Author's Note: Long chapter today! Aren't you proud of me? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 53
Bella's Point of View
I hadn't seen Edward since that day at lunch. And as I spent the days thinking about Sharon's assumptions about him, I couldn't help but miss him.
This was wrong, I told myself constantly. We were separate people now. The only relation we had was through Alice and Jasper. We were in-laws, and I knew that it was impossible to avoid each other. I should be getting used to the idea.
But if I could help it, I really didn't want to see him anymore. Now that I suspected something about his recent actions towards me, I was tempted to just go back to California this minute.
That's cowardly, I argued with myself. It's better to just face it and get it over with. I'm sure Edward would understand my reluctance.
But would he? I always came back to that question. Would he understand? Or would he choose to just disregard my wishes and be selfish?
I sighed as I turned off the huge flatscreen TV. There was nothing good on it.
I was going to go upstairs to my office and study when the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting any company.
Frowning, I made my way to the door and peeked through the hole. There was a young woman standing a few feet away from the door, looking around the whole mansion, fascinated. She was wearing pretty clothes, heels, and was holding a huge box. On top of the box was another box that looked like a shoebox.
Curious, I opened the door. "Yes?"
She gave a start and stared at me. Then, she smiled pleasantly and said, "Good morning, Miss Swan. I'm from Fashionista. Miss Cullen instructed me to deliver this to you." She held up the boxes.
I cocked my head. "What are they?"
She looked confused. "Um. Your outfit for the New Year's party tonight?"
"Oh," I said. "I see. I'll take it."
She approached me, and I took the boxes. "Thank you. Tell Alice that I'll see her at the hotel."
She nodded as she turned and walked out. I closed the door and strolled towards the counter. I placed the boxes on the surface and opened the top, curious.
I gaped at the dress. Slowly, I took the dress out and held it up. The long, ivory dress unfolded itself elegantly.
I had to admit that Alice really did have talent. She'd outdone herself. The dress looked more beautiful than the one in her store. She'd changed most of the designs into something that would fit me.
The shoulder straps were two inches, and it lined into a graceful V-line. The sharp neckline ended in the middle of the bottom of where my breasts would've been. The waist line was extremely narrow, and the bottom of the dress hung loosely with its millions of purposely-made creases.
Despite the fact with the deep V-line, I liked it, surprisingly. I smiled as I placed it neatly and carefully back into the box. I took a deep breath before I opened the shoebox.
Heels, of course. It was the same color as my dress and too high for my liking. But since there were numerous straps that would be wrapped around my foot to help me with my coordination, I supposed it wouldn't be too bad.
Was it tonight? I wondered vaguely. How had time passed so fast? It was already New Year's Eve. At twelve o'clock, it would be 2013.
I sighed wearily as I checked the time. It was already six, and the party started at seven-thirty. I was a bit behind on schedule.
I trudged upstairs to take a shower. Once I was done, I put on my bathrobe and let my hair limp to dry. I was just reopening the box when the doorbell rang.
"What the…" I muttered. Sighing, I opened the door to find Alice and Jasper waiting for me. My brother was dressed in a distinguished tuxedo, while his wife was wearing a cute light pink minidress with frilly tutus on the ends of the train. They looked perfect together.
"Good, you're all showered!" Alice chirped as she moved past me. "Let's get to work!"
"Nice to see you too," I muttered under my breath as Jasper and I followed her inside.
"Don't you just love the dress, Jazzy?" Alice cooed, holding up the dress for him to see. "Don't you think it'll look perfect on Bella?"
"Sure, Alice," Jasper said, glancing at me amusedly. "It's just perfect. Until you get to those killer heels," he muttered.
"Oh, she'll be fine," Alice said dismissively. "Heels help with one's coordination, you know."
I smiled sarcastically. "Good to know."
"Come on," Alice urged as she took the boxes under her arm and dragged me upstairs. "The party starts in an hour! We don't want to be late, do we?"
"Actually, I really wouldn't mind being late."
"Hurry back!" Jasper called up the stairs.
As Alice got a beautiful hair holder studded with diamonds out of her purse, I quickly got into the dress and heels.
"Whoa!" I said as I almost fell over. "Alice, these heels are-"
"You'll be fine," she said. "Sit down, and let me do your hair and makeup."
For the next thirty minutes, I sat impatiently while she turned me into a clown. She raised my now-dry hair up into an elegant french twist and secured it with the holder.
"Here, put these on," Alice urged, handing me a huge velvet box. She also laid down a white hand purse in front of me. "Do you want to come with us?"
"I think I'll take my own car, thank you," I said. "I'll see you there. You seem to be in a hurry."
