Chapter 39
Facing the Past Alone part 2
B's POV
After lunch we went to my old ballet studio. Three blocks from my old house. The studio was closed till 3:30pm. Then it would be filled with bright girls with pink, purple and black leotards. The girls will be escorted by their snobby mothers, who pretend to say that someone's daughter will be a major ballet studio, but all along thinking that their daughter is the best in the whole building.
I laughed aloud when we stepped into the main practice floor. You could smell the hairspray from the girls' last competition prep-up. "I remember when I was attending here." I started stepping onto the steps that led onto the slippery tile floor. "This is where I met Tina and Raychel. I was lugged in here by Teresa, my hair up in a high tight bun, pink skin-tight leotard and complete with bright pink ballet shoes. Tina and Ray were in the same, and we were all pouting. Completely pissed!" I sat down on the steps that I had inside the memory. "I was just as bad as they were. The first day, we came back with bruises and cuts on every part of our body! We kept on falling and hurting each other. Finally, we just convinced our mothers that it wasn't for us! We were inseparable after that."
A few tears fell as I walked over to the doors that led to the library. "This is where Renee met Phil. She was working at the library while I went here. She looked and looked and looked some more, for a few years. He as working. Bring in mirrors one day and I knew she liked him by the way she stared at him. I knew he was too young for her, but I knew she would be happy with him, so I kept my mouth shut and waited." I wiped the few liquid drops that had fallen. "I should have said something."
Edward was quiet through all of this, letting me get the memory out of my head. H stood in the middle of the dance floor. Being silent and letting my face my past alone.
"When she finally did make a move in her...infatuation to this guy, it was a competition and he was here for the mirrors for the womens' bathroom. I came in third for the recital we were doing and she would've never even known if I hadn't told her in the car." I paused looking at the spot next to me. "I was sitting here, tying my tennis shoes and getting ready to leave. Tina wasn't too far from where you're standing,waiting for me so we could catch the bus and make out way to her house. Renee and Phil came out the girls bathroom closet; hair messed up, clothes disarray, cheeks flushed and lips bruised. I mean I was twelve but still!" I slowly crumpled to the floor, just slid down the door frame and onto the floor. "Tina laughed her ass off, but I was just sat there and stared as my mother put a piece of paper that had her number and our address on it, and put in down his pants. All the way down into his jeans. She didn't even care that many kids, younger than I was, were around." I wiped the tears from my eyes. "That's what started it all. Just one closet mistake and my mom was gone!"
Edward finally spoke. "You got third?" I choked out a small laugh and nodded. "How did you manage that?"
I shrugged. "I think it was that run, jump, catch thing...yeah it was that!"
"And what's that?" he asked taking his hands and putting them on top of his head.
"I run, jump into someone's arms, they hold me up, twirl, spin twice and then slowly slid me down, then I spin away." I shrugged as if it was nothing. "Why?"
"Do it. I'll catch you!" he must've been crazy.
"I'm not your average book bag..." I warned kicking off my shoes and pulling my hair out of its ponytail. He shrugged and got ready to catch me. I thought about it for a minute. "Fine. Catch me."
I took a deep breath, focused my mind on getting into Edward's arms. Quickly, I sprinted into his arms. Immediately I was air borne. His hands pressed firm;y against my ribcage and he slowly spun in two circles. then he slowly, teasingly, lowered my forehead to his. Then my body was sliding down his. I bit my lip. My insides screaming within the fire he was creating inside of me.
"Edward...?" I said looking at him with clouded lust. My feet reached the ground, he didn't move. Neither did I. I sighed leaning my head against his shoulder.
"Bella...?" his voice husky, my knees nearly melted!
He wasn't going to make this easy for me. "Why did you freak out, when you found out about my past?" I asked trying to cool down my emotions.
He didn't answer right away. He gently released my waist and pulled us down to the floor. "Knowing that someone as gorgeous, and sweet, and selfless as yourself going through that. I just..." he sighed pressing his face into my curls. "I couldn't imagine." his warm breath fell deep within my dark curls. "I mean, honestly, how would you react if someone you lov-"
"hi! Are you here for the dance recital?" A perky red haired girl asked from the entry way. Her bright blue eyes looked me over and then Edward. Seeing the obvious difference leagues we were in.
"No. jeez! You guys are having another one. Someone is going to get so high off these fumes one day. But no. I use to dance here and I wanted to show him some of my childhood." I swallowed. "We didn't mean to be a bother. We were just leaving, right?" I looked at Edward expecting a nod, but I was shocked and hurt to see him staring at the girl intently. "Edward?"
Quicker than I thought possible, Edward had the perky red head in a huge hug. I gaped at him as he picked her up and swung her around. "Oh my god! I thought you were dead! Where have you been? Why didn't you call? Why did you fake your on death? What about your parents? Do they know you're alive?" he asked a million and one questions all at once to the confused girl.
