Chapter 3 – Cullen
On the way up to the porch, Edward started twirling us around. I started to laugh feeling a lot like a little school girl on the play ground. From the way his grin got bigger, he did too.
We stopped at the front door before entering.
"So…did you spend time with your dad after your mom divorced him?"
"Yeah…I was only three, so I came here until I was about ten. Then Charlie came out for two weeks each summer to see us instead."
"So you haven't been here for years. Why have you decided to come now?" He asked smiling.
"We got into a fight a couple years ago or I would have come then. We didn't speak to each other for a few weeks. So I decided to wait and I'm glad I'm here now."
"Me too. Come on lets introduce to the family." He said smiling as he opened the door. I laughed he leaned down to my ear. "I'll protect you."
"It's not that." I replied. He looked down at me confused. We stepped on the landing near the wall so he could look into my eyes.
"What's the matter?" He asked concerned.
"I don't know it's hard to explain but this area seems familiar like I've been here before. But it wasn't good."
"Can you remember?"
"No…A few years ago I ended up in hospital with broken ribs, arm and leg but I couldn't remember how it happened. Just that I was badly injured." His face had gone confused.
I was trying to think what was going on his head right then. I did not realize the others where in the room until one of them tried to cleared their throat.
"I was told it was an accident. It doesn't matter please let's just let it go…" I whispered to him. He smiled and nodded but it did not quite reach his eyes.
"Okay" He replied. I slowly turned around and Edward put his hands around my waist and his head on my shoulder.
"Bella this is my mother Esme and my father Carlisle. This is my Bella." I smiled back when they both smiled warmly at me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." I said.
"It's lovely to meet you too dear." Esme replied while pulling me into a hug.
I looked over at Alice who came walking over to us, until she stopped in front of us. When she leaned forward, hugging me, and kissed my cheek. Everyone stiffened.
"Oh, you do smell good." I laughed when she smiled.. I looked up at Edward his face looked distressed.
"You've met Alice and over there is Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett." I smiled and looked over at them and waved.
"It's nice to meet you all." They all smiled. I looked back at Alice who was still standing in front of us with her eyes looking distant. Edwards's arms tightened around me as the others moved closer until they were nearly encircling the three of us.
"Damn wolves." Alice muttered in unison with Edward. I looked up at him confused.
"Wolves?" He seemed to see what I meant answering my question
"Yes, it seems that they caused your injuries a few years ago. You couldn't remember because they moved to fast for you to see them." Edward was visibly angry when he said this through his gritted teeth.
"Don't do anything stupid Edward." I begged quietly.
"They broke the treaty." Edward said to Carlisle. He nodded I looked between them for a few minutes before placing a hand on Edward's cheek he turned to us
"Please…look. I know you probably hate the wolves but there in La Push not here." Everyone gawked at me.
"How do you know they live in La Push?" Edward asked.
"Jacob Black." That name rang a bell because everyone stiffened.
"How do you know Jacob Black?" asked Carlisle.
"He's a family friend, that's who I was walking with when I was attacked. He was trying to convince me into coming to live with my dad. After I said no to my dad. We were arguing. I remember Jacob started shaking, then a blur…I cannot remember anything else.
"Jacob Black is in some serious trouble." Emmett said with a smirk.
"You think so?" Edward said looking over at Emmett.
"Edward it was years ago. I haven't spoken to him since the attack. I felt something when he came near me. He got the message after a while. I was going to get a restraining order against him but I decided not to cause any more problems. As long as he left us alone. Don't go starting anything, it's not worth it." He looked down at me and stroked my cheek.
"But he attacked you, you got hurt love. I can't have that happen again." I smiled at his words before replying
"Yeah, that was partly why I didn't like the idea of coming to Forks. Please do not
do this. I do not want to start something because of what happened years ago. You weren't in Forks then, so please?" He looked into my eyes and nodded reluctantly.
