Chapter Thirteen
Going back to school after everything that happened last night is impossible, so Charlie forgives Bella from not going. Instead, she stays indoors and practices kissing Rosalie. They practice gentle kisses, slow kisses, kisses that are wet and messy, kisses with tongue, and kisses that are on their foreheads and noses and eyelids. It feels nice to be with Rosalie this way and they spend the majority of the day in bed until their hunger for food chases them to the kitchen.
"I see the two of you are doing well," a cheery voice makes Bella drop her waffle onto the floor. Alice is in her house. Appearing as if by magic. She hops onto the counter and sits there, as if she belongs here like another fixture of the house. "Sorry, I would have come earlier but the two of you were quite busy."
Bella flushes red as she stoops to pick up the waffle. So, Alice had seen them making out. How awkward.
"Don't be weird," Rosalie reprimands but pulls out another bowl for Alice in case she wants some cereal.
"You're being considerably rude considering I helped you last night," Alice said lightly.
"Thank you, Alice," Bella says. "Are you the same thing as Rosalie?"
"If you mean angel, then no. Rosalie's not that anymore. Neither is Edward," she hummed. She hopped off the counter. "I'll be leaving the two of you alone from now on. Heaven needs me and I never meant to meddle in your affairs but I have and so..." she shrugged haplessly. "I wish you the best of luck."
"I truly appreciate what you did for me, Alice. I know it hurts that I can't be your friend like I used to, but I hope we can be friends again, like we used to be," Rosalie said sincerely and Alice gave a small sad smile.
"Perhaps," was all she said and then she was gone as quietly as she'd come.
"Did you get your memories back?" Bella asked and Rosalie shook her head.
"No, but I've learned some thing's about myself. Which reminds me, before we get any deeper into this, I should tell you what I know about myself," Rosalie said. Bella sat down, eager to hear what Rosalie would say to her.
Rosalie let out a long sigh. "Apparently, I was an angel once. Kind of a dickish angel, according to Edward. So I don't know if I was really an asshole or not. But apparently I was some big hero upstairs until he had me defamed and sent to Earth as punishment. I lost my wings, but I had been your guardian angel prior to that and I had fallen in love with you which was against the rules.
"They must have taken my memories to prevent me from coming to you or coming after them. But somehow I fell on Earth, right where you lived. And I found you again, and I was able to love you again."
"Do you want to go back to Heaven?" Bella asked, worried. She had just gotten her relationship with Rosalie back. Would the blonde have to leave?
"No," Rosalie shook her head. "'I don't really remember it, so I don't know what I'm missing. Besides, you're here on Earth. Why would I ever want to leave you?" Rosalie gave an adoring smile and Bella melted at it.
"So, this mean we're official?"
"Yes, now we just have got to tell your dad," Rosalie said to which Bella shook her head and laughed. "I think we should wait with that a bit. He wouldn't let us date if we lived together."
"Then, I guess I'll have to move out."
Bella's eyes got wide at this. "For real?" She didn't know if this made her happy or sad.
"I have enough money saved up. I want my own place. I've burdened you and Charlie long enough."
"You never bothered us," Bella assured, squeezing Rosalie's hand.
"Still, I want my own place, so I can provide for us. And then, you can come visit and we can be a couple without worrying about your dad walking in."
The apartment that Rosalie finds is quaint. Its got one bedroom, one bathroom, and a little balcony that overlooks the woods that flourish in the backyard. The neighbors are quiet for the most part, and the rent isn't too bad. Is she scrimps and saves she can manage it on her librarian salary. She does plan to get a better job eventually, but for that she needs credentials, and she doesn't exactly have human ones. Downside of just falling from heaven.
She'll have to build a profile for herself but ideally, she wants to be a coach. A professional trainer. She has the skills for it, and prior know how. It's all locked away in her brain and she hopes that by fighting or training, she'll unlock more memories.
For now, she'll live in the present, and enjoy the blessings she has.
Two months fly by like this, with Rosalie getting her life together, and with Bella finishing up at her school. They don't get much of a chance to see each other, but Rosalie buys a phone so they can call each other at night time when her father is asleep. They stay up to all hours, talking and giggling and Rosalie is full of anticipation and promise as she swears to Bella that she will take her out on a proper date.
Edward's trial is still under way and Rosalie can't wait to see him pay for his crimes. It's the least he deserves for trying to hurt Bella when angels aren't supposed to. Sometimes Rosalie does wonder about her past. Alice doesn't say much on it, but then again she's up in Heaven right now, doing her job and sticking out of human affairs. And Rosalie doesn't want to drag her down into her issues again.
