until dawn (marcus and bella )

chapter 12

BPOV

"So how'd it go? Do I need to hunt down alcohol?" Athenodora asks the next morning after my breakfast.

"No, it went okay. I mean the one guy implied I was a druggie and I kinda overreacted but other than that things went fine I think," I say brushing some hair out of my face and blushing a little. I glanced up at Sulpicia and Athenodora across from me then back down at the design books we are going over.

"Come now Bella, you cannot just leave it at that. What do you mean that you over reacted? Aro never mentioned anything and he surely would have said something if he thought you had," Sulpicia states pausing midway through turning fabric swatches.

I shrug circling a photograph of a chair I like the look of. It's a royal purple velvet reupholstered antique armchair and it looks extremely comfortable and stately. Looking at it makes me want to curl up in it and read something with hot chocolate. Purple is such an impractical colour but I figure they aren't really going to take my opinion into account unfettered anyway.

"I just- I used to work with these girls and they saw me taking my pills a couple times, and because I'm so young and you know was working a shitty job and lived in a crappy part of town, they automatically assumed I was a drug addict. Their comments were always so scathing and hurtful. Not-so-subtle digs about control issues and lack of responsibility. Celso I think his name was, yesterday, I could just tell that he didn't take me seriously at all. That he totally thought I was making it all up; that I was some irresponsible liar.

"I know Xanax is popular with people who take recreational drugs as it calms them down after a bad trip or whatever; and I understand that I asked for a very large dosage. I just I rounded up because I've gone through patches before where I haven't been able to afford to pay for my next prescription or literally couldn't make it to a pharmacy for whatever reason and it's a bit of a safe-guard I guess to have more than enough if I need to stretch out my pills a bit. Technically I got enough for about 8 months. But-"

"Bella honey," Athenodora interrupts. "You don't need to defend yourself to us. It's alright to be a bit paranoid if you've had issues in the past and even if you're on a high dose that's okay. You're not taking more than you need correct?" she asks.

I automatically shake my head negatively. "No. I really watch how much I take, I don't want to risk taking too much and if it looks like I'm going to need more than a set maximum then I usually just seclude myself away from everything so nothing further will set me off."

"Then you don't have to worry," Sulpicia assures me. "As soon as Aro saw what you were taking he researched it. I know Xanax causes dependency Bella, but I also know that you don't want to be feeling like you do. I bet you'd gladly decrease the dosage that you are taking if you could and hopefully with time things will settle enough that we can help you off of it."

I nodded slowly in agreement, what Sulpicia said is true, I don't want to be taking these drugs forever even if at the moment I can't imagine my life without them.

"And Bella, if this Celso had the sheer gull to be at all disrespectful even in tone I surprised he made it out alive yesterday. Though the Cosa Nostra and hell even us the Volturi may be somewhat old-fashioned when it comes to woman equality issues, it has never been seen as alright to pretty much insult a powerful man's mate. Nor is it to imply as such. That is basically what he did, yes?" Athenodora asks.

I nod again. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Then quite honestly I'm shocked he managed to leave unbloodied," Athenodora states bluntly.

"He got thrown out of the room," I state in half protest at the violence in her tone. "And Aro offered to eat him, but I'm honestly not sure if he was serious or not."