Howdy folks, first off thanks for taking the time to read this story. It was written a few years ago I honesty forgot about it. Second off thank you to the people who reviewed and followed this story. As the story continues there will be flash back to some things. Let me know what you think.
Chapter Two:
Bella decided to get up earlier then the bakery was suppose to open. She was defiantly too excited to get any sleep to begin with. She ended up tossing and turning all night, if you could call it that. It was a little after one am when she finally got home trying to make things perfect for today. Now it was a little after six am, and she gave up trying to was finally happening, she couldn't believe it was finally happening. All the hard work in college had finally paid off. Working her butt off to be able to afford to open the bakery was worth the final product.
She sang along to the music coming from the radio, she was just in a great mood. One of the reason she loved being alone in the car was singing and not being judge. Her voice wasn't the greatest and sometimes she had an odd taste in music. The last time she was this excited is when she was graduating high-school, even though the party was the mistake. She knew a lot of the pack members would show up but she hoped other people would too. She really wanted this business to be a success.
She pulled in front of the bakery turned her car off and got out. As soon as she looked up at the bakery she saw the nasty words painted over the windows, and her sign. Bells Bakery now said Whore Treats and the windows weren't much better. Homewreck, Slut, hoe. She couldn't believe what she was reading, who would do this to her, and the day of her opening. The glass front door had something thrown through it, and she assumed the inside was just as bad as the outside.
She quickly called the police then she called her dad trying to keep the tears away. She needed to try to keep calm until everything was handled. There was no way she was going be able to open the bakery today. As soon as the cops got there they went inside the bakery to look at the damage. Just as she thought it was just as bad inside as it was outside. Bella wanted to cry, who could thing she was any of those things. It's not like she slept with anyone since Jacob. Hell, she rarely even dated anyone since then. A few failed dates, and she gave up the search of love. Slut was a common one, and go kill yourself. Nobody wants you here. Bella couldn't believe this.
Her glass display case where she put the brownies, muffins, cookies in at 1am before she finally left there was destroyed. Whoever did it took a baseball bat to it, glass was shattered through out the whole place. The cash register was on the ground and looked like a baseball bat was taken to it too. Her menu sign was no longer where it was suppose to be, it was on the ground painted over. The place smelled of urine pretty bad, she didn't even want to think of where that was coming from. How could someone do this to someone else? She hadn't been into the kitchen part yet, but she knew it was just as bad. She walked towards the back with the cop and she wanted to fall to the ground.
The ingredients were all over the place, she found where the urine smell was coming from. Her brand new expensive ovens were destroyed, she wondered if the warranty covers a bat to the glass on the oven. They also decided to leave a few rats near a few of the ingredient containers. The health inspectors are going shut her down even before she got the chance to open. Someone unplug the huge fridge, and there was milk throughout the whole were eggs thrown against her white kitchen walls. She hoped that was melted chocolate on the walls.
She finished with the cops when her dad pulled up in his Forks Police Cruiser. He couldn't believe what he was staring at. "Come on, Kiddo lets go get some plywood to cover the window. Then we can stop at Walmart and get cleaning supplies. Once we clean this up we can get a list of what needs done. Do you want me to call the pack." He pulled her into a hug and she finally let the tears out. She couldn't believe what had happened to her. He held her for a few minutes until she started to calm down.
Bella shook her head, "No, I have to call Kim and Emily to tell them not to bother showing up today. After the phone calls we can board the windows, and clean, I think I want to go back home."
She called Emily's first and was thankfully it was a quick phone call. She explained that there was some delays and the opening wouldn't be today, and that she wasn't needed to come down today. There was nothing she could do. Bella neglected to say the place was vandalized. She didn't want the pack to show up.
She did the same with Kim, who didn't ask many questions. She figured they both figured thought something was going on. She wanted to get it boarded up and cleaned so they could leave before the pack showed up to investigate. She hoped she didn't sound like she was crying on the phone. Bella put a letter on the door saying they would not be opening today.
"Did the cops say anything?" her dad asked. Even though he knew the answer, unless some of the other shops in the area have cameras, they were not going find who did this.
"Nope, only store on the street it happened to so they said they are thinking it was something personal, especially with all the things written on the walls. Seems like someones trying to chase me out of the state of Washington," Bella sniffled. "I don't even know who I pissed off. They asked me for a list of names of people who could have done this, and I didn't have any. I can't think of one person who would want to do this. "
"We will figure it out. I'll help you with the repairs, and we can fix this. You will get your dream. You can't let one jerk hold you back," her dad told her as they pulled into Home Depot. She pulled her hair into a messy bun, and grabbed her purse.
