Chapter 10: Complications
"Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future."
Fulton Oursler
In her 15 years of life, Bella had never felt fear; real pure undiluted fear. Charlie and Renee had always protected her, made her feel safe. Even at times, when her nightmares made her life difficult, she had never felt terror cooling her blood, freezing her, like she did now.
James' blue eyes cut through her like a million icicles. They pierced her soul, but not like Edward's eyes did. When Edward looked at her she felt warmth, happiness and adoration. She felt as if she were protected in a cocoon. Nothing could touch her when Edward was gazing at her, nothing could reach her. James' eyes stripped her bare. She felt like a bug under a microscope, being studied, analyzed. As if he was looking for weaknesses, possible points of attack. It unnerved her deeply.
"Do you know each other?" Alice asked, taking Bella out of her terrified stupor.
"No," James answered quickly. "But you have told me so much about her I almost feel like I do."
A starry-eyedAlice giggled and hugged James' arm tightly.
"You still have to meet Edward. I can't wait for you to meet him too. You'll be best friends from the get go. I just know it." Alice gushed as she continued to gaze at James lovingly, completely oblivious of Bella's discomfort and James' too eager looks towards her friend. Her infatuation with the boy was blinding her usual perceptiveness.
"Oh," Alice suddenly jumped, releasing James from her embrace. She extracted a small cell phone out of her purse and stared at the screen for a few seconds. She immediately looked dejected and sighed.
"It's my dad. I have to take this call. Would you mind keeping Bella company while I talk to him?" She asked James in a breathy voice. She even batted her eyelashes for good measure.
Bella felt bile rising to her throat at the thought of being left alone with James. Even if only for a few seconds. Even in a public space such as the diner. She tried to think of any plausible excuse to explain a sudden departure, but sadly her brain was scared stiff and couldn't react fast enough. Alice was gone before she could find an exit.
James took Alice's seat in the booth, right next to Bella.
Deprived an escape route, Bella sat staring fixedly at her uneaten burger. She gazed at her plate and the ketchup happy faces she had been drawing just minutes before James' arrival. She had been thinking of her meadow, Edward, their immediate future. She had been happy, in spite of her concerns about Carlisle and Esme's talk. Now, she felt as if a cloud had entered the clear skies of her life, keeping the much needed sunrays of hope away.
She couldn't believe Alice could feel happiness around James. She had only just met him and all she wanted was to run away as far away as possible.
"How is Forks treating you Isabella? I heard from Alice that you're new in town. I am too." James interjected, breaking the much welcomed silence Bella had been praying would never end.
"Um…" Bella hesitated. She didn't want to encourage a conversation, not even small talk. However, she also didn't want to be cold towards Alice's would-be boyfriend. If their relationship developed she would be seeing a lot more of him – as undesirable as that thought was for her.
"Cat got your tongue?" James teased
Bella was not amused in the slightest by his comment. Something about James repulsed her and no amount of niceness or jokes on his part was going to erase those feelings from her heart.
She glared at him momentarily before answering, "No, it didn't. I was just thinking of a proper answer. Honestly, Forks isn't much different from where I used to live. Smaller, rainier, greener perhaps, but people are just the same. Some you trust and like, some you find repellent and annoying. It's just a city and I've liked everyone I've known so far." She felt a need to add 'up until now' but refrained. She had been brusque enough as it was.
"You dislike my company," James declared simply.
Bella was left speechless by James' statement. He was very observant, and she couldn't hide her reactions to the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her he was bad news.
"I'm sorry if my answer offended you, or gave you that impression. It wasn't my intention, but I barely know you and I had a bad day yesterday. So please excuse my lack of interest in making small talk," Bella said, trying to use the nicest tone of voice that she could manage. She grabbed a couple of bills from her wallet and placed them on the counter.
"Thanks," she said to her waitress, who had been hovering around a table near her, and rose from her seat. She turned towards James and forced a smile. She didn't like him, but Alice did, she had to at least make an effort to be courteous.
"Bye James, a pleasure to meet you," she lied.
Before James had any time to react she headed for the door as fast as she could without looking like she was running away. She was going to call Edward and let him know she was heading home. He was half an hour late and that could only mean one thing: the conversation between Carlisle and Esme had turned into a fight and he couldn't catch a ride with his dad.
