Author's note: Welcome back to these 'Trust me' outtakes! It has been so long since I have written a chapter for any of my stories, so I am thrilled to finally have this one posted (some 2-3 months late, I know). Anyway, uni has been extremely hectic for me, but I am now on a 7 week break. However, I am still working so sadly I can't write 24/7 as much as I wish I could
So here is the second outtake from 'Trust me': Punishment enough (Rosalie's POV of Chapter 13 of 'Trust me'). I really look forward to your feedback about this chapter, because it was harder to write Rosalie than I thought it would be, and I changed things a little bit to make things a bit more dramatic!
I truly hope you enjoy this outtake. Please don't forget to share your thoughts with me when you're done! :D
'From another point of view'
Outtake #2- Punishment enough
Rosalie's POV
I was eager to return home after a three day absence; I had missed my family, and it felt strange knowing that the last time I saw them, a wolf was sleeping in our house. I had to know what had happened in our absence; were they all safe? Had Jacob returned home already? My questions were shortly answered when within feet of the back door, Jacob's stench assailed my nostrils, and soon after we were confronted by Carlisle and a tensed Edward.
Here we go, I thought to myself the moment I saw Edward's face.
Pathetic Edward is on a mission, I sighed silently. Edward had that blazing look in his eye that told me he was not happy to see me… at all. I tried to ignore his glare and almost silent hisses, but it was difficult when I already felt so unwelcomed. Didn't they miss us at all?
After making my promise to Carlisle to not ruin anything, my husband and I were permitted to enter our home.
Although I expected the wolf to be around, I did not expect him to appear so blatantly before my eyes the moment I walked in the door. So, I was horrified to see him sitting down at our kitchen table, eating Esme's delicious meals, and stuffing his face in the most disgusting manner you could possibly imagine. The sight of him was putrid, and his stench just made what I saw all the more disturbing and threatening. Edward wanted to protect this- this messy kid? Why? Surely the wolf was keen to rejoin his pack where there were other animals like him who would appreciate his poor table manners. So what was he still doing here? I wondered whether Jacob was using my parents' kindness to his advantage; skimping off our food and dear Esme's sympathy. It took everything I had not to suggest it, but I held my tongue and my breath; I had promised Carlisle that I wouldn't cause any problems.
Instead I focused on what my husband was saying to the kid, to then realise that the wolf was indeed wearing my partner's shorts. So, the wolf was permitted to wear our clothes now? Seriously? What had he done to trick my family into believing he deserved to borrow- no, permanently stink up my husband's clothes? Just because Jacob is the same size as Emmett doesn't give him rights over everything item of clothing he owns! Whose idea was it anyway?
Probably Edwards, I hissed to myself; the way he looked at us when we arrived at the door was sickening; his protection of Jacob could rival Bella's- I have never seen anything so pathetic.
So once my husband finally managed to stop being his friendly self, I made it quite clear to him, however silently, that I needed to leave the dining room. Knowing me as well as he did, Em took my hand and together we went into the living room to watch TV.
Finally I was able to breathe again, though of course, the wolf's stench was everywhere, but at least it was semi-bearable here.
"What do you think about Jacob wearing my shorts?" Em asked me conversationally the moment we sat down and the TV was on.
I stared at him blankly. Was he serious? Has he ever listened to my consistent and persistent assertions of hate of the wolves over the years? Evidently not, because he was going to a tremendous amount of effort to talk about one of them as if it would entertain me! And what was worse, my husband seemed thrilled by the fact his shorts were being worn by a wolf- I thought he was putting on a façade with Jacob before…
"I can't believe he fits into them!" Emmett chuckled, not bothering to wait for my reply to his original question.
"Well if you had ever bothered to look at how big those Quileute kids are it wouldn't be a surprise to you that the wolf can fit into them," I answered him bitterly.
"Rose-"
"I don't want to talk about the dog," I snapped at him harshly, glaring into his eyes.
Emmett bent towards me almost in a beseeching manner, and I could tell he was being careful with me now; he did not want me to start yelling… for multiple reasons.
"Come on Rose, don't start," he whispered gently, running his fingers through my hair. "He won't be here for much longer, and when he has left, everything will go back to normal."
"It should have already been back to normal, Emmett! He isn't sick anymore; did you see the way he was stuffing his face? He's using us!" I hissed under my breath as I maintained control over my anger.
Emmett pulled away from me slightly as if shocked by my suggestion. He then slid his fingers down to the tips of my hair and then rested his hand on my hip.
"He wouldn't-"
"How do you know?" I challenged him.
