"Edward, if you don't tell me what's on your mind I'm going to go nuts," I didn't know how to tell my little sister Alice.
I had never felt this way about anyone before.
"I can't tell you Alice, I'm sorry, but I think I need to go see Bella," I was about to exit the bedroom when Alice stopped me, by blocking the door way with her small body frame. "Please get out of the way," I tried to say that as nicely as possible.
She shook her head back and forth. "Not until you tell me what your thinking," Alice spoke to me.
I ground my teeth together.
"It's none of your business," I tried to push past her, but she would not allow it.
"Edward, don't you think that you have seen enough of Bella today, don't you think that maybe she's getting a little sick of seeing you," I took her words into consideration. That may be possible, but I couldn't help myself. I loved Bella. There was nothing more for me to say. I loved her with all my heart, it didn't have to be beating to feel the warmth that I felt for Bella. I didn't know how I was going to Alice though. I had no idea how she would take something like that.
"Well if she doesn't want to see me, she could just say something, besides she could gather more information the more she sees me," I ran to the window, but with her small size, her speed beat me.
"You like her don't you Edward, you really like her," Her lips turned up into a smile.
I wanted to bear her right now because she knew I wasn't good at hiding things.
"Yes I like her and that's the end of the subject, so drop it Alice," I spat in her direction and once more for the third time tried to get past her.
She was looking into my eyes trying to read more about what was on my mind.
"You love her don't you," I turned away and didn't bother looking at her, that was going to give away more information.
"Of course not, I hardly know her, besides she's part of the Volturri and she's rude and doesn't have any feelings for anyone else," That was the part that really upset me. That she didn't share the same feelings with me as I did for her. I was right about that. She grew up with Aro and Caius and Marcus. They were the worst when it came to kindness. Isabella grew up with the wrong crowd. She should have grown up here with our family, then at least she would be a little happier.
"I'm going to see her Alice, and there is nothing that you are going to do to stop me, and please do not speak of this information to anyone else, it's bad enough that you know," I rolled my eyes when she clapped her hands together in joy.
"Oh Edward, isn't it the greatest feeling in the world, to know that there is someone out there who you could live with for the rest of eternity," I knew it would end like this. Alice was overjoyed that I had found someone. A mate as we call them
"I have to go Alice," I spoke hoping out the window and running as fast as I could to get to her log cabin. It was a wonder what she was doing at this exact moment.
I knocked on her door prepared for her to be glad to see me and invite me in, but when I didn't get a response I knocked again and the third time I called her.
"Bella, are you in there it's me Edward?" There was no response.
I asked again, and yet she didn't say a word, so I slowly crept into the log cabin. There was no Bella.
"Bella are you there?" I asked again.
This time a beautiful woman stepped out of the bathroom in a towel and her hair soaking wet with a confused look on her gorgeous face. I wanted to run up to her and kiss her, but that would be wrong of me. Bella wouldn't know what to think.
"Edward?" She questioned standing there with a confused look upon her face.
"Bella, I didn't mean to interrupt your bath I just wanted," She interjected.
"You wanted to make sure that I was okay, that everything was okay with me, is that all you care about Edward, you don't even seem to care about yourself, you only seem to care about me," Bella shot back at me. I didn't expect her to be acting like this. Something had happened to her
"Well I can take care of myself, I'm a vampire and I'm expected to be able to do things on my own, so why don't you just leave me alone," She started to break down. I could here it in her voice and see it in her eyes.
She fell to the ground and I quickly ran to her holding her in my arms. "Bella, what's wrong? Please tell me?" I asked her stroking her face with my thumb hopefully she wouldn't be to upset about that.
She shook her head in stubborness. I pinned her down to the ground and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Bella if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to have to hurt you," I said sternly. I couldn't be all sweet about this, this was a matter that was important because it really seemed to be affecting her.
"It was Demetri," She stammered closing her eyes and rolling her head to the side.
"What did he do to you?" I pressed on. She seemed reluctant to talk at first, but then she spoke up again.
"I didn't see it coming, I had no idea that he still wanted me that way. I trusted him, I put everything that I had in him. He was the one who told me what love was. I guess he got sex mixed up with love," She closed her eyes as she tried not to dwell on those thoughts. Realization kicked in and I noticed that something had happened between her and Demetri tonight. It could have very possibly been rape.
"Bella," I whispered her name. She looked up at me with those red eyes. They scared me, but underneath them I could tell that she wasn't like the rest of the Volturri. "What do you want Bella?" I asked her almost unable to hear.
She slowly lifted her hand and placed it over her chest. "I don't want to feel pain anymore," I felt a blow to my heart.
She wasn't talking about physical pain, she was talking about the pain that she had felt in her chest. Bella was loveless and all she really wanted was to have someone love her correctly.
"Bella, you can come to my home and live with my and my family, we would be more than happy to have you come live with us," I pleaded with her. When I looked back into her eyes, I could tell that her thought process had changed a little bit.
My grip on her loosened and she stood up from under me. She stared at me for a while like she was trying to gather her thoughts.
