Chapter 8 – Questions And Secrets
A/N – Here's the next chapter y'all. As promised, it's longer. Also, as you would have noticed with the last chapter, I've taken some liberties regarding the Cullen house. They probably didn't have a porch swing and their living room furniture may be arranged differently in the books and movies but hey, it doesn't all have to be accurate!
More days passed without as much as a ripple in the lives of the Cullens and now Bella. Ordinarily, these uneventful days would go unnoticed but given the current situation concerning Bella, it only served to make the entire household increasingly nervous.
Bella herself had grown quieter, retreating into introverted silence and gazing distractedly off into space whenever she thought she wasn't being watched. Alice hovered around the brunette, a burning question stinging at her tongue, begging for release but was held prisoner by Alice's clamped up lips.
Edward was also acting suspicious. As Bella had grown more comfortable around the rest of the Cullens, to the point where she would sit in the living room to watch TV or indulge in a game with Emmett, Edward had come to a sinking realization: Bella was more – "unique" than any of them had originally thought. Unique by way of Edward being unable to get so much as a peep out of the brunette's thoughts. When the messy haired vampire first made this discovery, he had dismissed it thinking it was a fluke. However, as days passed he realized that he could hear everyone's thoughts but Bella's. This did not bode well with him. What was Bella? He never knew anyone, human or vampire, whose thoughts he could not read and this notion made him uneasy.
Edward's sudden animosity toward the girl had not gone unnoticed, especially by Alice. It had resulted in straining the relationship between brother and sister. The pixie vampire had picked up on his unease and had taken to watching him carefully out of the corner of her eyes whenever he and Bella were in proximity of each other.
The others seemed to having taken Bella in their stride. Jasper only kept his distance because the aroma of Bella's blood skirting down her veins that lay beneath her skin proved too overwhelming. Rosalie was slightly frosty toward Bella; but that was because she secretly resented the girl's humanity. Emmett had found a new playmate in Bella; he would gently knock on the door to what was now considered Alice and Bella's room and pop his head in, puppy dog eyes in tow. He would pout and plead for Bella to come and play the latest game with him on his PlayStation after several sessions, Emmett had found a worthy opponent whilst Bella had found another Cullen family member she was comfortable with.
Carlisle treated Bella no different from his children. He would ask her about her day, grace her with a fatherly smile and allow her, her space. As for Esme, Bella had pushed the matriarch into full maternal mode. The motherly vampire fussed over the brunette like an overly eager mother hen, plying the girl with food and constantly asking if she needed anything. To say that Bella was uncomfortable with the attention was a severe understatement; it was painfully obvious to Esme and Alice that Bella had never been on the receiving end of motherly affection. Bella would blush furiously under Esme's chiding and mothering, mumbling under her breath that she didn't need anything. When she could not dissuade Esme, she sank back against Alice, who would always be a few paces behind her, and let Alice take over. The reaction to Esme's mothering had raised several unannounced questions but neither vampire knew how to approach the subject.
Nevertheless, in regards to Esme's pampering, the situation had not changed. Even now, Esme pushed a plate of cookies and milk toward Bella, who was to be found curled up in Alice's arms. Predictably, the now familiar tinge of rouge spread over Bella's cheeks as she mumbled her thanks, her eyes downcast. Esme smiled and leaned over the coffee table to pat Bella's arm before sinking back onto the living room couch. She watched, a small victorious grin tugging at her lips as Bella absent-mindedly reached forward to pluck a cookie from the generous heap, dunking it liberally into the glass of milk before bringing it to her lips, munching slowly. The smile faded as Carlisle descended the stairs, an air of authority swirling around him like a cape.
All eyes swung to the patriarch. Carlisle rarely called for family meetings and whenever he did, it was never for fun. Carlisle regarded his family through solemn eyes; Esme gazed up at him expectantly and he smiled quietly at her before shifting his gaze to Rosalie and Emmett who were standing, leaning against the fireplace. The trio shared a look before Carlisle swept his gaze over to Jasper who was perched on the end of the couch, opposite from Alice and Bella. He nodded at Jasper, turned a soft fatherly look onto the cuddling couple that was his daughter and Bella before finally settling his gaze on his bronze haired son.
Edward was sitting behind the piano, an evident scowl twisting across his lips. His eyes strayed over to Bella, intense and untrusting before locking onto his father's. Carlisle shot Edward a warning glance and the mind reader jerked his head in acknowledgement. He shifted his facial expression into one of passivity, the blank look betraying nothing.
Carlisle cleared his throat. "I'm sure you all know why I called this meeting," he began, his baritone voice quiet but easily carrying over the silent living room. "We need to discuss the situation regarding Bella." He paused to toss an apologetic glance at the girl who met his gaze briefly before dropping her head to her chest. Alice simply glared before tugging Bella closer to her, rubbing soothingly at the hunched back. "But first, I believe Edward has something to say." He turned and watched the vampire behind the piano, clearly expecting participation from the broody male.
Edward momentarily clenched his left fist before inhaling a calming breath. He traced an imaginary path along the ivory and black keys of the new piano with a lone finger before pushing himself to his feet. He could feel Alice's icy stare boring twin holes into his face and he fought hard not to glare back. Clearing his throat unnecessarily, he said, "I can't read Bella's thoughts."
A collective gasp echoed throughout the room. Even Carlisle looked startled, his initial theory on why Edward behaved coldly toward Bella turned upside down. "You can't read her thoughts?" Carlisle repeated. He turned to look at Bella, who was visibly squirming against Alice.
