Action

-*+ 58 +*-

2 June 2020

-= Bella =-
Shit, I thought. Busted.
  I turned drunkenly toward the figure glaring up at me, a hiccup escaping my lips. My vision cleared enough for me to recognize Edward's face - although I already knew who it was from the voice.
  "H-hi babe," I said awkwardly, a hysterical giggle in my voice as I saw his frown deepen. In the corner of my eye, I saw Noah and Ross attempting to inconspicuously slide their clothes back on while Lana quickly gathered mine. She placed them on the pool table by my feet.
  "I leave for twenty minutes and you do this?" He asks me incredulously, grabbing my waist and placing me back on the floor. The thick crowd had begun dispersing at this point as they realized the show was over, however some remained to watch the drama unfold between us.
  "Y-you wandered off with some h-h-hoe," I slurred, pulling away from him. "So I c-can do what I want to."
  I rubbed my eyes, trying to sober up enough to at least see his face clearly. When I managed to finally make out what was in front of me, I wish I hadn't. Deep frown lines were etched into his usually-smooth face, his eyes dark in disapproval and irritation. I could see the anger boiling under the surface as he tried desperately to maintain control over his emotions.
  "Put your clothes back on," was all he said.
  I quickly did as I was told, guilt bubbling in my stomach. Although he was also in the wrong, I knew I probably should have confronted him before pulling a stunt like that.
  However, behind Edward in the distance where the crowd had cleared, I saw the same flaming red hair from the woman watching Edward closely. In my drunken stupor I couldn't see any face, but there was no mistaking the hair. This was the lady who Edward had disappeared with.
  As soon as I had all my clothes back on, I began to stumble in her direction. However, as soon as I did, she turned and disappeared among the rest of the partygoers. I clenched my jaw. I felt a hand clasp around my wrist and spin me around, causing my head to become even more fuzzy as dizziness overtook my intoxicated mind.
  "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Edward snapped at me, his face slowly coming back into focus. "You have some explaining to do, Isabella."
  I scoffed at him. "It's Bella."
  "Isabella."
  I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms stubbornly. Two could play at that game.
  "Okay, Ed."
  To my surprise, I saw a smirk tug subtly at the corners of his flawless lips as a flicker of humor danced behind his darkened eyes. As quickly as it came though, it was gone.
  No words were said as he pulled me through the smothering clusters of unsuspecting people toward the elevator. He had muttered a simple goodbye to his friends, but that was it.
  The elevator ride was just as silent, as was the car ride home. Neither of us dared to turn on the radio, and the only sound to drown out our thoughts was the gentle humming of the engine and the whoosh of the air conditioner.
  I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach when he pulled up to my house and parked. He was going to make me go home, and he was going to leave. This wasn't right.
  The affects of the alcohol had begun to simmer down at this point, and as I glanced over at him it was easier to gather my thoughts and process what I was seeing. His head was turned to stare out his window, an obvious attempt to ignore my presence. His hands clenched the steering wheel stiffly, the only sign of his frustration from the veins protruding.
  I gulped, looking down at my lap and fiddling with the hem of my shirt.
  "Edward..."
  He cut me off, not moving at all.
  "Just go, Bella."
  I bit my lip. Surely we were going to talk about this. Surely we would be okay. Right?
  I mean it wasn't just me. He made a mistake too. Shouldn't we talk about the entire situation instead of leaving it all to assumptions?
  Despite my entire body's protests, I gathered my belongings and, with one last glance at him, stepped out into the humid night.
  I heard his engine rev as soon as I shut the door behind me. His headlights prevented me from seeing his face one last time before he sped off into the night, and I stood there for an unknown amount of time before I stiffly wandered into the house.
  It was cold inside. Rose had undoubtedly left the air on when she left to go with Emmett today; I went and turned it off before kicking off my shoes.
  It had been a while since I had been in a house alone. The feeling was eerie and almost depressing as it left me to wallow in my thoughts. I did some chores to distract myself, but most of them only kept my hands busy. My mind was free to wander.
  It was dark in the house, save for the few lights I had turned on, and I found myself becoming paranoid at any shadowy corner. Whether it was because of the alcohol or just the crushing aloneness I didn't know, but I felt uncomfortable. I felt as though I was being watched, and I soon stumbled my way into my room, shutting the door behind me.
  I typically flourished in these situations; being on my own, finding time to sort through my unending worries and thoughts. But perhaps it was because of the fire, or that I hadn't been alone in a while now. Or maybe it was that the repairs to our house left an essence of unfamiliarity looming in the air. All I knew was that I didn't want to be alone, and the crushing pain of not having Edward with me was amping up my anxiety to a max.
  After a tense, much-longer-than-necessary shower, I was changed and ready for bed. As many times as I was checking my phone, not a single notification popped up on the screen. When my phone finally went off, I snatched it up eagerly, only to have my hopes dashed as I read that my game missed me and was asking me to collect my rewards.
  I soon became desperate and swallowed my pride, but my feeble attempts to contact Edward failed. Each call I made went straight to voicemail and my texts were simply left on read.
  I sent a couple texts to Rose, but those went unanswered as well. So, after a couple restless hours, I finally found myself drifting off into an uncomfortable and weary sleep.
  That was until, of course, I heard the shattering of glass downstairs.