The bar

"Long time no see Ms," Clyde smirked while drying a pint glass with the blue and white checked tea-towel.

He stood behind the bar wearing black jeans with his grey button-up shirt tucked in, his belt was showing. His hair was blonde and fluffy, piercing blue eyes twinkling as soon as I walked through the door; the board expression was no longer evident.

"Missed me that much?" I purred, back to my normal habit of flirting.

"I have, yes. I've had no one to point out the hot men for me." He sulked.

It was probably true. Clyde was always shy with him being gay he always needed someone to point him in the right direction, someone being me.

"Well there's a gay hotty to the right." I smirked pointing with my eyes.

"How do you do that? You have been standing here for two minutes without a drink yet, might I add and you find one just like that" He clicked his fingers to add emphasis to his sentence.

I giggled at him.

"Did you just giggle Ms Etherington?"

I sighed in defeat. "Don't ask," I gave him a stern look to tell him not to mess with me.

"So what would giggles want to drink?" He raised his eyebrows while I searched the pumps that were lining up by the wooden bar.

"A pint of Guinness please," I stretched onto the metal bar stool trying to not fall off as I got up.

The pub was decent; it was mostly preoccupied with men who want to get away from their wives. The walls were a dark green, carpet was a dusty red. It was definitely a male's world with the flat screens in every corner, the darts bored and the pool table. People were spread out everywhere talking in loud booming voices, everyone stood leaving the dark wooden tables and stools empty. This was the norm.

"There you go," He slid the pint glass over to me the foam sloshing over the top leaving a mark on the side.

"Oh shoot," I mumbled looking in all of my pockets for money.

"It's alright missy it's on the house." He nodded towards me, understanding what I was looking for, money.

"Are you sure?" I knew that his boss was strict and loved to count all of the money at the end of the day.

"Yeah, the amount of men you bring in pays for a lifetime of drinks at this pub for you. And as you come here every night I think that's a lot."

"Thanks," I called to him as he went to talk to the hotty I pointed out to him.

The first sentence was predictable for him, "Your name must be Gillette..."

"Huh?" The man asked.

"The best a man can get…"

He always used that chat up line when talking to men at the bar, ever since someone asked me that it stuck to him like pollen sticking to a bee's legs.

A couple of hours had gone, four beers were sitting in my stomach and new people had come into the pub and old people had gone out. Most of the time I just sat there gaining winks from the men; I just turned back around and ignored them. The best thing to do with the Seth situation, each time I looked at another man in that way I felt appalled and a sickening feeling lingered in the bottom of my stomach making me grimace.

I did not know what to do; I liked Seth that much was obvious to me but what would happen if she came back or if he hurt me? My life already sucked and I was just about above the line of going into depression. If I lost the new people in my life right now that I loved and cared for I would go right under that line and I couldn't bear to think of the things I would do to me and others around me.

I stood up, jumping off the stool and waved goodbye to Clyde.

"You better come back soon Ella," I heard him call out before the swinging green doors slammed behind me as I went through.

I looked up into the sky at nothing in particular, as a few raindrops fell onto my cheeks a cold shiver running down my spine. The watch on my wrist read 1:00 at night.

I better get going before I get soaked from the rain. My thoughts were too slow as it didn't just rain but hammered it down. I hugged my arms closer to my body, trying to keep in my body heat.

I charged to the forest towards the Cullen residence, my converses splashing in the puddles getting my baggy jeans even more wet, my jumper felt heavy and stuck to my body like a prostitutes dress.

I slowed down as I got to the border of the forest, between the front lawn of home (it was more like a field) and the edge of the trees.

I strolled down the gravel drive, not really caring as I couldn't get any wetter, I was completely drenched. I jogged up the stone steps trying to get a bit warmer but I knew a shower is what I need to become warm again. I may be a half vampire but I still felt the cold and the heat.

I kicked my shoes off shivering as I stood in the shelter of the porch, I also torn off my jumper and hung them both over the banister that wrapped around the house to get them dryer, they were too wet and muddy to take through the house with the white and cream carpet.

The door opened just as I was about to walk through Esme was standing there a pile of towels stacked up in her motherly hands.

She put the pile down on the floor leaving a bright blue one in her hands and wrapped it around me; I gave her a simple smile saying "Thanks."

"It's okay dear."

"I'll jump through my window so I don't get the house wet and muddy," I laughed about to turn around when she stopped me.

"Dear its fine," She grabbed another towel and began to dry my arms, they were shaking with the cold, my knees were knocking together and my teeth were stuttering.

She stopped in her tracks as she began to bring the towel back under my arms, and stared at my writs.

"Oh," The sound came out of my mouth in discomfort of what she saw.

Lining my wrists were cuts from the hard times of my mum and just after John.

"Sorry Ella,"

"It's fine it was years ago just after my mum…" I looked at her sadness in her eyes just like she wanted to make it all go away. But she also looked scared like I was going to do it again.

"I regret it, don't worry, a knife will never touch my skin again on purpose."

She sighed and let out a shaky laugh.

"If you ever want a talk or just a motherly hug I'm always here."

"Thank you,"

"Stop saying thank you were family, dear."

I laughed, "I guess we are."

After a much needed dry I went through the door all of the Cullen's were sitting on the sofas and chairs.

"Hey…" I greeted.

"Are you okay?" Renesmee asked out of worry from my breakdown earlier.

"Yeah I'm all good now, sorry about earlier."

"What happened?" Rosalie wondered out loud flicking her hair around one of her shoulders, twirling the shiny blonde pieces in between her fingers. She made any girl self-conscious.

"I…" I stuttered not knowing what to say.

"Where have you been?" Dad asked. I was glad he asked so I didn't have to answer Rose.

"What is this, 21 questions?" I joked "I went out."

"Where…?" He stood up,

"Does it matter?" I grumbled at him.

"Yes it does, you come back at half one at night smelling of beer, smoke and god knows what else."

"Sorry for going out." I hissed.

"So you should be. Do you know how worried we were…?"

"So I should be? Did you seriously just say that?"

"Yes I did, I'm your father and we need to set boundaries."

"Set boundaries? Who do you think I am, a five year old?"

"No but you are my daughter and what I say goes,"

"Well why now? Don't you think it's a bit late me being above 100 years old."

"I thought that at first but what you did tonight has proven that you are irresponsible."

"What I did? All I did was go to the bar and meet a friend like I do every night. Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you,"

"Well you obviously don't."

We glared at each other after the mini-fight, before Alice came up to Jasper and held his hand.

"Jasper, come on leave the girl alone." She wisped dragging my dad away after a couple of minutes of her pulling him he finally followed her out of the front door. Why was he so protective?

"He loves you," Edward mumbled, I jumped at the word. Shocked I left not through the front door; I'd had enough of using the front door today. This time I went into the kitchen for a much needed coffee to heat me up and to take my mind off things.