She pulled herself from his embrace. "I don't know who you are or what you're talking about, but if you ever touch me again, you'll be answering to the DA!" she threatened coldly.
Edward was stunned by her words. "But that's just the thing, you do know me and you do know what I'm talking about!" his voice was insistent. "C'mon Katy! Don't you remember!? Katy Bear!?"
The girl's face fell as soon as the words left his mouth, "What did you call me?"
"Katy Bear! My little sister, Alice, she use to call you that all the time. You wouldn't let James, or Laurent, or me, ever call you that. Just Alice." He looked desperately at the girl, he thought was, Kate. "Your name is Kate Denali, you're one of three triplets, Tanya and Irene. After, Laurent and James were murdered, they committed suicide. You were the last to die. Or so I thought!"
Kate was quiet for a moment. Her eyes traveling Edward's body. "I'm remembering some things about a small bubbly girl, with long black hair, and pale skin. Alice!" She gasped taking a small step back. She looked up at Edward and smiled smally. "Edward?" he laughed and nodded pulling her into a giant bear hug again. Twirling her around. "Oh my god, how I've missed you!" she cried into his shoulder. "The men, they had their fun and told me if I told anyone, or if anyone found me like this, they would kill them and me slowly and painfully." Edward seated them on the floor against one of the long mirrors. He held her as she sobbed, nodding every so often. I understood and sat back on the steps. "I told Mom and Dad. They agreed that the best thong was to get off the radar. We faked my death. And they shipped me off to live with my Aunt Alicia, here in Phoenix, Arizona." She finished sobbing harder. "I wanted to tell you, Edward. I missed you guys so much!" she continued to sob and hiccup in-between words.
After a few minutes, she sniffled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you and your girlfriend waiting."
Edward shook his head. "Nonsense. Bella and I are in no hurry. Right Bella?" he looked up with pleading eyes.
Who was I to end his reuniting with an old friend to a halt? "No! Not at all! I have to see ho Amber's faring anyways. I'll wait over here." he nodded his thanks, then looked back at Kate.
"So how's my Ali? What about your mom? Still a zombie?" She didn't notice, like I did, how he went completely stiff when she mention his mother.
Slowly, I walked over to the two friends. Edward stayed ridged. "I need one minute..." I muttered to her. She looked confused, but removed herself from his lap all the same. "Edward? Honey its okay. We're not there. You're not there. You're here. With me!" I ran a hand through his hair. "You're with me."
Eventually, his bright iris' lost their far-away-glazed-over look, his body relaxed beneath mine and his hand found mine. His lips pulled into a small smile. "Thank you," he whispered softly. I nodded and pulled myself out his lap, but he would let me leave his side. I smiled and squeezed his hand, reassuringly. His eyes met Kate's and he answered her questions. "Alice is fine. Great even! She's down at the beach with some friends. You should see her! She's so beautiful now!"
"I have my camera." I piped in pulling our my bold blue digital camera. "Here," I pulled up a picture if Alice and Jasper kissing underneath the mistletoe at Christmas. The next was Alice, Rose, Amber, and I in our jammies and posing in front of the fire place.
"You're right. She's beautiful!: Kate exclaimed touching the faces on the digital. She clicked over a few. "Who's this?" she asked pointing to Carlisle and Esme Cullen.
Edward sighed. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife, Esme Cullen. They're mine and Alice's adoptive parents."
"A-adoptive?"
He nodded squeezing my hand; asking is I was there for him. I squeezed back; answering with out a doubt!
"Yes. Adoptive." I answered for him cause he couldn't do it. "Elizabeth, she...Edward and Alice found Elizabeth...they found her..in the closet. She...um...she hung herself." Edward slumped down into me, a few tears falling down his face. "She got so fed up with a life without Edward Sr. So fed up with not being the mother she wanted for her children. That she felt the need to hang herself, and it hurt her children. More than the times she had ignored them, neglected them food and attention, every slap and hit, every hateful word spoken to them. Her killing herself hurt them so much more than all of that stuff together."
Edward had hidden his face in the crook of my neck and was now sobbing silently into it. I ran a hand through his hair again and again, while the other rubbed small circles into his back.
Kate wiped the tears away from her face. "I'm sorry. I had no idea it was that bad." she handed me my camera and her phone number on a piece of paper. "Just in case you guys want to hang out. I'd like to see Alice again. I got to fix my face. Plus the recital starts soon."
We stayed put when she left. I fought to keep the tears at bay. Edward had always been my rock. And now he was shuddering and crying. It killed me to see him cry. It made me feel weak and useless. But I had to be strong for him. I cared about him, dearly, and I knew he would do the same, as he had been, if I were in this situation.
"Hey..." I cooed in his ear, "hey...it'll be ok. You have you sister, and Emmett, and Carlisle and Esme, and Jasper and Rose. You have me too. I-I care about you and your feelings, Edward."
