REPOSTED – 1/22/2013
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
"Hey, Emmett!" Jasper called from his place by Edward's locker. Emmett pushed his way through the crowd to where they were.
"Hey," Emmett replied tiredly, his eyes bloodshot and drooping with exhaustion. "What's up?"
His friends exchanged worried looks.
"It was pretty late when we left last night and Bella's car was still in the lot. She got home okay?" Edward asked, his voice so calm it surprised Emmett enough to wake him up a little.
"Yeah," he replied. "Someone slashed her tires."
Edward's eyes went wide. "What?" He clenched his fists, his heart thundering in his chest.
Emmett tugged anxiously at his clothes. It was clear that what had happened the night before had put him on edge.
"You saw someone," Jasper concluded, correctly.
Emmett nodded his head. "In the woods." Emmett tugged at his hair. "If we weren't playing basketball so late last night, she would have been alone wi-with…" Emmett huffed angrily trailing off, trying to talk around the lump in his throat. A million different scenarios flooded into his mind, all ending with Bella getting hurt. Bad.
"What'd Charlie do?" Edward asked, straining to reign in his anger.
"He had a CSU from Port Angeles come down," Emmett said.
"They find anything?" Jasper asked as they made their way to homeroom.
Emmett nodded. "Someone was in the woods where I saw something. They found some broken branches. Whoever it was had been there long enough to make himself comfortable. There were a bunch of cigarette butts and empty cans and food wrappers." He shook his head, remembering back to the night before.
He had recounted what he saw to his father whiles pacing back and forth in his room. Bella watched him with wide eyes from her place on his bed.
"That's some serious shit," Jasper said. He knew that both Edward and Emmett would only be preoccupied with the 'what-ifs'. The fact was that Bella didn't get hurt. She was safe. That was all that mattered.
"They're having an assembly today about it," Emmett said, absently.
Jasper put a hand on his shoulder. "She's fine," he said softly. He knew pushing the matter would only aggravate Emmett.
Edward was silent.
Jessica walked in then, shifting her books in her arms. She normally sat nearer to the windows but Edward was already out of his seat, pulling her from the doorway to where he was sitting. He wanted her where he could see her.
He shoved her into the empty desk next to his.
Her eyes narrowed at him as she leaned forward – a hint of the Stanley temper flashing in her eyes. "You know I don't like people manhandling my person, so you better have a good fucking expla—"
She was shut up when Jasper kicked her desk, shaking his head at her.
As Edward stared at her, the crease between his brows smoothened and the death grip he had on her forearm loosened, but not entirely.
"Jess, just…" he trailed off, an uneasy expression of his handsome face.
Her eyes softened a little as she wondered about his sudden anxiety. She nodded at him, allowing him to pull her desk close to his.
Their teacher was now calling the classroom to order.
Five minutes later, before Mr. Berty could begin a riveting lesson on Shakespeare's Othello, there was an announcement on the PA.
All classes were to report to the auditorium.
Students filed through the hallways lazily. It was way too early in the morning for them to be able to pay any kind of attention to whatever it was that was so important.
Upon entering the auditorium, Edward elbowed Emmett and nodded in Bella's direction. She was sitting with her legs folded up to her chest, peering over her knees with wide eyes. Her friends had yet to arrive.
Edward led Jessica over to where Bella was sitting. She sat down, eyeing Bella concernedly. "You okay?" she asked.
"You didn't hear yet?" Bella's voice sent a jolt through Edward.
"Hear what?" Jessica asked, confused.
Before Bella could answer, the lights dimmed and Charlie was on the stage, looking mightily uncomfortable under the heavy beams of light being directed at him.
The gun on his hip weighed a thousand pounds. His uniform had never clung to him so tightly. He felt claustrophobic. No, he felt as if there was an elephant sitting on his chest.
For weeks there had been a string of strange going-ons in the small town.
Besides Bella, four other people had had their tires slashed. House pets were being slaughtered, their blood being used to paint flower beds and the inside of peoples' mailboxes. There had been one fire and two burglaries.
One of Charlie's best friends, Waylon, had even disappeared. He'd fought with his wife before escaping to his boat, but no one had seen or heard from him since. His wife hoped he'd only left her and that nothing bad had happened to him.
However, action was being taken now. They – whoever 'they' were – had gone after a student; a teenager; a helpless girl.
Charlie flushed with anger. "Last night," he began, "there was an incident…"
OoO
The assembly was long, taking up nearly half of the day. It wouldn't make sense for the students to stay the rest of the day so everyone was let out early. Since it was a Friday, everyone was ecstatic to be starting their weekend sooner than expected.
