll cross that bridge later, I guess.
Heaving a sigh, I decide to look at the positives for the night. Jasper might not be here, but at least I can still hang out with Rose.
Hopefully, the three of us can hang out sometime soon.
"His loss," I tell her, linking my arm with Rose's.
After we consume the most delicious pizza in Port Angeles, Rose suggests we see what's playing at the theater. From what I can remember about movie trailers playing on TV, nothing looks good, but maybe there's something that hasn't had enough advertising.
Instead of driving the block to where the theater is located, we decide to leave Rose's car at the pizzeria and walk.
"What do you want to see?" Rose questions, crossing the street.
"I don't know. I thought we could look and agree on something together."
"There was this action movie I saw—"
Rose is cut off as a hand reaches out, grabbing and pulling her into the alleyway. Immediately, I run after her and feel my blood boil as I see Rose backhanded, and then pinned to the brick wall with a firm hand around her throat … by none other than Royce King.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!