"Do you think your father suspects us?" Rosalie asks as Bella lounges on her couch, tongue sticking out as she does her homework. Rosalie has no idea how to do it, though she wishes she could if only to help Bella do hers. Maybe Rosalie should pick up a book, and go to college? There's still so much of the human world she doesn't know.
"Of us dating?" Bella shakes her head no. She's been over to Rosalie's apartment almost every night if she can get away with it. Those nights include homework, watching shows, eating good food, and heavy make out sessions that stop before they can go further. They leave Bella wanting, having to go home and take care of it there herself.
She wants to go all the way with Rosalie. It's what they both deserve.
"That means I can take you out on a date and not worry about him getting mad?" Rosalie asks and arches a brow at Bella.
Bella smiles widely. "I would love that, but it's Forks. You don't know what homophobe could be around what corner."
"I can take them on," Rosalie says, flexing her arm. Her bicep bulges and Bella's eyes get wide as her cheeks grow hot at the very attractive sight of Rosalie in a white tee, showing off her body. "If I took on an angel for you, I think I could take on a human too."
Rosalie's amusement sobers when she notices the unmistakable mood that Bella is in. That hunger in her eyes...Rosalie can feel it burning inside her too. It's unholy and sinful- an angel should never feel sexual desire.
But she's not an angel anymore, is she?
"Bella..." she speaks quietly and softly. The rain outside the window pitter and patters, washing the room in a silence filled with water. Bella gets up from the couch she had been sitting on and comes up to Rosalie, sliding into her lap. Rosalie leans back into the armchair to accommodate this, hands sliding up to Bella's hips. There is a tension between them, so thick it could be cut. Bella's eyes are quiet but loud, as her warm body melts into Rosalie's.
"Rosalie..." Bella breathes out, hands curling and digging into Rosalie's shirt front. "We've been together for four months now. I need...I need you."
Rosalie shudders under her. True is, she needs Bella too. But she respected Bella's boundaries and never wanted to push past them. In the grand scheme of things, despite Rosalie's young body, she is much older than Bella so she's been afraid.
"You can have me," she says, voice catching in her suddenly dry throat. "All of me."
Bella nods her head and punctuates Rosalie's statement with a kiss. It's soft, needy, and Rosalie gobbles up Bella's bottom lip in her mouth greedily. As the kiss intensifies, Rosalie gets up, carrying Bella with her to the bedroom, the brunette wrapping her legs around Rosalie's waist. She puts Bella gently down on her back, the two of them parting their lips to take in shallow breaths. Rosalie hovers over Bella, the feel of it comforting and exciting to the younger girl.
"Do...will you take the lead?" Bella asks timidly. "I don't know much."
"You assume I do," Rosalie says with a laugh as she strokes a finger down a warm cheek, brown eyes so wide they look like they will swallow Rosalie right up.
"Then let's learn each other together," Bella suggests and Rosalie closes the distance between them with a heated kiss.
They lose track of time, indulging in each others bodies, learning the art of them. The sensitive spots, the spots that are abhorred. And the way that they sound as they are played correctly. All this, as it rains outside the window. The pouring of the weather intensifies, each time they go another round. It's 11pm by the time they've decided to give it a break, before Bella hops into the shower before going home.
"I could drive you," Rosalie offers, lazily sliding on an oversized flannel. She'll shower after Bella leaves, happily recalling the pleasure they've given each other afterwards before she goes to bed. She's never felt such happiness before, and she swears that reaching orgasm must be what reaching heaven feels like.
"I'm fine. This weather isn't anything new," Bella says and presses a kiss to Rosalie's lips before she heads home. Rosalie watches her go from her window, the lights of Bella's truck barely visible in the heavy downpour. Rosalie finds she despises rain like this- it was how she first arrived, how Edward first arrived. It's synonymous with bad things.
It's why she should have expected something bad would happen. After all, it was pouring heavily.
As she goes to the fridge to get some water, she feels oddly heavy, dizzy. She has to pause and put her hand on the fridge door to steady herself. What is going on? What human ailment is this?
Then she hears it, a soft leering chuckle. She whips her head around to see where it's coming from but curses herself for doing so, when it makes her dizzier.
"Tsk, tsk, for an angel to fall so low," is the growl of it, and then something black is bubbling around Rosalie's bare feet. It's warm and sludge like. Sticky. She tries to move out of it, but she finds she can't. She's stuck.
"What-" she can't even finish the sentiment, fear choking her words.
"Welcome, Rosalie," hisses the deep voice, as two ropes shoot out from the tar and wrap around her upper body, tying her arms to her sides. She's immobile. She wants to scream as she's being pulled down and down and down, but the tar invades her mouth, and she gags on it's awful taste. One that removes the sweet taste of Bella from before.
And then, Rosalie's head is above the pitch as darkness invades her eyes and, she's gone.