Just the Girl

Chapter 4

Rosalie ground her teeth together as she sat, arms folded, in the passenger seat of Emmett's Jeep. Emmett drove silently. He didn't want to trigger his sister. Alice had none of the same worries.

"Quit grinding your teeth. You're making me crazy."

"Alice, I swear. I will wreck you."

Alice laughed. "Look, everything is fine. I saw it coming, and we stopped him."

Rosalie whipped around. "You said you felt like he was going to struggle. What do you mean, you saw it happen?" Alice looked out the window. She refused to meet Rosalie's eyes.

"If I hadn't sent Jasper, Edward was deciding to..."

"No, no. I don't want to know." Rosalie turned around and watched the trees. Emmett still hadn't spoken. Rosalie sighed. "It was bad, wasn't it?"

"He hadn't made up his mind yet, but he was cycling through his options. I saw all of them."

Rosalie nodded. She watched deer bounce around in the woods. They chased each other down. A few squirrels tried to dodge the hooves of the deer. In less than a second, they had passed the herd of deer and were speeding on a different road toward their home. Emmett slammed on the brakes and the Jeep drifted sideways to a stop in front of their home. Rosalie hopped out, holding the door open so it didn't slam shut on Alice. Esme opened the front door and watched her children exit the Jeep. The frown on her face did nothing to temper the anger building in Rosalie.

Rosalie stormed up the porch and slid past Esme into the house. She hurried up to Edward's room. Visions of Bella's blood covering the Biology classroom while Edward drained her life floated behind Rosalie's eyes. She imagined him leading Bella away from the school. She thought about Edward's eyes glowing red, a fire burning there, fueled by Bella's death. Rosalie threw Edward's door open. It rocked off its hinges and revealed an empty room.

Rosalie turned around. She left the door hanging open as she walked to the banister. "Where is he?"

"Denali."

Rosalie glared at her mother. "Do you know what he almost did?"

"I do know. He didn't do it though." Rosalie narrowed her eyes, the rage building in her chest. It grew larger and larger like Rosalie was trying to put out a flame with gasoline. "You can't blame him for something he almost did."

"He almost ruined everything!" Rosalie shouted. Emmett and Alice watched, knowing their sister needed to burn her own anger out. Nothing they could say would help. "He almost exposed our entire family! That fool could have destroyed our lives here! We would have had to leave the fucking country!"

Alice and Emmett reeled back, appalled at Rosalie cursing at their mother. "Emmett, Alice," Esme said calmly, "Please leave your sister and me alone to talk." Esme didn't turn around, but she knew when her children had disappeared off in the woods where they wouldn't overhear the conversation. "I understand you're upset," Esme said quietly and seriously. "I know what he almost risked today, but that doesn't give you license to scream and curse at me."

Rosalie looked at her shoes. Esme may not be her mother, but she had always respected the woman like she was. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I do." Esme reached up and caught Rosalie's chin, encouraging her daughter to meet her eyes. "You were worried." Rosalie nodded. "You were worried about Isabella."

"What?" Rosalie sputtered. "No - it wasn't - our lives here, they're..." Esme crossed her arms and watched Rosalie. Rosalie ran her thumb over her jaw, buying herself time while her mother glared. "We can't just kill people when the urge strikes us!" Rosalie swung her hands in front of her. "I'm so sick of having to worry that Edward and Jasper are going to blow up our lives. I'm tired of panic moving!" Rosalie dropped heavily onto the couch. She crossed her arms.