Chapter 1
A cool mist settled over the town of Forks, its chill biting more deeply than was usual. Winter was just beginning to settle in—the damp November air invading the trailing creeks and tangled roots which encroached upon the town. Forks grew stiller in the cold. Its people and dwindling logging industry fell to a somber quietness as folks hunkered down for the season, content to wait for Spring to return.
The already subdued nature of the town was further suppressed in these circumstances, something which ought to have been uncomfortable, but Bella had hardly noticed. Her disdain for the wet and the cold had been supplanted by something else. Her time in Forks had been meaningful once, but her happiness had been wrenched away. And all that was left in its place was a gnawing emptiness.
Like most days in the previous months, she remained motionless—sunken into her worn chair as she stared out her bedroom window. The first flakes of snow for the season were falling. She absently watched them flurry by, her sluggish mind barely taking notice.
Tuned out to the world as she was, it was a surprise she even noticed the subtle creaking of floorboards from behind her. A knock at her door came soon after, followed by Charlie's weary voice.
"Bells," his muffled voice called out to her. "There's dinner in the kitchen if you're hungry."
In the back of her addled mind, Bella thought it strange that Charlie was offering her food. That seemed a bit backwards. She was supposed to be the cook of the house, not him.
Bella shifted slightly in her chair but continued facing the window. She stared out at the wisps of snow, and she pictured flakes of white in bronze-colored hair. A memory or a fantasy? She wasn't sure which.
Moments went by in silence, but soon her father's footsteps sounded their retreat downstairs. Something about the sound stirred something unpleasant in her stomach. A writhing knot twisted itself deeper as the noise faded.
Try as she might, the gnawing feeling refused to go away. Instead, it drove itself deeper as she pictured the crestfallen face of the man downstairs.
Bella stood from her chair, urging her creaking joints to move as she opened her door. A familiar smell wafted up from below. Billy Black's trademark fish fry was unmistakable, though the slight burnt odor was a bit of a shame.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs the living room came into view. Charlie was watching a football game with a beer in hand, but his slouching posture perked up as soon as he spotted her.
"Hey Bells," he said, gesturing to his empty plate. "There's plenty left if you want some. Billy came by earlier to drop it off."
Unsure of how to respond, Bella merely nodded before entering the kitchen. She grabbed herself a plate and quickly headed back upstairs, returning to stare out her window in silence.
The sun slowly began to set as she gazed outside. The flakes of snow had transformed into a heavy sheet of white at some point, and the flurry battered against her unyielding window with abandon. All the while her plate sat untouched.
Another uneventful day. Empty and void of all meaning. When would it finally end?
The lunchroom was a bustle of activity. Raucous teenage voices filled the place with a level of energy incompatible with Bella's current state. She sat alone, occupying the table once claimed by the Cullens. She stared down at her untouched lunch, ripping and tearing at a piece of bread, busying her hands while her mind was elsewhere.
Movement from the corner of her eye suddenly drew her attention. She looked up to see a young girl with light brown hair—Angela—approaching her table.
"Hey Bella," she said sheepishly, her kind voice barely a whisper above the crowd. "We were all planning to see a movie tonight in Port Angeles." She gestured to the table behind her, where sat Jessica, Mike, and her other friends. "Would you like to join us?"
An unprompted 'no' almost escaped from Bella's lips by habit, but she held it back for a moment. Thoughts of the past two months' monotony gripped her like a vice. Things just couldn't continue like this, and wasn't this a chance to at least try?
Angela shifted uneasily on her feet as Bella marinated in her thoughts.
"…Sure," Bella finally responded, and Angela's face lit up with a smile.
"Great!" she said excitedly. "I'll let them all know you're coming."
She turned and left the table with a skip in her step, and Bella turned back to her tray, wondering what had gotten into her. Finding her contemplations unfruitful, she eventually went back to picking at her food.
.
.
When the final bell rang, Bella went to her truck in the parking lot. Jessica had offered to drive everyone, but it would have been cramped with all of them in one car, and so Bella chose to drive herself.
The old engine roared to life as she cranked it. It was a comforting noise, loud as it was. Something about the hunk of junk spoke to her in a way she couldn't explain. Perhaps because it was hers, or maybe it was due to the rustic aesthetic. She wasn't sure. All she knew was that with her truck in hand she was free to go wherever she so chose, do whatever she wanted to do. It was a comforting thought if nothing else.