"He seems like a nice guy," Emmett began, but when he saw my eyes narrow in frustration, he changed his tactic, "and Edward can hear his thoughts," Emmett reminded me gently, his eyes staring into mine as if afraid of provoking me. I hadn't forgotten about our brother's gift, but given the sickening devotion Edward had towards the wolf, Jacob could have fooled him; Edward wouldn't know Jacob betrayed him even if the evidence was right in front of his eyes.
"Edward may be blinded to it, or maybe they're all putting up with Jacob for Bella's sake!" I countered.
"Maybe," Emmett allowed, though I could tell he didn't truly believe it. "But it doesn't matter either way; we haven't been here, we don't know what has happened between Jacob and our family. If Jacob is being manipulative some how, then it will be every one else at fault, not us. We can't just- we can't make assumptions, Rose," Emmett explained calmly to me.
"It is not an assumption," I insisted, to which Emmett raised his eyebrows.
"Even if you are right," Emmett sighed patiently, "what can we do about it? There is nothing we can do- there is nothing we should do," Emmett corrected himself.
But I ignored the warning this correction should have given me.
Well you're wrong about that, I thought to myself in reply to Emmett's assertion. I stood up quickly and was about to re-enter the dining room to give Carlisle and Esme a piece of my mind, when Emmett grabbed onto my wrist, his eyes now boring into mine.
"We made a promise, Rosalie!" He reminded me sternly under his breath. A part of me knew he tried to stop me to protect us from being chucked out of our home again, but another part of me felt betrayed that in doing so, he was standing up for the wolf.
"I don't care!" I shouted at him, the angry, hurt side of me finally taking over my restraint, "He shouldn't be here!" I continued, trying to make my husband understand where I was coming from.
But instead of understanding, my husband glowered at me, and a moment later, Carlisle and Esme entered the room, both of their eyes wide and tense. Esme appeared more concerned than anything else, but Carlisle was obviously angry. I did not mind, however; this was the perfect opportunity to tell them what was on my mind. I briefly listened in the distance and heard Edward's weak attempts to convince Jacob to go upstairs with him so he was out of earshot of the rant he knew was about to begin.
This opportunity has suddenly become perfect; I had the precise audience I was after. Now it was my opportunity to reveal Jacob for what he is: a pathetic wolf who's sponging off my family under the façade of being a 'friend'. Jacob is a Black, a Quileute wolf, the only beings able to destroy a vampire, and here my family were foolishly hoping that a friendship or alliance had formed between our two species.
Ha! What a naïve thought. Surely Carlisle's three hundred years of existence should have told him that most humans are far more selfish than he is; Jacob will take all the help we can provide him, then return to his home, and we will return to being the blood-sucking 'enemy' once again. Some things never change- it is in their DNA to hate us and no number of nice, caring vampires is going to change the fact that Jacob and his pack will always possess the instinct to destroy us.
But I did not want to spend multiple minutes pointing out the obvious naivety my family had clearly demonstrated over the last three days, because I still loved them, and hurting their feelings would only work against me. No, I needed to focus on Jacob and his hidden intentions- something needed to be done before he had the opportunity to betray us.
And so I took this perfect moment to give them all a piece of my mind and a reality check. It took more effort than I thought it would, but eventually I pushed Jacob over the edge and the sound of Jacob's howl from next door brought a satisfied smile to my face: Step 1 of the reality check was complete. Not even the heightened level of putrid stench that filled the house could eliminate my grin of victory.
"I hope you're pleased with yourself, Rosalie!" Edward hissed viciously at me.
Yes, in fact I am, I thought proudly to myself as I replaced my smile with a satisfied, more composed smirk.
Edward glared at me, evidently unimpressed with my attitude. I knew he wholeheartedly disagreed with me, but I did not care, he would soon understand why I was happy.
I turned to my left to see Carlisle staring at me, his sharp eyes boring into mine as if he could not believe what just happened or that a gigantic wolf was now in his house. Carlisle sighed heavily as he shook his head, but he never spoke a word. I tilted my head upwards at him, and then turned away unwilling to back down or pretend to be sorry for what I had just done.
"Rosalie!" Esme exclaimed, clearly upset I had so obviously, however silently shown how proud I was for what I did, even if it did cause my father distress.
Despite my determination to remain detached from, my conscience forced guilt upon me as I momentarily felt guilty for putting them through this dilemma. Nevertheless, I kept telling myself that it would be worth it in the end; they needed to see Jacob for what he truly is: A wolf.
Remembering that only immense anger would cause Jacob to phase against his will, I was eager to get things started while he was still fired up and determined to hurt me. As I made to move towards the door that led to the kitchen with the intention of provoking him, Edward stood in front of me, his black eyes blazing in the light of the small chandelier above us.
