Chapter 55: ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғɪᴠᴇ

CHAPTER FIVE

ʀᴏsᴀʟɪᴇ

It took days for Bella's anger and relentless perseverance to settle down. Days in which we- the Cullens and I- were all on edge, skirting around her like fish from a bear. For being vampires, it seemed that Bella and her fragile feelings were what we were afraid of. And the more I thought about it, the more I understood her point of view.

Victoria was undoubtedly back, playing at her same old games of hunting the dear one to the man who'd killed her own partner, if James could even be called that. There had been many nights, when Edward and his family were far off, that Bella woke with screams, heart-wrenching wails that broke her tiny body. Both the agony of losing Edward and the fear of death at Victoria's teeth had dwindled her into nothing more than a shell of what she'd once been.

That fear, of which was directed at Charlie and the Cullen's, was returning again, creeping up on us all in short bursts of wavering shivers. But Edward was here this time. Her anchor. The piece that completed her existence, making it whole again. Those dark days would not be repeated again.

But Bella was not afraid to express her disdain. She was certainly not hesitant in sitting us around the Cullens' dining table again, mapping out her plan, which according to her, was the only way, the right way, to get rid of the redhead problem, as Emmett had sensibly named it.

"There are seven of us, Bella. And with Alice on our side, I don't think Victoria's going to catch us off guard. I think it's important, for Charlie's sake, that we stick with the original plan," Carlisle said, rebuking her want to be changed.

Her desire to become one of us had not quietened. If anything, it had become louder until it was presumably all that filled her thoughts and dreams. I imagined Edward had begun to feel blessed by the fact her thoughts were out of reach for him, and certainly not for sale on her behalf. To be able to hear it all, the deep craving of the change, battling against his own self-contempt would surely drive him mad.

Esme wandered over to her, placing an endearing hand on her cheek. Bella frowned, already knowing what the action meant. "We'd never allow anything to happen to you, sweetheart. You know that. Please don't be anxious," said Esme.

There was quiet for a moment. A vivid silence respected by all. But, of course, it was Emmett who broke it with his deep, booming voice.

"I'm really glad Edward didn't kill you. Everything's so much more fun with you around," he said.

It was funny how almost every word that Emmet said could come across as insincere or sarcastic. That was, of course, if they'd come from any mouth but his. It was impossible, despite his intimidating structure and severe bluntness, for him to sound anything but light and affectionate.

Beside me, Alice pouted, noticing Bella's bleak appearance. "I'm offended. You're not honestly worried about this, are you?"

"Choose your answer wisely," I said. Alice was quite terrifying when outraged. She sent a glare my way.

Bella paused, a scowl forming on her face. "If it's no big deal, then why did Edward drag me to Florida?"

"Haven't you noticed yet, Bella, that Edward is just the teeniest bit prone to overreacting?"

Bella frowned, but said no more, leaving with Edward only ten minutes after. It was then, that Rosalie seemed to finally relax, letting her shoulders drop and the scowl on her face calm into a peacefulness that was only expressed within the walls of her house. She came to stand at my side by the window.

"In the end, I'd hope you'd be on my side, knowing how much you hate this way of being. Just like I do," she said lowly.

"Partners against the enemy?" I said, repeating what she'd said only days ago.

She let herself smile slightly. "Exactly."

But I shook my head. "But Bella isn't the enemy."

The look on Rosalie's face said she thought otherwise.

"You would let her do it? Let her ruin the last chance she had of being normal- of being human?" Concern seeped through Rose's words- a concern that she did not want to feel. Before I could say anything, she cut in. "Your decision has nothing to do with being with Alice. Her opinion shouldn't influence yours."

"Rosalie, you know I would defend you. But not for this. This is how I feel. I would never choose to have this life over any other. If I could have stopped my changing I would have. But that doesn't mean I get to stop Bella from doing it," I said. "Despite the bad, this life has brought me good, just as it has done for you."

The morning after, Edward left Bella's care in the hands of his sisters as he left to hunt with Emmett and Jasper. Carlisle was at the hospital, and unsurprisingly Rosalie was absent, dragging Esme along with her to visit Port Angeles before it would get too busy. Bella, of course, despised the act of us babysitting her, and that was exactly what we were asked to do: not to let her out of our reach, to keep her away from La Push and to keep an eye and ear out for Victoria.

"We're staying close to home to hunt. I'll only be fifteen minutes away if you need me. I'll keep an eye out for trouble," Alice said as Bella shut the car door behind her, the Newtons' shop door only a few steps away.

Bella sulked, staring straight past her. "I assume you're going too?" she said bitterly, crossing her arms. "Wherever Alice goes, you're always a step behind these days."

There were perfect conditions for hunting. It had only just rained the evening before, and the sun was peeking out from behind thick, bloated clouds, warming the ground enough that it hadn't frosted over.

I had that sickening type of hunger that only festered when I was restless, or in other words annoyed by some event or word that wouldn't leave my mind. Alice noticed, slowing her pace, stopping me with a sudden hand on my arm.

"Hey, you alright?"

I nodded dismissively. "Yeah. Just thinking about what Bella said."

"Don't let it bother you, she's just projecting her anger," Alice said, rubbing a comforting arm over across my shoulder. I was too distracted to notice the shivers that laced up and down my spine.

"That's not the point. After all I've done, it just feels she's getting further away."

Her two-line dig at me had been unwarranted. I couldn't help but feel it was more than just a comment on our closeness. Bella was bitter, I knew, but that was by no fault of mine. It had been me, after all, who stayed by her window night on end, nerves on edge, searching for Victoria. Rosalie's earlier comment about Alice's influence over me certainly didn't help my agitation.

"She wasn't wrong though. We're as close as anything."

"That wasn't what she meant though, was it?"

"You can't know that," Alice said, shaking her head.

"I'm not a puppy that follows after you," I said, taking my arm from her hand, striding further into the woods.

"I know you're not."

"But that's what she was insinuating!"

"You're being absurd," Alice snapped with a scowl, taking my hand in hers so I was forced to look at her. "You're my other half. The Romeo to my Juliet."

I glanced away. "They die in the end."

"Fine. The moon to my sun."

"They cross paths only on special dates, like an eclipse."

"Stop ruining my poeticness!" Alice shouted, letting her sweet voice break through the cold air.

"Then pick better examples."

Alice smirked, pulling me forward. "Oh, I'm sure you can come up with one."

It was awkward, those exchanging of words. Like we were reading the script to one of those teen dramas that were drugged with cliches, watched through rose-tinted glasses. But in the end, it was true. I understood what Alice was trying to say. I was her equal, not her follower.

"Like the waves and the sand, always moving but never apart," I said, making her shoulders relax in relief, a content smile warming her blanched face.

"How romantic," Alice chimed.

"You're good," I said.

"I know. You'll have to be more specific."

I stepped forward, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck, letting my fingers trail against the curled edges of her hair. I was taking the initiative for once, taking control. Alice grinned.

"At distracting me," I answered, before bringing her lips to mine.

I loved Alice's kisses. They were sweet and passionate all at once, drawing me in and out like the peaceful lull of the ocean.

"You're good," she said as she pulled away.

"I wonder what at," I said, with a grin, noticing how she gazed at my lips.

"At kissing me."

☾

This weeks chapter took a little longer as I had another set of A level mocks that I had to cram for (ugh) even though we had them before the holidays too. But here we are. Thanks for reading!