Chapter 20: Jealousy
Jealousy
"May I sit down?" Rosalie asked, startling me.
Since when did she need to ask?
I nodded dumbly. She gently seated herself several inches away from me, keeping her eyes on me the entire time. She didn't speak until I glanced up to meet her eyes.
Rosalie looked at me placidly, not a hint of anger anywhere in her gorgeous features.
"Emmett spoke with you about me a little, I assume?" she asked. I nodded silently again. "Then you understand a bit behind my reasoning for not wanting you around us. It isn't that I hate you, I'm just concerned that you being here will cause problems for both parties, yourself especially."
"I-" She cut me off with a gentle wave of her hand.
"Please, let me finish," she said. I was surprised by how soft her tone was. Even her face was soft, almost sad looking. "We have all made mistakes in the past, Bella. We've ruined the lives of countless people and we're forced to live with that knowledge for all eternity. Sometimes I feel that having a perfect memory of my vampire life is meant as a cruel, twisted joke of some sort. Then again, I feel that my being a vampire is a sick joke. However, there's nothing I can do about that unless I were to kill myself, which I certainly won't do."
She paused and leaned into to couch.
"I don't hate you, Bella. I know I treat you poorly and I know I frighten you, but I really don't hate you. I'm sorry for my actions today. I'm sorry I hurt you and I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. What I said and did was uncalled for. It was barbaric and it shows that I am still a monster, no matter how hard I try not to be. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that sort of treatment after what you've been through. Again, I'm sorry. I know you won't believe me right off the bat and I understand if you choose to distance yourself from me," she said. Both her voice and her eyes smoldered with remorse and sincerity.
She meant what she said. She really was sorry.
I bit my lip. "Then why did you treat me that way?" I asked, unable to keep the hurt from appearing in my voice.
Rosalie frowned for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "I don't mean to, I swear. I just have trouble with my temper. I've always had a temper problem, even when I was a human I had one. Now, though, because of the way I feel and the way my life is, it's even harder to keep under control. I've spent many years training myself to better my temper. Jasper has helped me a great deal since he joined the family. Sometimes, though, it's hard to control. Being a vampire has a great deal behind it. It makes it worse, if anything."
"Look, I'm not good at this sort of thing. Apologizing is something I've never done well, even when I'm sincere and I mean it. The way I treated you was wrong and I do wish I could take back the things I said. I can't though. And while I may be a bitch and while my attitude may be poor, some part of what I said I felt as true. I do worry that Alice's visions are wrong. However, I can't focus on the what-ifs and neither should you. If you care for my sister and you show it, then stay here with her. I might complain, but I won't stop you."
Rosalie moved a lock of blonde hair from her face before turning to face me fully.
"I love Alice, Bella. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that. She's my sister and I hate seeing her sad. I've seen her heartbroken on a variety of occasions, especially when we dealt with the Amanda incident. I don't want that happen to you, Bella. I truly don't. We've all sinned, Bella. We're not perfect, even though we try to be. I'm not asking you to leave. I'm merely asking you to make sure that this is what you want."
"I would never do anything to hurt her, Rose. She's been so good to me," I whispered.
Rosalie stared down at the table. "I know. I know you wouldn't. But I know that something could still happen, be it intentional or not. I don't want to see my sister the way she was before you came into her life. She wasn't the same. She was a shell of herself, even when I first met her. The fact that she's been alone almost as long as Edward has had a great effect on her. Then she saw you and all of that changed. I want her to stay that way. I don't want her to suffer anymore."
She stood up then, feeling that the conversation was done. She'd said her part, now she wanted me to think over what she'd told me. I couldn't help but think that deep down she did want me not to join the family. I couldn't be sure, though.
Still...
"R-Rosalie?" I stammered.
She turned to face me at an angle. "Yes?"
"I...I don't hate you either. In fact, I want to be friends with you," I murmured.
That surprised her. Something flashed in her eyes that I didn't recognize. She turned away from me to hide the shock on her face, though I was still able to see it for a few seconds.