She was standing outside the diner, about to dial Edward's number, when she felt a hand grabbing her arm from behind. She jumped, frightened by the sudden touch, and turned to see whose hand was wrapped around her elbow. A mix of repulsion, anger and a strong urge to flee filled her the moment she realized that the hand belonged to James.
"What are you doing? Let go!" she demanded heatedly while trying to free her arm from James' grip.
"Calling your little boyfriend?" James asked mockingly, but Bella wasn't fooled by his tone. She could see the threat hidden within the depths of his icy eyes.
"None of your business! Now let go of me before I scream!" she answered, trying with all her might to hide how frightened he made her feel. She was quaking inside but she needed to keep it hidden. James couldn't know she found him intimidating.
Mercifully, James let go immediately. However, he didn't leave her alone or stop giving her that weird wintry look that reminded Bella of her worst nightmares.
Bella walked towards the parking lot. She reasoned that given her circumstances maybe it was best to call her dad before she called Edward. She needed to escape from James as fast as she could. Deep down, she knew he couldn't really do anything to her in a public place. But no matter how many times she told herself that, she couldn't make the fear pulsating through her veins stop.
She stopped near the parking lot entry and dialed her dad's cell. Fortunately, he picked up on the first ring and assured her he would be there in a few minutes. Bella sighed in relief knowing her dad was on his way.
Her relief was short-lived.
She felt a presence near her, a dark presence. She turned and found James standing right behind her, giving her that creepy look he had been since the moment he walked into the diner. She felt her patience running thin. No matter how scared he made her, she wasn't about to let him get under her skin like he was trying to.
"Why are you following me?" she snapped at him. "Don't you have a date with Alice? Go wait for her and leave me alone."
He walked in her direction and Bella took a couple of steps back until she found her back against the wall that divided the parking lot from the street. James stopped really close to her, too close for comfort, and said in a low menacing voice, "What if I don't want to?"
A flame of anger ignited inside Bella's heart. How could he make a pass on her when he was there with Alice?
No matter how scared she felt around James there was also a part inside her that wanted to knee him in the groin and wipe that smug expression from his face. That was the part she showed to James.
"Then I'll kick you where it hurts the most and you try to explain to Alice why you're talking like a girl," Bella warned in what she hoped was a menacing tone.
"Aren't you a little spitfire? I like that," James replied, reaching out with his hand to touch Bella's face.
She slapped his hand away and glared at him. No one touched her if she didn't want to be touched. She may not have control over her dream life, she may not have control about many aspects of her life, but she would have control over the basics at least. She wouldn't let this boy scare her into submitting to his petty mind games.
James responded to Bella's glare and defiant attitude with an equally powerful glare of his own. He didn't like to be thwarted and he certainly didn't like to be rejected.
Bella was about to knee him as promised when they both turned in reaction to Alice's voice.
"Bella! James!" Alice yelled at them from the diner entryway. She ran towards them and Bella could see tears running down her face. She felt distraught.
Oh no! Was Alice misinterpreting the closeness between James and me? Would she tell Edward? Would he believe Alice over me?
Bella's throat felt suddenly very dry.
"What is it Alice?" James asked, trying to look innocent. He backed up quickly putting as much distance as possible between him and Bella.
"My Grandma…" Alice wailed.
Bella's heart beat furiously inside her chest, almost as if it wanted to escape from inside her. What could have gone wrong? Was Edward alright?
"What happened to Esme?" Bella asked in a small voice. She was so afraid of the answer she might get.
"She and my grandpa had a fight. I don't know really. She had some sort of fainting fit… I don't know…. A heart attack… My dad wasn't very clear but he'll be here to pick me up in a couple of minutes," Alice replied in a rush.
"Oh my… I'm so sorry Alice. My dad will be here in a couple of minutes too. Can we follow you to the hospital? Please?" Bella pleaded. She had a knot at the pit of her stomach. It was getting heavier and heavier the longer she was away from Edward. She needed to make sure he was alright.
"Of course…" Alice sniffled as James grabbed her, encircling her in his arms. Bella felt sick at that display. She would have a serious talk with Alice about James as soon as she could. A sweet girl like Alice had no place with a creep like James.