The drive to Port Angeles was quiet and peaceful. The trees passing by and the dense fog cover served to lull her into a serene state, her mind falling blissfully empty for once. But as she kept pace with Jessica's car, an odd feeling washed over her.
Bella turned her gaze to the tree line. Its thick greenery along with the relentless mist served to hamper her vision, but something else felt off about the forest.
Shaking her head free of her confusion, she turned her attention back to the road. Her mind must've just been playing tricks on her. Nothing more.
The goosebumps on the back of her neck retreated, and the rest of the drive went by uneventfully.
She lost sight of Jessica's car at a red light as they entered the city. And as she pulled into the movie theater parking lot, the rest of the group had already gotten out of Jessica's car and were talking amongst themselves. Bella parked away from them, and she approached the group just in time to hear the tail end of Lauren's grumbling.
"I don't get why you even invited her," she said.
"Give it a rest already," Angela said, her voice uncharacteristically firm. "She's just been having a hard time."
Eric chimed in, "I mean, she's still our friend, right?"
Lauren scoffed. "Yours maybe."
Bella's shoulders slumped a little at the harsh words. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Lauren never liked her much anyway. And that was before she'd pulled away from them.
Jessica looked like she wanted to say something but seemed conflicted about potentially drawing Lauren's ire. Mike for his part looked to Jessica for her input, but seeing her hesitation kept him docile as well.
The group stared at each other for a few brief moments before Mike's eyes flickered over to where Bella was standing, finally catching notice of her.
Seemingly unaware of her having overheard them, an awkward smile sprouted on his lips and he waved her over.
"Hey Bella, we were just about to head in."
The rest of the group turned their heads to her as she approached, each with subtly different expressions. Angela wore a kind and compassionate smile while Lauren merely frowned slightly and looked away.
Bella steeled herself before walking towards them, trying to forget what she'd overheard.
Jessica broke free of Mike's arm around her shoulders and bounded over to Bella.
"I'm so happy you decided to come," she said excitedly. "I've been dying to see this movie, haven't you?"
The group started walking as Bella responded.
"…Yeah," she said halfheartedly.
Jessica pretended like she didn't notice her lack of enthusiasm. "It's been like so long since the third Harry Potter came out. I've been waiting for this for like a whole year."
"And haven't shut up about it," Mike cut in with a grin.
Jessica rolled her eyes and gave him a playful smack on the arm, causing him to duck away with a laugh.
"You know I'm right," he said, causing Jessica to give chase.
Bella watched the play fighting between the two, confused on how they could act so happy. The feeling seemed so foreign to her now.
She hung back a bit, letting the group walk ahead of her. The tension from before was nowhere to be seen now, and they were all talking and joking amongst themselves. Even Lauren appeared more relaxed, and Bella had the sudden feeling that she was intruding on their fun.
As they reached the line at the concession, Angela looked behind at Bella, falling back to join her.
"You doing okay?" she asked.
Bella hesitated, looking down for a moment before responding. "…I'm fine."
Angela appeared unconvinced, but she didn't call out Bella's lie. "I'm really glad you came. It's not as fun without you with us."
Was that really true? That couldn't possibly be the case. Bella was never the life of the party, and that was before. If anything, she was dragging them down, and Angela was just trying to cheer her up. She appreciated her efforts though, and so she didn't attempt to refute her words. Instead, Bella simply nodded.
The movie consumed the next couple of hours. Bella watched listlessly, mind drifting elsewhere. To ochre eyes and the quiet contentment of months past. Even to those memories which still haunted her, of red eyes and the source of the bite scar on her wrist. Even the past that once traumatized her seemed to call to her, beckoning her to wallow in the misery of what she lost. Of the family that took her in and left her. Of the purpose that was stolen from her and of the love and passion which turned to rot from her abandonment.
This wasn't working. No matter what she did it always came back to the same thing—the haunting beauty of the man who was supposed to be there for her. To fill the hole where her heart should've been.
The movie came to a close and the audience cheered in excitement. Bella wasn't sure why they did, as she'd been spaced out for most of it.
Lauren stood from her seat with a pleased smile on her face, Mike and Jessica following suit. Angela looked over as she stood, and Bella quickly changed her expression to try and match the others.
"That was pretty good, don't you think?" Angela asked her as they exited the theater.
