Ghost Of Me
When it started to get hot I went back inside, grabbing my laptop from the bedroom and placed it on the kitchen island. I retrieved an energy drink and waited to type in the password when there was a knock on my door.
Every time there was a knock I was on edge. Not many people knew I lived here. It wasn't even in my name. To everyone in the building and the State of California, my name was Laurie Strode.
I walked quietly to the door and peeked through the peephole. I breathed out in relief and annoyance at myself. I pulled the chain, unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door.
"Good morning shorty," Emmet grinned widely while I rolled my eyes.
"Good morning Barney." I let the door stay open and got back to my laptop.
"Hmm… dinosaur or man-whore?" I shrugged.
"Whichever you prefer."
"I can't decide. They're both awesome." Emmett went straight for the fridge. Like he always does. How very predictable.
"How very modern of you. Not many guys would willingly admit they'd like to be seen as a purple singing dinosaur whom, undoubtedly, fills your screen every Saturday morning." I typed in the password as I spoke and waited pop-up after pop-up for the screen to turn black.
"Shit shorty… you do know you have to eat or you'll die?" I sighed, clicking on the browser.
"You die either way," I muttered, going to LA times to see what the public knew about last night. I couldn't have been that obvious but Aro's lack of reassurance had me on edge.
"So…" I look up to see Emmett staring pointedly at me. I raise an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"How'd it go last night?" His tone made me frown and I looked back at the articles in front of me.
"Is that why you're here?"
"Of course not." Emmett wasn't one to lie. Not because he was a goodie-two-shoes but because he liked to be raw and honest.
"It was one mistake. No, it wasn't even a mistake, it was fucking hiccup. Why's everyone beating down my throat?"
"You froze."
"For two seconds, tops."
"What happened?"
"Are you going to report back?" Emmet looked almost mad at my statement.
"I would never do that to you and you know it." That is exactly why I tolerated Emmett, even liked him. On a strictly friendship level.
Emmett and I met about a year ago. He'd been out on an assignment for a few months and when you're in training, you don't meet anyone but your "trainers" and the bosses.
I'm not sure just how Emmett got into this line of "work". He never talks about it and I'm not one to pry so I never ask but I'm not going to lie and say it hasn't crossed my mind once or twice.
Emmett's a truly decent guy. He knows when not to ask and usually don't think before he speaks – something that's always amusing. But believe me when I tell you; you do not want to get on his bad side. The guy's like a machine; works on pure instinct and adrenaline… he rivals to Felix and I'm pretty sure he can take him. I have had a few shots myself – just for fun – and although I might be faster, he's stronger and my back hit the floor within a minute.
"I don't know what happened," I revealed with a sigh. "One second I was walking down the dance floor and the next I just…"
"Froze?"
"Yeah…" I bit my lip as I pondered how to say the rest. "I think… I must have inhaled too much coke in that room but I could have sworn I saw…"
"Yes?"
"Someone I used to know." Emmet pursed his lips for a moment.
"I'm getting vibes I shouldn't ask-"
"So don't."
"But-"
"You're going to anyway?" Emmett leaned his elbows against the island, fiddling with napkin, tearing it to pieces. He was waiting for me to say something. I leaned back in my chair, highly annoyed by all the questions.
"I thought I saw… a guy I used to know." Looking up, Emmet raised both his brows.
"A guy who?" I usually referred from talking about my previous life. It didn't matter anymore and since I could never go back in time and change one stupid decision, it wasn't worth mentioning.
"Just someone I used to know."
"Do tell my friend," he said, wiggling his eyebrows with a smirk on his face.
"First off, he's my brother's best friend – or at least he was. I haven't seen both of them in a while. And secondly, I was mistaken. It couldn't have been him."
"Why not?"
"He lives in Forks. Why would he be in LA?"
"Vacation?" I shook my head.
"He's not the type to go to LA for vacation. He'd go to Spain or Greece."
"You knew each other well?" That was an understatement, but just because I was admitting I had a second of panic, doesn't mean I'm about to share my whole life's story. Even if I trusted Emmett to keep it to himself.
"He's my brother's friend. We knew each other enough." I wasn't saying anymore about it and Emmett knew it from my tone of voice.
"Maybe you should call your brother. He could tell you where this dude is – that's if they still keep in touch." I stared at him.
"I don't like calling him. Makes me feel guilty."
"Why?"
"Because he literally makes me feel guilty – talking all the time about how I should come home, how much they all miss me and whatever."
"Maybe it's time you go and see them."
"Yeah, that is not going to happen."
"Why not?"
"I won't let them see me like this, all broken and weak."
