James was back from the dead. How, i have no idea. But he was, and he was coming for Bella. I knew she could take care of herself now, being a slayer and all, but i still felt the need to protect her. She still hasn't come back to me. It's been 4 1/2 months from the time i came back to her. She was extremely angry with me. Part of me believed she still was, anouther part of me knew i deserved this after what i had done.
I never could keep from replaying our first conversation, when i returned, over and over in my head.
Flashback:
She was walking to her truck. She didn't have the ancient truck anymore, now she had a brand new black dodge ram pickup truck. I had to admitt, i really liked it. She looked the same as always, smelled the same as always. She didn't know i was back. Although the rest of my family had returned, i had stayed behind.
But i couldn't take it anymore. I had to see her. I had to hear her voice.
I walked at human pace to her drivers side window. She was leaning over to the other side to put things in her glove compartment. I saw the small graduation keychain dangling from the review mirror. I wished i could have experienced that with her. I leaned agaist the truck just behind the window where she couldn't see me. Hesitantly i raised my hand and tapped on the glass.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw my pale white knuckles resting on the glass. Her eyebrows knotted together as she opened her door and stepped out.
When she finally saw me her mouthe hung open and her fists were balled together as she crossed her arms.
"Bella." I whispered.
"What the hell are you doing here Edward?" she hissed at me. i could tell she was extremely p.o. ed at me. I took a deep breath and it all came out in a rush.
"Bella, i am so so very sorry i left you like that. I only did it to protect you from myself. I just wanted what was best for you... but it killed me."
She exhaled sharply. "Okay, so was ripping my heart out part of the plan, or was that just one of the side effects.?!
I winced at her words. I had ripped her heart out. I knew i had hurt her. I also knew i would never forgive myself for any of it.
"I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get so heartbroken-"
"I don't want to hear it Edward. Now please leave me alone."
I stepped aside as she made her way back into her truck, slamming the door behind her. I watched as she backed out of the parking lot, her face no longer angry but depressed, and somewhat frightened.
But I could have sworn I saw a tear slide down her cheek.
END OF FLASHBACK.
I watched as Bella went down to the basement. That was her slayer layer. Or so she called it. She spent so much time in it. Studying, reading. Going through all of her new weapons. I must admitt, i was somewhat scared of her now. I was a vampire. She was a slayer now. We should naturally be enemies, but since we were gold eyed we both knew it didn't apply. Being a slayer didn't change ones appearance. It changed her blood. It was like poison to us now, one drop would make us ill, but if one of us ever had more than that, it would kill us in only a few hours. This i enjoyed, to an extent. It did mean that i could be around her and not crave her blood so much. It also meant that if i ever slipped, it would kill me and her both. Her strenght was remarkable. Three times stronger than Emmett. But still, if she wasn't strong enough for one of us, we could still kill her.
I continued to stare at the door until i saw her head pop out. She looked at me and smiled. We were still very close friends. She had told me she wanted us to remain friends until she was ready to come back to me. I had known that if friendship was the closest i was going to get to her heart, she didn't have to ask me twice, i took it gladley.
"Edward, i know you hate it down here, but i need someones help and Alice won't set a foot down here. Please." she asked me. Of course i was reluctant. It was very uncomfortable down there. There were so many things down there that could kill me in a second if i even touched it. But i knew Bella would warn me if i got too close to anything like that.
"Of course." i told her as i walked down the steps to where she already was standing. She was faster than me now too. That was hard to get used to at first,
but now i expect it. Carlisle had given her many books from his study. Her mentor, Joseph, had took care of the rest. She was currently learning how to come up with concotions that would burn any red eyed vampire. I hoped she didn't want to test on me.
"I know this is only for vampires with red eyes, but i have to know if it works." she explained to me.
"But if it's for red eyed vampires only, how am i going to help." i questioned her. She was pouring a clear steamy liquid in a small glass bottle. When she finished, she took a Q-tip and dipped it inside the bottle. The white cotton instantly started steaming.
I gulped.
"Well, I've been reading one of Carlisle's books and it said that this wouldn't burn you, but it may sting. If it does than i made it right."
Before i could protest, her strong hand grabbed my wrist and she pressed the Q-tip onto my skin. Reflex reaction, it did sting, a lot. I jumped but kept my arm where it was.
'This is to help the love of your life protect herself', i kept telling myself. So i pressed my lips together and balled my hand into a fist.
"Does it sting?" she sounded concerned. I liked it. So i lied to her so i could hear her concern for me some more.
"Somewhat. I think you can make it more powerful though. What do you have in it?"
"Psht. Like i could pronounce anything in this."
"I could look and-"
"Hold that thought." she told me. She set the Q-tip on her dest and walked over to a wall sized shelf covered with plants and chemicals and spices. By themselves i knew they were harmless. Mixed together was an entirely different story. I gazed as her beautiful slender fingers trailed over containers with large names on them. Then they stopped and picked up a small clear glass with a deep blue liquid in it. She smiled and poured a little into the bottle that had the liquid that already stinged like hell. I cringed at the thought of what this next liquid would do to increase the sting.
