Previously in Phoenix:
"You are . . . wait. You and him?" She pointed an unsteady finger at Edward.
"Sarah," I said quietly, "I did tell you I had a boyfriend."
She assessed him thoroughly, her growing enthusiasm showing on her face. As if Edward didn't have enough admirers . . .
Sarah took in Emmett and Jasper briefly, but her gaze remained focused on Edward. I recognized that look. She had zeroed in on her target, my boyfriend.
"Oh, you guys must come to the fair with us tomorrow."
"We'll be going then, see you later guys, tomorrow, at seven at the Mayfield Park place."
A/N: Hey, remember how I said more frequent updates? Well, I wrote out the entire story and left my little notebook in the back pocket of my jeans. My mother, the wonderful woman that she is, washed my jeans. Yeah. So, needless to say, I was a little down, considering that I finished the story and everything. So, it's taken me a little while to, uh, recuperate from my loss. Sorry.
By the way, this chapter is dedicated to Meredith. I finally updated!
Bella's POV
"There is no way."
"Oh come on, it'll be fun."
Edward scowled at Alice.
"I refuse to ride that, never in a million years."
"Edward, if you don't get on that carousel, I swear . . ." she trailed off threateningly. She changed tracks. "Look, do it for Bella, she really wants to, don't you Bella?"
"Umm, actually, I'm okay."
"She's just being modest. While we're in line, what horse do you want? I'm getting the black one with the mint green bridle. It's so cute!"
"No." The word was gritted out.
"Edward, do we need to talk a little about security again, personal security? Like, for instance, let's say there was this one guy, and he was a little insecure about his, uh, companion. His companion totally loved him, but he was too insecure to see it. Then this other guy—"
"I like the white ones, what do you think Bella."
Startled, I chanced a glance at Alice who was smirking.
"Uh, white works."
Riding the carousel wasn't quite the traumatic experience Edward believed it to be, but I can't really say that he enjoyed it.
After all the spinning, I was more than a little disoriented. Only Edward's steadying arm kept me vertical. I looked up to thank him and caught his frown. It was tiny, but enough to know he was irritated about something.
"What is it?" I murmured quietly.
He glanced at me in shock.
"I shouldn't even be surprised anymore." He shook his head ruefully. "I can't hide anything from you. Do you see those policemen over there?"
I nodded, spotting the two cops standing twenty yards away . . . staring at . . . us?
"Umm . . ."
He gave a short laugh.
"They believe we're part of a crime syndicate that's been sweeping this part of Phoenix. They think we're involved in the drug part of the syndicate."
"Why would they even jump to those conclusions?" I asked in disbelief.
"You'd be surprised how many people are naturally wary of us. They try to find answers that satisfy that fear. In this case, it looks like we're going to be drug dealers. Also, our physical appearances don't help our case in the slightest."
Silently, I took in their pale skin and the shadows under their eyes.
Emmett knocked his fist into Jasper's outstretched one.
"Alright! This is a new one. My jeep verses your Xbox says that they stop us and question us tonight."
Jasper sent a look to Alice and then smiled.
"You're on."
Then, Nick found us.
He was a little out of breath and looked upset before catching sight of us.
"Is everything okay?" I asked as soon as he reached us.
"Course it is Izzie, I was just worried I wouldn't find you guys in time. This place is crazy."
The corners of Edward's mouth pulled down slightly. So Nick was lying. Hmm, why would he lie about that?
"No problem," Emmett said, friendly, clapping a hand on Nick's shoulder.
"Yeah," he seemed a little uncomfortable under Emmett's scrutinizing gaze, "Sarah'll be here in a minute. In the meantime, what do you want to do?"
"Ferris wheel?" Alice shot a hopeful look at Jasper.
He gave an acquiescing nod.
"Great." A huge smile lit up her face.
"Rose?"
In response, Rosalie took Emmett's arm and started hauling him off, not ungracefully, to the line for the Ferris wheel, trailing after Alice and Jasper.
Great ploy guys, I grumbled to myself as I felt the desertion as soon as they left.
Sensing my tension, Edward began tracing light touches on my hand.
"Bella?"
"Hmm?" I snapped out of the daze Edward's touch had put me in. "I'm sorry, what?"