He nodded and his silent sobs eventually became sniffles. He didn't move his head right away, but he pulled me closer to him. "Thank you," he whispered against my skin. "And Bella? I care about you too. Too much for me to handle, sometimes."
I smiled smally, still running my hand through his tousled hair. "Does that feel good?" He hummed and nodded lazily into my shoulder. I sighed quietly. "I don't want to go to Renee and Phil's old place today." I said after a brief silence. "Let's just head back to the hotel room, order in, watch movies, and just hang out. Please? Can we do that?"
He pulled back from my shoulder. Cheeks still glistening with smeared tear streaks. His eyes red and wet. Then I noticed his cheeks were vivid red. "Sorry."
"Don't be embarrassed! I cry on you all the time! It's time someone else showed a little emotion around here!" I joked lightly.
He rolled his eyes. "I'm a guy. We don't cry...in front of other people." I rolled my eyes, but waited til he answered my question. "Are you sure? I mean, we could finish this nightmare tonight." I nodded fighting a yawn. "Fine. I'm fine with it as long as you are."
I smiled and tugged him up, and we made our way out the ballet studio. Not before I ran into a small little girl, decked out in a pink, skin-tight leotard and bright pink ballet shoes. Complete with a large pout on her lips.
That night
Later that night, we found ourselves in our soft hotel bed, a large pizza box at the bottom of the bed, only two pieces left. I sighed and layed my head on Edward's chest. I cuddled closer as the eerie music, playing from the TV, got louder and more intense. I felt his chest rumble with a deep chuckle at my scared expressions and actions. Slowly, his hand moved from behind his head and slipped it around my waist, pulling me closer.
"Are you scared?" Edward asked quietly into my ear. I nodded snuggling deeper into his side. He chuckled once more. "Want a distraction?" My breath became quicker. Heavier. Hotter. I nodded quickly. "Are you sure? Can you handle it?" he asked his lips brushing my ear.
I shuddered involuntarily. I swallowed thickly and nodded. "Y-yes."
I felt more than saw his lips pull into a small grin. Slowly, his lips kissed my jawline. "What exactly are you scared of?" he asked in between kisses.
I gulped as he reached a certain sensitive spot of skin, beside my ear. He expects me to talk? I thought trying to catch my breath. "Uhm...people popping o-out of nowhere...b-blood...killer coming a-after m-m-m-me in my dreams..." I gasped out. Movie forgotten.
His lips smiled against mine neck. Gently, he kissed my pulse point and I, involuntarily, gasped and tangled my fingers within his locks of bronze. "Hmm..." he hummed kissing that spot again. My grip tightened in his hair. "Do you really think that you'll have bad dreams with me here?"
His lips grazed the skin just above my tank-top hem. I bit my tongue to hold in the embarrassing moan. I shook my head slowly. The room was becoming foggy and my mind was no better. "Do you?" he asked again,moving up my neck slowly, teasingly.
"No..." I groaned out, gasping for breath, puling the roots of his hair.
"Good," his lips paused at the corner of my mouth, a smirk gracing his lips. "You taste yummy..." he purred softly.
I think I just melted from the inside and out! I giggled softly, distangling my hand from his hair and gently massaged were I had tugged hard.
Edward didn't move his lips from the corner of mine. His eyes asking, pleading for permission. Does he really have to ask?
Just as I was about to move my head and get what I've been dieing to get...The door opened and a dazed Jacob and a beaming Amber burst through.
"Hey peeps!" Amber squealed plowing down on the bed. "I love you, Bells!" she hugged me tightly. Then turned to Edward. She didn't hesitate and, get this, wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a tight hug! "Thank you, Edward. This was your idea. And now I'm free! Thank you, so friggin much!"
Jacob laughed silently beside me. "You should've seen Emmett and Jasper's faces! Emmett almost called 911!"
I laughed along with him. I was so happy for Amber! She could live now. We would always be sisters in a war, but her monster had been diminished. I wasn't so sure about mine. Amber was happy, and I wasn't about to rain on her parade.
"What happened?" I asked Jacob after Amber and Edward walked downstairs to go get desert for the four of us.
Jacob sighed heavily, suddenly looking sad and tired. "God it was horrible! As soon as we drove into the driveway, she went stiff!" he leaned against the wall. "I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there holding her til she loosened and relaxed."
"She did after a few minutes. Tears in her eyes. When I asked, she said she was fine and that it as going to be happening a lot." Tears filled his dark eyes, and suddenly I wish I had been there.
OK I know I said this would be long, but I thought about it and Amber's recovery deserves to be in here also. So that's what the next chapter is going to be about that! Oh, by the way, within the next two three chapters...I'll be done! WHOO! Don't kill me!
Exert from next chapter:
"I'll always love and miss you. But I need to say good-bye." I whispered tossing the soft white and blue lilies on top of her grave. "Good-bye, Mama..."
