Love in Cold Blood

Chapter 10: Unfortunate Circumstances

I stood there, mouth agape staring at the absurdly handsome doctor that was wearing and extremely amused expression. Suddenly from behind I heard peals of laughter. First was Jasper, his baritone voice filling the house. I looked at him; he gave me apologetic eyes but continued to laugh. Then Alice. Her sweet soprano overwhelmed the place. I expected her to fall, all that laughter shaking her small frame and, to top it off; she was not one trace of apology. “Alice!” I shouted “What did you do!”
“It’s not what I did, it’s what I didn’t!” confirmed Alice still giggling. “I just never told you Carlisle was my father!”
“Jasper,” I said looking at him “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Alice told me not to, she knew you’d be in for a surprise, which was true.”
“Come on know guys.” Said the doctor walking up to me, “You really should have told her that you knew who I was. Now she must feel put out!”
“I had no part it this.” Whispered Carlisle “And they all mean it in good fun, Right Alice?”
“Yes!” Said Alice bouncing up to me, “I didn’t mean to anger you, could you forgive me?”
“On one condition,” I said with a smirk “You show me your closet.”
“Whippe!” shouted Alice already climbing the stairs, “Come on!”
Her closet was huge. Bigger than my room and bathroom combined. She had mounds of clothes I had never even seen her wear, some with tags still remaining. While in her room she explained why she had not told me about Carlisle.
“I just wanted to surprise you!” She said “And really, Carlisle had no part and I forced Jasper and the others to comply.”
“You are already forgiven.” I said to Alice giving her a hug, once again shocked about hoe clod and hard she was, “I was just surprised is all, I never imagined him to be your father, a friend of my father’s none the less!”
“Well, if that’s settled!” said Alice hopping off her bed “Let’s go talk to everyone else and decide what to do!”
As we walked down the stair I hear the Cullens and Bella talking, about what they were talking to low to understand.
“Hey guys!” shouted Alice as Jasper appeared by her and my side, “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know,” said Carlisle standing next ho a heart-faced woman with dark brown hair I assumed to be Esme, “Would you like to take a walk?”
“OK.” Said Alice “I did want to show Freddy the clearing, it’s covered it flowers this time of the year, It’s very pretty.” She said the last part to me and I realized everyone was looking at me for approval.
“Yes,” I said flustered “Of course, I would love to!”
And with that we set off. We went out the back door and were walking out of their yard when Esme caught up to me. “I’m sorry for the accident; my children can act with out thinking sometimes.”
“It’s really no big deal at all! I overreacted; they are all great friends and people!” I said
“Well that’s good!” Said Esme with relief and Alice bounded up to us “You guys are so slow!” She said “Bella is going faster!”
“Our pace is fine.” Said Esme. “If you want to go ahead, you are very welcome to.”
Alice gave us a smile and ran up to where Jasper was waiting. Her turned around and gave me a smile.”
“They all do like you, you know.” Said Esme “I haven’t seen the lot as happy since Bella started seeing Edward. Especially Jasper. He never was one to go out of his way for anyone except for Alice, they’re real close.”
I felt with that statement and a soft smile she gave me we had instantly bonded. She was a very kind and caring woman.
At this point we had caught up with Alice and the others and I took a look around. It was a field as big as two football fields and around the edges were wildflowers. Near by you could hear the sound of a small brook. I looked at the guys, I noticed Emmett had brought along a football.
The boys began throwing the ball back and forth and running the length of the field while Alice took me to the site of a nest of Bluebirds. “They are so cute!” I exclaimed
“Yeah,” said Alice, the same mother bird comes and nests here every year though, this is the first year they have hatched, something must have been wrong.”
“A bad boyfriend.” I said. Alice laughed.
For several hours Alice and I picked flowers and watched the boys play football.
“They’re great! They should try out for the team!” I said
“They only play for fun.” Explained Alice “None of them enjoy playing in front of others or following the rules, that’s why Esme’s there.”
We were situated at the far end of the field watching the game and Esme was at the other end refereeing constantly (for they loved to break the rules) and Bella was standing with her. She appeared to be cheering for the Edward/ Jasper team. Beside her stood Rosalie, shouting plays to Emmett and acting as coach when it happened.
It was utterly serene one moment and the next moment when I turned to tell Alice that Jasper had just scored the winning goal when her eyes turned blank.
“Alice?” I asked shaking her “What’s wrong?”
Jasper stopping passing the ball and looked at me and Alice with a worried glance. In a second he was at our side asking Alice “What’s wrong? What did you see?”
“What an odd question to ask.” I thought to myself, “’What did you see?’”
Barely twenty seconds had passed when Alice awoke. In quick movements she glanced at Edward who suddenly appeared to be twisted in anguish and yelled “Run!” and “Get home.” To his family and ran to Bella faster than I ever thought possible.
I was utterly confused. What was so bad, what happened, what had Alice “seen”?
Jasper was sprinting toward me when I saw them; three men had walked out of the shadows. All I heard was a scream from Jasper as the leader of the men grabbed me from behind, crossing the meadow in a fraction of a second.
Quickly, as if prepared, Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and Alice formed a line. All wore menacing looks except for Alice. She appeared to be crying, tearless, wrenching sobs. A sudden wave of terrifying fear swept over me as I looked at Jasper. He was being talked to by Carlisle and being held back by Emmett. The look on his face was the most terrifying face ever. “If looks could kill.” flashed through my mind. “If they could,” I thought “We all would perish.”