Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Cullen818 Recs - Forever Is A Promise You Keep


Every once in a while I come across a fic that just won't let me go. This happens to be one of them.

Edward/Bella

Summary - Bella loves Edward, much more than she should. Edward is an addict. Bella deals with it. Years of this cycle begin to take its toll, and Bella is fed up. A near fatal accident forces Edward into a coma, and Bella re-examines her previous decision. Will Bella stay, or is it all too much?

Warning: This story is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Some themes include underage drug abuse, adult drug abuse, violence while under the influence, poor judgment while intoxicated, graphic medical scenarios, graphic sexual situations that are consensual, explicit language, and extreme angst. Be advised, this work of fiction is not suitable for everyone. If you are under 18 or find these situations upsetting or uncomfortable, please move on. Otherwise, I urge you to read with caution.

What a totally gripping tale we have here. It's written with realism and raw emotion. Edward is a addict and has been for years. He constantly hurts himself and those around him. Bella is his enabler. She's in love with him and wants to believe things will all work out. He was her high school sweetheart and some relationships are worth fighting for. But, how much can a person be expected to take? How many times can you witness the person who means the most to you hurt themselves over and over again?

One night changes the dynamic of their whole relationship. Bella just can't take it anymore and she says things to Edward in haste. He storms off and gets into an accident.Will she ever get the chance to make things right? Can she get over the guilt?

The story is told via flashback. We see how these two came together and how Bella deals with Edward's addiction. We learn that the addict isn't the only one affected by the abuse. Often its those who love the person with the problem who suffers the most in these situations.  The reader is engulfed in Bella's decision as shelikesthesound intertwines the plot and seamlessly flows the flashback scenes into real time.

This isn't a fluffy, uplifting fic. It's a well-detailed and thoroughly researched topic. I totally get the feeling the author must have had some RL experience with this story and it shows in the work. Sometimes it's so easy for us to get caught up in the fiction and the fantasy of the Fandom,  but if you're looking for a story with a realistic vibe and one that will make you think, this is the one for you. If you decide to read it, leave the author a comment or two. This is an under-appreciated fic and it truly deserves more attention. It had me at hello!

This is the opening of chapter one. You immediately get the feeling  Bella has finally had enough...

I could not believe what I was seeing.


Wait, yes I could. It wasn't like this type of behavior was abnormal. I thought that, maybe, after the last time, it wouldn't happen again. But I'd started to realize that no amount of complaining, pleading, or bitching would change anything. No matter how many times I lectured, it had always fallen on deaf ears anyway. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. When I opened them again, the same scene stared back at me. A black Volvo S80 sat in the front yard. Instead of resting in the driveway, it was crookedly parked in the middle of the lawn. I walked over to the car and looked through the windshield.


The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, asleep. His clothes were wrinkled; his hair was a chaotic mess. Typical Edward, I thought. The neighbors and I had come to accept his shenanigans. At first, it was an issue. Forks finest had been called out to the house on more than one occasion, for Edward being drunk and passed out in his car-while parked in the yard. Charlie, my dad, had even taken a couple of these calls, to my embarrassment. But since they could never prove that he drove the car, they stopped coming. We had all become indifferent to his drunken mishaps.


"Jesus! The lawn is not a driveway, asshole," I muttered to myself as I stepped back.


Well, I supposed coming straight home last night was out of the question. I turned toward the house and away from the annoying sight in front of me. It was too early in the morning to deal with this kind of shit. Making sure his drunken ass made it to bed wasn't my responsibility, nor was it in my job description to keep him from embarrassment. I was his girlfriend, not his mom.






 




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