Nick grinned at me. "I was just asking you what you wanted to do."
"Oh. Uh, I don't know really what other rides they have here."
"Let's check that out then."
So obviously, he was going to follow us around all night just because of Edward. And that was the truth. He wouldn't even be interested in me at all if it wasn't for the fact that Edward was with me. Nick was a naturally competitive person. He wanted to win at all costs, I knew that about him. And Edward was just another contender. He didn't really care what he was going after as long as he got it.
After observing a few thrill rides, we ran into Sarah.
"Hey Nick, hey Izzie. Hello Edward."
She laid one perfectly manicured finger on Edward's chest.
"Are you having fun tonight?"
He leaned down and gave me a feather-light kiss.
"We're enjoying ourselves."
Her seductive smile took on a slight grimace.
"Oh, look, the tilt-a-whirl's line is really short. Do you want to go on it with me Edward? I always get afraid unless I have someone to hold onto. You know, someone who I know will keep me really safe." She stared at him in a pleading way.
"Yeah," Nick broke in, "and Bella could ride with me."
"That's fine with me."
Edward turned swiftly and shot me a confused and hurt look.
I shrugged as if to say, 'what could I do?'
In reality, this would be a start to the breaking of our relationship.
I made the decision.
So, Sarah wasn't exactly my prime choice for him, but since he had the whole weak person addiction, her gimmick about needing to be kept safe would fit right along in that.
"Of course," Edward conceded, slight irritation marring his perfect tone.
Sarah giggled and ran her hand over his forearm.
"You know, your voice is soo sexy. Did you live somewhere else to get that accent?"
"No, I'm from Illinois," he answered briefly.
"Whatever, it's still sexy."
I ground my teeth together as Nick helped me into the metal seat. It was none of my concern how females reacted to him. In any case, I should be encouraging this. It would be in his best interest for me to start distancing myself now. I had made my decision. I shouldn't even be allowed to be jealous.
The ride was even more disorienting than the carousel, and by the time I got off, my head was spinning in circles. Motion oriented rides should be outlawed for klutzes. I stumbled down the rickety stairs leading off the platform.
Nick wrapped an arm around me to help me.
"Bella are you alright?" Edward's worried voice sounded in my ear.
"Fine, I'm just a little dizzy." I waved off his concern. He should be dealing with Sarah right now anyway, not me.
As if she heard my thoughts, Sarah fake stumbled.
"Oh wow! I think I'm dizzy too! I can't even see straight."
The gentleman in Edward kicked in and he turned away.
Nick and I made it over to a bench and I collapsed gratefully.
"Wow Bella! That was one of the easier rides. You must get motion sickness or something," Nick commented as I put my head between my knees. "I've never seen anyone affected by a Tilt-a-Whirl before. I mean," he amended briefly, "you know except for a couple people throwing up."
"There was this one kid who drank this huge slurpee just before—"
My stomach lurched.
"No more stories about sickness," I quickly put in.
"You know," Sarah put in, still standing near Edward, "Bella, you and Nick should just go around together. He gets sick on spinning rides too."
"I do—oh, yeah," he added quickly, "really sick."
"And that way," she continued on through his blunder, "Edward and I can go on the faster ones. You seem like a speed kind of guy Edward."
Jealousy gripped me as I saw just how compatible they'd be. She even liked speed.
"Actually—" Edward began, but I cut him off.
"Yes, that would be grea—"
"Oh guys, finally! We thought you'd vacated the premises." The rest of the Cullen family was back.
"Bella and I have to go to the bathroom," Alice announced lightly, grasping my elbow and starting to tug me away. She sent a significant glance at Edward who nodded, brightening immediately.
"I do?"
"Yes, you do."
Sometimes you just can't argue with Alice. I let her pull me into the nearest restroom. She checked all of the stalls and then locked the outside door.
"Um, Alice? I don't think that you can do that."
She shrugged that away.
"Now Bella, could you please tell me why I just had a vision of you agreeing to send Edward off on his own with that witch? I mean, please explain to me what possessed you to do that. Do you want to torture him, because you're succeeding."
