Title: You Found Me
Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.
Pairings: Canon
Rating: M, for language and future sexing.
Chapter: Eighteen; Confrontational
POV: Edward
AN: Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in my little poll despite the extreme moodiness of this past week :) The ratio of baby lovers to baby haters are much closer than I would have ever expected. Half of you are going to be happy, and half not so much, no matter what happens :P Either way, I hope you'll stick this story out until the end, until you write it off, I'll try my best to take into consideration the various comments from both sides, regardless of the road Edward and Bella find themselves travelling :)
This chapter isn't much, but hopefully it's enjoyable. I didn't get in as much of my outlined chapter content, as I wanted, so we're looking at a few EPOV chapters in a row (at least two). From here on out, the content will be much more Edward-centric, since his side of the story – with James and Victoria, and his adjustments to the veggie vamp lifestyle will take the forefront. Bella will still get her say every once in a while, though :)
xx
I sighed in annoyance as Jacob settled stiffly onto the sofa, Bella wedged between us like a human divider.
I wrapped an arm around her affectionately. She leaned into me, not complaining when I used the momentum to drag her closer to my side of the sofa. She rolled her eyes at my attempt at staking claim. I shrugged back sheepishly. I could tell by the pink hue of her cheeks that she liked it, so I wasn't too worried about incurring her wrath.
Jacob crossed his arms and slumped into the couch, still much too close to Bella for my liking. I only allowed him that proximity because his emotions were level for the time being. He was tense but not angry. If he so much as showed a twinge of annoyance, I would kick him off the couch faster than he could blink.
I wasn't sure why he was here at all.
More than once his thoughts had darted to how uncomfortable he was being left alone in a house of vampires. He could have left with his pack of mutts. He had chosen to stay.
We all faced the TV, watching a rerun of some nineties' sitcom that none of us were really paying any attention to. Finally, Bella broke the silence.
"Jacob, is this really necessary?" she sighed, her tone terse. "You don't need to babysit me. I'm older than you are. I think I can take care of myself."
"Age has nothing to do with your ability to protect yourself from them." He glared at me as he spat out the last word.
She stared at him stubbornly. "I don't need to be protected. I trust Edward, and you're going to have to trust me."
"What are you saying? That you don't care if one of them bites you?" Jacob growled, his face turning pink with repressed irritation. He was treading dangerously close to getting kicked off the couch.
"That's not what I said," she snipped back, her stance defiant. "Don't put words in my mouth. It's none of your business what I choose to do with my life, anyway."
Pride swelled. This beautiful, fragile girl was sitting between a vampire and a werewolf, yelling at the latter. If I hadn't been hers already, that show of feistiness would have sealed the deal.
"Fine. I said I would try to be happy for you. I meant it… but please don't do anything stupid." He jerked his head in my direction. "I've met his friends, and worse, their discarded victims."
"I have no intention of introducing Bella to James and Victoria," I interrupted, emphatic. It was important to me that he understand as much. I would ensure Bella was not in danger because of her association with me. "You're right to think they're dangerous. I assure you Bella is and will continue to be safe under my watch."
"James and Victoria?" Jacob sneered in disgust. "Lovely. They have names. As if anyone could get close enough to address them personally anyway. Psycho One and Psycho Two would be more fitting."
"I'm not defending their behaviour," I conceded. "Their actions have been inexcusable."
"What did they do?" Bella interjected curiously.
Jacob face twisted in disgust, a look I was certain I mirrored. When it was clear Jacob had no intention of answering, I did. I knew more of the specifics anyway, not that I'd ever share a fraction of the horrific things I'd witnessed with Bella.
"They're not very discretionary when they hunt," I admitted. "They like to play with their food before they eat it."
Bella's face dropped in shock as realization dawned. "While they're still alive?" she muttered. I was fairly certain she didn't want to hear the answer to her question, not that I would have willingly supplied it. "Why do you stay with them knowing how horribly they treat people?"