Edward returned to his locker to gather all of his belongings. Down the hall, he could see Mike chatting Bella up. He felt his stomach drop and bile rise in his throat as he saw Mike push an escaping curl from Bella's face.
Her cheeks were flushed coral and she was nodding at Mike. Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Edward felt his world stop as he looked upon the sight of his beloved in the arms of another man.
Mike was only a few inches taller than Bella, so she could easily see over his shoulder. Confusion furrowed her brows as she saw Edward at his own locker.
Mike was blathering away in her ear, but her sole focus was the boy down the hall who was glaring at her with all he had. She nearly flinched.
"Bella?"
Bella stuttered an apology and refocused her attention on Mike. She could still feel the press of his slightly chapped lips against her face, and hear his whispered, 'I'm glad you're okay.'
Mike left shortly thereafter. Not a word of what he'd been saying to her having registered.
Bella sighed and shook her head before slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. She turned to exit the school. None of her thoughts were spared for Mike. Only the wild-haired, wild-eyed boy seemed to have grasped her heartstrings with a tenacious ferocity.
His glare was never-ceasing, however. And it was then that she found herself cursing him for making her so confused.
OoO
His eyes followed her movements, which were jerky with distraction.
What had her so tied up in knots?
Was it Mike?
Was it…dare he think it…
Was it him?
Edward could barely reason over the roar of the demon inside of him that longed to possess her. He knew that there had to be something seriously wrong with him to feel so raw in her company. So utterly and completely owned by her. So desperate to be graced with her presence, let alone her acknowledgement.
Such devotion wasn't normal…was it?
Edward watched as she disappeared into the sea of students pushing through the hallways. He had winced up seeing it. She was small. Too small. And seeing her force her way through their tightly packed large bodies made him want to yell at them to just fucking move out of her way.
They were all too close to her. She knew this and Edward knew this. He always observed her, noticing that she hated crowds and was slightly claustrophobic.
Seeing her get pushed around made him ache. He knew that she would probably have bruises. Her skin was too delicate. She was too delicate.
Alice appeared at his side. Upon seeing his worried stare towards the exit doors, she stood up on the tips of her toes to look through the crowd of people. She saw Bella shoving her way through their stubborn bodies. "She's fine, Edward. She's stronger than you think." With that, she walked towards the exit.
Edward finished shoving his books into his book bag, slamming his locker door shut in frustration before making his way out to his car. He saw Bella slide into Alice's car.
He sped off towards his house with a grimace set firmly in place. His cell phone rang. He picked it up and pressed it to his ear. "What?" he barked.
"Well excuse the fuck outta me," Jessica chirped indignantly.
"Oh. It's you," he muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, unimpressed by his tone.
"Nothing," he grumbled. She did have a mean right hook after all.
"Right," she snarked, dragging out the vowel sarcastically.
"Jessica," he huffed.
She rolled her eyes. "I was just wondering if you were going to the Newt's party tomorrow."
"I doubt I'll be welcome."
She snorted, "As if that's ever stopped you before."
His lips curled up in a begrudging half-smile. "Are you going?"
"Pshaw. Free beer, Edward," she reasoned.
"A'right. Just be careful."
"Yeah yeah," she dismissed. "Now can you tell me what's got you more pissy than usual?"
He found himself grinding his teeth. "It's nothing." His response was met with silence. He sighed heavily, stopping at a red light. "I fucked up, Jess. I fucked up real bad."
No pretenses. No falsities. "I know," she said.
"So you saw?"
"Saw?" she echoed.
"He kissed her. And she let him kiss her." His phone creaked a protest in his grip.
"Calm down," she ordered. "You have to fix this, Edward. You have to make it right. Do what I've been telling you to do for months now."
"I don't –"
"You're scared," she said, speaking over him. "I get that."
"I'm not," he answered quickly.
"Liar," she accused. "We both know what you've kept hidden for so long. And I know that you're more special –"
"Abnormal," he interrupted
"Special," she growled. "More special and amazing than any other guy out there because of it."
He heard her breathing hitch. "Don't cry, Jess."
She chuckled humorlessly. "I can't help it," she sniffed. "Ugh. You've turned me into such a pussy, jackass."
He snorted. "Sorry."
"Okay. Let's stop being depressed little bitches," Jessica snickered. "Is Bella going to the party?"
If he was anywhere but inside his car, he would've punched something. "Why would I know that?" he growled.
She paused before belting out, "Every breath you take –"
"Jessica!" Edward snarled.
"Calm your stalker ass down, Edward, jeez," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Are you staying over tonight?" He changed the subject.
