New Revelations

"3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

"Happy New Year's, Babe!" I yelled over the music.

Edward didn't reply, instead pulling me close and crashing his lips to mine. My hands made their way to their favorite place at the back of his head. He pulled away for a second to catch his breath and attacked me again, sucking on my bottom lip. The sensation was unbelievable.

"Aw… look at the happy-burp- fucking couple. You two are-burp-so cute!" Alice slurred as she stumbled into us.

What a way to end the moment.

Edward pulled away slightly to look at Alice. "I think you've had way too much to drink, Allie."

"I have-burp-not! I can drink as-burp-much as I fucking want!" she was waving her arms in the air accentuating her drunken stupor. I turned at caught her just as she lost her balance. Her head lolled back and she laughed, the smell of vodka assaulting my nose.

"Edward's right. You need to go home."

"Pfft. Bella, Bella, Bella," she breathed into my face. I helped her into a nearby chair and held up her shoulders as she began to slump to the side. I turned back to Edward and saw the amused look on his face.

"Whatever is so funny, forget it for now. She needs to get home."

"I'll call mom," he said still smiling as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed his home phone number and listened for a while. A frown appeared on his face. "No one's answering."

"Well let's call her a cab."

We sat on the Cheneys' porch while we waited for her cab to come. It was pretty cold outside so we sat close together, Edward and I snuggling. Alice was still dumb drunk and was counting stars as the cab pulled up.

"Bellaaaaaa," she sang looking down from the sky.

"Yes Ali?"

"I love you. You know that right?"

"Yes Ali." I smiled.

"I'm gonna go pay the cab," Edward said walking away.

"You make my brother a-burp- better person." She said as I tried to help her up. I wrapped my arm around her waist and hoisted her up. Head lolled back onto my shoulder for her to look at me when we started walking. "Please hold onto him."

I froze for a second to look at her. She was shitfaced drunk and incomprehensible but something in her tone was dead serious.

"Promise me," she slurred. We reached Edward and I helped her into the cab. Just as I was about to close the door she grabbed my arm and stared helplessly into my eyes. "Promise me."

Edward had started to walk back to the party but stopped just out of earshot to wait for me.

"I promise." She smiled and sank into the seat. I smiled back as I closed the door and the cab pulled off.

After helping her in, we went back into the party.

We were having fun dancing when Edward suddenly froze in his place. He was staring at something over my shoulder but when I turned to look I couldn't see what it was.

"Bella, I think it's time to go." He grabbed me by the elbow and towed me out to the front of the house. I stopped him and he spun around with an urgent look on his face.

"What is it?" When he didn't respond I folded my arms in defiance. "What the hell's up, Edward?"

"Bella, if you trust me, then you'll come with me right now."

I stared at him for a few minutes before I started walking to the car. As we were pulling off I looked out the back window and saw a brunette woman standing there. She couldn't have been much older than me, maybe 21 or 22, and she had brilliant green eyes. She watched us closely as we pulled off with her arms folded in what I assume was frustration.

"Edward… who is she?" I turned to look at him.

"She's no one. Just trust me." He grabbed my hand over the center console and intertwined my hand with his. He kissed the back of my hand. "Just trust me," he repeated more to himself than me.

Of course I trusted him, he was everything to me. I might have had my doubts but I knew he would never lie to me.

Even so, the brunette still bugged me. Her expression and flustered appearance were imprinted into my mind.

Who is that woman?

He was distant for some time after New Year's Day.

"Bella… Bellaaaaa" I felt someone shaking my shoulder. My eyes snapped open and I saw Tori smiling in my face.

"Fell asleep during inventory again?"

"I guess so." I stretched until I heard my muscles crack and stood up shaking my head. I looked around my office. "What time is it?"

"Almost two," she said as she walked out of the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned to face me. "I'm gonna go and start picking out specials for today. You wanna help?"

I had a phone call to make.

"No. You can do it without me. I have a few things to do in here before I can go get the girls."

"It's Saturday. Aren't they with Jake?" she asked with a puzzled expression. She knew so much about my life. She knew and had met most of my family and the girls absolutely loved her. She was so much more that my assistant and sous chef, she was my friend.

"Um… no. They spent the night with Emmett."

"Is everything alright?" she tilted her head to the side and looked me in the eyes.

"Yeah. Everything's okay." I smiled back at her. She looked hesitant, knowing there was something I wasn't telling her. I raised my right hand and put up the three finger Girl Scout sign. "Scout's honor."

She laughed at my mocking tone and walked out the door. As soon as the office door was secure I started my computer up. It was still on the same webpage as I'd left it on last night. The account statement still had the unknown charges staring back at me. I picked up my phone and dialed Jake's cell number again.

"Hello?" he answered after two rings.

"Hey Jake."

"Oh, Bells. Hey."

"Just calling to see how your night was…you know… since you never came home." There was a shuffling noise in the background.

"Bella, I had a lot of work to catch up on so I stayed at the office."

"You had that much work?" I was struggling to keep the skepticism out of my tone. It didn't matter though. He still got pissed off.

"I don't need this. I had a stressful night as it is."

"I was only wondering why you didn't even bother to call me."

"Bella… don't start this right now." His tone was clipped. I heard him rustling something in the background. "I need to go, these papers need to be filed and then I can get the girls."

