Chapter 45

The sky was clear and there were no clouds. It was a complete miracle that the sky was clear in Forks and we took advantage of it. The family had gone out hunting together and that was truly a sight to behold. Thank god there were enough deer to hold us all over or we would have eaten each other.

Once our family hunt was over, Edward and I had split from the group. We went to our little clearing. So, here we were. I was sprawled out on the grass and Edward was next to me. His eyes were closed and so I was left to stare at the sky.

So much has gone by, so many little and big things have happened to us. Good and bad, but now, here we are. Exactly like we were when we were in high school, loving every moment of being together. Something we can rarely do alone.

I let my mind wander to the situation with Charlie. It had been eight days now since I talked to him. Of course I had Jacob give me daily reports of how he was doing and sometimes I would even watch from the forest. My heart was broken but I wasn’t about to forgive him unless he said sorry. Edward finally came around but he was still upset over me choosing him instead of Charlie, but I couldn’t understand why.

Since then, nothing really important happened. Although Alice did tell us that Renee was coming to town. Today was the day that she was going to try and surprise us but I think she might not visit after she sees Charlie. Alice still hadn’t seen the reaction of Charlie when mom would come to the door.

I sighed.

“You know you worry too much?” Edward’s eye looked at me.

“Yes, so I have been told.” I smiled but kept my gaze up at the sky.

“Your mom will talk some sense into Charlie.”

“Our mom. Or have you forgotten that we are married?”

“How in the world could I ever forget how long it took me to get you to say yes? A bonus would also be that our wedding day is the exact day you became a vampire. That’s another day I will never forget.”

“Oh, it’s possible.” I mulled over the past months. No one should take their memory for granted.

“Do you have a grey cloud above your head? I thought you would be happy that it is sunny when Renee came?”

“Sorry.” I mumbled it and focused my mind on the clear blue sky above me.

Edward had moved to the position of leaning on his arm. He was looking at me intently but I ignored his gaze. But his eyes focused on me until I could do nothing else but meet his gaze.

“What?” I said with an irritated tone.

“Tell me what's wrong.”

“Nothing.”

“Please love; tell me what's bothering you.” His voice was completely calm. Annoyingly so and I gave up.

Huffing, I turned my eyes back to the sky. “Whenever anything good or feels good or is close to being good, something bad happens. Something horribly bad and I am just waiting for that horribly bad thing to appear.”

“Why do you believe something bad will happen now?”

“Because my mom has come to visit, I'm content being with you here, Jacob is my friend, I'm at home with my family, and the sky is perfectly clear.” I made a sour face and Edward laughed.

“I love you Bella.” He moved over so that his head was resting on my stomach. His eyes were also watching the big blue.

I couldn’t help but smile. “So when something goes terribly, horribly, and dreadfully; we can blame the sky.”

Edward cracked up even more and then turned so that he was looking at me. His eyes were full of love and compassion. I hated that look only because when he gave it to me, he wanted something. And when he wanted something, I could never say no because of that look.

“What do you want?”

“Must I want something when I look at you?”

“No, but when you give me that look you do.”

“What look?” He smiled and I just shook my head.

“Oh never mind. But seriously, what is it?”

“Renee is at the house now. She is just knocking on the door as we speak. I do believe our family wants us back.”

I rolled my eyes and lifted myself up. The blood from our last hunt rushed out of my brain and the surroundings went blurry. Blinking a couple times, the trees focused and then Edwards face blocked them from me. He kissed me and almost pushed me back down. I couldn’t help but kiss back, yet, I had to break it off or we would be in our meadow all night.

Getting up, I shook off the grass and ran my fingers through my hair. Then, of course, I panicked.

“Oh no.”

“Oh no what?” Edward looked worried.

“I forgot my mom hasn’t seen me as a vampire. She will have all her theories. What happens if she finds out?” My eyes fanatically looked around until Edward’s hands grabbed both my shoulders.

“You won’t be alone this time. You have us, all of us. We will be able to help you. Don’t worry, everything will be alright.”

“Really?” I looked up at Edward. Longing to hear from an angel’s lips that my worrying was all for nothing.

“Really. Trust me.”Edward hugged me.

“With everything.” It was all I could reply without choking up.

Turning, the both of us ran back to the house. I laughed out loud. My family, who happened to be vampires, were going to be entertaining my Sci-Fi obsessed mom at this moment. A little ironic? I though so.

We came in from the back door and as soon as I came in, Alice jumped over to us.