"You're not weak." I shook my head but didn't say anything as I shifted my eyes down and skimmed through the small article about last night's activities.
Drug Lord beat down
Last night, in one of Los Angeles well covered night clubs, reported Drug Lord 'Laurent' was rushed to the hospital with severe neck injuries. A source says he was meeting with someone in the entertainment industry and that things might have gone sour when payment became an issue.
"It was so crazy! One minute we were all having a good time and the next this fire alarm broke out, the music stopped and these guys went wild, running around with guns and yelling at each other" – a witness tells us who wish to remain anonymous.
Also, an unidentified male was found not half a mile away. He was rushed to the hospital with mild injuries. Sources say he's going to make a full recovery. It is not known whether his demise had anything to do with the club. But a safe source tells us there could be a connection. The police have not arrested anyone at this point.
I frowned at the text and shut the lid on the laptop.
"How much do they know?"
"If you count them thinking I'm a hooker; nothing. Why? Do you doubt me?"
"Don't be so defensive. Now, get dressed. We're going to the gym and then I'll even buy you lunch."
"How kind of you."
"I know. I just keep on giving and giving."
oOo
Even though my entire body was aching, skipping workout wouldn't do any good. We ran for about an hour before moving to the punching bag. My hand still stung from last night. I hadn't noticed it before but this morning I saw the red marks and broken skin all along my knuckles. Even after I taped them, it still hurt like a bitch.
"So… tell me about the guy." I stopped punching for one second, breathing hard.
"We're still on that?"
"I'm just making small talk." I started punching again and kicked my shin at the bag.
"I thought you were my friend not my shrink."
"Sometimes it's good to vent."
"I don't need to vent. I'm fine."
"Your mouth says one thing but your actions say another."
"What actions?" I snorted and kicked the bag hard enough for Emmett to take a step back.
"Shit, don't kill me! You said it yourself you froze because you thought you saw him. He must have meant something to you. I think you liked him."
"I think you're delusional."
"I bet he liked you too."
"Is this where you start to rhyme?"
"Come on. I need to have something to keep me going. My life's pathetically boring right now."
"I thought you were screwing that blonde from the restaurant."
"Yeah but she's not too good of a conversationalist."
"Not like me?"
"No but I'm probably gonna have to trade you in soon. You make me feel stupid." I smirked and got in the last punches before we were done for the day.
"What else do you have planned for today?" I shrugged. Truthfully… I had nothing planned. My life was ironically dull in comparison to other normal people.
"Good. Then we can go shopping." I started at him as if he'd lost his mind. Don't all guys hate to shop? Isn't that like a universal law or something? "For electronics. You need a TV. You're loaded Bella. Take some advantage of it."
"Just because you bought everything at Best Buy."
"You don't have to get everything. Just a TV. And maybe a TiVo. And maybe some-" but I cut him off before he could rabble up the entire collection of whatever he thought I would want.
"I'll see you soon." I turned into the girls locker-room and grabbed my towel before making my way to the showers.
There was no one else there and the deafening silence was taking its toll on me, only making me realize just how alone I really am. But in the end, everyone's alone. It was little comfort.
As I peeled off the tape I kept wincing at the stinging pain and once after removing the pieces, my hands were covered in blood. Luckily, the wounds were shallow and would be healed within a week.
The water did nothing to improve the uncomfortable feeling. I started to shake as I shampooed my hair and as soon as I'd rinsed out the conditioner, I shut off the water and tried to stop shaking long enough to get the towel wrapped around me.
It was difficult getting dressed. The bruise on my shoulder had deepened to a sickening purple and I think my collarbone may have been fractured. But I was not going to have it checked out. People don't die from bruises and a little pain. It's pathetic to see a doctor for every little thing.
"You should get that checked out," Emmet said as we sat down at the restaurant, way in the back corner.
"It's fine. I'm not going to act like such a fucking girl. And it's not like it's going to kill me." The waiter came and gave us two menus to look through and filled out glasses with ice water. He took our orders, but because of how many times we've been here, he probably already knew what we wanted.
"Not to piss you off but what are we doing on that impending b-day of yours?"
"Nothing."
"Aw come on. You're turning twenty-two."
"I've never care about my birthday. And it's over two months away."
"Then it's time to start isn't it? And it takes time to plan."
"Look… the only thing I'm planning to do is call my brother, get really, really drunk and wallow in self pity and console myself with the fact that I'm one year closer to the sweet relief of death."
"That's… really disturbed." I inclined my head and took a sip of my water.
"My life is disturbed." Our food arrived then and we settled into an easy conversation.
"What about this one?" Watching Emmett at Best Buy is like watching a kid go crazy at Toys R Us. Not that I have ever done that but I'm sure it would look like this.
