Cursed With Beauty

X11

"Annalise, what are you doing?" Rosalie appears at her side, placing a hand on her arm.

Annalise looks up to meet her gaze. "I'm going to meet Isabella at the door."

Rosalie scowls at the mention of Isabella's name. She didn't like Isabella hanging around her family or Annalise for that matter. She didn't know why but she felt a connection with her like she's known Annalise her entire life.

"Why?"

"She's been worried about me as of late," Annalise points out as she stands to her feet. "The least I could do is put her mind at ease. Seeing me up and moving will do that."

"You don't owe her anything," Rosalie spat.

Annalise stares at her for a moment. She didn't understand her dislike for Isabella or what caused her to have so much distaste for her.

"What about Isabella rubs you the wrong way?" she questioned the glaring blonde.

"Something about here rubs me the wrong way," Rosalie finally says after a moment of silence. "If she gets too close to this family she could find out about us."

"What's the difference between me knowing about you and your family and Isabella finding out?"

"Bella won't be able to handle, to accept, us for what we are like you have," Rosalie says.

"It's not hard for me because I, myself, am not human," Annalise states.

"Yes, you are. Your heart is still beating, you have blood pumping through your veins, your skin is soft and," Rosalie takes a deep breath. "...you can still have children."

Annalise could see the pain in her eyes at the mention of having children. That alone let her know that Rosalie wanted children of her own but her being forever stuck in her body, frozen in time, she isn't able to conceive a child.

"I understand your hesitation but I can't continue to avoid her," Annalise walks by her and exits the room.

"What are you going to say to her?" Alice questioned as she follows close behind her.

Annalise shrugs. "I guess all I can do, really, is answer any questions she may have about my absence," she states.

"Are you going to tell her the truth? Are you going to tell her everything?"

Annalise stops at the bottom of the staircase and turns to meet Alice's stare. "She will not find out about you and your family, nor I, from me," she assures her. "It is not my place to reveal your family's secret."

Alice smiles. "Thank you,"

"Annalise?"

At the mention of her name, Annalise turns around. Her gaze instantly falls onto Isabella Swan who is staring at her with wide eyes, her cheeks stained with a few fallen tears. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

"Isabella, what's wrong?"

Annalise rushes to her side and before she can register what's happening, Isabella has her arms wrapped around her middle, burying her face into her shirt.

"I was so worried something bad had happened to you," she cried. "You haven't been at school and I hadn't heard a word from you."

Annalise, after getting over the initial shock of Isabella's embrace, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, resting her cheek on her forehead.

"Isabella I must apologize for my lack of communication and appearance," she says softly. "I should have alerted you, and the school faculty, that I was no longer scathed."