Truth
Edward stared at me trying to read my expression. Was I mad or furious? I could tell he was trying hard to figure me out. I purposefully kept my face a blank slate. He pursed his lips and I momentarily got distracted by his lips. How would it feel to kiss them?
Focus, Bella.
"So lets start at the beginning shall we?" Edward gestured toward the bed meaning for me to sit.
I shook my head and continued to stand. If I sat on the bed I would want to do other things besides listen to the story Edward was about to tell me. I bit my lip and waited for him to tell me his version of events.
"Caleb has been around for many centuries. He's very persistent. I met him in New Orleans during a god awful fight his trained slayer had endured. His slayer Beatriz, walked into a unfair fight. She was very talented but cocky. Which ultimately led to her demise." He looked pointedly at me. Point taken Edward. Geez.
"Beatriz was very talented she was very aware of her surroundings. She hunted at night knowing the undead came at night to feed and kill." I flinched at the word kill reminding me that he was a vampire that could kill also. Why did I still want to know what his kiss would feel like? What was wrong with me?
"Beatriz ran into some vampires near the alley behind a old bar that was burned down. The vampires surrounded her and she tried to fight. Caleb watched from the rooftop as his slayer was battling four maybe five vampires. I tried to help but Caleb pointed a arrow at my chest forbidding me to help her." Edward squirmed.
"Caleb became a pest for awhile. Curious about my family and why we choose not to hunt people. After awhile he went away and my family moved away. A few years ago, I came back to Forks and Caleb sought me out. We made a truce and he promised to keep potential slayers away from my family." Edward finished his story somberly. I gulped and felt more alone than I had in a long time.
Why didn't Caleb help Beatriz? Was he meant to do that to me? I couldn't rely on his help if I was caught in a terrible situation. I walked to the desk chair under my window and plopped in it. Edward stared at me and waited for me to respond to him.
"I don't get it. Caleb is a watcher, why didn't he help her?" I shook my head. "I don't know if I can trust him." Edward nodded in understanding. His bronze hair looked black in the darkness. I didn't know if I could trust Edward either.
"Caleb is very tough and has watched many of his slayers die. I don't think he gets attached to them. He can't not in his line of work." Edward said and got up. "Are you going hunting tonight?"
"No, suddenly I don't feel like it." I said with a pit in my stomach. I took of my jacket and tossed it on my bed. I watched Edward follow my movements with his eyes.
"Don't be mad at Caleb he's only protecting himself from the emotions clouding his judgement. He needs to make rash decisions and not think about what would happen to his slayer. He cannot send her into a burning building if he didn't have to worry about her death."
"Oddly enough that doesn't make me feel any better." I put my feet up and stared at Edward my angel of death. Wait why am I feeling like he's my friend? He could be lying to allow me to let my guard down. I gave him a stern look. "Thanks for the info you can leave now." I said in my snobbish voice.
Edward actually laughed and jumped out of the window. I continued to stare out my window for a few minutes or hours I wasn't sure. I watched the clouds hover and burst into rain. The rain came down like a waterfall and I was glad I decided to stay in. I closed my window and laid on my bed. Charlie did a great job of picking out my comforter it was soft. I put my headphones on and listened to music. I fell asleep somewhere after the fourth track of a movie soundtrack.
The next morning, I ran down stairs almost tripping on the last step. Charlie was making coffee and burning an egg. I stopped in the kitchen and poured some cereal in a baggie. I took the spatula from Charlie and threw away the burned egg. I cracked a new one and concentrated on flipping the egg.
"Hey I was going to do that." Charlie said half heartedly but gratefully sank into the kitchen chair. "Do you go out to the falls?"
I flipped the egg and turned to Charlie. "What?"
Charlie took a drink of his coffee. "The falls around the state park. We got a call last night and found a man murdered below the docks. He looked white as a sheet. Strangest thing. Do me a favor and stay away from that area." I brought the egg to Charlie and sat down at the table.
"Okay, I don't really know this area too well. So I won't be anywhere near the falls." I lied. That was the first place I was going after school. I wouldn't even go to school but I couldn't risk getting a bad report from this school as well. I might not have a long future but I needed a education.
"Sounds good." Charlie stood up and put his plate in the sink. "Thanks for the egg." He grabbed his belt with gun and left the house. "Have a good day at school." He yelled.
"Okay." I drank some orange juice. I put the cereal in my backpack and grabbed a piece of toast. I ate it as I walked to the truck. I went to school.
I found my homeroom and saw Angela come up to me. I smiled at her. She smiled back and pointed to my backpack. "You don't have to bring all your books to school." She gestured to my bulging backpack.
I smiled at her. "Now you tell me." I laughed. "Just some books that I have to return to the library after school." I lied again. Geez Bella you're nose is going to grow to Pinnochio status.
"Cool." Angela sat in the seat next to me and took out a notebook. I liked Angela because she didn't need to feel this incestant need to talk my ear off. Unfortunately Jessica wasn't the same way. She plopped next to me.
"My mother is driving me crazy. She will not let me dye my hair. I told her its my hair so I should get to decide if I want to dye it. She said its not officially my hair until I'm eighteen." Jessica grunted loudly and slapped her binder on the desk.
"Sounds rough." Angela said.
