Chapter 5

It had been a week since my transformation. Things were going well, and I was progressing quickly in controlling my thirst. The most difficult part of it all was having to listen to Carlisle tell Charlie that I had died.

We played around with the idea of putting me in a casket and having me pretend to be dead, but I didn't think I could handle that. Instead, we told Charlie that I had crashed my truck and that my body was burned beyond recognition. They held a funeral while I sat at home with Edward, who had claimed to be too distraught to attend.

Rosalie took care of crashing the truck and setting it on fire. She had been openly friendly with me in the last seven days, thoroughly confusing everyone although no one said so out loud. We had decided to leave Forks and head up to Alaska to visit the Denali coven and decide where we were relocating to from there. I was packing up some of Edward's things when she walked in, leaning against the door frame.

"Hey, Bella," she started, "did Edward tell you when he and the boys will be back? I'm about this close to throwing away all of Emmett's collected crap that doesn't mean anything important if he doesn't come pack it up." There was a hint of a smile on her face.

"Uh.. no he didn't actually say anything about the time." I tried to lighten up, "But, knowing Edward, he will force them to come back as soon as possible. You know, newborn girlfriend and the lack of needing to be careful and everything." I giggled.

Rosalie openly laughed, a beautiful sound. "Sounds about right. Do you want some company?"

The shock must have been apparent in my features because Rose sighed and sat on the bed. She wrung her hands together slightly, seeming uncharacteristically nervous as she began to talk.

"Bella, I never hated you. You know that, right?" She looked at me, eyebrows raised in question.

"I mean, I kind of assumed you did." I turned to face her from my spot on the floor. "Can you blame me?"

"No I guess not." Rosalie shook her head, looking down. "I didn't hate you, I hated your choices. I never got a choice, you know. I would not have chosen to become a vampire. I wanted children, and that opportunity was stolen from me by this life." I could see her eyes filling with tears. "You were going to throw it away."

"Rose, I know you wanted that, but –" I was cut off by Rosalie reaching her hand out as if asking me to wait.

"I know, Bella. I was angry all the same." The eye contact she made with me then was intense. "Your choice was taken too, last weekend. I feel like I can relate to you more, now." She offered me a small smile. "I am sorry, for what it's worth. I should have been nicer to you from the start."

I was next to Rose on the bed within a second. I wasn't sure if she would accept a hug, but I decided to try it all the same. I wrapped my arms around her and felt her return the gesture as the voices of our mates, brothers, and father filled the house from downstairs. I pulled back and we shared watery grins as we made our way out of the room and toward the family, where we were both meant to be.