"Rosalie," he stated sharply his frame stock-still; my intentions had evidently stressed him out.
I smiled sweetly at him, feeling anything but sweet in that moment.
"Afraid you're about to be proven wrong?" I taunted him.
"No," my brother replied through his teeth, "I am concerned your foolish behaviour will result in us breaking the Treaty," he revealed to me, his teeth bared with rage.
"He has already broken it," I whispered back victorious, a grin on my face.
"He may have phased in our presence, but as long as he does not harm us, the Treaty remains in tact," Edward reminded me in a way that made me feel like an ignorant child.
"I am aware of that, Edward," I sighed, "but it is as good as broken; he will not be able to control himself once he sees me."
"If he attacks you, it is only because you provoked him to start with!" Edward shouted in my face. "You must allow me to calm him down before he does something we will all regret," Edward continued more calmly and I could tell he was trying hard to convince me to back down.
"Edward," Esme whimpered uncertainly. "He sounds terribly upset."
I focused my senses on the next room, and heard heavy, quick breathing coming from the wolf.
"I will be fine," Edward tried to reassure Esme, but failed miserably; his own expression of doubt gave him away.
"He has nothing to worry about," I sighed, fed up with my family thinking I actually put us in danger. "He doesn't pose a threat to us, especially Edward."
"You cannot be that ignorant," Edward insisted, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Though perhaps stupidity would be a better way of describing your actions," he continued in an afterthought, "because that is something of which you hold in abundance."
"How dare you!" I shouted at Edward, ready to attack him with everything I had. To my surprise, my husband held me back, his eyes staring meaningfully into my own and then to the rest of our family. Carlisle seemed unable to look at me, his gaze fixated on Edward as he too ignored my scream. Esme also seemed seriously unimpressed with my outburst, so I forced myself to keep my mouth shut; disappointed I had not gained their notice.
"Edward," Carlisle finally spoke, "you cannot face him on your own."
"I have the best chance of thwarting his attacks, and I am the one he is least likely to harm," Edward reasoned logically with our father.
Carlisle sighed, finally accepting that Edward's idea, and the risk he wanted to take, was the safest way. Of course, I thought differently; why didn't we all form a united front and chase him out of our house?
He doesn't belong here anyway.
"One more word from you Rosalie and I swear to God," Edward snapped, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Be quiet, Rosalie," Esme gently admonished me.
"I have the right to my own thoughts!" I protested; it's not like I had said anything wrong. Nevertheless, I decided that for now, I would try to contain my thoughts.
Emmett stepped in front of me as if to push aside what I had just said; apparently he had something more important to say than defend me against Esme's unfair statement.
"We've got your back, Edward. If things appear to go wrong, we'll make sure he doesn't harm you, and we will try not to hurt him," Emmett promised sincerely, as if to further emphasise that he was not on my side. I was so sick of being ignored and treated like a child that I momentarily entertained the possibility of not coming to Edward's rescue if something did go wrong; that would show them not to segregate me. But of course, I was not that vindictive.
Edward nodded at Emmett in thanks, as he once again completely ignored my thoughts.
"If I appear to have him under control, please leave me to talk with him," Edward insisted. "And," Edward paused to look directly into my eyes, "if you want our family to remain intact, I suggest you change your attitude. Your thoughts infuriate me almost as much as they hurt Jacob. I cannot be distracted by your cruelty towards him or me because no matter how weak you believe he is, I know he is capable of injuring at least one of us. If you cannot control your words, then be prepared to bear the consequences."
"It will never come to that," I sighed at him, though at least he was acknowledging me again. "As Emmett said, someone will intervene before your life is at risk."
Edward hissed. "Even if I am being torn to pieces, I want you stay away from him! While the rest of us attempt to mend the tremendous error you have made, you can pray all of us remain in tact otherwise no one will be here to protect you when the rest of his pack comes after you! I doubt Jasper and Alice will stand up for you against ten wolves!"
I sighed impatiently; my brother had it all wrong.
"Jacob will turn against you, and when he does we will intervene, which will prove-"
"You have already placed us all in an extremely dangerous position, Rosalie- do not make this worse by trying to prove you're right; I can already guarantee that your version of events is incorrect," Edward concluded in a threatening tone. I wanted to scoff at him, but managed to keep the sound restricted within my throat.
"Do not intervene unless necessary," Edward reminded the other members of my family quietly before leading us through the door to face the wolf on the other side.
