NINE
She was beautiful and as pale as I remembered her. Bella cried out and slammed into her, crying her eyes out.
"Bella?" there was a strange mingling of both relief and confusion on her face.
She dragged Bella to the living room couch and pulled her into her lap, rubbing her back in a gentle rhythm. I swallowed hard, while I was happy to see her, I was also sad.
"I'm - sorry," Bella blubbered. "I'm just – so happy – to see you!"
"It's okay, Bella. Everything's okay."
I took a look at Alice and then moved slightly closer, her face wasn't as tight and taunt as I got closer and she noticed me there.
"It's my own fault. It's been too long since I hunted. I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty. But I was in a hurry today." She then directed a look at Bella which turned into glare. "Speaking of which, would like to explain to me how you're alive?"
Bella looked like a scolded child, and I sat on the opposite end of the couch on the arm.
"You saw me fall," Bella said.
"No," she disagreed, her eyes narrowing. "I saw you jump."
Bella paused, and that let Alice go on a rant.
"But just because I'm not looking, doesn't mean I don't see. I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear, Bella. It's just that I'm already attuned to you - when I saw you jumping, I didn't think, I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing. And then I get here, thinking I could help Charlie somehow, and you drive up." Her voice was strained.
"I saw you go into the water and I waited and waited for you to come up. But you didn't'. What happened? And how could you do that to Charlie? Did you stop and think what this would do to him? And my brother? Do you have any idea what Edward – "
"Alice, I wasn't committing suicide."
I snorted and Bella glared at me. Alice seemed under the same impression as she eyed Bella carefully.
"Are you saying you didn't jump off a cliff?"
"No but –" Bella grimaced. "It was for recreational purposes only."
Alice's gaze hardened.
"I'd seen some of Jacob's friend cliff diving," she insisted. "It looked like - fun, and I was bored – "
"Isabella Swan, you better than that! We don't EVER jump from the top!" I argued.
She ignored me. Alice didn't buy it.
"So if you saw me go in, why didn't you see Jacob?"
She was now thoroughly distracted
"Someone pulled you out?"
"Yes – Jacob saved me."
I winced, and I was done. I headed back upstairs and went into my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and slid down the door and buried my face in my arms, bringing my knees to my chest. Tears came freely, my heart hurt fiercely. Everything just kind of rolled off me at once. Bella nearly being taken from me – as much as the issues we've had, as many of the times I wanted to slap her for her stupid decision – she was my sister, my twin and I loved it. Nearly drowning trying to rescue her – and she doesn't even say thank you – to Harry's death…to Alice's arrival. It was all so overwhelming.
I must have fallen asleep at one point, when I woke up I was in my bed under the covers. Changing out of Jake's clothes I switched to a pair of fluffy pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt and trudged down the stairs.
"How bad was it Charlie?" Alice asked softly.
I paused on the staircase, right before the squeaky step. Charlie sighed.
"Real bad,"
"Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened when we left.
The cupboard door closed and the dial on the stove clicked off. I swallowed hard.
"I've never felt so helpless," Charlie said slowly. "I didn't know what to do. That first week – I thought I'd have to hospitalize her. She wouldn't drink or eat, she wouldn't move. Dr. Gerandy was throwing words around like 'catatonic', but I didn't let him up to see her. I was afraid it would scare her."
"She snapped out of it though?"
"I had Renee come to take her to Florida. I just didn't want to be the one – if she had to go to the hospital or something. I hoped being with Renee would help. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never the one for tantrums, but, boy, did she fly in to a fury. She threw her clothes everywhere and screamed we could make her leave – and then she finally started crying. I thought that would be the turning point."
"But?" Alice prompted.
"She went back to school and work, she ate and slept and did her homework. She was empty – blank. There were a lot of little things – she wouldn't listen to music anymore; Lettie and I found a bunch of CDs broken in the trash. She didn't read; she'd be in the same room as the TV but never watched it. I finally figured it out – she was avoiding everything that would remind her of him. She actually broken into Lettie's room one morning, real early. Trashed her room. Thought that Lettie may have some sort of contact with you all. It scary to see the way she lashed out."
"She had horrible nightmares, she kept us all up with them, and then Lettie's nightmares came back."