"I, um..." She didn't know how to respond to that. Emmett appeared downstairs and smiled at me as Rosalie fumbled over how to respond. In the end, she more harrumphed and looped her arm around Emmett's. He gave me a thumb up as the two walked out of the door.
I sighed quietly, running a hand through my hair.
"Nicely done," I jumped slightly at the new voice and glanced up to see an amused Amara smiling at me. She was standing a few feet away, resting against the wall.
"Geez, Amara. You startled me."
She shrugged her shoulder sheepishly. "Sorry. Gotta say though, you managed to keep your cool pretty well considering. Plus, you stumped Rose at the end. The look on her face was priceless."
I rolled my eyes. "I was being serious though."
"I know you were," she replied, grinning.
"So where's Alice?" I asked.
"She'll be back shortly. She needed to go clear her head is all. Don't worry, you'll be kissing her in no time," Amara chuckled. I blushed slightly and hid my face in my hands.
"Oh, leave her alone Amara," sang a familiar voice. I looked up and smiled.
"Alice!" I shouted happily. She grinned and danced over to me, pulling me into her body for a warm hug. I nuzzled into her shoulder, breathing in her amazingly sweet Neapolitan scent. Oh how she smelled amazing. I mean seriously. Bottle some of this up for me.
"Silly girl, I wasn't gone for that long," she teased, kissing my shoulder.
I pulled away from her shoulder and received a gentle kiss on the lips. I moaned quietly at the sensations and the taste and kissed her back, forgetting that Amara was still in the room. Hell, I forgot that the others could hear it. I didn't care, either. I needed this.
We pulled away at the same time, both smiling at one another. She seated herself next to me and proceeded to cuddle with me, much to my delight. One of the many things I loved about Alice: how amazingly cuddly she was. God it was like snuggling with an oversized teddy bear. Well, a cold, rock hard, bloodsucking teddy bear, but whatever. Close enough.
"I love when you're like this," I murmured, nestling into her neck. She giggled and did the same thing.
"You two are so adorable together," Amara mused. I had completely forgotten she was still in the room with us. "Don't mind me; I'm just going to watch some TV. You two go on and enjoy snuggling with one another. Actually, I should take a picture..."
Her voice was drowned out as I became consumed by Alice as she started to purr. Dear God, I loved when she purred. Her entire body vibrated and emanated a soothing noise. It calmed me nerves and relaxed me completely. I don't give a shit how lame it is, I love when she purrs too.
We both stayed that way for a good long while without speaking. It was peaceful, warm and above all else comfortable for the both of us. I became distinctively aware that Jasper had joined us, but he said nothing and silently seated himself near Amara. Neither Alice nor I minded their company, since both of them were respectful of our time with one another. I liked that about Jasper and Amara. Though Amara was playful, she was far more respecting then Emmett. Not that I minded his jests every now and then.
"Did Rosalie apologize?" Alice asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
"Mmhmm," I replied quietly.
"I'm sorry too. I'm not as good at controlling my temper as I thought I was," she stated, just as quiet. I almost didn't hear her.
I moved my head up slightly so I was looking into her smoldering golden orbs. So beautiful
"I'm guessing it has something to do with me being your mate and all, right?" I asked, aiming the question at either Jasper or Amara.
Jasper nodded once. "Yes, that's correct. As Alice is new to having a mate, she's experiencing things she's never experienced before. Her protectiveness of you happens to be one of those things, and as such she'll be incredibly defensive of you for a time, at least until she learns to control her urges a bit more. It'll never change, granted, but she'll learn how to cope with her temper and protective nature. It just takes time."
"The fact that you're human has a lot to do with it to," Amara added. "You aren't as physically capable as we are and you're much more...shall we say, fragile? That's another reason for Alice's protectiveness towards you. You can be hurt easier then she can and that's the mentality that she has. She can't help feeling that way, though. It's instinctive."
Alice frowned, clearly not liking the sound of it. I was a bit flattered, actually.
"By the way, Bella, why was Rosalie so upset at the mall? She never told me."
I glanced over at Amara. "You didn't mention it to her?" I asked. Amara grimaced.
