Well hello there everyone!
First off... major apologies. I'm so so so sorry that I haven't written in so long, and if I still have any readers it'll be nothing short of a miracle. I've changed a lot as a person in the couple of years since I started this story, but hopefully I can continue to deliver what you all seemed to enjoy so much in the beginning.
Please review and let me know how you all are, and what you think of this chapter!
Love always, Lily xo
Chapter 12
I sat in an old armchair in Bonnie's untidy bedroom, watching as she faffed around, brushing her short, still vaguely purple hair, fixing her dress, and applying lipstick and then wiping it off again. She stood in front of the full length mirror that hung on her bedroom wall, glaring at her reflection, frustration clear in her green eyes.
"What's the matter?" I asked her, still hardly believing that I was in her presence, let alone in her bedroom.
Just over a month had passed since that morning when I'd found Bonnie on my doorstep. I was damn crazy about her, and she wasn't exactly resisting me anymore, which was a miracle. That wasn't saying she was easy work, though.
"I never look right," She muttered angrily, stepping away from the mirror and picking her bag up off her bed. I stood and crossed to room to her. She was standing with her back to me, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her slight frame to me.
"You always look perfect," I said, kissing the top of her head. She squirmed awkwardly away from me, still made uncomfortable by my displays of affection. I sighed and stepped away from her.
She turned back to me, her hands fluttering near her face. "I'm sorry," She groaned. "I just… I don't know. I'm sorry." She reached her arms up and wound them around my neck. I embraced her again, and kissed her. I was surprised when her mouth moved against mine and her grip on my neck tightened. We were just starting to get into it when something interrupted us.
"BONNIE!" Maria's voice echoed up to Bonnie's bedroom. "WE'RE GONNA BE LATE! IT'S SIX O'CLOCK ALREADY."
"Dammit." Bonnie pulled away from me quickly and grabbed her coat off the bed, heat rising in her face as though Maria had actually walked in on us.
I rolled my eyes at her and followed her out the door of her bedroom. Maria was standing in the hallway, looking a little nervous and excited.
"You guys ready?" She asked, picking up Wayne's car keys up from the hall table. "Wayne!" She called her husband.
"I'll drive, Maria," I said, ignoring Bonnie as she muttered darkly about having to go places she didn't want to go. "I know where the house is and everything."
"Are you sure, Collin?" Wayne said as he stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway, his coat already on. "I don't mind at all –"
"Really, it's no problem." I grinned at both of them, and Maria smiled warmly back.
"Thanks so much for inviting us along," She said. "I'm finding it kind of hard to get to know people, what with working in Seattle and all… I mean, there are people Wayne knows too, of course, but it's not quite the same…"
"Of course!" I opened the hall door. "It's the perfect opportunity – everyone's dying to meet Bonnie and you."
Maria smiled again and headed out towards my car.
"Behave," I muttered to Bonnie, and she scowled as she followed her chirpy older sister. I followed her, and Wayne locked the door of the house behind me.
Bonnie was silent for most of the journey. The more I got to know her, the more I realised that she wasn't rude or bitchy – her cold side came out when she just couldn't deal with something. She was nervous about having to go the christening and meet all these people, so she was oddly quiet and then snappy when she did talk. I had learned within the first week of our being together that she didn't mean to inflict any hurt – it's just that she couldn't deal with nerves or agitation any other way.
"What a beautiful house," Maria sighed fifteen minutes later as we pulled up outside Aoife and Seth's large and beautiful stone cottage. Wayne agreed with her.
"Esme Cullen designed it – well, restored it, really. It was a ruin before Aoife and Seth bought the place. You'll meet Esme today, actually. She's a close friend of Seth and Aoife's. Her whole family are good friends with them."
I got out of the car and opened the back door to let Maria out. Bonnie too stepped out of the car, wrapping her coat around her body nervously as she clocked the large number of cars parked in the gravel driveway.
"You'll be fine," I said, holding her elbow as the four of us made our way towards the house.
"Will I really?" She said sarcastically, but her hand found mine. We climbed the stone steps to the house and I rang the doorbell, my sensitive ears already buzzing from the noise inside. I estimated that there were at least fifty people at the christening – and by "people", I meant humans, vampires and werewolves.