"I'm not getting that one."
"Why not?" Now he even sounded like a kid.
"It's fifty inches. I don't need it."
"That's not why we're here. It's because you're supposed to want it, not need it."
"Seems pointless to me."
"You should be Amish," Emmett grumbled but moved away from the intimidating flat screen and onto another.
"You do know you're the one who's going to have to put all this up?" I said as I pretended to care what I was looking at.
"Of course. You'd probably just leave it in the living room and leave it there forever."
"True. Just get the red one up there and a DVD player – not a Blue ray. I'm rebelling against those."
"Fine. But you're getting the TiVo."
"Fine!" I hissed. "Get everything eco-friendly. I'm trying to compensate."
"You're so weird." I left him alone after that to browse through the DVD selections.
I used to be a movie fanatic. Now days I told myself I didn't have time for such "luxuries" but it was a cheap shot at punishing myself. I grabbed a few interesting looking horror movies before finding Emmett.
I sighed and raked my hand through my hair in annoyance as I spotted Barney talking animatedly to a store salesman. This was going to take forever and I have minimum to no patience. I moved through the store and pressed the movies to Emmett.
"Here, I'm gonna wait outside." He didn't have time to say anything as I almost ran out of there.
The parking lot was filled with a sea of colorless cars. The way people almost always chose a neutral colored vehicle fascinated me. Though I rarely drove it, my 1966 mustang convertible would seem alien had it not been blue. Okay, so maybe I splurged on some things. But every time I buy something too expensive I always feel guilty for spending money I earned in such a brutal way that I always donate anonymously amounts of money to amnesty of whatever organization I wound up clicking to first.
I sat down on a bench next to the entrance and crossed my legs beneath me. The sun felt too hot against my head and I was starting to develop a headache. When I shifted so my back was leaning on the armrest, I noticed a shape across the street. It had been there one second before disappearing behind the corner of a 7Eleven gas station.
I kept my head down, only peering up to see if my own sense of paranoia wasn't deluding me. No. There was someone staring at me. The feeling had me on edge and I pulled out my phone to send Emmett a quick text.
'I'm leaving. Got stuff to do. See you later.'
I grabbed my bag, slung it to my shoulder and walked away quickly.
I marched next to stores with huge display window, only using the corner of my eyes to see who was following me. In the limited sighting, I noticed he was older. Not grandpa old, more like mid- to late thirties. He wore a white fitted t-shirt with dark jeans. He pretended to be talking into his cell phone as he looked straight ahead and walked purposefully after me. For three blocks he never left me alone and it was slowly starting to piss me off.
I toyed with the idea of Aro sending someone to follow me. I had no doubt he would go to such lengths, even on assignment free days. Though Aro would never hire someone this amateur and obvious.
Which leads back to who the guy might be. I've gone in a circle for ten minutes and he was not relenting. I sighed and slipped through a crack between two apartment buildings and waited just around the corner for the idiot to get in sight.
Pressing myself to the wall and having my entire body tense up, this was going to be easy. Despite seeming to pack something more than a brain, he – who I took the liberty of calling Ducky until further information may possibly be given – shouldn't be too hard to bend to the wall… That came out completely different than I thought it would.
I slowed down my breathing and as soon as his shadow touched the ground next to me, I turned around the corner, grabbed the suckers arm and moved away from the wall while simultaneously bending his arm around his back and crushing his face to the bricks.
Letting out a yelp of pain, I swore the schmuck was going to cry. I pinned his free hand to the wall also while making sure he could never get the upper hand.
"Why are you following me?" I all but growled into his ear.
"You're going to break my arm." I chuckled darkly.
"Nah. To break your arm I'd have to straighten it out and then bend it in a very unnatural angle. Now answer my question."
"I was hired to find you." My hold weakened for a moment before I snapped out of it.
"Excuse me?"
"I was hired to find an Isabella Swan. I'm a private investigator." I let him go immediately and backed away, feeling my breath leave my lunges.
"No, no, no, no, no… When?"
"So you already know who hired me?"
"I think I've got an idea. Charlie Swan?" The PI nodded, reached into his pocket and handed me a picture. Of me. It was very old. It was strange to see how I've changed in just three years. Although, three years is a long time when you do think about it.
I used to have long chestnut hair, reaching down to my elbows. My previously almost make-up free eyelashes- and lids, were now almost always covered in mascara, eyeliner and eye shadow. Not because I'd gone completely Goth, but because I genially liked the look.
I dropped my hand to my side after giving him back the photo. The PI blew out a breath in a whistle, studying me.