"Bella, I wouldn't-"
"What happened?" Alice interrupted, clearly curious.
I shrugged. "I ran into some chick is all, really. I mean, she was pretty and all, but she wasn't as beautiful as you are, Alice. She introduced herself, and then ran off. That's it."
Alice had the strangest expression on her face as I explained all of this.
"A girl," she said. "You ran into a girl."
I nodded. "Yeah, and-"
"You thought she was pretty," Alice stated, her voice darkening slightly.
Oh shit. Wrong word choice. Big time. Damn it.
"Alice, I said she wasn't as pretty as you, remember?" I pointed out, trying to ease her.
She frowned, her eyes darkening significantly. "But you said she was pretty. That means that you were attracted to her."
Fuck.
"What? N-no! Why are you-?" Why would she jump to that conclusion?
Alice's eyes turned pitch black as she curled her lips back slightly as her hands grasped my shoulders. "Who is she? Where is she? I want to know!"
"Alice!" Jasper shouted, grabbing her attention. He and Amara were both eyeing her warily. Jasper was tensed up, likely feeling the emotions in the room. Amara seemed calmer, but looked like she would jump in at any given moment.
Alice hissed at her brother, a violent hiss that made his eyes narrow. He and Amara both stood in unison, glancing at one another for a second. Amara departed from the room, leaving only Jasper with us.
He tentatively reached a hand out towards her, slowly. "Alice, calm down. You don't have to be upset."
She snarled at him and swatted his hand away. "No! I need to find this girl! NOW!"
I wasn't really sure how to react. Alice looked pissed off and I was the one who caused it. Shit.
The violence in her eyes was the same look I'd seen before at the mall and in the forest. Yet there was something different about it this time, something I didn't recognize. I was worried instantly at the sight.
Was she...?
Alice snapped her head back to me, boring her eyes into mine. "Tell me where she is. Tell me who she is. Now," she growled, tightening her grip on my shoulders. I winced at the roughness and placed my hands on her arms.
"Alice, please stop. You don't have to be so upset. We barely said two words to each other," I said, still not understanding what was going on.
Oh. Wait. This was just like Amara and Jasper had said. The whole mate reflex thing. But why was she acting out when I'd just looked at someone?
"It's jealousy," I heard Edward say. I glanced over to my left to see him walking towards Alice with wary eyes. He glanced at Jasper, who moved back a few paces. "And you're correct in thinking it's a part of the "mate reflex" as you say. It's a natural thing for mates to experience jealousy. Again, this is a first for Alice. She's not herself right now."
"I AM myself!" Alice snapped, baring her teeth as she did. Edward took a step back while Jasper began to concentrate. Small waves of calm began filtering through the area. I felt them first and relaxed despite Alice's grip on my shoulders. Alice, however, fought them off.
Jasper frowned while Edward moved in and placed his hands on her arms, pulling them off of me and attempting to pin them down. "Calm down, Alice. You're scaring your mate," he stated calmly.
She glared at her brother. "No! I'll kill her! No one touches my Bella! No one!" she hissed as she started thrashing about.
"Alice, please, stop," I urged. I boldly placed my hands on her cool cheeks and started rubbing circles on them. This calmed her down a bit, but she still maintained her grimace. Shit. That's why Amara had tried to warn me. Damn it.
"It's not your fault, Bella. Alice needs to get used to this herself," Edward interjected at me, struggling to keep her down.
Alice wasn't having it.
"Bella is MINE! Mine and no one else's!" Alice roared. "No one can look at her, no one can touch her. She is MINE!"
I watched her writhe around, hissing and growling like she had earlier today. She looked nothing like my Alice now.
My Alice. Again with that. I guess this mate thing is rubbing off on me after all.
Edward made various soft remarks to try and calm her down, but they did nothing. I glanced over, waiting to see why Jasper had yet to use his ability. He was watching her warily, obviously waiting to see if Edward could do it alone. When he failed, Jasper began to focus.
A stronger, more intense wave of calm crashed into us, Alice especially. She slumped back into the couch, blinking several times, obviously trying to get her thoughts straight. Her writhing finally ceased and Edward removed his hands from her shoulders. She glanced up at him through hazy eyes.