"Is it that obvious?" Alice asked, grinning sheepishly as she gathered her stuff. "Rosalie's still a bit new to this sort of thing. She wants me there to defend her and talk her out of nosy situations. I'm usually the person for that sort of thing."
I waved at her. "Go. I'll see you there."
She smiled. "You look beautiful. Don't worry. Don't feel self-conscious. Be confident!" She winked before disappearing out the door.
I opened the velvet box to find a huge diamond fashion ring to go on my index finger, as well as a simple, thin necklace with a dot of a crystal as a charm. There was also a pair of matching studs to go with it.
Quickly, I put the accessories on and placed my phone and a small wallet inside the purse. I hastened out the door, realizing that I was running late.
"Stupid," I muttered to myself. "First time to this party, and you're already going to ruin your family's reputation."
Too late, I realized that I hadn't looked at the mirror before going out the door. When the light turned red, I paused the car and glanced at the rearview mirror. All I could see was my darkly outlined kohl around my eyes. I was right. Alice had made me a clown.
"What's so beautiful about making me look like someone who got punched in the eye?" I murmured as I drove ahead.
I entered the Plaza Hotel's parking lot and stopped in front of the lobby. The valet took over my car as I got out, and they greeted me a bit friendlier than I would've liked.
"Good evening, Miss Swan," the manager of the hotel said smoothly as he showed me the way inside. "If I may say so, you look very beautiful tonight."
I smiled awkwardly and said, as pleasantly as I could, "Thank you."
Be calm, I told myself. It's just a stupid party. It won't be that bad. Just a few hours in a dress that shows a bit more of my chest than I would like and killer heels, and I would be out of here…
"Right this way, miss," the manager said as he led me to the ballroom. I stared, panicking when they opened the doors. The room was huge. Beyond huge. It was overwhelming.
And, of course, since I was late, the people close to the doors stared at me as I entered. They looked up and down at me in, looking amazed. They were probably thinking, Who is that raccoon-like girl that has way too much eyeliner on her?
There were tons of people. And that was saying something in this huge place. There were colorful dresses, black and white tuxedos, and shiny bald heads. Children dressed in cute designer clothes ran around, chasing each other happily.
How was I supposed to find my family in this crowd?
I saw refreshment tables pushed to one side of the ballroom. Teenaged boys in black and white tuxedos crowded around, talking and laughing. They each held glasses of champagne.
Waiters went about, holding up trays of empty and full glasses of champagne. I craned my head to look across the room. On the other side of the room, there were more tables that held more food. And there were more young men surrounding it, holding more champagne. They looked slightly older than those teenagers probably were.
And to my relief, I spotted a familiar face in the group. But the relief faded away quickly. I didn't have the guts to face those handsome group of men who were bound to stare at me when I approached. But I had no choice. I had no other way to find my family in this hellhole.
Remembering the lessons of courtesy and manners of the business world that I had taken when we moved here to New York, I took a deep breath and straightened. And trying to look dignified as possible, I approached the men.
"Excuse me," I said politely. The group turned to stare at me. They didn't look away but kept gawking with their mouths opened. What was all that about?
I finally reached Jasper and hooked my arm into his. I leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Help me."
Jasper smiled handsomely at me. "Will do. I'm glad you made it. I was getting worried."
"Yeah," I muttered, looking around uncomfortably.
"Well, well," one of Jasper's acquaintances drawled, leaning back to look at me better. "Who is this young lady? Quite a beauty."
My eyes flashed toward him.
"I don't think this is Alice, Jasper," another one said, smiling playfully. "You cheating on her, man?"
Jasper chuckled. "You think?" He glanced at me, winking at me jokingly. "She is a beauty, ain't she, fellas?"
"You lucky duck," a third one said enviously. "Where'd you find her? Everywhere I look, there's no one pretty but the Cullen and Swan women. Where do your family's men get your girls?"
Jasper laughed. "Lucky duck nothing, John. This is my sister, Isabella Swan. Bella, my friends." He gestured towards the group of young men, who were still smiling at me appreciatively.
I smiled forcibly. "Good evening, gentlemen. I hope I'm not intruding? You see, I just got here, and I was beginning to panic because I couldn't find anyone that I recognized. It was just pure luck that I found Jasper here, talking to all of you."
Jasper smiled amusedly, impressed by my smooth speech.
"Well, I think it's pure luck that we finally got to meet Jasper's beautiful younger sister," the first one said in a deep, mature voice. I fought back a laugh. "Pleasure to meet you, Bella." He held out a hand.