"You were not easy to find." I shook my head with a humorless laugh.
"Apparently all too easy." I crossed my arms and leaned against the opposite wall. "When did he hire you?"
"Almost two years ago." I felt like my dog just died. If I'd actually ever owned a dog and knew of the loss.
"Did he at least give a reason?"
"According to Mr. Swan, you left college and your family without a reason. He was sure you left forced." Even though I was deeply saddened by this, I also felt mad. Charlie has no filter which means he doesn't know when to back off. If the PI had found me in two years, shit only knows what he could know in another two.
But this wasn't the place to ask my questions. People were watching us and I couldn't afford to have people talking. Not that I knew many here but the ones I saw down the hall or whatever could still get suspicious.
"Walk with me." I grabbed his arm and lead him away from there.
We walked up the street for a few minutes before I thought we weren't followed or listened to.
"What's your name?"
"George Steven." First name last name? So weird...
"Okay, Steven. How did you find me?"
"Your father told me how you dropped out of college to move to Rome and so I went there but there was nothing of value at the address you provided. It took me three months to understand that you were nowhere to be found. I called in with your father to tell him you must have lied but he'd just gotten a new letter from you. You were in Germany. I stayed there for two months before another post card came and then it was Spain but you were only there for two weeks. Then Brazil for a month and then across the globe to Australia. And then-"
"Wait. You went to all these places?" He nodded. "How much has this cost my father?" He seemed reluctant to answer. "Unless you want a repeat of what happened in the alley, I suggest you answer."
"I'm not sure. But there's always money in my bank account at the end of every month."
"My father doesn't have that kind of money. Unless he won the lottery but I highly doubt that."
"I don't know how he gets the money but he does." I tried to pick up any hint of deception but even with his nervous stuttering, he knew he was telling the truth.
"So how did you find me? The short version."
"Over a year after your father hired me; I went to him and said I had failed. You disappeared and I thought you were dead. A Jane Doe in a morgue or an unmarked grave. He didn't seem to like my answer and wanted me to go to the University of Washington. I did and that's when I got the first real lead that you had actually existed. I spoke to some of your classmates. You'd only been in school for two months so not that many knew you but-"
"Yeah. I already know this part. Skip to the end."
"Someone saw you leave in a dark car with a California license plate." I stopped walking. Even though this guy was clearly in the wrong line of business at the moment, I saw this as a window to maybe push down Felix, Demetri and Heidi. After all, they're part of the reason I got into this.
"Did they now?"
"And then I went to California. I've been here for over six months, looking city after city. I've shown your picture everywhere but now I see why most wouldn't recognize you."
"You should have just backed off."
"Excuse me? I've spent close to two years tracking you and now that I've found you, I get to be the one to tell your father I've found you and that you're well." Oh but I'm really not. I whirled around, stopping him from taking another step.
"No, you're not."
"What?"
"You're not going to report back. You're not going to tell my father you found me and you're definitely not going to tell him how I'm doing." I knew he got nervous by my venomous tone but I pretended not to care.
"Bella your father is very worried about you. He deserves-"
"He deserves to know when to back off. He shouldn't have hired you. That was a mistake."
"But why wouldn't you-"
"You're not the one asking the questions here. Just so we're clear, you're going to tell my father you were unsuccessful."
"And if I don't?" Why did he have to make it difficult?
"I can promise you don't want to find out."
"Is that a threat?"
"Yes." He was taken aback by my answer and stared at me as if I'd lost my mind.
"And if I got to the police-"
"You'll never make it there."
"Who are you?"
"Don't ask silly questions." I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure something out. "Look. I'm trying to help you here."
"Oh really? Because it seems like you just threatened to kill me." I chuckled darkly.
"Don't flatter yourself. You're just a pawn. A small and easily disposable pawn and if you value your life, you'll forget you ever saw me. You'll call my father, tell him you couldn't find me and then disappear with the money you've gotten over two years. Agreeable?"
"Not even a little bit."
"Good." I turned on my heel and started to walk away.
"Wait." I didn't. But Steven jogged up to me and grabbed my arm to stop. I started at his hand for a long time before he grew a brain and yanked it away as if I'd burned him.
"What?"
"You can't just say that and then leave. It doesn't work like that?"
"What doesn't? Life? In case you haven't noticed, life's a bitch. And I can do what the fuck I want. I've already talked longer than I should have. For your own sake. You should go back to you hotel room, back up your stuff and go to Africa or something. I'm leaving now."
And I did. Right to the harbor. On the way, I picked up my cell phone.
