'Elena, we have a slight problem.' Caroline said.
She and Matt approached me a few days after Abby was turned.
'What is it?'
I thought it was news about Bonnie and Abby.
'Well...' Caroline turned to Matt and glared at him; Matt looked at his feet. 'Rosalie knows about you and Bella being sisters.'
'What?!'
'I'm sorry, Elena.' Matt groaned. 'I blurted it out in frustration; Rosalie was going on and on about how you and Bella hanging out is weird-'
'She's not entirely wrong.' Caroline muttered.
'What do you mean?'
I turned to face Caroline, too, wanting her to explain herself.
'Well, as far as Rosalie knew, Elena hates Bella, and she and Jeremy are only her friends.'
'You were the one who-'
'Elena, Elena, calm down.' Caroline took hold of my shoulders. 'I'm just telling you how it looks.'
'Well, Rosalie needs to get over herself!'I felt myself shouting.
'Should we tell the adults?' Caroline asked. 'What if Rosalie tells someone?'
'I'll talk to Damon-'
'Wait.' Matt said quickly. 'Damon might make this worse-'
'Just because you guys don't like Damon-'
'We don't know exactly what she knows,' Caroline sighed, 'I mean, what if Bella told Rosalie?'
'Bella would have mentioned it.'
'Maybe, maybe not. I'll talk to her.'
You don't have to be so arrogant about it. I thought as I glanced reproachfully at her.
Caroline didn't need to throw the fact that Bella liked her more to my face.
'No, I'll talk to her.'
'No, I know how to talk to her.'
'And I don't?!'
Caroline started to say something but closed her mouth and nodded.
'Just be cautious, and you should just tell Bella. It'd be a step in the right with your relationship with her.'
'What changed between you two?' Matt asked.
'Bella had a bad dream about me.'
Caroline raised an eyebrow. 'What was it about?' She asked.
'I don't know, she never told me.'
I thought back to that night we met outside our houses; she looked terrified.
She was like a little kid who finds their parents after they get lost in a store.
'Could it be another memory?' I heard Caroline ask.
'What could have triggered it?' Asked Matt.
'She met Isobel's father.' I said quietly.
'Maybe that's what triggered her.' Caroline muttered. 'What did Mr. Saltzman say about him?'
'I didn't mention it to him.'
'Why?'
'With everything that's been going on, it slipped my mind.'
I consciously decided not to spill the beans to Alaric about Isobel's father, and I also held back from telling Bella about the info Meredith confided in me about him.
It wouldn't be good for Bella to find out that Isobel had taken out a restraining order against him twice, considering all the stress and anxiety she's already dealing with because of Alaric.
I worry about her.
'Rosalie, please call me as soon as you see this message.'
"Hey, what's going on between you and Rosalie?" Gran inquired worriedly, noticing my preoccupied expression.
"I'm not sure. We haven't talked in days," I confessed, feeling concerned.
"S he came by the other day asking for you; I mentioned that
you were with Elena," Gran revealed, her furrowed brow showing unease.
"I never told her about Elena and me," I admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt.
"You never told her?!" Gran exclaimed, surprise and disapproval evident in her tone.
The question took me aback.
Had I made a mistake by not confiding in Rosalie?
"Should I have told her?" I questioned, feeling torn.
"She's your best friend; she deserves to know," Gran pointed out, her voice indicating her belief in honesty.
"But it's also Elena's secret," I pointed out, attempting to justify my silence.
"Elena has already told her friends," Gran countered, sensing my hesitation.
"All my other friends are gone; they've either moved away, don't consider me a friend anymore, or have passed away," I sighed, feeling the weight of isolation.
"You should tell her," Gran advised, her concern for Rosalie and me evident.
"Tell her everything?" I wondered, feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of revealing everything.
"Well, maybe leave out the part about the vampire cult," Gran suggested, trying to lighten the heavy mood with humor.
"Of course," I agreed, realizing the validity of her point.
Just then, my phone started ringing, breaking the solemn silence that had descended upon the room.
Speak of the devil.
"Rosalie, I was just thinking about you," I greeted, attempting to sound casual despite my internal turmoil.
"Were you really?" came the response, laced with a hint of skepticism.
"We need to have a conversation," I insisted, knowing I couldn't continue avoiding the inevitable discussion.
"Let's meet at your house," she suggested, her location indicating the gravity of the impending conversation.
Rosalie and her cousin, Dr. Meredith Fell, stood on the doorstep of Bella's house, the wooden porch creaking slightly under their weight.
Rosalie was pacing back and for th, her agitation palpab le in the air, much to the annoy ance of her cousin.
"Rosie, would you just relax? You're making me dizzy," Dr . Fell said, trying to calm her down.
"I just have this feeling that she's hiding something," Rosalie responded, her frustration evident in her voice.
Dr. Fell put a comforting hand on Rosalie's shoulder. "You've only known her for a few months; she's entitled to keep some things to herself. Do you ever tell her everything about your life? " Rosalie turned away, her expression conflicted, and Dr. Fell sighed. "Give your friend a chance to explain herself."
"Fine. I'll let her explain," Rosalie conceded, her tension easing slightly.
The door opened, and Bella Swan appeared, dressed in a long-sleeved brown shirt and blue jeans. Rosalie recalled Bella mentioning that brown was her safe color.
"Bella, we need to talk," Rosalie said, her tone serious.
'Rosalie. Dr. Fell?' Bella choked.
'Wait, you're Rosie's friend?!'
'You two know each other?'
'She was my doctor.'
'How do you guys know each other?'
'We're cousins.'
'You're Rosalie's source.' Bella said with a grin.
'Bella, we need to talk.'
"Yes, we do. Come in, would you like to come in, Dr. Fell?" Bella offered, gesturing towards the open doorway.
Dr. Fell shook her head. "No, I have some business to tend to in the neighborhood. Call me when you're ready," she said before leaving.
As Rosalie stomped inside, Bella shut the door behind her with a soft click.
"Rosalie, I'm a bad friend," Bella confessed, her voice tinged with guilt.
Rosalie whirled around to face her friend, Isabella Swan, her eyes searching for answers. "How so?"
Bella ran her fingers through her hair and motioned for Rosalie to sit down. "You're going to want to sit down for
this one."
Rosalie hesitated momentarily before sitting on the couch, her curiosity piqued. "Well?"
"We need to talk," Bella said, her expression somber.
"About?" Rosalie inquired, her heart racing with anticipation.
"Isobel," Bella said solemnly, causing Rosalie to hold her breath.
"I'm listening," she replied, ready to listen to whatever Bella revealed.