Note: brace yourselves, guys. This chapter is a looooong one!
Bella's clothes: http:/i41 . /2igynax . jpg
Tanya's clothes: http:/i39 . tinypic . com/23ws8s2 . jpg
Chapter Forty One – (Surprise Visitors)
BPOV
I'm woken up from my whole body being shaken by Tanya. I blink my eyes open to see she's sitting on top of me, a grin on her face.
"Hey, sleepy head."
"Mmm," I hum. "What time is it?" I ask, my voice still thick with sleep.
"Nearly midday."
"What?" I ask shocked. "Really?"
"Yeah, you slept in a bit."
"Why didn't you wake me earlier?"
"I only woke up just over an hour go, myself," she replies through a laugh.
"Oh."
"Come on, I'll make you a coffee while you get dressed," she says, smiling kindly at me before climbing off my bed.
"What time are we going to Edward's?" I ask.
"Probably after you get dressed and we have some brunch."
"Okay, cool," I reply as I climb out of bed. "I'll be out in a minute," I add as she walks out of my room.
As I get dressed, I think about everything that happened yesterday. The graduation ceremony was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The school held it out on the school oval, with decorations in our school colours and everything. I was so proud of Rose getting Valedictorian. Everyone was in complete shock when the principal announced it. Well, except for Emmett. He sees a completely different side to her that everyone else doesn't and he loves her and believes in her so much that I don't think anything about her would ever surprise him.
When Edward told Rose he was proud of her and that he loves her no matter what, I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. It was such a heartfelt, beautiful moment and I'm glad I was able to witness it. When we all arrived back to the house, we discussed with Rose, Emmett and Jasper what they're going to do now that they've finished school. Tanya asked them what colleges they've applied for and what they want to study when they go there.
The thought of those three leaving for college saddens me so much. I'm going to miss them beyond words that can even explain. Rose turned the subject back onto me, Edward, Jess and Alice, asking us what colleges we're thinking of applying to for next year. The whole thought of leaving for college absolutely terrifies me. I don't want to leave; I want to stay close to everyone. These guys are my family now, I don't ever want to be away from them.
When I said I actually thought about going to California for college — because I want to be close to Kate, Garrett, Felix and Alec again — I was so scared of Edward's reaction. But he surprised me once again, saying California sounds perfect and he'd love to go to college there. That made me feel bad, though. As much as I want to be with him forever, I don't want him to settle for the college I choose just so he can stay with me.
Alice mentioned we should have my welcome home party tomorrow night, even though I've nearly been back for a month already. She said she's got it all covered and already got the invitation list organized as well. She wouldn't tell me who she's invited, though. Tanya said she knows who's invited but when I asked her when we got in the car, she said she doesn't know the whole list and the names she heard are people I know from school. I don't know if she was telling the truth, or just saying that because she's afraid of what Alice will do to her.
I laugh to myself as I walk out into the kitchen to meet Tanya. She turns around and quirks her brow.
"What's so funny?" she asks, placing my cup of coffee on the kitchen island as I sit down on one of the stools.
"Just picturing Alice attacking you if you told me who was invited tonight."
"I'm not afraid of that little pixie," she scoffs.
"You should be."
"Is that right?"
"Yep," I reply, folding my arms on top of the island. "I wouldn't wanna piss her off."
"I'm sorry, but who's the nearly twenty year old here?"
"What? When's your birthday?" I exclaim.
"In a few weeks."
"This March?" I ask incredulously. "Why have you never told me when your birthday is?"
"Because it doesn't matter."
"It does so matter! What day is it?"
"The eighteenth," she replies. "Why?" she asks skeptically.
"So I know when it is and don't forget."
"You're not gonna plan any surprises are you?" she asks hesitantly.
"Maybe."
"Bella," she wines. "Please don't."
"Why?" I pout. "We have to at least have a dinner or something."
"Fine," she says, sighing heavily.
"I can't believe I never knew when your birthday was," I mumble.
"Seriously, it's fine. It's my fault anyway. I didn't even think to mention it."
"I guess I know what you mean," I reply, taking a sip of my coffee. "I always try to avoid my birthday like the plague."
"Or any kind of celebration that involves you."
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Anyway," she says, "Are you ready to head off?" she asks.
"Yeah, just let me brush my teeth," I reply, drinking the rest of my coffee, placing my mug in the sink and running down the hall to the bathroom. I brush my teeth quickly and rinse my mouth with water before heading back into the lounge room.
"Let's go," she says, grabbing her keys off the counter and walking out the front door.
When we arrive at the Cullen's, Alice is waiting out on the front steps for us.
"Finally!" she exclaims, running down the stairs as we hop out of the car.
"Calm down, Alice, it's only after one," says Tanya.
"I told you to have her here at twelve."
"She was really tired, okay? I let her sleep in."
"Why didn't you drag her out as soon as she woke up?"
"Because if she did that," I say, giving Alice a stern look. "I wouldn't have had my morning coffee, and I would have been in a foul mood and difficult to handle."
"Fine," Alice replies, sighing heavily before turning her back on us and running back up the stairs. I glance at Tanya and she rolls her eyes before we follow after Alice.
When we walk through the front door and head into the living room, Emmett is rearranging furniture, Jasper is hanging streamers, Rose is blowing up balloons and Alice is rushing around, putting flowers in vases. She looks up at us as we enter the room and smiles kindly before heading over to Rose, then Jasper and walking back over to us.
"Here," she says, shoving a bunch of streamers and balloons in mine and Tanya's hands. "You guys can help with this."
"Where do you want everything?" I ask.
"Just blow the balloons up and leave them on the floor, I'll pick a few up and place them around the house and outside."
"What about the rest of the balloons?" I ask confused.
"They'll just be left on the floor."
"Won't they pop?"
"No, Bella," Alice says through a laugh before looking at Tanya. "Tanya, if you could just head over to Jazz and ask him how the streamers have to be hung and where, that'd be great," she adds kindly.
"Sure thing, boss," Tanya jokes, grinning at Alice before walking over to Jasper.
"Am I just blowing up balloons?" I ask.
"I'm sure there's something else in the house you can blow," Emmett snickers. I glance over at him and narrow my eyes.
"Emmett," Rose says sternly.
"Aw, don't worry, baby. You can do some blowin' later too," says Emmett, winking at her. I glance over at Rose to see her picking up a role of sticky tape and pegging it at him. She does it so fast that he doesn't see it coming and it hits him in the arm.
"Owe! Rose!" he shouts, rubbing his arm.
"Well," she scoffs. "Don't be such a filthy pig," she scolds.
"Guys, cut it out!" Alice shouts.
"Whoa. Calm down, tiger," Rose says.
"Rosalie," Alice says in a tone I've never heard before. "Do not test me."
"Sorry," Rose mumbles before turning her back on us and continuing to blow up balloons.
"Anyway," says Alice. "I didn't invite many people, because I knew you wouldn't be comfortable with a lot of people coming."
"Thanks, Alice," I say gratefully.
"I sent out an email and text to the people who are invited."
"Oh, god," I groan. "It's not gonna get around is it?"
"The people invited aren't like that," she assures.
"You did invite people I know, right?" I ask hesitantly.
"Of course!" she responds, laughing lightly. "Do you want to start decorating the staircase?"
"Yeah, sure," I reply, smiling kindly at her. "Wait, what do you want me to do?"
"Just wrap the streamers around the banisters in a diagonal motion. Then tie two balloons together and put them on each side of the bottom of the staircase, then just tie a few more balloons on top of the handrail."
"Right," I murmur.
"You'll be fine," she says, laughing lightly and smiling at me before pushing me lightly on the back in the direction of the staircase.
I start at the top of the staircase where it winds around to the right that leads up another level. I don't think anyone is allowed to be upstairs, so I don't bother decorating that part of the staircase. I make my way down the stairs, blowing up the balloons and tying them to the handrail before wrapping the rest of the streamers around the banister as I continue to make my way down the stairs. When I've finished the right side, I climb my way back upstairs and repeat the notion with the left side. Once I've finished and I'm tying the conjoined balloons around the front balusters, I hear the top stair squeak. I glance up to see Edward watching me. He smirks before continuing his way down the stairs.
"Hey, beautiful."
"Hey," I reply, grinning at him when he reaches the floor and stands in front of me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Alice got you working hard, huh?"
"She sure is," I reply, leaning against the staircase. "Why aren't you helping?" I ask, quirking my brow.
"I was helping."
"Oh, yeah? Doing what?" I ask.
"It's secret," he replies, winking at me. I screw my nose up before folding my arms across my chest.
"You know I hate surprises."
"You won't hate this one," he says confidently, closing the distance between us, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me closer to him. I stand on my toes as I lean up and wrap my arms around his neck, keeping my eyes locked with his.
"Is that so?"
