"Rose?" Emmett called, bringing me back to reality.
I turned to face him, my eyes wide, and my body still shaking. "It's…good what you're doing here. Can I see the house?"
He didn't fail to notice my ill form but said nothing. "Sure. Go right ahead. We have other staff working in the facility so Esme should be in the house."
I walked inside quietly. The house was beautifully decorated, half modern and half traditional just like the exterior. I found Esme in the kitchen, her back towards me as she was stirring together some exotic dish.
When she turned, I was awestruck. She had short caramel brown hair that curved around her face; a heart-shaped face with small dimples that was slender yet rounded and soft. She was god-like and had the same granite-like skin as all the other Cullen's. Their similarities were not surprising, and I knew Carlisle would also look perfect.
"Hello!" She greeted happily, dusting her hands on her apron so she could introduce herself. "I'm Esme."
"Rosalie." I replied, softly taking her small hand and giving it a little shake. "Emmett invited me over – I hope that's okay."
"Yes, yes," She moved around the kitchen gracefully, pouring the contents of food into a large pan and popping it into the oven. "I'm just preparing some food for the facility. Emmett told me you would be coming. I hope you enjoy yourself."
I thanked her and followed Emmett and Alice throughout the house to the living area. There was a huge flat screen TV on the wall and various video games down on the floor. There were glass doors opening out onto a balcony and all the furniture was white. I was afraid to even sit down.
"Um," Alice perched on the side of the couched and studied me softly. "Esme will go take over the food to the facility in a minute and we…usually have the leftovers so if you're hungry, just let me know and I'll go get you some."
I stared at the floor quietly. The worst thing about going to people's homes was that there was no way I could avoid eating. I had to eat for them not to get suspicious. "Okay, thanks."
"So, Rose." Emmett said, sitting beside me on the couch and studying my face once again. "Have you lived here long?"
"A year next month. My father transferred hospitals and didn't want to travel to work every day or leave the family, so we moved from Homeland, Maryland to...here." I said quietly. Homeland was one of the wealthiest areas of Maryland and mother was very upset to have to move from there.
"Oh, wow. Nice place." Alice remarked. "Do you have any siblings? As you can tell, there are a lot of us." She laughed quietly.
"No. It's just father, mother and I now. Mother gave my little brother William up for adoption because I was too much to handle at the time of his birth." I sighed guiltily. I didn't have much of a life at all and I longed to see my brother. He was only three years younger than me and I never thought I had been too much to deal with.
Emmett sensing my sigh looked back at me sympathetically. "Do you have a good relationship with your parents?"
"Um, I suppose so. Father is always working so I only see him a couple of hours a week, but I manage to communicate with him. Mother…is…a unique person." I didn't elaborate. My parents were far from perfect, no matter how much they pretended to be.
Esme, hearing my words from the kitchen came to sit across from me in extreme curiosity. "Do you like to do fun things with your parents? Like going swimming, or to the movie theatre. Do you help your mother with the gardening?" She was smiling as though they were normal things to do with parents.
"No." I stated. Was Esme insane? Who did things like that with their parents?
"Oh." She said. "Then what do you do with them?" She shared a look with Alice who came to sit by her mother for a comforting hug. My mother would never do that.
"Well…I have to read to my mother my homework sometimes so she can see that it is perfect." They all looked at me with astounded eyes, so I tried to think of something else. "And my father sometimes takes me to gatherings so that I can meet a possible husband." That ought to be normal, surely. The Cullen's were rich too and I assumed Carlisle and Esme found matches for their children.
Esme's eyed widened and Emmett placed his head in his hands. "Do you like that?" Esme asked.
"Father knows what is best." Craving to change the subject, I looked over at the balcony. "You have a beautiful house and a nice view."
"Thank you." She smiled, noticing I didn't want to press the subject. When the oven beeped from the kitchen, she politely excused herself and took the food over to the facility.
"Rose," Alice moved to sit beside me and bit her lip. "Are you really like that with your parents?"
"Yes." I knitted my eyes in confusion, trying to ignore the rest of the Cullen kids who were coming into the living area.
"You don't do anything fun at all?" Alice asked gently.
I didn't know what to say. I felt like everyone was against me. My parents clearly knew what was best for me and the Cullen's didn't understand that.
A few minutes of silence passed and I started to feel quite dizzy. Stars danced along my vision, my heartbeat rose, and the shivers began. I tried to hide it, but Emmett noticed immediately. "Rose?" He moved closer to me, refusing to touch me but cocking his head to the side in concern. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," I whispered, my teeth chattering together.
"I didn't realize it was cold in here," Alice said, her eyes wide. "I'll go…get you a blanket." She took off towards the spiral staircase as Edward moved from beside Bella to sit at my feet on the floor.
"I want to be a doctor." He said. "I can take a look if you feel unwell?"
I rose to my feet. Hell no. No way was a doctor looking over me. I needed to keep my secret hidden. The movement caused more dizziness and my world went black. The breath rushed out of me and then I felt freezing cold hands wrap around my waist.
I shivered but was unable to open my eyes. Emmett lowered me to the ground and quickly removed his cold hands. How odd that he was so cold.
I slowly opened my eyes, my back resting against the couch and I took a steadying breath.
Edward sat opposite me, his hands folded in his lap and concern on his face. "Perhaps the freezing rain did more damage than you first thought, Rosalie."
"No." I responded, once again trying to rise to my feet.