"Yes, Alice. You frightened your mate a little. No, she isn't upset, just worried. No, you don't have to be jealous of someone she met just once. Calm yourself, Alice. Don't let the animal within you take control. Keep it and your feelings in check. I know you can. I know it's hard for you, but you have to do it. For your sake and for Bella's," Edward said.
Alice gritted her teeth, struggling with herself for a moment.. When she reopened them, they were a dark butterscotch color. I noticed that the anger and violence I had seen in them were gone now. She seemed pained though as her eyes flickered to meet mine.
I sighed in relief as she looked at me sorrowfully. "I'm sorry about that, Bella. I-"
I shushed her by pressing my lips to hers and wrapping my arms back around her. "It's okay, Alice. No harm done. You just need to get used to this is all. I'm not upset, either. I was having a similar mental battle myself when I saw her."
Alice frowned against my lips at first, but shrugged and happily kissed back. I noticed an intrigued look on Edward's face, obviously relating to my earlier statement.
"How interesting," he mused. Alice, Jasper and Amara looked at him curiously, but he waved their silent questions off.
He then departed from the room, giving me a soft smile before entering the other living room. I heard their piano begin playing, so I figured Edward was going to serenade us with a song to help ease the tension. Jasper and Amara looked at one another, obviously having their own silent conversation. After a moment, Amara turned the TV off and the two quietly went upstairs, each giving both Alice and I a smile before doing so.
That just left myself and Alice.
She was staring down at her lap sheepishly, an adorable pout on her face. I rolled my eyes at her cuteness and snuggled up to her again. She hesitated at first, but eventually she looped her arms around me and pulled me in close, breathing in slowly as she nestled against my head.
"You smell wonderful," she cooed. I felt her nose brush against the top of my head and giggled at the contact, closing my eyes and listening to the rhythm of her unnecessary breathing. Eventually her purring picked up again, bringing pure peace to the entire room. I sighed happily as I rested my head on her shoulder.
"This is my favorite thing to do," I said, smiling. "I love cuddling. I love the purring. I love all of this. It's nice and calm and it always relaxes me. It's nice."
I felt her nod her head against me. "Yes, it is."
About ten minutes passed by before I heard a car driving up. Then another one.
Carlisle and Esme were home, I assumed.
And I was right.
Both Carlisle and Esme entered the house, Esme first, then Carlisle. Not but seconds later were Emmett and Rosalie coming in, obviously returning from Lord know whatever it was they were doing. I cringed a little, trying hard not to think about that. Ugh.
"Hello girls," Carlisle greeted, smiling warmly at us.
I returned the smile. "Hi Carlisle How was work?"
He chuckled. "Oh it was quite ordinary, I'd say. There were a few new patients, but nothing too noteworthy. I heard that a lot's happened today, however." He idly glanced at Rosalie, then back at Alice as he spoke.
Rosalie and Alice looked at one another, their eyes registering an emotion I didn't recognize, before nodding at one another.
"I also heard that there is another vampire in the area?" he asked, looking at Alice.
She nodded. "Yes. I had a vision of it in the mall earlier today. I was actually outside trying to focus on the vampire's movements, trying to see where she was heading. So far, I've only gotten a few vague things. She obviously doesn't know where she's going or what she's going to do. Her movements are impulsive. That just furthers the evidence that she's a newborn."
Carlisle nodded in understanding. "What of the other two, have you seen anything from them?"
She shook her head. "No. I've only seen them moving north, away from Forks. They're obviously leaving the area to lure us into a false sense of awareness, or at the very least to plan out their next attack. I know that they aren't finished, though. I knew when I first fought with them in the forest that they wouldn't stop until they got Bella." She grimaced as she finished and squeezed me a bit tighter.
I remembered the news report I'd seen earlier regarding the dead bodies being found.
"What do you propose we do?" Edward asked, coming from the piano room.
Carlisle frowned and started thinking it through, as did Esme.