"What is that?" she looked at me and raised her eyebrows. I pointed to the blue liquid.
"Oh, that's lichen bloodem."
Oh. My. Goddness. Lichen bloodem. I had no idea what that was exactly, but i had heard it stung like the pits of hades.
"What's a Lichen?"
She looked up at me surprised. "Y-you don't know?"
I shook my head. "No."
Her eyes widened. She set her liquids aside and walked to her bookshelve. Once she found the book she was looking for she sat at her giant table and began flipping through it. Then i could see the page clearly, it had a creature i was unfamiliar with on it.
She glanced up at me and smiled," Come here."
I walked behind her and rested my stinging hand on the table while the other rested on the back of her chair.
"A lichen is like a hybrid," she began to explain to me, "you know, a cross between a vampire and a werewolf. They're extremly rare. Only 4 in the world, if that. And lichen bloodem is just vampire venom and werewolf blood mixed together. Joseph said it wasn't lethal to you like my blood is, but it's supposed to burn really badley. For red eyes that is. I'm not sure if it will sting you that bad, but you don't have to be my tester if you don't want to. I could just force Rosalie to do it. Only for the pleasure though. I've been meaning to get her back since all this started..."
She went into thought. I was reading over her shoulder. A hybrid? I couldn't shake it. Why would on of our kind want a werewolf mate? I shuddered. She laughed.
Ah, how i loved that sound. Almost as much as the way i loved her heartbeat. One of the next best things to her being a slayer. She was like me. She continued to age, but only mentally. She stayed in her teenage body until it was time for her to die. One of the downers of it. That meant that if she still wanted it,
i would change her. I decided i would when i knew i would get at least 70 to 80 years of her staying like this, being a human. More or less. But there's a problem. None of us could taste her blood.
She rose from the table and walked towards the staircase.
I was in front of her in a flash.
"I'll do it. You don't need to get Rosalie." i didn't want her to go get Rosalie. I wanted to be the one to help her.
"Okay..."
We walked back over to where her liquids were and she grabbed my wrist again. I sucked in a deep breath, prepared for the worst. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain. But i didn't feel the pain, i felt Bella rubbing circles in my wrist with her thumb. Then she pressed the cotton on to my skin once again.
It was exactly what it said it would be. Straight from the firey pits of hades. I snarled and thrashed against it, my sences taking over. Little did I know that by thrashing my arm out, I caught Bella by surprise and my stingging hand went straight to her left cheek, knocking her to the other side of the room.
As soon as i realised what i had done i ran straight to her side, picking her up and checking to see if she was okay.
"Bella. Bella, I'm so sorry, are you alright?" my concern wasn't nessesairy. She was fine. Her face wasn't even the slightest bit red. She was smiling up at me. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. My thumb was rubbing her face where my hand made conntact with it. She grabbed it and held it there.
"I'm absolutly fine." she laughed. In a flash she pulled us both up, my hand still cradled to her cheek by her hand. For what seemed like the longest moment,
we just stood there staring at each other. I wanted badly to kiss her. I started to lean forward and as soon as i saw it in her eyes, i crushed my lips onto hers. She didn't pull away from me, so i didn't either. I felt her drop my hand from her grasp, but i kept it where i was. Then something i always feared happened. I went too far. She broke our kiss and turned her head, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I think i need to get back to work. Thanks for helping me." she walked over to her desk and started putting her newest concoction in more small glass bottles.
I've always strived to be a gentleman. She deserves respect. But sometimes the teenage body i was trapped in sent my mind elsewhere. Like right now for instance, she was wearing something Alice had bought her. A tightly fitted white hoodie and black skinnie jeans. They clung to her perfectly, showing off her curves.
'Snapp out of it Edward.' i scolded myself internaly. She's not ready. As much as i wished she was, she wasn't. And i wasn't going to push her. But i might point her in the right direction. I walked over to where she stood amd put my hand under her chin. She continued to breath, but it was jaggered, uneven.
"Bella," i whispered to her. She didn't respond and i pulled her chin up so she had to look at me."Bella... i love you."
She grabbed my hand from her chin and took a step away from me, closing her eyes and sighing.
"Edward... i told you-"
"Then tell me again. Give me a straight answer." i pleaded with her.
"What?"
She leaned back against the side of the table and i took advantage of it, walking over and planting myself in front of her. I turned my eyes on her. She leaned back even further and i did the same.
"Do you or do you not still love me?" i demanded.
"Why would you even-"
"Just answer it. Now."
She blinked to keep the tears from falling down. I couldn't handle the silience. I needed to know.
Before i could urge her on she opened her mouth to speak.
"Of course i do." she whispered.