Emmett stopped me, pushing a huge hand in front of me to halt my movements. "Rosalie please, let Edward have a look. You don't look well at all."
I sat on the floor knowing Edward wouldn't touch me unless I allowed him to. I kept my mouth completely shut, my movements still until Esme arrived back in the house.
"What's going on guys?" She said; her motherly face full of curiosity and concern.
"Rosalie nearly fainted and won't let anyone help." Bella remarked quietly. Her voice was cold, but she smiled at me benevolently.
Esme came over to me and sat down beside Edward just as Alice came back and handed me a huge soft comforter. "Rosalie, if you feel unwell, Edward can help. He's perfectly trusted and capable."
"I know." I stared down at my ice blue hands. "I'm just not unwell. I'm perfectly fine."
"Is that so?" She asked, staring at me as though she knew I wasn't.
"Yes." To prove her wrong, I pushed myself back up and stood unstably for a few seconds before collapsing back down out of breath.
She shook her head. "I feel you are unwell, Rosalie, dear. Just let Edward have a little look otherwise I'll feel obliged to take you to the hospital."
Tears pooled down in fear and I wrapped the huge comforter around me. This was not happening. I never should get close to anyone because it always puts me in danger.
Seeing my tears, Esme wearily and hesitantly pulled me into her lap and started swaying. "You don't need to be scared, Rosalie. Edward just wants to take your temperature and heart rate."
Being in Esme's lap felt wrong and I just cried harder. Why did my mother never comfort me? "Okay," I gave in quietly.
Edward smiled gratefully and left to retrieve Carlisle's medical supplies and Emmett let out a sigh of relief. Esme wrapped her arms tighter around me, probably pinning them down so that I wouldn't get in the way of whatever Edward was going to do. Bella shifted her position and seemed oddly uncomfortable along with Jasper. Alice shuffled herself closer to offer support.
I felt contented around these people, more so than my own family.
When Edward came back, I tried to steady my breathing so that he wouldn't notice my heart rate was up. I didn't want him to find out I had problems with food at all. Or that the reason I nearly passed out was because I had starved for three days.
"Okay, Rosalie." He said, wrapping the stethoscope around his neck and requesting permission to press it against my skin.
I allowed him, flinching lightly as the cold metal made contact with my skin. He moved it around for a couple of minutes before Esme pushed me forward slightly so he could also place it on my back. I shivered involuntary, grateful when he removed it and reached in the bag for something else.
He checked my temperature then shone a small penlight into both of my eyes before rocking back onto his knees. "Heart rate is 52 beats a minute which is just under the normal range and temperature is also a little low at 35.4. Pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light – perfectly fine."
I stared at him quietly. I felt as though I was breathing fast, but my heart rate was low. I didn't really understand anything but hopefully now he would let me go.
"As to why you blacked out, I'm not entirely sure just by that, but I suggest you eat something and keep warm." Edward smiled softly and Esme released her grip on me just a little.
Emmett headed for my backpack that was dumped on the side of the couch and gave it to me to open. "Do you have food in there? If not, I can get you something from the kitchen." His lips were turned down and his topaz eyes held a small amount of concern.
I wasn't getting out of this. I had to eat something, or they wouldn't let me go.
Just as I started fumbling through the bag, there was a knock at the door. "Rosalie?" The familiar voice called, and I froze.
How had my mother found out that I was at the Cullen's?
She walked into the house without anyone letting her in and stood before me. She saw me perched on Esme's lap and pulled me to my feet, causing my body to sway in sickness. She was wearing 6-inch heels, shades covering her eyes, her blond hair pulled back on the top of her head and a sleek black dress. She had her bag hooked over her arm and began to tap her foot at the site of me. "Sources at the school told me you came here after you finished your lessons. How dare you not resort to me beforehand? I had very important shopping to do and the house needs cleaning. You cannot just venture out. And what do you think you're doing wearing clothes like that to school?"
Waiting for my mother to come up for air, I rocked back on my heels and rubbed at my dizzying eyes. It was hard to concentrate on her when she was talking so fast.
"Mrs.…?" Esme rose to her feet, standing protectively beside me.
"Hale." My mother snapped, lifting her shades for a couple of seconds to look her up and down.
"Mrs. Hale." Esme began, smiling welcoming. "Rosalie was causing no harm here. She is a very polite girl but isn't feeling so well so we were just about to give her something to eat."
"She can eat some celery in the car – we don't need negative excess calories going into you Rosalie. You need to work out in the gym tonight, as well as with your personal trainer." She said disapprovingly, staring at my bulging stomach.
"Yes, ma'am." I whispered. I handed the comforter back to Alice gratefully and stood beside my mother with my backpack in hand. I didn't want to go home with her yet, but I needed to in order to be 'perfect'.
"Rosalie isn't well enough to carry out extensive exercise tonight, Mrs. Hale." Edward disproved.
"What are you?" My mother scoffed. "A doctor?"
"Yes." Edward replied, leaving my mother dumbstruck. "Well, I'm training to be."
She grabbed hold of my wrist and marched me out of the door and down onto the gravel driveway. "I'm so ashamed of you." She muttered under her breath. "Always staging me up. Your father will never find you a suitable husband. Such a disgrace you are to us."
I turned before I got into her car and smiled apologetically at the Cullen's who perched on the doorstep in complete horror. I waved and mouthed a thank you before I was flung back in the seat and my mother turned the car onto the lane.