I looked at my lap, fisting the hand that wasn't tucked around Bella. "I didn't realize it was unusual for vampires to behave that way. When I would mention that I thought something they had done was excessively cruel I was always told I only thought so because I didn't hunt like a normal vampire." I shrugged helplessly. "We crossed paths with other vampires who never had such gruesome stories to share, so I suppose it should have been obvious to me."
"Damn right," Jacob muttered under his breath.
"But it wasn't," I continued over Jacob. "I wanted to believe them. They're all I've known since I was a newborn. I trusted them foolishly."
Bella kissed my cheek consolingly. "I think it's sweet you gave them the benefit of the doubt. It indicates what kind of person you are. It's not your fault they're horrible."
I shrugged indifferently. I didn't think my naïve view of James and Victoria's hunting habits said anything positive about my character. At best I was desensitized. At worst, I was as bad as they were for not interfering.
"Speaking of giving people the benefit of the doubt…" Jacob groused, sarcasm infused in his tone.
"You said you'd trust me, Jake," Bella grumbled.
"I never said I'd trust you," he countered with a massive smirk. "I said I wanted you to be happy. Big difference."
Bella shot him the evil eye. "Whatever. Either option involves you trusting me to be alone with Edward. So why don't we give it a trial run? You leave. And, if you absolutely need to, you can come back tomorrow to make sure I'm still alive." She crossed her arms defiantly, daring him to challenge her.
"Yeah right," he mumbled insolently.
"Fine. If you don't like that… we could do what we were planning to do once you left, right now." Grinning sideways at Jacob, she crawled into my lap and pecked me seductively on the neck.
I knew she was doing it just to irritate Jacob into leaving but I shivered anyway. It didn't matter the reason. Her lips were on my neck. It was the first time she'd kissed me there. I knew I'd be asking her to do it again, very soon; the soft warmth of her against the sensitive skin felt amazing.
"Uh, no thanks. I'm good. I'm just gonna watch TV."
He turned his head back towards the Cullens' massive 50-inch flatscreen, trying very hard to concentrate on the dialogue but failing miserably. His thoughts inevitably shifted back to Bella splayed on top of me.
When she moved to pull away, I coiled an arm around her waist, holding her in place. I liked this new seating arrangement. Jacob would have to live with it. She rested her head against my chest but turned her face towards him. Her long brown tresses tickled through the thin fabric of my shirt as she moved.
"Why are you being such a pain in the ass?" she growled after a moment of glowering at Jacob. "Sam and the rest of the pack left, after, like, five minutes. Obviously they think I'm in capable hands or they wouldn't have left. Why are you stuck on me like a sock out of the dryer?"
Jacob muttered inaudibly, his thoughts focusing on Bella and I with an undertone of irritation. He thought she had nerve to accuse him of being clingy when she was crawling all over me.
"I couldn't hear you," Bella sighed.
"I said: I don't think I'm the one stuck on someone."
"Okay. Enough is enough," Bella rolled her eyes. "What's this really about? I mean it. I know I'm safe, you know I'm safe. I'm sick of you being whiny and annoying."
Jacob pouted, annoyed that Bella had played the "no bullshit" card. His thoughts oscillated between telling the truth and making up something less embarrassing. He eventually settled on the truth.
"You're the first girl I could ever see myself with… you know… romantically," he admitted, colour crawling up his neck.
"Jake…"
"I get that it's not going to happen," he continued in a rush. "You're not my imprint. I don't want you to go through what Sam and Leah did. That wouldn't be fair to you, me, or my future imprint… but it's weird watching you rush off into the arms of a vampire. I know you can't be with me. I know you're not even picking him over me, since we never happened… but I still care about you. It stings a little. I don't want you to end up undead. We'd be natural enemies, then. I'd never see you."
I'd known of Jacob's minor attraction all along, but it was news to Bella. She seemed torn between relief the truth was out and wanting to defend "us" to him. I stroked her shoulder in reassurance, stopping her from responding to Jacob's concerns. She'd defended me enough. If he didn't grasp how much I cared about her by now he never would.