Just in that moment a very tall, russet-skinned man parked his pick-up right in front of the teens.
"Dad!" Alice exclaimed in between sobs running towards the tall man.
"Alice," the man almost whispered as he hugged his daughter tightly. Bella could see the love this man felt for his daughter reflected in his eyes and it warmed her heart. Alice had a loving family, and great parents. If nothing else she was sure they would protect her from James at all costs. This soothed her fears to some degree, but not completely.
"Dad what happened? Why is grandma in the hospital?" Alice asked.
"It seems as though she had a rise in her blood pressure. They are monitoring her and taking some samples for tests. I think she had an argument with your grandpa. You know how sensitive she can get at times. Don't worry sweetie, she'll be fine," Alice's father reassured in a soft calm tone. But Bella could see the worry edged in his expression and wasn't convinced that Esme was truly alright.
"Dad, can we take Bella to the hospital with us?" Alice inquired pointing towards her friend. "Her dad is on his way, but she could text him and tell him where we are."
Alice's father's eyes found Bella and he blinked several times, before talking again. He seemed somewhat stunned.
"Bella Swan?" he asked in a hollow voice. When Bella looked at him — really looked at him — she felt a shudder run down her spine. She felt an intense feeling of recognition, almost as strong as the one she felt when she met Edward.
"Yes…" she whispered. Something inside her told her that she could trust this man, like she trusted in her own father. Unlike when she first saw James, she didn't feel threatened by him. She felt protected in his presence. She smiled tentatively at him and he responded with a brilliant smile — the kind you give to friends you haven't seen in a long time.
"Edward asked me to tell you he wanted to see you, but for obvious reasons he couldn't come. Would you like a ride with us to the hospital? We can call your dad on the way there," he said, the smile never faltering from his lips.
"Yes, thank you," Bella replied her voice and smile no longer tentative.
"I'm so sorry for ruining our day James. I hope you understand," Alice addressed the almost forgotten boy standing behind Bella.
James cleared his throat before replying, "Yes, yes, of course… I'll call you to reschedule. Please let me know if you need anything."
Alice smiled warmly before nodding. She already felt so at ease around James and he just seemed nicer and nicer the more she got to know him.
Her father, however, all but glowered at the unknown boy. Jacob Cullen wasn't a big fan of allowing Alice to date so young, but it was more than that. He felt a dark vibe coming from the boy and he didn't trust him one bit.
"Sir…" James said in acknowledgment. He had lost the arrogance he had shown Bella, the minute Jacob arrived. He was acting just as respectful as he had acted around Alice. He even looked a little bit afraid. "I hope your mother feels better soon. I have to go… um… goodbye."
Without any further words James turned on his heels and left, much to Bella's relief.
"Okay, climb up, we need to get going," Alice's father said.
Bella breathed deeply before climbing into the back seat of the truck. She was afraid for Edward and couldn't wait to see him, but she also feared that he might blame her somehow for his mother's state. She hoped with all her might that wasn't the case.
-x-x-x-x-
Edward had been pacing the waiting room for more than an hour. His hair was in a complete state of disarray due to the way he kept raking his fingers through it. He had never been so scared or angry before in his life. Scared for his mother, angry for the lack of control he had over his life.
His whole life had been ruled by nightmares, and just when they seemed a thing of the past they came back. Not only had they come back but there was a whole story, a mystery behind them. A mystery that revolved around a brother he never knew he had and his girlfriend. A girl who very unexpectedly turned out to be related to Bella, the girl he wanted to call his — the only girl he had ever wanted to call his.
It just looked as if his life had been decided long before he was even born. Like he had no say in it, like he was just a passenger in this ride and could do nothing but watch the scenery. He didn't like that feeling one little bit.
They had gotten home and everything was quiet — too quiet.
As Edward had been climbing the stairs to take a shower and change he had heard it, his mother's voice — her irate voice.
"Where have you been Edward?" she fumed from the top of the stairs.
"Not now, Mom," Edward had groaned in annoyance. He was tired of fighting with her and didn't even see the point anymore. He would let his father handle things, just like he had promised he would. If there was someone capable of making his mother see reason, that person was his father.
