23. Heartless

The rest of the week continued in the same strange pattern. My mornings were full of music, my afternoons were full of bliss with Bella, and then my evenings were spent on homework.

Rosalie came back to school that week, and Emmett was going to be starting the following week. They let him try out for the football team, and he was able to fill the quarterback position that was vacant after the one last year graduated. Jasper got on the team as a lineman, and Rosalie made the cheer squad. Things were beginning to fall into a pattern.

Bella came over on Saturday and helped me practice for the audition.

Maybe help was the wrong word… I played it for her once, and she said it was perfect. We walked around the forest afterwards, and we talked for hours about nothing. She told me about Arizona, the road trips her and her mom went on, and about her old school.

I told her about my family, my piano, my friends in Alaska. I told her about my relationship with Alice, and I tried to explain that we were somehow best friends and siblings at the same time. She told me about the one boy she used to date, and I told her how grossed out I was by Tanya's advances.

She eventually had to go home. I was surprised how much it hurt to leave her side.

I walked into the house and sat on the couch, completely unaware of whatever was going on around me.

"You've got it bad, don't you?" Emmett laughed,

"I don't know what's wrong," I admitted, "It's like she's in every one of my thoughts all the sudden"

"You're head over heels in love with her" Rose joked,

"I am not" I said,

"Um yeah okay" Alice said, "Keep lying to yourself"

"I am not lying" I said, "I don't know what it feels like, but I don't think it's this. This feels too… surreal"

"Yep" Jazz said, "He's in denial"

I rolled my eyes and went upstairs.

I thought about that all day on Sunday.

Did I love Bella? I liked being around her. I liked everything I knew about her. I wouldn't change anything about her. She was perfect. I found myself thinking about her all the time, and I found myself fearing the thought of her losing her.

But what did it mean to fall in love with someone? Was it wanting to be with someone, in every single way possible? Was it longing for their happiness, more than your own? Was it wanting to be with them, every single second of your life? Was it imagining a future with them?

Monday morning was the day of the auditions. Bella came to the music rooms as I was running through scales.

"Hey," She said, "I wanted to wish you good luck before you annihilate Jess and Mike"

I stood up and walked up to her. Nobody was in the room yet.

"I think I'm in love with you" I blurted out, "I-I think about you all the time. I want to be with you all the time. And when we are together it… it feels like the pain is gone. And it feels like- like we were always supposed to be together. Bella, I'm in love with you and I-"

Her lips met mine, and I was forced to stop talking. My arms wrapped around her body, as she pulled my face closer to hers. Our lips moved against each other, and it felt like time stopped existing.

"I love you too" She said when she pulled her face from mine.

I looked away from her and tried not to smile. I failed. She kissed me again, and the first bell rang.

"I'll meet you here after A Block" She insisted, and ran off towards her first class.

I walked over to the other music room where the choir met.

"There were 3 soloists for the winter concert. Two would be singing a duet, and the other one would be singing a solo." Mrs. Tanner continued, ignoring my late arrival, "If someone does particularly well, they will have the option to sing a solo and a duet with someone. The people are all assigned random audition spots"

"First up is Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'"

They sang the song well, but I was hardly paying attention. All I could think about was that Bella loved me too.

"Next is D.J. Garrett, singing 'How you Remind Me'"

I rolled my eyes. This was not the place to be singing anything by Nickelback.

"Next up, Edward Cullen. 'How to Save a Life'" Mrs. Tanner said, giving me a little smile. Everyone else looked almost surprised

I sat next to the piano and started, the song flowing effortless through me. Thoughts of Bella swirled my mind, and I thought about the agony that would be to lose her. Somehow that emotion filled me, making the song more believable.

When I finished, nobody clapped like they had for the others. People looked at me in shock and with envy.

Six people went after me, each singing some annoying pop song. Some actually sang "Never Say Never" by Justin Beiber, and I almost laughed.

"And last, we have a new student, Tanya Hale, singing 'I knew you were trouble'"

I turned around to see Tanya sitting in the back of the choir room.

What was she doing here?

Of course, she killed her song. But the whole time she kept her eyes on me, as if I was the one causing her trouble.

The bell rang after Mrs. Tanner passed out more sheet music for us to practice, and I ran out of the room and into the band room.

How was this happening? She graduated two years ago. Why would she come back? Especially to a choir class in Forks?

I hid behind the piano.

"How did it go?" My favourite voice on the planet said.

"Um… Love, I don't know what happened…"

Her face fell, "I'm sure you were still better than everyone-"

"No, not the audition" I whispered, "Tanya is here, and I have no idea why"

Bella looked up at my face in shock, and then we both turned when we heard the door open.

"Hey Baby E" Tanya said, walking over to us,

"You must be Bella," She continued, "The skank who is sleeping with my fiance"

Bella looked uncomfortable, and she adjusted her body behind mine,

"Tanya, what the hell is wrong with you?" I hissed.

"We are meant for eachother" She said it like it was true, "And I'm not going to let this ugly girl get in between us"

"Don;t talk to my girlfriend like that" I hissed back, "You are 20 and you graduated two years ago. Why are you even here?"

"To win you back"

"Tanya," Alice said at the door, "Get lost. I called the principle and he is coming down right now with the cops"

I did not have the time to wonder why Alice was here when Mr. Greene and Chief Swan came in. Bella moved away from me when the chief looked at us, and I remembered that he did not know about me.

"This is Tanya Hale?" Mr. Greene asked Alice. She nodded.

"Tanya Hale," Chief Swan began, "You are being arrested for trespassing and using a fake identity, anything you say…"

He continued to talk and Mr. Greene took the three of us out of the room. I held Bella's hand, but it did not seem to ease her anxiety.

We sat in his office.

"Edward," Mr. Greene began, "Your sister says she is your cousin?"

"Yes" I answered,

"What was she doing here?"

"I don't know" I answered honestly, "She said she wanted us to be together"

"But she's your cousin" Mr. Greene said, looking as uncomfortable as I felt,

"Yeah. It's sick"

He sighed, "Your parents will be here soon. None of you are in any trouble"

Carlisle came to pick us up after about 20 minutes, but Bella's dad was not here yet. Carlisle called him to ask if Bella could come home with us, and put his phone on speaker.

"Hi Chief Swan, this is Carlisle Cullen,"

"Hi, Dr. Cullen. You can call me Charlie"

"And you can call me Carlisle."

"Okay. So um… this is kind of awkward, but are our kids dating"

Carlisle laughed, "Yeah, it seems like it"

Bella blushed and put her head on my arm. I kissed the top of her head.

"Oh. Okay." Charlie paused for a moment, "Which one?"

"The youngest. The ginger" Carlisle clarified. I wondered if he had any idea who I was

"How long?" He sounded stressed, worried.

"A few weeks, maybe? I'm not sure. Edward isn't the most talkative person"

He looked at me and winked. I rolled my eyes.

"Bella seems a little freaked about the whole… Tanya fiasco" Carlisle continued, "Would it be alright if I brought her to our place?"

"Uh.. yeah I guess so. I'll swing by after work so I can meet this child of yours"

Bella groawed, and I rubbed her back.