Eric chimed in before Bella could reply. "It wasn't bad, but the book was better."
"Are you kidding?" Jessica asked dumbfoundedly. "Did we even watch the same movie? The book had nothing on this."
Lauren scoffed. "Since when did you even read it?"
Jessica's face twisted a little, but she quickly covered her reaction. "I do so read," she said with her hands on her hips.
"Now, now girls," Mike said with a grin on his face. "No catfights in the parking lot."
The two simultaneously turned their ire to Mike, whose playful grin grew awkward and crooked at the change of circumstance.
The three continued their mild spat with Eric jumping into the fray as well. Angela and Bella stood off to the side, watching the show with equally exasperated looks on their faces.
"They're all such children, I swear."
Bella nodded, feeling a trace of amusement for the first time of the night. That flicker of joy was quickly smothered by what Angela said next.
"You can always come to me you know? I can listen at least, if you ever feel like talking I mean."
She meant well, Bella knew. But she was once again reminded of the burden she was placing on the people she cared about, just like with Charlie.
"Thanks, but I'm okay," she said, failing to believe her own words.
Angela's face fell, but she didn't try again. Just another bit of guilt to add to the growing pile. Next time Bella would just stay home. She'd hurt fewer people that way.
The rest of the group packed it in, and Bella saw them off with a wave before turning to where she'd parked. Streetlights illuminated most of the parking lot. It seemed, however, that she'd picked an unlucky spot. The light positioned over her truck was dark, shattered somehow from the look of it, and the area was cast in shadows.
She walked over to her truck, trying her damnedest not to trip over her own feet as she fumbled around for her keys. Finally finding them in the depths of her pockets, she pulled them out only to lose them as they slipped from her fingers and dropped to the ground. Bella bent over to pick them up, but when she did, a sudden chill washed over her, and the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably.
Bella quickly shot to her feet and looked around. The once crowded parking lot had already dwindled, and there were only one or two people hanging around nearby. She didn't spot anyone close to her, but despite the area being barren, she could feel the distinct presence of someone's eyes on her. The memory of the last time she'd found herself alone in Port Angeles surfaced. But this time there would be no Edward to save her if she got into trouble.
Her breathing grew erratic as panic set in, and she desperately tried to unlock the driver side door, inwardly cursing her earlier decision to park in the back of the lot. After a moment, the door finally swung open. Bella hastily jumped into the vehicle, locking it as she did.
Still panicked, she once again turned her gaze to the outside. There were a few cars parked nearby. A small group of people talked amongst themselves some ways away. But there was nothing else. Nothing to be scared of at least, save for the shadows.
Bella placed a hand on her chest and heaved a sigh of relief. It was just her mind playing tricks on her. Just like it'd done earlier.
"You're okay. There's nothing to worry about," she told herself.
But just as her heart finally settled, a slight shifting of movement broke her calm. Her chest suddenly seized as two deep crimson eyes appeared in the darkness to her right. A predatory yet feminine voice followed.
"I wouldn't say nothing," the shrouded figure said, a purr emanating from her chest as she spoke.
A shrill shriek erupted from Bella's throat but was instantly cut off. Cold fingers wrapped around her jaw in a vice grip, holding her completely helpless.
"Shh. You don't need to be afraid," the woman said. "Not yet at least."
Bella strained her eyes as she desperately tried to pull away. But then they finally began to focus, and her vision slowly cleared as fiery orange curls came into view, framing a face she easily recognized. One of the two which haunted her nightmares.
Strangled sobs escaped her at the sight. Victoria continued to shush her, her voice almost soothing as she did.
"Come now Bella. You know that won't help," she said.
Her tone was light and kind, but her eyes betrayed the amusement she felt at Bella's predicament.
Bella's resistance faded as her efforts bore no fruit. She slumped into her seat, watching Victoria as the tears built up in her eyes.
A slight grin grew on the vampire's face. "That's more like it. I'm going to let go of you now, and when I do, do you promise not to scream again? You won't like what happens next if you do."
Another whimper escaped her, but Bella did her best to nod. As promised, Victoria released her grip, leaning in a little closer to her as she did.
The primal glee in Victoria's eyes was all too obvious as Bella shrunk back, like a cat toying with a mouse.
"W-what do you want from me?"
Victoria chuckled at this, playfully curling a finger to her lips. "Revenge, what else? My companion is dead because of you after all."