Esme was the first to speak up. "I think it best that we keep up with our current plans. We should just lay low and act out our days as we would if the other vampires weren't around. Are there any other vampires in the area?"
"Just Sophie and Arthur," Amara replied. Both she and Jasper had apparently joined without my noticing. Damn those two knew how to be silent.
"Perhaps we should invite them over and inform them of the current situation so that they are aware of what's going on," Carlisle stated. Esme nodded in agreement. "Now then, the current question is what we should do concerning the schooling situation."
"I think that, given the current circumstances that you all should keep going to maintain our public image. At the very least you would know if any of the vampires were in the area, whether by smelling them or by Alice's visions or Edward's mind reading. I also suggest that we enroll Bella into the school. After all, since she'll be in the family soon, she'll have to abide by our rules, now won't she?" Esme asked, smiling lovingly at me.
I smiled back for a moment before scoffing. "You mean I gotta go to school?"
She nodded, smiling wider. "Yes ma'am, that you do. I want my children to get a good education after all."
I couldn't help but laugh at the eight collective groans that echoed through the house.
"We've already graduated more times than any human has," Amara whined.
"It's so boring," Rosalie added. "And I swear that humans grow dumber with each generation."
"If we must, we must," Jasper sighed. "Though I don't mind it so much. Learning is fun."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Says you. You don't have to listen to everyone's thoughts day in and day out. I swear the things some of those girls think are going to drive me up the wall. You'd be feeling the same way if you could hear their thoughts, let me tell you."
"Oh, stop it, Eddie. You just need to get laid is all," Emmett chuckled. Rosalie smacked him while Edward just shot him an icy glare. "What? It's true! It'd make you less tense and moody all the damn time."
Amara, Jasper, Alice and I all snickered as his face contorted into a deeper glare. Even Rosalie was smirking a little. Carlisle and Esme merely shook their heads and quietly laughed at their children's silliness.
"So Amara, will you go call your friends and invite them over?" Esme asked, turning to her redhead daughter.
Amara nodded. "Yeah, sure, hold on a sec." She ran off into the kitchen to go and call her friends then. Carlisle decided to go up to his studies for a bit, Esme and Edward going with him. Jasper went over and started speaking quickly and quietly to Rosalie and Emmett. I saw several nods and head shakes. Then the three departed from the house.
"What was that about?" I whispered to Alice curiously.
Alice giggled. "They're going to go have a training session together."
"Training?"
She nodded. "Yes. We train from time to time to keep our skills sharp and to test our limits against one another. Jasper and Amara are usually are teachers. We usually have playful training sessions when the sun is out or at night. Sometimes we train during storms too. It's constant for us since we need to keep on our toes in case something like this were to happen."
"So who's the best fighter in your family?" I asked curiously.
"That would be Amara. She's not as fast as I am or as strong as Emmett, but she has ten times the amount of skill and fighting prowess then the rest of us combined, even Jasper. And Jasper was brought up on fighting. She's been through a much more rigorous training then we do. Half of the things we day are child's play for her. But Amara only teaches us if necessary. Her training sessions are long and take a lot of time to master. Jasper's are strenuous too, but they're far more simplistic. He's more tactical then she is, after all."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure he'll explain it to you later on. It'd be wrong of me to share his story for him."
"Why train, though? I mean, with yours, Edward's, Jasper's and Amara's abilities, why bother training?"
She laughed her tinkling laugh. "Because it helps better us in what we do. It's not just training to fight, it's training on how to act at the right time, how to think on our feet, how to face a problem without relying solely on our gifts. When I fought those two in the forest, I only used my gift half the time. The other half was my own skill. You can see how well that got me, though. That's why it's important for us to train our minds and bodies alike so that we'll be prepared to face whatever task that lays ahead of us. I'll have to start training too, though it can wait for a while."
I frowned. "It's because of me, isn't it?" I asked.
She kissed me on the cheek and nuzzled me. "Bella, don't feel badly. It's fine, really. I can train any day I choose to. I just enjoy spending more time with you is all. Besides, it's not like you can't be present to watch us. Edward didn't like the idea when I brought it up, but with Carlisle and Esme around, I know for a fact that you won't be injured or anything like that. Besides, I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you."
