Lips of an Angel

Chapter 2-Disturbing Visions

Dedicated to the amazing CassandraLowery for being such an inspiration to all out there! Cassandra, I salute you for doing all you do despite your daily struggles.

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When I headed back to Carlisle's that night, having pondered Edward Cullen throughout the rest of my day, I hoped that Carlisle would be there. If anybody would know more about what I had experienced that day, it would be him. Unfortunately - it was just my rotten luck - Carlisle was working a late shift at the hospital.

Alice grinned at me from her spot in the living room as I walked in, but her expression faltered when she saw my face. Perhaps my troublesome day appeared more obvious than I'd thought it did. I'd been inclined to think that I had the poker-face mastered; indeed, even Jasper, who was charismatic without his gift - which my shield so effectively blocked - often didn't notice my distress. Oh well. Edward Cullen had been a puzzle.

"What's wrong, Bella?" she asked. "Come, sit down."

I sighed and shot Rosalie a worried glance. I hoped to hell that she didn't choose today to provoke me. She'd been relatively well behaved all week, so far, and I doubted she could keep up her tolerant streak much longer. Indeed, I had been quite well mannered towards her myself, despite her not-so-subtle eye rolls and exasperated sighs, and if she snapped at me with the mood I was in, I'd reach the end of my tether.

After noting that Rosalie was engrossed in a fashion magazine, her eyes actually taking in what was on the page, and was not going to irritate me the second I hit the sofa, I zipped over to Alice and sat down beside her. Alice looked into my eyes, threw her book to the side, and raised an eyebrow.

"Bella?" she prompted me after a few seconds hesitance on my part.

I groaned. "At work, today, a guy came in. It was... weird. For two - ok, three - reasons. I-" I cut myself off and hissed at myself, frustrated as the words that usually came to me easily evaded me. It was only Alice I was talking to. My favourite sibling, and my best friend. I could talk to her about the events of those two hours. She wouldn't laugh or jeer at me. She'd be understanding. So why did I struggle so?

"Gosh, I thought we'd gotten over this 'it's-like-pulling-teeth' interrogation. I'm trying to help, Bella. I do hate not being able to see what goes on in your mind!"

Of course, Rosalie chose that moment to add her two cents.

"If she'd persevered with Eleazer, she'd have been able to lift her shield decades ago. She's merely lazy."

I shot Rosalie a glare. "In case you've forgotten, I worked with Eleazer for over a month. I can expand my shield with ease, a-"

"What good does that do?" my sister snapped.

"And," I continued, acting as though I hadn't heard her. She knew of the advantages. "I tried to raise my shield. But Tanya-"

"There is nothing wrong with Tanya," Rosalie interrupted me again, rolling her eyes. I shook my head at her and turned back to Alice. I knew full well that Rosalie hated Tanya more than she hated me.

Tanya was our 'cousin'; a member of the fellow 'vegetarian' vampire coven, of the Denalis. Tanya and I had never gotten along well. She infuriated me more than Rosalie, and it was due to our hostility towards each other that our families hadn't met for twenty years or so. I felt guilty that they didn't go without me, but Esme and Alice refused to leave me behind. Secretly, I suspected that they disliked Tanya too, and were grateful for the excuse.

"So, you met a guy. Was he hot?"

"Alice!" I cried. "Really not helpful!"

"Well, what would be helpful? But was he hot, regardless of whether it matters?"