I need to explain to him, in my own words, how I felt. Maybe then he would understand I had no ill intentions. I knew he wouldn't be receptive to the concept of Bella being my mate, nor was I prepared to explain that to him, but perhaps I could offer him enough to assuage his worry that Bella ending up dead was inevitable.
"I care about Bella a great deal. I've sworn to never hurt her," I explained, my tone neutral. The last thing I needed was for him to think I was being condescending. "You bemoan my kind but you don't seem to know very much about us. When we make promises, we hold them sacred."
"You're not perfect. If there was an accident…" Jacob interjected, annoyed.
"When I vowed to Bella that she would be safe around me, I meant it," I declared. "I'd rather die than see her hurt. You say you were terrified when you found her blood in the woods? Well, I assure you, I felt the same way. Only I had to see it happen. I watched her stumble, unable to do anything to prevent it. I heard her arm break and smelled her blood fill the air. Those are memories I will never be able to erase. I will do anything necessary to prevent the creation of similar memories."
"But what if she chooses to…?" He left the question open-ended but it was clear he was talking about only one thing: Bella becoming a vampire.
"That's her choice. I won't impede her decision if I feel it's something she wants. However, it's not something I would encourage her to do, especially not so soon. She's only just been introduced to my world. It's hardly time for her to think about integrating herself into it."
"Thanks for talking about me as if I'm not here," Bella joked, poking me in the shoulder.
I smiled at her, offering her my most charming crooked smile and tugged on a lock of chestnut hair affectionately. She smiled back brightly. I was becoming quite skilled at manipulating fickle human emotions, if I did say so myself.
"He's right," she told Jacob. "I don't think becoming a vampire is something I would consider right now."
Jacob grimaced slightly when she tacked "right now," on the end of that sentence, but managed to sound somewhat positive when he said, "I guess I can't ask for much more than that. If you change your mind – and I'm not saying you should – you'll tell me? So I can say goodbye?"
Bella rolled her eyes affectionately. "You think I'd ditch you and not even say goodbye? I put up with you every summer for sixteen years. You won't get rid of me that easily. I stuck by you when you told me you were a werewolf, didn't I?"
Jacob shrugged pretending to be indifferent. His warm thoughts told a different story.
"As long as you're not going to fall off the face of the earth…"
"I'm not."
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well… I guess I'll be going then. I don't think I can stand this place a minute longer, even for you, Bella. It reeks."
Her brow scrunched and she inhaled the air around her. "What are you talking about? It smells nice in here. Sweet… like flowers."
"It smells like your boyfriend," Jacob said distastefully.
Bella glanced at me through her hair, flushing adorably. I offered a small grin. I hoped that was an indicator that she liked that descriptor. We hadn't talked about it yet but it was something I was looking forward to; I wanted to know for certain she was mine, as I was already hers.
"So? I think Edward smells really nice."
"You would," Jacob muttered dryly. "He smells like a vampire… Like burnt sugar and melting plastic mixed in the most offensive way possible."
"Didn't you say you were planning to leave?" I cut in flatly.
"Yeah, yeah." He shuffled off the couch. Halfway out of the room, he turned to shoot a semi-hopeful look in Bella's direction. "Seeya later?"
She smiled freely. "Later."
"So… now that we've been absolved of our babysitter, what should we do?" she asked once the sound of the door closing in the next room alerted us he had finally left the premises. Her arms tightened around my neck letting me know exactly what she had in mind.
I pulled her closer. "I kind of liked where we were before," I teased. "It's too bad Jacob left. I liked your methods of getting a point across."
She ducked her head under my chin, embarrassed. I nuzzled against her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. The soft strawberry scent wafting from her hair was appealing but the furthest thing from food I could imagine. It was tempting in an entirely different way.
"That was just an added bonus. I'd be happy to continue where we left off?" she offered, pressing her lips to my chin. I hummed. "I love it when you make that sound," she mumbled. "…Like a purring cat."
