[Disclaimer] All things Twilight belong to Mrs. Stephenie Meyer

[A/N] Blows hugs and kisses to all her lovely readers out there. Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and review my little story. Your encouraging words rock my little fanfic-authors' heart more than you will ever know.

I've made a new video-trailer for this story. Just remove the ().

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**Chapter 5**

"She's right about the stitching part." Carlisle told me while he carefully examined my injured palm.

"We can do that in my office."

"Fine," I croaked out.

"Miranda can you watch my granddaughter until I'm done?" he asked the nurse who quickly nodded her head.

Silently I followed him into the office at the end of the corridor.

"This is going to sting a little bit, Bella." My father-in-law warned me before he added some brown liquid on a piece of cotton wool.

I turned my head to the other side as he leaned over to clean the cut on my left palm. The disinfection stuff burned on my skin and I cringed slightly.

"Tender?"

"Maybe a little bit." I mumbled while he put on some green rubber gloves and started stitching up the long wound in my hand with carefully skilled movements.

"How did that happen?" he asked me calmly as he was almost finished.

"I tried to cut a pine apple."

"Hmm, I see. Are you dieting again?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to…," I mumbled embarrassed. Was it that obvious that I needed to lose a few pounds? Or well, maybe a few more?

"Good luck." He told me and his blue eyes sparkled sheepishly.

I tried to ignore the throbbing pain in my hand and closed my eyes while Carlisle wrapped a piece of gauze around it.

"Done,"

"Thanks." I mumbled and sighed deeply.

Then I cleared my throat nervously.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure you can, Bella. But if your question contains something about these thyroid pills again…,"

I shook my head. Geez, I wished I had never asked him about that.

"Why are you so angry at Ali?" I stumbled out as I stood up from the metal chair in the corner of his office. As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them instantly.

"Why do you think that…," he started hesitantly.

His lips twitched for a moment before they turned into the weak attempt of a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Did Esme tell you something?" he whispered and started sorting a pile of papers on his desk.

"No she didn't."

"Bella…,"

"Well, she told me that the two of you don't get along that well."

"We would get along just perfect if she'd finally come to her senses."

"Come to her senses?"

"Yeah exactly, this ridiculous clothes designing thing. That's nothing but a stupid hobby."

"But if it's what she loves to do. How can it be wrong?"

"Jeez, Bella…you like to read…that doesn't make you an author. Edward loves to play piano but he never fancied the idea of being a pianist."

"I don't think that's the same thing, Carlisle."

He snarled angrily.

"Trust me. It is just the same."

"Don't you want her to be happy?"

"Of course I want her to be happy, Bella. But I think it's time for Mary Alice to start making reasonable decisions about her life." He stated bitterly.

"Don't you think that she's old enough to make her own choices?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm.

He chuckled slightly.

"Jeez, of course I know that she's, but somehow she's still like a child. Mary Alice only acts on her instincts. She never thinks about the consequences of her actions."

XXXX

"Are you okay?" I asked her as I sat down in the car again. She nodded her head silently but I realized that her beautiful caramel eyes were red and swollen now.

Slowly I put my right hand on her bare forearm and started stroking the velvety skin with my fingertips.

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment before she started the engine.

"Do you want to go home now?" she whispered and her pretty bell voice was rough from the crying.

"Can't we go to the park today?" Lilly asked from the backseat.

"Later, honey."

"But I want to go now! Jane and Alec will be there too."

Oh great, the freaky witch-twins. No other child in Lilly's class wanted to play with them. Little Jane had a sick fun to pinch and hit other kids.

"Their daddy promised to make these little almond cookies for us."

I rolled my eyes at that. Aro and Marcella owned a little Italian restaurant that served delicious Tuscan wine and food. The desserts were mouthwatering too. Great, like I needed any more sweets or other stuff to eat. My stomach growled again, and I desperately hoped that Ali wouldn't be able to hear it.

"Can we go now?" My daughter asked me impatiently.

"No we can't. It's starting to rain soon. Just look at the thick clouds up there." I told her and pointed at the almost lilac colored sky.

Moments later the first drops landed on the windshield. Soon it turned into a downpour.

"Isn't that nice?" Ali whispered as she parked the car in front of the house. Then she stepped outside and danced around like a ballerina. Everything about the way she moved was so incredibly graceful.

"I love rain."

"Do you love to get sick too? Let's go inside before you're completely soaked."

XXXX

Carefully I wrapped a towel around her quivering shoulders.

"Thanks." She mumbled, running her dainty fingers through her short, ebony hair.

"How's your hand?"

"It's not that bad." I told her and kneeled down on the thick carpet in front of her bed.

Slowly I took her hand in mine to squeeze it gently.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her while I continued rubbing small circles all over her wrist.

"Okay, I guess."

"But you cried,"

"I want him so much to understand…but he's so…so…," she stumbled out as a wave of fresh tears escaped her eyes.

"Stubborn," I finished as I pulled her into a tight hug. She buried her face into my long hair and sobbed against my shoulder.