"Mm-hmm," he replies, smirking at me before leaning down and pressing his mouth to mine.
I smile against his lips before kissing him back and running my hands into his hair to pull him closer. He runs his hands down my back, over my ass and under my thighs before lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his hips as he carries me in his arms, walking backwards before turning around and placing me down on the dining room table. He breaks away and leans forward, planting soft kisses along my neck. His hands rush into my hair as I tilt my head to give him easier access. I run my hands down his chest, running my hands under his shirt and around his waist to his back. My palms flat against his back as I pull him closer to me.
I hear the footsteps of Alice approaching but I don't pull away.
"What is going on?" she demands. "Edward, you can't just come downstairs and start distracting her!" she adds, but we still don't acknowledge her. "Did you even finish doing what I asked you to do?" she asks. "Edward!" she shouts frantically.
Edward lets out a heavy sigh before pulling away and glancing over at her. "Yes, I finished. Everything is set, so calm down," he says soothingly.
"What's set?" I ask suspiciously.
"Nothing, get back to work," she snaps.
"Alice, don't be so harsh," Edward scolds her. "It's her party."
"Right. Sorry," she mumbles. "Thanks for doing the staircase, Bella. It looks great," she says kindly, smiling at me before walking away.
As soon as she's out of the room, Edward turns around and connects his lips to mine again. My lips part for him, and his tongue darts inside my mouth. I let out a moan as our tongues connect, running my hands up his chest before wrapping them around his neck again. He places his index finger under my chin, tilting it back so he can deepen the kiss. I sit up straighter until my chest is flush against his.
He pulls away and cups my face in his hands. "You wanna head upstairs?" he asks.
"What?" I ask shocked.
"Do you want to go upstairs…" he says slowly, sounding a little confused.
"Really? Are you sure?" When a look of confusion covers his face, I become a little confused myself. "Wait, what for?"
"To pick out the music," he says, quirking his brow.
"So, I mean, have you changed your mind?" I ask softly, climbing off the table and entwining my hand with his.
His eyes widen in shock as he finally understands what I thought he meant. "No, Bella," he says, laughing lightly.
"Oh," I say disappointedly, pouting my lips.
He laughs, smiling at me before pulling me over to him. "You sound disappointed, baby," he says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with his free hand.
"Well, yeah," I mumble, shrugging my shoulders.
"You're so adorable," he says, lifting my chin up with his thumb.
"Am not," I murmur, embarrassed.
"All in good time, baby," he says, winking at me before leaning down and kissing me softly on the lips. "Come on," he adds, walking a head of me and pulling me by our entwined hands.
"Fineee," I groan, taking heavy steps as I follow after him.
"How much music do we need, anyway?" I ask mere minutes later.
"As much as you want."
"Okay, and what kind?"
"Babe, it's your party."
"Yeah, but I can't just have music that I like."
"Why not?"
"Because not everyone likes the same stuff," I say. "Can't you just pick the music for me?" I complain.
"Just pick a variety then," he says through a laugh. "Here, put the CDs in there," he adds, placing a cardboard box on the desk in front of me and kissing me on the cheek before walking away again.
I turn around, leaning back against his desk and watch him as he sits on his leather couch and fumbles around with his laptop.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Stuff," he says, glancing up and smirking at me.
"Like?" I ask, quirking my brow.
"Stuff you're not allowed to know about."
"Ugh, more surprises?" I groan.
"Yep."
"You suck."
"You love me."
"Unfortunately," I mumble, folding my arms across my chest.
"What was that?" he asks, closing his laptop and stalking his way towards me.
"Nothing," I reply, pursing my lips.
"Are you sure?"
"Mhm," I bite my bottom lip, trying to keep myself from laughing.
"I don't think you mind being in love with me," he says, closing the distance between us and running his hands into my hair.
"I guess it's not that bad," I reply, wrapping my arms around his waist and grinning up at him.
"Thought so," he says, his face hovering just inches in front of mine. I smile against his lips when his mouth connects with mine. He kisses me slowly, every movement filled with love and adoration, causing my smile to morph into a grin. He pulls away and returns the gesture, kissing me softly on the temple.
"Come on, let's head back downstairs," he says, picking up the box with the CDs, placing it under his right arm and entwining his left hand with mine before leading us out of his room.
Edward kisses me on the cheek before leaving me and heading into the living room to help set up the stereo system with Emmett. When I walk into the kitchen, Esme is working hard, cooking a bunch of meals.
She looks up, smiling kindly at me as I enter.
"Esme, you really didn't have to do this."
"Oh, I don't mind."
"No, I know. But if Alice is telling the truth when she says it's a small party, then we probably won't need so much food."
"It's really no problem at all, Bella."
"Okay. Well, do you need any help?" I ask kindly.
"That'd be great, honey. Thanks," she replies gratefully.
"What do you need me to do?"
"If you could just chop up the vegetables for the quiche and then maybe organize the appetizer platter, that'd be really helpful," she says, as she rushes around the kitchen.
"No problem," I reply, smiling affectionately at her.
"So, are you excited about tonight?" she asks sweetly.
"I'm not really the partying type," I reply hesitantly, causing her to glance at me. "Every time I've been at a party, it didn't end very well," I add, smiling sheepishly.
"Are you referring to Thanksgiving?" she asks softly.
"And Jake's party," I murmur.
"Bella, that's all in the past."
"I know," I reply, shrugging my shoulders. "But it doesn't change the fact that it's true. Some form of drama always seems to find me."
"None of the people coming tonight will cause any drama, sweetheart," she assures me. "And besides, Alice won't let anything or anyone ruin your night."
"That, I can believe," I reply, laughing lightly.
"She cares about you a great deal, that girl."
"I know. I care about her too; she's my best friend," I say. "So is Rose," I add softly.
"You're apart of our family now, Bella, I hope you know that," she says sincerely.
"I do," I reply quietly, smiling tenderly at her.
"Good," she says, closing the distance between us and embracing me in a hug.
"Thanks for everything, Esme," I whisper as I hug her back. "You've become like the mom I lost."
"Oh, honey," her voice breaks with emotion. When she pulls out of the embrace, she has tears in her eyes. I smile apologetically at her as she wipes at her eyes. "I'll always be here whenever you need anything, Bella, no mater what."
"Thank you," I reply softly, my eyes stinging as the tears begin to well up in my eyes.
"Oh, don't cry, sweetie. I'm sorry."
"No, its okay," I reply, smiling reassuringly at her.
"You have such a beautiful soul. Edward is very lucky to have you."
"I don't know about that," I murmur. "I think I'm the lucky one," I add honestly.
"Bell-aaaaa," Alice calls in a sing song voice as she enters the kitchen.
"Sorry, Mom, but we're stealing Bella away to get ready," says Rosalie.
"What?" I ask confused. "What's the time?"
"It's after three," Tanya says.
"Already?" I ask shocked.
"Time flies when you're having fun!" Alice exclaims, kissing Esme on the cheek before walking over to me and entwining her arm through mine. "Come on," she says, leading me out of the kitchen.
I turn my head and smile apologetically at Esme, as Rosalie and Tanya both give her a kiss on the cheek and follow Alice and I. Edward is leaning against the wall next to the front door when we walk out of the kitchen. He smirks knowingly at me before kicking himself off the wall with his foot and making his way over to us.
Alice lets out a heavy sigh before rolling her eyes. "Make it quick," she says, giving Edward a knowing look before walking out the front door. Rosalie follows after her, and Tanya lingers on the front steps to wait for me.
"You going to get ready?" Edward asks, wrapping is arms around my waist.
"Apparently."
"You don't sound very happy about that."
"I'm not too fond of playing Bella Barbie."
He laughs lightly and smiles affectionately at me. "I know, but try and enjoy tonight okay, baby? Alice has gone to a lot of trouble. This is kind of her way of saying thank you for coming back."
"I didn't think of it that way," I murmur.
"You better go get ready before Alice comes back in here and releases her wrath on me."
"Okay," I say through a laugh, standing on my toes to lean up and peck him softly on the lips.
"I'll see you later," he says, pulling away and kissing me lightly on the cheek. I grin at him before turning and walking away.
Tanya is still waiting for me when I walk out the front door.
"Hey, you ready?" she asks.
"HURRY UP!" Alice shouts from the car.
"Shut up, we're coming!" Tanya shouts back as we make our way down the stairs.
I laugh lightly to myself as we climb inside the car and Alice and Tanya continue to bicker back and forth.
We've been in my room for nearly two hours, trying to find something for me to wear to the party. Every time I hold something up for Alice, she scrunches up her nose and shakes her head before leaping into a rant about why it's not the right dress for tonight.
I let out a heavy sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose before turning around to face her.
"Why do I even have to dress up if it's just a small party?" I complain.
"Because you're the guest of honor," Alice says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"You have to look amazing," Rose adds.
