❄ 24 ❄️ Rosalie's Past ❄
The Cullen House
Wednesday, April 13, 2017
Rosalie Hale McCarty laid across the bed in the bedroom she shared with her mate and husband Emmett, staring up at the ceiling. The Newcomers had been living with her family for a month and she still didn't like it. Why can't anyone respect my feelings? she thought to herself grumpily. Rosalie sighed heavily and rolled over onto her side to stare morosely out of the glass wall, watching the dark clouds rolling across the pale blue sky. It was going to rain today. She sighed again and closed her eyes.
"It's going to rain today," said Rosalie, sighing as she turned to her best friend and cousin, Joseline Hall.
The other girl turned away from her writing to look at her, her ice-blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Would you like to go out to play in the rain, Rosie?" Joseline asked her teasingly.
Rosalie smiled at her cousin sadly, feeling slightly guilty for leaving her behind again. Today Royce was going to take her to meet his family.
"I'm sorry, Josie, but I can't. Royce is taking me to meet his family today."
The sparkle left her cousin's eyes as she lowered them to the red-carpeted floor of the drawing-room. Joseline nodded her head slowly in understanding before turning away from her cousin. Silence passed between the two girls as Rosalie turned back to stare out the window. She watched silently as the dark clouds drew nearer and nearer.
"Do you have to go, Rosie?" Joseline asked her quietly.
Rosalie could hear the uncertainty and disgust in her voice. She turned to look at her cousin. Her back was facing towards her, her long, icy blonde hair trailing in a thick plait down her back.
"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked the other girl as her heartbeat accelerated inside of her chest.
"I don't like the way he looks at me," whispered Joseline quietly.
Rosalie sighed loudly and crossed the room to her cousin's side. She placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders and turned them, signaling that she wanted her to turn and face her. Joseline turned towards her cousin but did not meet her gaze.
"Look at me, Josie," Rosalie spoke quietly.
Joseline raised her ice blue eyes to her cousin's violet-blue eyes. They were filled with a mixture of uncertainty, disgust, and fear.
"He looks at me as though he wants to eat me," she whispered quietly.
Rosalie released her breath at her cousin's words. Joseline was a shy, sweet girl who loved her family and would do anything to protect them. If she said she didn't trust someone, they'd always listen. But she was wrong about Royce. He was the kindest and generous man Rosalie had ever met, not to mention the wealthiest man she'd ever met, and she was lucky he was showing interest in her. A surge of jealousy rose inside Rosalie as she replayed her cousin's words in her mind:
"I don't like the way he looks at me."
"He looks at me as though he wants to eat me."
Rosalie turned away from Joseline, not very happy with her cousin at this moment. Don't get her wrong, Joseline was beautiful in her own way, but she had no right to judge her future husband. She honestly thought her cousin was jealous of her and her good fortune but Josie wasn't the jealous type. She was the most laid back person she's ever met, besides her best friend Vera Smith. Rosalie sighed dreamily as she remembered her wedding to her husband Henry Sr. two years before.
She was now living a happy life on the edge of town with her husband and one-year-old son, Henry Jr. Gravel scattered on the driveway below the drawing-room window. Rosalie hurried across to the window and gazed out of the window as Royce King II and his cousin Royle climbed out of the Rolls Royce. She heard footsteps on the carpet behind her suddenly and turned to see Joseline standing beside her.
"He's here!" Rosalie gushed to excitedly.
Joseline smiled at her cousin weakly in return. Rosalie giggled excitedly and turned her gaze back out of the window. Royce and Royle both glanced up at the window, spotting the cousins almost immediately. Rosalie smiled and waved at Royce happily. He smiled and waved back at her.
He then turned his gaze to Joseline and something like hunger flickered in his dark eyes as he stared intently at the senator's daughter. The other girl gasped suddenly and pulled away from the window. Rosalie turned towards her curiously, arching a brow questioningly. Her cousin shook her head at her in answer and then fled from the room. Rosalie stared after her for a few seconds, confused, before turning back to the window. Royle was staring up at her, grinning maliciously, his dark eyes strangely cold.