My reply was cut off by an angry voice floating from upstairs. I'd been tuning out the murmur of thoughts from the Cullens until now but it was hard to miss the argument between Alice and Rosalie.
Their voices broke the calm that had settled in the room. Bella probably wouldn't be able to make out the words but she had to be able to hear the disturbance. It was difficult to tune out; Rosalie's murderous tone was loud and clear.
"Really Alice! You're telling me where I can and cannot go in my own home? I don't think so. I stayed away while they played with their pet doggies but the mutts are gone now. I don't care what the fuck they're doing! If they don't want to be seen, they can LEAVE."
In contrast to the Rosalie's rage filled thoughts, Alice's were meek. She was trying to be the voice of reason but Rosalie was having none of it.
"Rose, I'm not asking to punish you. They're–" Alice didn't get a chance to finish the sentence. Rosalie was done listening.
Several loud crashes later – I assumed they were footsteps – a tornado of blonde flashed through the room, landing directly in front of Bella and me.
"Hi, Rosalie," Bella said shyly, looking up at her wide-eyed. "Is something wrong? We heard yelling…"
"Yes, something's wrong," Rosalie said icily. "First my life is put on the line for someone I don't give a fuck about and then my meddling sister informs me that I've been restricted access to this area of my house because of you. Well, looks like she was wrong because here I am."
Rosalie glared at Alice, who had followed her into the room.
"We didn't mean to impose," Bella said quietly, sliding herself off my lap, and onto the couch next to me. I tucked her under my arm. With Rosalie as angry as she was, I wanted Bella close, in case it was necessary to shield her from Rosalie's fury. "We can leave…"
"Rosalie!" Alice hissed. "Edward and Bella are our guests. All I asked was that you give them a little privacy! I didn't think it was an unreasonable request."
"So they're our guests now?" Rosalie mocked. "How come you didn't involve me in this decision? Perhaps I'm not comfortable having strangers living in my home."
"They're not permanent guests and you know it," Alice snapped. "We thought you'd be able to handle twenty-four hours. Clearly we were mistaken."
I stood, pulling Bella up from the couch as well and guiding her behind me. With my considerable height, she was completely obscured from Rosalie's nasty stares.
Rosalie glared at me spitefully instead. "Oh, how sweet. Protecting your little pet."
"Don't talk about things you don't know," I snapped acerbically, just barely managing to refrain from flexing my hand into a fist. I was prepared to punch Rosalie if she continued; it didn't matter if she was female. No one had any right to talk to or about Bella like that.
I turned to Bella, who looked stricken, hoping to reassure her that Rosalie's petty words meant nothing. She smiled at me weakly, mumbling that she was fine.
Apparently Rosalie didn't possess the same restraint I had mustered. She would have taken a swing at me if it weren't for Alice's premonition of the event. Alice clutched Rosalie's arm in a death grip. For someone so small, she was surprisingly strong.
"Don't even think about it." Alice's tone was eerily calm but there was no mistaking the intensity behind it. Even Rosalie, mulish to the extreme, didn't dare disobey. "This is ridiculous! Tell me you did not think about punching Edward?"
"He had it coming!" Rosalie snapped insolently.
"Alice, it's okay," I cut in, before she could respond to Rosalie. "Bella and I appreciate you inviting us to stay and I'll be eternally grateful for everything that you and Dr. Cullen have taught me but perhaps it would be wise for us to leave now. It's clear that we've outstayed our welcome."
Rosalie smirked smugly. When you're making out on our couch, damn straight you have…
"Edward, please, ignore Rosalie. She's irrationally upset." She glared at her sister. "You can't go back to James and Victoria. I've had visions. It's not safe. I'm still in the process of trying to work out the best option. There are so many things to consider, I need more time."
"Staying here doesn't seem much safer at the moment," I countered, returning Rosalie's scowl. " I think I'll take my chances with James. At least I expect it from him and Bella doesn't need to be involved."
