Chapter 3

A Chapter by Danielle

Chapter 3

My footsteps made barely a sound, yet Angela turned almost immediately. I smiled, almost guiltily. Angela’s shy smile turned into a look of pure shock.

“Bella?”

I nodded.

“Hey Angela”, I said, using my “rough voice”. It was, of course, much too clear and bell like to compare to my human voice, but it was the best I could do.

“Wow. You look fantastic!”, she exclaimed, smiling and embracing me in a hug. I was wearing a light jacket, and I hoped that would be enough to neutralize my cold skin.

“Thanks. It’s great to

see you again!”

She nodded.

“Wow, Bella. I just can’t get over how gorgeous you are!”

Obviously, she was hoping for some kind of explanation, but I knew Angela. She was too polite to come out and say it.

“What about you? You look great too”, I complemented her.

She gave a small smile and shrugged.

Angela was now around twenty three years old. Her face was thinner, and she obviously looked more mature than the last time I’d seen her. Looking at Angela, I couldn’t help but imagine what I would have looked like now if I were still human. I was glad that eighteen was the last true year of my human life. I definitely did not want to look that much older than Edward.

I gave her a second as she glanced around the house. Everyone had assumed their “human positions”. I noticed all the Cullens had done a little something to their appearances in the short amount of time they had to make themselves appear older. She stopped at Jacob and Renesmee on the couch.

I saw her glance from Renesmee, to Edward, and then to me.

“Sorry I came so late, by the way”, she said absently, still staring towards the couch.

“I was on my way back home to Seattle, where I live now, and I thought I’d pop in and see if you guys were still up.”

“That’s okay. We’re all night owls around here.”

Emmett, now sitting on the foot of the stairs gave a chuckle.

Whispering inaudibly again, I told Jacob to bring Nessie home. Jacob stirred Nessie, and she quickly opened her eyes.

She sniffed the air, and turned our way.

“Oh. I didn’t know we had a guest”, she said drowsily.

‘Hello”, Angela said politely, turning to me for an answer to who this stranger was.

“This is Renesmee, Nessie for short”, I said, softly.

I turned to Edward, who was at my side.

“Our adopted daughter, and my niece. Her parents, my biological brother and his wife, died in a car crash a few years back”, he lied.

I remembered this lie from when Charlie first met Nessie. He didn’t believe it, and we were forced to let him a little closer into our loop.

Angela looked over to Nessie.

“That must’ve been hard for you to deal with”, Angela said sympathetically.

Nessie nodded, playing along with our lie.

“She’s beautiful”, Angela told us, as Jake and Renesmee exited the house. I watched the window. Once they were far enough to not be seen, he easily lifted her into his arms, and ran into the forest to phase.

The next half hour was pretty awkward. Angela told me that she and Ben had broken up a year after high school, and how she was engaged to a man named Joe, of whom she was now living with. I made up my own story of how Edward and I had went to Dartmouth, and how I was now a teacher, and Edward owned a school of music in Alaska. Edward’s lips formed a small smile when I said that.

After we’d all wished Angela a safe trip home, and she’d gotten into her car and drove away, I breathed a heavy sign of relief. We all did.

I looked to Edward to confirm our relief.

“She was surprised at how young we all look. But she put aside that and the rest of her suspicions after she’d realized you were really Bella.”

I smiled.

“So, is that what you imagine my job would be? The owner of a music school in Alaska?”, he asked, with mock amusement in his topaz eyes.

“Well, I figured it would be something with music. And teacher was the easiest thing I could think of for myself. See? I know you better than I know myself”, I joked.

Edward chuckled, and then we said goodbye to the rest of our family.

As we ran past each tree in the forest to our home, we talked.

‘Something’s going to happen soon”, I predicted.

Edward gave me my favorite smile.

“You really do worry too much, Bella.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I never said it was going to be a bad thing.”

“You implied it. You know, it isn’t impossible for vampires to go into a panic attack. Trust me.”

I laughed.

“But I mean with Angela coming over today, and Nessie two years away from maturity, and Jacob…”

“Don’t worry, Bella. Can’t you just accept the fact that you have nothing to worry about?
“We’ve got nothing but time”, I muttered, dazed, by Edward’s seductive velvet tone.

Edward pushed open the door to our cottage, and then turned around to wrap me in his arms and kiss my neck.

“Alright, I’ll stop worrying. For now. But when something happens….”

“Bella, love, my biggest worry right now is that Mike Newton will show up at our doorstep tomorrow, and see you now that you’ve become even more breathtakingly beautiful. Because you do realize I won’t regret the slightest breaking his neck.”

I laughed.

“Give it a rest. He’s got nothing on you”, I whispered.

This time, he knocked me down to the floor, and we shared in our endless passion for each other.

“You’re right”, he whispered back.

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