"Alice, you don't understand—"
"What, that you're trying to shove Edward off on Sarah?" She glanced at me knowingly. "I think I understand everything and it's not going to work."
"But Alice, it would be better for him if I—"
"Bella, I've been wracking my mind trying to figure out how to snap you out of this self loathing thing you've got going on."
I opened my mouth to object, but her finger silenced me.
"Nope, no interruptions."
My mouth closed.
"So as I said, I've been trying to find a successful approach to dissolving this inadequacy you feel about yourself. Bella," she grasped my by the shoulders, "you are a pretty, charismatic, sweet person. My brother loves you. Loves you. He has a life now. He's changed for the better because of you. He would not be happy with anyone else but you."
I snorted in disbelief.
"There you go again Bella." She shook her head in silent admonishment. "You are a precious gift to my brother. He understands that, why can't you?"
"Because he's deluded," I muttered to myself.
"See, you constantly degrade yourself." Her hands fidgeted in exasperation.
"Alice, he could do so much better."
"So you think he would be happier with someone who was hypothetically 'better' than you, correct?"
I nodded. She finally got it.
"Well that's a rather moot point isn't it Bella?"
I frowned, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Bella," she spoke like she was talking to a child, "Edward doesn't want anyone but you. If you left him, he would stay alone for the rest of his existence. He doesn't want an upgrade. He would never ever be tempted to go for someone better, because in his eyes, you are the very best and there could be no one better. If you leave him to help him, it will only make him miserable, it will only hurt him."
I blanched at the word hurt. I would never hurt him.
But could it be true?
Would he really not be happy with anyone else?
I shook my head. I was an idiot. I couldn't imagine him wanting me with the same intensity I wanted him. He was perfect, I was . . . me.
Alice growled in frustration.
"Bella, just look," she flipped open the lock and opened the door. "Does he look happy right now?"
I peered across the crowd of people over to where Edward was standing with Emmett. Sarah was hanging right near him, talking furtively with Nick.
He wasn't relaxed, that was for sure. He was tensed and looked uncomfortable. His movements didn't have the same sharpness and spark to them they usually did. His face was tight. The worst part was his eyes. His golden eyes were wrought with some kind of internal pain. I had to look away.
He didn't look himself, he looked . . . unhappy.
"What's wrong with him?" I whispered as soon as Alice shut the door and jumped onto the counter. Her legs swung freely in the air.
"I've seen him like this millions of times Bella."
"Yeah, but what's wrong with him, something's wrong."
"Well, that's sort of my point." She rolled her eyes. "He's especially tormented during hunting trips. Oh, those are fun." Her self-pitying sigh drew out.
"I'm not following you, is he hungry?"
"No, this isn't a physical condition—well, it shouldn't be. Couldn't you put it together? He's like this whenever you're not with him. It's really quite irritating."
That look, that pain, it was . . . for me?
I blinked in realization.
"All coming together now, isn't it?" Alice smiled smugly.
He did, he really did love me just as much as I loved him. He was in pain when I left him, just like I was when he left me. Impossible that he could care as much as I do, but I had seen the face, seen the expression. It was true.
A slow building elation started to grow inside me, warming me into happiness.
He loved me, truly as much as I loved him.
"Now all we have to take care of is pest control." She nodded to Nick and Sarah as we exited the bathroom.
Alice froze.
"Alice? Alice!" Her eyes went blank.
"What did you see?" I asked her.
"This is not good. Poor Jasper, I'll get him another Xbox. I've got to take care of this."
She was mostly talking to herself, too fast for me to hear.
"What's wrong?"
"They're about to get company."
"Who?"
"Police."
"The police?!" I asked, aghast.
"Yes, come on, hurry, I've got to deal with this before Rose turns this into a situation."
I tried to keep up with her, dodging people and stuffed animals, and small children on leashes, but she was too quick. I bumped into someone and apologized. When I turned around, she was gone. I started in the same general direction, when my arm was jerked and someone started pulling me backward.
What the heck was going on?
I turned around.
"Hey, Sarah, what are you doing?" I asked her kind of angrily. Her grip really hurt.
"Unforeseen complications," she answered quietly. "You're going to have to do me a favor."
Without another word, she pulled me into the dark parking lot.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Review please!