Edward shook his head, his messy mop of hair, going into a further state of disarray. "I apologize for my behavior toward you, Bella," he said, directing his attention to the girl. "But you must understand that I have my reasons for doubt."
Bella opened her mouth to speak but Alice cut her off. "That's it? That's why you act like Bella's on the FBI's most wanted list whenever you see her?" Alice threw a hand up in the air. "Why didn't you just say anything? Do you have any idea just how much you've upset Bella? It's bad enough we're all waiting for the sadistic sons of bitches who nearly killed Bella to appear on our doorstep but for you to give her the cold shoulder when she's already in a fragile state - "
"I have every right to be suspicious!" Edward snapped back. He pointed an accusatory finger at Bella who flinched and shrank back into Alice. "She heals fast, I can't read her thoughts, she's turned Alice into some lovesick puppy and how the hell did she even end up in the woods anyway?"
Alice was on her feet now despite Bella's futile attempts to keep her on the couch. She snarled angrily at Edward, her deep orange-gold eyes flashing dangerously. "Be careful what you say next, Edward." Alice's tone was encased with ice and edged with warning. Her entire posture was rigid, hands clenched as they hung at her sides.
Carlisle stepped between the two and raised a cautioning hand. "Calm down," he ordered. It was not a request. He waited for the pair to back down but when neither moved he barked, "Now!"
Edward sat back down grudgingly, though his eyes glittered with unresolved anger. Alice's lips were curled back into a snarl but she resumed her place next to Bella who was fidgeting nervously, visibly unhappy that she was the cause of the family friction. Alice took note of this and forced her face to take on a more subdued expression. She gently tucked Bella under her arm, coaxing Bella's head onto her shoulder, blowing out a sigh as Bella collapsed against her.
Carlisle ran an agitated hand through his blonde locks. "Bella," he addressed the brunette. "Do you have any recollection of how you ended up in the woods?"
Bella worried her bottom lip with her teeth though she was careful not to break the skin. "I-I don't know," she lied. She did not want to involve the Cullens anymore than she already had. Her forehead creased as she pretended to run a mental inventory through her memories. She even glanced up helplessly at Alice whose own forehead was pinched as she tried to conjure up a vision.
Alice shook her head. "I'm not getting anything," she said finally. A thought struck her. "I haven't been getting any visions lately…" the spiky haired vampire trailed off, not wanting to share this sudden insight as it would only add fuel to the fire. However, she spoke too soon and her eyes narrowed warily as Edward pounced on this.
"You see?" Edward accused. "Ever since Bella got here, everything's screwed up! None of our powers seem to be working! How can she be human?" His eyes narrowed onto Bella, his previous apology having evaporated up into smoke. "And I may not be able to read her mind but I know for a fact that she's lying –"
Alice had leaped over the coffee table and had a hand wrapped around Edward's throat before any of the other's had a chance to blink. "I told you to watch what you say to my mate!" Alice hissed, any semblance of calm going straight out of the window. The word "mate" slipped effortlessly through Alice's lips like treacle but she was too busy absorbing up the thunderous livid rage that coursed through her veins to fully comprehend the sudden claim she had put on Bella. Her fingers began squeezing the muscles around Edward's throat; the vampire's Adam's apple bobbing nervously against the vice-like hold.
A growl burst forth from Edward's lips despite the grip Alice had on his throat. He threw Alice off, feeling her grip loosen though her nails raked down either side of his neck imprinting deep crooked ruts onto the skin. He pushed Alice into the floor, sneering down at the petite vampire. Alice's eyes had narrowed to slits; she head-butted Edward, who startled by the unexpected retaliation, stumbled backward into the wall, hearing it crack. Alice leaped back up to the balls of her feet and maneuvered her body into a crouched position. Just as she was about to launch herself bodily into Edward, two pairs of hands grabbed at her arms, forcing her back.
"Enough, Alice!" Esme sounded near tears, shocked beyond belief that her children had resorted to this kind of violence. Her distress increased tenfold as Alice began struggling forcefully against her and Carlisle's restraints, so blinded by her temper that she had lost all reasoning. "Alice!"
"STOP IT! JUST STOP!"
All vampires turned toward the source of the outburst. Bella had jumped up from the couch and was staring at the Cullens, tears tracking down her face. Her eyes were rapidly going red-rimmed and swollen and her tears rolled down ruddy cheeks, inflamed with misery. Bella's entire frame was shaking, consistent tremors quaking along muscles that felt like jello. She desperately clutched at the sides of her thin t-shirt as though it would it would stop the last threads of her sanity from unraveling.
Just...stop," Bella choked out, her voice contorted with pain. "I lied ok? I lied! I know how I got into the woods, I know who hurt me. I know EVERYTHING!" Her voice ended on a hysterical note and her breathing was coming out in such short bursts that Bella had to lean over and grab at the arm of the couch to stop her vision from swimming before her eyes. Her legs wobbled dangerously, threatening to fall out from under her.
The entire Cullen clan stood paralyzed before Bella, each wearing a near identical mask of confusion though each varied from different colors of emotion that tinged each vampire.
"Bella?" Alice rasped, her voice bruised with uncertainty. She swallowed hard, forcing her throat to unclench itself from the grip of her rising emotions.
Bella dropped to her knees, unable to sustain her weight. "It was my parents," she sobbed out, her bottled emotions erupting to the surface. The brunette's voice broke under the weight of her pain and anguish. "My parents are the ones who did this to me!"
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