I shook it briefly before dropping it. "I think I must be going now. My family will be worrying."
"Yes, well, I'll be right back, gentlemen," Jasper told them, nodding. He escorted me through the crowd calmly.
I breathed a sigh of relief as we got further away from them. "Friends?" I raised my eyebrows.
"More like people I just know," Jasper amended under his breath. "They're a bit slick; not my type. That was brave of you to even come near them."
"I had to," I said. "Or else, I would still be wandering around this place. Where is everyone, anyway?"
"I don't know. We all scattered. That's why I'm searching right now. Esme and Renee are probably in the same place; they're always together at these kinds of parties. So are Alice and Rose. I think it's better if you stick with them; Alice and Rosalie will help you get out of sticky situations."
"What about the boys?" I asked.
"Carlisle and Emmett are going around together. Em's getting congratulated for his engagement, and he needs a little assistance from Carlisle. These kinds of businessmen tend to get a little bit…nosy. As for Edward…I don't know. We all sort of separated. I'm sure he's around here somewhere, greeting people like the gentleman that he is."
"Mm," I grunted at the mention of Edward's name. "When can I go home?"
Jasper glanced at me. "The party just started, Bella. You can go home after the countdown and fireworks."
"I have work tomorrow," I complained. "It's my first day at Columbia, and I don't want to be tired. Who knows? Maybe Dr. Jackson will put me in a surgery on my first day."
Jasper snorted. "You and I are in the same position, sis. Believe me, after the countdown, I'm out of here as well. Oh, there they are." He pointed to two women wearing red and pink dresses, who were greeting several, rich-looking wives. "You'll be okay now?"
"Thanks, Jazzy," I murmured, and he squeezed my shoulder gently before disappearing once more.
"Be polite, Bella," I mumbled to myself as I approached them briskly. I raised my voice as I reached them. "Good evening, ladies."
The wives looked surprised to see me. They stood, blinking and gawking at me up and down like the young men had. Alice and Rosalie smiled pleasantly at me. At the same time, they both looked relieved.
"Bella," Alice greeted me warmly. "You made it."
"Bella," Rosalie nodded at me. They were both adopting their mature, calm voice that business people usually reserved for parties such as this.
"And who might this be?" one of the chubby wives asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Hello, ma'am," I said politely. "I'm Bella Swan. Pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, Bella!" the women chorused.
The chubby woman shook my hand. "Good to see you, honey. We were starting to wonder what happened to you. After all, everyone knows that you returned to New York only a few days ago! We were dying to meet you! My goodness, you've become more beautiful, haven't you?"
"Beautiful?" I laughed gently. "Well, I don't know about beautiful, but I'm flattered."
"Modest, as always!" she chirped. "You don't remember me, do you? Marion Taylor, remember?"
I vaguely recalled the woman and her bald husband. I only knew a couple of these businessmen because they'd dropped in from time to time at our house to see Charlie when I was young.
"Oh, yes," I said, smiling. "I think so. It's been a while, Mrs. Taylor."
"Yes, well," Mrs. Taylor said heartily. "A bit over ten years, I think it was, when Herbert and I dropped in to say hello to your father. Quite surprised I was, to see a cute little teenaged girl with four teenagers older than she was! My, you were pretty back then, but let me tell you, honey, you've become a woman!"
I chuckled. "I've gained some years in me as well, Mrs. Taylor. Tomorrow, I'll be thirty."
"Bah!" she said dismissively. "You're only, what, twenty-five? That's still young!"
The other wives were nodding wholeheartedly at her words, and I immediately realized that Marion Taylor was the leader of this lot. After all, her husband, Herbert Taylor was a big shot in the business world. His company was as big as Cullen or Swan Corporations.
"Am I involved in that category of four teenagers?" Alice asked dryly. She sighed mockingly. "I was quite young back then too, but look at me now. Already twenty-nine. If anyone is thirty tomorrow, it'll be me."
Marion and her gang barked out a laugh. "Ha! Good one! Ha, ha, ha!"
I smiled politely. "How have you been doing, Mrs. Taylor? Good business?"
"Oh, of course," she warbled. "Good as always. What about you? I heard you became a gynecologist, eh? Like Carlisle! Ha! Ha, ha, ha!"
Alice and Rosalie exchanged looks, and I chuckled along with her. "I guess it rubbed off on me."
"So, alive, Bella?" Marion teased. "You look better! Ha! Ha, ha, ha!"
My sisters glanced at me, panicking, while I tried my best to keep my smile into place. It was easier than I thought.
"I remember the news from eight years ago!" she shouted over the loud chatter of the crowd. "Man, you looked like you were going to die any minute! But you're alive, eh? Ha! Ha, ha, ha!"