"She should be allowed to wear whatever she wants, but okay," Tanya mumbles.
"I heard that," Alice says, letting out a heavy sigh. "Bella, you can wear whatever you want."
"Just as long as you approve, right?" I ask.
"Exactly," Alice responds, smiling innocently.
"Fine," I huff, turning my back on them to search through my closet once again. I find a blue and black printed mini-dress that I've never worn before. I search the bottom of my closet until I find my black, open foot ankle boots to go with it.
"What about this?" I ask, holding the dress and shoes up for Alice.
"Yes!" she exclaims. "That's perfect."
"Thank god," I say gratefully, placing the dress and shoes on my bed.
"Okay, well you get changed and I'll go set up the make-up on the kitchen island," Alice says as she makes her way out of my room.
"Don't worry, I'll make her keep your make-up light and simple," Rose assures me.
"Thanks, Rose, are you gonna do my hair?"
"Do you want me to?"
"I wasn't thinking anything big, just out with a few curls?" I question.
"Yeah, I can do that. We can pin a few of the strands from the front back as well, if you want?"
"Sounds good," I tell her, smiling kindly. She returns the gesture before heading out of my room as well.
"Alright, well I'm gonna go get ready too," Tanya says, making her way to my door.
"What are you wearing?"
"Just an off the shoulder, teal mini-dress with a thin chain belt."
"Oh, that one you bought in Cali?"
"That's the one," she replies, smiling brightly at me before turning around and closing the door behind her as she leaves the room.
I head into my bathroom to have a quick shower. I squirt my strawberry body lotion onto the loofa and begin washing my body. I scrub my legs and lather them up with soap before turning the faucet off while I shave my legs. When I'm done in the shower, I dry myself quickly, wrap the towel around me and walk over to sit down on my bed. I grab my moisturizer off my bedside table and apply it to my legs before getting dressed.
I pick my shoes up off my bed and carry them as I make my way down the hall and into the living room. Alice has a few make-up products scattered on the kitchen island. It's a lot less than I was expecting.
"Your dress is really nice so I'm just gonna keep your make-up light," Alice says, smiling brightly at me.
When I glance over at Rosalie, she gives me a knowing wink. I smile thankfully at her before sitting on the stool in front of Alice. She begins to fumble around with the different products, picking up a round, chunky cylinder that has powder in it. She opens it, dips the brush into the container and dabs the brush onto the back of her hand before applying it to my face. I close my eyes as she moves the brush in a circular motion, the brush is so soft on my skin I'm afraid of falling asleep.
Once Alice is done with the powder, she tells me to open my eyes. She applies eyeliner, a black and grey eye-shadow and white shiny, glittering kind of eye shadow in the corner and under my eyes before using the eyelash curler and putting on the mascara. When she's done with my eyes, she pulls out a blush kit, with all different shades of pink, red and brown. She dabs the blush brush onto the colour that's cross between red and a light brown.
"Make fish lips," she says, holding the brush in front of my face.
"What?" I ask confused.
"Suck your cheek in until you look like a fish, it applies the blush better."
"Oh," I mumble, obeying her command.
She places the brush at my temple, turning it in a circular motion as she makes her way down my cheek bones. She picks up three lipsticks, a white one, a bright red one, and a lighter red one. She takes the white one and holds it to my lips. I quirk my brow at her in confusion and purse my lips.
"It's just the undercoat, Bella. It'll keep the lipstick on all night," she assures me. I roll my eyes before opening my mouth as wide as it will go. She applies undercoat lipstick, before choosing the lighter red – thank god, because I really don't want to look like a clown – and applying it on top.
"Okay, you're done," she says cheerfully.
"Really?" I ask, shocked.
"Yep, that's it. I told you I was keeping it light."
"Oh, okay then."
"Do you still want me to do your hair?" asks Rosalie from the couch.
"Please," I say, hopping off the stool and walking over to her. I sit down on the floor, my back resting against her legs.
"So, just a few curls and a bit pinned back?" she asks.
"Yeah, if that's okay?" I question.
"Sounds good," she replies.
Rosalie takes small strands of my hair, curling them and straightening them. I close my eyes as her hands work through my hair. Rosalie should be a hairdresser; she's got such gentle hands and certainly knows how to handle hair properly. When she's done curling and straightening, she runs her fingers through my hair to make sure it all meshes together properly. She grabs the front parts of my hair, braids it and then pins it at the side of my head, curling the hair that's left over from the braid.
"Okay, done," she says picking up a mirror from the coffee table and holding it in front of her. I turn around to face her, my eyes going wide at the reflection in front of me.
"Do you like it?" she asks uncertainly.
"I love it, Rose, thanks," I reply, smiling up at her. "My hair has never looked as good as this before."
"You have really nice hair."
"Not as nice as yours. It's so long and beautiful."
"So is yours," she insists, laughing lightly.
"What do you think of your make-up?" Alice asks as she makes her way over to us.
I glance back at my reflection, the corners of my mouth turning up into a smile. Alice has a gift when it comes to doing people's make-up. She kept it light, but she still made sure to accentuate my eyes and cheekbones.
"It's perfect, thank you," I say, standing up and embracing her in a hug.
She entwines her arms around my waist. "You're welcome," she says softly, squeezing me lightly before releasing me.
"Guy's, it's after six. Are we heading off now, or?" Tanya says as she walks into the living room.
"Whoa. You look great," I tell her.
"Not as good as you," she says sincerely. "You're one hot little minx!"
"Thanks," I reply, shaking my head in amusement. "But seriously, you look really nice, Tan."
"Thanks, Bella," she says appreciatively, grinning at me.
It's six thirty PM by the time we get back to the Cullen house. I ask Alice what time the party starts and nearly freak out when she says it started at six o'clock.
"It's your party, Bella, you're meant to be fashionably late," she insists, rolling her eyes.
"Ten or fifteen minutes, maybe, but half an hour, Alice?" I ask incredulously. "I don't think it works that way,"
"It's a welcome home party. You have to arrive after everyone else," says Rose.
When I walk through the doors with the girls,everyone cheers and shouts 'welcome home Bella'. I cover my face with my hands in embarrassment. When I uncover my face, I glance around the room to see a lot of familiar faces. Angela, Sarah, Chelsea, Bianca and Ben from school. Jake, Embry, Seth and Leah from the reservation.
When I scan the rest of the room my eyes finally meet Edward's. He's leaning up against the kitchen archway, his eyes widening for a second as he takes in my appearance. His eyes roam up and down my body until meeting my eyes again. His infamous smirk makes itself known as he makes his way over to me. I wrap my arms around his neck as he winds his arms around my waist.
"You look beautiful," he whispers, dipping his head down to kiss me softly.
"Thanks," I murmur against his lips, a grin forming on my face when he pulls away.
"I don't think I'm going to see much of you tonight."
"Why would you think that?"
"You have a lot of mingling to do."
"You can do it with me," I reply softly, shrugging my shoulders and glancing up at him through my lashes.
"You have some catching up to do with a few people."
"What are you talking about?" I ask confused.
"You'll see," he says mischievously.
"What aren't you telling me?" I ask suspiciously.
He shakes his head in amusement and laughs lightly to himself. "Come on, lets go say hi to everyone," he says, entwining his hand with mine and leading me over to Angela, Sarah, Chelsea and Bianca. They smile politely at me as we make our way over to them.
"Hey, guys, thanks for coming," I say kindly, returning their smiles.
"Oh, that's okay. Thanks for inviting us," says Angela.
"I didn't even know who was coming, to be honest," I reply.
"Oh, was it a surprise party?" Bianca asks.
"You could say that," I reply.
"Everything looks so beautiful," says Chelsea.
"Alice has gone all out on you, you're so lucky to have her as a friend," adds Sarah.
"Alice is everybody's friend," Edward says, causing the girls to laugh lightly.
"She sure is an extremely happy person," says Angela.
"That she is," I agree, grinning at her. She returns the gesture before taking a sip of her drink.
"I love you dress, Bella," Chelsea says,
"Where did you get it?" Bianca asks.
"Oh," I say shocked. "I got it when I was in California."
"It looks so good on you," Sarah says.
"It's not that great," I murmur embarrassed.
"When will you see yourself clearly?" Edward asks. "You're beautiful," he adds, kissing me on the cheek before wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder.
"That is so sweet," Angela says sincerely.
"So sweet," Bianca says, her voice breaking with emotion. "I'm sorry, I need to use the bathroom," she adds before abruptly walking away.
"She just broke up with her boyfriend," Chelsea explains.
"Oh, that's horrible," I say sadly.
"I should go check on her," Sarah says, smiling politely at us before running after Bianca.
"I hope I can find someone who will love me as much as you love Bella," says Angela.
"You'll find someone, Ang," Edward assures her, smiling graciously at her.