"Not now? Not now! Is that all you have to say after I've spent a whole morning looking for you? After I walked into your room to find your bed made as if no one even slept on it! Where did you sleep?"
His mother's voice was so loud he was sure people could hear her all the way to Port Angeles.
He was about to respond when his father's voice interrupted him.
"In case you don't remember I came home early this morning to find you passed out drunk in bed. You asked me to check on Edward and I did. After he made his bed, we went out to have breakfast. I didn't think you would mind."
Edward was thankful for his father's calm and for his ability to come up with a reasonable explanation.
Esme had paled at her husbands words and Edward had felt a frisson of hope. He knew his mother respected his father, and would hear his argument in favor of allowing their son to be around Bella. He hoped his father could convince her, or at least twist her arm to accept.
"I… I'm sorry…" she had apologized before going to her room.
"Edward, go to your room," his father had said in a soft but commanding voice.
He had obeyed and locked himself in his bedroom. He had hoped his father would sway his mother's opinion. He had been in high spirits, but it all came crashing down as the yelling began.
He had never heard his father raise his voice, not once, but his mother had been loud enough for them both.
He had heard his mother curse Marie, the Dwyers, the Swans, even Bella. He heard her try to make her point again — this time to his dad — of just how wrong Bella was for him, of how he was too young to know what was good for him.
He decided to finally take his shower after a while, hoping his mother would be calmer by the time he finished. He had been mistaken. It only seemed to get worse with time.
He even heard her threaten to divorce his father and take him away from him, from Forks, from Bella. His heart had accelerated its rhythm in panic. His mother's words causing a lump to form in his throat.
Then he had heard silence, and after that, yelling again, but this time it came from his father.
He had panicked and ran towards his parents' bedroom. The scenario he found could only be part of a bad dream: his father bent over his mother's body, and she lying in bed, obviously unconscious and obviously unwell.
"Call an ambulance," his father had said in a broken voice that betrayed his true state of mind. He had been scared.
Edward had run desperately downstairs, almost tripping twice along the way, and called 911.
It had all happened in a blur. The ambulance came, took his mother and father away. He had to call Jacob to give him the news and ask for a ride to the hospital, since only one person could go with his mom. They had gotten to the emergency room, only to be asked to sit in the waiting room. After a while his brother had started to call people, trying to keep his mind occupied, Edward presumed. He had called Alice too and this had reminded Edward of a very important date he was missing. He had asked Jacob to pass along a message to Bella, who would be in the same diner as Alice. He had asked is brother to explain his no-show, and if possible bring Bella with him to the hospital.
Jacob had given him a dubious look, probably wondering why Edward of all people was thinking of a girl in a moment like this. Luckily, his brother wasn't one to meddle and didn't ask any questions before agreeing to do the favor. When Edward revealed the name of the girl, he had acted a bit weird. Edward had presumed he recognized the last name and linked Bella to Renee, and consequently Marie. For a moment he feared Jacob would give him a speech similar to the one his mother had been trying to pitch, but he didn't. Jacob just turned pensive, and left without further questioning. Edward was very thankful for small mercies.
Since then, he had paced the cold waiting room alone, waiting for any news on his mother. The only thing his father had told Jacob briefly was that she had had a spike of blood pressure, and that they needed more analyses to asses her condition.
"Hi…" he suddenly heard a sweet voice whisper, a sweet voice he had been longing to hear all afternoon.
"Bella," he breathed, turning to face her and gathering her in his arms. Just the warmth of her body was enough to soothe the blazing fear that had been consuming his soul ever since his mother was admitted.
Bella held herself tightly to him, all the dread she had experienced with James back in the diner completely forgotten.
"I needed you so much," Edward whispered directly into her ear. She could hear the pain and fear he was feeling in his voice and it cracked her heart to know that there was nothing more she could do than be there for him. Little did she know, Edward could not have wished for anything else.
"I did too," she said placing a soft kiss on his jaw, letting him know with her actions how much he was loved.
Someone coughed and the little bubble in which they had been living burst, bringing them back to reality.
"Sorry," Edward smiled apologetically at his brother letting Bella go but keeping his fingers entwined with hers.
