Sometimes There Is No Brightside [Edward Masen-Cullen]

Chapter Seventeen

I stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing my purse on my way out.

I faintly perceived how Edward was calling me, but even if I would have been able to understand what he was saying, I wouldn’t listen.

It would only be lies all over again.

I walked down the empty streets with tears running over my cheeks. If anyone would catch all the tears I’d spilled for Edward, I was sure they would build a lake, if not an ocean.

What was worst of it all was that I still loved him. Because deep down I knew that what I had accused him of wasn’t true, not for him... but then why hadn’t he argued back?!

I decided to spend the day and the night in a hotel, even if I couldn’t really afford it.

"Good evening, miss." The gentleman behind the counter said.

"Good evening. I need a room for tonight."

"I will get a key for you this instant, if you would wait a moment, please?"

I just nodded. I let my gaze wander over the reception hall, the desk, the newspaper on the desk...Since I had nothing better to do, I pulled the papers towards me. 

Body found

This early morning, a body was found near Charleston. The young woman seemed to have been attacked by an animal, whereby it remains a mystery what kind of animal it was that sucked her dry, empty of all blood.

"Ma’am?"

I raised my head and smiled at the clerk. "Excuse me." I pushed the newspaper away and took my key from him, then turned to fill out the forms.

Meanwhile, my brain was working. I had no doubt that this animal was a vampire. I had believed Edward to be resistant to human blood now... it didn’t seem like him to leave me in the middle of the night to hunt animals, and then kill another human instead of me.

His eyes hadn’t been red, it shot through my mind. So it couldn’t be him.

I didn’t think about it any further and instead returned the filled-out forms. Then I turned towards the elevator.

This hotel reminded me of my past, and I had to smile grimly at the cruelty of fate; moments after I had screamed out loud that I seemed to still be a whore to men’s eyes, I was catapulted back to the times when I truly was one.

And, just like then, I thought now that fairytales do not come true. Or have you ever heard of a prince marrying a prostitute?

Edward’s P.O.V.

I didn’t run after Bea, I didn’t try to hold her back and get her to stay. I didn’t even argue back.

Her absence left me feeling empty.

Was she right with what she accused me of? That I didn’t believe her capable of feeling?

The image of her watery eyes before she’d left came to my mind, when she told me that even my undead heart would break from the pain she was experiencing right now.

No, Bea was capable of feeling. She loved me. And she’s in pain because of me.

So why wasn’t I after her? Bea was the woman I loved, and I never wanted to cause her any hurt. Now that this promise was already broken, all I could do was to try to heal the wounds I’d caused. I just hoped it wasn’t irreparable damage...

Just as I was heading for the door, I stopped.

Bea was a passionate woman, in every way. If I would go to her now, I would only make matters worse - in her anger and pain, she would not even listen to me, and then there really would be no chance at her forgiving me...once again.

I cringed at the thought of what I was putting at risk. For what, actually? I didn’t even know Ivy that well... and I have loved Bea as long as she was alive.

She’d given me hope when I thought I was perishing, she’s giving me joy when I condemn what I am...but she would never fully understand what it meant to be a vampire. Ivy understood.

So when I left the house, it wasn’t to look for Bea.

Beatrice’s P.O.V.

I slept badly that night but was nonetheless glad that I could finally get up and get to work. Maybe it would get my mind off my catastrophic love life.

Instead, though, I only found not only my love life was a catastrophe, but absolutely everything about my life.

"Ah. Beatrice." Sarah looked at me. She seemed uncomfortable. "Listen, dearie."

She scuttled over to me, averting my gaze. "We’ve heard rumours about your past."

"Who is "we" and what do you mean by my past?" A cold feeling crept up my spine.

Sarah sighed. "There is no easy way of doing this. So I will tell you outright: As much as it pains me, you cannot work here anymore. The whole town of Oleander knows by now that you’ve been working as a prostitute before you came here... We all are willing to ignore a lot of things, Beatrice. But that is too much. The women are worried for their husbands and the whole town is scandalized. Especially since you’re living in sin with Edward..."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Firstly, Sarah; I have never as much as glanced twice at any man in this town, secondly; I am not even interested. I want to leave my past behind you as most of you do. Thirdly; I would suppose most of these honourable men in this town visit the whorehouse regularly, so they needn’t repudiate me. If it weren’t for bastards like them, there would be no women like me." I turned for the door. I had my pride and wouldn’t beg for this job or forgiveness for my past. What had happened, happened. "One last thing; I would have never believed it to be so, but this whole town consists of a bunch of hypocrites."

I left the shop, my mind racing. Who could have told anyone about my former job? Only Edward knew about it. And I knew that no matter what may have happened between us, he would never ruin my life like that.

I shook my head and made my way home. Wherever that was.