Chapter 2: Coma
One Month Later
It's been a month since I ran away. I stayed in Montana, and live in the town of Missoula. I'm not Bella anymore, here I'm known as either Isabella White, or simply Izzie. No one has called me Bella in a month, and I wanted to keep it that way. I got a job at the bookstore down the street, and I continue to live in the hotel. One because I didn't feel like going apartment hunting, and two because it is cheaper than any apartment would ever be. I had the late shift tonight, only because I switched with Skye, it is her daughters sixth birthday, and Skye and her husband were taking their daughter away for the weekend. I sighed, and locked up the doors. I climbed into my truck, and headed in the direction of home. I just went through the only intersection between home and the bookstore, when head lights illuminated my left side. It was too late for me to do anything to avoid the collision. I whispered "I love you," and waited for the impact. It felt like my life flashed before my eyes, I saw everything. The first date, first kiss, the proposal, and betrayal. In the distance I heard sirens, but I lost consciousness.
Most of my body ached. From my head, down to my legs. I tried to move my arm, but something stopped it. I opened my eyes, blinking waiting for my vision to be clear, and saw an IV stuck in my arm. I sighed, and looked down at the rest of my body. My left arm was in a cast, as was my left leg. I groaned. "Hello, Bella." A velvet voice said. I froze, no one here calls me that. No one. I glanced up, and there was a person sitting in the chair. Person didn't seem fitting, he was more like Adonis. He had untidy bronze colored hair, and topaz eyes. He was staring at me, either in amazement or shock. "Do I know you?" I asked him. Hurt masked his face for a moment, than it became blank. "I'm Edward. Edward Cullen." He said, smiling crookedly. I thought about the name, and tried to relay it to a distant memory. But all my memories focused on him. "Sorry." I mumbled. "Don't worry about it." He said, lightly, his eyes tight. It was than that I noticed he was wearing a lab coat. "Are you my doctor?" I asked. "Ah, yes. Dr. Cullen, at your service." He said, standing up and walking over to me. "What happened?" I asked. He pursed his lips. "You don't remember?" Edward asked. I shook my head. He sat down on the edge of the bed. I inhaled, he smelled really good, it made me dizzy. "You were hit by a drunk driver. Bella, you've been in a coma for a week." He said, solemnly. He called me Bella again.
A coma? Did I hear him right? My breath hitched. "You didn't call anyone, right?" I asked him. If he knew my name, then he must know me, which means he probably knew I was by myself. "Nope. You're 18. A perfectly legal adult." He said, smiling crookedly again. I felt my cheeks blush as I turned away. Hurt masked his face again. "Would you like me to call someone?" He asked, an unfamiliar tone to his voice. "No." I said quickly. He arched a perfect eyebrow. "I don't have anyone to call." I explained, avoiding his gaze. "Why did you run away?" He asked, his voice soft. He knew. "How do you know?" I asked, confused that this person I met merely minutes ago, knew so much about me. "I know you aren't Isabella White. You are a very long ways away from home, and you're alone." Edward said, staring at me. State the obvious why don't you, I thought bitterly. "If you know so much, than why don't you tell me who I am?" I challenged. "Isabella Swan." He said, his voice strong. He did know, crap, now he can call my father, and everyone for that matter. "I'm the only one. That knows, I mean." He added quickly, burrowing my worry. He really did know me too well.
"But how do you know?" I asked slowly, my eyes blinking as I saw the bronze colored hair fall onto his forehead as he leaned closer to me. "We went to high school together." He breathed, his voice inches from mine, his breath cold. I shivered, not in the uncomfortable way. Then it hit me. Bronze hair, velvet voice, muscular, beautiful. I sucked in a breath, my eyes widening as I continued to stare, and I tried to slow my now racing heart, but the monitor gave me away. Edward Cullen. My junior and senior lab partner. Most wanted guy at Forks High. Edward leaned away from me, letting me grasp this. Memories washed over me. Jacob Black, my first true love. Jacob, my fiancée. Jacob, supposedly imprinting on me. Edward Cullen. Jacob, truly imprinting on Maggie, a visiting werewolf from another tribe. Me running away, and never looking back. The next memory was a very familiar one.
I sat down at my-our desk. I became uncomfortable, and I knew he was too. Edward Cullen was sitting at the edge of his stool, farthest away from me. I moved my hair, making it a shield between me. He stiffened, and glared at me furiously. I turned away quickly, blushing. How could one person hate me so much just by seeing me?
I turned to look at him, returning his glare with my own. If someone was going to hate me as much as he did, than I sure as hell had the right to hate him right back. Edward's hand balled into a fist on his lap, and his eyes that were once topaz were now pitch black. As I stared at him, my glare faulted, and I couldn't help that my eyes softened. It must be hard being the new kids in a new school, not knowing anyone, and already having people deadly afraid of you. His eyes turned to those of guilt as the bell rang, and he ran quickly out of the room.
I knew why that one appeared in my head, that was the first time I crossed paths with Edward Cullen. And already my head was filled with rumors. The next memory I saw, however, was more hormone related.
"Bella, I am really sorry. I tried to stop." Tyler Crowley apologized, for what seemed like the umpteenth time. Charlie closed the curtain that was between us. I gave him a look, and he shrugged. "Bells, I'm gonna go find a doctor to talk to." Charlie said, then walked out of the room. When he was gone, I reopened the curtain, and smiled at Tyler. "Don't worry about it Tyler. It was an accident, it could have happened to anyone. Really. It was more my fault than yours anyway, I don't have a good relationship with balance." I said to him, hoping to lessen the guilt he felt. He smiled a little at me, and I re shut the curtain, and began to examine the cuts, and bruises on my arms.
"Fall down again, Isabella?" The velvet voice echoed through the room, and my heart quicken. How can you hate someone, but find them completely irresistible at the same time? Besides, even if I did find Edward incredibly beautiful, I had a boyfriend. Thinking of Jacob made an amazing feeling wash through my body, but in his absence, Edward's annoyance seemed to fill the hole. Being Edward's friend wouldn't hurt anybody, right?
"What's it to you? So you can have another accident to reminisce about?" I snapped. Hey, I said I would be his friend, I didn't say that had to happened now. He didn't answer, he stood standing in the doorway, staring at me. I went back to looking at my cuts. They were on my hands. I imagined Edward holding my hand, then shook my head, and placed Jake there instead. How could I think that way? "What are you doing here?" I asked, after I couldn't take the silence. "Well the entire student population at Forks High is crammed into the waiting room, I figured I would come here to spring you, seeing how you don't have a concussion." He trailed off, almost relieved. I was confused. "My father, Carlisle, took your case. You dad went to go talk to him. They should be here soon." As if Edward was my own personal fortune teller, Dr. Cullen and Charlie walked in.
"Hello, Bella. I'm Dr. Cullen, and you are free to go." He smiled, revealing pure white, and perfect teeth, before writing something on my chart than setting it down. Dr. Cullen was almost as beautiful as Edward. Did I really just think that? "Sorry, Bells, I have to get back to the station, and Jake couldn't get out of school." Charlie said, thinking. Great, now I have no ride home. Charlie's eyes landed on Edward. Uh oh. "Edward, right?" Charlie asked. "Chief Swan." Edward nodded, holding out his hand. They shook hands. "Please, call me Charlie. Would you mind driving Bella home? If not I'm sure I could find other arrangements." Charlie asked. Oh jeez. Dr. Cullen and Edward glanced at each other. "Not at all." Edward smiled, then motioned for me to follow him. I was oddly excited, but I knew that I shouldn't be. I have Jacob. Jacob. Jacob. Jacob.