So my boyfriend told me a couple days ago that we are exactly like Romeo and Juliet. I told him he obviously has never read or seen Romeo and Juliet because we are nothing like them. I'm sorry to say my boyfriend doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. :( What does a girl have to do to get some romance in her life? Honestly.
Anyways enough emo-ness… This chapter is dedicated to Bleached Kitty who has an awesome new story up called Life Starts Again, as well as Spider-Hand and L'amante di Destino for their seriously amazing reviews.
Playlist: Under the Bridge bye Red Hot Chili Peppers and Like the Angel by Rise Against.
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"So what exactly did he see?" Aislinn whispered to Alice. They had been being secretive all day, whispering to each other. I never caught enough of what they were saying to understand what it was about but I knew that it had to be big if they were both hiding it from me.
"That's it," I yelled while slamming the couch I was carrying down on the ground, breaking it into pieces. "You two need to tell me what the hell is going on."
"Bella it's nothing," Aislinn said, the look on her face told me that she was lying. I gave her my best death-glare and crossed my arms.
"Bull. Either you two are lesbians and you are secretly flirting or you are hiding something from me."
"You caught us…" Alice said, "She's just so hot, I don't want to break Jasper's heart though. He never stood a chance."
"Oh we have a comedian now do we?" I growled.
"Girls, settle down," Emmett said as he walked down the steps of the house toward us with Jasper close behind him. Undoubtedly the calm that I was feeling now was Jasper's doing.
"Jasper, you don't have to clam me down. I'm not going to kill your wife when you only official moved back to Forks three hours ago."
"Bella, I was trying to keep you from destroying anymore of our furniture," he joked.
"Sure, sure," I said while picking up the pieces of the couch and taking them over to the trash cans. As much as Aislinn and Alice were bothering me I was so glad that my second family was moving back to Forks from Alaska. I heard the soft purr of Carlisle's Mercedes coming down the long drive and excitement filled my body. The car came to a stop, Alice and Aislinn took their clandestine conversation into the house but I was suddenly too happy to care what they were being sneaky about.
"Carlisle, Esme!" I yelled as I ran over to them. They both intertwined their bodies with mine in a strong hug. We let go after a while and their huge smiles mirrored what I felt, absolute joy.
"Bella, dear," Esme sighed as she studied my features and smiled once again. "I've missed you so much. It is such an auspicious continuation of our lives to be here with you."
"I missed you too, Esme. I'm so glad you came back."
"Bella..." the resonant voice of Carlisle chimed "It's good to see you. I have so much to ask you about. Alice told me about-"
"Dear?" Esme interrupted, "Perhaps you should take your conversation with Bella into the study while we finish moving everything in."
"Wonderful idea dear… shall we Bella?" he said motioning to the front door. I smiled at everyone, even Rosalie who was still sitting in the back of Carlisle's car fuming. Well there was obviously no change in that relationship.
"First, I'd like to tell how sorry I am that Esme and I couldn't be here for you during Charlie's funeral," he said once we were in his study.
I started unpacking boxes and putting his books on the shelves in alphabetical order by author, then title. "Don't worry about it. Alice told me you were finalizing stuff up there so you could move back here. I'd much rather have you here permanently than for a few days. I'm actually glad you didn't see me then, I was like a zombie."
"I'm happy to see that you are doing better. Alice told me about the circumstances of your transformation, and I've learned a little about the Myth of the Martyr. Your appearance is as uncanny as your strength seems to be, judging by how easily you destroyed out couch, even for a vampire. It's actually quite marvelous. However I'm aware of the fact that your eyes remain that luminous gray color no matter what your diet consists of and no one would tell me which diet you chose."
"Well Carlisle, it takes a lot to keep up this strength, you know… I can't be feeding on herbivores all the time."
He sighed. "Yes, of course. I understand." I smiled; he was upset about the thought of me killing humans but refused to judge me for it. Carlisle and Esme were the most compassionate people ever.
"Which is why I have to make sure to hunt for grizzly or mountain lion every now and then..."
He smiled a real smile this time. "You had me going. I'm very proud of the choices you have made in life, Bella."
"You're just glad because I back up your belief that vampires have souls."
"I am glad that I have more proof now, but not just for that reason. Tell me, Bella, what is your opinion on the matter now that you are a vampire yourself."
I thought back to the last time Carlisle and I had a conversation. He was picking shards of glass out of the wound that managed to put an end to my epic fail of a birthday and we began to discuss something Edward and I had talked about earlier that day, whether vampires have souls. Edward, along with most of the others though that they don't. Carlisle and I agreed that vampires do, in fact have souls.