She watched, a shudder of apprehension coursing through her body, as they both walked towards the front door. The doorbell rang downstairs and she could hear the murmuring of voices. Rosalie paced the drawing-room floor, smoothing back the loose curls from her face and pressing her hands to the skirt of her outfit to smooth out the wrinkles.
❄
Rosalie kissed baby Henry's forehead one last time. He giggled in delight and smiled up at her happily. She smiled back at him warmly, her heart melting at his beautiful smile. Such a beautiful little angel! she thought to herself with a happy sigh. Rosalie kissed his rosy little cheeks, unable to resist his sweet, little charm.
"Goodbye, baby Henry," she said softly, tickling his little chin.
He giggled again, his bright green eyes sparkling with joy. Rosalie handed him back to his mother, sighing softly. She really wanted a child of her own. She glanced down at her left hand at the engagement ring on her third finger. She looked up and smiled at Vera happily and she smiled back at her friend.
"I have to go," said Rosalie, gazing at baby Henry sadly. "Mother's expecting me back soon."
"Maybe Henry Sr. should go with you," said Vera to her friend, glancing out of the drawing-room window. "It's getting darker out."
"No, I'm fine." Rosalie waved her suggestion away. "He should be here with you and baby Henry. Besides, I'm only a few blocks from home."
Vera glanced over at her husband and then back to her friend, her bright green eyes filling with concern.
"If you say so, Rose," she replied as she gave the other girl a hug suddenly. "Just be careful."
Rosalie hugged her back, tears welling in her own violet-blue eyes.
"I will," she whispered in her best friend's ear.
Vera pulled back from Rosalie to smile at her friend before leading her to the front door. Rosalie put on her hat, scarf, and gloves, hugged Vera again, kissed baby Henry's rosy cheek one last time before opening the door. She stepped out into the brisk twilight of March.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Henry and I are going shopping and I was wondering if you would like to come along," said Vera.
Rosalie turned around and smiled at her friend, nodding her head in agreement.
"Of course I would like to come along! Any time to spend with my dearest best friend and darling her son!" she replied with a wink.
Vera laughed and waved goodbye to her friend before closing the door. Rosalie turned away from the door and glanced up and down the street, noticing that the streetlights were starting to come on and the street was completely deserted. She pulled her hat lower over her ears, wrapped the scarf tightly around her throat, and slid her gloved hands into the pockets of her coat. She descended the steps and walked down the front walk. Once she reached the sidewalk, Rosalie turned left at the Smiths' gate and started down the street.
The first block was quite empty, the shops closed for the night, their owners went home or settling down for bed, perhaps already asleep. The next block contained a barbershop, a drugstore, and a hotel taking up the whole block across from the stores. A group of men was standing in front of the drugstore, smoking cigarettes, and drinking. As she walks closer to them, she passed under a streetlight. One of the men called out her name and Rosalie looked up to see that it was Royce, his cousin Royle and two other men she didn't know. Royce took a swallow from whatever was in the bottle and grinned at her.
"Hey, Rose!" he called to her, crooking his finger in her direction. "Come here."
Rosalie hesitated for a brief moment before walking over to him. Royce held out his arm and took her hand in his own, pulling her roughly to his side. He turned towards his friends, grinning again.
"Hey, Bentley," he slurred slightly as he swayed in place. "Didn't I tell you she was beautiful?"
The man who was called Bentley took a swig from his own bottle before leering at Rosalie.
"Can't tell with all those clothes on," he replied silkily.
There was a moment of silence before Royce spoke. "You know what? You're right." he agreed with Bentley.
Royce turned to Rosalie just then and pulled her into his arms. "Come now, Rosie, show us some skin," he whispered in her ear.
Royce kissed her suddenly, his cold lips bruising hers as his fingers tugging at the buttons of her coat.
Rosalie's heart pounded painfully against her chest, she pushed at him with all of her strength and he stumbled drunkenly, breaking the kiss.
"You're drunk!" she gasped breathlessly, brushing a stray curl of blonde hair out of her face and straightening her coat.
She drew in a deep breath, calming breath and looked her fiancé in the eye.