"I hope so," she says through a sigh.
"What about Ben?" I ask.
"What?" Angela asks confused.
"Oh my god, I totally forgot about Ben! Yes, he has the biggest crush on you!" Chelsea says excitedly, grinning at Angela.
"Really?" Angela asks hesitantly.
"I always see him staring at you," Edward says.
"Yeah, he always looks like he wants to go up and talk to you, but then he just lets out a sigh and slumps down in his seat," I say.
"He's here tonight, you should talk to him," Edward encourages.
"You think so?" she asks uncertainly.
"Totally," says Chelsea. "Come on, let's go. I'll be your wing-woman," she adds excitedly, entwining her arm through Angela's and dragging her away.
"Bye, guys," I say as they walk away. Angela turns her head and smiles politely at me, giving me a small wave goodbye.
I turn around in Edward's arms and tilt my head back to look up at him. He smiles devilishly at me before leaning down and placing his mouth against mine. I smile against his lips, running my hands up his chest and around his neck. Someone clears their throat, causing me to tersely pull away from Edward. When I turn around, I see Jacob standing in front of us with a smirk on his face.
"Oh, it's just you," I say flippantly.
"Well, It's nice to see you, too," he replies.
"Hey, man," Edward says, extending his hand out to Jake. Jake takes it and pulls Edward into a hug before releasing him. I laugh lightly, shaking my head in amusement before closing the distance between us and embracing him in a hug.
"How are you?" I ask sincerely.
"Yeah, good," he says nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey, Bella! Edward," Seth says enthusiastically, Leah and Embry flanking him.
"Hey Seth, thanks for coming," I reply. "Same goes for you guys," I add, smiling kindly at them.
"No problem, Bells," says Leah. "Hey what's Forks High like? I'm thinking of transferring there because the Res is just so…"
"Boring?" asks Seth.
"Small?" questions Embry.
"Lack of man candy?" Jake jokes.
"Funny," Leah replies sarcastically. "I was thinking more along the lines of lonely. I've got hardly any friends there."
"Maybe if you weren't such a bitch to everyone–"
"And didn't make out with everyone's boyfriends," Jake says, cutting Seth off.
"Hey! That's not true!" she exclaims.
"Yes it is," Jake insists, his body shaking with laughter.
"Jake, don't be rude," I scold him.
"You are such a prick!" Leah says, punching Jake in the arm and actually making him wince from the blow. He rubs the spot where she hit him and narrows his eyes at her.
"You have friends at the Res, Lee-lee," says Embry.
"Only you guys," she mumbles.
"Forks High isn't that great, but if you do transfer, you're more than welcome to hang out with us," I assure her.
"Thanks, Bella," she says, smiling appreciatively at me. "See! I'm not a bitch," she adds, glaring at Seth.
"Yet," he responds, laughing along with Jake.
"Seth, leave her alone," Embry says seriously, wrapping his arm around Leah's shoulders and pulling her into him. She wraps her arms around his waist and smiles up at him.
I glance up at Edward and quirk my brow at him, his mouth turns up into a smirk, confirming my suspicions that Embry and Leah both have a thing for each other.
"Anyway, how are things with you and Billy?" I ask Jake.
"We're starting to sort a few things out, I guess."
"That's good. I hate that you're fighting because of me."
"Don't start that again, Bella," he says exasperatedly.
"Well, it's true!"
"It's not because of you, it's because he's an idiot who can't see that what Charlie did was wrong," he says seriously.
"Right," I murmur.
"What did Charlie do?" Seth asks confused.
"Nothing," says Embry quickly.
"It doesn't sound like nothing," says Seth.
"And it doesn't concern you," Leah says sternly.
"Why not?" he asks.
"Just drop it, mate," Embry says.
"None of you tell me anything!" Seth complains.
"Seth, just shut up!" Leah shouts at her little brother.
"Leah, calm down. I don't want any negativity tonight," Edward says, wrapping his arms around my chest and entwining his hands with mine.
Leah glances at Jake and gives him a pointed look.
"Come on, buddy. Let's go grab some food," Jake says to Seth, smiling apologetically at me before pulling Seth away by his arm.
"I need some air," Leah says through a sigh. "I'll see you later, guys."
"I'll come with you," Embry says eagerly.
"Okay," she says softly, smiling tenderly at him before turning and walking away.
"I think we need to get them two together," I tell Edward.
"I didn't know you were into match making," he teases.
"Well, I want everyone to be as happy as I am."
"What did I do to deserve you?" he asks, cocking his head to the side and smiling.
"I ask myself the same question about you every day," I reply, retuning his smile.
"I love you."
"I love you too," I reply quietly, smiling softly as he leans forward and kisses me on the lips.
"Bellaaaa!" Alice exclaims in her sing song voice, interrupting our moment. "I have some special guests here to see you," she adds excitedly as she skips over to us.
"Wha–"
"Don't question. Just come," she insists, cutting me off, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from Edward. When I reach out behind me to grab a hold of him, he entwines his hand with mine and tags along beside me as Alice leads us to the front door.
"Alice, what is this about?" I complain.
"Wait right here," she says before running down the stairs and pulling her phone up to her ear and spinning around to look up at us. "Edward, cover her eyes," she shouts.
I feel Edward close the distance between us until his chest is flush against my back. He covers my eyes with his hands and kisses me softly on the cheek.
"What is going on?" I ask incredulously.
"Are they here yet?" Rosalie asks as she steps outside.
"Not yet," Edward replies.
"Don't give anything away!" Alice scolds.
"It's not like she knows who we're talking about," Emmett says.
"Where are Jess and Tanya?" I ask curiously.
"Inside," says Rosalie.
"It's a surprise for Ta-"
"Shut up!" Alice exclaims, cutting Emmett off.
"Babe, calm down," Jasper says soothingly.
The sound of a very old, yet familiar puttering Chevy Truck catches my attention. My breath catches in my throat as the surprise hits me and my mind races through all the possibilities of why I'm hearing the sound of my old truck.
"Is that?" I ask breathlessly, my hand flying to my mouth.
"I think she knows now, Alice, you can hear that beast from a mile away," Emmett complains.
The puttering sound increases as it makes its way closer. I swallow the lump that's formed in my throat and try to keep my breathing under control.
"Finally," Rosalie mutters, causing my impatience to increase.
"Okay, uncover her eyes now," Alice says excitedly.
"Are you ready?" Edward whispers in my ear.
"Yes, just let me see what on earth is going on," I complain, causing him to chuckle lightly as he removes his hands from my eyes.
The corners of my mouth turn up into a grin when I see my old Chevy Truck pulling up into the Cullen's driveway.
"You got me my truck back?" I exclaim, spinning around to face everyone, a grin still plastered on my face as I turn back around to face Alice.
"Not just that," she says excitedly. "Come down here," she adds.
I make my way down the stairs and stop halfway when I take notice of the people inside the truck. Garrett climbs out of the drivers side, a huge grin on his face as his eyes meet mine.
"This is your welcome home present," Alice says softly.
I stand frozen to the spot, blinking profusely, trying to wake myself up from this dream I'm surely witnessing.
"Gazza?" I exclaim questioningly, snapping out of my stupor and running the rest of the way down the stairs.
"Hey, Bells," he greets me kindly, opening his arms as I fling myself at him. He wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground and spinning me around as I throw my arms around his neck.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I ask hysterically.
"It was a surprise," he replies, placing me back down on the ground. I keep my arms locked around his neck as tears begin to well up in my eyes and sobs rock my body.
"Hey, why are you crying?" he asks alarmed, pulling away to look at me.
"I've missed you so much," I whisper.
"I missed you too, little sister," he says, smiling softly at me. He cups my face in his hands and wipes the tears away with his thumbs before planting a kiss on my forehead. "You have some more people to see, little one."
I turn around as Kate makes her way over to me. A grin forms on her face as I close the distance between us and envelop her in my arms.
"Hey, Katie."
"Hey, beautiful, how are you?" she asks softly, kissing me on the cheek.
"I'm good."
"Are you happy?" she asks sincerely.
"Yeah, I am," I reply, smiling sheepishly.
"Bellarina, my beautiful girl, come give me some love!" Alec says as he makes his way over to us.
"Ugh. You know I hate that name," I mumble.
"That's why I keep calling you it, sugar," he replies, wrapping his arms around my neck and squeezing me tightly. I giggle softly as I wrap my arms around his waist and return his hug.
"Jess, why are you dragging me outside?" Tanya whines. I glance up at the house to see Jessica pulling Tanya through the door.
"Because there's a surprise here for you."
"What are you talking about?" she complains. "Oh. Hey, Rose, Emmett, Jasper… Why is everyone outsi–" she cuts herself off when she glances down the stairs and notices her old friends.
