"You got mail, Bella." Said Charlie with a wink.
"Oh really? From who?" Bella asked, interested. She peeked at Edward, he frowned.
"Your BEST friend, Jacob." Charlie replied looking at Edward as if to remind him how much better Jake would have been for Bella.
"Umm, ok Dad. I'll make sure to read it.." Oh my god! i can't read it with Edward here! Bella thought worriedly.
"You mean, I'll ask for some privacy and read it RIGHT AWAY, right?" Charlie stared at her forcefully.
Bella glanced at Edward, "May I?"
"Sure, I'll just wait right here." He said with an artificial smile.
"Thanks," She beamed at him.
Bella quickly grabbed the tattered envelope from the kitchen counter and rushed to her room. Once the door was closed, she tore it open, remind herself to breath, and began to read..
Bella, I think we need to talk. Sorry I've been ignoring you, but I don't think I can stand another week without seeing your face.. Plus, there are much more important things we need to discuss beside our relationship. I think you know what I'm talking about. Come to my house sometime on friday? Preferably in the afternoon..
I'll be waiting,
Jacob
Bella folded the note gently and placed it on her pillow. Today's Thursday, oh my god! It's tomorrow. I'll be there, I have to be there. She thought determinedly.
When she stepped back out to the living room, she found herself alone with Edward.
"Where's Charlie?"
"He's out to get some food for dinner, really, I don't get why you people get so obsessed over .. FOOD. Tastes like dry dog waste to me." Edward said with a grimace.
"Well, excuse me if im human." Bella shot him a look. Edward was staring hard at her. "What?"
"So what'd the letter say?" He asked forwardly.
"Um, Jake wants me to go meet him.."
"No. Period." Edward's jaw flexed.
"But.. I really want to talk to him, you know he needs me..and I owe him Edward. I owe him.." A tear made its way down Bella's cheek and she ran into her room for tissues. Edward followed her, his eyes gleamed coldly.
"Bella, I can't let you go to hell like that. At least not that way.."Edward trailed off, thinking about the day Bella will become a soulless freak like himself.
After a long talk and a lot of tears from Bella, Edward caved in, but his face was still stone cold.
"Thanks," Bella mumbled.
"But if you don't come back before night falls, I'm going after you."
"Ok, besides, I can't stand being away from you that long anyway." She grinned heartily but got a grim smile in return.
"I'm still worried about you Bella,"
"I know, and I promise not to kill myself. Oh! There's Charlie, you'd better leave Edward, it's after five." Rushed Bella as she heard the DING DONG from the front door. With that, Edward vanished and Bella ran to get the door, tripping over a few of the kitchen chairs, stubbed her toes, and boinked her head along the way.
---
Bella opened her eyes and took a look at the digital clock on her bed stand. It was 12:00 am. "Edward?" she whispered, he still wasn't there. Bella let her head fall onto the puffed pillow and let out an exasperated groan. Edward was really upset.
By the time Bella got out of bed, Charlie had left for work and breakfast was cooling on the kitchen counter. She sat down, tried to swallow the burned slice of what she supposed was cheese pizza, all the while thinking about Jacob. The day passed very slowly with nothing to do. She hasn't heard from Edward ever since that talk yesterday and her head was badly jumbled.
When 2 p.m. finally came, Bella threw on a coat and went for the drive to La Push. Once, looking in the rearview mirror, Bella caught a glimpse of the shiny Volvo trailing her. But when she looked again, it was gone. "When will Edward believe that Jake would never do anything to harm me?" To Bella, it seemed like never.
After awhile, Bella's jeep pulled up onto the Black's driveway and she got out, her heart beating wildly at the thought of seeing and talking to her friend again at last.
Cautiously, Bella knocked on the old front door.
"Come in," said a deep voice. "that must be Jacob," Bella told herself even though she can hardly recognize it.
She stepped inside and took a look around. There, slouching on the sofa was Sam Uley and three other wolves. Each holding a huge mug of foamy beer.
"Hey guys, umm, where's Jake?" Bella squeaked. They said nothing, instead, they all turned their heads toward Sam.
Finally, after a few agonizing minutes, Sam stepped up to Bella and politely offered her his mug.
"Um, no thank you. Where's Jacob? He told me he'll meet me this afternoon and I REALLY need to see him." Bella explained.
"In his room, taking a snooze. You should go check up on him." Sam said tonelessly. His eyes flickered to one of the werewolves.
"Um, ok. Thanks.." Bella said, confused. He asked me to come here so I can wake him up??! The letter DID say friday, didn't it? "Is today Friday?" She accidentally wondered out loud.
"Yes, Bella. It's Friday." Sam said mockingly. Bella flushed.
On the short walk to Jacob's room, Bella dizzied herself thinking about the awkward situation. Just before entering, she stopped to calm down. The door was left slightly ajar so Bella carefully peeked in. "Strange," she thought. "Jake doesn't usually sleep wrapped up in a blanket like that seeing how much body heat he has.." She was about to knock and enter when a pair of burning hands grabbed her own and tied them behind her back with a thick, tough rope. Then a big swab of cotton was stuffed roughly into her mouth to muffle her terrified scream. She jerked around to see the darkened face of of the La Push boys.
One of the guys lifted her and plopped her onto the metallic chair. Then Sam bounded her legs to those of the chair's and ran thick tape around her body so that her back was pressed straight to that of the chair's.
He looked up at her with tormenting gaze as if it pained him to see her like this. Just as Bella saw the sharp glint in his eyes, Sam suddenly morfed into a werewolf and growled, "I'm sorry, but this is the only way to protect our pack."
! TO BE CONTINUED..!