Where The Secrets Become Gossip

I sat beside Esme in the car, it was almost awkward. Both of us were silent as we listened to a radio station that we both found to our mutual liking. However, the music didn't feel the void of the silence that seemed to attach itself to everything around it. I coughed, making everything else feel five times more bizarre. I stared out the window, gazing up at the grey clouds the produced the snow that never seemed to let up.

"How's school?" Esme asked. I turned to look at her, my eyes narrowed.

"You should know. I haven't gone in almost a month," I replied in a snarky tone.

She nodded her head. "That's right. I should probably ground you."

I chuckled. She turned and looked at me.

"Feel free to ground me mom. I wouldn't be going anywhere even if I wasn't," I stated. She nodded her head.

"You're right. Maybe I should force you out of the house."

I kept my eyes locked on her, my horrid expression frozen.

"I wouldn't do that to you. We all need some time to move on. But you are going back to school."

I sighed. "Okay."

Esme continued her long drive into the city and the silence crawled back. I let my forehead rest against the cold glass and I concentrated on the music playing from the stereo. I wondered where we were going. We stopped at the post office and Esme sent a package to my grandparents in Chicago, I wrote a hello on the card. After that we stopped at a gas station and picked up some snacks, mostly green tea and a few bags of chips. I had downed mine before we were out of Forks. I still had no clue why we were going to Seattle. Probably to Esme's work.

My mother worked as a therapist; she counseled families, teenage mothers, drug addicts, rape victims. My mother dealt with many types of people. She was a strong woman, even when the love of her life was taken she tried to stay strong. Sometimes she failed but most the time she was being brave for Alice and I. Esme was a wonderful person, she didn't deserve the death of my father. I sighed and shook my head; I didn't want to think about it anymore.

An hour later Esme pulled up to the building where she worked at. It was large and fancy, brand new. They had spent forever fixing it up and they had only finished a few months ago. I followed Esme out of her car and into the building, glad that I didn't have stay in the car. My butt was starting to cramp. Esme walked quickly through building, saying hello to the people she passed. Some of them eyed me, curious. Some looked worried as I followed my mother into the elevator and out; it didn't help that me and her didn't speak or even look at each. We continued onward until we reached the 9th floor, Esme stepped out of the elevator and headed for large circular desk. She turned and looked back at me.

"Why don't you take a seat, I have to do some things." She pointed to a small sitting room just beside an office door that read her name. I nodded my head and sat in one of the hard chairs. Esme spoke to the woman at the desk intently; I sighed and reached for a magazine. I was shocked to see it. It was a 'People' magazine and new, unlike what you get at other places. At the doctors you're forced to read old 'Readers Digest' or 'National Geographic' with the pages torn. It made me wish that hospitals and dentists offices included libraries.

A woman walked past me as I skipped through the pages, ignoring the ridiculous rumors about all the celebrities out there. I glanced at the woman nonchalantly, nothing special about it. That was until her expression had me doing a double take. She looked...horrible. As if she had watched someone die right before her eyes. Her hazel orbs stared sadly and frightened all around her. Her mouth was set in a deep frown. She looked as if she was about to cry.

She was an older woman, early thirties as I could assume. She had an innocent face and vulnerable features. Her light brown hair was tousled around her shoulders, as if she'd been caught in the wind. She wore a casual outfit, jeans and white blouse. Her hands gripped her purse, almost wringing it. Her sad, wandering eyes looked at me. They narrowed and I looked away.

Esme's heels clicked over, I looked up at her and she smiled at me. She turned to the woman.

"Renee Dwyer?" she asked. The woman looked up and nodded her head.

"You've come a long way from Phoenix. I didn't think I was that great of a therapist," my mother joked.

The woman smiled lightly but clearly she was too sad. Esme noticed.

"Why don't we go into my office?" she asked.

The woman smiled shyly. "I think he was here before me." Esme followed the woman's arm who was pointing at me.

"He's just my son."

"Oh." The woman seemed shocked.

"I also have a daughter," Esme stated.

"I have a daughter too." The woman looked like she was about to cry.

"Right, Isabella. I'm so sorry," Esme said softly. Isabella. It made me think about Bella. Bella made me think of Carlisle. Fuck. I hated getting thoughts about Carlisle and Bella. It only made me sad. After my month of mourning, I was sick of being blue. That's why I was trying to reconnect with the woman who had raised me most my life.

"That's why I came here. I heard that you were the best when it came to mothering." The woman Renee spoke and stood up. Esme smiled at placed her hand on Renee's back. She led the woman to her office door. I sighed and leaned back, closing my eyes as I prepared for the long, enduring wait.

"Edward," Esme called out. I opened my eyes and snapped my head into her direction.

"Yeah?"

Esme blinked softly. "Renee said it would be alright if you were in her session with us. Plus, it will give you a chance to try your therapeutical skills."

I snorted and stood up. "Yeah. I'd be quite the therapist wouldn't I?"

"Your sarcasm humors me," Esme retorted with a snarky smile.

"Sarcasm? I thought I was being ironic."

