"You going out?" Charlie asked me, raising his sight form the newspaper he was reading on the kitchen table, as I waked into the kitchen.
I nodded, grabbing everything to make a quick P&J sandwich.
"I am going shopping with Maggie and Alice" I informed him, trying to be polite. I knew that both, Bella and I, were barely home and sometimes I felt a little guilty about that. We were supposed to be spending more time with our dad now that we lived in Forks but we each were too busy in our own relationships to do so.
"About the Cullens" Charlie grimaced as he placed the newspaper to the side "I heard some interesting stuff yesterday at the office"
I turned to him while spreading the peanut butter, I was curious about what he was going to tell me about the vampire family.
"Otto, a police officer, has a daughter your age, she is a sophomore" Charlie mentioned casually, just telling me where he got his info from "He said that she mentioned that you were really involved with the Cullens, that they are your only friends and that you have been lunching with them since the first day of this year"
I frowned at that, I had never had friends so going from zero to a whole vampire coven was a huge deal for me and I knew that Charlie was glad that I had them as my friends, so what was this about?
"I thought you would be glad that I have that many friends, there are 6 Cullens" I shrugged my shoulders a little defensive, Charlie quickly shook his head no.
"I am really glad" he assured me, before continue blabbering "Actually I am super happy about it, they are great kids and all of them are in the honor roll, just like you and will most likely go to ivy leagues like you are so I am really happy you have them as friends"
I tilted my head, I had finished my sandwich so I placed it in my plate and took the seat in front of Charlie, waiting for him to make his point.
"It's just that she also mentioned that apparently you have a 'thing' with one of Carlisle's boys?" he hesitated and I gaped with a bite of my sandwich still on my mouth "The Hale boy"
I gulped my bite and took a sip of water to clear my throat, I could not believe that the rumor had gotten to my dad. Was this the perfect moment to tell him? That I was actually dating the other Hale?
"Dad" I sighed not knowing what to say, he raised his hand stopping me from speaking any further.
"I met the girlfriend, Edward's sister, Alice" he continued "She is really good friends with Bella and she seems like a nice, kind girl; I really liked her"
He seemed worried, like I was in fact skimming to take away Alice's boyfriend.
"It is not like that" I interrupted not wanting to keep talking about this "Jasper is a really good friend of mine, I trust him"
I did not know how else to explain it but it was partially truth.
Jasper had been really kind with me, helping me fake all this façade to take curious eyes off me and not caring everyone was calling him a player for 'cheating' on Alice with me. Besides I knew to keep my distance and respect his boundaries and he really appreciated that, if someone deserved to be called my best guy friend, that was Jasper Hale.
"I thought that Rosalie was your best friend" Charlie arched an eyebrow, not buying completely my lie.
I considered for a second, clearing up the fact that Rosalie was a little more special than just my best friend but I could not find the courage to do so.
"Both of them are" I tried to keep it casual "I started hanging out with Rosalie, Japer is her twin, so he would tag along sometimes then we all three became friends, kinda like the 3 musketeers"
Charlie gave me a doubtful look "You just spent the whole summer with Rosalie and her sisters and you are telling me that Jasper, the one that supposedly did not go, is your best friend"
Damn it! Why did he had to go all police officer of me? Bella lied to him all the time, horribly may I add, and he never poked this many holes in her stories.
"We are all friends" I gave up; I couldn't explain Charlie without spilling all the beans.
"Ok" he agreed, I was shocked. Just like that? After all the questioning, he is going to settle for that? "Listen, if you tell me there is nothing going on between the Hale boy and you, then I believe you"
"Thanks?" I was a little confused that he let it go that quickly.
"Just know that whenever you are ready to tell me which Cullen you actually have a 'thing' with, I am right here kiddo" he stood up from the kitchen table, placed his empty mug in the sink and exited the kitchen without giving me a second glance.
Did he know? No, he couldn't. It was not possible for him to know that I was dating Rosalie. Was it?
The door bell ringing shook me out of my thoughts, I knew exactly who it was so I jumped to open the door.
"Hi" she smiled shyly, I knew, for how guilty she looked, that she was eavesdropping in my conversation with my dad but I was not about to make a comment about it "It didn't seem like the right time to intervene"
I didn't reply, I was ashamed that I had coward out of the perfect opportunity to tell Charlie about my relationship with Rosalie.
"My sisters are waiting for you" she stepped aside letting me see Maggie and Alice parked in the driveway. Maggie, who was on the passenger seat, honked twice.
"I just wanted to say goodbye" Rosalie played with a strand of her hair "Have fun and if Maggie and Alice get on your nerves text me and I will be there in 20 minutes"
Maggie honked again and I snickered at the redhead's antiques, her and Emmett were truly the perfect match.