"I can't go live with you and your family, I would not be welcome there, I'm not like you and your family Edward, if you haven't realized that already. I'm a Volturri and that's where I belong," What was she saying. Was Bella saying that she no longer wanted to be hear with us, that she wanted to go back to Aro and the rest of the Royal family. I wouldn't have that. I cared for Bella to much to have her leave like that.
"Bella, your not like them, you don't have to leave, please I want you to stay here with me and my family, you can change, I know it," I spoke to her sounding somewhat desperate.
She walked over to me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I'm sorry Edward but it's to late for me. Now you can leave or go now, but it won't make a difference because I'm leaving with whatever decision you make," I couldn't believe this was happening. Isabella was leaving me. What I do without her, she was the one person that really touched me. I loved her attitude from the beginning and I thought it was rather cute how she thought she was stronger than me and she could do everything herself. Not now that wasn't good.
She needed help and that help was changing to one of us, that didn't even involve any biting.
"I'm sorry Edward," Her things were packed and she exited the door. The dumb thing was that I just stood there unable to move, unable to stop her because I didn't know what to say.
Bella's Point of View
It really did hurt me leaving Edward like that. I cared about him, but it would be better this way. I would head back home and I would spend time with Aro and things would go back to the way that they were supposed to be and there would no longer be any thoughts of Edward or the Cullen family. I would just have to explain to Aro why I had come back from the mission. He should understand because it wasn't the easiest mission in the world.
My flight was going to take off in about a half hour. I didn't have to wait that long, but that time just gave me more thought about Edward and the rest of his family.
I could tell just as I was getting ready to leave that Edward knew something was wrong. I was hurting him and I could see it in his eyes. I had been with the Cullen's for about a month, maybe more and Edward seemed to care about me and my life than he did about his own life.
I sighed as I ran to the airport. It didn't take that long to get there and then get my ticket. It was a surprise as to why Edward didn't follow me. Maybe he was way to stunned, either that or he was thinking of plan all on his own. I didn't care. I was still going home.
I missed my regular routine. Read all day and night and keep reading until I was asked to do something from one of the other Volturri guards or Aro. Those were the one's who gave me my missions, most of them were simple. I just wanted to be home and free of Edward and his family. They were really starting to get to me and that wasn't allowed. I was to follow what Aro had told me and not get attached. It was happening and it was good that I got out of there when I did.
The plane ride was rather short, that was because I kept my music in the whole time and pulled out one of Edward's books. I had taken it from his bookshelf when he was elsewhere or he wasn't looking and I had stored it in my book bag.
Romeo and Juliet. I flipped to the first page and it read at the top in fancy writing "One of my favorites, hope it's yours to," I gasped as this was just written not to long ago.
Edward had written this and placed it back in my bag, didn't he know that I was stealing his book. It didn't seem to bother him much. I read half of the book on my way back to Volterra.
It was really good and I understood why it was one of his favorites.
I was back home when I got off the plane. It would take about fifteen minutes to get back to Aro if I ran. It would take about an hour by car. I looked down at the book that was still placed in my grasp and stuffed it in my bag. I would read the rest of it when I got back home. I would probably have to have a chat with Aro before I did anything that I wanted to.
I entered my home and as I traveled through the tunnels, my stomach started to knot up. What were they going to think, were they going to shun me for not completing a mission. I entered the big room and all three of them sat in their thrones.
Aro smiled as I walked into his view.
"Ah Isabella, what a pleasure to have you back home, I'm suspecting that you would like to explain," His tone kind of frightened me. It was soft and sounded nice, but underneath it, there was a hint of anger.
"Yes Aro, I would like to have a private chat with you," My eyes glanced around at the others who were in the room. Aro took me by the arm and brought me into another room that was kind of medium size and there was no way that anyone was going to be able to hear inside from the outside.
"You did not carry out your mission that was given to you Isabella. I would not expect that from you," He spoke as he let me sit down and paced in front of me. I was quiet for the most part until he asked me a question.
"I know father, but I had reason's for leaving," I said evenly trying to keep my voice calm.
"Yes, and what reason's would this be my child?" As I looked into his eyes I could see in them that he had a pretty good idea why I had come home.
I thought through my words before I spoke them to him.
"Well I know that you told me not to get to attached, and I think that was starting to happen, so I came home, I did not want to disobey you father,"
I spoke softly hopefully not offending him.
He was silent while he thought things through.
"Well you did the right thing Isabella, I know it's kind of difficult not to get attached to such a nice family, a nice loving family, so you did the right thing to come back," He walked forward and before I had time to protest he was wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a hug.
As soon as the thoughts hit him, he pulled away from me with a gasp. His red eyes burned into mine.
"Isabella Swan," he hadn't called me that in a long time, that meant that there was something wrong. I moved back and away from him, fear coursed through my body. What was he going to do.
"You seemed to have not told me everything about your little trip," He kept walking forward as I walked back words. I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to say next.
"Aro nothing happened between us, there is nothing to discuss. Edward doesn't mean anything to me," I felt an odd jab to my heart. The words that came out of my mouth weren't correct with what my heart and mind were feeling.