"We can go to my father's study," Alice suggested persuasively, ignoring Rosalie's sour face. "Let Rosalie do whatever it was that was so crucial in the living room. I know there were a few things he wanted to say to you before you left."
I looked to Bella, silently asking her permission. If she wanted out of this house, we would leave the moment the command left her lips. I wouldn't blame her if she did. A furious vampire was not a pleasant sight. She smiled reassuringly at me proving, once again, how brave she was. I wasn't so sure if I had been human that I would have be willing to remain at the same address as a spiteful vampire.
"If Dr. Cullen has something to say to you, you should hear him out," she reasoned. "And if Alice says it isn't safe for you to leave…" Her brow puckered, worry creasing her forehead. "I don't want you getting hurt. She would know, right? If she can see the future?"
I nodded my consent, following Alice out of the room and away from Rosalie. I kept myself as a barrier between Bella and Rosalie at all times as we retreated upstairs.
Rosalie's grumbled complaints followed us up. "Great. Now it smells like human in here," she sniffed, plopping into the couch Bella and I had abandoned. "How am I supposed to watch Gilmore Girls without wanting to kill something?" The sounds of her shuffling for the remote followed.
Alice sighed, stopping outside of Carlisle's study. She knocked on the door, gesturing for us to enter, even before Carlisle affirmative answer drifted through the wood.
"I'm sorry," Alice said as we filed into the room after her. She shut the door behind us. Though it would be a flimsy barrier between us and Rosalie, it was better than none at all.
Rosalie hasn't been adjusting to your presence in our lives very well. My father thinks she might be feeling threatened, she added silently, presumably so Rosalie wouldn't hear.
Bella shrugged dismissively. "It's okay. Edward said you guys are territorial. It's understandable Rosalie would feel like we're invading her space."
Carlisle looked up from a laptop, where he was sorting through what appeared to be a financial portfolio. "It's true, we are territorial creatures. However Rosalie's anger is fueled by more complex emotions," he said quietly, clearly aware that Rosalie might be listening in.
She wasn't. She was absorbed in her show, contemplating who would make a better mate, Jess or Dean.
"Jealousy – even in such a basic form – isn't something she's accustomed to dealing with," he continued.
Alice laughed. "That's putting it lightly. I can't wait until… nevermind. If you know, it won't work out the way it's supposed to."
I didn't bother ask for clarification. After only a few hours, I found myself accustomed to Alice's fondness for being vague. At first it had irritated me to no end but I'd quickly realized that trying to be one step ahead of the future was no easy task.
Trying to separate reality from what had yet to happen based on hundreds upon hundreds of uncertain images was too much for me to attempt to comprehend. I had a new respect for Alice and the ease with which she dealt with her gift. Knowing the thoughts of every individual around me – other than Bella, of course – was enough for me. I would let the future come as it might.
Carlisle smiled, bemused. "Alice… let's not put so much pressure on Edward. You know that sometimes life works out differently than you expect, for various reasons."
"No pressure. Just hoping," she assured with a secret smile.
"The shenanigans of my more impetuous daughter aside, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, Edward," Carlisle said seriously. "I hope you don't mind sitting in on the conversation, Bella? Now that you know about us?"
She shook her head. "I think I can handle it. Most of my closest friends and acquaintances aren't what would be considered normal, and neither am I, to be perfectly blunt. I find it fascinating, actually."
Carlisle grinned, addressing Bella warmly. "I'm glad to hear that, as I'm sure Edward is. I'm certain he would hate the thought of you being uncomfortable in the least." He then turned to me, his thoughts rolling over my newly changed eye colour and how it suited me. "And you? Now that my children have sufficiently introduced you to our way of life… how do you feel?"
I smiled politely. "I feel good about it, sir. It was very kind of your family to show me the ropes. My first hunt wasn't what I expected but after some practice, I'm sure I'll become much more adept."
Carlisle laughed warmly. "No need to be so formal, son. I'm only a few years older than you, physically, anyway. I only ask because I know it can't be an easy adjustment. Jasper went though a great deal of culture shock, so to speak, when he made the change."
