EARTH, rosalie hale [2]

22.

Warning: mention of suicide

ELEXIA was frozen in place as she stared into those black eyes. Black eyes that she hadn't seen in person in a very long time; black eyes she wasn't sure she was going to see again for a while.

Bella shoved herself forward, wrapping her arms around her.

"Alice, oh, Alice!" Bella weeped.

"Bella?" Alice's voice– how Elexia missed it so much, the phone didn't do it justice– was confused and relieved.

Bella was full on sobbing when Alice pulled her into the living room and onto the couch, onto her lap. The brunette vampire reached over and interlocked her fingers with Elexia's. Alice began rubbing Bella's back comfortingly.

"I'm... sorry," Bella cried. "I'm just... so happy... to see you!"

"It's okay, Bella. Everything's okay."

"Yes," Bella sobbed.

Alice sighed. "I'd forgotten how exuberant you are," she said, not satisfied.

Bella lifted her head, looking at her. Alice was tense, as far away from Bella as she possibly could be. Her mouth was clamped shut.

"Oh," Bella breathed out heavily, realizing that Alice was having a hard time with her scent right now. "Sorry."

"It's my own fault. It's been too long since I hunted. I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty. But I was in a hurry today." Alice glared at Bella. "Speaking of which, would you like to explain to me how you're alive?"

Bella's crying suddenly stopped. She gulped. "You saw me fall."

"No," she contradicted, her eyes narrowing. "I saw you jump."

Bella clamped her lips shut like a child who was being scolded by their mother.

Alice shook her head. "I told him this would happen, but he didn't believe me. 'Bella promised,'" she impersonated Edward, making Elexia hold back laughter. "'Don't be looking for her future, either,'" she continued, clearly annoyed with her brother. "'We've done enough damage.' But just because I'm not looking, doesn't mean I don't see," Alice rambled. "I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear, Bella. It's just that I'm already attuned to you... when I saw you jumping, I didn't think, I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing. And then I get here, thinking maybe I could help Charlie somehow, and you drive up."

She shook her head once again, but her expression was confused now. Her voice was worn as she said, "I saw you go into the water and I waited and waited for you to come up, but you didn't. What happened? And how could you do that to Charlie? Did you stop to think about what this would do to him? You left Lexi all alone on the beach, sleeping. What if something happened to her? And my brother? Do you have any idea what Edward—"

Bella interrupted her. "Alice, I wasn't committing suicide."

Alice looked at Bella distrustfully. "Are you saying you didn't jump off a cliff?"

"No, but..." Bella scowled. "It was for recreational purposes only."

Alice's expression began angrier.

"I'd seen some of Jacob's friends cliff diving." Bella stood firm. "It looked like... fun, and I was bored..."

Alice sat there, patiently waiting for Bella's explanation to actually make sense.

"I didn't think about how the storm would affect the currents. Actually, I didn't think about the water much at all."

Alice still wasn't convinced; she was still sure that Bella was suicidal.