"Socially awkward penguin."
"What? Just answer my question, Jessica."
She sobered, immediately. "No…he...," she swallowed, "He's gone."
"Your mom?"
"He cuffed her to fence in the yard and raided the house. Then he left."
"Motherfuck," he growled, slamming his palm into dash.
"She wasn't hurt." Her voice lacked inflection.
"You should stay with me tonight," Edward insisted.
"No," she interrupted. "I just wanna be with my mom. That okay?"
He sighed and answered curtly. "Fine."
She sighed and spoke quietly. "I gotta go," she said.
"Bye Jess," Edward murmured. She hung up without saying goodbye.
He had long since pulled in front of his house. He made his way into the looming Victorian, worrying over how many different emotions were present in that one conversation.
He then had a very uncomfortable flashback to his youth.
The matronly woman tapped a tattoo against the notepad on her lap.
He felt every beat slam against his eardrums in the otherwise silent room. His gaze was carefully blank – fixed on a painting of a sailboat right behind her left cheek – not revealing the storm that tap-tap was brewing inside of him.
"Do you ever feel like you could kill?" the woman asked the young boy of seven, on a hunch.
He turned his frightfully green eyes back to her. "Yes," he replied without hesitancy.
OoO
Edward had finished his homework – as planned – and was currently arranging, with a friend from Port Angeles, to meet at the range to shoot for a few hours.
After hanging up his phone, it was already dark out. His school clothes consisted of a pair of dark wash jeans and a long sleeve black t-shirt, so he just threw a grey hoodie over his shoulders, as the cement bunker they normally shot in seemed to keep dead-of-winter temperatures.
He opened his nightstand draw and pulled out the black and silver Desert Eagle that sat at the bottom of it. He then tucked it into his holster on the waistband of his jeans.
When he had turned eighteen a few months prior, his father had gotten him a gun as well as a license to carry it.
Though Carlisle was the leading physician at Forks General Hospital, he also owned a private military company based in Seattle. He occasionally worked with the police trying to help witnesses in protective custody. He would get the occasional scared yuppie housewife with an imaginary stalker.
But mostly, Carlisle contracted his men out to the government to perform special missions abroad.
One of the biggest projects they were currently employed in was guarding the few water supplies in developing countries, preventing rebels from poisoning wells, as well as protecting the water from the governments that wished to control its people by denying them access to it.
It was dangerous work, but it had to be done.
Carlisle got the license under his business so Edward could carry it around with him and claim that he was just going to work or coming home from it if he was ever caught with his gun.
With all that was going on Edward wasn't taking a chance with whoever it was that was out there. He slipped on his tan construction boots and made his way downstairs.
His mother was in the kitchen when he went to grab a bottle of water. "Hey, mom," he greeted.
"Hi, honey." She smiled at him, wariness creeping along the sides of her mouth. She loved her son. Loved him very much. But his difficulties as a child had nearly ripped her apart for years. She was not who she once was, and she never would be. But she'd never let him know that he was the reason behind it. "You going out, now?" she asked, the bump on his hip already telling her the answer.
"Yeah," he muttered, taking a sip from the bottle in his hands.
"Just be careful," she said before returning to her cleaning.
Edward spied a cell phone sitting on the end of the kitchen island. He flipped it open with a grimace. Not only was the thing a dinosaur, but the screen was cracked and it was being held together by duct tape.
"Whose is this?" He asked holding it up.
She turned. "That's Bella's. She must have left it here. Would you be a dear and return it to her?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Okay." He made his way to the front door after grabbing his keys.
"I love you," Esme yelled from the kitchen.
"Love you too," he yelled back. Once he was in his car and driving down the driveway, his heart dropped deep into his stomach as he realized what he had just agreed to.
He had to talk to her. He set his jaw, determined. He wouldn't curse or be a jerk. He also had to be sure he kept the demon inside of him under control. He couldn't let it break free. All the demon wanted to see was Bella beneath him, squirming, begging, pleading, cumming, writhing, crying, screaming.
He sucked in a quick breath of air, his heart thundering faster and faster in his chest. God, I want her…need her…must have her.
Bella's only saving grace was the slap of the cold October air that hit him like a brick wall when he practically lunged from his car like a panther after its quarry. The crisp night sobered him similarly to a cold shower.
He'd slowed to a jog by the time he reached the front porch and had managed to restrain himself further – only ringing the doorbell three times before removing his thumb.
He heard the clicking of the lock before the door swung open. Bella's brow furrowed in confusion.