Esme was wringing her hands together in anticipation of what Jacob was going to do when he saw Edward. Carlisle had his arm around her shoulder, staring at his son's back, looking pensive. Emmett stood loyally next to me, but hadn't made to defend me against Edward- he had remained unusually silent throughout the conversation that just took place.
We were all listening intently to Edward's conversation with the wolf and his fruitless attempt to convince the animal to calm down. Of course, the boy wanted to attack me (as if he stood a chance), and according to Edward, was determined to kill me no matter who was in the way. I chuckled to myself; he would injure precious Edward just for the chance to hurt me? Ha, so much for loyalty and friendship; clearly Jacob did not value Edward nearly as much as Edward did him.
I was not sure what I would see when we gradually followed Edward into the dining area. I had never seen Jacob in his wolf form before, and wondered how big he would be. Emmett stood protectively in front of me, knowing that Jacob would likely attempt to attack me on sight. But I was not concerned, and stood casually behind my husband as we slowly passed through the door. The moment he saw me, Jacob lashed out at me. I barely flinched as Emmett growled at him, and Edward grabbed the wolf around the middle, Jacob howling in frustration and perhaps pain, when he realised he had barely moved an inch in my direction.
God this was too easy.
Edward managed to thwart Jacob's every attempt to reach me. Sure, it was a shock to learn that Edward was only protecting me to prevent Jacob from breaking the Treaty, and NOT because he cared about my life… I suppose I should have expected it. It was only then that I realised how much I hated this Edward; I was so used to our coven rallying together against outsiders, but since Bella had entered his 'life' and now Jacob too, those outside of our family seemed to take precedence over me.
Watching the fight that took place was a breeze as I waited patiently for Jacob to lose it and turn his anger onto Edward. But the kid was holding back, he wasn't giving everything he had. I hoped this was due to him saving his energy to destroy me, but Jacob was never going to get to me until he defeated Edward.
At one moment I feared he might have done just that. None of us moved as Jacob stood over Edward, his teeth bearing aggressively from his mouth. For a split second I knew this was the moment of truth; if Jacob took this opportunity to use Edward's vulnerability to his advantage then I would be right, the wolf would have betrayed my family, and they would be thanking me for revealing his true nature that no level of 'friendship' could ever change. But another part of me, by this stage, had become complacent- I didn't think Jacob could take Edward by surprise, and that scared me a little.
In the end, Jacob did not do as I had expected; he did not attack Edward.
But why?
Jacob may have released Edward from the ground, but he was still running on adrenaline and fury, so much so that Edward begun to panic and told Esme to find Jasper. Although I doubted even Jasper could calm a wolf so determined to kill, his presence may be useful later. Esme left as she was asked while the rest of us continued to watch.
I noticed that despite the immense power we possess as vampires, Edward was not exerting his full force. Even though Jacob was trying to kill me, my brother was still making an effort not to hurt him! This realisation made me mad, but before I could become properly insulted, Jacob yelped in surprise as Edward forced him into a head lock and dragged him towards the ground. I watched Jacob's face as he stared at me, struggling to breathe as he was forced to collapse onto the floor. I felt a triumphant smile curl my lips as I saw just how much he wanted to hurt me, and yet, the only thing in his way was my brother's arm. There was an immense amount of satisfaction in that; despite the wolf's best efforts, he couldn't even get past round one of our defence. But instead of growing angrier upon seeing my face, the wolf turned away from me and whimpered as he attempted to struggle out of Edward's grip, to no avail. I maintained my victorious composure as I continued to watch him struggle.
After a couple of minutes, Jacob gave up. Although he was still breathing heavily and quickly, his legs had stopped thrashing, and his head was no longer twisting around to snap at Edward's face. Soon the room was much quieter, but I could not pull my eyes away from Jacob and Edward. This was not because I thought Jacob would suddenly try to escape from Edward's grip, but an overwhelming feeling I had that Edward was consumed with Jacob's thoughts. Suddenly, Edward cautiously raised his hand, and then placed it gently on Jacob's fur. I felt disgusted and strangely afraid when Edward began to run his hand along Jacob's back. My brother was patting the wolf, and the wolf was letting him… Suddenly my world no longer made sense. They were literally at each other's throats five minutes ago. What kind of a relationship was this?
After the third stroke, Jacob turned towards me and I saw tears brimming in his eyes. I felt my face and my chest fall- I had no control over it. I cannot begin to describe how I felt when I realised I felt sorry for the kid. It was easy to egg him on when he was actively trying to harm me, but now he lay on the ground, helpless and humiliated, I felt a pang of guilt fill me if only momentarily. I wished I could have taken joy from seeing him upset, but I could not. The way Edward was patting his fur was almost an apology for fighting with him- a battle that Edward and Jacob would not have been forced in to if it weren't for me. The boy trusted Edward and was so comfortable with him that I realised my entire plan was pointless from the beginning. If anything, I had just made their bond stronger. And now Jacob also had the sympathy vote.