A grin forms on my face when her eyes lock with mine and within the next second she's running down the stairs and flinging herself at Garrett, tears streaming down her face, laughing and crying hysterically. When I glance around me, I notice that Felix has disappeared. I meet Alec's eyes and quirk my brow.
"Where's Felix gone?" I whisper, the tone of my voice filled with confusion.
"He's hiding," he replies, laughing lightly. "I think he's gonna sneak up on her," he adds, inclining his head to the side. I look in that direction to see Felix walking up behind Tanya as she hugs Kate. When she pulls out of the embrace, Felix covers her eyes with his hands.
"What the?" she says confused, spinning around abruptly, her eyes going wide as she takes in his presence. "Felix!" she exclaims, jumping on top of him, flinging her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his hips.
He wraps his arms around her waist and holds her close to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck. They have a hushed conversation I can't hear from where I'm standing. I glance over at Jessica to see her expression is filled with bewilderment and confusion. I look back over at Tanya and Felix, suddenly realizing what Jessica may be thinking. To someone who hasn't witnessed the relationship Felix and Tanya share, they'd think there was something more than friendship going on between them. Tanya unwraps herself from Felix, but keeps her arms locked around his neck. I walk over to them and place my hand on Tanya's back.
"Hey, Felix."
"Hey, Bells. It's good to see you again," he replies as Tanya unwinds herself from him and wipes at her eyes.
"You too," I reply kindly. "Tanya, I think you're forgetting to introduce someone," I add softly, glancing over at Jessica.
"Oh, Jesus," she mumbles, her eyes going wide as she realizes what Jessica just witnessed. She runs over to Jessica and wraps her arms around her neck, whispering something in her ear before smiling at her.
As Tanya talks to Jessica, Edward walks over to me and pulls me into his side, kissing me softly on the cheek before entwining his hand with mine. I introduce him to Garrett, Kate, Alec and Felix. He extends his hand to Garrett and Felix and kisses Kate lightly on the cheek and smiling kindly at her. When he shakes Alec's hand, I notice he squeezes it a little harder than he did with Garrett and Felix, his eyes firm with a silent warning that I don't understand, in which the corners of Alec's mouth turns up into an amused smile. I glance up at Edward and quirk my brow. He smiles softly at me before leaning down and placing his lips behind my ear.
"You're mine," he whispers.
When he pulls away to look at me again, I roll my eyes before smiling and mouthing 'Always,' at him, which earns me a fierce kiss on the lips.
When I glance back over at Tanya and Jessica, Tanya kisses Jessica on the cheek before entwining their hands together and leading her over to where all of us stand.
"Guys, this is my beautiful girlfriend, Jess," Tanya says, smiling brightly at Jessica before looking back to Garrett, Kate, Felix and Alec.
"Hi, I've heard a lot about all of you," Jessica says shyly. "It's really nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is ours," says Kate. "We've heard a lot about you too."
"All good things I hope," Jess jokes.
"Of course," Garrett says as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Tanya hasn't said a bad word about you."
"So you're the goddess that's captured my girls heart," says Felix, a grin on his face as he looks between Tanya and Jessica.
Jessica's eyes go wide with shock for a split second before she purses her lips. "Your girl, huh?" she inquires, quirking her brow. "We'll see about that."
"Oh, she's feisty," he quips, looking at Tanya. "I bet you like that," he adds before looking back to Jessica and winking at her.
"I'm right here, I can still hear you," Jessica says, sighing heavily.
"What's wrong little one, are you worried I'm gonna steal Tanya from you?" he asks.
"No," Jessica replies confidently.
"Are you sure? I mean, she was mine first," Felix taunts.
"Bitch, I'm not a piece of property," Tanya scoffs.
"In case you haven't noticed," says Jessica curtly. "Tanya doesn't bat for your team."
"She used to," he retorts.
"What?" Jessica asks shocked.
"Felix," Tanya says through a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Leave her alone," she adds, punching him in the arm.
Felix grins at Tanya before booming with laughter and pulling Jessica into a hug. "I'm just messing with you, sweetheart," he says as he continues to laugh.
Jessica lets out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxes. "I thought I was gonna have to fight you for her," she says, laughing lightly.
"You needn't worry about me stealing Tanya from you," he assures her.
"Were you two really together, though?" Jessica asks hesitantly.
"Gross," Tanya says disgusted, screwing up her face. "Felix is like my brother,"
"We're very close," Felix adds.
"Well, let's all head back inside, shall we?" questions Jasper.
I walk back up the stairs with Kate by my side, my hand still entwined with Edward's.
"Do you like your surprise?" Alice asks as everyone heads out onto the dance floor.
"I love it," I reply, closing the distance between us and embracing her in a hug. "Thank you so much, Alice," I whisper.
"You're welcome," she replies, wrapping her arms around my waist and hugging me tightly. After pulling out of our embrace, she kisses me on the cheek before walking away.
Edward and I follow after her. Edward pulls me onto the dance floor – which he and Emmett no doubt created – smiling crookedly at me as he wraps me up in his arms. We dance together for a few songs before Garrett cuts in and asks to dance with me. I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest as we dance.
"How have you been, beautiful?" he asks. I pull away to look up at him and smile sheepishly.
"Really good, Gazza. I'm so happy," I reply, smiling brightly.
"I'm glad to hear it," He says sincerely, kissing me on the forehead. "We've missed you at the diner. Friday night's aren't the same without you."
"I'm sorry," I mumble, looking away. He places his index finger under my chin and forces me to look at him.
"Its okay, Bella," he says, laughing lightly. "You did what was best for you. Just don't be a stranger, okay?"
"I'm planning on going to college down there."
"Really?" he asks, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile.
"Yeah," I reply, returning his smile.
"That's great. Kate will love that," he says, glancing over at her. I follow his gaze to see Tanya and Kate dancing together, their arms wrapped around each other.
"How is she?" I ask guiltily.
"She misses you and Tanya terribly, but she's doing well, Bella. You don't have to worry about her."
"I can't help it, though," I murmur.
"I know," he says chuckling lightly. "Edward seems like a great man, seems to make you happy enough."
"He makes me very happy," I confess, smiling sheepishly.
"Good," he says. "Otherwise I'd have to whip him into shape," he says seriously, quirking his brow.
I roll my eyes. "You haven't said anything like that to him, have you?" I ask cautiously.
"Maybe," he says, pursing his lips.
"Garrett!" I exclaim, swatting him on the chest with the palm of my hand.
"I'm kidding," he says, his body shaking with laughter.
"Don't do that to me," I say breathlessly as he continues to laugh. I shake my head at him, the corners of my mouth turning up into a smile.
"My turn," Alec says, interrupting Garrett and I.
"I'm gonna be all danced out by the end of the night," I complain.
"Oh well," Alec says nonchalantly, grinning at me.
I let out a sigh before hugging Garrett and turning to face Alec. I place my left hand on his shoulder, entwining my right with his left. He places his hand on my waist and as we move to the music, his hand slips lower and lower down to my hip. I quirk my brow at him before grabbing his hand and moving it back up to my waist, causing him to smirk at me.
"Behave," I warn.
"I am," he says innocently.
"Do you want Edward to beat you up?"
"He seems very possessive over you,"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, he doesn't seem to like you having male friends."
"I'm friends with Jasper and Emmett."
"That aren't his brothers," he says pointedly.
"We've been through a lot, okay? I'm the same with him. He's mine and I'm his," I say flustered. "Besides, I have plenty of male friends."
"No need to get defensive," he says chuckling lightly. "And who?"
"Jake, Embry, Seth, You, Felix, Garrett, Demetri…"
"Okay, Garrett, Felix and I live in California," he says quirking his brow. "Edward doesn't seem to like me much."
"That's because you're a trouble maker."
"I am not."
"Why are you even saying this stuff to me?" I ask softly.
"Because I care about you," he says seriously.
"You don't need to worry about me. Edward treats me perfectly and he makes me happy. I love him and he loves me, okay?"
"Okay," he says, letting out a sigh. "Wait, who's Demetri?" he asks confused.
"He's a friend. I met him at a hotel when I was traveling."
"Does Edward know about him?"
"Yes," I reply, rolling my eyes.
"Where's Demetri tonight?"
"I don't know," I reply sadly.
"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asks concerned.
"I'm fine," I assure, smiling at him. He returns the gesture before glancing at Alec.
"I'm stealing my girlfriend back now," he says curtly, entwining his hand with mine and pulling me into his arms.
"I'll talk to you later, Alec. Thanks for coming," I say softly, smiling apologetically at him.
"Anytime, Bells," he replies, smiling brightly at me before turning his back on us and walking back over to Tanya, Jess and Felix.
"Dance with me?" Edward whispers in my ear as Ronan Keating's version of Time After Time begins to play.
