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CHAPTER NINETEEN ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ
Her lips were warm against mine, a welcoming feeling- a feeling I never wanted to lose. From the moment when we'd first kissed, Alice and I had barely parted. There was something about the fact that we could finally be together that made being apart that much harder. We hadn't told anyone either- not even Bella.
But as much as I wanted to keep it a secret, and Alice had promised to, as long as I wanted, we couldn't keep it from Edward. My thoughts about Alice's lips on mine alone were far too loud to be concealed. A newly formed respect held between Edward and I had been maintained since returning from Italy and so far our shared company had not only been tolerated but liked.
Alice pulled away, her lips lingering closely still. She was so close that I could feel a cold, satisfied exhale against my nose, brushing against my cheeks. I was about to kiss her again, but a shout broke out from the house, extending through the nearby woods to where we sat upon a branch, too nervous to be so close within the walls of the house. My eyes widened as I heard my name added to the end of Edward's shouts of the names of his family. Alice only grinned.
"Welcome back, Bella," Carlisle said as everyone met at the bottom of the stairs by the front door. "What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not a purely social visit?"
Bella glanced briefly at Edward. "I'd like to talk to everyone at once if that's okay. About something important."
"Of course. Why don't we talk in the other room?"
He led us to the dining room, a room of which I understood was only used for family discussions, without the need for a traditional mealtime. The Cullens looked strange, gathered around the long, oak table that stood in the middle. Carlisle took one end as Bella took the other, with Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett on one side, with Esme, Edward and Alice on the other. I sat beside Alice and Esme.
"The floor is yours."
Bella nodded, folding her hands in a business-like manner."Well, I'm hoping Alice has already told you everything that happened in Volterra?"
"Everything," Alice chimed, a grin on her face again- she already knew what was in procession.
"Good. We're all on the same page," she said. "So, I have a problem. Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going to send someone to check. I'm sure that's a bad thing, something to avoid. And so, now, this involves you all. I'm sorry about that. But if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not."
Esme opened her mouth to speak.
"Please, let me finish. You all know what I want. And I'm sure you know what Edward thinks too. I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to vote," Bella said. It sounded as if she was pausing for dramatic effect, but a shaky sigh left her lips, revealing her nerves. "I want you to vote yes or no to me becoming a vampire."