Her words would be laughable if they weren't so cruel. They both knew James had brought his fate upon himself, but Bella doubted the redhead cared for that distinction. Or perhaps she just wanted an excuse to toy with her. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought, one that seemed more and more likely as she considered it.
"And seeing as how your precious Cullens care oh so much about you, I'd say this is two birds with one stone, no?"
Bella listened dumbfoundedly to Victoria's words. Her fear slightly diminished as she let out a sudden hollow chuckle. The sound was in such contrast to the sheer terror from the instant prior that Victoria was clearly taken aback.
"…Is something about this amusing to you?" she asked, irritation leaking into her tone.
The fear returned and anxiety gripped Bella's chest. Only, this time, Victoria wasn't the only source of it.
Bella looked down, tears falling from her cheeks. "You're mistaken," she said, heart breaking as she did. "They don't care about me. They left me behind. He left me alone."
Victoria let out an indignant snort and grabbed Bella by the hair, pulling her up and causing her to squeak in pain.
"I was wondering why they weren't around. No one to protect you besides those irritable pups."
Bella wasn't sure what the vampire was talking about, but she clearly didn't care to elaborate.
"But to think they'd just abandon their precious human. Ridiculous." Victoria stared into Bella's eyes with a fury building behind them. "You expect me to believe that? That golden boy of theirs couldn't keep his eyes off you before."
"Argh!" Bella groaned in pain as Victoria pulled her higher.
"If you think I'll let you off easy, you don't know my kind as well as I thought."
The vampire's cruel words struck a chord with her. Victoria was right, she didn't know them. She was never really a part of their world. Just a distraction, or worse, a pet.
Bella looked upwards, her tears continuing to fall in unbroken streams, but her sobs finally broke. She looked back down to Victoria, the hollow cavern in her heart growing achingly deeper.
"Please, just kill me already."
Victoria flinched backwards; a movement so slight that Bella missed it.
"…What did you say?" she asked, unconsciously loosening her grip as she did.
The vampire's expression was entirely unreadable now. The intense fury behind her eyes had faded, replaced with something akin to surprise, or perhaps confusion. Bella wasn't sure which, not that it mattered.
Bella looked into Victoria's eyes through blurred vision. "I… I don't want this anymore." She broke eye contact before continuing. "It hurts too much…"
Silence fell between them after Bella's words. Both remained perfectly still. Victoria was lost in thought, expression locked into that same indiscernible state whilst Bella awaited her response.
The cold fingers gripping Bella's scalp then twitched, followed by Victoria pulling her hand away entirely. She then settled back into the passenger seat as she turned to stare out the windshield with furrowed brows.
Bella let out a shuddering breath. "Why?" she asked. "Don't you want to?"
Victoria let out a snarl, baring her teeth. "Shut up!" she ordered.
Bella flinched back into her seat—eyes wide as the vampire's piercing red eyes glared at her.
The truck fell silent again. Victoria turned away, chewing her bottom lip in apparent frustration.
Her behavior made little sense to Bella. She must've been stalking her for a while, waiting for this very moment. And she clearly wanted to kill her a moment ago. So then why had she stopped, right when Bella was ready for it? Perhaps she was unsatisfied, hoping that Bella would scream and protest and beg for her life. She wouldn't put it past the woman. Not if she was anything like James, filming his torture of her for Edward's future torment.
Bella watched her with bated breath. Unlike the Cullens, Victoria didn't seem to care about hiding her inhumanity. They had moved with inhuman grace, yes, but they made it a point to fidget around to mimic human behavior. Victoria did no such thing. She sat there, in the passenger seat of Bella's own truck, utterly still. And Bella couldn't help but compare the woman to that of a Greek statue. Perfectly sculpted. Beautiful and wild—her ferocious countenance almost feline rather than human.
That stillness was broken when her lips curled upwards into a smirk. "You want to stop hurting, right?" she asked in a sultry tone.
Victoria moved back to Bella again, cornering her with her arms as she closed in, mere inches away. Bella's breath caught at the sudden proximity. The scent of pine and sandalwood assaulted her nostrils, filling her lungs with a pleasant earthy smell that dulled her senses.
"I can make it stop. If that's what you really want?"
Bella hesitated, uncertain of what Victoria was planning. But after a moment she gave a stiff nod.
Victoria chuckled. "There is another way though. Tell me Bella, would you like to be a vampire?"