I rested my head on her again. "Okay."
"Besides, I think you might actually enjoy watching us train. I always find our training sessions to be amusing, even if they're meant to be serious. With Emmett and Amara, seriousness is always a bit hard."
"With you too," I joked.
She crinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at me. "Yeah, yeah."
"So do you guys have like, your own fighting styles or something like that?" I inquired.
Alice paused to think on that. "Sort of. I mean, not in the sense that you would think. We don't fight with karate or anything that mundane. Our fighting styles are all unique since we all fight differently. Some of us, for example, are equated to certain animals in how we fight and in how we hunt too. I suppose that's due in part to our more animalistic nature, which you've seen before. You haven't actually witnessed how we truly fight. Myself perhaps, but not the others."
"I'm curious," I said.
She giggled. "You're always curious, silly."
"Can you blame me?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and kissed me softly on the lips.
"No, I can't. Anyways, to answer your question, let's start off with the easiest. When you see Emmett, what's the first animal you think of?"
"A bear, "I answered simply.
She grinned and nodded. "Precisely. That's probably the animal closest to what Emmett fights like. If you've seen videos of bears attacking, you've got the idea. Of course, he's stronger and faster than a bear is and much more fearsome. Like a super bear, I guess. Either way, Emmett relies more on brute strength than anything else. He's never needed to rely on anything else aside from strength, though, considering how powerful he is."
I stifled a giggle when she said "super bear". My God she was lame sometimes. I love it.
"Then there's Edward, who I'd say is definitely a lot like a mountain lion when he fights. He definitely has the same mannerisms of a mountain lion, plus he likes to think he's the "king of the jungle" so to speak, at least in terms of family. He's fast, yes, but he lacks a few things, like efficiency. Still, with his mind reading talent, he's a formidable fighter."
"What about you?"
"Who, me? Well, they say I'm like a cheetah, which I'd agree on. I rely on speed, accuracy and precision. My strikes are lethal and I always strike fast, just like a cheetah does. Unlike a cheetah, though, I don't tire out and I'm much smarter. I happen to be one of the most skilled fighters in our family, actually," she said, grinning rather smugly.
"You forgot to mention the gracefulness of a cheetah," I pointed out.
Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh Bella, you are far too sweet for your own good sometimes."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, go on," I urged.
She sighed. "Well anyways, then there's Rosalie. I'd say that the closest animal that matches her would be a snake. A cobra to be precise, I believe."
I cocked my head to side at that one.
"Now I don't mean snake in the way you might think. I mean in the fact that she's incredibly deadly and easily agitated. Not only that, but she's precise and every one of her attacks is venomous, whether literally or figuratively. Rosalie has the worst temper of our family, so naturally she's one of the most dangerous. The angrier she gets, the more dangerous she becomes. That's a common thing when it comes to our emotion. She isn't the strongest and she does have a tendency to let her anger get the best of her, but when she's in control..."
She paused for a moment and looked like she was recalling something, shuddering to herself.
"Another reason I'd equate her to a cobra or a viper is because of the fact that she enjoys tormenting her enemies the way a snake does. She likes to wrap around them and break them slowly and painfully. Sometimes she gets a little too into it, I'll admit. That's when she's the scariest; when she likes causing pain. It's a side of Rosalie that you say very rarely and you definitely want to keep it that way, let me tell you."
"Then there's Jasper and Amara, our best fighters. With them, we often compare them more to forces of nature then to animals. Jasper is like lightning. Fast, deadly and vicious. One strike from him is usually all it takes, truth be told. Amara on the other hand is very much like a wildfire. She starts of slow, but as the fight goes on her danger level spreads. She's wild and unruly when she fights, but she knows exactly what she's doing, which is why she's so dangerous. You never want to see her get upset, Bella. Never."
I shuddered at the warning in her words. Her face was dark as she said them, meaning she herself had witnessed Amara angry before. That worried me.
"What about Carlisle and Esme?"