I nodded. "I've spoken with Jasper and we both agree that my acclimation will likely to be easier than his, given my discretionary hunting in the past. I'm accustomed to restraint. This lifestyle requires more, of course, but it's a shorter leap."
Carlisle nodded. "I'm sure you're right. You showed no small amount of control, carrying Bella while she was injured."
I shrugged. It hadn't seemed like a choice at the time. Bella's arms tightened around my waist; her silent way of showing her appreciation for the pain I had endured for her safety.
"Adjustment is only a small part of what I wanted to talk to you about. The future…" he continued, trailing off. His thoughts were murky, undulating between concern and hesitance. "Have you given any thought to where you will go from here?"
"I'm committed to keeping up with this lifestyle, if that's what you're asking," I offered honestly. "With Bella in my life, I can't imagine going back to hunting humans. Nor, do I think I could, even if she wasn't. It's the alternative I always wished I had."
"I'm glad to hear that but that wasn't what I meant. In terms of… living arrangements?" he asked tentatively. "Do you have any plans?"
"I haven't given it much thought, but I suppose I'll go back to James and Victoria for the time being," I admitted. "Until they leave Forks at least. I know you don't agree with their hunting practices. Frankly neither do I, but after so many years together I owe them an explanation before I distance myself from them. As long as they're in town, I plan to keep them away from Bella. Avoiding them entirely seems like it could be unnecessarily offensive."
"Their hunting practices are the least of the reasons we dislike James and Victoria," Alice interrupted quietly. "They're not normal, Edward. You can't tell them you're planning to separate from them and expect them to accept it and move on. They think of you as their property. Your gift has cash value. It would be a fight to the death."
"I think I know them better than you do," I said coldly. "Two weeks as a newborn, spent lurking in the shadows, hardly qualifies you to make judgments of character."
"After nearly a century, you're not doing much better," she snapped back. "I'm trying to help you. I want you to make it out of this alive. If you go back to them without a plan, you'll end up dead. I've been trying to figure out the best way to keep you alive, and get you what you want. But before I can do that, I need to know what exactly it is you want."
Her condescending tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and all of my defensive hackles rise with them. Only Bella's presence kept the last modicum of calm I had left from taking flight.
"No fighting, please," Carlisle said sternly. "We're all rational adults. We can talk about this calmly."
"Edward," Bella interjected, leveling her wide brown eyes on me. I was immediately sold, even without hearing what she had to say. "No offense or anything, but based on what you've told me about James and Victoria, they sound like world-class jerks. You're kind of blind when it comes to them. I think you should listen to Alice. If you end up dead, because you're being stubborn… Please?"
My resolve crumbled with that one word.
"Okay," I grunted, eyeing Alice skeptically. "I'm listening."
"If you tell James and Victoria you're planning to leave now, they won't react well," she explained, images of my future death floating through her mind. "I can see them reacting better further down the line. I can't determine what changes since it's too far into the future. I can clearly see you saying goodbye to James, both of you without anger."
"Okay," I repeated. There wasn't anything for me to add. Bella squeezed my hand reassuringly.
"My best guess is that this switch occurs two or three weeks from now, maybe a month. It's rare for me to have visions any further in the future than that, unless they're a relative certainty. Too many things are still undecided. It's rare that I see James and Victoria, anyway. They're proficient at shielding, I think. I almost never see Victoria. James is only marginally easier. I'll know better when the time nears, hopefully. "
"So you're saying that I have to put off telling James and Victoria for a month?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "But there's a catch. Until then… you're going to need these." She dug in one of the drawers of Carlisle's desk, producing a pair of wayfarers and a box that read "WildEyes" in bold letters. "They're not as dark as yours usually are… but they're the best I could find on the market. The sunglasses will help." Her thoughts indicated some amusement but she kept a straight face.
"Wait a second…" I challenged, once I caught on to her intentions. "You want me to wear contacts that people pretending to be vampires wear on Halloween?" I asked. "Are you kidding me? I am a vampire. This is ridiculous."