Jacob's eyes were still wet when Esme returned with Alice and Jasper. The latter quickly assessed the emotional environment of the room, his body tensing momentarily when he caught Jacob's gaze. Immediately Jasper squatted down in front of Jacob and placed a hand on the top of the wolf's head. I had not seen Jasper interact with the wolf before as they were absent when Em and I returned home, so the shock I felt when Jacob permitted Jasper to touch him in this way, in this moment, was unspeakable. How often had Jasper used his gift on the boy?
"Edward, you can let go of Jacob now," Jasper whispered thirty seconds later. I was certain there had to be some mistake; it had only been thirty seconds! He wanted to kill me mere seconds ago! Surely Jacob was trying to resist Jasper's gift? Had the wolf fooled Jasper into believing he was calm somehow? But when I eyed Jacob's body, his breathing was calm and he did seem to be back to normal…
"You sure?" Edward confirmed with our brother before he removed his arm from around Jacob's neck.
"Yes," Jasper replied, not taking his eyes off of Jacob's. My eyes were glued to Jacob's expression, and then flitted back to Jasper's. You may expect this silent gaze to be mushy and pathetic, something you might expect from Edward when he looks at Bella, but Jasper was a soldier, a fighter, and he didn't stare at someone in such a way unless he truly empathised with them. It was that moment when I knew I was not going to win; if Jasper was willing and able to calm Jacob, then there had to be a real bond between them. No one could hide their feelings from Jasper- not even Jacob and his façade…
XXXXXX
When Jacob had phased back into his human self, I wondered what he would do next. The multiple thumps on the stairs told us that the boy had retreated upstairs to mope about the fact that he almost broke the Treaty. If he knew how pathetic his love is for Bella, none of this would have happened. I laughed out loud feeling triumphant when we re-entered the now empty dining area.
Now that Jacob was no longer volatile, I was looking forward to the lecture Edward or perhaps Carlisle would give him about maintaining control over his phasing.
"Shut up, Rosalie," Edward snapped at me, probably in response to my thoughts as well as my blatant laughter. "Can I leave her to you, Carlisle?" he continued, addressing our father. It shocked me that they both looked so serious.
'Leave her to you?' Surely they weren't about to punish me? It was over- nothing bad happened- well except having to watch my family protect the dog- surely that was punishment enough?
"Of course," Carlisle replied seriously. I turned to look into his eyes and saw that he was staring at me, a relentless fire in them. Somehow I knew I was about to get a lecture- not the usual ones I can sigh at, but one where Carlisle might actually get… angry.
Edward left the room, apparently satisfied that Carlisle would 'handle me', so he could try to talk to Jacob. I watched Edward walk slowly up the stairs. I smiled in anticipation of the anger Jacob would express towards Edward. If I had destroyed their friendship, then at least that was one good thing that came out of my provoking him.
"Wipe the smirk off your face," Carlisle spoke suddenly, causing me to freeze instantly in surprise. Once I recovered, which took me two seconds, I replied persistently:
"Oh come on, you don't find it weird that he's going up there to comfort him after they just fought?"
Apparently this was not something I should have said. Carlisle stared at me, his eyes bulging as they pierced into mine. My father remained silent and frozen as he continued to glare. When I dared to avert my eyes from his, I noticed his jaw was clenched and his lips were in the thinnest line I had ever seen.
I had seen Carlisle furious, perhaps once in my existence, but this did not compare. I tried to swallow the doomed feeling that I was in deep trouble.
The silence wore on, no one saying a word or moving. Esme was the first to relax as she placed her hand gently on Carlisle's arm, no doubt trying to calm him. Much to my surprise, my father did not react to Esme's touch; he just kept staring at me.
I could see the cogs turning in Carlisle's mind and I knew he was thinking of what to say to me that could possibly express his anger. I turned towards Emmett, and then Alice and Jasper, and they too looked petrified- well Jasper looked about as angry as Carlisle did, no doubt because he was forced to share his feelings through his gift.
When Carlisle eventually spoke, his voice startled me.
"You have rendered me speechless," he informed me simply, his eyes relaxing slightly for the first time in multiple seconds. He continued to stare at me however, and I returned his gaze, determined not to break it again. While I regretted infuriating my father, that was all I was sorry for. Eventually, Carlisle broke my gaze, turning his face away from mine to stare out the window.
