"Maybe I should take that picture off the dashboard,
before a memory hits the brakes and takes the wheel.
I bet she's still crying on that front porch.
Yeah, this time it's gonna take some time to heal."
- More Than Miles, by: Brantley Gilbert
Hourglass
Chapter 19:
-Bella POV-
Walking through the apartment has been going a lot smoother today. Edward was right last night to suggest that we come back during the daytime.
I guess it probably helps that Edward, Emmett, and my dad went to Newton's hardware store early this morning and picked up a huge stack of tarps, so they could cover the bloodstained carpeting.
It makes a world of difference for me.
It's still terrible. I still know the stains are there. Just below the surface of these electric blue tarps lies a sight that can literally cripple me. It's hard knowing that all of that blood came from Rosalie, and knowing that if she had lost much more she could've died.
What if I didn't check my cell phone that night? What if I hadn't gotten the message in time?
No matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about all of the "what might have been" situations, and it's exhausting me. The guilt is eating at me, and everyone around me knows it. They're trying to keep me involved, to keep me focused on mundane tasks like washing windows and bubble wrapping Rosalie's fragile belongings. It helps for a while, but then I remember why we're doing this in the first place and the fear creeps in again.
There is no guarantee that I can keep Rosalie safe once Royce is released. I'm a pretty moral person, and I wasn't raised to be some big vigilante killer, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going to end up shooting him. Unless it was self-defense or to protect someone else. Even then, it's hard for me to even entertain the thought of taking someone else's life.
Although it would definitely be easier.
I sigh and scrub the same spot over and over. I think if I scrub the window any harder it'll probably crack.
Suddenly, I feel a damp, protruding object being shoved into my ear. It startles me so bad that I yelp and fall over sideways, trying to jerk away from the offending ear invasion.
When I look up from my scrambled position, Emmett is standing above me with a big goofy grin on his face.
"What the fuck was that?!" I shout, outraged.
"Wet Willy!" Emmett hollers with his right index finger raised high in the sky, still glistening with spit.
I quickly wipe at my ear with the sleeve of my shirt and quiver with disgust at the idea of Emmett's spit mingling around in my ear canal.
Edward stands off to the side with a sheepish grin on his face. My dad is standing beside him, mustache twitching as a soft chuckle escapes his lips.
"You all were in on it?" I accuse. My anger is starting to fade, but I'm still ticked off that they've all been plotting and scheming behind my back.
"No. Not really, we just saw him slobbering on his finger, and we didn't stop him when he proceeded to shove it in your ear," Edward explains, holding back his laughter.
"Oh really?" I reply cockily as I scramble to my feet.
My dad knows me, and I can tell the exact moment when he realizes I have something up my sleeve. He clears his throat and continues carrying the box he's holding out the front door.
Edward and Emmett, however, still have to learn a thing or two.
I pretend to brush it off and continue on with my cleaning duties. When I reach out for the broom that happens to be propped up on the wall next to me, I secure my grip and turn on the two unsuspecting asshats.
The look in their eyes is mischievous, practically screaming, "game on", and I get into a crouching position.
"Lube this, assholes!" I shout before I take off in a dead run for Emmett.
Edward would have been easier to battle as far as size is concerned, but he's a lot quicker than Emmett, and he's a more calculated thinker.
Plus, Emmett is still scared of me from the way I freaked out and bit him the other night. It's much wiser to go after the one who already fears you.
Cue: Evil laughter.
Emmett's eyes are wide with fear as he attempts to spin in the opposite direction and run away from me. Nervous chuckles escape his lips as he begs me to stop and frantically flails his arms and legs.
"C'mon, Bella. You know I was just fucking with you. Seriously! Please keep that thing away from my ass!" he rambles as he jumps over boxes and rushes through the apartment.
He forgets about the tarps in the bedroom and ends up wiping out, falling ass over teakettle onto the floor.
Thankfully, the tarps are relatively undisturbed, but when I see Emmett sprawled out and trying to scramble away from me, I burst out laughing and end up tripping over him.
"You…" I wheeze through chuckles "should have seen your face!" I gasp and clutch my stomach as the laughter tears through my body, leaving a good burn in its wake.
Emmett finally relaxes, no longer attempting to evade me and my wicked pursuits. He glares playfully in my direction and limply points his finger at me as the breath heaves in and out of his body. "You…are an evil woman, Miss Swan!"
He's laying flat on his belly, still gasping for breath when I take the opportunity to forcefully thwack him on his ass with the broom handle.
"Fuck!" he roars, completely taken off guard.
"What the fuck was that for?" he demands, exasperated.
"Just keeping you honest, Emmy," I reply vaguely and carefully stand up.
He called me an evil woman. I figured I should make sure I deserve the title.
I keep my guard up and a close eye on Emmett as I head for the living room.
I pass Edward on my way out, he's leaning against the bedroom door-jam, watching Emmett and I with an amused smirk.
"What?" I chuckle softly at the look on his face.
"I've never seen Emmett get beat up by a girl that we're not related to before. It's pretty funny," he replies with a soft laugh.
"Yeah, well, if you let him do anything like that again, it'll be your ass that gets kicked next time," I threaten lightheartedly and straighten up some of the boxes that toppled over from Hurricane Emmett.
Just as I begin wrestling the flaps on a particularly full box, I hear a soft knock on the door, and I glance toward it as it opens slowly.
A million thoughts speed through my mind as I wonder who could be here. Emmett, Edward, and my dad wouldn't have knocked, Royce shouldn't be out of jail, and his family never stops to visit, so that would only leave one person…
My breath inhales in a sharp gasp and tears flood my eyes as I take in one of the biggest protectors I had growing up. The big brother I shared and the boy who gave me a pep talk after my first broken heart.
Jasper.
A/N: Kinda small, lots of filler. No fear - I'm getting my groove back. It just took me a bit to get back in the swing of things. I know where this is going - and I hope you love angst, because this story isn't even close to the tip of the iceberg yet. I know it seems like it's moving slow, but that's my imagination trying to get my brain to catch up to it and get all of it down - so it's understandable. lol
I promise, it'll pick up - and we'll actually get somewhere. Thanks for putting up with my shenanigans. Love you guys lots! P.S. Brantley Gilbert...omg, if you haven't heard his music - and you tolerate Country/Rock music...run, don't walk. I want to shake his sheets. lol ;)
Mini Disclaimer: I still don't own anything involved with the Twi-Franchise, and I definitely don't own Brantley Gilbert lyrics...or him in general. *Sads*
Tootles babes!
xxoo,
Missy