“Bella, you’re back! Good!” Then, in a whispered tone she continued. “Your mom thinks something fishy is going on. Why did your mom have to like Sci-Fi and not something like Non-Fiction? I think if she talked to us anymore she would put us on her list for aliens.” I laughed because I knew that list.

“Don’t worry Alice; you will get to have a break since you look the same. I on the other had will have to deal with the scrutiny a little more than you.”

“Oh my god, your right. We are all doomed!” Alice covered her face with her hands.
Edward grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through them. “She is just being over dramatic. Come on, I do believe your mom already heard us by now and she may think it’s weird that we haven’t run in the living room yet.

I smiled but not completely reassured. “You’re probably right. It’s not a good thing to be on her alien list.”

We walked through the kitchen into the living room. Carlisle and Esme were sitting across from my mom. Relief washed over both their faces in the way of smiles when Edward and I entered the room.

I swallowed. “Hey mom.”

“Oh Bella.” In seconds flat, my mother was hugging me and crying. I almost felt like crying but I was too worried to even think about it.

“Um, mom, you’re smothering me.” I had to act like my normal, human, self.

“Oh, dear. I'm sorry, it’s just your father told me you went missing and then…gone…for so long…everyone just assumed…”  She got lost in her sobs and shook her head.

“I'm here now. That’s all that matters.”

“Bella, I missed you so much. I really thought you were gone.” She had sat back down on the love seat and patted the seat next to her.

Looking around, I realized that Carlisle and Esme had left. Edward had now taken a place on the couch. I realized I was stuck in the middle again, stuck between my parent and my husband.  When Edward made eye contact with me and realized what he had done, he started to stand. I quickly took a place next to him and leaned against the side of him, putting my feet up on the couch. Renee seemed a little take back but her face softened.

“I just thought your dad was blowing your relationship out of proportion but now I see what he meant.”

“Carlisle didn’t blow anything out of proportion. He actually loved the idea.”

“So you are sticking to the ‘not having Charlie as a dad’ thing?”

“Yes. Not until he apologizes for what he says and acknowledges that I am married.”

“You’re what?” My mom’s eyes looked like the size of dinner plates. Oops, I had forgotten to tell her when were talking on the phone.

“Mom, Edward and I are married as of last June.”

“So you were married before you disappeared?”

I nodded and Edward was visibly tense. He grabbed my hand and put his arm around my waist but his eyes were locked on Renee. What is she thinking? Was the thought that ran through my mind but I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long to hear it.

“You have to answer me yes or no to the following questions. As your mother I'm allowed to do this.” I only nodded again and now realized why Edward had gone so ridged.

“Did you run away because you were pregnant?”

“No.” I gulped, if this was how it started, how would it end?

“Did you leave of your own free will?”

“No.”

“Does Charlie know why you left?”

“Yes.”

“Was Edward the reason you got ‘captured’?”

“No.”

“Are you still my Bella?”

“Yes, always.” I was about to cry. I knew the next few questions would kill me.

“Would you lie to your mother?”

“No.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” My answer was only a squeak.

“Did you kill anyone?”

“Yes.” Tears were now spilling over my cheeks. No mom, I didn’t kill, I massacred.

“Was it of your own free will?”

“No.”

“Would you kill me?”

I gasp in horror. “No!”

“Did you feel what you were doing?”

“No.”

Edward let out a low growl. “Renee, please stop this.”

“No. Now Bella, just answer me two more questions. These aren’t yes or no questions either.”

“Just say them mom so you can have your answers.” I was coldly unemotional.

“Ok. Did you or did you not go by a different name in those one hundred and fifty days you were gone?”

“I did.”

“Are you human?”

The last question threw me for a loop. I just stared at my mom. What was I suppose to say? What was I suppose to do? The tears welled up in my eyes and when I blinked, a couple tricked down. For once, I focused and opened the door to my mind. Edward shifted next to me.

Bella how did you…?

Edward, what do I did? What am I suppose to say?

What do you want to say?

The truth Edward, I want to say the truth.

Then tell the truth. This is your call Bella. Yours and yours alone. It’s whatever you think.

Just like that, his presence was gone and I was alone. I looked up at my mom who had her raptor vision looking straight at me.

“No.” I answered and I waited for the blow up. But there was none. My mom just put her elbow on her knees and buried her face in her hands.

Barely audible, a sentence that had plagued me in my nightmares of my trances was spoken by my mother. That one sentence had every single one of my fears gathered and wound themselves around each letter.

“Oh god, you were the girl with the violet eyes.”

Everything in my world cracked and the pieces of my existence fell away, the dark corners of my mind released the nightmares of my being.