"Don't worry. I still remember what it was being your age. I understand," Jacob smiled sympathetically. He truly did remember his days back when he was fifteen and he would chase Tanya everywhere. Back then he hadn't even been a blip on her radar, but his persistence had paid off and now she was his wife.
"Any news?" Alice asked warily. She almost feared the answer she would be given, but she needed to know if her grandma would be alright. She was such a young, healthy woman. She had to be alright.
"Nothing yet, I think they are still running tests."
"What happened?" Bella asked timidly. She didn't want to be nosy, but she had been dying to know how Edward's parents talk went all afternoon. It clearly ended in disaster, but she still needed the details.
"I don't know for certain, but from what I heard through the screaming my mom wouldn't budge. She's very stubborn when she wants to be and she even threatened my father with divorce if he didn't change his mind and decide to support her decision."
Alice gasped when she heard Edward's voice. The whole idea of her grandma ever leaving his grandpa seemed ridiculous to her.
"Why would grandma say that? What's going on Edward?"
Edward and Bella shared a brief look, each asking the other if it was okay to share what had transpired since they last saw Alice. It seemed inevitable that after today everyone would find out about Anthony and Marie and how they were still affecting Bella and Edward's lives. It only seemed fair to share what they knew with Alice.
"Is a long story," Edward said, "and we only know parts of it. I'm sure Jacob can fill in some blanks though."
Jacob nodded curtly and answered, "I'll tell you as much as I can. Tell us what happened this morning."
Edward signaled for everyone to take a seat and started his story about the discoveries they had made in the last couple of days.
-x-x-x-x-
"So let me get this straight, grandma hates Bella because her aunt killed Anthony?" Alice inquired.
Edward nodded.
"And Anthony was your biological brother, who they never told you even existed?"
Edward nodded again.
"And Bella also never knew about her aunt Marie or what she had done?"
Bella nodded this time.
"And they both died the same day Edward was born?" Alice continued her line of questioning this time addressing her dad.
"That's right…" he confirmed.
"Actually," Bella interjected, "They both died the day Edward and I were born."
"What?" Jacob asked disconcerted by Bella's words.
"I was also born June 20th. My mother's due day as far as I know was around June 10th. I was actually a little late."
"This is too weird…" Alice said in an awed voice.
"I have to agree with Alice, this is getting stranger by the minute. However, I must let you know I do not agree with my mother. Her actions were exaggerated and ridiculous. I think Dad and I are to blame for that. After Anthony died we were overprotective of her. We did everything in our power to make her happy. We even allowed her to stop therapy way before she had truly gotten over the trauma. I think we should have encouraged her to heal not indulge in her denial. She spent the last fifteen years blaming the Dwyer family when no one was to blame for this tragedy.
"To this day I still believe there's something hidden behind the events of that night. I know for a fact that Anthony wouldn't have abandoned Marie after they got back together. I'm also one-hundred percent sure she didn't return to her old vices. At the time of her death, she was even working as a counselor in an organization that cared for kids that had gone through addictions like she had. Moreover, even if I'm mistaken and she did go back to drugs, I see her killing herself before killing Anthony. She adored him. She wouldn't hurt a hair on his head."
"She hurt him plenty if what Bella's mom said to her is true," Alice cut in.
"They both hurt each other," Jacob replied in a stern tone. "What you fail to see due to your inexperience is that in a relationship there's not a single guilty party. Both ends are to blame for the success or the fail of it. Anthony could have forgiven Marie when she slept that first time with Demetri. If he did she would have stayed away from the drugs, the wild partying, and the alcohol to which Demetri introduced her to later on."
Alice was eager to pipe in to defend her previously unknown uncle's honor, but Jacob held is hand halting her mid sentence.
"Let me finish. I'm not trying to defend Marie, what she did that night was incredibly stupid. She should have stayed and finished that fight there. She should have asked Anthony to clarify the misunderstanding they had. But I knew her well, she was one of my closest friends and I know she was too immature and too insecure to do that. Her mother was the most vicious and cold woman I'd ever met. She filled Marie's head with hate and hurt that she ended up directing towards herself. It doesn't surprise me that at the first bump in the road she would go and do something completely self-destructive. I'm just saying that there's more to their story than you could ever comprehend.