"Just when you're around James and Victoria." She shrugged sheepishly.
"Can't I just tell them I changed my diet? They'd accept that much. It's not a far leap from hunting criminals…" I suggested hopefully.
"Not an option," she said firmly, the command leaving no room for argument. "Make sure you wear the sunglasses whenever possible. I got you the darkest ones I could find, but your eyes might be just barely visible. Hopefully they won't be able to see the rims of the contacts through them. Mirrored shades would have been preferable, but I saw you would reject those outright." She pouted, upset that I was unwilling to let her choose more fashionable accessories. "And attempt to keep your eyes diverted, when possible. I'd suggest wearing a baseball cap as well, but I can see that suggestion would go the way of the mirrored sunglasses. You're awfully protective of your hair…"
Bella giggled. "You have to admit it's a little bit funny. I can't wait to see you in your contacts. Though, I have to admit, I do kind of like the sunglasses…" she teased, putting them on and pouting like a runway model.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…" I mumbled. "It might be easier to just kill myself now. Save the hassle and the humiliation."
"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," Alice scolded. "Bella's going to think they're sexy."
At that admission Bella sobered, growing just as embarrassed as I was. "Thanks for bringing me into this," she muttered, her cheeks pink.
Carlisle watched us all interact, sitting comfortably his armchair. I got the distinct impression that he found the three of us amusing.
"Fine," I snipped. "I'll wear them but I won't be happy about it."
"I wasn't expecting you to," Alice said brightly. "But it's a step in the right direction. Look at the silver lining: do this for a couple weeks, and you'll be rid of – as Jacob so accurately called them – 'psycho one' and 'psycho two' forever."
"Yeah," I agreed, slightly wistful. They hadn't always been so horrible.
"A part of you is going to miss them," Bella guessed correctly.
"I suppose," I confessed grudgingly. I felt horrible admitting it, knowing what I did, but in nine decades of interaction, there were bound to be some good times. "They're not all bad, you know? We had some good times. I'm looking forward to starting this new chapter, but a tiny part of me is going to mourn the close of the last one."
Bella leaned more heavily into me, allowing the warmth of her presence to soothe me. It was strange, how after less than a day of this new intimacy she seemed to know exactly what I needed and when.
I felt awful that I was dragging her into all these changes in my life but I hoped they were ultimately for the better. Regardless of how quickly it had developed, I cherished it. It was nice to know there was someone there, waiting to offer comfort when it was needed.
"I think you'll be surprised how smooth the transition is," Alice supplied. "We'll be here to help you. Speaking of… since you're going to be spending a lot of time with Bella and the Fairmont is quite a distance away. Esme and I took the liberty of converting one of our guest rooms into a room for you, just in case you need a place to shower and change after seeing Bella. Or if you don't want to go back to James and Victoria for the night. It's yours. I've stocked it with a full wardrobe, since you'll be needing freshly laundered clothes. My selections might be a little more contemporary than what you're used to but Bella will like it."
"I've noticed a pattern," I said dryly. "Do you think just because you tell me that Bella will like something that I'm going to bend over backwards to accept it?"
Alice looked at me flatly, like I was the one being ridiculous. "Yes. Because you will."
Bella grinned. "I think it's sweet you care so much about my opinion. Even if I didn't know it was my opinion until Alice said so."
"Anyway…" Alice continued, "Esme will be offended if you rebuff her attempt to make you feel welcome. She decorated the room using sketches I drew of your childhood bedroom in Chicago. I saw you going back there in a vision once. She thought it might make you feel more at home."
"As much as it unsettles me how much you know about me… thank you. I appreciate it. It's certain to be more convenient than Seattle."
"No prob," Alice beamed. "It was our pleasure. By the way, just so you know, Bella's going to love the bed, too." She winked.
Bella's fingertips dug into my waist, her heated cheek burning against my chest at that comment. I stroked her hair, soothing her.
Life with the Cullens was going to be interesting.