"I'll see you tomorrow when you are sober," she said coolly before turning away from the group of men.
His arms surrounded her suddenly, turning her around to face him.
"You're going nowhere, my lovely Rose," Royce growled, the whiskey on his breath making her queasy.
He pushed her to the ground and, losing his balance in his drunken stupor, fell on top of her. Rosalie struggled to push him off of her.
"Stop!" she whimpered as he began ripping at her coat.
Bentley, Royle, and the other man were now laughing and egging him on.
"I said stop!" she shouted at him, struggling harder and scratching the side of his face in the process.
Royce stopped pulling at Rosalie's clothes and slapped her across the face with so much force that her head slammed against the concrete sidewalk. She gasped, completely stunned, as the pain spread, making her brain pound against her skull. Royce struck her again, this time with his fist, and her head hit the sidewalk again. Rosalie groaned in pain and then everything went black.
Rosalie bolted upright on the bed, glancing quickly around the room, her chest heaving with deep, unnecessary breaths. As she gathered her bearings slowly, she realized that she was in her bedroom, in the Cullen house. She growled softly in frustration, closing her eyes and running her fingers through her blonde hair. She hated when the memories of her human life came back to haunt her and that there was nothing she could do to stop them. Rosalie exhaled softly and stared out of the glass wall and saw that it was now raining.
She sighed slightly as she watched every drop of rainfall from the stormy gray sky and land with a quiet thud on the ground. Images of her human self and her cousin Joseline laughing and dancing and playing in the rain flooded her mind suddenly. She growled once again in frustration and closed her eyes against those happy memories. A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door. Her eyes snapped open as her head whipped around towards the door, staring at it. She inhaled deeply and a mixture of crisp apples and winter air assaulted her senses suddenly.
"What do you want?" Rosalie snapped, not in the mood to talk to the intruder.
"I wanted to talk to you." The Newcomer spoke softly.
"I don't want you here. Why don't you leave?" Rosalie snapped back at her, starting to feel annoyed at the other girl's interference.
"Don't you take that tone with me, Rosalie Lillian Hale." Wren snapped back at the vampire girl, sounding somewhat like her cousin Joseline.
Rosalie rose from the bed in a flash and crossed the room at vampire speed to open the door. The Newcomer was standing on the threshold, gazing at her calmly.
"What?" Rosalie snarled at her.
"May I come in?" she replied coolly.
Rosalie glared at her in contempt, and when the other girl simply stared back at her with ice blue eyes, she growled low in her throat and whirled away from, stalking across the room towards the glass wall. The Newcomer stepped into the room and closed the door, her scent filling the room and engulfing Rosalie in a soothing cloud of peace. Silence passed between the both of them as she continues to watch her calmly.
"Did you want something?" Rosalie snapped at her after a few more minutes of silence.
"I couldn't help but watch your memories play out in your mind." The Newcomer replied.
Rosalie growled and whirled around, crouching as anger and rage coursed through her body. Suddenly peace and calm washed over her as the other girl frown at her disapprovingly.
"I wanted to show you something and to tell you that I'm here if you need me." The Newcomer held out her hand and Rosalie saw that she was holding an ice blue colored journal, the same color as Josie's eyes.
She tried to cut off the memory the color brought back but to no avail. A pale face that slightly resembled her own stared back at her, her ice-blue eyes full of uncertainty, disgust, and fear. Rosalie slowly reached out a hand to take the journal. She held it in her hands and stared down at it as slivers of apprehension and curiosity coursed through her body. The bedroom door closed softly and she looked up to see that the Newcomer left the bedroom.
Rosalie walked across the white carpeted room to the black-draped bed, sitting down on the side of the bed. She stared down at the journal, memories of Joseline coming back to her. Tears that she could no longer shed filled her golden eyes, obscuring her vision. She blinked rapidly as she clutched the journal tightly in her hands. She closed her golden eyes and drew in a deep breath. She opened the journal to the very first page and noticed a curly script of writing. She read it curiously.