"There are no words to express how disappointed I am in you, Rosalie," he uttered under his breath, disappointment evident in his tone.
"In me? But nothing happened, Carlisle; we're all safe and-"
I immediately stopped talking when Carlisle twisted his neck so that he was facing me again, his eyes blazing once more.
"Do you honestly believe that 'nothing happened'?" he fired at me, his voice growing louder in intensity. "Did you see the way that boy was looking at you? At us? He was humiliated, terrified, furious, and hurt as he tried to hold himself together in a house filled with vampires as you relentlessly piled one cruel attack, after another, after another. I could see his self-esteem crumple right before my eyes! If anything else happens to Jacob as a result of what you did to him tonight, you-"
We all cringed as splashes of liquid crashed to the floor upstairs. Frozen, we waited to see what would happen next. What had happened? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper recoil away from the stairs, and I knew he must have wanted to leave the vicinity of Jacob's emotions which now took precedence over Carlisle's fury. Jasper was able to maintain his ground though, but his face look incredibly pained. I did not dare to look at Carlisle because I knew I was dead.
Carlisle had yelled at me before, being disappointed in me a few times over the years, but without fully understanding why yet, I knew that this would be the worst punishment to date.
A deafening 'bang' caused us all to re-focus our attention upstairs as Jacob punched something made of metal. Knowing that Edward was not the focus of his violence, I figured it would not be too serious. However, the sobs that ensued caused Jasper to back up against the opposite wall of the house, and there he froze unable to be closer to the wolf upstairs. Jacob's cries of anguish filled our ears as he punched the same object again and again. As far as I knew, Edward had yet to intervene and I wondered why my brother hadn't done anything to soothe the boy like I imagined he would have wanted to. But I had more important things to worry about. When Jacob hurled again (which explained the mysterious splashing liquid from before), it was heard loud and clear by everyone.
But I could barely concentrate on what happened next because there was only one thought going through my mind:
Shit.
When I gained enough courage to turn around, I was confronted by an infuriated vampire. For the first time in my existence, my father looked more monster than human. Esme's eyes were wide as she stared cautiously at Carlisle trying to work out what was going through his mind. And now, I was panicking too; Alice couldn't see the future because Jacob was around, Jasper was on the other side of the house, and Edward probably wouldn't care if Carlisle tore me to pieces, literally. I had no way of knowing what was going to happen next.
I was relieved when I saw Carlisle take a breath; I was able to take a lecture.
And so Carlisle began as he spoke through his teeth:
"I have forgiven you for many things, Rosalie. Time and time again, your vanity and your cruel perception and attitude towards human kind in general has cost us. But we have always forgiven you because we know who you are and what becoming a vampire has made you. To inconvenience us, individuals who love you, is forgivable; that is what family is for. But what you have done tonight is beyond anything you have ever done because you did it with the intention to hurt another person purely for your own gain."
"But I thought-" I tried to defend myself, frightened and upset that my father did not understand where I was coming from.
"I don't care what sort of a theory you were trying to prove," Carlisle interrupted me. "That boy," Carlisle continued, his hand rose as he gestured directly above him to his office and where Jacob currently was, "is only sixteen years old. Three days ago he was bitten by a vampire, and has since been living with a coven of vampires separated from his family and friends. He is only sixteen, and how old are you? At least three times his age! But all I saw tonight was a disobedient, unfeeling creature who has no respect for her parents, or her siblings who have spent multiple hours caring for and forming a relationship with the boy you took ten minutes to completely crush! Because of you, Jacob will now need to spend another night with us, and he will not leave until I am certain he is healthy, mentally and physically to return home. I will not be sending my patient back to his father anything less than happy and healthy."
Carlisle paused to take a breath, the fingers of his right hand, rubbing his temples. Esme rubbed her husband's back tenderly, her eyes glistening with venom as she watched him struggle with whatever thoughts were going through his mind.
Eventually, Carlisle closed his eyes, and continued to speak without looking at any of us.
"I fear speaking with him- I dread what he must think of me for trusting you to be civil. I told him we would look after him- that he was safe here, and you- you-" but Carlisle could not finish his sentence. Instead he opened his eyes, which were bright like his wife's.
I felt terrible.
There were no words to describe my regret and my own sadness to have caused Carlisle and Esme so much pain.
"Have you forgotten what it is to be human? To be in love? To make mistakes like Jacob did? He is human, Rosalie, and humans are allowed to make mistakes just like you. But instead, you attacked his conscience to the point where his only defence was to phase into a wolf surrounded by vampires. At what point did you think that would bode well for any of us? What happened to Jacob feeling safe in our home?" Carlisle screamed.