The door flung open after a moment, and a dark haired little girl grinned up at me.
"Collin!" She squealed, and I let go of Bonnie's hand to pick her up and swing her around.
"How are you doing, Ella?" I kissed the top of her head. She smelled like candyfloss and I knew by the sweetness coming from her breath that she was high on candy. A train of small children clattered down the hallway behind her, all shouting and laughing, encouraged by the rush that came from distracted parents and access to far too much sugar.
"Who's this?" Bonnie asked, crouching down on her hunkers to smile at Ella, who was a giggling heap on the floor.
"I'm Ella," She said, smiling up at Bonnie.
"She's Sam and Emily's little girl," I explained. "You'll meet them shortly, I'd imagine!"
Wayne and Maria said hello to Ella, as all the other children came forward to claim Bonnie's attention. If there was one thing Bonnie was good at, it was kids. Not babies – it was like she was scared of them – but children flocked to her as though she were the Pied Piper. After a minute or so, they dispersed and Bonnie stood up.
"Ok then," She said, looking towards the door at the end of the hallway, where most of the noise was coming from. "Let's do this."
Bonnie's POV
I was sweating, but I was freezing cold. I didn't want to go to the christening, but I knew it was important to Collin. Then, when he invited Wayne and Maria along, it became important to them too, and there was no way in hell that I was getting out of it.
I was nervous. I didn't like the idea of being in a crowded room full of people I didn't know. I knew Seth and Aoife and all of Collin's wolf buddies and their galpals, but that was it. Also, I knew there were going to be vampires there. Yeah, Collin had reassured me that they were vegetarian or whatever, but still. I hadn't actually seen one in person yet, and I was pretty much scared shitless about going into a house full of them and bringing my innocent sister and brother-in-law with me.
After we had met little Ella Uley and a bunch of other kids, I prepped myself to go into a room full of people, some of whom I would undoubtedly have to make small talk with. I hated small talk. Before I had the chance to bolt, the door at the end of the hallway opened and Brady stepped out.
"Hey! You guys made it!"
Collin stepped forward, grinning broadly, and he and Brady did the whole bro hug thing they did whenever they saw each other. They were like little kids – the excitement when they were around each other was hilarious. After a moment, he introduced Maria and Wayne. Brady already knew of Wayne – he was Pastor Weber's nephew after all, and Forks and La Push was a small area. Before I could ready myself any more Brady pushed open the door behind him to reveal a big, open room that was crowded with noisy, cheerful people.
"Yo, Seth!" Brady called. "Collin and Bonnie are here!"
A moment later, Seth came towards us. "Hey everyone! It's great that you came!" He shook Collin and Wayne's hands and kissed my cheek and then Maria's. A moment later, he pulled Maria and Wayne off to introduce them to his wife and baby girl. Collin was engaged in conversation with his buddy and I was still clutching the bright pink gift bag that contained a christening gift. Spotting the food table at the far side of the room, with gifts stored underneath it, I made my way over. I put down the gift bag and poured myself a cup of fruit punch.
"Hi. You must be Bonnie."
I turned, my cup to my mouth, and found myself face to face with the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was probably just a little taller than me, and had alabaster skin, softly waving dark hair, and eyes that were the most curious shade of gold. I swallowed my surprise, and feeling extremely self-conscious, I nodded.
"Yeah. And you are?"
"I'm Bella. Bella Swan. Or Cullen, I guess." She offered me her hand. As soon as she spoke her name, I knew she was a vampire. I hesitated for a moment before taking her hand, but everything that Collin had told me about them stood in my mind. Harmless.
Her skin was freezing beneath mine, the polar opposite of Collin's. As soon as I could pick out the traits, I took note of all the other vampires in the room. There were seven or eight at least, all of them startlingly beautiful. Bella was friendly and chatty though, and oddly enough I found myself warming to her. I began to relax, and realised I'd been a fool to have wound myself up so much. These people were Collin's friends. And also his…
"Bonnie? Come over here and meet my family!"
Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. This was something I was not looking forward to. I had been putting off meeting Collin's family for ages. I looked around, hoping to find Maria and use her as backup, but she was over near the fireplace, chatting to Aoife and cradling baby Evanna in her arms.
