The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 23

The black Jeep pulled up to the small house in Forks, but the two girls stayed seated. "I'm sorry if I made things weird. That's kinda my specialty." Cori said quietly, fidgeting with her hands . "No you didn't." Bella whispered, almost sounding like a shout in the quietness of the vehicle, but nonetheless it didn't sound convincing.

Turning the Jeep back on, Bella looked back over to Cori. "What are you doing?" "You need time to think, and with me here it's gonna make it weird. I don't want to pressure you. I'm gonna drop you off at home, we can hang out another day when I don't drop a bomb on you." Cori said and Bella smiled shyly. "Okay." She nodded as the Jeep backed out and headed towards the nearby house.

Parking, Bella opened her door. "I'll let you know." She told the red head and Cori smiled half heartedly. "I'll look forward to it." She said as she watched the brunette walk into the house before dropping her head on the steering wheel. "Dumbass!" Cori grumbled as tears threatened to fall. Different scenarios played out in her head, all of them bad, and every one of them making her wince.

Driving back to her own house, she quickly pulled in, rushing up to her room that was quiet. That's what she wanted right now. Quiet. She wanted to drown in her own misery. She had ruined everything. She had ruined her relationship with Sam and Emily, and her chances with Bella. Edward was going to hate her and probably leave her too.

Kicking off her shoes she burrowed under her mountains of pillows and blankets, her cries muffled until she drifted to sleep.

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That's where Edward had found Cori later on that day, after several phone calls that had went to voicemail, and a few visions from Alice that had changed, placing both him and Bella at Cori's house, he figured that's where she must be.

What he didn't expect was to find her asleep with dried tear streaks stained on her face. "Cori." Edward cooed softly as he woke her as gently as possible.

"Edward?" She asked as she looked at him and she realized it was him, the water works started again. "Darling, what's the matter?" He asked as he pulled her to him, Cori practically sitting in his lap. "I ruined everything!" She cried as a sob broke through.

"What do you mean?" "I told Bella we like her. That we would like to have her in our relationship, and it got weird. I ruined it! And Sam, he thinks it's not natural, that our relationship with Bella isn't real. I tried to tell him and he got mad, really mad." She said as more tears slid down her face.

"How mad?" Edward asked has he tensed. "He didn't hurt me. He'd
never hurt me." Cori said as a hiccup came from her as she started to calm down. "Can I tell you something?" Edward asked. "Yeah."

"Alice had a vision." "And." "It's the closest one to ever have you in it." He stated. "Really?" She asked excitedly and he nodded. "What was it?" "Sometime soon Bella and I were to be together at your house, in the same room, your room. She could only guess you were there too." He said and Cori smiled. "That's great! That's means for the moment she's decided yes!" Cori said and Edward nodded. "That means I didn't mess up." "You couldn't mess it up, Cori. Jump the gun, yes. Mess it up, no. She's meant for us." Edward told her pulling the redhead in for a hug, kissing her temple.

"You want to stay here tonight?" Edward asked her, knowing she kept spare of everything important at her house incase something happened. "Yeah. That okay?" She asked. "Of course. Get ready, I'll fix you some food." Edward told her. "PB&J?" She asked. "The one thing I can make." He teased. "I'll make you into a chef yet Eddie." She smiled grabbing an extra t shirt of Edwards to change into. "I'll be right down." She told him as she stepped into her bathroom.

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The next day had rolled around, and Cori was stuck at school alone, the sun shinning, her mood deflating by the second. She wanted to talk to her friends, but with her friends came Bella, and she didn't want to make things awkward, so she stayed away.

At lunch she had sat by herself, Bella glancing at her from time to time, Angela and Mike as well, the girls having worried looks on their faces. Every time the Cullens would leave, she would either go with them, or the off chance she would be in school, Cori stay with her friends, and today she hadn't said a peep to them.

"Maybe it had to do with the beach incident." Angela said softly. "She'd be over that." Mike said. "You did call her boyfriend a freak, in turn calling her one as well." Ben piped up. "Shut up." "He didn't mean it." Jessica defended. "I'm gonna make sure she's alright." Bella said getting up, bringing her tray with her as she walked over to the nearly empty table.

"Lia?" Bell asked shyly and Cori's head spun as she turned to look at her. "Bella, hey." "Hey. I came over to check on you. You hadn't said anything all day. Ange, Ben, Mike and I were getting worried." Bell told her and Cori looked down at the table. "Sorry. Just with the beach, and with what Mike said, and with was I said, I didn't know how to go about things." She told the brunette.

"Mike is over it, Jess thinks you're overreacting like normal. Angela's just worried, and so am I." "It's okay. I didn't want to push." "You won't. Promise. Come eat with us?" Bella asked. "Okay." Cori nodded as she grabbed her tray, following the Swan girl to her old table. "Miss Austin is back!" Mike said in a teasing tone and Cori smiled lightly. "Yeah I guess you could say."

His smile fell a bit, then was replaced by a look of regret. "Look Deli, I'm sorry for what I said. It was the heat of the moment and I didn't mean it. I don't like the guy but he makes you happy so that's all I can ask for." Mike apologized and Cori smiled.

"Thank you Mike, apology accepted." Cori smiled, glancing at the relived looks of the people around her, even Jessica looked somewhat relieved, but she didn't know if it was because Mike's attention would be back on her or what.

"Now that's settled, I need to ask you a favor." Bella turned to Cori, and the redhead looked at her. "We are going to Port Angela's tonight, Angela and Jess wanna look at Prom dresses, and I need someone who understands books." Bella told her and Cori nodded.

"Of course, yeah. Why aren't you looking for a dress though?" "Oh, I'm not going. Me and dancing. We don't mix." Bella joked and Cori laughed. "Now what's the real reason." Cori asked and Bella smiled. "I'm going to Jacksonville that weekend." Bella told her and Cori nodded, a smile coming to her face, trying to cover the frown, but what Cori was trying to decipher was if the frown was for Bella not going to prom, or her going to Jacksonville and not telling her.