Her face softened immediately. "Carlisle and Esme don't come off as the fighting types because they hate violence, Carlisle especially. They usually try to avoid violence whenever they can, even going so far as to not full out fighting in a battle. However, they have had moments where they've shown their more...animalistic side. You caught a glimpse of Esme's today." Now it was Alice's turn to shudder as she remembered the look in her mother's eyes.
"It's rare to see, that's for sure. But they've both shown it before. They usually only become that way when their family is threatened, because they're the leaders of our coven and all," she explained, clearly taking my look of fear in.
I nodded in understanding. I found the idea of seeing Carlisle and Esme being feral strange and terrifying in the same, especially when I thought of Esme today. I wondered if that was the full extent of angry Esme or if that was just the beginning.
I shivered again, not wanting to think of that.
We sat in silence for another minute and a half. "So I'm really gonna have to go to school?"
She laughed. "Yes, Bella, I'm afraid so. You'll have to deal with it like the rest of us. Don't worry; I'll make sure I'm in all your classes, if that's what you'd like."
"Yeah, I'd rather have that then be stuck with a bunch of strangers. Do you promise you'll try to keep your, um, jealousy problem under control?" I asked warily.
She crossed her arms and frowned at me. "I do not have jealousy problems," she huffed. "I just...don't like the idea of you looking at other girls. Or talking to other girls or being around other girls..."
I gave her a stern look. "Alice..."
She sighed. "Alright, I promise I'll do what I can to tone it down. I can't help it though, it's like I have this voice in the back of my head screaming that you're mine and that by letting you talk to another girl, I'm allowing myself a chance at losing you to her. I can't stand it, Bella. I hate feeling that way and I don't like acting out on it either, but if I don't, it drives me up the wall."
I furrowed my brows and started to think.
I didn't want Alice to act out the way she had today if I looked at another girl. I mean, I wouldn't blatantly check any other girls out, especially not in front of her. There was that one girl from earlier, but it was brief. No, I think I can safely so I wouldn't do that again.
But I wouldn't want Alice to act that way. Not because I'd be afraid for whatever girl I'd talked to or looked at or whatever, but because I wouldn't want her to do anything that would upset or hurt her later. I cared about her too much. I liked seeing her happy and bubbly, not broody and upset. That was definitely Edward's department, if anything.
Ignoring the loud harrumph I heard upstairs, I rested my forehead against hers.
"What if we showed them that we were together? That way they knew that I was yours and that little voice wouldn't bother you so much?" I offered.
She cocked her head to the side curiously. "What do you mean?"
"You know, holding hands and whatnot. A public display of affection. Nothing too grand, of course, since I wouldn't be able to handle that right off the bat. But minor stuff like cuddling and hugging and, er...maybe kissing..." I trailed off on the end when I started to think more about it.
Alice and I, kissing each other, surrounded by horny jocks all hooting and shouting at us...
I cringed at the thought.
No. I didn't want that. I didn't want anyone to see MY Alice that way. No boy would ever treat her like that.
No. I'd kill them if they did. Yes. Kill them.
Whoa. Holy fuck where did that come from?
"Bella?" Alice gently nudged me. "Are you okay?"
"I was...er...I'm fine," I stammered, running a hand through my hair. "Really, I'm fine. Just thinking is all."
She didn't look convinced, but sighed and dropped the subject. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't dropping it for good, though.
"Well, Arthur and Sophie will be arriving in two hours and thirty two minutes. I think it's nice that you'll get to meet them. They're both very nice, especially Arthur. Sophie's a bit odd, yes, but then again, so am I." she giggled.
I grinned and nodded in agreement. "You're the weirdest person I've ever met."
She playfully smacked my arm. "Shut up, you. Don't forget you still have to try on all the clothes I bought you." A thought hit her and she was suddenly on her feet, smirking at me. "Up! That's what we're going to do right now. You're going to try on all your outfits until they arrive."
"What about food?" I asked. I hadn't eaten much today.
Alice smacked her forehead. "Shit. I forgot about that. Okay, how about this. You try on clothes with me for an hour and a half, and then I'll make you something to eat. Deal?"
"Deal."