I was getting irritated with her way of laughing. She sounded like an old witch.
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" I said, playing along. "It's all in the past, Marion. It's fine."
"Ha! As if!" she snorted. "You don't need to act in front of me, hon! It must be hell, seeing Edward around because he's your brother-in-law now! Ha! Ha, ha, ha!"
"Yes, well, it was nice talking to you, Marion," Alice said quickly. "But we have some other guests to greet as well, so we'll talk to you later, okay?"
"See ya, hon!" she called as Alice grabbed my arm and walked me away from the scene as soon as possible. "And welcome back to your definition of hell! Ha! Ha, ha, ha!"
"Really," Rosalie said, annoyed. "I'm going to end up slapping her one day."
"She can be such a bitch sometimes," Alice muttered. "Whatever. At least we got her over with. That's why I dragged you there to greet her first, Rose. Once we get away from Marion Taylor, we're good for the rest of the night. You okay, Bella?"
"Fine," I said. "I think people missed me here in my definition of hell."
"Oh, Bella," Rosalie said as we marched away quickly. "Ignore that woman. She should be careful. After all, Charlie's more powerful than that husband of hers."
"Alice, darling!" another pushy woman bumped into Alice and greeted her a bit too warmly. "How are you, sweetheart?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Alice said politely, though I could sense her desperation to get away. "How are you, Clara?"
"Oh, frightful, darling," Clara said, talking like she was in the nineties. In fact, she was puffing on a long stick that held her cigarette, and was walking like she was Marilyn Monroe. "Business world can be so tiring. Oh, hello, Rosie, darling. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you for asking," Rosalie said, smiling forcibly.
"Ah, Bella!" I turned to see a vaguely familiar woman smiling at me. "Long time no see! I heard from Carlisle and Charlie just now that you were back, and I set out to look for you! Come, honey! You look a bit peaky; why don't we get you something to drink?" And she dragged me away from Alice and Rosalie, who glanced back at me worriedly.
The woman seized a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and shoved it at me. "Now, honey. How have you been?"
I blinked at her. Who was she again?
"Aw, now, don't tell me that you don't remember me!" she said. "I've seen you practically since you moved here to New York! I've seen you grow up!"
I suddenly remembered. She was one of the wives of Carlisle and Charlie's business partners that have been friendly with our families for years. She'd come over a couple times, and had adored me. She'd always give me something sweet, like candy or chocolate.
"Oh, Cynthia," I greeted her. "I remember now. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"I'll say," she chuckled. "Look at you! All grown up and strutting around in high heels and that beautiful dress… I don't believe it! How old are you now, Bella?"
"Eh…" I looked back over my shoulder to look for Alice and Rosalie. No sign of them. I turned back to Cynthia. "Twenty-five."
"Say, it's really great to have you back," Cynthia said, grinning. "Eight years, eh? What have you been doing away from home?"
"Oh, you know," I said. "Studying. I had to succeed on my own somehow. LA is different from New York."
"And you sure did, hon!" she barked, laughing. "A gynecologist, eh? Well, your family's overflowing with doctors! Carlisle is one, and your brother, Jasper is a cardiologist, is he not? Not to mention lawyers. It must be reassuring to have two lawyers in the family! Edward and Emmett are brilliant in their work! They've never failed in a case yet! It's really lovely to see how the Cullens and the Swans have succeeded!"
I tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace. I'd forgotten how much Cynthia loved to talk. She was loud too. Luckily, she didn't notice.
"I haven't seen Emmett yet, but I've definitely seen Edward!" Cynthia chirped happily. She didn't know it, but she caught my attention with his name.
"Have you?" I asked, smiling tightly.
"Yep!" she said, belching after gulping down champagne. "I swear, that young man gets more handsome every time I see him! It's really too bad you guys are divorced now, isn't it?"
My smile faded slightly. "I don't know. Is it?"
"Of course!" Cynthia exclaimed, not realizing that I had just been asking myself the question out loud. "You guys were really the perfect couple! It was really too bad to see your relationship crash and burn. Have you spoken to him at all since your return?"
"It was kind of inevitable," I admitted. "We're in-laws as well now, as family friends, so…"
"Did you notice him wearing his wedding ring?" Cynthia asked bluntly. "I've never seen him taking it off once! No, sir, never! Even after eight years, he keeps his wedding ring on the finger that is connected directly to his heart! Ha! I think he still has your ring as well! If you ask me, that boy is still grieving over you! Was there anything strange about his behavior lately?"
