I know I marked this as complete back in February, but at the time I couldn't come up with any new ideas for chapters. It was my sister who helped with this one, she liked the Secret Lives of Forks story and has been begging me to continue and I agreed that I would if she helped come up with ideas. I am unmarking it as complete and will continue posting new chapters periodically. I hope you all like this chapter.
Maria's Secret
Maria sat working in her shop Maria's Boutique, her latest project was a wedding. Michael Newton and Jessica Stanley were getting married in two months and Maria was alone in working on the task. Lucy and her husband, Caius Volturi,has gone to New York on business. Nettie and her husband, Marcus who was a brother to Caius, were visiting friends in Port Angles, a neighboring town. She hated having to do the flustering job alone, she had to make the wedding dress and five bridesmaid dress, plus one matron of honor dress.
Maria knew the things people were saying all over town about her and her friends, their husbands knew as well. They, however, were above such things, they didn't gather at the Swan Saloon like the rest of the town. She sighed, it wasn't that she was angry about it she didn't care what they thought, she was more hurt that the town had turned against her.
It hadn't been her fault what Jasper had done. She had been the victim, she knew Jasper had been unhappy. She had been as well, but they were husband and wife. When the divorce had been finalized she'd written to her parents explaining her situation, their response had just added salt to the wounds Jasper had inflicted. Her father had berated her for not being able to satisfy her husband and had told her she wasn't welcome back in his home. Lucy and Caius Volturi had been kind enough to take her in, she was still living under their roof in their massive mansion.
She looked around her empty shop thinking back to the day she opened it, at the time she hadn't need the money. Jasper had been rather wealthy, he still was, he just shared it with his new bride. She had wanted a hobby and had always loved fashion, Jasper had gifted her with the store not long after they'd moved to town.
The store bell that was hanging at the corner of the door rang pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up seeing Isabella Masen walk in looking over the dresses on display around the shop. "Can I help you, Mrs. Masen?" she asked.
Bella was beautiful in a simple way and had married below her class, but Maria wasn't fond of her as she was Alice Whitlock's friend. The woman turned to Maria with a soft smile, "I was looking for something to wear to the Newton Stanley wedding."
"Were you looking for something custom or off the rake?" Maria asked.
"Off the rake, I'm sure your busy with the wedding party," Bella said with a smile.
Maria knew that the real reason was Bella couldn't afford anything custom, not with a bartender's salary. "Please have a look around." Bella nodded and walked around the shop.
Thinking about Bella brought up thoughts of Alice, Jasper's new wife. The fake physic that now had a shop three stores down from hers. She knew Alice wouldn't be buying anything from her for the wedding, she'd probably special order from New York like Maria used to. She was pulled from her thoughts by Bella who was ready to purchase a dress.
A week later.
Maria was leaving the shop when she noticed a man leaving the post office he was tall and thin with pale skin and dark hair. He was new in town as she had never seen him before. When he caught her stare she glanced down and hurried on her way to the carriage that always waited to take her back to the Volturi mansion.
The ride was short and the carriage stopped in front of the house, she climbed out and went inside. She was surprised to find her friends waiting for her in the entryway. Both were overly excited
"Nettie, I thought you said you'd be in New York another week?" Maria said hugging her friend.
"I have excellent news, Caius and Marcus's older brother Aro, whom we were visiting, has decided to move to Forks!" Nettie said.
"Why?" Maria wondered, thinking no one in their right mind would willingly move here.
"The way his brothers talk about it appealed to him I guess. You'll get to meet him at dinner." Nettie explained.
At dinner, Maria and the other two women talked quietly as they waited for the brothers to join them. When the trio walked in Maria recognized the man from town, the one that had caught her staring. They all sat down and dinner was served.
"Aro," Caius said. "This is Maria Whitlock, she is Nettie and Lucy's friend. The one we told you about."
"Ah, the one currently staying here?" he asked looking her over.
The conversation went on, but Maria had stopped listening when the topic moved on from her.
Later in the evening when the two couples had retired to their room Maria found herself sitting on her favorite bench in the garden. It was times like this she hated Jasper the most, times when she missed him. She hated the lonely feeling that went with divorce.
"A penny for your thoughts." A voice said.
She turned, finding Aro standing by the fountain, she blushed looking down, "Hello." She whispered.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
"Not at all." She said.
He walked over sitting beside her, "It's beautiful out here." He murmured.
"Yes it is," she replied. After a moment she broke the silence that had fallen over them, "If it's not to forward to ask, what brings you out here? In the middle of nowhere?"
He laughed, "It's not to forward to ponder a stranger." He said then looked sad. "My wife died last year so I had no reason to stay in New York. I've been thinking of moving out here with my brothers for some time."
"I'm sorry about your wife," I said not knowing what else to say.
"Thank you," he smiled at her. "What about you? Why are you here, if you hate it so much?"
"My hus… ex-husband, wanted to move out here after the war." She explained looking down, being a divorcee was shameful and he might think differently of her now.
"Ex?" he asked.
"Yes… He left me almost two years ago for a fake physic whore, whom he now calls wife." She knew he could hear the bitterness in her voice.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what that must feel like," he seemed sincere when he said this.
"I have to ask you not to believe the terrible rumors about me going around town. He cheats and yet he's the victim in the whole mess." She hadn't meant to start crying yet she was. How embarrassing!
He, to her surprise, wrapped an arm around and said, "someday I'm sure he'll realize what he had and it's already too late to right his wrongs."
She wiped her eyes, "Thank you."
That was how it all started Maria had finally begun to move on. Jasper could have his whore and she could be happy as well. The last two years seemed to be leading her to this moment. She could Only hope Aro felt it too.