"How am I going to fix this? All my savings went into this place. I worked my ass off in high-school and college so I would be able to do this on my own. I'm tapped out. That was everything I had, and it's not like I can charge the stuff, because those fancy ovens were charged. It's not like I can go to a bank and ask for a loan, when they ask me what I do for a living, what am I suppose to say? Oh I need the money to repair the bakery that some person destroyed, but I don't know who hates me enough to that to me. I should just sell the place and give up," she cried. She was rarely this dramatic, but she couldn't help it. This was the first time in a very long time she felt like her life was out of her control.
"No, we are going find who did this, and they are going have to pay it back. They did this," her dad spoke.
They got the boards and then went to Walmart to get the cleaning stuff so they could get it done and leave. As soon as they made it back to the bakery Bella saw Paul, Sam, Jare, Embry, Emily and Kim all standing there. She groaned as she opened the door. This wasn't what she had in mind for their big opening. She thought today would be smiles and laughing. This was embarrassing that they saw all the awful things she was called, even though they weren't true.
"What are you all doing here?" she asked.
"We could tell in your voice there was something wrong," Emily spoke.
Bella shook her head, " You guys shouldn't have come down here. Really, dad and I are going board up the windows clean the inside and then leave. I have to re evaluate if this is what I really want to do. Someone doesn't want me here, and I'm not sure I want to put more money into this if someone is going to keep doing this. The cops have no suspects, they say it's personal. I doubt they know or will ever find who it is."
"We will help you," Embry spoke. "This is your dream you can't run away from it because someone messed with it. This is what family do for each other, Bells. We pick each other up when they are have poor luck. "
"Can you recognize the scent?" Bella questioned ignoring his statement.
"We aren't freaking hound dogs," Jared spoke as he saw the rest of the pack sniffing around. She knew Jared didn't mean it in a mean way, he was just angry at what someone did to her.
"All we keep getting is a strong smell of some kind of perfume," Sam spoke shaking his head. "It's almost as if they knew how to throw us off their scent. Like they knew who you were hanging out with."
"So no you can't tell me who it is. That tells me that coming back here was a big mistake. This state gave me nothing but heartache and trust issues. You know what I can't do this. I'm going home. Board the windows, or don't I don't care, " She spoke as she got in her car and left.
She wasn't about to have a break down in front of everyone. She wasn't going to that, she was frustrated and wanted nothing more then to cry. She can't handle everyone right now she had to figure out what she was going do. She guessed she could invest in some cameras outside. That might help, but it didn't help her case now. She knew she could call her mother, her mother offered to help her to begin with. It wasn't a road she wanted to go down. She didn't want to be in debt to her mother and Phil but right now that looked like her best thing.
She couldn't ask her dad, she knew he had savings, but he helped her pay for college. She couldn't ask him for help for this. She wouldn't let him. This was her dream and she had to figure out a way to accomplish it. She hit her hands on her steering wheel, she can't believe this happened to her. She should be glad it wasn't a vampire that was looking for her. That was a road she didn't want to travel again. A rogue vampire after her, that's all she needed.
She pulled into the house and walked up to the door. She couldn't believe this is where her left had lead her. Back to the place that caused her so much heart ache, and it seems like this time around it will be any different. This time around it would be a human messing with her not some blood thirsty vampire who wanted revenge.
She went up to her room that hadn't changed much since she moved there as a teenager. She laid on her bed looking up at the ceiling wondering what she could have done. Maybe old drama just decided to show up. There was a knock on her window and rolled her eyes. So this was how it was going be even as an adult. The pack would use her window instead of her door. She got up and saw it was Embry standing on the tree. She had expected Paul standing there not Embry. She stepped aside and let him jump on through.
"You know I have a front door," she told him rolling her eyes. These boys are no longer boys they are grown men. Their neighbors are going start questioning it if she has grown men climbing in through her window. She chuckled at her own thought, that would make her what the spray paint said. Embry gave her a weird look but didn't comment on her random laughing.
He gave her a cocky smile, "What fun would that be?"