"He thinks that everything I've worked so hard for is just some stupid joke." Her voice almost cracked at the end.

"No, he doesn't." I tried to assure her while my fingertips petted her head.

"I think he's just worried."

She snorted and wiped her running nose on the sleeve of her shirt. I pulled a tissue out of my pocket and handed it to her.

"No, he isn't. Carlisle is disappointed. Did you know that I had two scholarships for medical schools before I went to Paris?"

So she was smart and pretty, prettier that anyone or anything I had ever seen in my life. Damn it, Bella, what are you thinking?

"Do you want something to drink, tea perhaps?"

"Hmm, yeah that would be great. Thank you."

I went down to the kitchen to turn on the water boiler. Lilly was sitting in front of the TV screen in the living room. Her eyes focused on an episode of SpongeBob.

"Are you hungry, honey?" I asked her as I planted a kiss upon her forehead.

"No, mommy. Can we call daddy?"

I swallowed hard before I spoke up again

"Maybe later, sweetie, you know that your daddy is busy in Alaska."

"But he'll be here for my birthday, will he?"

I nodded my head, knowing that my voice would come out much too high if I would speak now. It was embarrassing how much I sucked at lying.

Then I went back into the kitchen and filled the boiling water into two mugs. The sweet scent of cinnamon floated my nostrils. While I waited for the tea to be ready, I opened the fridge. Quickly I stuffed two vanilla rolls that were about to expire into my mouth. Great, Bella, just great, can't you stick to your eating rules for one freaking day?

I put the mugs on a small tray and closed the door behind me.

When I entered our guestroom again Ali was standing at the closet with dozens of thick, cloth and pieces of chiffon all over her arms.

"Do you need some help?" I asked her as she almost dropped a roll of cloth on the ground.

"No, thanks." She mumbled and stuffed everything inside the small closet. I wondered how she had managed to get so much into that thing.

Her ruby colored lips turned into a bright smile as she turned around to look at me again.

Slowly she closed the distance between us with a few smooth movements. Then she stood up at her toes and kissed my cheek.

"You got something…," she mumbled hoarsely.

"…on your lips."

The tip of her tongue licked over the corner of my mouth and my heart skipped a beat.

"Tastes sweet," she stated cheerfully and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Like all of you."

Every drop of blood in my body went straight into my face, turning it into a bright, crimson color. I pulled my hair over my shoulder in order to hide it behind the chestnut curls.

"You don't have to cover your blush." She whispered.

"I think it's cute."

Then she cleared her throat and took my hand in hers. Slowly she guided it to her ruby tinted lips to plant a soft kiss on each of my knuckles.

"Do you want to talk about last night?"

"Yes. No! Well, I don't really know what to say." I confessed nervously.

"You can say anything you want, Bella." She tried to encourage me while her eyes never left mine. There was a nervous hint in her voice. Obviously there was something that she didn't want to hear from me now.

She took a small sip from the hot tea in front of her and stared down at her own hands.

"I've never done something like that before."

"Hmm, yeah I know. You told me that you're straight."

She twisted a wisp of my long hair around her dainty fingers.

"And now?"

"I'm confused…kind of."

"Me too,"

I raised one eyebrow and sucked my bottom lip into my mouth to nibble on it nervously.

"It was a first for me too. I've never been with someone who's in a relationship with someone else."

For a moment the face of my husband popped up in front of my inner eye. There was a strange, unpleasant feeling in my stomach, when I thought of him. Sometimes I wondered what had happened if I hadn't had Lilly. We wouldn't be together now or at least not married, that much I was sure of.

"Bella?"

"Hmm,"

"Do you regret it?"

"No, I don't. It was so…," earthshattering, mind-blowing I finished in my head. Whatever it was, I wanted more of it.

"Do you?"

She shook her head and cupped my face between her warm hands. Her full lips brushed over mine so gently that I could barely feel them on my mouth. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Hesitantly I nudged the tip of my tongue against her lower lip. A moan escaped her throat. She slightly parted her lips to let my tongue slip into her mouth. It tasted sweet, like rock candy and cinnamon tea as I started to explore it gently. Then much too soon for my liking she pulled back.

"I could never regret anything that happened between me and you." She mumbled against my lips.

With trembling fingertips I stroked over the small stripe of exposed skin on her back. Slowly I circled my thumb on the silky skin between her shirt and jeans. I felt her shiver under the small caress.

Then I thought about my little, four-year old who was watching some stupid cartoons, just a few rooms away from us.

The bad conscious hit me with so much force that it literally knocked the breath out of me. Quickly I stood up from the bed that squeaked loudly. How could I dare to destroy the happiness of my only child? God, I was such a horrible selfish person.

"I'm sorry, Ali. I, I…can't do that." I stumbled out, my voice barely a whisper.

She wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Yeah, I know. I love him too. How can we betray him like that?"

"It's not because of Edward."

Well, technically it was about him, or at least it should be.

I interlaced the fingers of my right hand with hers, while I heard her inhale sharply between her teeth.

"Of course, it's about him. Damn it, Bella…why do you have to be married to my brother?"