White Swan
Chapter 3
Author Notes: Oh my god it's been over a year since I updated, but as you can tell this story has not been abandoned. Inspiration has not been my friend. I have been working on Our Sweet Bella but last night suddenly I had chapter 3 all mapped out funny how that happens.
Bella's POV
After a massive show, I usually tried to stay away from all newspapers. I fear of the reviews because one bad review and you can kiss your career away. I didn't need to read newspapers after a show because as Selena worked at the New York Times; she usually rang me up and told me the reaction. Luckily I never had a bad review but one bad dress could change that and you find all funding is cut off and you have to take a job designing for a bargain clothes shop.
I ate my toast slowly, I was planning on visiting Alice that day, and I was in no hurry to go. Even though I wanted to see Alice again, I was still hesitant, I had Alice's word that Edward wouldn't be there but the memory would still haunt me.
My phone buzzed on the table, I checked the caller Id it was Selena. "Hey," I answered.
"Are you sitting down?" Selena asked in a way of greeting. She always asked me the same thing, when she was going to read out the reviews I received.
"Yes I'm sitting down," I said.
"I have the finished article on the Fashion show; no one has seen this yet. I mean come on how lucky are you to have someone on the inside, to give you the scoop before anyone else does." Selena also did this every time.
"And how lucky are you to be best friends with a designer who gives you free dresses, some that aren't even out in the stores yet," I retorted.
"We make a good team, you bring the talent and I bring the looks and the brains to the team."
"Can you just tell me about the review," I asked impatient. I was nervous but it was better to hear it and get it over with.
"Fine then, I don't see why you get so huffy about reviews, there always amazing," Selena pointed out. "Ah here we are, New York Fashion week, 'a welcome return for fashion week, was White Swan designs. Who debuted three years ago at fashion week, which instantly became a big name in the fashion industry, with her fresh and imaginative designs, White Swan was named the fashion designer to watch. Last night was no different, unveiling all new designs; it became clear that White Swan Designs were here to stay. White Swan designs in our opinion was the highlight of the night and has rightly found its place next to some of the biggest name in fashion, it may be a new designer but can clearly hold its own. Once again White Swan designs will be the talk of the city once again." I breathed in relief.
"Well that's a relief," I commented.
"Oh that's not all, I haven't read you the article about you and Marc, a whole page dedicated. The utter devastation that all men must be feeling, now that Isabella Swan is officially of the Market," Selena said and I groaned. "' the fairy tale life that is Bella Swan is finally complete, now that she has found her prince charming.' Isn't that romantic. I swear you two could give Romeo and Juliet a run for their money."
"Now you're being ridiculous. No one would ever think that Marc and I were more romantic than Romeo and Juliet. The story is a classic," I remarried.
"Yeah your right, hey have you thought about doing a murder slash suicide pack that would certainly put you over the edge." Selena did have the flare for the dramatic. She missed her calling as a writer.
"Right that's it; I'm throwing away all your copies of Romeo and Juliet, books and Films."
"Hey I'm not the only one; the article even compares the two of you with them. They also compare Marc to Mr Darcy; they have a poll which one is more handsome."
"Stop it Selena," I said getting annoyed.
"Yeah, I know ridiculous, no offence to Marc but Colin Firth kicks his ass, but maybe that's the tight trousers, hey have you ever asked Marc to wear them, he'd look good." God love Selena but she really did get lost in her own little world sometimes.
"Is that all?" I asked not knowing how much worse it could get.
"Yep, pretty much. Oh no wait, there's another poll comparing you to Kate Middleton. Sorry girl but you're going to lose that one."
"Of course I'm going to lose that one, Kate Middleton is a Duchess and married to a Prince. Are you done embarrassing me yet?"
"Yes, I'm done. Hey girl we should have a shopping spree to celebrate and have drinks, Charlie could join us." Charlie was Selena's boyfriend and my second best friend. Charlie worked with me in a bar, while I was in college. After six years of flirting me and Marc arranged to set them up on a date and it worked like a charm, the two of them were inseparable these days.
"Can't I'm meeting some old friends. But I will come out tonight and celebrate; I'm going to surprise Marc at work after I meet my friends."
"Meeting Marc at work, naughty, naughty. Oh Charlie and I could tell you some stories."
"Oh dear god, don't go into detail," I pleaded. "Right I better go, I'll see you tonight."
"Oh by the way, what designer are you choosing for your wedding dress?"
"I got engaged last night, Selena. I haven't had chance to think about it. Why are you asking?"
"There placing bets at work about what designer you'll go for, thought I'd make some money."
