Aeipathy • Paul Lahote

Secrets

She gaped at the family in front of her, cursing herself for not seeing it in Edward earlier. She knew she'd be able to brush off her shock as awe, but for the moment she couldn't stop as her eyes flew over the group, landing on a familiar man before turning back to Bella with wide eyes.

My sister is involved with a family of vampires her mind screeched, but she relaxed her face slightly. "You didn't tell me they'd all look like this," she whispered to her sister, laughing lightly. Bella only chuckled and rolled her eyes, not noticing Edward staring at her sister with slight shock.

"Guys, this is my sister, Estrella," she introduced, prompting Ella to wave lightly. 

"Ella and Bella?" a burly man questioned, a booming laugh following his words. The pair of girls simply shared a look. They got that question often and always had to explain that while Charlie found the girls' matching names hilarious, Ella was adopted because the two parents adored her, name aside. 

"Now, Emmett," the familiar man chided, turning to smile at the girls. "I think it's only fair that we introduce ourselves before you start teasing." He stepped forward to shake Estrella's hand. "Welcome to our home, my name is Carlisle Cullen and this is my family." He followed by pointing out the rest of  the members, who all lifted their hand in a wave to the girl as he introduced them. "This is my wife, Esme, and my two daughters, Rosalie and Alice, as well as my sons Jasper and Emmett. Of course, you've already met Edward."

"We've spoken," Ella chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Of course Estrella knew the entire clan was adopted. She would be able to tell that even if she didn't know their secret, as their appearances were all too different. On top of that, Jasper and Alice, and Emmett and Rosalie stood in stances suggesting they were couples. Normally, in an adopted family of regular teenagers, this would be weird. But Estrella wouldn't question it, she knew they were "siblings" for the sake of being discreet and that was it. 

"Bella," Edward hummed, his hand placed lightly on the girl's back. "I know Alice has missed you and wanted to catch up." The fairy like girl was almost bouncing on her feet, staring the brunette down with a wide grin.

"By 'catch up', I know you mean 'dress up', Edward," Bella mumbled, before turning to Alice with a small smile. "Nothing too intense, Alice"

"No promises," she sung, grabbing the girl by the wrist and pulling her up the steps. "Everyone else will take care of your sister and she can join us later, they'd all love to meet her."

When Alice and Bella were fully up the stairs, Edward practically flew over to Ella to stand in front of her. "How do you know?"

She simply snorted before ignoring him and stepping around him to walk to Carlisle. "Mr. Cullen," she began with a hand out to shake his again. "I've learned so much about you throughout the years, I never thought I'd run into you. You're kind of like a celebrity where I'm from."

The patriarch shook her hand once more with a laugh. "So I've heard. It's a real honour to meet you, Estrella, I've never quite been able to meet one of your kind. Your professors aren't typically ones to leave the school. Neither are the students, I've heard." His sentence was a statement, but Estrella knew it was meant as a question, asking her why she was here instead of locked up in her school like she would normally be.

"Well, sir, I love my school," she chuckled. "I love learning and experiencing new things and such, but I love my sister more. And no offense to you or your family, but she's run away two too many times. Of course, now, I understand a bit more, but this is something that my poor parents would never understand and it stresses them out greatly and I've been very concerned. So, here I am." 

"Carlisle," Esme called, asking for her husbands attention. He and Estrella turned, finding each of the Cullen clan to be staring at them. "Not to intrude, but we're all a bit curious about what's going on."