A shock struck Bella's mind as she struggled to process the vampire's words. "W-what?"
She laughed again, tilting her head in a playful manner. "You heard me. I can make it all go away if you want."
Was she being serious? Bella stared into her eyes, attempting to discern the truth. She seemed more amused than anything else, though Bella had little doubt the vampire was toying with her. A glimmer of hope wormed its way into her heart regardless. Edward hadn't just taken the Cullens with him when he left. He'd taken her chance at immortality, at becoming truly special like they were. Maybe if she were like them they wouldn't have abandoned her. Perhaps then they'd take her back?
Bella's eyes lit up with hope. "Why would you offer me that?" she asked.
Victoria's eyes narrowed slightly, as if in recognition of the desperation in Bella's voice. "Don't you think it would be fitting? If I turned the one he tried so hard to keep human?"
There it was. It was a smaller revenge than perhaps Victoria originally wanted, but a revenge nonetheless. Bella was sure it'd work too. Edward would be furious. He'd tried so desperately to save her 'soul', so much so that he'd completely disregarded her wants and desires. If that was all there was to it, Bella would happily accept the consequences. But the gleam of cruelty in Victoria's eyes told a different story.
"There is one condition," she said. "You'll adopt my diet, not theirs."
Bella recoiled backwards, fully understanding the implications of Victoria's words. "No," she replied, shaking her head. "I can't."
Victoria snorted before cupping Bella's cheek. She moved even closer, inching her lips towards the base of her neck.
"It's not so bad," she said in a low tone, voice purring. "Once you have a taste, you won't even want to go back."
"No!" Bella screamed and a cold hand clamped itself over her lips.
"I thought I told you to keep quiet," Victoria said before moving back to her previous distance. "I'm not going to force you. There'd be no point in that."
She released Bella, who started coughing from exertion. "I don't understand," she said.
"Hpmh. You haven't seen what newborns are like then. Dealing with them normally is already a hassle, but I've a feeling you'd be especially impossible if I forced you into it."
"…I still don't understand. Are you going to kill me then?" Bella asked, her nerves fried from this back and forth.
Victoria moved back, relaxing in the passenger seat again. "Now wouldn't that be a waste?" She paused for a moment. "No, I'm sure you'll change your mind."
Bella watched as she opened the door, moving to exit the truck before stopping. "You'll be seeing me around. Don't try and go running off, got it?"
Bella didn't miss the threat in her words, and so she frantically nodded.
As if pleased with herself, Victoria gave her a quick smirk before shutting the door behind her and disappearing into the dark.
After waiting nearly a minute to make sure the vampire was gone, Bella finally released the breath she'd been holding. Her head dropped and she buried her face in her hands. Wells of emotion stirred violently in her chest. Victoria had appeared so suddenly and disappeared just as quickly, leaving her mind in a state of complete disarray. Her tears still stained her cheeks, but no more threatened to emerge, the chaos of her mental state lulling her back into the apathy she'd become all too familiar with. Even the threat of death only served to break her from her state for a short time. If anything, death would've been a welcome reprieve. If only Victoria hadn't changed her mind.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Bella jerked her head upwards. Had she really fallen so far? Had the Cullens' abandonment broken her down so badly, to the point where she'd completely given up? If she were truly honest with herself, she knew that wasn't the case—that she'd believed in the back of her mind that Edward would return to save her from herself.
That was merely a delusion.
When it mattered the most—when her very life was at stake—he wasn't there for her. Nor was Alice, who'd called her a sister. What a family the Cullens turned out to be.
Bella shook her head. No, that wasn't right. They weren't wrong for leaving her. She just wasn't good enough for them. They were all utterly perfect, and she… she was just Bella. A normal human girl. The real delusion was that she believed they cared about her at all to begin with.
But what if she weren't normal?
Victoria's offer replayed in her mind again and again. Bella still didn't understand her motivations. If she wanted revenge on Edward, why would she offer to turn her; why when he no longer cared about her? And why… why on Earth did it still sound so tempting, even with the condition she gave? She must truly be horrible for the thought to even cross her mind.
Bella's thoughts continued to spiral deeper and deeper into self-deprecation, and her heart grew heavier with each and every one. For nearly an hour she sat alone, marinating in her thoughts before, finally, she heaved the deepest sigh of her life.
