CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THE SILENT TREATMENT

"THEA," Alice calling for Thea's name catches the attention of the rest of the family. They watch as a fuming Thea comes storming in. Her eyes were sharp as could be as she gazed at everyone in the room.

All of them. They all lied to her.

Her eyes snap to Carlisle and Esme, who seemed worried for her, "what has happened?"

Thea's fist tightened, moving to Rosalie, who didn't wear the same worried expression as the rest of the Cullens. She knew she'd messed up, she wanted to tell Thea from the start.

Then they snap at Emmett, he seemed as guilty as ever, he had the biggest puppy eyes when at fault.

Thea continues, seeing Edward looking her way. She watched as he stared and read at her behavior and her mind. "You." Thea finally speaks her first word, slowly stepping to Edward. "This all your fault."

"Thea..." Edward begins to say, "Thea I didn't do this to upset you," He spoke genuinely.

"You're a liar," Thea snaps.

"Sweetheart, please." Alice pulls her away softly.

She yanks herself out of Alice's hold, not sparing her a second. She speeds up the stares and Alice immediately follows her.

"Can you look at me?" Alice sighs.

Thea doesn't respond but she moves towards the guest bedroom. "Why are you going in here? You're not staying in here."

Alice huffs when Thea still doesn't give a response, "Jesus, Thea, look at me!"

"Them." Thea turns and sharply gets close to Alice. Their noses were inches apart, "fine...they lied to me, hurts like hell but fine!" Alice's golden eyes wouldn't look away from Thea's golden ones.

"But you." Thea whispers, her voice is flat but round with betrayal, "It's worse. Because you know me, in ways that they don't. You knew how this would make me feel, that's why you lied, that's why you all lied." Thea walks closer, causing Alice to step back until she is outside of the room.

Alice felt her chest rise, tension filled it. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

Thea nods, "I know you are."

"Can we talk about this?" Alice tries to fix things.

"Not today." Thea shakes her head, closing the door.

✸

     "Another call? My vamp senses are telling me something is wrong." Camilla chuckles on the other end of the line. "Is something wrong?"

Thea was still in the guest bedroom, she was on the window frame, leaning against the window as she looked up at the stars. "I need you to be honest with me because I know that you won't lie, even if it does hurt my feelings."

"Is sure that's what Rosalie is for." Carmilla snorts.

"I'm not talking to any of them right now, so you're my last option." Thea sighs.

"Oh...okay? What's going on right now, Thea?"

"I almost hurt someone." Thea explains, "Bella, Edward's...girlfriend."

"Edward has himself a girlfriend?!" Carmilla cheers, "I thought that boy would stay a virgin forever! But anyways—you almost hurt her?"

"Yeah, almost killed her." Thea closes her eyes.

"Thea." Carmilla spoke in a mix of worry and slight disappointment, "Do you need me down there? I can book a flight right now."

"No," Thea answers, "I'm not going to do anything."

There was a silence over the phone before Carmilla answered, "Okay...I trust you."

Thea felt something lift off her chest at those words.

"I trust you."

"You trust me?" Thea repeats so faintly that Carmilla nearly misses her words.

"Of course, Thea," Carmilla chuckles, "now tell me everything."

So she did.

✸

     Thea was silent the next day. She covered her anger and betrayal and simply went through the motions as she did every school day. Alice attempted to talk to her but she got nothing in response.

Thea was sitting in biology, the teacher's words going in one ear and out the other. Matter of fact, she wasn't even looking in his direction, her eyes were dead set on Bella and Edward.

She watched as the fingers subtly found their way around each other. Her own fingers twitch at the sight.

Bella must have felt the glare because her eyes moved towards Thea, who didn't bother to look away, if anything, Thea began to glare harder.

And to think I was about to apologize to you.

Edward sighs at Thea's behavior, "Don't mind her. She's still upset." He whispers to Bella.

Bella seemed a little...frustrated. "I told you that would happen."

Thea tilts her head. Only months of Isabella knowing me and yet even she could predict my behavior. Thea thought, If she could, why couldn't Edward?

The vampire's eyes connect. He was reading her thoughts.

Or maybe you just don't care. Thea thinks, knowing he was listening.

An emotion flashed through Edward's eyes but he looked away before Thea could figure out what it was.

The bell rings and Thea is the first one out the door. "Thea." Alice appears beside the quiet vampire. "I know you're not going to respond so I'll just talk."

The hallways quickly filled up as Alice began. "I know you're angry with me for lying—you're hurt and you feel betrayed."

"I made a mistake." Thea finally gives a verbal response to Alice, "One mistake. I shouldn't have tried to hurt Bella, I know that. But if all it took was one mistake for all of you not to trust me...then clearly there wasn't much to begin with." She walks off, leaving Alice stunned.

Thea felt like a monster...she felt like some sick dog that needed to be put down. She hated this feeling...she hated that her family was the reason for this feeling.

Thea decided at that moment she would wait out the next class in the library, knowing she could afford to miss one class.

She steps inside, coming into harsh contact with another student, causing him to drop her bags. "Shit—sorry, sorry!" The boy replies. A Freshmen.

Thea decided not to give him a harder time. Simply helping him pick up his books. She analyzes them for a second. They were all about mythology.

Thea holds them back, her eyes sparing a moment at his mossy green ones.

The boy looked a tad bit embarrassed when Thea handed them back. "Dragons, Chimeras, fairies, zombies...vampires...werewolves." He starts to ramble, "All that's kind of my thing...my very nerdy and geeky thing—I'm gonna leave now." The boy leaves the room, nearly dropping his books again while his back is pushed up against the door.

Thea scoffs, "Freshmen."

✸

     Thea came home that day. Giving the Cullens the same treatment she was giving them for the past few hours.

Thea had some music playing, hoping it would drain out her thoughts as she finished homework for classes that she didn't give a damn about.

In the midst of her studying, she hears a knock. Thea thought it came from her door but it didn't. She turns down the music, hearing Carlisle's study room door open. "Alice?" She heard Carlisle say.

Alice's boots clicked against the floors, she was clearly walking with a purpose.

"What's wrong?" Thea also hears Esme's voice.

Thea frowns, her enhanced hearing seemed to only enhance more as she eavesdropped, last time she did this, it didn't end so well. Maybe she should stop but she couldn't help herself.

"Never again." Alice seemed angry, her voice was slightly quivering.

Thea wanted to barge into the room at the sound of her mate being upset, but she retrained herself.

"What?"

"I hurt her. I hurt Thea by lying to her." Alice divulges. Her heels continued to click against the floor, making it clear she was hassling back and forth. "When you guys asked me to get Thea out of the house for Bella...I should've gone against it. Because lying, keeping her excluded—that only hurt her and it made her think I didn't trust her!"

Esme nods in understanding, "I—"

"So never again." Alice goes on, "Thea is going to be angry with Bella, that's not going to change. So never again, will we be lying to her. I will not lie to her. I want her to know she can trust me with anything, do you understand?!"

Carlisle eyes were nearly wide, he'd never seen Alice so frantic and angry in his entire time of knowing her. "We understand."

Alice was walking towards the door when she stopped. "And...I like Bella, I do...but Thea is my wife and I hate seeing her the way she is. I will not put my relationship with Thea at risk for Bella, it just won't happen."

Carlisle and Esme were now stunned. No words left their mouths.

"And please, don't try and force Thea to get along with Bella." Alice sighs, "It won't work." She leaves the study.

     ragerwrites,           Alice standing up for Thea is just!—😫

Also, I really hoped y'all payed attention this chapter...

Since I left y'all hanging for so long, I find it only fair to give y'all a double update 🤷🏾‍♀️.

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