"I've had a lot of interesting, eye-opening experiences these past couple years, including taking someone's life…well, existence. I've been through a lot and it's only proved to me that we do have souls. A soul is the moral and emotional nature of someone and the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment. Does our intended diet determine whether or not we have morals or emotions? No, it doesn't. I have a conscience, morals, emotions and a soul. I know right from wrong and I'm able to act upon my beliefs, not just my instincts. One of the greatest strides in evolution for human beings was being able to go against nature to do what the mind thought was right."
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant," he smiled.
"I'm positive that we have souls but a greater question for me is; will having a soul matter in the end?"
Carlisle looked at me thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just curious that if there is a God and a Heaven, will having a soul make a difference for us in the end? Will our good choices now still have an effect on the decision of whether or not we go to Heaven? Souls are often considered a religious thing but I don't see them as that so I don't really think that having them entitles us to be treated like humans by God. I don't believe that if God exists, he or she cares for us very much."
"That is an interesting point, Bella. I think if there would be any ingratiating evidence as to whether or not God cares about vampires, it would be in you."
I choked on air at what he said and almost dropped the book I was placing onto the shelf. "Me?"I think Carlisle might have gone a little crazy, 'Bella Swan proof that God cares about vampires' sounds a little unbelievable.
"Think about it for a moment. You sacrificed yourself to save someone and due to your actions you are immune to harm from anyone with bad intentions. Do you think that your actions caused some different kind of venom that can decide good intentions from bad to course through your veins? I doubt it. The only logical explanation to me is that a higher power sees the good in you and has decided to protect you."
"The only logical explanation is that vampires don't exist. I haven't doubted any possibilities about any subject since mythical creatures became prominent in my life. I'm expecting the Loch Ness monster to show up eventually."
"Did you ever think about the possibility that you were blessed? I know that Victor thinks that he is."
"Who's Victor?"
"Victor is the only other vampire like you. He left the Volturi about twenty years ago. I arrived for a visit with Aro shortly after he left and learned a bit about him."
"Twenty years ago? Aro said that the only vampire like me hadn't been seen for hundreds of years."
"He's only been a vampire for about twenty three years. Aro wasn't too happy when he decided to leave."
"I wonder if that's why he lied. What-" I discontinued my conversation with Carlisle and dropped the copy of 1984 by George Orwell that I was placing on the shelf when I heard the most beautiful and melodic sound coming from downstairs. The soft and sweet tone flooded my mind with the recollection of the first time I came to this house and Edward played my lullaby. I glanced at Carlisle who looked shocked and then raced out of the study and down stairs to see who would play such a joke on me. Who would play the song that was the very symbol of Edwards 'love' for me? My vision was turning red from my anger and as the piano came into view I stopped in my tracks. The sun was cascading through the windows, illuminating the dancing dust particles in the air and glinting off of the bronze disarray of hair that belonged to the embodiment of all my love and hate, Edward. I was frozen in shock and only barely managed to notice the seven other bodies that made their way into the room.
My own personal addiction played the final notes of my lullaby and slowly turned to face me. It was as if I had never seen his face before. I might as well have been blind as a human; my memories of him didn't do him any of the justice that my vampire vision did. His flawless golden eyes met mine and were filled with grief and longing.
"Bella…" his perfect, smooth and instrumental voice whispered as he stood up and took a step towards me. My mind responded to his movement with another steady stream of memories. Memories that once brought feelings of happiness but now were the scars of the ultimate betrayal. Seeing him ripped apart the wounds I had so carefully and meticulously mended since he left. I violently shivered from the pain and anger that consumed me. I averted my gaze from his eyes and turned towards the group of vampires that were supposed to be my friends and family, all the while making sure not to look at any one of them. I kept my vision unfocused, detaching myself so that I wouldn't trigger anymore memories.
"This is what you've been hiding from me?" I said, my voice laced with so much fury that surprised even me. "You scheme behind my back so that he can come here and hurt me again?"
"Bella, we didn't know he was going to come," Aislinn whispered. She sounded scared and frankly, she should be.
Screw the pain. I refocused my vision and stared at her murderously and then looked to Alice. "It's all too convenient that anytime something big is going to happen Alice's visions suddenly stop working."
"He was changing his mind all the time Bella. He'd decide to come and then he'd change his mind and stay in Alaska, I didn't know for sure."
"I'm sick of being a pawn in your game of betrayal," I hissed and ran out the door in a flash, not bothering to listen to something about Brendan that Alice was yelling to me. Brendan… the only person I could trust. I got in my car, took off towards Seattle and dialed Brendan's number on my phone. It was Friday afternoon and I was set to leave with Aislinn to Volterra later tonight after hanging out with Brendan for a bit like I had promised. I hope he's ok with me being a few hours early.
