Chapter 2
Bella watched as the woods flashed by in a dark green blur. They had driven into the Canadian wilderness to visit her Uncle Jason. Bella couldn't remember much about him other than a lot of loud boisterous laughter and crazy hats.
"We're here, Bells." Charlie pointed to a cabin she could spot through a clearing. They turned off the main road.
The cabin was rough looking, but large and she could see a smaller wooden shed behind it. A tall man with dark hair was standing on the porch. As Charlie put the car in park, the man jumped off of the porch and jogged over to the car. Bella got out and grabbed her duffel while he and Charlie shook hands. She rounded the car and waved awkwardly.
"Hey Uncle Jason."
"It's Uncle Jace to you BB," Jason grinned and pulled her into a tight hug. She couldn't help but hug him back.
But … BB?
At her look, he laughed. "You don't remember that? Well B—Bella then," he corrected himself, "you used to call yourself BB. Used to be very proud of that name."
Bella felt her face flushing. No wonder those memories were blocked. "Well, it's good to see you again."
Jace helped them into the cabin and it was beautifully decorated—a little rustic—but the warm colors reminded her of Jacob's house on the reservation. Tapestries covered the walls and the furniture was a rich brown color. There was even an enormous fireplace in the living.
"This place is wonderful," Bella murmured, taking it all in. It even smelled of fresh pine.
Uncle Jace smiled in pleasure and shrugged. "It's home."
He showed her to her room and he and Charlie went to make coffee while they caught up. It was hard for them to live in different time zones and be so far away.
Later that night at dinner, Jace took a drink of water and looked at Bella. "So, got any boyfriends? If I recall correctly, you were not too fond of the boys back when I saw you last."
Bella immediately thought of Edward and sighed, thinking he was probably going crazy. She should call him. She had texted him to tell him she'd arrived, but knowing him, he would want to hear her voice.
"Actually," she pushed her fork, making her peas dance. Unlike Charlie, Jace was a pretty good cook. He probably had to be living alone. "Yes, his name's Edward."
Jace laughed. "Edward? Sounds kind of old-timey to me."
Bella withheld her grin. If he only knew.
Charlie looked at Jace. "Don't even get me started on that boy."
"Dad," Bella tried to warn him.
Jace took in the interplay with dancing eyes. "That's right dad, as long as he's a good kid, you're gonna have to let her grow up sometime." He turned to Bella. "Is he a good kid?"
"He's great," Bella assured him.
"Hmmph." Charlie returned to his mashed potatoes.
"So," Jace leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "I never get to be the uncle. What's this kid like? Does he deserve to be your boyfriend?"
Bella tried to keep a straight face between Charlie's growing grumpiness and Jace's continual reference to Edward as a kid.
"He's really smart, all A's in school. He's graduated like me. He got into Harvard you know," she dangled, trying fruitlessly to get Charlie to come around.
"What about sports?"
"Kid plays a lot of baseball. Whole family plays in the damndest weather," Charlie shook his head. "Big fans."
Bella choked on her tea. It was technically true.
"He is great though," Bella pulled the conversation back. "In fact," she pushed away from the table and took her plate over to the cavernous sink and saw the fading light. "I think I might make a call to him real quick before it gets any darker out."
Walking to get her tiny silver phone, she heard the conversation continuing.
"She goes outside to talk to her boyfriend?" Jace asked Charlie.
She heard a snort from her dad and then, "Yeah, they're all secretive. Like I don't know what they're up to. She's a big kid now, though. Graduated high school—can't believe it. And the kid does make her happy. So I'm just letting it be. I want her to be happy you know …"
She reached her room upstairs and grabbed the phone and her parka, slipping it on as she tripped down the stairs.
Going out the door she heard them still talking and paused.
"You did do a great job though, Charlie. Seriously." Jace's voice was sincere.
"Well, uh, you know it's mostly Renee who did that, but I won't argue with you there, I couldn't have asked for more than Bella."
Bella smiled to herself and choked back a couple of tears. She never wanted to leave Charlie, but she couldn't stay with him forever.
"So how has Renee been ….?"
Bella slipped out the door, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation. It was private.
Flipping open her phone and shivering against the cold, she pressed speed dial number one and waited. One ring later she heard his velvety voice through the static and when she shivered it wasn't from the cold.
"Bella?"
"Hey, I just wanted to say hi before it got too late."
"It's early here in California," he reminded her. She smiled into the phone.
"How's it been going?" She frowned as the static overwhelmed the phone. She could hear his garbled voice.
"Edward?"
Moving off the porch towards the edge of the cleared lawn, he came a little more into focus. "Edward are you there?"
"Bel—la?" She could hear his frustration.
"Edward, I moved away some to get service, but I might have to just text you."
His voice then came back in clearly. "What are you doing? Are you outside?"
Bella heard a tree branch snap and looked around. Nothing was there.
"Yeah, I had to get a little away from the house to get service."
Edward's frantic voice burst through the phone. "Bella, don't leave the house alone. It should be getting dark there already. I don't want you outside in the dark."
Normally, Bella would brush off his concerns, but she was starting to feel paranoid like someone was watching her. She edged closer to the house, but the static returned so she froze. The static died away and Edward came back.
Another snap sounded and she turned around frantically. Nothing was there. In fact, she couldn't hear anything either. Not even the birds. Nothing.
Something wasn't right.
Her chest starting to feel tight, she clutched the phone in a death grip. All humor was gone.
"Bella?"
"Edward, I'm a little freaked out, actually." Her voice came out in a whisper. The wind brushed her face.
"Bella," she could hear him saying something to Carlisle and then trying to remain calm, his voice focused back on her. "Bella, I want you to go back to the house okay. Stay with Charlie and don't leave the house. I'm coming to be with you. It's going to be alright."
She heard something slithering through the branches and tried to inch away, but she didn't want to lose Edward's voice. It felt like the only thing protecting her right now.
"Edward …" her voice reached a high pitch of fear.
"Damn it!" She could hear him cursing under his breath and talking to someone—Emmett she thought. "Bella, just get back to the house, okay? I'll be there soon."
"I'll lose you in the static," her voice was barely a breath as her eyes scanned the tree line frantically.
"Bella? Bella? It doesn't matter just go back to the house."
Her legs felt frozen, but she forced them out of the paralysis as she lunged backward and started racing for the porch. She could hear something behind her and just as she reached the first step of the porch, her boot slipped and she screamed as her head cracked down on a corner of a step.
Dazed, she could hear commotion from inside the cabin, worried words. Her name she thought.
A dark shape slid into view and her head was exploding. She couldn't even shy away as it picked her up and started walking away. Her cell phone was still in her grasp, she realized, when she heard Edward's panicked voice calling her name.
She couldn't speak, a whimper escaped of pain. They were in the trees now. Her head kept reeling from each new explosion of pain and she felt hot liquid trickling over her forehead. Black spots danced and she could swear she heard a hiss. Then, darkness.
A/N: Hey, thanks for stopping by, hope you liked the chapter, there will be more to come. Reviews are highly encouraged, they definitely motivate me in lots of good ways, so feel free to leave a comment telling me what you thought! I loved getting your feedback last time :) Thanks for reading!
R