Reaching for her keys, she turned the ignition to her truck. Its wild engine roared to life, as if eager to be driven, in stark contrast with the seemingly lifeless girl at the wheel. With a heavy heart, she pulled out of the parking lot and headed back home.
Bella's neighborhood was shrouded in darkness when she arrived home. The night was moonless, and the stars were hidden behind the overcast skies. Only the occasional streetlight served to ward off the encroaching shadows, painting a way forward towards her home. Over to where Charlie's cruiser was already parked in the driveway.
"Shit," she cursed.
It had completely slipped her mind to tell Charlie she'd be home late. Normally it wouldn't have mattered so much—they were both pretty independent—but it was already nearing midnight. Even Charlie would have something to say about the time she was sure.
With a defeated sigh, she pulled up beside the cruiser, exiting her truck and walking up to the front door. But right as she started reaching for her keys the door opened on its own.
Bella looked up to meet the most stern expression Charlie had ever shown her, and her heart sunk.
"Where have you been?" he asked, voice even and deceptively calm.
"Um…" she hesitated. Thoughts of Victoria flashed in her mind again, but she shook her head to clear them away. "I was at the movies in Port Angeles. Angela invited me."
Charlie's eyes narrowed, but he moved aside to let Bella in, shutting the door behind her.
He spoke again with firmness in his tone. "Care to tell me when the movie ended?"
The question was simple, but the trap in it was apparent. It wasn't her father Charlie who'd asked it, but cop Charlie interrogating her like she had something to hide. Which, of course, she did.
Bella shrunk back under his examining gaze. "…A couple of hours ago," she said, deciding to tell the truth. She knew he was likely to follow up on her story with Angela's parents, so she'd only be digging herself deeper if she lied now.
"Then why are you only getting home now? And why didn't you call me to let me know you were going somewhere?" He continually questioned her, growing louder as he spoke. "I've been worried sick about you."
A spark of irritation ignited within Bella. All of the emotion that had been building over the past couple of months was threatening to erupt, and it was all she could do to keep her voice steady.
"I'm not a kid anymore," she said, glaring back at him. "I don't have to tell you where I'm going."
Charlie's face lit up with an intensity she'd never seen from him before, and she immediately regretted her words.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" he asked loudly.
Bella began to reply, but he quickly cut her off.
"No, you have no idea. You could've been dead in a ditch somewhere for all I know. With how you've been acting I wouldn't have even been surprised, so yes, of course I expect you to tell me where you're going. Or, at the very least that you'll be home late. Just what were you thinking?"
Charlie's accusation finally broke the dam holding her built-up emotions back.
"I don't owe you an explanation!" she raised her voice, all semblance of rationality retreating from her mind.
After all this time—all the way back to when she'd learned of the supernatural—she'd been forced to hold it all in. Forced to keep secret the trauma she went through. And the only ones she could talk to about it had left, completely abandoning her.
She had no one. Not a single person she could lean on about her pain. Charlie least of all, since informing him of their world would only put him at risk. And so all the pain which she'd balled up and suppressed, that she'd tucked away securely in her heart, finally burst out.
"You don't understand anything!" she screamed. Her throat strained in protest, but she raised her voice further. "What do I care if I end up in some ditch? It'd be better than living like this!"
Charlie's eyes widened with shock. "Bells…" he trailed off, unsure for a moment before his face grew stern again. "That's it. You're grounded, and I'm taking away the truck."
The anger in Bella's eyes turned to rage, tears building up as she struggled to hold them back.
"So now you want to keep me locked up here? I thought you wanted me to hang out with my friends again," she said. Her breathing was rough and unsteady at this point, her chest heaving with effort.
Charlie didn't give in to her provocation. "I'll take you to and from school from now on. You'll get your truck back when you graduate."
Sobs threatened to break free from Bella's throat, but she refused to let Charlie see her so weak, and so she turned and stormed up the stairs. She didn't turn back to look at her father, and so she didn't see his expression, brows drooping and filled with regret.
.
.
Bella arrived in her room and slammed the door. She collapsed on her bed, finally heaving out desperate sobs as she tried and failed to reign in her emotions. It was all spilling out now, and she couldn't seem to stop it.
In the midst of her crying there was a sudden ringing sound. She turned to the cellphone by her bed, plugged in and untouched where it'd been since September. She let it ring, choosing to ignore it as she wallowed in her misery. The sound fell quiet after several seconds.