"Goodbye Selena," I said hanging up. I had a pang of fear go through me when Selena told me about the article of my engagement. I knew it was coming, but I was expecting a small mention in the gossip column not a whole page. God was news so slow these days that my personal life was so interesting. I was slowly losing my faith in today's papers.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
I stared at the large building in front of me. The place just screamed Cullen residence; it was just like the place in Forks, maybe a bit bigger. The front of the building was surrounding large windows. I had to keep telling myself that it wasn't the same place, so I wouldn't turn back. Eight years and it seemed just yesterday that Edward brought me to his house to meet his family. The echo of the hole inside me hurt for the first time in six years. It may be a different house but the memories were still there. The same family were living there, he was living there. For the first time in eight years I was very close to Edward and I wasn't sure if I could deal with that. If he was living close to New York, it would probably be just a matter of time until we met again. But I shouldn't dwell on that, Edward wasn't here now and I didn't want him to be. In fact I never wanted to see him again. I have done what he wanted me to do and move on and the memory of him wasn't going to stop me living my life with Marc.
I shook my head and shoved my feelings along with the memories aside. I got out of my car, a silver convertible. I got rid of truck ages ago, funnily enough it lasted a lot longer than you'd think. When I started making money, I invested in a new car, one that you couldn't hear miles away. I grabbed my bag and a certain present that I had been waiting for six years to give Alice. I knocked attentively on the door. I saw Rosalie peek her head out the window checking my car and I saw her nod her head in approval. I chuckled, some things never change. The door opened in a whirl and Alice jumped on me quickly.
"Bella you came," Alice said in a way of welcome.
"I said I would," I reminded her. Alice let go of me and started to look me up and down, was she honestly criticising my clothes, I was a fashion designer. Funnily enough I got self-conscious at her stare; I was reminded quickly of my seventeen year old self. "Do I pass the Alice Cullen test? Honestly you're worse than all the critics put together." I commented and Alice laughed. We made our way through the hall way and into the living room.
"I know I said that it would only be the three of us, but someone was dying to see you again," Alice said. My mind went straight to the worst case scenario again, even though Alice promised me he wouldn't be here. Alice wouldn't do that to me. My fears were forgotten when I saw the smiling face of Esme Cullen. Esme grabbed me in a hug before I could greet her.
"Oh Bella dear, we have missed you so much," Esme gasped when she let me go. The last bit of irritation that had been with me since the Cullen's left, wanted to bite back and say, 'if you missed me so much why you didn't keep in touch?' But I knew that wasn't Esme's fault or any of the Cullen's for that matter, that blame rested on Edward's shoulders.
"I missed you to," I said instead. It was true; I did miss them all more than I wanted to. I missed the family that I longed to be part of.
"I'll be back in a minute and when I do I want to hear everything about your life," Esme said walking to the kitchen. Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me to the couch next to her.
"Show me the ring," Alice demanded the moment we sat down. She grabbed my hand and started inspecting the ring. "Damn he's got good taste. You've found a keeper there; you won't believe how hard it is to find a man with good taste. Over sixty years with Jasper and I still have to dress the boy."
"No Alice, you won't let anyone dress themselves," Rosalie pointed out.
"Can you blame me, last time I let Jasper dress himself, he brought a pink shirt. I'm sorry, but I will not stay married to anyone who wears a pink shirt." Alice shuddered. Rosalie came to sit beside me and started to inspect the ring as well, which surprised me because last time I checked she hated me. Esme at that moment walked in with a tray of sandwiches and cakes, enough to feed a five people not one, setting them in front of me.
"Help yourself Bella, you know they'll go to waste in this family if you don't eat them," Esme said pointing to the food. "Oh is that the ring. Alice told me all about your engagement, congratulations." Esme grabbed my hand as well, I was guessing I'd have to get used to this.
"Bella tell me all about Marc, how did you meet?" Alice insisted. I took a moment to think of the best way to describe Marc and do him justice.
"Well Marc's a Doctor, a really good one as well. We met when my best friend Selena broke her leg; she spent the whole time chatting up her doctor, with no luck. Selena was convinced he was gay, after two days of no reaction to her. When Selena was released, he waited outside the hospital waiting for us and asked for my number. We have been dating for three years and lived with each other for a year and a half. He's very supportive of me and is a very kind man, sometimes to kind," I said still not thinking that I did justice to the man that Marc is.
"He sounds lovely, I hope to meet him one day," Esme said but something told me it wasn't really genuine, there was sadness in her eyes. "According to the papers he's being compared to Mr Darcy." I groaned I thought Selena had been making that part up.
"Oh no, I think Marc is more attractive than Colin Firth," Alice commented, "Minus the tight pants, has Marc got a pair of tight pants?" What was the obsession with Marc in Tight pants it was rather disturbing? I decided to change the subject.
"So what have you lot been up to for eight years?" I asked.