"Did you pull the short straw and get to be on Bella duty? It's almost like we are teenagers again. Where I needed a body guard when good old Vickey was after me, and her army. I don't think I need a body guard for a human who vandalized the bakery," Bella spoke. "Last time it was Jake or Pauly or Lee always here. You were never here. You actually made a point to avoid me, but here you are now. What changed? Poor Bella, had her heart broken by the boy who promised her forever when it wasn't his forever to promise. Poor Bella, someone decided to vandalize the bakery. Can't leave Bella alone she might leave the state again. Hell she might injure herself."
"There were no straw drawings, and last time it was just easier since you and Jake were a thing. Jake wanted to be here all the time, and he felt it was his duty to protect you. Nobody feels sorry for you, I don't know why you would think that. I don't want to feel like you were ever a burden on the pack. Bells, you are part of this dysfunctional family, " he spoke. He sat down on the bed next to Bella. She was staring at the floor not making eye contact with Embry. Bella was use to Embry being the shy boy in the back ground, not waiting to be the center of attention, much like herself. She wasn't use to this new Embry who joked around.
"You guys can't let me sit here and wallow in my misery even for an hour? Let me dwell on how everything I accomplished gets ruined by some group of people who clearly have something against me. Obviously, I'm not going to run off, again," Bella spoke still not moving her eyes from the spot on her floor.
" You should know most people thinks it was Amber and her group of friends who did it. Which would be why there was the huge smell of that awful perfume because she knew we would be coming down. She would know how to get around it, and she's still pretty jealous you just showed up," Embry spoke.
"I just showed up? It wasn't like I ran to Billy's house and confessed my undying love to Jacob. I didn't freaking do that," Bella shouted. " I didn't come back here for him. There is no future with Jake, I wouldn't come between him and his imprint. I left so he wouldn't fight it, he deserves his happy ever after."
"Jake doesn't live with Billy anymore but you don't have to explain it to any of us. We know that you didn't come back for him. Jake and Amber have been fighting more often, but all Amber is jealous. We know you didn't come back, but we also think she was involved in some way. Sam made it clear that they were to stay clear of you, and Jake has done that. He hasn't contacted you and you haven't contacted him," Embry spoke.
"Then why the hell would she do this?" Bella shouted. "I worked so hard on this and just like that it has been taking away from me. I just honesty want to pack up and leave."
"You can't do that," he whispered. "You can't leave again. You can't do that to the pack again. It was hell when you left. You have no idea."
Flashback when the pack realized she left.
Jacob was still talking to the girl when Paul came around looking for Bella. He knew she was sitting at hers and Jake's log, but she wasn't there anymore. He followed her scent that lead back to Jake's house and her car was gone. Paul realized she must have seen Jake flirting with that girl with the fake blonde hair. Paul made his way back to where Jake was trying to control his anger. He walked up to Jake and punched him straight in the jaw, the impact causing Jake to fly backwards in the sand. He looked up at Paul confused and then back at the girl.
"Oh shit," Jake whispered when he finally snapped out of it. He realized what just happened, he imprinted on this girl called Amber at his girlfriends graduation party. The girlfriend he was going to tell her tonight that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Just like that he forgot all about Bella. He rolled over and spit the blood out of his mouth. The girl was staring at both of them in shock.
Sam made his way over to them and pulled Jake up and then grabbed the back of Pauls shirt and pulled them both in to where people wouldn't be able to see them. " What the hell has gotten into you, Paul?" Sam shouted.
"He imprinted on that tramp out there, and didn't even realize the girl, who he claims is the love of his life, left. He didn't even notice she was gone. He's lucky I just punched him in the jaw," Paul hissed trying to control his anger. "I warn you, if you hurt my sister I would cause your life hell. I warned you and what did you do, you forgot about her at her own party. Who is that girl even. Who invited her?"
"You know I can't control it. I should have punched you when you imprinted on my ACTUAL sister," Jake shouted. " Crap, where did she go? I have to go find her, and fix this. I was going tell her I wanted to marry her when I graduate high school."
" You aren't going after her, over my dead body. I refuse to let you anywhere near her. Haven't you done enough," Paul shouted. "You are lucky your ass is still able to walk, I should break your knee caps."
"I think you should go back to the girl and not Bella. Going to Bella will only make this worse, she obviously saw you two. Let Paul go handle Bella, she will be more likely to talk to Paul and Leah than you," Sam ordered.
"No, I need to go, I don't care about that girl on the beach. Just because I imprinted on her doesn't mean I stopped loving Bella," Jake whispered. "I don't want her I want Bella."
" Don't make me alpha Command you, Jacob. I will not have you cause Bella anymore harm," Sam growled out.
Jake had tears rolling down from his eyes, " You can't do this to me, again."