"Just promise me you won't go to La Push." He begged with his eyes.
"I won't my dad's going this weekend to fish with Billy Black. I always stay home when he does. He wanted me to go with him so I could see Billy and Jacob again but I am not. I can't trust them, not even for a minute." He smiled bending down kissing me deeply. Then he broke away and looked at Alice there was worry on her face.
"Incoming…three wolves coming in human form." Emmett bellowed looking out the door.
Edward swept me behind him as everyone stepped out the door. I went with Edward, he tried to keep me behind him. But I was not having any of it. As soon as we were on the porch steps three tribe members stepped into the clearing.
"Bella" One of them said.
"Who are you?" I looked confused.
"Sam Uley can we talk to Bella please?" He looked at the Cullens' then back at me.
"I'll be fine just stay here, please?" I said to Edward he stiffened but nodded as I walked over to Sam and the other two.
"What have they told you?" Sam demanded.
"What, that your wolves or that a few years ago when I was attacked that it was Jacob. On the other hand, that they are vampires? I know what they are so why is that any of your concern?" I demanded back.
"It was an accident, Jacob didn't mean to do it." Sam spat back.
"Do you know that I haven't spent any time in Forks. After that attack until now. But you don't get it? I stayed away from Jacob and La Push because I'm scared of all of you. I can't trust any of you!" I looked at the other two trying not to cry.
"But you can trust them?" Sam demanded. I looked behind me and back again at Sam smiling. When another one-stepped towards me. I knew who it was I quickly stepped back.
"Bella?" Jake pleaded.
"No! Please…ask him to leave!" I said shaking Sam. He gestured with his to hand Jacob and he left unhappily.
"I'm sorry, he wanted to come." Sam said.
"What did you think? That I would be fine around him? Thanks but I really don't need my memory to come back of that day!" I started to cry shaking more causing Edward to take a step towards me.
"You don't remember any of it?" Sam asked shocked.
"No…I can't but I felt the need to stay away from you all in La Push and thank you. I now understand why people should be afraid of you." He looked pissed
"We're not the ones attacking people." Sam said while looking at the Cullens.
"No? You just put them in danger and attack them when you get angry. Then you say it was an accident. You think the Cullens attack people. You are wrong; they did not choose this life. They did not ask for it. They were given a chance. They choose a different path to other's of their kind! Do you even know hard that is to choose against what you are? Who you are. Do you! You don't realize they were human once. Big deal they're vampires. But at least they try a different way. You were born with it, so I think that they do more good than you do." I said as Edward was watched us.
"So your with them now?" He ordered me to answer.
"I'm not sure…yes, I guess I am." I replied I looked at Edward he was smiling to me in return.
"Okay we will leave you alone but if anything happens to you don't blame us." Sam said.
"Well…goodbye then. Don't come back and keep away from Charlie's. I don't care if he invites you. You're not welcome anymore any of you." I said back as he left. I collapsed on the floor as the Cullens all rushed to me.
"She's remembering everything. Her emotions are full of hurt and pain. I do not think she should go back to Charlie's like this. Do you think you can clear a sleep over with him? Just say the girls are going shopping and won't be back for until later and she can stay over here." Jasper said to the group but looked at Esme. She nodded as I started to cry harder. Edward wrapped me in his arms quickly going inside sitting down onto the couch. I was in his lap cradled to his chest sobbing.
"Shhh, it's okay…I'm so sorry. I should not have let you go to speak to him." I could hear that Esme was on the phone with Charlie.
"It's not your fault. I would have remembered one day…it just came back to quickly. I remember everything and it hurts." He held me closer and started humming to me. Esme had finished on the phone, coming over to sit next to us.
"Charlie said that's fine. I will go make you something to eat Bella." I smiled, nodded to Esme. Everyone had sat around us when Edward darted his eyes at Alice she nodded her reply to him.