There was something going on between Edward and I, but I couldn't tell Aro that. It was kind of late because now he knew every thought and everything that had happened.
"It would seem that you got a little too comfortable with the one named Edward?" Aro kept glaring at me. He was inches from my face. He didn't have to touch me to know what I was thinking now. I had disobeyed Aro, and there were sure to be punishment for this act.
"I don't really care about him," My words faltered for a moment and that gave it away.
"Don't you dare lie to me Isabella. I raised you and I trust you with almost everything in my being. You will take this punishment that I give you," He slapped me across the face. It stung a little bit, but that wasn't what hurt most, it was the fact that the man that I trusted most in my life would ever strike me. The one who told me that he loved me and would never hurt me, that he would make me a great guard. He pushed me against the wall with his hand at my throat.
"You will never see them again Isabella, you will no longer speak their names or think of them, they will not be remembered. They mean nothing to you and I am the only one that you are to love, I am the one who made you and you will care for me and only me," He paused as he squeezed harder on my throat. Air wasn't necessary, but it would have helped. I nodded my head telling him that I understood.
"Now go to the study and read, was away the thoughts of the Cullen's you will never see them again, or Edward for that matter, you are never going to leave this building, I will not allow it," He pressed me up against the wall harder trying to make his point and then he threw me to the floor. "and if I ever catch you drinking the blood of animals around here, you will be killed," He spat. How could he love me after everything that he had just done to me. This was worse than before. I never should have accepted that mission, I should have stayed here and everything would be normal. I curled up in a ball in this small room.
I sat there for no more than fifteen minutes and the door opened once more. I didn't bother looking up. I was hurt to much.
"Ah Bella, it's good to have you back home, now I don't have to travel so far," I looked up and my eyes widened and I couldn't believe it. I stood and pressed myself against the wall once more.
Demetri, he was back in Volterra and I had to deal with him. The thing was, he was stronger than myself and I had this weakness.
"Don't you dare touch me, I will go to Aro," I spoke threatening.
If Aro ever figured out that I had intercourse with anyone that wasn't him, he would kill me and then kill the person who I had had it with. That was, even if it wasn't my fault.
"No you won't, I won't allow it, if you do I will just have to get a few people and head back over to Washington and take care of a few vampires," My body went cold. I didn't doubt his powers along with all the other Volturri's.
"No, you wouldn't," I spoke in a whisper. Just the thought of losing that family, made my whole body ache.
"I would, because I know how much you care about them." So the secret was out, everyone knew my interest in the Cullen family. Easy black mail, the Volturri had the greater advantage because they were bigger in numbers and had a lot more skills than the Cullen's did. " That is unless you keep this from Aro, if he doesn't know, then your family shall live," He stepped closer. There must have been something that I could do to protect myself from this fate again.
He was at my face and he was already lifting my dress up.
I cringed and turned away from him. He grabbed my chin in his hand with fierceness.
"You will not look away, not when I get to have my fun," He grinned and so the torture happened again.
My screams could be heard throughout the taverns, though they were not screams of pleasure.
Edward's point of View
I didn't know what to think. Bella was gone and there was nothing more to do about it. I locked myself in my room and strayed away from the rest of my family.
Alice was trying to get me to talk, but I didn't speak a word.
I wanted Bella back, I wanted to see her smile again. I wanted to kiss her and hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but that was no more because Bella had decided to go back to where she was raised and live with Aro. She said to me that's where she belonged and that she couldn't change.
I didn't understand, she was starting to change before. I was starting to get her to change I could feel the stubbornness slip away and she was getting comfortable around me and the rest of my family. It was probably the fact that Demetri had come and done what he had done to her. It made her come back to reality and realize that this wasn't her world to live in and that she didn't belong.
That hurt me on the inside.
I wanted to cry. I couldn't believe it. I was in love with Bella and it didn't seem like there was anything that I could do about it. I didn't want to talk to Alice about it. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it, I wanted to talk to Bella about it and tell her what I thought about her, and that I wanted to be with her forever. I was going to do it when I went to visit her earlier, but things kind of got messed up.
There was a knock on my door. I was going to just ignore it.
"Edward, can I talk to you," I looked and it was my mother for all intentional purposes. She was the sweetest woman I had ever been with. I loved her like she was my actual mother.
She walked in. and sat down next to me on the couch.
"Edward, we all know how much you care about Bella, we all see it, you love Bella. You spent all your time with her always wanting her to get your approval, you want her to feel the same for you as you do for her, and here you sit moping about it when you could be doing something Edward," She placed a comforting hand on my back. "If you really care about Bella the way that we all see you do, you would get on a plane and go get her," Esme said to me. I thought this through. If I really did care about her, I would go get her. I loved Bella. I couldn't lye to myself.
I stood from the couch and sighed.
"I don't think that I should go alone, so I probably should bring Emmett and Jasper, safer that way," I went to my door and turned and looked at Esme.
"Thank you for being so generous, Don't worry I'll bring Bella back home for you," I smiled and walked out the door.