I felt hollow. Cynthia was still looking at me for an answer. I swallowed. "No. Not really."
"You sure?" she asked, looking disappointed. "Because I'm one of those who want you two back together again. I'm all for it!" She glanced back over her shoulder at someone calling her name and waving at her. "Oops. Gotta go. I'll see you later, Bella! Enjoy the party!" And she disappeared.
I stared after her, still stunned at the way she had thrown her words at me like they were rocks. Cynthia was rather blunt, and I should understand her personality, but it still shook me up by the way she had shaped her words.
He still had my ring? Edward? Had Sharon really been right? Had he never forgotten about me?
I'd thought that it had only been me who couldn't forget. Like the pathetic loser that I was, I'd thought I was the only one who couldn't move on from the past.
But apparently, Edward was a fool too. We'd both been fools these past eight years.
I realized that I'd just been running away from our problem these past years. I'd gotten scared, and I'd simply ran because I was afraid of what might happen if I'd stayed.
But running away from problems never helped. They always came back to square one, no matter what.
I was such a dummy.
My eyes suddenly felt hot. And then, I was wrestling them to stop the tears. Taking a deep breath, I downed the glass of champagne in one shot. And I placed the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
I walked on. I wasn't going to cry here. No, I wasn't going to humiliate myself tonight. I wasn't going to ruin our family's reputation.
I stopped in my tracks abruptly. My heart raced faster at the sight of him. How was it possible that he looked more handsome than before? Cynthia was right. He seemed to be getting sexier every time anyone ever saw him.
He was wearing a black tuxedo with a black bowtie. His hair was arranged carefully and, at the same time, messily, as usual. His green eyes seemed to stand out in the crowd. He was taller than most young men around him were, and he was attracting tons of stares from all the young girls. He was carrying a glass of champagne.
He was with a pretty young woman around his age. I stared at the two of them breathlessly. The tears were getting harder to resist as I watched. The lump in my throat got bigger.
He and the girl were talking. They seemed to be arguing about something. He faced me directly, giving me a perfect view of his handsome face. The girl's back was to me.
He took a deep breath and spoke quietly and calmly. But the girl shook her head impatiently and argued some more.
The people around me got slightly quieter at the moment, and I was able to catch a few words of their conversation.
"…told you that I don't care, Edward," the girl was saying. "I want to be your girl."
I bit my lip hard to keep the lump from growing bigger. Against my permission, my hand that held my purse tightened their grip on the bag.
Edward just looked annoyed. "I told you before, Janet, and I'll tell you again now. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in you."
The girl scoffed. "You're never interested in any of the other girls either! You must have feelings for somebody. I mean, I know you're not gay."
His lips twitched slightly. "No, I assure you that I am not gay. I'm just not interested in anyone. How can I make myself clearer?"
"Edward…" Janet whined. "What's wrong with a bit of dating? At your age, you're supposed to be playing around! All the other young men at this party play around; why don't you?"
"If you prefer playboys, there are plenty here tonight."
Janet sighed. "I don't want playboys. I want you. Tonight." She smiled seductively as she stepped closer to him. Her body touched his.
My hand began to shake.
Edward stepped away without even batting an eye. "No matter what you might think of me, I'm someone who has a bad history. And you don't deserve someone like that, Janet. You deserve someone whole."
"I told you that I don't care!" Janet said crossly. "Let's not go through this again, Edward. It's been eight years since you divorced your ex; it's high time you started dating!"
Edward's jaw tightened. "Perhaps. But I'm not interested, so what are you going to do about it?"
"I heard your ex was here tonight," Janet said. "Has she even bothered to come greet you?"
Edward lowered his gaze to his champagne. He studied the liquid. "No," he said quietly. "She has not."
"There!" she said triumphantly. "You see? She doesn't care about you anymore, Edward! It's time to move on from her!"
"I'm sure…she's busy…greeting guests," Edward said softly, looking vulnerable.
My lips parted slightly. It shocked me to see him like this. Sharon…had she really been right? And Alice as well?
"Even so," Janet sneered. "How rude of her. She doesn't care about you, Edward. So come to me. You can do whatever you want with me. You can even use me to get back at her. I'm willing! I want you!"
Edward sighed wearily. "Janet. Please don't do this. I'm really not interested."
"Edward…" she said, looking hurt.
Edward looked up to look at her. And that's when his eyes flickered over her shoulders…and onto me. He blinked, taken aback.
My eyes widening fearfully, I turned on my heels and escaped quickly.
Like the coward that I was.
AN: How was it? Long, I know. But I don't think you minded. Reviews? Let's aim for two thousand, shall we?