"Jacobs at Charlie's trying to convince him that she needs to come home he's about to phone you." Alice announced looking at me. When my phone went off Edward got it and handed it to me. I picked it up trying to casual.
"Hi, dad"
"Bella are you okay? Jacobs here, he saw you where upset arguing with Edward Cullen."
"Dad I wasn't fighting with Edward, it was Jacob. I remembered what happened a few years ago, that he was the one to put me in the hospital. It was Jacob and his friends. I want a restraining order on him now dad."
"It couldn't have been Jacob, he wasn't with you."
"After you asked me to come back . Jake and I took a walk. We had fight he got angry that I treated you badly, that's when he attacked me!" I said.
"Okay, I will deal with this. He's banned from the house. I'll put 500 yards on the restraining order."
"Thanks, did Esme call you?"
"Yeah, you're staying there for a few days?"
"Yeah…I want to get my head straight. I need to go shopping. I have hardly any cold weather stuff." Charlie started to laugh.
"Okay…but, I want to see you tomorrow. We need to talk."
"I know, please don't tell mom about me remembering. She freaks about everything you know. She will want me to go back if she finds out. I don't want her to worry."
"I won't tell her, it be taken care of. I will meet you at school tomorrow with the paperwork so you can sign it and I can get it cleared during the day. Are sure this is what you want?"
"Yeah, I can't be near him at all. He triggered the memory before and I cannot trust him. I
thought he was a friend but he's not."
"You're not staying in that boy's room are you?" He asked concerned.
"No, he's planning to go camping with his brothers, so I'll be fine."
"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"I don't want to…not yet. It's still a little fuzzy but I'll tell you when I'm ready."
"Okay, bye Bells."
"Bye" Then the phone was disconnected. I looked at Edward he was grinning.
"You're quite good at lying." Edward said which started me laughing.
"Jacob won't be in Forks after tomorrow, so I'll be fine."
"Okay" He replied softly in my ear as Esme walked in with a plate of food. I sat up as Esme passed me the plate. I smiled and said. "Thank you" I picked up a beef sandwich and started to eat as Edward watched my every bite. When I was finished I felt better.
"Are you okay?" Edward asked again
"I'll be fine…now that I'm here with you." He smiled and kissed me passionately.
"School tomorrow?" he asked.
"I have to Charlie's bringing some stuff I need to sign."
"Okay but after lunch it's shopping!" Alice chirped, I laughed at the pixie.
"Port Angles or Seattle?" He smiled when I asked him where we were going.
"Seattle, we must pick up your groceries up as well." Everyone laughed at Edward.
"Yeah…all I found in Charlie's fridge was milk and bread." Everyone laughed with me.
"Well does that mean you're cooking tomorrow?"
"I have to or it will be take out again." I smiled when Edward laughed. I could listen to him laugh all day.
"He can't cook then?"
"No! I can and Renee can but Charlie doesn't seem to have time to cook. He takes his job very seriously and he really isn't very good at it." I just laughed
"Then I don't think I want him cooking for you." He purred in my ear.
"It's boring having him know every law and don't get me started on the things he sees. He was bad when Jacob attacked me. My mom blamed him for not keeping a better eye on me. He wouldn't look me for months. He thought it was his fault."
"But it wasn't his fault." Edward replied reassuring me.
"I know but after thinking for years of everything that happened. I just wonder if I hadn't said no, maybe I wouldn't have ended up in hospital."
Edward shook his head. "You can't blame yourself" I shook my head this time.
"But if I said yes. Jake wouldn't have been set off and my mom would see that I'm safe here. The amount of times she asked me if I was sure is unbelievable. She is scared that I will do something or get hurt. She doesn't trust him anymore because of what I did." I began to cry again.
He shook his head. "None of it is your fault you've done a lot and to come back after not knowing what happened. It's brave and shows that you can take care of yourself. You're wonderful and it was Jacob's fault for what happened, not yours." I nodded and snuggled into his chest and fell asleep feeling safe.