Jacob's words peaked Bella's curiosity about the break-up. She had been wondering what sort of fight had led Marie straight into this Demetri's arms. So she gathered her thoughts and asked the question that had been nagging at her since she first found Marie's diary, "Why did they fight that night?"
Her question had a great effect on Jacob; he grew completely still and turned to look at Edward and Bella, then Alice. He was clearly deciding what he should say and what he should keep to himself.
"Please," Bella pleaded. "I need to know. If they are going to continue to affect our lives we need to know as much as we can."
Jacob felt a pang in his heart. Ever since he met Bella at the diner her eyes reminded him of Marie's. She had been his only friend apart from Anthony and she had been there for him when he had suffered Tanya's many rejections. He couldn't deny the truth to her niece, but he couldn't reveal it to his daughter. Alice had an idea of her mother in her mind that he wasn't ready to shatter.
"Okay I will tell you, but only you two. Let's go to the reception area."
Alice was about to protest but Jacob stopped her on her tracks.
"This doesn't concern you Alice, it's something private that happened between two people that aren't here to defend themselves anymore. So please stay here and come looking for us if your grandpa has any news."
Alice sighed annoyed but decided that she could weasel the secret out of Bella or Edward after things calmed down, so she conceded.
"Fine!" She said sitting back on her chair and crossing her arms in front of her chest like a sulking three year old. Jacob almost expected her to puff out her cheeks like she used to do when she was little and didn't get her way. He adored his daughter but she could be one stubborn little thing when she wanted. Just like her mother, Jacob thought sadly.
Once they were out of Alice's earshot Jacob directed his eyes to the teens who continued to hold hands, never letting go of each other.
"Okay, I will tell you what they fought about, but you have to promise you will never tell this to Alice"
"But wh…" Edward started but was cut short by his brother's severe expression.
"Okay, I promise," he sighed reluctantly. He had never hidden anything from Alice before and he wasn't sure why he had to do start doing that now.
"I promise," Bella agreed, happy that Jacob was going to reveal at least one of the mysteries to them.
"Okay," Jacob said in a weary voice, closing his eyes briefly as if trying to gather his strength. "When we were young, we moved to Forks from New York, as you already know."
Edward and Bella both nodded encouraging Jacob to continue with their silence.
"I was originally from Forks. As you know Edward, my biological father still lives in the reservation where I was born."
This time only Edward nodded.
"My mom, and by that I mean Esme, my adoptive mother, not my biological one. Well, Esme wanted me to reconnect with my roots and she also wanted to live in a small town like she did when she was a kid. When we moved here I quickly made friends with Marie. I met her at La Push beach one of the few times I visited Billy, my biological father. She was all by herself, collecting rocks from the sand and putting them in a bag. I must confess I initially had a crush on her."
Jacob smiled at the memory of a time not so long ago when he had seen what he had thought was an angel; a chestnut-haired, chocolate-eyed angel collecting rocks and sea shells. He had been feeling crushed by his father's indifference towards him and had struck up a conversation with this sweet girl. Before he knew it they had become friends.
"Well long story short, when I met Tanya and Anthony met Marie our relationship was officially labeled as friendship. However, Tanya wasn't as happy with my attentions as Marie was with Anthony's. In fact, she rejected my advances until around the time we turned eighteen."
"Wow, I knew you were a persistent man, but not that persistent," Edward interrupted Jacob's tale.
Jacob smiled warmly and continued, "When you know she's the one you just can't give up. Anyways, Tanya had a serious crush on Anthony, but of course Anthony only saw her as a friend. Anthony was also good friends with another local girl. She moved out long ago from Forks so you don't know her Edward, but she was very beautiful and very kind. This of course never sit well with someone as insecure as Marie, but Anthony was too good and too naïve to see through Tanya's plans."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked perplexed. He had never known Tanya to be conniving or mean-spirited.
"I mean that back then Tanya was a kid, irresponsible, foolish, made lots of mistakes. She had self-esteem issues of her own and used to be a bit wild."
Edward understood at that moment why Jacob had asked Alice to stay behind.
