Author's Note: So! I'm back. This week went by fast! It was probably because I'd been dreading a choir concert that took place on Friday. But anyway, since it was the last concert of the year, hopefully there will be no more forgetting to update! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 25
Edward's Point of View
I didn't believe in psychic readings and tarot cards. They were a bunch of nonsense that people turned to during desperate times. They were silly. And they didn't make sense.
But I couldn't deny the fact that I was interested in what Ave had told us about Bella and my future. And I was somewhat satisfied to learn that she and I were completely compatible…and that we had a future together.
But that was a big if, of course. If I made up our fight with her. If I could get her to date me. If I could get two bothersome gums off our shoes.
I felt a huge wave of jealousy when I saw Mike leaned into kiss Bella on the cheek. He got out of the car, waving, and headed up his driveway. She watched him leave with a thoughtful expression on her face, and I knew her enough to know that she, too, was thinking about the predictions Ave had made for us.
I wanted to dump Tanya and run to Bella right away, but I still wasn't sure about all this. I wanted to make sure I was positive about Bella before I gave up my plan on making her jealous.
I honked my horn briefly to get her attention. When she turned to look at me from her Audi, I raised my eyebrow, asking her a silent question. She knew me well enough to understand.
She nodded, and gestured for me to go first. I drove on, and I glanced at the rearview mirror to see Bella right behind my car, and Emmett driving Rose's M3 behind her.
"It's really too bad the evening ended quickly," Tanya said when I stopped outside her house. "Are you sure you don't want to come inside for a drink? I swear, my dad's not home." She smiled flirtatiously.
Danger zone. I was an idiot when it came to Bella, but I wasn't a fool when it came to Tanya. "No, thank you. Go ahead. It's getting late."
Tanya smirked as she watched me glanced at the rearview mirror at the Audi. "You'll change your mind about her very soon. I'll make sure of that."
I turned my head to look at her coldly. "What do you mean?"
Tanya shrugged casually. "Oh…nothing much. You'll find out soon." She leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head at the last minute so that she would get my cheek instead.
She didn't seem to mind, though. She was in a good mood, strangely.
I was nervous. What was she planning now? Hadn't she already done enough by separating Bella and me?
I watched Tanya go in, then drove on. Bella and Emmett followed me, until I saw Bella pull over to take a phone call. Emmett and I pulled over as well to wait for her.
I watched as Bella's face grew devastated. She looked like she was arguing with someone. I wanted to be by her side to comfort her. Finally, her expression turned angry, and she began shouting.
Her lips moved rapidly and angrily as she blurted out all the things she wanted to say. No doubt it was Charlie or Renee.
After about five minutes of constant arguing, Bella snapped something in her tone before hanging up on the other person, leaving me to wonder what it was about.
Bella's Point of View
I pulled over when I got a call on my phone. It was Charlie.
"Hi, Dad," I said as I watched Edward pull over in front of me. "What's up?"
"Bella," Charlie said curtly. "I'm going down to La Push, alright?"
"What?" I asked, alarmed. "You just came back. What's wrong?"
"Your mother came home," he said. "We had another argument. She's being stubborn."
"Stubborn?" I repeated. "Dad. Is she still there?"
"Yeah, she's still wrecking the living room." He sounded sarcastically bitter.
"Am I going to be cleaning up the mess again?" I asked, my voice trembling from the anger I felt now. "Are you both going to leave me alone again? In that house? Do you know how I feel when I'm alone?"
"I'm sorry, Bella. But at the moment, we have no choice."
"Stop thinking only about yourselves!" I yelled suddenly. I couldn't help it. I'd lost my temper. "It isn't fair! Don't you ever think of me? Your daughter, your only daughter who gets affected more than the two of you put together? Can't you understand that all I want is a normal, happy family with parents who got along very well with each other? Is that too much to ask for?"
"Bella-"
"I'm done!" I screeched. "Fine! You can leave! Both of you can leave! I don't need you! I don't need anyone! You can get a divorce or whatever and Mom can get remarried, and you can live the rest of your life with Billy Black and fishing every day! I'm done! I don't even care anymore!" I hung up on my father and wiped tears from my eyes.
