Claiming a Swan

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen
Present... 

The end of the weekend snuck up on Bella. She was nowhere closer in breaking things off with Aster. But also nowhere near close to telling Carlisle the truth about her decision. But Bella decided it wouldn't do any good to tell Aster on the car ride back to civilization.

Deciding on finally telling her when they got back home.

Bella opened up the car door, sat inside and waited. She saw Aster standing outside, looking up to the sky. She really was beautiful, Bella thought. Her heart was already hurting.

Aster walked to the car. And sat on the driver's side. Starting the car - the both of them had a tense drive back.

***

After unloading the car of Aster's bags, helping Aster carry them inside. Bella closed her eyes. Internally damning herself for what was to come in the next seconds...

"Aster." Bella spoke her name in a cautious tone.

Which made Aster turn her head in question. 

"We need to talk." Bella tried to explain what happened.  She was stumbling on words, but stopped and took a deep breath and her words were more fluid. And concise.

"Carlisle kissed me. I kissed him. And I don't feel anything towards you...  romantically anymore."

"Bella.." Aster says... with a tint of denial. Bella couldn't believe she just said that. But it was good to hear the truth from her then anybody else.

"I am sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Bella tries to convey how deeply sorry she was. She couldn't believe that she hurt Aster. If there was a single person in the world she didn't want to hurt, it was Aster. And she completely and utterly failed. Big. Time.  

Aster stood there. Was it from shock, she didn't know. 

It was a lot of information to handle for sure. 

Bella started towards her - but something caused her to pause...
instantly she was falling backwards, the last thing she saw was Aster walking towards her, she wished she could have heard what she was mumbling under her breath.

But she couldn't miss Aster's glowing red eyes...

***

Bella turned in bed.

"Bella!" Aster shouted in greeting.

"Morning Aster. You slept over?" Bella couldn't shake the off feeling in her head.  

"You don't remember last night? Did you drink too much?" 

"I must've. I don't really remember."

"Come on, I made breakfast. That should do the trick." 

"I don't think any of your hangover remedies will be strong enough to cure me of this massive headache I have."

Bella sits up from her position on the bed. What did she even do the last couple of days? Why couldn't she remember? 

Scratching her head Bella stands up instantly losing her footing. "Bella!" Aster shouts and is immediately by Bella's side helping her stand up and sitting her down on the bed.  

"I'm okay." Bella states. But she really wasn't.

Bella gazed upon Aster - her blonde hair was disheveled, her eyes looked tired and worn, but her head flashed with an image that had her hands going up to both sides of her head. 
Aster with red eyes. 

But that couldn't be possible.

"Bella, are you alright?" Aster asks in concern.  And Bella shoved it to the back of her head.

"What's happening to me?" Her voice broke.

"It's probably just from over exertion." 

"Over exertion? That's all you have to explain this? Or that I drank too much?" She was losing it.

But the more Bella fought the more she could identify Aster's actions. She wasn't the naive little Forks girl anymore.  

She ran her own publishing company.
She was a professional at reading each plot that slowly unfolds. And just like that it clicked. She didn't know how it did. But on that night when she thought someone was watching her, she couldn't be sure but somehow it made perfect sense. 

"Aster, I'm going to head out for a bit."

"I'm not sure that's wise, Bella."

"You aren't deciding my life choices!"

"You're absolutely right, Bella. But I'm..."

"You're what?"

"I'm sorry, Bella. I wish things could've been different."

Once again Bella felt her world shift. One second she was standing, coherent and awake. The next darkness evaded her vision, and she felt her world collide into obsidian.