"What are sweet nothings, Alice?"
I looked up at Bella with the smallest of smiles, confused by her question.
"What do you mean, Bella?"
"You know how they say in the books, 'he whispered sweet nothings into her ear'…what does that mean?"
I stared at her. Bella was cute, there was no doubt about that, and she had a certain charm…but sometimes I got the feeling that she was too innocent for her own good. Ever since Edward had started bringing Bella Swan around the house, Rosalie had started to avoid the living room entirely, only joining the rest of the family when Esme put her foot down and threatened to lock Rosalie out of her room during the daytime. I liked Rosalie best when Bella wasn't there, because when Bella wasn't there, Rosalie came outside. And even though the whole "heels" fiasco had changed the dynamics of our relationship, I still envied and adored my surrogate sister; it was hard to observe her elegant gait when she was holed up in her room 24/7.
"Well…sweet nothings are whatever you want them to be, Bella. Praises, observations, promises…you know what I mean."
Bella clearly didn't know what I meant, because she continued to stare at me with wide brown eyes, and I tried a different tactic.
"It's just mushy nonsense, really. I'm not sure how to explain it clearer. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know…I was just thinking about it."
Looking down at her shoes glumly, Bella bit her lower lip, and I realized too late that her feelings had been hurt. Why did she have to be so unbelievably delicate? Sighing, I got up and crossed over to the couch, taking a seat besides her.
"Maybe I can show you."
Bella's eyes shot up, and she muttered guiltily, "Really? I mean, you don't have to…I was just wondering."
"It'll be fun," I said in a forcibly cheery voice, and Bella smiled tentatively.
"Well…" I returned her smile, and Bella visibly relaxed. "Ok."
Scooting closer, I brushed a lock of her curly brown hair out of the way and leaned forward, preparing to whisper into her ear. I opened my mouth, but then I felt my world stop: I inhaled, and the heavenly smell of Bella pounded through my body, keeping pace with her even heartbeat. The sound turned off all around me, and I stared at the light blue vein thrumming gently on the side of her deliciously pale neck…
"What's the matter, Alice, lost in Wonderland?"
Starting, I looked up at Rosalie, and my world came crashing down into painfully clear focus. I found myself inches away from Bella's tantalizing throat, and with a jolt, I scooted backwards from her as far as the couch would allow, gasping for a breath of Bella-free air as Rosalie took another step into the room. Fuck, that had been close.
"Hello Rosalie," Bella said uncomfortably, and Rosalie smiled coldly down at Bella, retaining her emotional distance.
"Why, hello Bella. Were you having fun with my sister?"
Something about the way Rosalie said "my sister" made the skin on the back of my neck prickle, and Bella looked over at me, silently asking for assistance.
"I was just showing Bella this thing, Rosalie."
"What 'thing' is that?" Rosalie drawled, and she flashed her cold eyes in my direction. I caught a glimpse of something very mean lurking just behind her veneer of civility, and a warning bell went off in my head.
"Sweet nothings," Bella mumbled with embarrassment, and Rosalie's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
She shot me a unmistakable look of suspicion, and I cleared my throat.
"Sweet nothings, Rosalie. Bella asked me what it meant to whisper sweet nothings into somebody's ear, so I was going to show her."
Staring between us as though we were trying to hide something from her, Rosalie pursed her lips and gave a little frown, blue eyes sharper than stalagmite. I coughed again, and Bella began to chew her lower lip, as outwardly anxious as I felt. Finally, Rosalie seemed to reach a decision, and she crossed over to the couch, nudging me away from the armrest. Taking a seat behind me, I found myself sandwiched between Bella and Rosalie, unable to escape no matter which way I turned, and I blanched; if I scooted away from Rosalie, I would be practically sitting on top of Bella, and I could already feel the human's decadent aroma overwhelming me again…but if I scooted backwards, Rosalie would have me right where she wanted me.
"Go ahead, Alice. Whisper away."
I stayed put, unwilling to lean any closer to Bella. Rosalie prodded me, and she brought her legs onto either side of mine, forcing me to face my ultimate temptation head-on.
"Rosalie, it's really not that important. I think I understand what they are now," Bella said unhelpfully, trying to escape a trap that she had already been caught in.
"Nonsense Bella. Go on, Alice. Do it."
I felt her breath burn my icy skin on the last two words, and I shook my head "no", even as Rosalie leaned against me so that I was forced to scoot closer to Bella. Feeling all other senses glaze over, I couldn't believe that Rosalie was doing this…what if I killed her on accident? I wanted to bite Bella, oh, I wanted to bite her so very badly, but I knew that I mustn't. I needed to get away, but Rosalie wouldn't let me, and I began to salivate as I drew unbearably close to that porcelain skin…
"Alice?" Bella asked with uncertainty, finally spotting how dark my irises had become. Rosalie started massaging my neck, and a new feeling began to mix in with my bloodlust: arousal.
