Heidi & Bella - Part 5 (Secrets)
Days get longer while nights get shorter. It's a transition period between winter and summer. There's plenty of sun during this time but lesser so in Forks. Still, it's plenty enough during Cullens' absence.
She misses the warmth and glow of the sun. It's the one thing she has been looking forward to ever since she started therapy.
Focus on ten things that bring you happiness.
And so she did. Bella made a list. It comes to a surprise to her when she is able to list about twenty of them. The heaviness in her heart seems less heavy then, and the dark and gloomy skies in Forks seem less colder.
She feels like she's been jolted awake from a monumental dream, out to the winter-like temperature, alone and so cold. The sessions do her good. It's not fully resolved as therapy does not have the finishing line like in a marathon; it's a work in progress. Some days are hard, some days are a rollercoaster ride. What matters is that she continues with her day. Breaking them down to one task at a time makes the process a bit more linear to digest. Going to school, eating her meals on time, reaching out to Angela, cooking with Charlie - all those help keep the anguish away. Yes, Charlie is still a disaster in the kitchen but he tries.
Like a baby learning how to walk, she's been made to realise that baby steps are a huge success. And she could not do it without the support of those around her. Even the Quilettes make her feel welcome and less alone. She's grateful for that.
Hence, her love for spring. The ice starts to melt. Animals come out of hibernation. Even the sun is out and about, playing. That's how the story of spring comes up in her list.
Far down the memory lane, there's an echo of laughter in the Swan residence. Renee and Charlie were dancing to Ella Fitzgerald in the living room. And Bella had two parents who were raising and attentive to her, as parents should.
She releases a sigh, the cold air creating fog against the plane window, before it dissipates.
"Bella Swan, we need to talk."
For a moment, Bella catches a whiff of that spring scent; the blooming flowers and the shedding of old leaves. She could fall asleep by the serenity the scent carries with it.
"Why am I under the protection of Volturi?" Bella jumped right at it, not one to miss a beat. "And will he truly be free from Volturi's imprisonment?"
It would be foolish to deny the lingering feelings Bella still has for the bronze haired vampire. The kiss they shared momentarily before they were discovered by the guards ignited something within Bella. She genuinely came to save Edward from some misunderstanding, but it was more so his family wouldn't suffer for his death in their immortal life.
"His freedom relies on how well he behaves under our supervision. The faster he comes to realisation of what is, the faster he shall be back in Forks."
If Bella had thought the Cullens spoke oddly, the Volturi is more cryptic than her mere brain could muster on. And it is not lost on Bella how Heidi won't answer her first question.
Her glare continues and soon Heidi's arrogance fades away in the blow of a sigh. It's time for half-truth then.
"For the lack of a better word? It's a selfish need for me, which in turns serves a greater purpose for the Volturi."
They've been doing this dance for awhile now.
Heidi asks Bella questions and she responds as short as possible. When it's Bella's turn, Heidi only spews out vague answers. Any other day Heidi would have found the challenge amusing, arousing even, but they have limited time to sort things out before the jet lands.
"You can't expect me to reveal all the important details of my life when you've been keeping me in the dark. It's not a fair trade and you know it!"
Heidi huffs, annoyed that her mate had a point and called her out on it. She appreciates Bella's intuition and negotiation skills but this human is pushing her buttons. Truth is, she's more annoyed at the fact that a human can be this stubborn. Centuries of making business deals with humans, it's always been easy to manipulate them. Throw wealth and power into the mix, and Heidi would easily become their master. Regardless of the many religions and faiths, money has always been the top God and currency for humans of all generations.
But Bella isn't like that.
From her modest clothing, Heidi is aware Bella speaks of a different language and only deals with a certain currency in all of her life. She will need to devise other alternatives to get Bella's cooperation.
"And so it shall be fair."
Doe eyes narrow at her in curiosity.
"We'll exchange important information of our lives. If there's a question in which I am not at liberty to answer, I shall trade a secret that carries the same significance as the original question - my secrets."
"What kind of secrets?"
"Life-altering ones."
Bella leans back and ponders upon the possibilities. Would the information be valuable enough to her and the Cullens? Or would this vampire find a loophole somewhere and stab them in the back?
Heidi scoffs at Bella's defiant eyes. Fed up, she grabs a pen and paper and writes down something discreetly. She knows there's a high possibility where Bella will share the info with Alice but she's putting her trust in her mate to not to. Before handing it out to her, she once again reminds Bella of their deal.
"Should you accept this note and read it, we are in the agreement that we will exchange information with one another. Call it a contract."
Bella reaches her hand but also decides to warn Heidi, "Only life-altering secrets allowed. If it's not up to par, then the contract is void."
They both nod and shake on it.
Bella carefully unfolds the note, her heart beating fast, giddy as a horse. She doesn't understand the excitement but she leaps anyway at the chance to learn Heidi's first secret.
As expected, her handwriting is as exquisite as the owner. But when Bella reads it, her face instantly turns red as tomato and she fumbles the note, trying to fold and return it to its rightful owner.
Heidi's eyes twinkle in mischief. She leans back in her seat, still facing Bella directly, and crosses her legs. Of course, her lips curve in a playful smile and her smouldering eyes follow Bella's curious glance down to her pelvic region.
"Do you want to take a peek?"
"Oh God no. I mean, I believe you. Gosh!"
Bella runs her fingers through her brown locks, embarrassed by the revelation and the offer. She can feel her face getting warmer by the second.
"How is that life-altering?" she mumbled to herself, still in disbelief that this human drinking vampire would reveal such private information about herself.
Heidi leans over and whispers close to Bella's ear, "It could be, for you."
As Heidi indulges herself in her coy laughter, Bella tries to process the double-meaning behind it but unsuccessfully. Crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows, the vampire challenges her, "Your turn. Tell me about your relationship with Edward."
A deal is a deal. What are humans if they don't stay true to their words? Reluctantly, Bella tries to think of what would be a good beginning to this information sharing.
"Do you need more secrets, darling?" Heidi teased, trying to make light of the situation after seeing her mate's shoulders getting tensed. She knows it's horrible to make her relive the heartbreak but she's left with little choice. In order to make strategic decisions, she needs to learn all the important info; even those that will enrage her. But she is ready to support Bella and push away the green monster.
"My mother remarried so I had to move back with my dad, Charlie…"
A/N: For the past couple days, I wrote about three drafts for this chapter but none of them felt right. This one does. So, enjoy a short update from me!