I felt my lips tremble for a moment, but I instantly forced them to be rigid as I uttered: "Carlisle…" But he was unable to listen to me.
"None of us have hearts anymore," Carlisle continued, his voice wavering with incredible sadness, "but this is the first time I have believed you to completely lack the capacity to feel for another living being."
I may not have cared for Jacob, but I do care for Carlisle, Esme and our family, that's why I acted the way I did. I desperately wanted to tell Carlisle how sorry I was and how much I felt for him, but I suppose Carlisle didn't count vampires as 'living beings'. So I kept my mouth forced shut as I continued to listen to him, my chest aching painfully.
"You are to leave this house immediately, and you will not be welcomed back until you have made a genuine apology to Jacob. When he has forgiven you, and I would not blame him if he never did, then I will accept you back into this coven.
"What?" I spluttered. "You can't be serious!" I cried out, truly frightened now.
"Your attitude and behaviour tonight was disgusting. I am ashamed of you," Carlisle snapped at me, his eyes darkening and I could see I was pushing his limits. "I have never been more serious in my life."
I instinctively took half a step back, uncertain whether my father was about to attack me. I heard Emmett suppress a growl of warning in his chest.
"You betrayed my trust, Rosalie. Such defiance is not tolerated among our family, and such malicious behaviour is forbidden with our guests especially those with whom we made a Treaty. This was not Jacob's fault, it was yours and you will give a genuine apology and an explanation to him to justify what you did. My respect for him will only increase if he manages to forgive you for putting him in danger, and causing him so much distress."
"He'll- he'll be fine."
"Jasper is currently at the opposite side of our house!" Carlisle yelled. "Can you hear that poor boy crying upstairs? What in God's name is wrong with you?" Carlisle asked, his voice raised to a terrible level. An involuntary sob escaped me when I saw Carlisle's eyes suddenly fill with venom, and I wondered whether he found it difficult to say such things to me; it was not in Carlisle's nature to be angry or punish anyone.
"Carlisle, I-"
"Get out," my father cut me off, turning away from me.
I froze gobsmacked. I knew I was dismissed, but I could not leave him like that.
"I-"
But Carlisle walked away from me towards the back door and to my shock, he opened it and waited for me to leave.
"I'm sorry," I whispered at Esme, my voice and body shaking as I walked past her. She nodded her head in acknowledgement, but I knew she was just as angry and felt as betrayed as her husband.
Slowly, I walked towards my father, reluctantly ready to leave the house. I heard Emmett following behind me- I knew he would, but I was relieved to know that at least someone in my family was on my side. As I walked through the door, I glanced over my shoulder at Jasper and Alice. I felt my eye brows momentarily rose in surprise when I saw the two of them displaying equally stern looks. I felt so unwanted.
Unable to look at their disappointment any longer, I ran into the night, leaving Emmett to shut the door behind us. The sound of Jacob's sickening gag as he vomited for the third time propelled me faster into the forest and I didn't stop until I reached the largest tree on the opposite side of the river. There, I stopped and leant my back up against the trunk. My mind was reeling with what just happened; I was no longer a member of my coven. I felt so misunderstood and confused; Jacob did not do what I expected him to do, and his relationship with Edward was something I thought to be impossible.
Why was I being punished for this? I only wanted to protect my family… How could Carlisle think I wanted to hurt him like that? I love him, I love all of them.
I closed my eyes and allowed everything to crash down on me. My impertinent demeanour vanished, and I no longer felt proud for what I had done to Jacob. None of that was worth losing my family. Carlisle, who had been so patient with me over the years, and was so compassionate towards all living things… what was I thinking trying to offend one of his patients in his house even if that patient is our enemy? Come on, he's a Quileute wolf! How can they not understand where I was coming from?
As I continued to stand up against the tree, an overwhelming wave of betrayal took over me when I realised Edward and no doubt the rest of my family were comforting Jacob whilst I had no one except my loyal husband to soothe me, and even he knew what I did was wrong. Why didn't I listen to him?
I opened my eyes to see my husband standing in front of me, his eyes soft with sympathy.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, ashamed of myself that he too was out here with me and away from our family because of my mistake. But even more so, I was sorry for putting him through those agonising minutes with Carlisle; it was horrendous to hear him yell and see him become so upset with me.
Emmett did not reply to my apology. Instead he leaned down and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back, pressing my face into his chest wondering whether I could ever make up for what I had done. Carlisle said I would be welcomed back when I had sincerely apologised to Jacob and the boy had forgiven me, but being a member of his coven once more does not guarantee forgiveness. What if Carlisle never forgave me? What if Esme, Alice and Jasper continued to look at me the way they did when I left? We all have perfect memories so they will never forget what I did, and how much pain I caused our father and Jacob, who they spent so much energy and time looking after. I had ruined everything.