I slapped a smile onto my face and walked over to where Collin was standing, two women by his side.
As soon as I reached them, the older woman, his mother, pulled me into a rib cracking embrace. She smelled like lavender and soap, and a lump formed in my throat as I remembered my own mother.
"Bonnie, honey, it's so wonderful to finally meet you!" When she finally released me, tears were glistening in her soft brown eyes. I couldn't help but love her immediately.
Collin's sister, Brooke, was an entirely different kettle of fish. She was texting someone when I came over, and barely bothered to look up at me as she shook my hand. I felt my skin prickle with dislike for her.
"Mom, can I please go now?" She asked after a few moments of conversation.
"Brooke," Collin hissed.
"Mooooooom." Brooke whined. "I came, I saw the baby, I met Bonnie, I wanna leave. Please."
Tessa Whitethorn sighed. "I'm not driving you."
"Peter's on his way."
"What? But I only just said you can go!" She looked upset more than anything.
Brooke flashed a perfect white smile. "A precaution. See you guys later!" And she was gone, a whirl of bubble-gum pink and hairspray.
"I'm sorry," Tessa sighed. "She really has a mind of her own." She and I chatted for a few more minutes before she went off to help Seth's mom, Sue, put out some more food onto the already groaning tables.
"Am I behaving?" I raised an eyebrow at Collin.
"Far better than Brooke is, anyway," Collin frowned. His expression then softened as he looked down at me. "You're doing great."
"What's her problem, anyway?"
"Brooke's?"
"Yeah. Why can't I get a sister-in-law like Leah?" I glanced over to where Leah Clearwater was slyly necking shots of tequila with Aoife's brother and a group of other young men, some of them werewolves.
"Be nice," Collin said, looking a little defensive. "She's the only sister I've got."
I said nothing for a moment. "I met a vampire. I was nice to her. Don't ask me for too much. "
Collin sniggered. "I saw you chatting it up with Bella. You guys tight now?"
"She seems cool," I said archly, not rising to his bait. He knew how paranoid I was about the whole vampire thing. It freaked me out that I was living in close proximity to potentially deadly bloodsuckers.
"She is cool." He suddenly changed the subject. "Have you been talking to Aoife and the baby yet?"
"No," I said, feeling disgruntled. I was sure he was going to scold me for my lack of manners. "Maria has been monopolizing them since we arrived." Which was true.
"She isn't anymore," Collin pointed out. "She's talking to some people Wayne knows. Let's go say hi to Aoife now."
I didn't object. I liked Aoife. If I'm honest, I was sort of in awe of her.
She was standing with a small group of people, one of them the young man Leah had been drinking with.
"Hi, Aoife!" Collin said cheerfully, giving her a hug and a kiss.
"Collin, Bonnie! I'm so glad you came! Bonnie, your sister is a dote," She said, hugging me. "Bonnie, Collin, this is my brother Rory, my mom, Anna, and my friend, Aoibheann."
We all shook hands. Aoife's brother was holding the baby, and without warning, he smiled and handed her to me. Before I could think how to say no, she was in the crook of my arm, gazing up at me with inquisitive blue eyes.
"Hey, baby," I murmured, smiling nervously at her.
Collin burst out laughing. "She isn't going to bite, Bonnie."
She was warm, and surprisingly heavy. And… damp.
"Aoife, I think she may have… um…"
"Oh!" Aoife's eyes widened, and she immediately took Evanna from me, lifting her into the air and smelling her bottom. "Yup. Sorry, Bonnie! All part of the package, unfortunately."
"Ha ha, no problem," I said, but Aoife was already dashing out of the room.
"I'm going to go make some tea," Her mother said after a moment. She smiled warmly at Collin and me. "It was really lovely to meet you both."
By now, Collin and Rory were engaged in a conversation about sport, and I was standing awkwardly next to them, unsure what to say. I wished I hadn't worn a stupid dress – I really wanted pockets to shove my hands into. I settled for fiddling with the sleeves of my cardigan as I made small talk with Aoife's friend, Aoibheann.