I flinched, I hadn't told dad that my nightmares returned, but I guess I wasn't fooling him.
"I'm so sorry, Charlie." Alice said glumly.
"It's not your fault, you were always a good friend to them both."
It was quiet for a few moments.
"How's Lettie?" Alice said after a few moments.
"She's doing better than Bella was, but her nightmares keep her up at night." Charlie said worriedly.
"Does she talk about them?"
I could imagine him shaking her head.
"No, and it doesn't help that they're back in in town."
"What?" Alice asked shocked.
Charlie's voice was grim.
"Yeah, the McCullough boys are in town, they attend Forks High School. All three of them,"
"The three that…"
"The same. I tried looking every way I could, but they did some rehab program for a year and the judge cleared them. Freedom of education or some shit."
"Oh god, how's Lettie?"
"She's been homeschooled the last while, online classes, but I'm not sure how much longer the school will approve that." Charlie said glumly.
I heard movement from the living room and I darted upstairs like a startled cat, trapping myself in the bathroom and starting the water for a shower. I stripped my clothes and hurried into the water, I regretted it instantly as the ice spray reminded me far too much of the icy water from the darkness. Yelping and leaping out range of the icy spray I turned on the hot water. Once the water was pleasantly warm, I rinsed the salt, the sea and any reminders of the night before. My chest still burned when I breathed too deep, and my throat still fell like a steel wool scrub brush. I wasn't sure how long I stayed in there or how many times I washed my hair.
Once I felt sufficiently clean I headed back to my bedroom and pulled on clean pajamas. When I came back out of the closet where I usually changed I noticed Alice sitting on my bed, the bedroom door closed. Her eyes were butterscotch now, she must have hunted. She looked at me with sorrow on her face.
We didn't say anything for a while, silence enveloping both of us.
"I am so sorry Lettie…"
I bit my lip and looked away, trying to not cry, my eyes ached from crying too much. Gently she tugged me to where I sat on the bed and she pulled me in for a hug.
"I'm sorry we were out of touch for so long…"
"What happened?"
"Erm…he found out we had been emailing you, hacked our accounts, and erased everything."
I flinched.
"Short of coming back we couldn't risk getting back in contact with you. Jasper was furious. "
"What happens now?" I asked dully.
"I'm not sure sweetie…but we'll figure it out ok?"
I wasn't sure what would happen, but when was everything ever simple in my house?
Alice was our houseguest for the next few days, today was the day of Harry's funeral, and Charlie managed to convince me not to go. I was a weeping mess anytime he was mentioned, I really wasn't going to be the best company to be there. So instead I kept myself busy, putting my earbuds in, I grabbed the cleaning supplies and began cleaning the bathroom to classical music that drowned out whatever ruckus Bella decided to create. I was arms deep in comet when I heard Bella shriek from downstairs.
Wrenching out my earbuds and rubber gloves I flew down the stairs as I notice Jacob, Alice and Bella, the females looking panic stricken. Bella then flew in to the kitchen and back upstairs nearly running me over in her haste.
"What hell is going on?"
"You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to – " Jacob said furiously.
"Yes. You're right, dog." Alice snarled "The Voltori are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."
"And you take her to them like a wine for a party!"
"You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?"
"We can handle the redhead."
"Then why is she still hunting?"
I noticed the letter by the phone, Bella bellowed something at both of them. I whirled around on my sister.
"Isabella Marie?! Are you fucking serious right now?" I asked gesturing to the note.
Alice stalked off towards the car. Bella looked awkward.
"We're going to Italy to save him." She mumbled.
"YOU! You are going to Italy, abandoning dad when he needs you the most! For a guy that dumped you, and STOMPING on the heart of someone who's done nothing but take care of you!" I shouted at her.
She glared icily at me.
"You don't know anything."
I sputtered at her response, as she waltz out the door with her bag. She was getting her bag in the car.
"Alice!" I begged.
Alice made no move that she heard me, but her face was apologetic.
"Bella don't you dare," I said.
She didn't even look at Jake or me as she climbed into the Mercedes. The moment the door shut, they sped away. I caught Jake as he collapsed in tears, clinging to me like a lifeline. I held him close. My heart broke and my own tears fell as I held him close. Both of us mourning for the loss of something we held dear.