Chapter Eight: Sighs
Rosalie's POV
"Alright everyone, listen up. We have exactly five hours, thirty-one minutes, and forty-three seconds to create the most romantic atmosphere known to man or vampire," Alice ordered.
Everyone stared at her, not saying a word. I rolled my eyes and looked at my nails. Alice sighed.
"Need I remind you all that when the last petal falls from this rose we will never have a chance at normal life ever again?" Alice surveyed our faces. "That's what I thought. Now, you know what to do. To the west wing!"
We all began to follow Alice, grumbling. "Ugh, I wish I was human," I mumbled.
Emmett nodded. "No doubt. Dude, I could eat food..." His face took on a dreamy expression and I giggled.
The next two hours passed in a whirl of dust and the occasional spider, which I was always sure to let Emmett kill. For some reason, he found killing spiders very entertaining. When we were finally done setting up Alice's romantic atmosphere I sat back and sighed.
"I'm covered in dirt," I complained, trying to brush my clothes off. Alice rolled her eyes.
"Go change. I need you in the kitchen. Dinner does not make itself," she told me. I let out another heavy sigh and headed to mine and Emmett's room.
Sometimes I really wished that Edward wasn't such a totally selfish brat to that woman that had shown up at the door. I knew it would have been impossible for Edward's character to change back then, but every day that Bella spent here, it seemed more possible. I was glad she had come; now we had a chance at being human again. It was only a matter of time for them to fall in love with each other—if it hadn't already happened. All the servants agreed that we definitely saw something there.
I hurried to the kitchen, hoping to avoid a freak-out from Alice. She always had and always will be a perfectionist.
"Okay, let's get started," I declared, tying an apron over my dress.
Jasper's POV
"This is the night, Edward," I declared.
"I don't think I can do this," he fretted, staring at his closet.
"This is no time to be timid," I scolded him. He disappeared into his private bathroom to change. "Alice set up the whole works for you two—it was your idea. You will enjoy this night with Bella, and when the moment is right, you will confess your love."
Edward stuck his head out of the bathroom. "What? I don't think so." I rolled my eyes.
"You care for her, do you not?" I asked.
"More than anything. But..."
"But what? You must tell her."
Edward came out of the bathroom wearing a powder blue suit. I suppressed a smile and said, "You look so... so..." I could barely stop my laughter now.
"Stupid," Edward filled in, seeing the way he looked in my head. "Would you mind picking me something... more flattering?"
"How would I know what looks good?" I asked innocently.
Edward rolled his eyes."Because your wife is the one with fashion sense and you are not an idiot."
I sighed and threw him the suit Alice had picked out earlier, as she knew he was incapable of dressing himself.
He changed again, and there was a knock on the door. Emmett stuck his head in.
"Your lady awaits," he cracked.
Edward sighed.
Alice's POV
"Why am I getting all done up for the third time today?" Bella asked me and Rosalie. I shared a glance with Rose and rolled my eyes at Bella.
"It's part of Edward's plan, Bella. Just go along with it, okay?" I told her, adjusting the hem of her dress and standing up straight again. Rosalie stuck the last comb in Bella's hair and nodded.
"Alright, you're all good to go," I declared, pulling her up. "And I must say, you look gorgeous."
Bella looked at her yellow dress in the mirror. "I guess so," she mumbled.
"You do," Rose assured her. "Now get out there. Edward's waiting."
I watched Bella and Edward do the whole dinner thing. Bella tried every kind of food that Rosalie and I had made and from the noises she was making I could tell she loved it. The atmosphere was perfect and it seemed to be going off without a hitch. It was like those old tales of love I used to read before I ran out of new ones—the tales where an ordinary girl was swept up into a fantasy world and fell in love with the unsuspecting hero. I sighed. It was so beautiful.
Edward led Bella onto the dance floor when she was done eating, much to her obvious protest. I watched them stumble around on the dance floor for a bit, Bella stepping on Edward's toes numerous times before he finally lifted her to stand on his feet so that she didn't have to do any of the work. He spun her around and around, right out onto the balcony and into the dark night.
Edward's POV
I lifted Bella off of my feet and put her on the ground. She looked absolutely beautiful—something I had been sure to tell her more than once. She walked over to the edge of the balcony and sat down on the wide railing, staring out into the night. I went to sit next to her and took her hands.
"Bella, are you happy here?" I asked softly.