She let out a loud laugh. "Ironic, huh? I'll have to remember that the next time you lie to me about drinking out of the milk carton." I smiled at my mother who joyously grinned back. It had been so long since Esme and I did this. We use to joke and play, we use to be best friends. As soon as I went into middle school it stopped. I had become so concerned about friends that I forgot about the greatest friendship I ever had. Esme was there to pick up me up when my real parents had died.

I wasn't there to pick her up.

I had left her when she needed me the most.

I sighed and walked toward her. I pulled her gently into a hug and held her tightly.

"I'm so sorry mom," I whispered.

"There's nothing to apologize about," she stated.

I shook my head. "I wasn't there for you."

"And I wasn't there for you. Edward," she pulled back and looked at me deeply."I understand how you were feeling. I know how you're feeling now. Not only is your father gone but the love of your life is too."

"I never said she was the love of my life," I retorted.

"No. But I can see it in your eyes. She's out there Edward, waiting for the right time. She's dealing with loss too."

"I know. She and I have a lot more in common now. We've both lost a mother and a father." I pulled away from Esme and stuck my hands in my pocket.

"What do you mean?" Esme asked, her brows knitting in the middle.

"Bella's mom died a few months ago. That's why she came to forks." Esme's eyes grew wide and she flew past me and into her office. I quickly followed her, curious as to what was going on.

She was towering over Renee who was huddled into a leather couch.

"You said Isabella came here because you two weren't getting along!"

Renee looked up at my mother in shock. "I did. She came to live with her father, who's dead."

"Then why is my son telling me that your daughter said that you died?" Esme hissed.

"What!?" Renee's head snapped to me. She stood up immediately and ran to me. She took her hands into mine.

"You're Edward." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"She's told me everything about you."

"Who?"

"Isabella."

I only knew one Isabella.

"You mean, Bella?" I replied.

"She's wanted me to call her that for such a long time. I was so used to Isabella that it wouldn't stick."

"Wait. Bella's gone." I was seriously sitting in a well. I had no clue what was going on and I just had to get someone's attention.

"No, she's not. She's fine. She's staying with her God-Father."

I felt a lightning bolt of shock rush down my spine. "How do you know?"

"She told me." Renee seemed slightly weirded out by me.

"When!?" I was sure I was close to hysterics.

"About a month ago. I speak to her every day."

"So Bella's alive!?" I wasn't sure if I felt like screaming or crying.

Renee nodded her head.

"Where?"

She titled her head to the side. "Where what?"

"Where is she!?" I growled.

"La Pu-" She couldn't even finish. I was out my mother's office door and flying to the elevator. But I couldn't wait for that. As soon as I hit the button I gave up on patience and fled down the stair exit. I wasn't even sure if I was taking the stairs, I swear that I was hovering above them.

Once I was on the ground floor a sudden thought hit me like a wrecking ball.

How was I going to get to La Push?

I was in Seattle with no way out.

Like a prisoner.

Bella was alive and I needed to get to her.

I felt around in my pocket, nudging my wallet. I wasn't sure how much cash I had but I did have that credit card I never used. It was for emergencies. I thought about the situation.

This was an emergency.

--

"2459 you say?" The taxi driver asked.

"Yeah. It's that one." I pointed to my house that he was driving past. He stomped on the breaks.

"Oh, sorry." He said.

I paid my fair and jumped out of the yellow taxi. I ran straight into my house and up the stairs, determined to fetch my keys. I threw my door open and lunged for them. Then I remembered Rosalie.

I looked at my bed.

She had made it but wasn't there.

"Rosalie?" I called out.

Nothing.

I figured she went home and headed back down the stairs, not stopping until I reached my car. I quickly climbed into the Volvo and started it up, purring in sync with the motor. I waited and moment for it to heat up. As soon as my patience was gone I pulled out of the drive way and headed to the high way.

I drove wickedly fast down the slick roads, realizing how stupid I was being. I slowed down only to want to go fast again. I squeezed the steering wheel in order to keep me from pressing down hard on the gas pedal.

I'd only been to La Push five times before, mostly during the summer when we all wanted to have some fun at the beach. I usually stayed away from the small reservation. It wasn't too far away from Forks but I wished it was closer. I probably should have got more information about where exactly Bella was staying, maybe I could ask around.

After fifteen minutes of driving I was finally there. But, I wasn't sure where to go. I drove through the streets of La Push, eyeing the kids on the sidewalk and the people driving by. I had no clue where to start. It was a very small town, she couldn't be far away.

I pulled into First Beach and parked my car into the one of the spots. I turned my car off and looked around me. It was then that I saw her.

I jumped out of my car and headed down near the shore where she was standing. She had her back to me as she gazed at the harsh waves. She wore a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt but that was it. She must have been freezing.

"Bella?" I called out. She turned around.

It wasn't Bella. She looked nothing like Bella; only from behind did they resemble each other. But this girl did look familiar.

"Leah?" I asked. Bella had told me about Leah, that Leah was one of her best friends. I didn't believe Bella though; she had a grimace on her face that told me otherwise.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" the girl asked.

"Where's Bella?" I questioned, ignoring her first question.

The girl's mouth opened. "Get out of here Cullen."

Those words weren't hers.

A/N - We're starting to get down to business. Hurray!