"You want a drink?" She asked, and we moved away from the men, towards the food table. As we crossed the room, I accidentally bumped into one of the werewolves, Embry Call.
"Whoops, sorry, Embry."
"Oh, hey Bonnie –" He stopped suddenly as he caught sight of Aoibheann. "Er… hi, Aoibheann. How are you?"
"Um…" She just stared at him. I felt incredibly uncomfortable, and wished I could run. "Fine, thanks."
They stood in silence for another moment, just staring at each other.
"Er… how about that drink?" I said, desperate to break the tension.
"Right." Aoibheann pulled her gaze from Embry's face, and we moved to the refreshment table.
She poured two glasses of punch, and handed one to me. "Are you up for spicing things up a little?"
I raised an eyebrow at her, unsure of what she meant. She pulled a hip flask from her handbag.
"Yes, definitely." I heaved a sigh of relief. Anything to relax me a little. My shoulders were starting to ache from the tension in them. I just wasn't used to social situations.
Aoibheann poured a generous amount of dark liquid into my glass, and then her own. We clinked them together and drank. It was strong – the alcohol burned my throat for a moment but then pleasantly warmed my chest.
"You're an object, aren't you?" Aoibheann drained her glass and then wiped her mouth. I noticed her hand was shaking. "As in werewolves."
"Er –"
"It's ok," She sighed. "I know everything. Aoife's my best friend."
"Well then… yeah."
"Collin is great, you know. You're incredibly lucky to have him." She poured herself another drink, this one even stronger.
"It's taken me a while to come around, believe me."
"Really?" Aoibheann looked surprised. "What do you mean?"
I felt uncomfortable. "I didn't like it when he imprinted on me. I'm independent. I like my freedom."
"Don't you realise what it means, though?" Aoibheann looked a bit disgusted with me. "It means that he'll love you unconditionally, forever. You have the kind of love most people can only dream of." She looked across the full room, to where Embry was now standing with Collin and Rory.
"Did you guys date or something?" Almost as soon as the words escaped my mouth, I regretted them.
"Or something," Aoibheann said a little bitterly. "I fell in love with him the same summer that Seth and Aoife met. We dated for three years but he ended it eventually. I guess he was afraid I was keeping him from his one true love or something." She drained her glass again. "All I'm saying, Bonnie, is appreciate what you have. You're lucky. Realise that." She smiled sadly at me, and then turned and left, leaving me all alone.
"That was a lovely evening, thank you so much, Collin!" Maria grinned happily as she got out of Collin's car. "We'll see you tomorrow, right? For dinner?"
"Definitely, Maria," Collin said, smiling broadly at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed the evening."
Maria smiled again and headed up the porch steps to open the door.
Wayne leaned back into the car too. "Seriously man, thanks a lot. Maria's been lonely since we came… she gave up a lot when she left California. You opened a lot of doors tonight. I won't forget it."
Collin nodded. "No problem, Wayne."
"Don't be too long, Bon," Wayne said. He squeezed my shoulder warmly and headed into the house after my sister.
And Collin and I were alone.
"So, you survived." He turned to me, smiling.
I couldn't help it – I smiled back. "I guess it wasn't so bad. Comes a close second to chemo, though."
"Don't joke like that!" Collin said, but he laughed. We were quiet for another moment.
"I love you, you know." He said, not looking at me. I wasn't looking at him either. I was gazing mindlessly up at my sister's house.
"I know you do." I surprised him by leaning over and kissing him. Hell, I surprised myself. I was still weird about the whole relationship thing, but I just couldn't resist Collin. As much as I hated to admit it, even to myself, I was crazy about him too.
He kissed me back for a few moments, and then I pulled away.
"Goodnight."
His right hand was on my left cheek, warm and a little coarse against my skin.
"Goodnight," He whispered, and he leaned forward and kissed me again, lightly this time.
I picked my bag up off the car floor and opened the door. Collin started the car engine as I climbed the porch steps and opened Wayne and Maria's hall door. He reversed the car out of the driveway.
"Hey, Collin?" I called. He wound down the window, looking up at me.
"Yeah?"
"I guess I love you too. Goodnight."
And then I closed the door.
AN: Hope you enjoyed it, guys! Let me know what you thought. :)