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The sudden disappearance from the Cullen's should've been much more pleasant for Elise, she'd thought. It seemed to be more than a problem than a solution though, the human brunette they left behind sulking behind whatever desk she was sat at. She let it go on for months until it bothered her so much it stirred up a confusing kind of anger from within.
Elise hated how bad she felt for Bella, the glimmer that the cold ones placed in her eye diminishing and replacing it with blue under eye bags and gaunt cheeks from lack of eating. "You keep looking over at her, just go talk to her."
"The last time I spoke to her, I wasn't exactly polite but that doesn't mean I can't noticeably tell she needs someone right now."
Asher continued eating his food, whatever processed piece of crap the school managed to afford. "Be her someone, you'd want someone to do it for you."
Elise sighed loudly, collecting her items and ignoring the gazes from Bella's previous friends who had given up on bringing the girl back to them. "Get up and come with me," Bella barely even flinched at the demand, leaving Elise no choice but to pick up not only her own but Bella's belongings as well.
"Elise, please go away."
"Get off your ass and come with me and I will consider it."
Bella listened, something in Elise's tone reminding her of Alice, the bubbly pixie like vampire who acted as a sister when she was still in Bella's life. Now she spent a lot of her time sending emails to an address she knew didn't even belong to her. "Where are you taking me?"
"Just walk with me." The simple four words meant little to nothing to Elise and she couldn't see the way Bella's breath hitched, the same four words being what Edward said to her before leaving her alone in the woods leaving his love behind with it.
Elise walked out of the school much easier than it should've been for a student but she didn't question it much, unlocking the doors for her passenger. "I just want to apologize for how mean I was to you before about them, I was going through some things and while that doesn't really justify it, I am sorry."
"You don't have to pity me."
"I don't pity you, I am angry for what they did to you. No one should be abandoned like that, it's cruel."
Bella's hair was pushed back in a ponytail, the first time Elise had ever seen the chocolate waves anywhere but on her shoulders. "I'm fine."
"You're a bad liar, not that you really need to. I know what it's like to lose someone you love and you don't feel fine at all."
The seemed to catch Bella's attention, her dull eyes sliding over to stare at the side of Elise's face, this being the one time since she'd arrived in Forks where there was an inkling of information given about the teenager.
"My mom died just before we moved here, I was in the car with her when it happened." Elise could already feel the tears welling up in her eyes, her hands subconsciously gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Everything happened so fast but I could see it so clearly, the truck came at us and hit her side. There was so much blood," Her breathing changed, her words much more choppy as the memories flashed behind the back of her eyelids.
"Elise."
She shook her head, ridding the memories away and pulling herself back together. "I'm good, it's just they look at me weird now. My dad and my brother."
"You look like her?"
"Spitting image. I just wanted you to know, it's okay to not be fine. She died months ago and I still get the nightmares."
Bella bit her lip, watching the trees on the edge of the road run past them. "Where are you taking me?"
"This little diner, a friend and I found it the other night. It's basically in the middle of nowhere but I swear their food is to die for."
"I thought you hated me."
Elise turned, pulling into the little parking lot the diner provided. "I did, I knew you were keeping something from me and I don't like secrets. And you have to think about it, vampires aren't exactly described as kind creatures. So, given all the deaths in town I'd just assumed it was them and you were covering."
Bella, just like before was quick to defend. "They don't hurt—kill people."
"Right," The inside was warm and cozy, quite small and have five tables max but it was nice and Elise loved the vibe it gave off. The menus laid out on the table had cute animals in the background with trees and a stream. "Look at the food choices, you're too damn skinny."
A few moments passed and the waitress walked up with a little notepad, her hazel eyes lifting up and meeting Elise'. "Back again so soon? Where's your boyfriend?"
"Paul's busy at the moment," She easily bypassed the label for Paul, he wasn't that yet but something about it felt so natural she didn't bother correcting it. "—but of course I had to come back, the food is like a drug."
The duo took a quick second to order they food and get their drinks before Bella leaned forward on the table and waited for Elise to meet her gaze. "Paul? Like Paul Lahote."
"How do you know him?"
"My friend Jacob, they live on the rez together. He and Sam Uley are like in this cult—"
Elise's brows furrowed and Bella sucked in a breath, regretting her choice of words the second they came from her thin lips. "He's not in a cult, where'd you get that ridiculous idea?"
Bella shrugged her shoulders. "That's the rumor there, Sam's like so much older and all these teenagers follow him around like he's a god."
"Mentor, friend, brother. Other things Sam could these for these guys instead of a leader of some cult. It's the rez we're talking about here, if they were in a cult their parents would kill them."
The Swan girl chuckled, pulling her hands back to allow the waitress to set the hot plate of food before her, her stomach grumbling at the alluring smell. "I suppose you're right."
Unraveling the napkin that held the fork and knife, Elise held each in both hands a bright smile overtaking her face making her glowing eyes seem magical. "Ready to taste heaven?"
