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Chapter 10-

"Oh, dear!"

A human-sized tornado flew my way, my hazy mind unable to recognize the danger before it bumped into me, throwing me back by a few big steps.

"Esme?" I growled rather than said. I did not appreciate before thrown around like a rag doll. And why the hell was she still caressing me like a barbie doll?

"Bella? I missed you so much!"

Yeah right, Alice! And I am the next president of this country!

Pfft.

"Belly-boo, I missed playing pranks on you. It has been quiet down here."

"Bella, this must have been hard on you; do you wish to talk?"

"I am so sorry, Bella. I did not mean to attack you."

One by one, people!

I have only two ears and one mouth.

"Alice, it really does not matter now." Newsflash. I was no longer eighteen. "Emmett, good to hear, but keep the enthusiasm on a low." Gosh. I was just out of a marriage. I was in no mood for all this chirpiness. "That's very kind of you, Carlisle, but I am okay." Also, you are a total stranger to me. "It was not your fault, Jasper. Water under the bridge."

"Bella."

I met eyes with the one man who stood silently in the corner of the room, his eyes filled with guilt as he relentlessly stared at me.

"Is this my fault…"

"I will cut you right there, Edward." I waved him off, talking a step ahead, mighty aware that we had an audience. "When Charlie told me about taking this brief vacation to Alaska, I had expected seeing you and the rest of your family, and I am okay with that. We shared a brief relationship a decade ago. I have moved on, and I guess, you have, too. So, let's not make it all awkward. It's not necessary."

He gulped in response, slightly taken aback by my words. What did he even expect?

It had been a decade! I wasn't going to cry on his shoulders and beg him to take me back!

"I understand." He finally nodded his head. "I indeed have moved on. She is not here right now. But she is one of us. I am happy."

"I am glad for you, then." I offered him an honest smile.

Everyone deserved happiness. Even Edward Cullen.

"Now, before Charlie and my kids walk into this room," Kate had dragged them from the door itself, rambling about seeing some unmissable scenic views. In hindsight, she probably knew that their absence would be treasured, "my kids are unaware of the supernatural, and I would like to keep it so. We are here for a brief vacation, and nothing more than that. I wish for us to return home unscathed. So, please, behave like a human for these next few days. Haley…is observant. We can't risk her asking questions. I understand that 'playing human' is not something you are keen on doing in your home but…"

"Bella, you really don't want to become like one of us? This is not a ploy?"

"What? Of course not!" I spat the words out at Rosalie. "I have three loving children. I am not leaving them. And honestly, I don't see the charm. I like being human…"

At least I don't need to kill in order to survive.

I did not get to complete that sentence; a flying Rosalie attacked me as she hugged me tight.

"I was under the impression that you planned all of this; that you grabbed the opportunity presented to become like us."

"Jesus, Rosalie! Who plans their divorce? I was rather happy in my marital life."

Sure, there were ups and downs but…

"I am sorry."

I offered her a brief smile. "So, what have you been up to?"

The next few hours were spent getting up to date with the Cullen clan- and getting to know the Denali a bit more closely. Charlie and the kids had soon returned, our rooms being shown to us, as we freshened up after the long journey. Charlie wasn't too pleased to see Edward here, but once I assured him that there were no lasting feelings between us, he seemed considerate to tolerate Edward's presence for the next few days. Phew.

Anyhow, Rosalie seemed a bit nicer now that she knew that her family wasn't a ticket to becoming a vampire. She even told me about the literary course she was planning to take the next time she attended university. Also, she and Emmett had recently tied the knot. Again. I hadn't known that she was this decent a person to talk to. Back in high school, I had been too intimidated by her to even make the attempt to have a proper conversation. Alice, on the other hand, I had nothing in common with her. She was bossy and self-centered and…did she always talk this much? It was annoying! How had we ever been friends? How had I never slapped her into shutting up?

I could have certainly tried, even if I ended up breaking my hand in the process. It would have been worth it!

Tanya continued to glare at me, but I ignored her. Her juvenile glaring made absolutely no difference to my life.

Our first day here ended on a sort of positive note. The kids did not suspect anything. Esme and Carmen had organized the dinner in such a manner that kids ate first, followed by adults, and Charlie was pretty oblivious to his surroundings these days. He needed to look away from Kate for more than two proper seconds to realize that nobody but he and I were eating. The others were simply moving the food in their plate around.

As I lied on the queen-sized bed in this guest bedroom, I let out a sigh of relief. One day down…and I had survived.

No guarantee about tomorrow, though.