I didn't want to go back home. No doubt Charlie and Renee would argue some more before storming out of the house after leaving a huge mess.
Out of habit, I pressed speed dial two, calling the number I'd called most often in my life. I wasn't thinking. Right now, thinking wasn't important. I needed the comfort.
"Are you okay?" Edward answered almost immediately. I could tell that he was watching me from his rearview mirror.
I sniffed. "Can I sleep over at your house?"
Edward was silent for a moment, obviously wondering what had happened. I knew that he would be dying to ask, but since our relationship was at an awkward state right now, he let it go.
"Of course," he said. "Do you want someone to join you on the ride home? Alice? Rosalie?"
"No, no," I said quickly. "I want to be alone. Thank you…Edward." I whispered his name before hanging up.
I leaned my head on the headrest and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a slight sob. I swallowed the lump in my throat before changing the gear.
Edward waited until I had passed him before following me. I was sure that the others were very confused, but they would know soon.
I concentrated hard on the road, determined not to cry anymore. Stupid parents…stupid life…
My phone rang again, and I glanced at it briefly before throwing it on the passenger's seat. It was Renee, but I knew what she would say.
My concentration broke. I began crying again. I couldn't stop it this time, and the tears kept streaming down my cheeks. I began to drive faster than usual. I was desperate to see Carlisle and Esme, two people who were actual second parents to me. I wanted to hear their comforting voices and feel their warm arms around me.
Edward seemed to be worried at my abnormal driving speed. And it was raining too. There were no other cars on the road to the Cullens, so I stepped on it. I wove in and out of the two lanes like I was drunk. And the Volvo followed close behind me, alternating between the two lanes when I did too.
Thinking about Edward didn't help either. If I thought about him, everything Ave had said earlier came into my mind. So we were destined to be with each other. If that was true, it wasn't fair that I had to go through this hardship in my love life.
I parked sloppily in front of the Cullens and didn't wait for the others. I ran through the rain, flung open the front door, and rushed inside. Edward must have called Carlisle and Esme, because they were waiting for me.
"Oh, Bella," Esme cried. She held out her arms, and I rushed into them, feeling the warmth and comfort…
I was sobbing uncontrollably now. I sank down to the floor, bringing her with me. "E-Esme…w-what d-d-do I do n-now?" I wailed.
The others rushed inside too, and stopped dead when they saw me on the ground, sobbing into Esme's shoulder like an insane person. They looked speechless while Carlisle looked grim.
"It's okay," Esme whispered, patting my back as she swayed us side to side. "It's going to be fine. It'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay. Shh…"
After about an hour of crying, Esme led me to my usual guestroom and left me alone to myself. It was a bad idea, though I knew that the others thought some time alone would be good for me.
I didn't want to be alone. Being alone was my worst enemy, and the bedroom was too quiet. It reminded me of when nobody was with me at my house, when the silence of the place had scared me to near suffocation.
The Cullen mansion was soundproofed. Hardly anything could be heard…and of course no one knew that I was crying again, silently, on my bed.
Even after eleven o'clock, I couldn't fall asleep, and I couldn't stop crying. By this time, I was sure everyone had gone to bed, including Jasper and Rosalie, who had stayed over again.
But I wasn't surprised when there was a soft knock on my bedroom door. The door opened, and Edward slipped inside, taking care to shut the door and lock it.
I stared at him with my bloodshot eyes, still crying and hiccuping slightly. He hesitated, then moved toward me.
"I thought you might still be crying," he said quietly.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," I whispered.
He stared at me, looking just as miserable as I felt. Then, he joined me on the queen-size bed, and pulled me into his arms.
I let him hug me tightly. It felt nice to be in his arms again. It was warm and comforting. It felt familiar, like home should be.
"Don't worry," he said softly as he patted my back steadily. "Everything's going to be fine. Just sleep." He adjusted us so that we were lying down on the bed.
He began to hum. His voice was musical and sweet, and drowsiness came right away. But I had to make one thing clear before I fell asleep in his arms. I loved him, but I was still stubborn.
"Edward?" I mumbled sleepily.
"Yes, Bella?"
"This doesn't change anything," I sighed before drifting off a sleep full of nightmares.
AN: Aw…cute moment there. Reviews?