"Pretty much business as usual. We're pretending to be college students at the moment. Actually Bella I'm taking a design course at New York University and Jasper, is doing history again. Rosalie is taking yet another Mechanic course and Emmett is actually a coach for the High school wrestling team," Alice answered. I could imagine Emmett being a wrestling coach and I felt sorry for the students that had him. I was grateful that Alice didn't mention Edward. There was an awkward silence afterwards.
"Is it true what Alice tells me are you really a fashion Designer, I know Alice wouldn't lie about that, but I just can't believe you of all people would actually take after Alice," Esme said and we all laughed.
"Well I had to rub off on someone, but I am rather surprised it's you Bella, when you were seventeen you had no fashion sense," Alice said and I scowled at her.
"Well after having it shoved down my throat for half a year, it was hard not to listen to you," I said laughing as well. "Even though it was five months after you left, it was you that was my inspiration." Alice beamed at that.
"Jess and Angela dragged me to a fashion show one weekend. I was bored at the beginning but after a while I started to notice the clothes and for some reason I kept on having ideas for my own designs. After that weekend, I decided to put my ideas on paper and I showed them to Mrs Gillespie, the Art and design teacher, who agreed to help me make them. Before I knew it I was making more and more clothes. I decided to wear one of my dresses to a party and Jess wouldn't leave me alone all night until I told her where I got my gorgeous dress. When I told her, well quite frankly she was stunned, she and Angela asked to see other dresses and I agreed. I told them to help themselves to the pieces they liked and that turned out to be half of my designs. I even made their Prom dresses, which were hits as well. After everyone said how much they liked my stuff I decided I wanted to try and pursue being a fashion designer. After university, I sent my designs to different shops and I got it into one. A year working there I applied for a space on a Fashion show which showcased new designers, the winner would get financing to start there fashion label and open there own store and somehow I won that," I said.
"I remember that, I wasn't there, but I read about it. Critics were going on about your fresh designs and how they would suit all girls, because that you had something there for everyone," Alice commented.
"Well the first dress that Mrs Gillespie helped me make, I had made it for you in mind Alice. I didn't want to sell it because it never seemed right, but I always wanted to give it to you," I said. I passed the clothes bag over to her. Alice opened the bag and a huge smile was fixed on her face as she looked at the sunset coloured dress.
"Hah told you that this dress was made for me," Alice said. I smiled at Alice's excitement.
"Do you mind if I use the toilet?"
"Of course you can, it's the second floor third door on your left," Esme replied. I made my way to the toilet.
After I finished I decided to take a quick tour of the house, I couldn't help myself. I was curious; I wanted to see how much had changed. The first door was Alice and Jasper's I could tell from the massive wardrobe all along the walls. The next room was the room I was dreading, Edward's. The room was just like the one in Forks. A part of me was telling me to walk back out; what if there were pictures of a current girlfriend here. Someone prettier and more interesting, who could keep Edward, satisfied. But curiosity kept me looking. The bookcase was covered in Cd's and books. There were no signs of any other person staying here with him, this room screamed Edward. I saw a book that was on his table I picked it up. To say that I was shocked by the title would be an understatement, 'Romeo and Juliet,' I thought he hated this story. He said that Romeo was intolerable. I picked the book up and a piece of paper fell out. I picked it up and looked at it; I was shocked it was a picture of me and Edward, the one that Charlie took of us in my house before he left; I thought he'd thrown them all away. I could feel tears pooling in my eyes. A rush of feelings that I thought were long forgotten came back. What did this picture mean? Did Edward still think of me?
I shoved the picture back in the book, pretending like I never saw it. I had made a mistake coming here. I thought I could handle it but I couldn't. I ran out of the room quickly. I needed to get out of this house. I made my way downstairs and tried to put a blank face on. I couldn't show how upset I was to them, they'd demand answers. I entered the living room trying to smile.
"Sorry, but I better go, I promised my staff I'd stop of at the shop and I wanted to see Marc at work. But this has been fun and we should do it again sometime," I said, I quickly scribbled my number down and passed it to her.
"Bella are you Ok?" Alice asked worried. She could read my face like a book.
"Yeah I'm fine," I lied but I knew no one believed me. "Bye." I knew I was being rude, but I needed to get out of that house. I made my way to the door but Alice stopped me before I could open it.
"Bella tell me what's going on," Alice requested but I wasn't prepared to tell her how a stupid photo brought a rush of feelings for her brother back. I shook my head.
"Nothing Alice, I just need to leave," I said.
"Fine, I'll pretend to believe you, but if you ever need to talk you know you can call me anytime," Alice said and I was grateful to hear it as well.
"Thanks Alice," I said and Alice got out of the way of the door and I walked to my car.