"Isn't that what your secretary is for?" I asked sarcastically.

"Kim had to go home early."

"So you're still at the garage?" my tone must've reflected the disbelief I felt.

"Yes. Now, I need to finish so I can get the girls." His words were rushed because he was in a hurry to get off the phone.

"Don't bother."

"What the hell do mean 'don't bother'?" he snapped.

"The twins are with Emmett and Rosalie."

"Well… I still need to go. I'll talk to you later," he said and hung up. I sat down at my desk and drummed my fingers on the desk. I decided to call and his assistant, Kim, answered the phone.

"Black Grease auto repair, this is Kim. How may I help you?" she answered in her chipper receptionist voice.

"Hey Kim, how are you today?"

"May I ask whom is calling ma'am?"

"It's me, Bella."

"Oh, Mrs. Black," she laughed. "I'm fine and you?"

"I'm great," I lied. "I was just calling for Jake. His dad has been trying to reach him all morning."

"Well, I'm sorry Mrs. Black, but Mr. Black hasn't been here since he left yesterday night."

Oh really?

"He didn't have any cars today?" I asked.

"No. He finished all of them early yesterday so he told Paul to handle any new repairs that come in today."

"You know what? I think this is him calling me on the other line. Thanks anyway," I said.

"No problem Mrs. Black." I ended the call and stared at the phone.

Jake had point blank lied to me. The situation was only getting worse and my trust in him was slimming by the second.

It was almost eleven and dinner rush was in full force. I was taking a break in my office when the phone rang. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was Alice calling for what must have been the tenth time tonight, all in the last hour. I was having a heck of a battle with myself.

I couldn't decide whether or not I should call her. We'd gotten into a bit of an argument last week because of the crap she kept spewing about how I don't spoil my girls enough causing me to stomp out and slam the door behind me. It may seem really petty but I want her to sweat a bit before she apologizes. She's done it to me SO many times in the past and I think she should know how it feels. Other than that, I really wanted to talk to her simply because I wanted to have girl chat with my Ali.

I really missed her.

I realize how dumb it sounds that I miss her that much after a week but she and I had a tight bond. Angela was my best friend but so was Alice in a completely different way. Angela and I met as clueless, lonely second graders; Alice and I shared a connection to the same person. Angela and I bonded over crayons and coloring books; Alice and I bonded our loss of him. Completely different relationships.

Alice was the one person I could really relate to when I was pissed or sad.

I was still looking at the phone when it stopped ringing. As I sat contemplating whether or not I should call her back the ping sounded to alert me of a voicemail.

"Bella, it's Alice. I'm really sorry for the crap I've been giving you about the twins but I really need you to get over it and be here at my place ASAP. Something serious is happening here and I thought you should be the first to know about it. I'm assuming that you're busy since you haven't answered all night but when you get this message PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE kick your ass into gear and high tail it over here. See you later, bye."

I sat there and stared at the phone for a while before Tori knocked on the door. She poked her head in and smiled at me.

"Are you busy?" she asked.

"No, what's up?"

"Well… Your friend Alice just called the front desk and said that it was an emergency."

"She did?"

"Yeah. She said that she needed you to come to her place as soon as possible." She stopped for a second and took a few steps closer to my desk. "You can go. Dinner rush will die down soon and I can handle it."

"Tori, you and I both know that I never leave before dinner rush ends."

"I can do it Bella. You know I can. I've done it before."

I exhaled a big breath and scrubbed my face with my hands. "I don't know," I said hesitantly.

"Bella. You hired me because you knew I could take over for you if needed. You have even told me that you think I'm your long lost red-headed sister. Part of my contract is to handle the restaurant in your place, and don't forget you made it."

"Did she really sound like it was urgent?" I questioned.

"Yes!" she said exasperated at trying to convince me to leave.

"Well, fine. I guess I should go see what's up." I got up and gathered my things to leave. Tori practically pushed me out of the door. Before I left the office for my car I stopped at the doorway and turned back to her. "I'm trusting you with my baby here."

"Yea yea yea, I got it. Now leave and let me do my job for once."

With a wave I was off to Alice's house.

The rain outside was ridiculous, even for Seattle. I could barely see the car in front of me and the headlights behind me were practically blurred out. I drove with caution, not giving a flying flip who honked at me for driving slow.

When I finally pulled into Alice's apartment complex parking lot, the rain was dying down to a dull drizzle. She rang me up and I took the three flights slowly. She must have been listening inside because the door flew open before I was five feet away. Her facial expression was distraught and there were tears in her eyes.

"Alice are you okay?" I asked as I ran to her and grabbed her in my arms. Her tears were coming faster than I could wipe them away. "What's wrong?"

She said nothing, instead gesturing me inside. When I didn't move immediately she walked past me and I followed. A wave anxiety hit me out of nowhere before I stepped on the threshold. I paused for a second and continued in.

"Alice, what is it?" I was beginning to get worried. Possibilities were swirling around in my head as to why she was so worked up.

And then my heart stopped. My lungs ceased to work. My brain stopped functioning properly.

I shut down completely when I heard that velvety voice.

"Bella."

A/N: Please dont be mad at me for taking so long to update. School has been keeping me busy but I plan to get at least two more chapters out this month. Bear with me please!

PS: I know I've said this before but comments truly are the best motivators!