I know that this might sound strange, or even crazy, but I can't keep myself from writing this. Something is happening to me and I feel like this story has something to do with me. I don't know-how and in what way, but I couldn't fight this urge - this feeling to get this down on paper. I keep having these weird dreams about two girls named Rosalie Hale and Joseline Hall. I think - I think I am writing about my past life, a life I don't remember. This is why I am writing this... to figure out who I am...
Wren Victoria Alba, age 3
Rosalie stared at the childish scrawl in shock. Two names jumped out at her, her own and her cousin's, Josie. Does she know? Rosalie thought to herself, her dead, non-beating heart fluttering with relief. Wren knows what happened to me and Josie! she thought to herself, feeling happier and happier with every second that passed. Maybe she knows about what happened to Josie and my family after I left! With a mixture of excitement and curiosity whirling inside her, Rosalie turned to the next page, eagerly scanning the lines of curly writing.
October 13, 1933
Joseline Hall paced the floor in the drawing-room, glancing out of the window every second. Rosalie should be arriving home at any minute. Laura Hale, sitting on the settee embroidering a handkerchief with her husband's initials, glanced up from her work and at the clock on the mantle with every step her niece took. Theodore Hale Sr. was reading the evening newspaper and humming in agreement or disagreement with what he read, occasionally remarking aloud on one of the topics. Joseline turned away from them and paced back to the window, glancing out into the twilight.
"Rose should be home by now." she fretted anxiously, wringing her hands nervously.
No one remarked on her concern.
"Maybe someone should go and find her?" She turned towards her aunt and uncle to see them both staring at her.
"Relax, Josie dear," Laura said to her soothingly as she patted the seat next to her. "Come, sit. I'll ring for tea."
Joseline crossed the drawing-room floor to sit next to her on the settee before the fireplace. She glanced out the window again, her hands twisting in her lap. The clock on the mantelpiece ticked slowly, not really helping her nerves. She stood up again and began pacing again. I do hope she's okay! she prayed frantically, pausing before the window. Joseline stared out into the darkening street.
Rose. Please hurry home. The tea came and her aunt Laura beckoned for her to sit once again. She poured the tea and passed her niece a cup. Theodore sat his newspaper aside with a heavy sigh.
"I'll have a cup, my dear." He said to his niece.
Joseline placed her cup aside and rose to abide him, unable to think of tea. She handed her uncle the cup of tea and then paced to the window again. She couldn't help but feel that something horrible had happened and that they would never see their dear Rose again. She stood staring out the window, her hand pressing against the bottom of the glass. It grew darker and darker as the hours ticked by.
Theodore and Laura had retired to bed long ago, trying and failing to get her to go up to bed. She couldn't sleep knowing that Rosalie wasn't home yet. She just knew that something had happened to Rose and she would be up all night until she knew what.
❄
A loud shriek shattered the quiet air suddenly and Joseline jerked awake, sitting up on the drawing-room settee. Gray light poured into the room through the open window. She blinks against the light and rose to her feet. She stretched languidly and started towards the drawing-room door. As she opened the door, the sound sobbing and wailing echoed down the hall from the foyer.
She rushed out of the drawing-room and down the hallway, coming to a halt in the foyer. Theodore was standing in the middle of the foyer, holding a sobbing Laura in his arms. Theodore Jr. and William were both standing off to the side, their faces pale, and their brown eyes dull and full of worry and pain. Joseline looks back to her aunt Laura and uncle Theodore, finally spotting the note that Laura clutched in her trembling hand.
"What's that?" she asked, staring at the note, apprehension, and a sudden knowledge of what the note would say coursing through her body.
Theodore looked up at his niece, his violet-blue eyes, the same eyes he shared with his daughter, full of pain. A sudden chill slithered down Joseline's spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. It was like someone was breathing down the back of her neck. She stepped forward slowly until she reached their side and held out a shaking hand to take the note. She stood frozen, reading the slightly messy script scribbled across the page.
Rose is dead. She had it coming. You're next. She knows what I mean by that.
Her heart froze inside her chest as the words "you're next" swam around her mind. She looked up at her aunt, uncle, and cousins, gasping for breath.
"Josie?" Her cousin Theo spoke to her, taking a step towards her. "Are you all right?"
