Bella's Little Sister

Chapter 12

Edward and his family lived at the edge of town, away from the prying eyes of any neighbors. The drive was only about half an hour or so, but felt much shorter thanks to the racing speeds at which Edward drove. Due to the brief rainstorm Forks had received overnight, I could smell the almost overwhelming scent of mint and pine, even from within the confines of the car.

The Cullen's home was a three-story mix of stone, wood, and glass. Surrounded by trees on all four sides, it was perfectly isolated within the thickness of the forest. I took a minute to enjoy the scenery, breathing in deeply once again the remaining scents of the rain-soaked forest. Edward watched me closely, knowing I was nervous about meeting his family, waiting until he knew I was ready before we ventured into the house.

The room we stood in after entering through the front door was spacious, to say the least. In various places around the room were potted plants which, thanks to all the windows, were receiving plenty of light. Resting next to the door was a bench, on which we placed our jackets before we moved further into the home.

"It's so light and open." My tone carried a trace of surprise.

Edward flashed me an amused grin as he glanced at me. "What did you expect? Coffins, dungeons, and moats?"

My cheeks flamed at his question as I lowered my gaze. "I don't know." I muttered. "People say 'vampire', you think of dark castles and coffins. But I wasn't expecting the moats."

He took my hand, smirking at my response as he led me to a set of stairs leading up to the second floor. Somewhere in the house, opera music was playing, just loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough to be considered background noise. I paused halfway up the steps, turning back to once again admire the vastness of the forest surrounding the Cullen's home.

"This is the one place we don't have to hide," Edward watched me closely as I continued to look out the window. He sighed before leading me up the rest of the stairs. "I told them not to do this."

His words instantly made me a little wary. "Do what?"

We turned the corner of the hallway we were currently in to see his family in the kitchen, making what appeared to be some sort of meal. A computer sat atop the counter, playing a video on how to saute chicken. My nerves were absolutely raging by now, and though I wished I could control it, I was unable to. The mask I wore around strangers had quickly taken effect, resulting in my expression becoming one of no emotion.

A woman with wavy brown, shoulder-length hair smiled warmly at me as she crossed the room. "Jess, we're making Italiano for you."

Edward's hand once again slipped into mine as he made introductions. "Jess, this is Esme. My mother for all intents and purposes."

I quickly lowered my gaze as my anxiety heightened rapidly. From my periphery, I could see Emmett grinning widely, a butcher knife in his hands. Carlisle moved to stand next to Esme, also smiling as he stated that I'd given them an excuse to use the kitchen for the first time.

"I hope you're hungry." Esme continued.

Taking a deep breath, I turned my gaze to Edward's face. He met my eyes for only a moment before telling Esme that I had already eaten. There was a sudden and shrill sound of breaking glass, and I looked up to see Rosalie standing in the middle of the shards that littered the floor.

"Perfect." Her eyes met mine, an intense look of hate filling them as she took a step up onto the landing Edward and I were standing on.

By now, my lips were pressed tightly together, my teeth grinding as I lowered my eyes again. Edward's arm wrapped securely around my waist as he pulled me closer to his side. "Just ignore her," he told me quietly.