Family
"Hello." The voice was soft but it rang in his ears as if it were a siren signaling impending danger.
"Oh. Hi, Esme. How are you?" Bella instantly turned on the charm as she angled her body towards both of us. She had always been good at recovering well from awkward situations.
"Bella, dear, it's so good to see you again." Esme wrapped her in a tight hug. She didn't know what to do with herself, after they broke up, she was unsure of how she could readjust her life to exclude her family unit she had discovered with Edward, but in some way, the hug felt natural and she welcomed the contact.
"Thank you. It's good to see you too. Is anyone else around?" Bella glanced from side to side, expecting to see the rest of Edward's beautiful family appear to greet her.
"Oh, honey, you just missed them. The forecast said a pretty weekend is expected and they all went to hunt. I'm sorry; I know that they will have wanted to see you…" Esme smiled and patted Bella's arm in condolence. "And, I hate to cut this short, but I am actually leaving to. I just stayed behind for a few to catch Edward, but I can see that he won't be interested in hunting." She smiled at both of them, waiting for a reassurance that she could leave.
"Yeah, that's okay. You go ahead. Bella and I are probably just going to put in a movie anyways…" Edward smiled, encouraging Esme to leave. "Okay, I'll go, I'll go, but just so you know, there isn't any food in the kitchen. We didn't have time to prepare, I am sorry love." Esme smiled as she flew out of the back door in a blur. Edward smiled and edged his way closer to Bella, and before her reflexes could gain any self defense, his lips were smashed against hers in a fury. Her body reacted without hesitation, pressing herself against him and running her hands through his hair. She followed his lead, running her hands over his body, toying with the buttons on his soft dress shirt.
Edward smiled against her lips as he pulled away from her, "You surprise me every time."
"What?" Bella bit her lip as she stared at him. "What do you mean?" She was utterly confused about this situation, and typically, Edward was an easy read for her.
"I mean, Bella, when you found out I had brought you here, you freaked out and wanted to leave, and as soon as I gave you what you wanted, you were instantly comfortable. That just…surprised me." Edward's eyes glistened in the dim light of the living room as he eased himself onto the arm of the couch.
"Edward. You gave me what I wanted? I gave you what you wanted, that was clear to see in the reaction of your body." Her eyes were slow to open as she gazed at him almost seductively.
He laughed at her attempt to intimidate, "Ah, my Bella, you are such a little girl." He reached for her to bring her closer to him, but he was rejected by a harsh slap on his fore arm.
"STOP IT! You are ridiculous, do you know that?! Edward, I can't tell you how many times I wished for this to happen, that I wished for everything to be how it was, and I wished that you would love me again. But, this, this is a sad attempt by you to trick me and, honestly, I am hurt." Bella was screaming at this point, she hadn't wanted for this to become a spectacle, but no one was close enough to hear her, so what did it matter? "You can't just make everything right again by a kiss, Edward. You can't just come back when you want to. You broke up with me, Edward, you ripped out my heart right here in this goddamn living room, and now you expect me to just makeup with you as if nothing ever happened? Isn't that how it always goes? You just get to take and take some more and I get nothing, just like always." Bella's chest was heaving up and down as her body tried to readjust itself from her intense level of operation.
Edward stood stunned; he didn't know what to say. She had never done that before, even when they were together and he forgot to call or something meaningless like that, she never got angry. He didn't know she possessed such disgust for him.
"What, Edward?! Are you surprised? Are you surprised that your Bella is not taking anything these days? Well, that's right Edward, I am not taking anything these days, especially from you." With that, she left. She didn't slam the door on her way out; the damage had already been done.
Bella stood outside in the darkness. She knew her way home well, and she decided to take the long walk.
It would give her time to think.