Joseline opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, everything went black.
Rosalie closed the journal after reading the last entry. What she had just read shocked her to her core. Royce didn't love her. He never loved her. He just used her to get closer to Joseline. She stared out the glass window as the last words Joseline had spoken to her the night before she died echoed inside her mind.
"I don't like the way he looks at me. He looks at me as though he wants to eat me."
The journal fell to the floor with a quiet thud as Rosalie lowered her head into her shaking hands. Why didn't I listen to her? she thought to herself morosely. And the way he had looked at her cousin the day he took her to meet his family, the day he proposed to her. What had happened a few days later, the way that he, they, violated her and left her to die! She moaned at the sickening thought and memories.
And he married her! Abused her until the day he died, the day I had killed him! Rosalie's mind whirled with rage, fear, hurt, confusion, and pain. She sat there for an hour, her head in her hands, the images and memories of her human life flashing through her mind.
She was in the kitchen helping Phyllis with the dinner. Her mother had invited the Kings over for dinner and, lucky for Rosalie, they had graciously agreed. She hummed happily to herself as she stirred the soup in the pot. Phyllis placed a pan of bread in the oven and closed the door, straightening up and turning towards Rosalie. Her gray eyes sparkled as she took in her employer's daughter's appearance.
"You should be getting ready for dinner, Miss Rose," she said to her, smiling at the younger woman fondly.
Rosalie nodded her head at the older woman, wiped her hands on a towel, and took off the apron she was wearing. She hugged Phyllis, who looked stunned at the girl's unusual gesture. She laughed at the housekeeper's expression as she took a step backward and smiled happily at her.
"Thank you for all your help, Phyllis. I could never have done this without you," she said to her sincerely.
Phyllis's eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she patted the young woman's cheek with a soft hand.
"Go and get dressed. Your young man will be arriving soon," she said with a smile and a light laugh.
Rosalie flushed at her words and turned away from the older woman, hurrying from the room. The doorbell rang suddenly as she walked down the hallway towards the staircase. She hurried towards the front door, her heart thundering inside her chest. If it was Royce, he was way too early for dinner. She opened the door once she reached it and found her cousin Joseline standing on the threshold.
The other girl was dressed in a plain, pale blue dress with her long, icy blonde hair hanging in its usual thick plait down her back. Her ice-blue eyes rose and met Rosalie's. She smiled at the other girl brightly.
"Hi, Rosie. Aunt Laura invited me over for dinner." Joseline informed her cousin with a roll of her eyes.
"Good!" Rosalie replied cheerfully, grabbing her cousin's arm and pulling her into the foyer, closing the door behind her. "You can help me find a dress!"
She began pulling the other girl up the staircase and down the second-floor hallway to the master bedroom. She threw open the door and pushed her inside. Joseline peered at her cousin with her ice-blue eyes, scrutinizing her. Rosalie turned away from her cousin to close the door behind her.
"What's got you so excited?" Joseline asked her cousin skeptically.
Rosalie hesitated slightly and then took in a deep breath for calm before turning towards her cousin.
"Mother invited the Kings to dinner," she informed the other girl all at once.
Joseline stared at her cousin for a few seconds in silence before she spoke. "What?" she barely whispered the word.
"Mother invited the Kings to dinner and thought it would be good for me to have you over here to keep me in shape. Please don't be mad!" said Rosalie all at once.
Joseline stared at her cousin again before she sighed heavily in defeat. "Okay," she said quietly. "Get in the tub now while I find you something to wear."
Rosalie squealed happily and moved to hug the other girl but she backed away from her, her nose wrinkling slightly disgust.
"I'm not trying to be rude but you're covered in flour," said Joseline with a giggle. "Go, now, before Aunt Laura decapitates us and use our heads as centerpieces."
The girls giggled again before Rosalie left the room to do as she was told.
❄
The Kings, Theodore, Laura, Theo, William, Joseline and Rosalie were all sitting around the table in the dining room, chatting and eating the delicious dinner that Phyllis and Rosalie slaved over for the better part of the day. Joseline spoke very little as she ate her meal slowly. Rosalie sighed quietly, wishing that her dear cousin wasn't so shy. She glanced around the dining room table at their guests. Her mother and father were speaking with Mr. and Mrs. King, William and Theo were talking amongst each other, laughing softly at what one or the other had said.