"After a while Tanya's pursuit of Anthony became more obvious. When Anthony wasn't looking she would say things to Marie, hurtful things that made her doubt herself and Anthony's love for her even more than she already did. She never told Anthony and she didn't even tell me until after their separation. She just took it all in.
"One night there was a party at Tanya's place. Neither Anthony nor Marie, nor Anthony's best friend Rosalie wanted to go. But I insisted and insisted because I wanted to. Tanya's parents were out of town and I wanted to go check-up on her. In the end Anthony relented and Rosalie and Marie followed.
"I don't know all the details of what they did that night, all I know is that Marie an Anthony got separated at some point. I was in the living room watching Tanya from afar, checking she wasn't doing anything too dangerous since she was so drunk. After a while Anthony found Tanya and asked her if she had seen Rosalie. He wanted to leave and had promised to take Rosalie and Marie safely home. Marie walked in behind Anthony at that moment, so Anthony didn't see her, but Tanya did. Before he could move or react Tanya grabbed his face between her hands tightly and kissed him — hard."
Edward gaped at Jacob's confession. Tanya had practically ruined Marie's life in a selfish and childish act?
Bella begun to understand why Tanya was so afraid of her, she probably saw her aunt in her and felt guilty. Or maybe Tanya felt haunted by her past wrongdoings.
Jacob carried on with his story, "Marie of course left before Anthony could explain. The rest I know from hearsay and from talks I had with Marie after Anthony moved back to New York. Apparently, Marie went home and Demetri was there. He was almost always there since his father sold drugs in partnership with Marie's father. Also, he had wanted Marie for a long time, so he took advantage of her vulnerability and the fact that she was drunk. Anthony went after Marie and…"
Bella waited patiently for Jacob to continue. This conversation was finally shedding some light into the mystery that was Anthony and Marie. Maybe she could finally figure out what they wanted from Edward and her with this information along with Marie's diary.
Jacob sighed heavily and said, "He caught them in the act and that broke my brother. He came home soaking wet and sobbing that night. I'd never seen him cry before, but that night he was a shell of the boy who left that party after his angry girlfriend. The next day as you know he moved out as far away as he could. For a long time I blamed Marie, and Tanya too, for the loss of my best friend and my only brother. But when Marie sank into depression I offered her my friendship again. Even though I didn't agree with the new company she kept after Anthony left. I tried to be there for her, because I knew that without Anthony and without Renee she didn't have anybody."
Bella felt tears soaking her face. She couldn't begin to imagine what she would feel if she saw Edward kissing another girl, let alone walking in on them doing that.
Edward felt drained and angry at the world, angry at Marie, angry at Tanya, angry at the brother he would never meet. They all had made mistakes and he was paying for them. His mother, Bella, Bella's parents, they all continued to pay for their mistakes.
Before anyone could mull over Jacob's words too much, Alice came looking for them.
"Grandpa wants you," a pale-faced Alice stated.
They all felt anxiety fill their hearts at the prospect of what news awaited them.
A/N Howdy! No, I didn't drop off the face of the Earth...I just had RL-drama-induced Writer's block...Don't worry I'm over it... me thinks...
I would like to thank Rhian0000 not only for Betaing this for me, but just because I flove her... she's one of the best friends I've made in this fandom, and she has earned not only my gratitude but my respect and friendship as well...
Also I would like to thank lemonmartinis , she pre-read this faster than warp speed... Seriously, it was like I said 'engage' and woah I had my chapter back from her... Thank you for all the help guys...
So to overcome my writer's block I wrote A&M's break-up... and I will be posting that it on the main story - meaning here - so that you don't have to put another story on alert...I may need to write more outtakes to put myself in the characters shoes, and I thought WTH some peeps may be interested in them, so why keep them to myself?
So if you get another alert during this week that's the outtake...As you know from this chappie, Marie does CHEAT...if you're like me, and that bothers you, you can skip the outtake. You won't be missing anything that wasn't said in this chapter...
Okay thanks to those who stuck with me during my writer's block...to those who reviewed, recommended, faved, or put this story on alert...
(Hugs)
Ange
PS. I wrote a O/S for a contest, it's smutty so if you are in the mood for that you can find it posted on my profile as well.
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