A Modern Day Fairy Tale Teaser

I was sitting next to Rosalie as she slept fitfully. She’d delivered her baby girl three days ago after a C-section. She refused to hold the baby, explicitly saying she was simply an incubator and that Lauren and her husband, Tyler, were the parents. Lauren, Tyler and baby Olivia left the hospital the day previous, after Rosalie signed the adoption paperwork, relinquishing her parental rights.

The baby was clearly not Emmett’s. One of her attackers had been an African American student who was the vice president of the fraternity and the baby had dark skin and black curls. The DNA had been sent out to the lab to verify paternity, but her baby had been conceived when she was attacked.

“Bella,” Rosalie whispered, blinking up at me.

“You need your rest, sweetie,” I smiled, taking her hand.

“So, do you,” she muttered. “I know I’m an awful person, a despicable friend. I feel so badly that I pulled you away from your boyfriend.” She looked down at the gorgeous ring that sparkled in the lights. “Sorry, your fiancé. You should be with him. Celebrating with him, going out for Valentine’s Day.”

“I’d forgotten about Valentine’s Day,” I snorted. “Masen proposed, giving me this gorgeous ring, but I’d neglected to get him anything for Valentine’s Day.”

“You can give him you,” she shrugged. “Spend time with him. I’m going into an in-patient program. I won’t be able to have visitors. Not anyone other than family, not for a while.” She sat up, grimacing as her stitches pulled. “You’ve  proven to be a valuable, loyal and amazing friend. You calmed me down in a situation that was …” she trailed off. “I want to be that type of friend for you. Now? I can barely stand the sight of my own body. I’m sick of who I am. I love you, Bella. As much love as I can give and that’s not a whole hell of a lot. The minute amount I have, it’s for you. Some is for my parents, but I …”

“They hover,” I chuckled. “That’s because they worry, Rose. They heard you, begging for death.”

“I still want to die,” she muttered. “No matter how much I shower, I can’t stop that feeling of being used.” She looked at me, drawing her legs up and wrinkling her nose. “Thank you, Bella. I will never forget what you did for me.”

“I hope you can get over this,” I murmured. “I hope you can get your happily ever after with Emmett.”

“Doubtful,” Rose snorted humorlessly. “If you could tell him that I still care for him. Maybe, when I’m … not on the verge ending it all, I might reach out to him. I don’t know. Right now, I just can’t look past tomorrow, an hour from now.”

“One day at a time, Rose,” I smiled, squeezing her hand. “Will you be okay? I’m going to step out and talk to my friend who’s been hanging with me.”

“I want to sleep. I’ll be fine,” she said, curling back up and tugging the blanket up to her chin.

“And Rose, regardless, you call me at any time. I’m here for you,” I said, standing up from my spot next to her bed. “So are your parents. Your friends.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I just feel closer to you than to my friends from university or even from home. They don’t understand why I can’t ‘bounce back’ from what happened.” Rosalie just rolled  her eyes, flipping off the lights and ending our conversation. I frowned, walking toward the doorway. “I may never ‘bounce back.’”

“You need to adjust to a new normal,” I suggested. “I’ll be back, Rose.”

The Magic Within Update

TMW Chapter 9 on FicPad

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TMW Chapter 9 on Stars

TMW Chapter 9 on FFn

TMW Chapter 9 on Wattpad

I was leaning against Edward’s chest, finally feeling at ease in my skin for the first time in my entire life. Edward was almost purring with contentment as his fingers gently glided along my arms. His eyes were the most vibrant green, but swirling with love and protection. “Is it coming back to you?” I asked.

“Bits and pieces. Flashes of our history, but it’s all muddled,” he replied, his voice vibrating in my body and his accent making me tremble. “But, now, I’m just angry at what happened to you. To us.”

“Why are your angry? You didn’t trick me,” I said, turning around and putting my hands on his face, my thumb tracing his tattoo. “Jacob is a part of the bigger problem. He wants us to be disorganized, sloppy.” He frowned, taking my hand and kissing my palm, inhaling my skin. I bit my lip, wanting to feel his lips on mine. With a low snarl, he jumped back and curled up into a ball. “Why? I liked it.”

“So did I,” he growled. “Bella, you’re still married. I can’t … not until it’s official. I’m still bound by my ethics as an attorney.”

“I understand,” I said. Though, the rejection stung. He got up and moved closer, taking my hands. “Edward, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“I don’t want you to think that I don’t want you,” he whispered. “I felt that I hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” I argued.

“Liar,” Edward said, his fangs flashing and his eyes lightening, looking almost silver. “I felt your pain. The rejection.” I felt my face flame and my hands shimmered with heat. He took my hands in one of his, cupping my cheek with his other hand. “I want you. Believe me.”

“Okay,” I said, the heat changing into something else, a burning desire deep in my belly for him. “This is surreal.” He nodded, idly playing with my fingers and the quiet, rumbling purr came from him again. “I feel in control, but not. Does that make sense?”

“It does. I know that we will have to learn how to use our powers,” Edward said, his fingers tracing the subtle markings along my arms. “Carmen can do that. At least, I hope she can.”

“I want to know about my mother,” I whispered, capturing his hand and seeing the slight scars along his wrists. They were not bite marks. “Did you …?” I looked up at him, holding his wrist.

“It was a part of the reason why I was hospitalized,” he said. “I was overwhelmed, out of control and lost. I completely lost my cool in the courtroom and I left before the end of the day, before the judge called for a recess. I drove to my penthouse apartment, desperate to get away. In my apartment, I found a serrated knife. I started, at first, by cutting my skin just to see the blood and to feel anything other than anxiety, emptiness or fear. It gave me a sense of control. But, I didn’t want to be there anymore. So, I pressed harder, causing the blood to flow freely. I was entranced as I watched it ooze out of my wrist. Alice found me.”

“How bad was it?”

“Not too bad, physically. Mentally, I was admitted into a psychiatric ward and then into a private facility. I was diagnosed with depression, and anxiety disorder. In retrospect, I think that’s when I began to feel off and out of control. That’s when my skin began to feel cold and colder temperatures didn’t bother me much,” he chuckled. “But, my adoptive parents … they hated the perceived weakness. I was …”

“They are monsters,” I growled. “You’re their son, regardless of blood relationships or not. They agreed to care for you. Love you and they abandoned you?”

“I came to grips with their decision a long time ago,” Edward sighed.