Several minutes passed like this, and it seemed her body was finally running on empty. An agonizing numbness slowly tried to settle in. The same emptiness that had been haunting her for so long. But before it could fully take hold, her cellphone began to ring once again.
She hovered over it for a few brief moments, unsure of whether to answer or not. In the end—perhaps on a whim—she picked it up and flipped it open.
"Hello?" she answered dully. Even to her, her voice sounded empty and defeated.
"…"
Silence echoed on the other end. Bella pulled the phone from her ear to look at the screen in confusion, but it was definitely connected.
Putting it back to her ear she spoke again. "Who is this?"
A few more seconds passed, and right when she decided to hang up, the stranger broke the silence.
"Bella?" An achingly familiar voice spoke. "Bella, are you alright?"
Bella's chest constricted tightly, and she gasped for air as she gripped desperately at her heart.
The voice on the other end grew slightly more desperate. "Please tell me you're alright. She didn't hurt you, right?"
Bella opened and closed her mouth, struggling to respond until, finally, she willed herself to speak. "A-…Alice? Is that you?"
"Yes, now please tell me you're okay," Alice said. Her voice sounded strained, like she was upset over something. "I need to know that you're safe."
Despite the utter shock of the situation, of hearing a voice she'd never thought to hear again, Bella couldn't help but recoil from the absurdity of Alice's assertion. She scoffed, resentment flooding her voice. "Safe? You want to make sure I'm safe, after you left without even saying goodbye?"
"I-…" Alice hesitated, seemingly unsure of herself—a rarity for the pixie. "I'm sorry. I just saw Victoria and I thought…"
"You thought what?" Bella asked, though she had a feeling she already knew.
"…I'm sorry, I didn't see her until it was too late. She must've found a way around my visions. I would never have left if I thought she was going to come after you."
Bella tightened her grip on her phone, her knuckles growing white as indignation flooded her mind.
"You…" Bella struggled to find the words as she gritted her teeth. "How dare you? None of you even said goodbye. Not even you." Bella's breathing grew unsteady as she continued. "Don't pretend like you care about me."
"But Edward-"
"No, you do not get to use him to justify it. What he did was bad enough, but you? Weren't you supposed to be my sister?"
"Bella-"
"I'm just a pathetic human though, right? I was so stupid for ever believing you were my family."
"Bella!" Alice raised her voice, and only then did Bella realize how faint she felt. "Breathe. Just breathe, okay?"
Bella did as she was told and focused on steadying her breathing to a normal rhythm. After a few moments she finally started to calm down, and the prickles across her skin receded back in step with her falling panic.
"You're okay, alright?" Alice said. "Look, you can yell at me as much as you want later. Lord knows I deserve it. But please, try and stay in one place until then."
"What do you mean?" Bella asked, slowly comprehending Alice's words.
"Jasper and I are on our way back right now. We should be in town by tomorrow, so I need you to stay safe until then."
Bella's panic began to rise again as she thought of an unnerving possibility. "…Does Edward know?"
"No, I haven't told him. The others don't know yet either."
She breathed out a deep sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "Don't tell him. Or the others."
"I-…" Alice hesitated again. "I get Edward, but at least let me tell Carlisle. He should know about this."
"Absolutely not."
"But-"
"I said no." Bella's voice kept firm. "I don't blame Jasper for leaving. He couldn't help what happened. And you can at least say you needed to go with him when he went. But the others? They chose to leave when they didn't have to. I don't want to see them. I barely want to see you."
Bella bit out that last sentence with such ire that she could almost feel Alice's flinch from the other end.
"…Okay, Jasper and I should be enough to handle-" the line suddenly went quiet.
"Alice?" Bella asked. She checked her phone, only to see she was still connected. "Alice, are you still there?"
Another moment went by in silence, and then…
"Bella!" Alice raised her voice in a panic.
Bella sat up straight, confused at what had gotten into her. "What's wrong?"
"I need you to listen quickly, okay? Please, don't trust a word she says. She's just trying to use you to get to Edward. We're heading there as quickly as we can."
"I don't understand," Bella said, furrowing her brows in confusion. "What are you-"
A sudden rasping noise startled her from the conversation. Movement shuffled around in the corner of her eyes. Alice's voice came from the phone again, but Bella didn't hear it. Instead, she turned her gaze towards her bedroom window, locking eyes with crimson irises just on the other side.