I turn around in his arms and quirk my brow. "I can't dance."
"I can," he says confidentially.
"I may step on your toes."
"I don't care," he says, laughing lightly.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," I joke, wrapping my arms around his neck.
I keep my eyes locked with his as he pulls me close, entwines our hands and holds them up so they're resting against both of our chests. He leans down, resting his forehead against mine as he begins to sway us from side to side before moving backwards and forwards, leading us around the room. He lets go of my left hand and wraps it around me, his palm flat against my back.
He smiles crookedly at me, my eyes widening with shock, but I can't keep the grin off my face as he pushes me out away from him then pulls me back into his arms in one swift movement. My right hand stays entwined with his left, my left hand resting against his chest as he spins us around, pushing me out away from him again, but this time, spinning me around on the spot before pulling me back into his arms.
I glance around us to see everyone has created a circle for us to dance in, which causes my cheeks to flush with embarrassment. He smiles affectionately at me, removing his hand from my back and brushing my cheek with the back of his hand before twining his fingers into my hair and resting his hand at the back of my neck.
I've never felt this happy in all my life. Edward makes me feel like the most important person in the world. I'm so glad I didn't end up losing him the way I almost did. He understands me more than anyone else in the universe and I don't know what I would have done If I lost him. I love him so much and I'm so thankful for him coming into my life when he did.
I don't take my eyes off his as the speed of the song begins to pick up and when the chorus starts up again, Edward begins to sing.
"If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me. Time after time. If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting. Time after time."
He moves us around faster to match the rhythm of the beat, smiling at me so tenderly I can't stop the tears that spring into my eyes. He wipes them away before kissing both of my eyes and then my nose. I smile up at him before resting my head against his chest, letting out a content sigh and closing my eyes as he carry's on leading me around the dance floor, continuing to sing to me softly and making me feel like we're the only two people in the world.
I tilt my head up to look at him, causing him to glance down at me. He smiles affectionately at me before leaning forward, placing his lips on top of mine and kissing me softly.
"Mind if I cut in?" a very soft, familiar voice asks, pulling me back into reality. I turn around to see Demetri standing a few feet away from me with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Demetri!" I exclaim, a grin forming on my lips as I close the distance between us and embrace him in a hug. "What are you doing here?"
He wraps around my waist and squeezes me lightly. "Alice invited me."
"Of course she did," I mumble.
Edward clears his throat, snapping me out of my moment with Demetri.
"Oh, sorry," I say, stepping out of Demetri's arms and turning around to face Edward. "Demetri, this is my boyfriend, Edward."
I make my way back over to Edward and stand in front of him; he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls my back against his chest. "Edward, this is my friend, Demetri," I say, tilting my head back to look up at him. He smiles kindly, kissing me softly on the cheek before glancing at Demetri and extending his hand out to him.
"Nice to meet you," he says kindly.
"Likewise," Demetri replies, before glancing back at me. "So, I see you got your man back," he adds, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile.
"Yeah," I reply sheepishly. "I did." As I place my arms on top of Edward's, he entwines our hands together and rests his chin on my shoulder.
"So, you wanna dance?" Demetri asks. "If that's okay?" he questions, glancing uncertainly at Edward.
"Of course," Edward replies politely. I turn around in his arms, smiling lovingly at him and kissing him lightly on the lips before taking Demetri's hand and closing the distance between us. I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him close.
"I didn't think you were coming."
"I told you I'd come visit," he whispers, swaying us from side to side.
"You did," I reply softly.
"Are you disappointed?" he asks hesitantly.
"What?" I reply taken aback, pulling away slightly to meet his gaze. "Of course not," I whisper.
"Good," he says, his mouth turning up into a grin.
"How are you?" I ask softly. "I mean, with your parents and college stuff?"
"I caught up on my college work, so I'm all good with that now," he says, smiling softly.
"Oh, that's good. I'm glad. And Tanya will be happy to hear that."
"Mum and Dad's divorce became official a few weeks ago," he says sadly.
"I'm sorry," I say softly, pulling him closer to me.
"It's been hard not having anyone to talk to," he murmurs.
"I'm sorry. You have my number, you could have called."
"I know, I just didn't want to bother you."
"Demetri," I say sternly. "We're friends. You're allowed to call me whenever you need to talk."
"I didn't want to make your boyfriend mad."
"He's not like that, he understands."
"Does he know?" he asks quietly.
"What?" I ask confused.
"About my situation."
"He knows abut your parents, yeah," I reply sheepishly. "I hope that's okay?" I question.
"Yeah, it's fine," he murmurs. "Does he know how I feel about you?"
"He knows you were interested in me," I reply. "You said feel. Do you still feel the same?" I ask hesitantly.
"Not as strongly as before, but I still care about you a lot," he says honestly. "I know we don't really know each other that well, but we kind of just clicked when we met, you know?"
"Yeah," I reply softly, smiling kindly at him. "Thank you for coming tonight," I say sincerely.
"It's okay, I missed you."
"I missed you too; I've missed everyone so much. Where are you staying while you're here?"
"Alice said she booked three rooms at the Forks Hotel for two weeks for us."
"You guys are staying for two weeks?" I ask excitedly.
"Yeah," he replies laughing lightly.
"God, Alice is the best!"
"She seems like a great friend to have."
"She really is," I reply beaming at him.
"Well, I should probably give you back to your boyfriend. I'll go find Tanya and say hi."
"Okay," I reply, glancing around the room, my brow furrowing when I can't find Edward. "I don't know where he's gone," I murmur.
"Hello, everyone?" Alice's voice questions over speakers that I didn't know were set up. "Um, Bella and Edward have something special to share with us tonight, so if you would all like to follow me into the dining room where the piano is, that'd be great."
"Oh, god," I groan, my eyes going wide as everyone follows after her.
"Come on, then," Edward says from behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and laughing as he leads me forward.
"What's going on?" I ask cautiously.
"You're gonna sing and I'm gonna play the piano and sing too."
"What?" I ask horrified, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
He leads me to the piano and sits down. I sit down next to him, and glance at everyone around the room.
"Imagine it's just us together and no one else in the room," he whispers.
"What are we singing?" I ask.
"Need You Now," he says, smiling knowingly at me.
"Okay," I reply, my voice shaking with nerves.
I take a deep breath as he presses his fingers to the keys and begins to play the melody. I glance up in shock as Jasper walks out from behind the piano, holding his guitar, clicking and strumming along with Edward.
"Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor," I sing softly,tapping my hand to the beat on my thigh. "Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't find it anymore."
"And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?" Edward and I sing in unison.
"For it me it happens all the time," I continue.
"It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now," we sing together, swaying from side to side. "Said I wouldn't call, but I lost control and I need you now,"I glance over at Edward, and smile softly at him. "And I don't know how, I can do without. I just need you now."
"Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door," Edward sings, glancing at me before continuing. "Wishing' you'd come sweeping in the way you did before."
"And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?"Edward and I repeat the bridge together.
"For it me it happens all the time," Edward continues in perfect clarity, his voice giving me goose bumps.
We repeat the second chorus, changing the pitch and tones of our voice, but making sure we synchronize together properly.
"Whoa, ohhhh," he harmonizes.
"Ohhh," I follow after him, closing my eyes as I get lost in the moment.
"I guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all," we sing together softly.
"It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now," I sing with a smile on my face.
"And I said I wouldn't call, but I'm a little drunk and I need you now," Edward continues after me, his voice rising in harmony.
"And I don't know how, I can do without. I just need you now… ow." We sing to each other, our gaze still locked together.
"Oh, baby, I need you now… oh, now," I sing the last sentence of the song as Edward plays the last lines of the melody.
I don't take my eyes off Edward's when he stops playing the piano and the room goes quiet. Everyone erupts into applause, causing Edward to smirk at me before leaning forward and kissing me lightly on the mouth. I smile against his lips before kissing him back. Someone in the crowed – who could only be Emmett or Garrett – wolf whistles at us, making my cheeks flush as I pull away.
"You have such a beautiful voice," Edward says, taking my hand in his and kissing my palm before grinning at me.
"So do you," I reply, returning his grin. "I have something I want to do for you," I say before climbing off the piano chair and walking over to Jasper.
"You know how I wanted to sing for Edward?" I ask Jasper.
"You want to do it now?" he questions.
"Yeah," I reply, smiling kindly at him. "And, well, I kind of need your guitar."
"Sure thing, sweetheart," he says, a grin on his face as he hands me his guitar.
"What are you doing?" Alice asks as she makes her way over to me.
"Singing for Edward."
"Oh do you want an announcement?" she asks cheerfully.
"Uh, I think I can just say it myself, actually," I reply through a laugh.
"Okay, here," she says, handing me the microphone. I take it from her hands before walking back over to Edward. Emmett walks over, carrying one of the kitchens stools and places it in front of me.