"Before you go, take this" she handed me the refill from my asthma, I beamed. Since I found out that Rosalie has an actual MD, and she was nor forging Carlisle's prescriptions, I have been asking her to prescribe me my med, she actually insisted, and I must admit it was a huge turn on to have a doctor as your girlfriend.
"Thank you" I extended my arms shyly, she walked in them gladly and kissed the side of my head, I wanted so badly to get on my tippy toes and kiss her plump red lips.
"Take care" she whispered in my ear before separating a few inches from me, leaving our faces close together "I adore you"
My heart skipped a beat, did she meant to say 'love', the way she worded it made me feel like she did and I wanted to say it back. But what if she does not feel the same way? Adore and love were different things, but close enough to be synonyms.
"I adore you too" I bit my lip trying to content my beating heart, that could very well jump out of my chest. She smiled triumphant at me before stepping aside, I waved at her one more time before heading to my car where Rosalie's sisters were waiting for me.
"This would look great on you!" Alice squealed as she placed a dress in a hanger in front of Maggie, it was satin and emerald green, a little short for me but perfect for Maggie. It made a great contrast with her red hair.
"Emmet is going to drool when he sees me with this!" she took the hanger off Alice's hand and went to stand in front of a mirror, she looked at me thru the mirror "What you think?"
"You look gorgeous!" I nodded sincerely.
"I am so glad that women can now wear these clothes!" she sighed in content "I hated the long dresses with turtle necks!"
"How old are you?" I questioned curiously, I knew that she was older than Rosalie but I did not know who old she actually was.
"You don't know?" she was surprised, I shook my head no "I am 112, just eight years older than Rosalie"
"Oh" It still amazed me how old the Cullens actually were.
"I never told you the story did I?" She asked nonchalantly while eyeing a rack of dresses, I could spot Alice on the other side of the store comparing handbags.
I shook my head no, was it bad that I wanted to know? I knew that it ended badly, but somehow hearing them talking about their deaths was intriguing.
"I was a nun" she stated leaving me with my mouth open, say what again?
Maggie threw her head back with laughter at my reaction.
"You are joking" I could not believe that Maggie was a nun in her human life, the same Maggie that loved short dresses and talked freely about her sex-life.
"Not all, I was born in Portland in 1908" she rolled her eyes "My father sent me to a convent to become a nun because he found out I was planning to run away from the arranged marriage he had planned for me"
I stood there speechless, she continued checking thru the dresses and started hanging me clothes for me to hold. I was becoming her personal perch.
"Elliot Hussy, my father, was a misogynist man and planned to marry me, and my 3 younger sisters, to this high class family, all of the suitors were on their 40's. My sisters were triplets; they had just turn 13 and I was not about to let them become brides when they had barely gotten their period" Her back became a little stiff, but she tried to continue her relaxed act.
"I planned this whole escape where I was going to take my sisters upstate and start a new life, he found out and decided that the best way to keep me under control was to place me in a convent to make an example out of me, and he told the nuns that I had become promiscuous and that I needed God's influence in my life"
Maggie threw two more dressed, on the growing pile, in my arms.
"The nuns were not bad" she shrugged her shoulders "They treated me kindly, but never believed me when I told them that my father was lying, the old priest was always giving me this speech about how lying was a sin and by doing so I was dishonoring my family, even if I swore that I never lied" She shook her head in exasperation "One night I decided that I had to escape again, the wedding was supposed to occur that same weekend and I had to get to my sisters before that could take place"
"I took all my stuff and went to the stables to steal a horse" She turned to look at me "The convent was in the middle of nowhere, the priest saw that someone was trying to steal from them and took out his gunshot"
I gasped terrified, Maggie gave me a comforting smile.
"He shot me 3 times, all of them hit me on internal organs" She grimaced "When he saw it was me, he was furious and took me to Carlisle's house, his house was out of town as well and he was a respected Doctor in the community" Maggie then shrugged her shoulders "I was in the bridge of death and delirious by the time we got to the house but all I could think about is how I needed to run away and get my sisters, that I could not die and leave them defenseless"
"Thankfully, Edward was there so he read my mind and informed Carlisle about what was going on" Maggie the smiled brightly "Carlisle told the priest I was death and send him on his was, claiming that he had to fix my body for the service, then he told me that he will help my sisters and asked me if I wanted a second chance at life, at being free"
I was so immerse on Maggie's story telling that I just kept following her all around the store like a lost puppy.
"However, he made sure to tell me that I could never see my sisters again" Maggie smiled sadly "I knew they will be safe and I wanted to be free so I accepted, it was the best decision that I could've made"
"You went to help your sisters after?" I questioned, eager to know what had happened to the rest of the Hussy sisters.