"Thank you." Jessica stated and continued to talk about the colors she was going to dye her hair once she was out of her family prison. I tuned her out and tried to figure out how I can find the falls. The Cullen family walked by our classroom windows and I smiled. I knew how I was going to get to the falls after all.
Lunchtime, I sat at the table with Jess and Angela. We were talking about the pop music versus rock music. The usual. I saw Edward walk in the cafeteria towards his family sitting in the back of the room. I got up and walked over to them. I stood in front of them.
Emmett raised his hands. "We come in peace." Everyone smirked at the table. I laughed then looked at Edward.
"Can I talk to you?" I asked Edward. He nodded and walked with me to the benches outside. A lot of students walked by staring at both of us. I didn't know talking to Edward would make me a public spectacle. He zipped his jacket and I stared at his zipper. He was very good at human habits. We both knew he wasn't cold.
"Stop staring at me." He scolded but I knew he wasn't offended. He stared straight ahead and I studied his features. He had classical features like a marble statue. I wondered if he would have been sculpted back in the Renaissance era.
"Get over yourself, Cullen." I snapped and looked out to the woods behind the school. It brought me back to the original question I had for Edward. "Charlie my dad told me about a murder up at the Falls. He said some man was killed. I have a feeling it wasn't natural but unnatural." I hinted and looked at Edward. He was pursing his lips and I could feel my cheeks heat.
"Yes it sounds very unnatural." He mimicked me. Those lips were going to undo me. I smiled at him then put my usual scowl on my face. Why did I act like this?
"Do you want to investigate it?" Edward suggested. He put his hands in his pocket and leaned forward. His dark jeans looked so good on his body. Calm down Bella. Stop it.
"Sure if you want you can tag along to the Falls." I commented. I put my hands in my pockets because my fingers were frozen. This weather was like Alaska. I pulled my hands together to create circulation. "To the Falls in the woods? This afternoon." I said and stood up.
"You have no idea where the Falls are do you?" Edward asked and stared at me hiding his laughter.
"Shut up." I replied then walked away.
"Being nice suits you." Edward yelled as I walked away. A couple of girls walked by me whispering and looking at me. Great, was I being labeled as the dork desperately trying to get Edward Cullen's attention. I gave them a dirty look. I could have asked Angela or Jess where the Falls were but what was the fun of that? I smiled to myself.
After the longest day I've ever had the bell rang. Jess was coming towards me in the hallway. I quickly walked the opposite direction towards the parking lot. I saw her walk faster waving out of the corner of my eye. Walking faster I speed walked to my truck. Edward came up next to me.
"Who are you running away from?" He asked and leaned in next to me. Was he flirting? Did I like it? Obviously.
"Jess hurry up or we will be talking about her hair for two hours." I pleaded. Edward actually looked worried and ran his hand through his hair.
"We'll take my car its faster." He led me to his Volvo. I got in and he sped out of the parking lot.
"Slow down she's not a monster." I argued. "You're going to hit someone."
Edward glared at me. "I am a great driver. I have eons of experience."
"Can't argue with that?" I said sarcastically.
"You confuse me." Edward turned on the heater and the car instantly warmed up. Even my butt was warmed. Ah seat warmers yet another thing my truck was lacking.
"So where are the Falls?" I asked him when we turned onto the Highway. I stared at the tall trees forming crystals on the branches. It almost looked like snow. Was it snow? "Slow down I can't see the branches. Is that snow?"
"Yeah, its snow." Edward replied. "The Falls are past the National Forest. Its by a reservation. I have to park in the pull out by the entrance. We are going to walk the rest of the way."
"Is it far?" I asked.
"Not too far." Edward said too quickly.
"Hmmm, okay." I stared out the window and watched the endless rows of trees. It looked like a postcard. I would have to take a picture to send to my mom. A few minutes later we came to the entrance of the National Forest. Edward pulled off to the side and turned off the car. I got out and slung my backpack over my shoulder.
"You don't have to take that." Edward stated and got out of the car.
"Yes I do." I answered.
"Well at least let me carry it." Edward moved to take my backpack but I pushed his hand away.
"I got it." I said and started walking.
"You're going in the wrong direction." Edward called out to me.
I turned back and followed him. We walked for a few minutes and I could feel my legs starting to burn. I remembered I was supposed to meet Caleb after school and quickly got out my phone. I texted him and said I would be late. Edward came to a bridge and stopped.
"We have to cross this bridge then we'll be right under the Falls. I can't imagine what this man was doing out here alone."
"Fishing?" I asked.
"Possibly but it doesn't make sense this river is frozen for most of the winter." Edward started across the bridge. The steps creaked and I started to walk more slowly. I looked down and realized we were really high. "Don't worry this bridge is pretty sturdy."
"If you say so." I mumbled.
We were half way across when we felt the bridge wobble. I reached out on either side of me and grabbed the ropes. Edward turned around and sighed. Three figures stood at the beginning of the bridge where we just came from. I squinted but I couldn't see them that well. The tallest of the three reached out and broke the bridge from the post.
I felt the bridge start to fall. I stared in horror and saw Edward mouth to me. I was so disoriented I couldn't understand what he was saying. I was trying to hold onto the ropes. We were going to fall to our deaths.