"Thanks, Em."
"No problem, Button."
"What's going on?" Edward asks confused.
I sit down on the stool, slinging the guitar strap over my shoulder and resting the guitar on my knee.
"Hi, um, I just want to play a song for Edward," I speak into the microphone, causing Edward to quirk his brow at me. I grin at him before speaking directly to him. "I wrote it when we first met. It's called 'Enchanted'."
Alice holds the microphone in front of me as I begin to strum the guitar, playing the first cords of the song before starting to sing.
"There I was again tonight, forcing laughter, faking smiles, same old tired, lonely place." I glance up to look at Edward, and smile softly at him. "Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy, vanished when I saw your face. All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you." He returns my smile after I sing those lines.
"Your eyes whispered, "have we met?" crossed the room your silhouette, starts to make its way to me-ee." I wink at him before looking back down at the guitar.
"The playful conversation starts, counter all your quick remarks like, passing notes in secrecy." The corners of his mouth turns up into a smirk as he no doubt remember the first time we met and how quickly we fell into a playful conversation.
"And it was enchanting to meet you. All I can say is I was enchanted to meet you…"
I click and strum the guitar a little faster as I head into the chorus. "This night is sparkling, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever, wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you-ou-ou."
"The lingering question kept me up. Two am, who do you love? I wonder till I'm wide awake." I smile softly at him before continuing."And now I'm pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door. I'd open up and you would say, 'Hey, It was enchanting to meet you'. All I know is I was enchanted to meet you…"
I extend the note of the last word, closing my eyes as I focus on my diaphragm. When I head into the chorus for the second time, I look up to see Edward's face a light with so much love and adoration I nearly stop playing. I smile at him, keeping my eyes locked with his as I head into the second chorus.
"This night is flawless, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone. I'll spend forever, wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you-ou-ou-oh."
I focus on the guitar again as I play the instrumental part of the song, swaying my body from side to side and bopping my head before beginning to sing again.
"This is me praying that, this was the very first page, not where the story line ends. My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again. These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon. I was enchanted to meet you-ou-ou-oh."
"Please don't be in love with someone e-else; please don't have somebody waiting on you." I sing the bridge softly, repeating it for a second time before singing the harmonizing parts of the song and heading into the chorus again, a smile still plastered on my face.
"This night is flawless, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone. I'll spend forever, wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you-ou-ou…"
I sing the bridge for the last time, lowering the tone of my voice until it's nearly a whisper. "Please don't be in love with someone e-else; please don't have somebody waiting on you."
I remove the strap of the guitar from my shoulder and hand it back to Jasper, smiling thankfully at him. Edward makes his way over to me, causing me to smiles brightly as I hop off the stool. When he reaches me, he wraps his arms around my waist.
"I love you so much," he says before kisses me passionately on the lips.
I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back just as fervently, causing everyone to erupt into cheers and wolf whistles. Edward and I break apart when the room suddenly goes quiet. I glance around the room as Rose walks into the room. A tall, tanned woman with brownish, auburn medium length hair that could only be my mother, follows behind her.
My breath catches in my throat, my hand flying to my mouth in shock.
"Where's Jessica?" I ask Edward quietly.
"I'm right here," she murmurs, walking up from behind me and entwining her hand with mine. "Is that really her?" she asks hopefully.
Renee steps in front of Rosalie, glancing around the room hesitantly as everyone surrounds us. I swallow the lump in my throat when her eyes finally land on me. Tears spring to her eyes as she begins to smile slowly at me.
"Bella, honey," she addresses me, her voice thick with emotion.
I can't stand being so far away from her any longer so I drop Edward's hand and run towards her, tears streaming down my face as she catches me in her arms. I wrap my arms around her, burying my face in the crook of her neck as sobs begin to rack my body.
"Oh, honey, don't cry. I'm right here," she coos, stroking her hand through my hair.
A sudden wave of rage surges through me and I pull away from her. Her eyes widening with shock as she takes in my expression.
"Where did you go?" I demand, wiping at my eyes furiously.
"Honey, calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" I shout, taking a step away from her when she reaches her hand out to me.
"I thought you wanted me to come here?" she questions sadly.
"And what, you didn't expect me to act like this? How do you think I would react?"
"Bella, it's okay," Jessica says softly, walking up to stand beside me.
"It's not okay," I reply, my voice breaking.
"You need to stop. You're making a scene," she says cautiously.
"Are you serious?" I ask incredulously, turning to face her. "Then make everyone leave!"
"I know you're upset, but this isn't the way to handle it."
"You don't know anything!"
"It hurt me when she left too, you know that," she says sadly.
"She's not your mother!" I shout.
"She was as good as!" Jess shouts back, tears welling up in her eyes. I ignore Jessica and turn back to Renee.
"You just disappeared and didn't tell any of us where you were going."
"Bella, please–"
"You abandoned me, you abandoned Jessica! I thought it was my fault that you left. I developed depression and insecurities because of you."
"I'm sorry," she says sadly.
"You fucked me up! I ended up losing Jessica and then I nearly lost the best thing that's ever happened to me because of what you did!"
"Bella," Edward says soothingly, placing his hands on my arms and pulling me into his chest. "Breathe, baby."
I turn around and close my eyes, burying my face in his chest as the sobs begin to rock my body. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly, stroking my hair and kissing me lightly on the top of my head.
"Come on, let's go somewhere more private," he says softly. I nod my head before he leads me away and up the first flight of stairs. I hear footsteps following behind us, but don't bother to look to see who it is. I don't doubt that Jessica and Renee are the ones following.
Edward sits me down on the couch and wraps his arm around my shoulders. Jasper walks over and hands me a glass of water and Rose hands me a tissue. I blow my nose unattractively before taking a sip of water. Jessica and Tanya sit down beside me and Edward.
"I'm sorry, Jess," I mumble, glancing over at her.
"It's okay," she says quietly, reaching out and taking my hand in hers. Tanya entwines Jessica's free hand with hers.
"Are you okay now?" Edward asks, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"Yeah," I reply quietly, turning my head to kiss him softly on the lips.
Esme walks into the room and makes her way over to me. She crouches down in front of me, resting her hands on my knees.
"Are you okay to see her now?" she asks softly, her eyes filled with concern.
"I-I think so, yeah," I stutter. "I guess not even Alice could keep the drama at bay, huh?" I add sadly.
"Bella, this isn't your fault," She says affectionately.
"Yes, it is," I repIy. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did." I add softly.
"Honey, you couldn't have possibly known how you would react when you saw her. Talking to someone on the phone and actually seeing them in person are two completely different things." She says. "This is not your fault, Bella Marie Swan. Do you hear me?" she adds sternly.
I glance at her, my eyes welling with tears. "Okay." I murmur.
"Carlisle and I will go inform the guests that the party is over," she says, smiling tenderly.
"Thanks, Esme," I whisper, leaning forward and wrapping my arms around her neck. She hugs me back before pulling out of the embrace and cupping my face in her hands, kissing me softly on the forehead before standing and walking out of the room.
A few minutes later, Alice walks back into the room with Renee flanking her. I lean against Edward's chest and he wraps his arms around my waist. Renee's smiles at the movement but her face quickly falls when she meets my gaze.
"Are you sure you're okay to see me, Bella?" Renee asks hesitantly.
"I'm fine now," I reply, leaning further into Edward's chest.
"You seem to calm her," she says, looking at Edward.
"She does the same for me," he replies politely, smiling softly at her.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," I say sternly.
"Sorry," Renee murmurs. "Anyway, you said you wanted to know why I left?" she questions.
"Obviously," I reply curtly.
"Bella, stop it," Edward whispers in my ear, tightening his hold on me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly before opening my eyes again.
"Yes, I would like to know why you left," I say quietly, glancing up to look at her. She smiles affectionately at me before nodding her head.
"Okay, well, I don't really know how to start–"
"Why would be a good start," I murmur, cutting her off.
"Right," she says laughing lightly. "You know that doctors appointment I had in October?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, the results for it came back a few weeks later and–"
"Results for what?" Jessica asks, cutting her off. "Oh, sorry," she murmurs, smiling apologetically at Renee.
"It's okay, sweetie," says Renee, returning Jess's smile. "The results were for whether I had Leukemia or not."
"Like, cancer?" Jessica asks shocked.
"Yes."
"And what were the results?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"They were positive," she says softly, smiling sadly at me. There's silence in the room as we all take in what she said. I stare ahead of me at nothing in particular.
"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asks concerned.
I blink a few times, shaking the shock off before meeting my mothers gaze. "You have cancer?" I ask bewildered.
"Had," she corrects, causing me to quirk my brow.
"That doesn't explain why you left," I say confused.
"I knew we wouldn't be able to afford the treatment, but there was this program where they were doing experiments and they paid for the treatment. I applied for it and got accepted. The letter came a few days before Thanksgiving."