One "perk" of working for the Volturi is the gadgets. While we may have been innocently talking, my phone was reading everything inside George Steven's phone. Just a switch of sim cards and my phone is transformed. If his takes or makes a call, I'll have a front and center spot. The same with texts and pretty much everything he'll type into his little device.
Like a good little boy, he didn't use his phone once from the time I left him to the time I wound up at the Volturi headquarter. That word sounds so lame transitioning into an even lamer Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. I really wished this was just a movie.
I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the whole day. It had left me emotionally exhausted and I couldn't even begin to think about what the PI had said.
"Where's Aro?" Caius was the only one in the gathering hall. I was losing me patience with him not answering after one second, being too busy looking me up and down.
"Not here." I rolled my eyes.
"I gathered."
"Whatever you have to tell my brother, you can tell me and I'll pass the message along."
"Mmmm… yeah… not happening."
"Don't you trust me? I feel so betrayed."
"Don't act like you've got any human emotions." Caius nodded, agreeing.
"That's true."
"Okay I don't have the patience for this. There's been a security breach." His head went up a little in interest.
"Keep talking."
"I'm not saying another word till Aro gets here." When Caius eyes shifted to right behind me, my whole body tensed.
"Aro." And there he was, looking thoughtful as he came to my side and placed his hand on my shoulder. I tried not to flinch away.
"I do appreciate your loyalty and I while the seemingly first-to-know knowledge should always be me," I did not miss Caius eyes roll dramatically; "in this case, it's not necessary."
"What are you talking about?"
"I already know about the private investigator."
"You do?" I wasn't really surprised. Aro has eyes and ears everywhere all the time.
"Yes. Though I'm not completely aware of what you two shared as far as conversation goes, I am aware of his ties to your family." I swallowed, casting my eyes downward.
"Bella. Relax. I was afraid something like this would happen one day since you've shut out your past life. But at least this small breach has been taken care of."
"What are you- is he?"
"Gone? Yes." I tried not to let guilt fill me up. "It was… unavoidable, I'm afraid. If it could have happened another way…"
"He didn't deserve to die. Is that what we're doing? Killing private investigators because they were hired by an overprotective parent?" Aro's expression turned somber and he turned towards his brother."
"Could you give us a minute, Caius?" Caius sighed heavily but got up nonetheless and left the room without a word. Aro turned to me, his hands pressed together as he peered at me.
"Bella. I know how you feel about being here. How alone you feel every time you go back to your apartment. But we are not the evil you think we are."
"No?" I asked skeptically. Aro shook his head.
"Of course not. We exist to restore peace and balance to the world." I couldn't help but huff. "It's true. Whether you believe it or not. But in order for us to remain and keep doing the good work we are doing, we need to be kept a secret. Can you imagine the outcome if we are to be revealed? The panic? People always fear what they don't understand."
"Maybe it's not our place to direct."
"Then who has that responsibility Bella? The wife who stays with her abusive husband? The legal system that sends guilty back on the street and innocent to the needle? It's an imperfect world, yes, but we can't let regular people, who have no idea about real life, decide for other people."
While I would never truly believe anything he just said about us being good and that we live for peace, I knew he was right about the exposure. It would destroy everything and if the Volutry was revealed, we would all be eliminated and that would suit no one.
"On another note; do you want to fill me in on how a simple private investigator was able to track you down here?" Aro asked, getting back to the main topic. I had to freeze my face as not to smile. I don't think I was completely successful.
"Someone saw me getting into a car with a California license plate." Aro's lips twitched in disgust at such a small and insignificant mistake.
"That is unacceptable, of course. Don't worry. They won't go unpunished." I nodded in appreciation.
"Speaking of which, your father's attempts at finding you are troubling." It took me almost too long to answer.
"I promise you, something like this won't happen again. I'll keep in touch better." Aro shook his head and paced slowly around the room.
"I'm afraid that won't be enough."
"What are you saying?"
"Maybe it's time for you to go home." My body grew cold and I knew my fingers were shaking.
"I'd rather not."
"It wasn't a suggestion Isabella. We cannot afford anyone to be suspicious and this private investigator has me on edge. We'll have to be more careful from now on and the best way would be for you to go home for a few days or perhaps a week."
I knew it was out of discussion to talk back to him so I nodded reluctantly.
"Marvelous," Aro said cheerfully. "You should leave as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning will do fine. I'll have a car pick you up." When he saw I was going to protest, Aro held up a hand. "We are not sure if that investigator opened his mouth to the wrong people or wrote down something. We have to act now." I turned to leave and got to the door before Aro spoke again.
"Oh and Bella," I stopped and turned my head. "I'm sure you'll be as discrete as possible… but let's not make any life altering decisions now, okay?" I nodded somberly and left the room.