"Hello?" he answered after a few rings.
"Hey Brendan, its Bella," I said quickly.
"Oh hey Bella, what's wrong you sound flustered."
"Well you know how Aislinn and I were helping Alice and the rest of the Cullens move back into their home in Forks?"
"Yes…"
"Well they were all hiding from me that Edward was coming," hearing what they did out loud made me ever madder.
"I'm so sorry, are you ok?"
"I don't know. I'm alright now I guess, I left. I'm hoping that it'll be an out of sight, out of mind thing. I'm on my way to Seattle right now and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out for a few extra hours?"
"Of course, I'm really mad that he showed up and they didn't warn you but I can't complain that I get to spend more time with you."
"Oh thanks, you're so sweet. I'm so glad I have you… you are a really great friend."
"It's no big deal. I'm lucky to have a place in your life. I'm at my parents' house right now; do you want to come here? My parents are dying to meet you."
Parents? Yikes! "Uh…sure."
"Alright I will text you the directions."
"Ok… it's like a three hour drive so I'll be there in an hour and a half."
"Ha-ha, drive safe. See you then, bye."
Well today is a lot more eventful than I thought it would be. Parents?! How is he going to introduce me? 'Hey mom and dad this is Bella, my best friend that I happen to be in love with'? What am I supposed to say 'sorry I can't let myself love your son, it's not good for him to have a vampire girlfriend'? This is just great I go from one messed up situation to the next seamlessly. I can't wait to see what Italy has in store for me.
I spent the hour and a half drive analyzing everything Edward had done when I saw him. He was playing my lullaby and when he looked at me his eyes were pained. What does that mean? Alice said before that not everything was what it seems and that I'd find out eventually but who says I can trust Alice? I never thought I'd see the day when I didn't believe her. I was thankfully distracted from my confusion at my realization that I was at Brendan's parent's house. Which wasn't a house… it was actually a penthouse apartment in a huge, luxurious high-rise building. In the elevator I had an argument with myself about why I always get myself into the worst situations. Everything I do has a high probability of ending very badly.
I forced my hand to knock on the door lightly and a few moments later I heard Brendan's footsteps approaching the other side of the door. He opened it and the feeling that everything was going to be alright washed over me again; he always had that affect on me. He pulled me into a hug and when he released me my mind started noticing the flaws in his face. His face in reality was flawless but to me it seemed very flawed for one reason, it wasn't Edwards. All this time I thought that I couldn't let myself love Brendan because I was too dangerous for him, which was true but it wasn't the biggest reason. I couldn't love Brendan because I would never be able to love someone in a romantic way other than Edward. No matter how much I hated him he was the sole owner of my heart. I suppose I'm doomed to an eternity alone.
"So are you alright?" Brendan asked after we entered the apartment. It was ridiculously huge and everything in it was perfectly decorated and ornate.
"I'm really hurt that Alice and Aislinn hid this from me but I'll survive," I said while admiring the beautiful dark wood floors.
We entered the kitchen where a gorgeous woman with brown hair and the same blue eyes as Brendan was pouring coffee into a travel mug. Her slender five-foot eight-inch frame was dressed in dark jeans, heels and a cream turtleneck sweater.
"Mom, this is Bella…my best friend."
She looked up from her coffee mug to Brendan and then to me. Her eyes locked with mine and she seemed shocked at my appearance. Nothing out of the ordinary there. After a moment she smiled and walked over to me, still appraising my appearance. "Hello Bella, I'm Bridgette. It's so very nice to meet you. Brendan has told us amazing things about you," she said as she extended her hand to me. I shook it and to my astonishment she didn't flinch from the temperature.
"It's nice to meet you too, you have a lovely home. I'm sure he made up all of the good things he said."
"Not a chance," Brendan said with a big grin.
"I'm sorry I can't stay and visit with you Bella but I have a big order at the bakery that I have to attend to," Bridgette said.
"It's no problem," I replied and moments later, after a goodbye hug and kiss to Brendan she was out the door.
We walked from the kitchen into the living room; Brendan turned to me and he looked a little nervous. "My dad is in the office finishing up a few things. He'll probably be out in a few minutes."
"Why do you look nervous? Should I be nervous?" I asked.
"Well… my dad can be kind of scary. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything; you've already had a pretty bad day."
He's worried about his human father scaring me? That's laughable. "Oh I'll be fine, don't worry. After what happened earlier this will seem like a walk in the park."
What happened next made me want to eat my words. A door, which I'm assuming led to the office, opened and a tall man who could be Brendan's twin stepped out. The only difference was that this man had pale, luminous skin and purple shadows under his eyes, he was a vampire. He looked up from the file he was reading and his eyes met mine, gray met gray.