"We'll go far away," I breathed huskily against Bella's skin, and Bella swallowed. "I'll take you away from here, where no one will find us."
This was starting to sound a lot like premeditated murder, but Rosalie's touches became more persistent, and I didn't stop.
"You're so beautiful, Bella. It's no wonder that Edward is in love with you."
Grabbing me by my hair, Rosalie forced my face forwards, and my lips pressed against Bella's neck suddenly, making the human's breath hitch. She didn't move away like a smart little girl should have done, and I began to inhale deeply against her skin, going past her flowery perfume to the blood racing beneath her flesh.
"What else, Alice?" Rosalie purred, and I dragged my lips up Bella's neck, landing on her ear. Bella's eyes fluttered shut, and she let out a deep shuddering breath.
"You smell like ambrosia, Bella," I groaned, and I finally lost all semblance of control. My mouth opened, but just as my fangs began to extend, Rosalie pulled me back by my shoulders, hugging me against her taut body firmly. Letting out a growl of frustration, I made to move forward, but Rosalie pinned my arms to my sides.
"Those were very sweet nothings, weren't they Bella?" Rosalie hissed, and Bella's eyes finally opened, taking in the look on my face with sudden alarm.
"Alice?"
"Oh, she'll be fine," Rosalie assured Bella, even as I wrinkled my nose to block out the mesmerizing scent of fear and excitement emanating off of Bella.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure. Why don't you go watch television in the living room? Alice and I need to have a little heart-to-heart."
Looking extremely confused, Bella got to her feet clumsily and ambled out, stopping momentarily at the door. I noticed that her face had become completely flushed, and Rosalie had to twist my arm into a painful half-nelson to stop me from leaping after her.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Rosalie?"
Squirming, I yelped as Rosalie gave my arm a particularly painful twist in response, and I fell still as her lips slid across the back of my neck. The bloodlust hadn't left me yet, and neither had the other lust, but I struggled vainly to pull myself together, despite my raging libido. Rosalie's kisses weren't helping at all, and I jerked my head away from her irritably.
"How could you do this to me, Rosalie? I could have killed her!"
"If you would have killed her, it would have been your own fault."
Thrashing viciously, I snapped at her face with my bared fangs, and Rosalie instantly flipped me over onto my stomach. Straddling my backside expertly, she grabbed my arms and forced them above my head, laying down on top of the length of my body so that her breasts were pressed treacherously against my back.
"I'd love to see you try that again," she hissed tauntingly, and I spat out a litany of swear words as she began to purr, uncoiling above me like a spoiled cat.
"I'll take you far away," she growled into my ear, and I groaned as I buried my face into the couch cushions. "Up to my room where nobody will find us."
"Fuck you Rosalie."
"You're so beautiful, Alice."
Bucking beneath her angrily, I gasped as the motion sent a ripple of pleasure through my body, and I stopped moving instantly, afraid of my own arousal. Rosalie was my sister, and I wasn't supposed to feel this way about her, even if we weren't actually related.
"Rosalie, stop it!"
"But the fun's just beginning, Alice."
Tears of frustration sprang to my eyes, and I let out a soft sob as Rosalie held both of my wrists with one hand, worming the other between me and the couch so that she could cup one of my breasts. Kneading it softly, I squeezed my eyes shut, and a breathy whimper escaped from my throat.
"Oh, Alice," Rosalie groaned, and the apex of my thighs flushed with unwelcome heat. "You smell like ambrosia."
Panting, I shook my head back and forth, trying to think of anything but the relentless burning between my thighs. Bella's face swam to the top of my thoughts, and the ache doubled.
"Hello?"
Suddenly, a brief knock sounded at the door, and Bella's meek voice drifted through. "Hey, guys…I left my phone in there. Can I come in?"
Wrestling Rosalie off of me with unspoken relief, I jumped up as Bella opened the door, and I hurried away from the blonde vampire hastily.
"I think it's between the couch cushions, Bella," I offered without preamble, trying to catch my breath even as the sight of Bella made it thunder out of control once more.
"Alice, where are you going?" Rosalie demanded, and I looked her straight in the face.
"To the woods."
Then I was gone, getting out of there as fast as I could, and all I could think about as I ran to my car was the feel of Rosalie pressed against me, whispering sweet nothings into my ear while Bella sat beside us, the perfectly right addition to the perfectly wrong triangle.