"Promise you won't hover?" I say to Alice as we get ready to leave for school. After that incident we discussed her overbearing tendencies; she's promised to be less overbearing, letting me do what I want without freaking out if I get hurt. Today? It's snowing a ridiculous amount and I can see her twitching to stop me leaving the house.
She huffs a little. "I promise. But if you slip..."
"I know I know. 'I told you so'." I roll my eyes. "Now come on or we'll be late. Bye mom!" I call.
"Bye girls! Make sure you ask your mom if they want to join us for Christmas, Alice!" She adds.
"Will do Mrs Rowe!" Alice smiles as we head out to the car. She opens the passenger door for me and I climb in, shaking snow flakes from my hair.
"You don't have to come for Christmas. You guys don't eat and that'll be hard to explain." I say gently.
"We can figure something out. I wanna see you on Christmas day." She pouts.
I roll my eyes and put my feet on the dash. "Oh yeah? What if I don't want to see you?"
She gasps. "Ouch! Oh you suck."
I giggle. "Of course I want to see you, nerdball. Plus the girls have been working really hard on your present."
She smirks a little. "I saw..."
"Alice." I groan. "You said you wouldn't look."
"I didn't mean to. I'll act surprised when they show me, I promise." She giggles, parking the car beside Emmetts jeep. "I've got your present sorted."
"And I've got yours sorted."
"We promised no presents." She raises an eyebrow.
"Ditto." I smirk. "I knew you wouldn't stick to the deal so neither did I."
"But I love to spoil you."
"And I you, when possible. What do you get someone who has it all?" I muse.
Alice goes to respond when a snowball slaps against the windscreen. We look over to see Emmett by the front steps, smirking; oh gosh today will be hell... "Lets go face him." Alice laughs.
I whine as she drags me to the steps. "HI BAILEY!" Emmett yells, his hands moulding a snow ball.
"Emmett.... if you so much as try and throw that at me, I will personally find a way to end you." I say sternly.
"You think I'm afraid of you, puny human?" He flexes his muscles.
"I have a Regina." I smirk.
Emmett scowls. "She put makeup on me. I still can't get over that!"
I laugh and cuddle into Alice a little as the others laugh too; the bell rings and Alice and I head to gym, which we essentially get out of all the time. We sit on the bleachers and 'study'. I watch her as she reads a page in her book. "I love you. You know that, right?"
She looks up at me and smiles, her warm eyes glowing. "I love you too, goofy. What made you say that?"
I shrug small and lean my head on her shoulder. "I just wanted you to know. Somethings... not right. It feels different - like something is going to change."
I sense her frowning. "I haven't seen anything... well, except the chiefs daughter might move back."
I look up at her. "Is that all you've seen?" She nods, making me sigh. "I can't shake this feeling."
"It'll be okay baby. Things will be okay." She kisses my head.
-
"Welcome guys!" Mom gushes as the Cullens enter our home, the cold evening air rushing in as the door stays open letting the heat out.
Esme smiles and hugs her gently. "Merry Christmas! We're sorry we missed lunch, we couldn't miss church."
"Oh don't be silly, come on in and find a seat." Mom waves her off.
I lean on the stairs as Alice hangs her coat up, turning towards me with a smirk. "Hi beautiful. I missed you."
I wrap my arms around her. "You saw me this morning before you snuck out." I whisper giggling.
"Still. C'mon, I wanna give you your present." She pulls me to the livingroom. She sits in one of the armchairs and I sit on her lap, looking around at everyone. The girls sit by the fire with Rosalie and Edward, Ronnie sits on his phone on a dining chair by the tree. Our parents huddle in the kitchen talking while Emmett and Jasper sprawl out on the couch.
"Here." Alice says, holding up a small square box with a small bow on top.
I smirk and hold up a similar box making Alice laugh. "Here." We switch boxes and I carefully open mine, careful not to get a papercut or anything. I gently lift the lid once the papers gone and gasp as Alice does. "We got each other the same thing!"
Alice holds the small B in her fingers giggling. "Creepy. But I love it - you'll be close to my heart forever." She kisses me gently.
"Let me." I say gently as I take the necklace and put it around her neck. She does the same for me and I smile, admiring the A. "I love it so much. Thanks baby." I lean my forehead on hers.
"Stop before I vomit." Emmett groans throwing his head back.
Emmy giggles. "Yes ew!"
Jasper laughs. "You've been outvoted - no more lovey dovey."
"You guys suck." I scowl.
"We sure do." Edward smirks.
I roll my eyes and cuddle into Alice as I watch Rosalie play Barbie with Regina while Edward and Ronnie seem to be talking about music; this makes me smile. Edward is such a sweetheart for being so consistent in helping Ron - he sticks up for him, takes the time out of his day to talk to him, show him how to play guitar and such. I've seen a change in him, a change for the better and I couldn't be happier. Edward smiles over at me a little as he hears these thoughts. Thank you, Cullen. He nods slightly to acknowledge me.
I then look over at mom, watching as she smiles and chats to Carlisle and Esme. She's been... tense since that incident and she always feels like she owes Carlisle, which he doesn't agree with. It's nice to see her not worrying about me for once or about Ronnie, it's nice to see her with a drink in hand and a smile on her face.
"Bay?" Rosalie says gently, breaking me from my little thought bubble.
"Yeah?" I smile.
"Can we go talk, in your room or something?" She says gently.
Alice and her siblings all watch her - shock on their faces - as I nod and lead her upstairs silently; my heart picks up a little as we head up there - alone. I close the bedroom door as Rosalie looks around a little. "So... how can I help?" I say gently.
Rosalie looks at me for a moment. "I know I've already apologised for my behaviour before, but I want to apologise again; I truly am sorry for being so rude. I feel I owe you an explanation."
I smile gently. "You honestly don't need to be sorry, and you don't owe me anytbing. We're cool, I promise."
"Please, may I explain?" She sits on the edge of the bed. I nod and sit at my desk, turning to face her. "So... out of us all, I think it's safe to say I am the most against this life. I'm extremely grateful for Carlisle saving me but this isn't a life I would choose. When Alice first started talking to you she promised once the project was over she would stop whatever was happening. But we could all see she was attached, we could see she was happier than we've ever seen her when she was worth you. The whole idea of telling you wasn't really on the cards, she wanted to have a normal relationship with you, but things begun to change when she realised she couldn't part ways with you, and she hated keeping a secret from you."
"I don't understand where this is going..." I say frowning.
Rosalie takes a deep breath. "I envy you, Bailey. You are everything I want to be - human, happy, growing. I haven't changed in decades, I haven't aged or gotten grey hair - it's infuriating, as messed up as it sounds. All I want is a child, to grow old with Emmett and watch our grandbabies run around as we sit on the porch of our family home." She smiles gently at the thought; my heart clenches as I hear the undertone of sadness in her voice.
"You hate me because I'm human?" I frown.
"No, I don't hate you. I'm just worried you'll want this life - it isn't a life anyone should want." She shakes her head.
"I don't want it." I shake my head. "The discussion has never even come up between Alice and I; I enjoy being human, I enjoy my life, and I wouldn't want to change it."
"I'm glad." She smiles gently.
"Does this mean you'll envy me less?" I ask giggling small.
"Never." Rosalie giggles. "But we can get along. I'm relieved to hear you haven't decided this life is for you. The value of aging is underrated."