I was frozen in shock but manage to whisper, "Victor?"
"You know my fath-" Brendan started to speak but was cut off by a low growl coming from Victor who was slowly striding towards me. He seemed to be making up his mind about whether or not to attack.
I was confused but I let my instincts take over and I crouched in a defensive stance while letting out a guttural warning growl. Victor seemed to make up his mind in the next instant and lunged at me, but before he was able to come near me something collided with him and sent him flying through the wall and into the kitchen. A moment later Edward appeared and took a protective stance in front of me, facing the kitchen.
"Edward what are you doing here? Are you crazy? If you touch him he will kill you!" I screamed.
"My intentions aren't bad, Bella. I'm only protecting you." he said while looking between the kitchen and Brendan. The way he looked at Brendan told me he didn't like what he was thinking. Brendan's posture was stiff and his eyes were wide with bewilderment. Whether that was because his father attacked me, Edward protected me or because he just saw two people crash through a wall I wasn't sure.
Victor appeared from the kitchen very dusty, with pieces of broken wall hanging off of him and hissed at us, Edward and I growled back. I focused on my shield and wrapped it around Edward, incase Victor had a mental power. I had never been as glad for the training I had in Volterra as I was now. Victor began pacing in a semi-circle in front of us, trying to find a good angle to attack but Edward would always move with him.
"She is amazing, isn't she?" Edward said to Victor, whose eyes only slightly widened at the realization that Edward could hear what he was thinking.
"Yes, it's a shame she has to die though," Victor spoke. His voice was deep and disturbingly sinister. This couldn't be Brendan's real father.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Edward said with force.
Victor only smiled, his brilliant dagger-like teeth glistening, and then leapt at Edward, who moved out of the way at the last second. Victor lunged again I couldn't take it anymore. Edward was fast but one wrong move and Victor would have him. I took myself out of my shield, it was something I practiced before but never really used. I started mentally cursing at Edward.
'What the hell are you thinking? You could be killed. The next time he lunges at you I'm taking him out from the side.'
Edward froze in shock. Seriously how many people can freeze from shock in one day? Victor noted Edward's lack of attention on him and lunged once again, teeth bared and eyes gleaming with hate. I sprang with all the force I had and everything went into slow motion for me as it often did in situations like this. I crashed into Victor's ponderous body as he was mere inches from Edward's God-like face. As we tumbled through the wall of the office I could see Brendan's pained expression as he ran towards his father and me, dodging the pieces of dry-wall that had projected due to the force of our collision. We crashed to the floor and I quickly stood up and grabbed Victor by his throat, my teeth were centimeters from his neck and I dared him to move.
"Bella!" Edward and Brendan screamed simultaneously. They were both standing in front of the gaping hole that used to be a wall. Edward seemed pleased but still worried and Brendan's expression was unreadable.
"What's going on?" Brendan cried out, his voice cracking a little. Tears were forming in his eyes and it hurt me to see my friend in pain.
"Brendan has your dad ever attacked you?" I asked flatly.
"What are you talking about?" he nearly yelled.
"Just answer the question. Has he ever attacked you?" I repeated, with force this time.
"No. No, he's never touched me."
I looked Victor in the eyes and I saw that he was dying to hurt me. I could almost see the anger seeping from him.
"I'm not going to kill you now," I said in a harsh whisper, "but if anything ever happens to Brendan or if you come anywhere near me or anyone I know I won't be so merciful."
Edward came to my side as I lifted my grasp from Victor's neck. We walked slowly through the destroyed room and I gave a sorrowful glance at Brendan who didn't know whether to run to me or his father. Brendan didn't know what was going on and I wasn't going to be the one to stick around and tell him. He would find out from his father and depending on what exactly Victor said he might not want to talk to me ever again.
"Bye Brendan," I whispered and then ran out of the room and down to my car with Edward close behind me.
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There you have it! Edward is back now so you guys can stop asking me about it. Ha-ha, JK, ask me whatever you want.
Once again thank you to tall my awesome reviewers Bleached Kitty, Spider-Hand, Hanzt21, DaniLUVyou, eclipsedbrunette, Kenai52503, oceanluvr, MoonstruckManda, lehualani7, Yana5, Starlit Tiger, omg444888, L'amante di Destino and Alice as well as everyone who read, favorited or alerted.
Just a little FYI to my anonymous reviewer who wanted to know if this was going to be a Bella/Edward story or a Bella/Brendan story… um do you go to movies and ask the people around you how it's going to end? I didn't think so. I could tell you in about 3 sentences what happens in the end but what would you get out of that? The answer is nothing. So if you want to find out whom (if anyone) Bella ends up with you just have to keep reading. Sorry :)