"I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth. Then I ask myself the same question" - Harun Yahya


The Only One Alive

The slow groan of her stomach startled her from her past hour of silence. Bella had done nothing but stare at the wall. Half wondering where it all went wrong, and half afraid to confront her sleeping grandmother to confirm what had already been said.

"You will"

Her ears rang with his parting words. A slight anger under his controlled demeanour. This man was an enigma. She didn't want to succumb to his words. But knowing that what he said was the truth, she had no choice but to sigh in defeat.

Rising on her feet unsteadily she gripped the wall, her whole body groaning along with her as she stretched in obvious pain. Her back was tired from the hours of baking, eyes drooping from the lack of sleep and throat parched.

She rubbed her hand over her head, patting her hair down and slowly clearing her throat as she reached her nonna's room. Slowly but surely she knocked on the wooden door. She waited a few beats as a small but firm, "Come in",was heard.

She breathed in and out, entering to see her grandmother huddled against her dark green armchair, a colour she insisted on as it reminded her of her favourite pair of eyes. Whoevers that was. Definitely not hers. They were brown.

"You look like you want to ask me something", nonna blinked, her face stern as ever, but tired nevertheless.

"Well I- '', she gulped once. Though pushing 87 her grandmother was not someone to reckon with. Although her decision could potentially kick them to the streets she still couldn't go against her. She was her one constant and only home. The only one who truly understands her, in all the ways that counts.

"The bank called, didn't they?", nonna sighed, her voice raspy as she took a sip of water, hands slightly trembling, blue and veiny. Bella's eyes ran across the veins, they spread over her like a beautiful spark of lightning.

"How did you know?", she asked, eyes downcast.

"You've never been this awkward with me before, Isa.", she smiled softly, her hard shell slowly falling away. "You're always so eager to make me happy, i'm glad you look a little angry for once"

"How could you nonna?", the words burst from her before she could stop herself. She felt regret instantly, then it slowly fused with satisfaction, like she had just released a gulp of air she had been holding in for years.

"We have no other income. Nothing. No one. We're alone."

"You think I don't know that?", her eyes were resigned as she circled the tip of her finger ever so slowly against the rim of the glass.

"What are we going to do?", Bella paced, hands trembling as she thought of all the possibilities. The loans, nona's bills, her plans, her future…The burdens had consumed her, it made her feel as if she was the only one alive on this planet. Nobody to turn to but herself.

"It was for Vernon."

Bellas pacing came to a sudden halt. Eyes pulling up fiercely as she heard the name she never wanted to hear again. A name that hadn't been mentioned for years. She held a hand up to her grandmother before she could speak again.

"I don't want to know"

"Isa…"

"I said no.", she was looking elsewhere, breathing heavily. '' Whatever it is…I don't care"

She swiftly left the room, before she could see the anguish on the face of the lonely old woman.


Bella's heels clacked against the slick pavement. She wore them on purpose everyday, secretly hoping she would trip and be able to lie down for a long amount of time. Preferably asleep.

She lifted her umbrella slightly, throat aching while she coughed twice, the cold had taken over, this time worse than ever.

Bella grabbed her keys from her pocket, trying to unclasp the umbrella, shoving it into her purse haphazardly. Her eyes lifted up once before returning to her bag, but she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes lifted up once more, slowly this time, as it set on a figure sitting inside her shop. His hair was a dark brown. That's all she could see. But the growing pangs in her stomach had an inkling…

Her brows pinched in fear as she ran up the stairs, the sloshing rain did nothing to help her grip on as she slipped, crashing painfully into the ground. She moaned in annoyance and sat there for a minute, eyes fixed onto the ground. The rain poured without no mercy, drenching her from head to toe, her hair plastered onto her lips.

A familiar pair of shoes came into view before her. She looked up already knowing who it would be.

"This is quite pitiful.", the owner of the shoes spoke with no emotion whatsoever behind his voice. His eyes were alight as he looked down at her, she had never felt more scrutinised. She both enjoyed and detested his eyes upon her.

"Can't you ever say something warm?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. She had puzzled him.

"Warm?", he questioned. A drop of rain slipping off his forehead.

"Yes. Something nice, that is", she snarked, trying to lift herself up but failing. She let out a huff and gave up, looking away blinking rapidly. She was at her wits end. She didn't want to ruin her entire week further by crying in front of this man.

A hand reached out to her and she looked up to him, his face giving away nothing going on inside. She sighed and gripped his hand, slowly lifting herself up, wincing at the slight pain in her ankle. She looked up at him, his handsome face looking down at her hand which was encased in his.

His brows slightly lifted at her remark. He said nothing, simply gazing at her hand, her nails were painted a bright yellow, with several pathetically painted daisies on top of them. She liked to paint her nails as outrageously as she could.