Rosalie glanced at Royce curiously. He was talking with his cousin Royle, his dark eyes flickering to Joseline as he spoke. She stared at him, confused, as Royce smirked softly as he took in her appearance. Beside him, Royle looked at Rosalie, smiled maliciously, and then turned to whisper in his cousin's ear. Royce's gaze flickered to Royle and then towards her.
He smiled at her warmly, his dark eyes sparkling. Rosalie stared back at him. She watched, completely stunned, as his gaze returned to Joseline. What is going on? she thought to her as a mixture of confusion and anger course through her body.
Rosalie blinked as the memory faded from her mind and lifted her head out of her hands. She needed to speak with the Newcomer, she meant Wren. She rose to her feet, walked slowly from the bedroom, and down the staircase to the living room. Emmett, Jasper, and Garrett were playing a racing game on the brand new Xbox. Elle was tinkering around with a car in the garage. Alice, Kate, Nessie, and Tanya were all sitting around the table in the dining room, pouring over thousands of glossy fashion magazines.
Esme was relaxing on one of the double settees, reading a book on Grecian architecture and listening as Edward play some of his compositions on the black baby grand piano with Bella sitting beside him, watching as his fingers flew across the black and white keys. Jacob, Seth, Leah, Quil, and Embry were nowhere to be seen, probably out goofing off in the woods. Eleazar and Carmen were seated on the other settee across from Esme, snuggling with each other. Rhys was leaning against the wall near the glass wall, staring outside, watching the rainfall to the ground, glistening like tiny diamonds in the grass and on the leaves of the trees. There was a low clatter of pots and pans in the kitchen and Rosalie knew that Wren was in the kitchen.
She crossed the living room to the kitchen and walk inside the large room. Wren was standing at the sink, washing a pot in soapy water. The awful scent of food engulfed her and she stopped breathing immediately. I hate human food! she thought to herself with a slight frown of disgust.
Wren? The other girl turned towards Rosalie when she called to her in her thoughts, gazing at her curiously. How did you know about me, about Joseline?
Wren continued to gaze at her for a few seconds as if gauging her emotions.
"I don't know," she spoke finally with a shrug of her shoulders. "In theory, I think I can see visions of the past. It started when I was three."
Rosalie stared at her in shock. She can see visions of the past? Ever since she was three? Edward stopped playing the piano at once and appeared in the doorway behind his sister suddenly.
"She can do what?" he asked in complete shock.
Wren sighed heavily and rolled her ice blue eyes in annoyance.
"Edward!" she growled softly at him. "Rose and I were having a private conversation."
"Sorry." he apologized to her with a hint of apprehension in his voice.
Edward turned away from both of them and walked back into the living room, glancing back over his shoulder curiously as he went.
"It's pretty hard to have a private conversation with a house full of people who have a superhuman hearing!" Emmett said in a duh voice.
Everyone chuckled in amusement while Wren and Rosalie both growled in frustration. She looked at me and cocked an eyebrow in question.
Would you like to go somewhere more private? Her voice resounded inside Rosalie's head.
The other girl blinked at her a couple of times in surprise before nodding her head in agreement. Wren grinned at Rosalie mischievously and wiped her hands on a towel before removing her apron. She was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and an overly large gray sweater that hung off one shoulder, revealing the strap of a white tank top.
"Esme, would you mind taking over lunch for me?" she asked the vampire woman politely.
"Of course, dear," Esme replied kindly.
Rosalie could hear her mother close her book and the then soft patter of footsteps across the living room before appearing in the doorway. Wren smiled kindly at Esme.
"Thank you," she said to her.
Esme smiled back at her, waving away Wren thanks.
"You're quite welcome, dear," she replied.
Wren turned and held out her hand to Rosalie. The other girl placed her hand in hers. With a bright, frosty white flash and tinkling of bells, they both disappeared from the kitchen.
❄
Joseline Hall
❄