"Of course." She said the words, but then turned her face to look out at the night again. I could tell something was off, there wasn't the same energy surrounding her as had been before.
"What's wrong?" I wondered aloud. She turned back to me and sighed.
"I just... I wish I could see my father again. He must be so lonely... How could he possibly be living? He can't even cook!" The look on her face made my heart break for her, and I made a quick decision.
"You can. Go, Bella. You're not my prisoner anymore."
Her face brightened and she jumped to her feet. "Oh, really? Thank you so much!"
I nodded solemnly, and her face dimmed again. "But Edward... I don't want to leave you..." she said, torn.
"No, Bella. You need to see your father. Just... remember me?" I asked quietly, standing up and wrapping my arms around her.
"I will," she promised, hugging me back. She let go and turned to leave, but then turned back and touched my face. I sucked in a breath. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered, and then she was gone.
Bella brushed past Emmett as she left the balcony. Emmett grinned in my direction and leaned against the doorframe
"Well, Sir Prince of All, it seems to be going just perfectly, doesn't it? I knew you had it in you."
"I let her go," I mumbled.
"Yes, yes, that's just spl—" he continued, not hearing me. "Wait, what? How could you do that?"
"I had to," I whispered.
"But, but... why?" Emmett implored.
"Because," I replied, "I love her."
Emmett's POV
"He did what?" Rosie, Alice, and Jasper all yelled at me. I cringed.
"Uh... he let her go."
"Because he loves her?" Rose demanded. I nodded.
"That's it then," Jasper said, "that should break the spell."
"No, that's not enough. She has to love him in return." Alice shook her head.
"But she does," Jasper said, frustrated. "I could tell."
Alice shook her head and shrugged. I sighed.
Charlie's POV
"Bella?" I asked, my eyes blurry from sleep. She smiled down at me.
"Yes, Dad, I'm home," she said. I shot straight up in bed and hugged her.
"Oh, Bella, I thought I'd never see you again." I sighed into her shoulder. Then I realized where she'd been. "But the vampire! How did you get away?"
Bella laughed. "Oh, I didn't get away. He set me free." I wrinkled my eyebrows.
"Why ever would he do that?" I inquired. Bella shrugged.
"Oh, he's really not so bad. He changed. I think it's because of me, too..." She trailed off, her eyes distant.
Then there was a knock at the door. Bella looked confused.
"Who could that be?" she wondered aloud, heading for the door.
Bella's POV
I opened the door to reveal a tall man, with long blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"Can I help you?" I asked, still confused.
"I've come for your father," he said. I shuddered at the sound of his voice.
"Charlie?" I stuttered out.
"Oh, don't worry. We'll take good care of him," the man assured me, stepping to one side so that I could see the writing on the side of the wagon: Forks Asylum. I noted the large crowd standing around it.
"My father's not crazy," I yelled, stepping outside.
"Oh yeah, right," I heard Tyler Crowley laugh from the bottom of our steps. "He was raving like a lunatic! Everyone heard him, right?"
The crowd yelled affirmation and I fumed.
"Bella?" Charlie asked from behind me.
"Oh hey, Charlie. Tell us, was the vampire's skin cold?" Tyler yelled up at him.
Charlie stepped out the door, nodding. "Like ice," he said.
Tyler let out a loud laugh. "You don't get much crazier than that!"
Charlie ran down the steps. I tried to stop him but he shook out of my grasp. "It's true!"
The crowd left and Tyler yelled, "Get him out of here!" Two burly men from the asylum started to drag him off.
I ran down the stairs yelling, "No!" I grabbed onto the sleeve of the blonde man. "You can't do this!"
He pulled away, sighing in exasperation. Alone, that is, until Mike came up behind me and draped an arm over my shoulders.
Mike's POV
"Poor Bella," I sympathized. "It's a shame about your father."
"You know he's not crazy, Mike!" she cried, grabbing onto my shirt. I smiled. This was exactly the reaction I had been hoping for.
"Well... I could make deal for you... if..."
"If?" Bella asked.
"If you marry me."
Bella looked disgusted and dropped my shirt, backing away from me. "What?"
"Just one little word, Bella. It's all it takes," I sneered, pulling her back to me. She wrestled herself out of my grip again.
"Never!"
I shook my head, sighing, and walked away. "Have it your way then, Bella."
There you have it. Chapter Eight.
Reward for those who count the number of times everyone sighed altogether. :D.
Review please?