"No" she laughed "As a newborn I could not control my thirst; Edward took care of that"
"Edward?" I frowned confused.
"Let's just say that Edward started his rebellion by taking care of the bastards that were planning to marry my 13 year-old sisters against their will" she winked at me with complicity before adding with irony "I will forever be thankful to the lord for that"
I knew what rebellion she was talking about, I had asked Rosalie what would happen if any of them had a 'slip up', she had explained me that Carlisle and Esme would forgive them no matter what. Then she mentioned that it would be a little hypocrite if they did not, since they had forgiven Edward for 5 years of disobedience.
"Amen" I agreed, she snorted.
"Rosalie never told you the story?" she frowned in confusion, I shook my head.
"She never wants to talk about how all of you turned, I think she believes I will freak out or something" I grimaced a little disappointed that Rosalie treated me like a kid instead of her equal.
"Well you are human" Maggie gave me a condescending smile "Rosalie has to be more careful with you, you could get scared and have an asthma attack, humanity is so fragile"
"I can take care of myself" I mumbled a little annoyed that they thought of me as if I were a kid "I am not a child"
"You are 16 years-old" Maggie snorted and tapped my forehead with her forefinger "You are basically a fetus"
It mortified me that Maggie thought of me like that, did it mean that Rosalie had the same set of mind? My memory took me back to the time, before we even became friends, where she told me that she did not want to be see hanging out with a kid.
"Is that why Rosalie doesn't like to kiss me?" I questioned her lowering my sight to the floor feeling so vulnerable, it was an embarrassing topic for me but Rosalie never wanted to discuss it and I needed answers.
I felt her pulling me into a side hug.
"I thought that you two had kissed" she frowned in confusion "At the hospital and then at prom"
It did not surprise me that she knew that much details from our relationship. Privacy, was nonexistent in a household like the Cullens.
"We did" I bit my lip as my cheeks turned red "Then once again about two weeks ago but that is it"
"What?!" she exclaimed, making several head turn our way. I hushed her.
"How about we take this to the dressing room" Alice finally came back with a bunch of clothes on her hands and pushing us to the side of the store, one of the dependents seemed to know Alice and immediately closed a private area of the dressing rooms, just for us. The pixie pushed me into the single velvet couch as she disappeared behind a curtain. Maggie sat on the arm of the chair.
"You have been together for a little over three months by now" Maggie stated and made a pause for me to confirm this information, I nodded "And you have only kissed three times" she turned to me again, and I nodded once more "I was not expecting that"
Alice came out of the dressing room twirling a beautiful dress that flowed with her movements, I smiled at her positive energy.
"Look, Rosalie is complicated to say the least" she gave one more twirl until she was finally standing in front of us "I know that you cannot possible know this but you really have changed her for the best, she takes out her soft side with you"
"That's true" Maggie pipped in.
I felt flattered with what they were telling me but something still bugged me.
"Give her some time" Maggie patted my shoulder condescendingly, my shoulders slumped rather disappointed.
"I know" I was not going to pressure Rosalie into doing anything, actually I think it was rather impossible to do so, still I did not even bring it up.
"Edward and Rosalie are new to being in a relationship" Alice bit her lip, choosing carefully her words "It takes time to adjust to such intense feelings and everybody copes in different ways"
Maggie and I remained silent to let the pixie vampire talk.
"Take Edward for an example" she held one of her hands up in a balance "He has no sense of personal space regarding Bella, he is with her 24/7, so afraid some asteroid will fall into her head and end her life or of her tripping and falling inside the washing machine" We snickered at that, then Alice raised her other hand "Now we have Rosalie, she feels too much she is afraid she is going to scare you off, also you are much younger than her, both literally and physically..."
"Physically, she is just 2 years older" I interrupted her with a whine, Maggie covered my mouth with her hand to let her sister continue talking.
"I have a major in Psychology" Alice stated giving me a knowing look, I was trying to fight Maggie's hand off my hand "The psyche development that occurs from 16 to 18 it's huge and to add to that Rosalie was raised in an age where being 18 was basically being 30, so you are kind of are dating middle age woman"
"A really hot middle age woman" I mumbled behind Maggie's hand, feeling the need to defend Rosalie, Alice and Maggie laughed at me but nodded, the red head finally took her hand off my face "But since I am 16 that makes me like 25 years old, on her time"
Alice shook her head amused "You are still 16, you were raised on this era, not hers"
"She's got a point" Maggie agreed "My advice is to give it time, perhaps in a year or two she is going to be more comfortable with displaying affection"
A year or two?!
Published 10/05/2020