"Bella? Can I talk with you for a second?" I turned quickly to find Tanya standing behind me. There was the oddest expression across her face, her lips were pursued as if deciding how to say something, her brow furrowed.
"Su-Sure," I stuttered for the first time since I was changed. I stole a wary glance at my husband, our daughter fast asleep in his arms. He nodded slightly, I guess if he knew what she was thinking and thought it was okay then. A small grin played across Tanya's face, she must have noticed my reaction. If I could've blushed, my entire face would have been fire engine red. She beckoned me to follow, as she walked briskly to the back door. Kate, sitting on Garrett's lap, stared curiously at us from the couch where they along with Emmett and Rose were watching John Tucker Must Die.
I expected her to stop as soon as we were out of the house, but as soon as the door clicked shut she began running. It took me mere moments to catch up with her, next to Edward I was the fastest in the family. Guess I could have never known that in my human life since I would fall over the second I began running. She finally stopped about three miles away from the river, in other words out of earshot of several pairs of vampire ears. I suddenly felt exceptionally uncomfortable, I mean I had spent time with Tanya when Alice decided to have an all girls night. Rose, Alice, Kate, Tanya and I would hang out just like any other group of teenage girls, (minus slumber parties). Although to be honest, I've never talked to Tanya just one on one.
"Bella first let me just say that I'm really sorry for any… stress I've put on you," she murmured. I frowned, how could she known that I had been… jealous. She smiled in understanding, "I talked to Rose a little while ago and asked her why you always looked nervous around me." I paled, was I really that obvious? "Please don't be mad at Rosalie, she only was trying to help," she explained misunderstanding my reaction.
"I'm not mad, I'm just confused," I tried to explain.
"Rose was under the impression that you were worried about what happened between Edward and I," she replied quietly. I bit my lip attempting to find a way to answer this. Instead of waiting she continued, "First let me just say nothing happened between us, if anything had become of it, it probably would've been more of a relationship of convenience, not of true love like you two. I just wanted you to see things from my perspective and see if it makes you feel any less tense around me." I could only nod in response.
"So picture you live with," she sighed sadly, "two other female vampires and you recently decided to change your lifestyle to one where you don't kill humans for your food." I attempted to see myself beside Rose and Alice by ourselves, it was more difficult than I ever thought possible. "And you're also used to men throwing themselves at you, or human men I should say." She was trying to correct herself so I wouldn't picture Edward with her, I appreciated that.
"So then there's another family, quite a bit larger than yours, but one of the only families that also doesn't feed on humans. Their leader is compassionate and friendly, and decides to live close by for a time. There are three couples, and one single male," she smiled weakly. "He's charming, once you get to know him. You already were growing bored with the constant exchange of partners, and I know this probably won't help my case but he is unbelievably handsome. Not to mention, very talented. Remember that you're not used to be rejected by men," she sighed. My self esteem took another blow as I watched the wind perfectly whistle through her strawberry blonde hair. She was so perfect… "As you could imagine, it didn't take long for him to realize that I liked him. Being the gentlemen that he is, he politely pulled me aside one day when my siblings wouldn't hear."
"He politely explained he didn't return the same interest. Didn't lie to me and tell me he had some girlfriend living in Madagascar, or something stupid like that, just told me straight up that he didn't feel that way about me. At least because he didn't lie we could continue to be friends, but I always questioned how I felt about him. Course Emmett was no help because every time I looked like I was thinking about something, he would tell me it's because he's gay." I burst out laughing, of course Emmett would make that assumption. Even if he didn't really believe it, it was just something he would say."
"As most shallow girls, I overanalyzed this and started wondering if there was something wrong with me. If I came on too strong, or if I wasn't pretty enough. Of course he never batted an eye at Rosalie so I doubted it was that. I finally just came to the conclusion he liked being alone and that was that. But then, I saw you, and just the way he looked at you, I realized that perhaps I liked the idea of Edward and me together more than I did just him. Do you get what I mean?"
I smiled, "Yea, I think I do. It's just, I felt like I was never good enough for him. I wasn't really anything special." Tanya rolled her eyes.
"Bella, you didn't see yourself well enough, you were actually quite beautiful as a human."
"After Alice spent hours on me for my wedding," I muttered. Tanya laughed in response shaking her head grinning.
"If outer looks were all that mattered, don't you think Edward would've gone after Rose?" she replied after she sobered. "There is something about you Bella, not only do you put others before yourself, but you always have good intentions. You never knowingly hurt someone." My mind instantly flashed to attempting to yank Jacob's head off for imprinting on my daughter. She must have noticed, "Let me guess, newborn anger?" I nodded sheepishly. "The way you acted when we all were helping training, you did not appear as a newborn in any fashion. Your mental self control is overwhelming, not even including your gift. It's what makes you different, that makes Edward love you. That's true love, when they wouldn't change a single thing about you. Even if it gets on their nerves, they still wouldn't change it.
"So now, I would just like to be friends. I promise I would never come between you and Edward, and I'm prepared to swear that in front of Maggie." I smiled widely.
"I believe you," I laughed as she pulled me into a hug.
"Course I like would never go after your man, I mean that's just like the rules of feminism," she giggled mimicking Gretchen Wieners from Mean Girls.
"That's not the way that quote goes…"
"Oh well, chicks before-"
"Don't even go there," I laughed.
AN: Hey I was bored and I'm (no offend to anyone who has written a story like this) kinda sick of all the Tanya bashing. I mean if you met a guy who was handsome, charming, talented, and oh let's face it, downright hot… what would you think? Please review!
