Asteraceae

SEVENTY ONE

"Giving up now?" Even though it was like rubbing salt in the wound, Joshua couldn't help the condescending tone from appearing. He was pissed, an understatement but he was a lot angrier over this than Rosalie was. "This was your breaking point? Not when the girl was getting hunted for sport?" Evangeline was silent throughout this entire thing considering she didn't really have a place to say anything. She was lucky to be sitting here because she would be leaving to finish what she started before going her own separate way. She was grateful that Carlisle would allow her to stay with the family despite not having a chance to hold her end of the deal up, but she felt like being with them just wasn't right.

"What else can I do! Your smart tells me what else I could do!" Edward was already drowning in guilt and regret. He didn't need someone to rub it in his face that he messed up when he had already known and accepted that.

"Edward." Rosalie groaned, "she suffered worse than being thrown into a cabinet, but this was it? This is what makes you want to give up on having a relationship with her!" Everyone was feeling some type of way from the favor he had asked of everyone. To leave, to disappear from Bella's life to keep her safe...it didn't sit right with anyone.

"I hurt her..."

"So did Victoria but you don't see her ready to give up on life yet." Everyone had flinched, whether it was the truth or not Bella getting hurt a little wasn't the end of the world.

"She could've died, Jasper almost took a chunk out of her." One finger was already pointing at someone to blame.

"Jasper isn't at fault, if you kept away from that human like I told you we wouldn't be in this position to begin with!" Another finger, though this time directed at Edward.

"Carlisle said it was fine! He was accepting!" A finger being pointed at Carlisle.

"Carlisle only allowed you to do it because Alice saw something in that girl..." Jasper while unintentional pointed a finger at Alice.

"I only wanted you to be happy Edward, I was fine with accepting the risk if it meant you would stop moping around the place." Esme while her heart was in the right place was pointing her finger at Edward.

"Bella was always a nosy little bitch, I'm sure she would've been in our lives anyway if we left her alone." Joshua spoke this time, and while it wasn't wrong, and no one disagreed it was a silent finger pointing back at Bella.

"And I-" Alice sighed, still upset over the whole ordeal, "I really didn't see this happening. I could've prevented this..." She was blaming herself at the end of the day, worried to the point of exhaustion as her head buried underneath Joshua's jacket that laid across his lap.

"You can't stop everything from happening." Joshua every so loving massaged her scalp, "life is supposed to be filled with mistakes, Bella needed to learn and maybe this was the way life wanted her to learn, for she doesn't belong in this world." Just going on her behavior to the entire situation. Could he really stop her if she wanted to? No. He wouldn't, he was a firm believer that the regret that would come after the appeal wore off, she would be stuck in a personal dilemma.

"She-" Edward cut himself off, the aggression in the room becoming a bit more obvious. He also couldn't be mean to Alice. During this entire thing while she mentioned Bella, she didn't really tell him to make a move on her, that was something done of his own will. Plus, she was dealing with her feelings for Joshua to pay attention to his mistakes and their futures, that was never her problem.

"What? You made your bed now I think it's time you lay in it. Carlisle you've failed and I'm not that surprised like I thought I would be." He didn't bother looking at the disappointed face of the man. Everyone was curious as to what he meant, but some things were left unsaid.