"Jacob you will avoid Bella Swan," Sam ordered in his alpha voice.
Paul quickly stripped and tied his cut offs to his leg and threw his shirt on the ground. He didn't care about that. All he cared about was getting to the girl who adopted as his sister. He wanted to strangle Jacob more than anyone. Before he even made it out of La Push he felt Jake phase in, and heard his pathetic wolf howl. Paul blocked out Jacob thoughts, if he listened to it he would defiantly turn around and beat him.
He made it to the tree line outside of Bella's house. He quickly phased back and put his shorts back on and walked to the front of the house. He threw pebbles at her window, but she didn't go to open it. Paul thought that maybe she thought it was Jake standing down here waiting her for to open the window.
So he knocked on the door, and there was still no answer. He finally turned around to look at the driveway and saw Bella's car wasn't there and neither was the Police cruiser. He tried the door and it opened. He made he way up to Bella's room and opened the door deciding to wait for her there.
He opened the door, and saw that the dresser drawers were open and her closet was empty. That's when he got a sinking feeling in his stomach. She left, just like that. He looked around and this made him want to go punch Jacob even more until he saw the letter on her bed.
Pauly,
I'm betting it's you that is going come looking for me here. If I know Sammy he won't let Jake come here, which I'm grateful for. I have to get away, I'm sorry. It's nothing you could have prevented me from doing, I feel like if I stayed in the town that broke my heart twice that I would turn into a miserable person to be around, and I know don't want that. You wouldn't want that either. I never want to come between the pack. I knew going into this relationship nothing was guaranteed. I knew he could imprint, I just hoped that he wouldn't but he did. I don't want him to fight his happy ending because of me. I'll be fine, I just can't be here and watch their love blossoming. I saw the way he looked at her, I don't stand a chance, he would never be able to fight it. Don't worry about me, Pauly. I went up against a vampire and got bite and survived. Then I slapped a hot headed wolf in the face, and I'm still alive. I had a blood thirsty vamp after me for revenge and her army of new borns and I survived. I'll get through this heart break, but I can't do it here. I'm sorry. Don't hold this against Jake, you know he can't control it.
Love,
Bells
End of flash back
"Paul kept replaying that memory for weeks after you left. After he read your letter he came back to La Push found Jake talking to Amber and he pulled Jake up threw him into the wooded area and beat him until Sammy alpha commanded Paul to stop. It was bad," Embry spoke.
"I never wanted any of that," Bella whispered. "I still don't understand what me coming back has her jealous about. I don't want Jake."
Embry reached over and grabbed her hand. He wanted to do this since the first day he laid eyes on her that day she came to confront Jake. He knew he could never do it, he fought it every single day he saw Jake hanging over her. Jake had been in love with Bella since they were little, there was no way Embry would ever try to get in the middle of that.
He kept his distances from her, but was still near her to keep his wolf happy. The hardest part was not thinking of it when he was phased but he had always been good with keeping others out of his thoughts if he wanted to. Those five years of her being MIA were hard on him. His wolf was miserable, he was miserable. The garage helped keep his mind off of her, but it wasn't enough.
But here she was now sitting next to him, and he would do everything he could to protect her. He was going work night and day to fix the bakery and help her achieve her dreams. Her hand was so tiny in his, but it fit perfectly. He had wanted to do this for so long, he just wants to hold her in his arms and tell her everything going to be okay. That he will take out any threat towards her.
"Look at me, Bells," Embry spoke. Bella looked up from where their hands met and her cheeks were a nice shade of red. He didn't realize how much he missed her blushing, she always looked beautiful like that. " I will handle, Jake and Amber. This stops here, it's probably better for me to handle it than Paul. The pack and I will fix the bakery, don't worry about money. We will put up cameras that she won't know about. I'll make sure we don't tell Jake and if she pulls this shit again then she's done."
Bella smiled at him, " I'll pay you guys. I'll call my mom and get that loan she offered originally. I already thought about putting cameras up and I think that is an excellent idea. Honestly, though you can leave, I'm fine. I'm not going have some break down and run around. I won't be about to leave you guys again. Even last time even though I was away I felt like I was missing a part of me here. Something in my heart always wanted to come back here. "
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Embry smiled at her before he kissed her hand and jumped out her window.
She just sat there confused on what just happened. Why did when he kiss her hand it felt like something in her heart finally healed a little bit, like she finally found her missing piece. She shook her head, not going down that road again with another wolf.