She pulled her hand away from his grasp and tucked a stray wet hair behind her ear, trying not to mourn the loss of his warm hand.

She looked up at him. His dark suit was drenched, his normally perfect hair all wet and dripping. She could make out the ever present blaze in his eyes, slightly hidden by the hair.

"Come inside. We need to talk", he clenches his jaw before stalking inside, Bella followed hurriedly, she couldn't wait to face the warmth of her cafe. It was a solace she never knew she had till now.

Except once she entered and pressed the switch, the light never turned on. The room stayed asleep. Her brows pinched in confusion as she dropped all her belongings to the side, frantically trying to turn on all the switches, but no avail.

"What's happening now?" she moaned under her breath, placing a hand on her forehead, lips pursed.

"I cut off your electricity"

She whipped around, strands of her wet hair sliding around and sticking onto her cheek as she saw him sit on one of the sofas placed against the glass pane. Despite having chairs, she always preferred her customers to be comfortable. In this case he looked anything but. Like he wanted to be out of here as soon as he could.

"What are you talking about?!", she demanded, heels clacking loudly against the white marble floor as she walked up to him. If this were a cartoon she'd have fumes coming from both her ears, face red.

He looked up from the rain he was watching, up at her, face the same, giving nothing away.

"Is what I said that hard to comprehend?"

Asshole.

"I'm not stupid. I know what you said. I mean why?", she gritted out. She was minutes away from punching his pretty face.

"Next it'll be your water", he spoke casually as he stood up, ignoring her question again. "Not just this building, but that house of yours too."

Her breathing quickened as she looked up at him, darting between his eyes, which looked like they meant business.

"Are you freaking kidding me? What have I done that was so bad to deserve this!", she yelled, shoving at his chest. He seemed to budge about half a centimetre. It didn't matter though, she had gotten the point across. She was ready for a fight.

"You didn't. Your grandmother did", he clenched his jaw in anger. A strand of hair had been delicately placed on his forehead, like someone had paused this scene and fixed his hair between the next shot. Bella couldn't stop looking at it.

"And it'll be in your best interest to vacate. As soon as possible. Plans are already underway for a change."

"What plans?", she was desperate and confused. Her breathing shallowed. It felt like the world was closing in on her. Her eyes watered and she felt like his face was blurring more and more. She clutched at her chest in a strangled cry as she fell. The last thing she felt was a pair of strong arms gripping at her waist.


Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Shut that shit off", Bella groaned, burrowing further into the comfiness of whatever she was lying on. It felt like she was on a cloud. So comfortable. She never wanted to leave.

"Miss Swan", came the same harsh voice that had been plaguing her nightmares.

Her eyes popped open instantly. She blinked a few times trying to adjust to the dim room and the bright monitor next to her. She looked up at the cash grabbing wall street guy that had been hounding her for days.

"Have you followed me here too?'', Her voice was slightly croaky as she sat up, struggling to lean against the hospital bed frame. He did nothing to help her. Asshole.

"If it weren't for me you'd be lying on that cold floor."

"I wonder why it's cold now", she shot back at him with a scowl.

"I am going to leave. Three days,"his eyes narrow as he looks down at her, "three days and I want my place clear. If not then such menial things aren't what you'll be deprived of."

He strode forward and left, without a glance back.

"You can leave now. But make sure you carry out the exercises I suggested last time. These attacks have grown less frequent, but we must try to make them as calm as possible"

Bella stared at her doctor as he wrote off her discharge. Her eyes surveyed the room, resting on a picture of him and his wife, who was a short plump woman, with the bigges smile she had ever seen. She looked like she was comfortable in life, like she didnt have anything more to accomplish. Bella wanted someone to see her smile and think the same one day. But that one day seemed so far away that she felt the walls closing in on her again.

This stupid anxiety of hers was another thing on her list. It crippled her once. But she had a better hold of things now. His arrival jolted another constant in her life.

"Sure", she gulped before rising. "What are my charges? I bet i'll have to take out a loan"

The doctor wasn't fazed by her usual snark. Except this time he looked up in confusion.

"What do you mean? Mr. Cullen paid it off. He even said you must have the best room available."

Bella's heart stuttered twice as she took in his words. Now was that asshole being nice to her? What an arrogant man thinking he can bribe her into complying. There was no way he was being nice to her. The guy didn't even stay to see if she'd make it out alive.

Okay it was an exaggeration, but nevertheless. She knew his agenda. She wasn't caving either.

"Mr Cullen?", she repeated his name. "Do you know him?".

"Bella, he owns this place. Edward Cullen."

She repeated his name in a low it over in her head. Imposing. Just like its owner. Her assumptions of him were not false, but something in her said that this was all she could guess.