"You left your phone," he nearly barked at her as he pulled it out of his pocket. He was forever grateful for his thick hoodie, as it was presently hiding his throbbing manhood. The demon roared in delight, basking like a cat in sunlight, as the erotic scent of her supple flesh flooded his senses, triggering bursts of heat throughout his blood.
He needed to leave. Quick. He was poised for an attack she'd never have been prepared for. Body, soul, and mind. She wasn't ready for all he wanted to do to her, right at that very moment.
A bright blush spread across the apples of her cheeks. "Thanks," she said softly as she took it from his outstretched fingers.
Movement behind her caught his eyes. "Emmett around?" he asked, thinking that the figure in the backyard was him. Emmett would save her from him. In case he lost control. He feared tearing her to shreds in the mood he was in.
"He's in Seattle with Rosalie for the weekend," she informed him.
He took a step forward. She countered with a step back. Her head was tilted at a near ninety degree angle to see his face, he was standing so close. Much closer than he'd ever dared before.
She cried out suddenly, his hand grasping her wrist with untempered strength.
He could feel her pulse against his palm. The feel of her flesh was heaven and hell.
"Where's your father?" he questioned, voice gruff.
"Gold Bar," she whined, tempted to pull away from his grasp, but restraining herself. Why? He was scaring her beyond belief, and she was never one to poke a bear with a stick, so to speak. "Why are you – " Her thought was cut off when the air was knocked out of her as Edward shoved her against the wall. He kept his forearm across her collarbone to prevent her from moving.
He tilted his body to the side so he could peer through the kitchen and out the windows that lined the back wall.
Then he saw it. An evil face stared back at him. The person's eyebrows were furrowed with rage, and his lips were curled back in a snarl. In a second, he was gone.
With a growl Edward ran towards the back door. He swung it open to reveal that no one was there. "Shit." He slammed the door shut and spun around, panic swelling inside of him. "There was someone in your backyard."
Her eyes widened. "What?" She squeaked.
He glared at her. "How could you not fucking notice that someone was in your backyard?" he cried out in frustration. "Are you fucking stupid?"
She backed away from him slightly with tears welling up in her eyes; her lower lip began to tremble, her chin dimpled as she willed her tears away. "I didn't see – "
"What the fuck are you wearing?" he yelled, suddenly as he shrugged out of his hoodie and quickly tossed it over her. She was dressed in nothing but cutoff jeans shorts and a tight lacy tank top …sans bra.
"I'm wearing clothes!" She yelled angrily through her tears and gritted teeth as he pushed her towards the front door. "Where are you taking me?" she questioned as his hands grew more insistent on her back. She wiped quickly at her eyes.
He growled. "You're so fucking slow." He grunted as he lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder. She let out a surprised squeak.
He ran to his car and quickly shoved her inside before getting into the driver's seat and pealing out of the driveway. Her breathing was labored as she glared at him. "Where are you taking me?" She questioned again.
"My house," he replied, no less calm than before.
She folded her arms over her chest. "Why?"
"Isabella!" he growled, her stubbornness making him grind his teeth in irritation.
"Don't call me that!" she griped, glaring at him before hiding behind her hair. "Asshole," she muttered.
He slammed his foot on the brake. The car lurched as he stopped suddenly; her hands flew out in front of her, keeping her from smashing face-first into the dash.
His breathing was erratic and he tried to control his anger. He turned to glare at her. "Can't you just be grateful and not whine like a little bitch?" he questioned, roughly.
Her head snapped up quickly. She seemed at a loss for words before she mocked, "Thank you." Sniffling, she reached for the door. She pushed it open and climbed out before slamming it shut. She began to walk into the forest where she knew she would eventually find the trail that linked her house with the Cullen's.
The only sounds heard in the car were his harsh breaths. He clenched his eyes tightly and leaned his head back on the head rest, knowing that she would eventually have to come back to the car. His house was over ten miles away from their location. He knew about the trail but he also knew that it would be fucking stupid to walk it at night, especially since it led to the Swan's backyard, where that beast-man had been only moments prior.
His eyes flashed open then. "Shit." He fumbled with his seatbelt before leaping out the car and running towards where she had disappeared into the woods.
She stumbled forward as her bare foot caught on the root of a large tree. Edward had dragged her out of her house so fast, she didn't even have time to put her shoes on. She fell to the ground with a gasp and looked at her toe. It was throbbing and turning slightly red.
"Stupid Edward," she muttered.
The snap of a twig made her look up cautiously. There was someone there with her and judging from the chill that ran up her spine…
It wasn't Edward.
A/N: Edward's such a moron…we all know that. But he's sexy. So it's okay ;*
Review please :)