I sobbed louder onto Emmett's shirt, fearing that things will never return to the way they were.
"Shhh," Emmett whispered into my ear as he kissed the side of my neck. "Everything will work out, Rose," he promised me gently. I squeezed him tighter and hoped he was right. We remained that way for most of the night, eventually lying down on the ground to stare at the stars, our thoughts silently travelling through our minds as we contemplated our future, perhaps one without our family.
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Early the next morning, I was rehearsing my apology to Jacob, with Emmett as my audience. I was quite proud of the way I managed to express myself, and would like to think that by the end of my speech, even my husband had a better understanding of how I see things and why I did what I did the night before. When I was half-way through my third attempt at making a genuine apology, we saw Carlisle and Esme approach us from the house. If I had a heart, it would have been racing in anticipation- in hope that Carlisle was about to talk to me, or give me just a small smile that would indicate he wasn't as mad at me anymore. Emmett and I stood tense and frozen waiting for our parents to reach us. As they approached, the first thing I noticed was that Carlisle's eyes were black- they must be going hunting. I wondered whether Carlisle had had the opportunity to feed since Jacob had been under his care. I quickly remembered back to the previous night, and realised that Carlisle's eyes were dark then too. That would explain his intense underlying ferocity last night, which meant that today would be no different.
Esme and Carlisle slowed to a walk, both of them staring at me as they approached. I decided to keep my mouth shut and only talk if spoken to. Thankfully we were not in silence for long before Carlisle said:
"Jacob will be returning home after breakfast this morning. He is still resting, but if you wish to return to the house and the coven today, then I suggest you apologise to him before he leaves in four hours."
I nodded my understanding.
Carlisle gave me a single nod, and then grasped Esme's hand in his, and together they ran at vampire speed into the forest.
When they were out of hearing range, I turned to Emmettt and took a deep breath.
"Do you think it's too early to wake him?"
Emmett looked at his watch.
"Probably; it's only five. Perhaps give him another hour," he suggested.
Emmett was right; five was much too early, but now that I knew I only had a few hours in which to deliver my apology to the boy, I wanted to start as soon as possible in case something went wrong. What if Jacob felt I was lying? What if he would only forgive me if I apologised 100 times? It would be ridiculous, but I would willingly put myself through that to be accepted into my family once more. All night, Carlisle's face had persistently haunted me, and that in itself was punishment enough; it made me want to cry. I knew it was not going to stop until I had done everything I could to make things right between us, and that meant initiating reconciliation with Jacob. I would do anything to regain Carlisle's respect and love- I was not willing to endure another night being segregated from my family. So I grabbed Emmett's hand and dragged him towards the house; I could not be apart from my family any longer. I was determined; Jacob was going to hear and believe my apology, and I wasn't going to leave until he did.
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Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! For those of you who are wondering, Jacob did not hear Carlisle yelling in 'Trust me'. This is because Carlisle didn't yell, and I actually no intention to have him raise his voice. However, when I begun to write the portion of this chapter and was contemplating exactly how mad I thought Carlisle would be, I felt the need (as I always do) to make the scene dramatic. So I apologise for going outside my own canon just a bit! Also, I wanted to clarify that in 'Trust me' Jasper was telling his family what was happening between Edward and Jacob upstairs. Obviously, that did not happen in his outtake, so I apologise for that as well. I just got a little carried away! Nevertheless, I hope you found this chapter interesting and not overly dramatic.
For those who would like to refresh their memories, chapter 14 of 'Trust me' is when Rosalie apologises to Jacob.
Thank you for reading, and please don't forget to review or send me a private message
In other news, over the next 7 weeks, I hope to update 7 times. I am not sure which stories I will be updating (as I have three that are currently works in progress, 'Leave me' and 'A life worth living' are the other stories I will be updating), but if all goes according to plan, the chapters I write will be evenly spread across the three stories. Therefore, you can expect at least one more outtake before I return to uni. Outtake #3 is titled: 'Falling apart' which is Jacob's POV of 'Broken parts 1 and 2'.
Thank you all for your continued patience with my sporadic and delayed updates; you have no idea how much I appreciate all of you, and your consistent support of my writing!
Finally, I have a Facebook page where I will post up teasers of the upcoming chapters/outtakes for my three stories when I have almost finished writing them. To see these teasers when I post them, please 'like' my page by going to this link: #!/Bumblebee5n4p3