"So, that's why you were acting weird," I state, pursing my lips.
"I didn't want to make you and Charlie move, and I didn't want you to be scared about my illness. And I know Charlie would have been a wreck–"
"So you left instead?" I ask hurt, cutting her off.
"I know I should have at least contacted you earlier or something, but I didn't want you to see me the way I was."
"What? So you thought I'd be better off with you not in my life at all? You could have died and I wouldn't have known!" I exclaim, leaning forward in my seat. Edward sits up as well, keeping his arms wrapped around me.
"I know, baby. I'm so sorry," Renee says sadly, tears forming into her eyes.
"Well, are you okay now?" Jess asks concerned.
"That's the good news, I guess. The experimental treatments have taken affect and killed all the cancer cells," she says cheerfully.
"That's good," I reply softly, causing Renee to smile brightly at me for the first time. I return her smile and she lets out a sigh of relief.
"I'm in remission, so it was kind of good timing that you wrote to me when you did," she says, laughing softly.
"Oh," I reply, shock in my voice. "If you're in remission why were you still in the centre?"
"Because I still have to go in a few days a week for check ups to make sure the cancer cells are one hundred percent gone."
"Oh, okay then," I murmur. "How long can you be here for?"
"As long as you want," she says cheerfully. "There's a hospital here, so I can transfer my check ups to there. I rang them today, actually. A Dr. Cullen answered."
"That's my dad," Edward says, smiling politely. "He'll look after you."
"Well, that's good," she responds, returning his smile. "So, you're my baby girl's boyfriend, huh?"
"Uh, Yeah."
"Mom, don't even try it," I warn.
"What? I didn't do anything," she says innocently.
"You don't need to interrogate him, he treats me perfectly. I'm happy, that's all that matters right now."
"Well, I'm glad you found someone so special, sweetheart."
"Thanks," I murmur, glancing at Jessica.
"And how are you, Jess?" Renee asks. "Have you got a boyfriend?"
I notice that Tanya's hand tightens around Jessica's, causing Jess to wince in pain. She bites her bottom lip before glancing at Tanya and then back to Renee.
"Um, actually, this is Tanya," she says awkwardly. "She's my girlfriend."
"Oh," says Renee, shock clear in her face. "Well, okay then."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tanya asks sternly.
"Nothing at all, honey, I have no aversion to homosexuals," she assures her.
"Good," Tanya replies, loosening her grip on Jessica's hand.
"Are you two happy, nobody giving you any trouble?" Renee asks.
"No, everyone has actually been really good about it," says Jessica.
"Have you told your parents?"
"Yeah," Jess says softly. "They were a little shocked at first, but they're starting to come around."
"I'm hard to dislike," Tanya quips.
"I don't doubt that for a second, young lady," Renee says, laughing lightly.
"I think I'm gonna like you," Tanya says honestly.
"Glad to hear it," Renee says, grinning at Tanya.
"You have a lot to make up for with Bella and Jess, though," Tanya says seriously.
"I know," Renee replies just as earnestly. "Okay, well, I should probably head off. We can catch up some more tomorrow if you want?"
"Are you going to see Charlie?" I ask hesitantly.
"Of course, honey."
"Okay…"
"Do you want to come?"
"Oh, I don't know. We don't really, get along too well."
"That's an understatement," Jessica murmurs.
"Come on, sweetie. I'll sort him out," she says seriously, rising from her seat. I stand up as well, Edward, Jess and Tanya doing the same.
"Do you want me to come?" Edward whispers.
"No, it's okay. I'll call you later, though?" I question.
"Of course," he replies, leaning down to kiss me on the lips.
"I love you," I whisper, wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.
"I love you too, beautiful," he says just as quietly, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me softly on the lips again before I walk away and follow Renee downstairs and out to the car.
"Um, just to warn you, he's not the same person from before you left," I say hesitantly as we make our way to my old front door.
"How do you mean?"
"Well, he drinks heavily. And he's, well, to put it nicely, he's become a very cranky person."
"You said he was horrible to you, is that true?" she asks sadly.
"Yeah."
"What did he do?"
"He said it was my fault you left, he said I screw everything up and nobody was ever going to love me, he said everyone I love will eventually leave me because I'm worthless."
"Oh, baby."
"And he hit me," I murmur, glancing at her.
"He what?" she says sternly.
"He got really drunk one night when I came home late. He started yelling at me about not cooking him dinner. I got really angry and ended up snapping at him, which caused him to yell at me some more and hit me."
"I'm going to murder him for laying a hand on you," she says angrily, stalking towards the front door.
"Mom, please don't make a confrontation, you only just came back."
"I'm not going to let him get away from hitting you!"
"You don't have to, just don't go in there screaming your head off at him. I know what he did was fucked up and wrong, but he was hurting. He still is."
"Fine," she murmurs. "And stop your swearing," she adds before taking a deep breath and knocking on the front door.
I hold my breath as I hear Charlie get up off the couch and make his way to the front door. He's rubbing his eyes when he opens the door, his hand dropping to his side as soon as he notices us.
"Renee?" he asks shocked.
"Hi, Charlie," she replies, smiling softly at him.
He glances at me, his eyes automatically filling with anger.
"Have you been keeping her from me this whole time?" he asks angrily.
"Charlie, what on earth are you talking about?" Renee asks.
"She's the reason you left. She's been keeping you from me, hasn't she?" he exclaims.
"She most certainly has not!" she says shocked. "What is wrong with you? Have you been drinking?"
"Maybe," he mumbles.
"What have you done to yourself?" she asks sadly.
"It's not my fault you just up and left with no explanation at all! Leaving me to raise Bella all on my own!"
"I was thirteen when she left, Charlie. You didn't have much raising left to do!" I shout.
"Don't talk to me like that, young lady."
"She has every right to talk to you like that," Renee says angrily. "Especially after the way you treated her after I left. You shouldn't have taken your heartache and anger out on your own daughter; you should have been comforting her and telling her everything was going to be okay! I know what I did was wrong, but I left you a note! If you didn't become a drunk, you would have ended up finding it instead of Bella!"
"Maybe if you didn't leave in the first place, none of this would have happened!" he shouts back.
"I had to leave, you imbecile!"
"Oh, yeah, and why's that?"
"Because I had cancer, you big oaf! I had to move away to get treatment and I didn't want to uproot you and Bella, let alone let you two see me ill!"
"Guys, stop it!" I plead, stepping in between them.
"You had cancer?" he asks shocked.
"Yes," she says softly.
"Oh, god," he groans, his voice breaking with emotion and his eyes welling with tears. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine now," she replies, her voice barely audible. "How could you treat our daughter the way you did, Charlie? I've never been so angry and disappointed with you so much in my life."
He glances at me, his eyes filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry, baby," he whispers, the tone of his voice sincere towards me for the first time since Renee left.
"It's not that simple," I murmur, my voice filled with sadness and my eyes welling with tears.
"I'll make everything right, I promise."
"Your promises don't really mean much to me anymore, Charlie," I reply honestly.
"I know," he says apologetically, extending his hand out towards my face, causing me to flinch away from him. His hand drops down to his side and when I glance at him hesitantly, his expression is filled with repentance.
Before I know what she's doing, Renee slaps Charlie across his face.
"That's for laying your hands on our daughter," she says angrily. Charlie rubs his face as he meets her gaze, his eyes filled with regret.
"Is it really you?" he asks uncertainly.
"It's me," she says softly. His eyes well up with tears again before his body slumps against the front door.
"I can't believe you're here," he says, his voice breaking. "I missed you so much."
"I'm here now, baby," she says soothingly, cupping his cheek in her hand. He places his hand over hers, turning his face to kiss her palm. She closes the distance between them, running her hands through his hair before placing her hand on the other side of his face. He leans his head forward, resting it on her shoulder before wrapping his arms around her waist.
A gesture that reminds me strongly of me and Edward.
Tears spring into my eyes again. I wipe them away before walking up the stairs and linking my arm through Charlie's.
"Come on, Charlie. Let's go inside," I say softly, leading him into the lounge room.
He latches onto my hand, squeezing it tightly before glancing up at me, his eyes rimmed with red from crying.
I told you it was a long one! Hahahaha!
Thank you all for the support with this story! I'm not getting many reviews anymore, which makes me sad, because I really want to hear everyone's feedback! But, I guess I have to get what I'm given.
Thanks you to albymangroves, katiewinkles, edwardsisobel, mpg82, and Anna-Phase, for the VERY helpful WC's! They helped me finish the last five chaptes of this story, and without them, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish them. So thank you girls for the encouragement and support! It means a lot x
Thank you to my amazing Beta Jenndur, for Beta'ing this as quickly as she did! You're a star, baby!
- Nat x