A/N: The usual thanks to my reviewers! Let me know what you think of this chapter, please.
P.S: The lyrics below are from 'I was broken' by Marcus Foster and I thought it was a good analogy for Bella being torn between Edward (light) and Jacob (shade).
Stuck between the burning light and the dusty shade
Jacob's presence ruined the evening to say the least. Edward and I stuck to the plan of arriving at the party in his car but by the end of the journey I was beginning to wish we'd changed it. He sat, sullen and still in the driver's seat, not even making noise to breathe. His knuckles were stretched taut around the wheel and I was, for the first time, scared of him. His eyes were dark and brooding; something I'd find attractive in him in happier circumstances. Neither of us broke the silence until we stepped out of the car at the club. I could hear the music blasting from inside and strobe lights were dancing on the pavement. I would normally have panicked at the prospect of dancing, but I had bigger things to worry about.
I couldn't understand what the problem was. Jacob had seemed just a perturbed by the Cullen's company as they were by his and even his father, Billy, glared at Edward with foreboding eyes. I desperately wanted to ask Edward what had gone on between them, but seeing his jaw clamped so tightly made me want to run more than anything. He locked his Volvo with a click of the key and strode straight past me towards the club. I was outraged yet I slugged along behind him. He didn't hold the door for me when we were inside; instead he just let it swing back so that it nearly hit me in the face. I could have overlooked it, but he continued his glum march until he reached a sofa in the corner, where he sat and pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. I contemplated joining him but I saw my mother already at the bar and approached her instead.
"Hey Bells," she said sadly as I sat on a stool beside her. She was sipping a vodka and tonic morosely.
"What's up?" I asked. She nodded towards the door, where my dad was stood next to Billy's chair laughing at something somebody had said.
"Billy told your dad two weeks ago! He's known all along". I chuckled.
"He'd have guessed anyway. I think having to sign for a delivery of 50 posters emblazoned with his face was a bit of a giveaway," I giggled and my mum joined in.
"I suppose, I just wanted it to be a nice surprise for him, y'know? We don't have enough spontaneity in this family," she insisted. I spotted Jacob winging his way over and instinctively glanced towards where Edward had been sitting. He was still there, only his eyes were fixed on the man-like boy approaching me. I took my eyes off him and watched as Jacob slid into a seat next to me. I smiled widely- not just for Edward's benefit, but also because Jacob was a very easy person to be happy with. He returned my welcome.
"Swan! Long time no see," he exclaimed and I groaned.
"I do have a first name, you know," I replied with a frown which quickly became a grin as he barked a deep laugh.
"Sorry, Isabella," he teased and I punched his shoulder lightly. "The party's booming, huh". I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not because, to me, the party was big enough. There were around 80 people crammed into the club, including the entire Cullen family. I soon lost sight of Edward as more guests flocked in.
"Yup".
"Your boyfriend not had the decency to buy you a drink?" He asked with a tight smile.
"I don't know where he is, to be honest. He walked off from me before," I replied honestly. Jacob smiled slightly and pulled a few notes from his back pocket.
"I'll buy you a drink," he said firmly.
"That won't be necessary," said a frosty voice from behind me. I didn't have to turn to know who it was, even though the coldness of his tone was unfamiliar to me. Jacob shifted in his chair to face Edward who was half hidden by shadows.
"Sorry Cullen- first come, first serve". I stared at Jacob in disbelief; I couldn't understand the smugness of his voice.
"Then I believe that I got to Bella long before you did," Edward replied, the same arrogance colouring his tone. I stood abruptly.
"I'm getting sick of this. The two of you can sort things out between yourselves. I'm not sitting here like Piffy on a rock bun while you bicker like old ladies. And Edward," I spat, turning my body to speak to him directly, "do not speak about me as if I'm something you own!" I stomped away from them both, fuming. I knew it was perhaps slightly childish of me to storm off in a mood, but wasn't that exactly what Edward had just done to me? Someone caught up with me quickly and wrapped a firm hand around the top of my arm. I cried out as the fingers closed tighter.
"Bella, wait! Don't walk off from me for something your boyfriend did". Jacob hissed the word as if it was blasphemy.
"I'm not blaming either of you, I just don't understand," I gasped as his fingers continued to grip my arm. His fingers were really digging in now.
"He should tell you- ask him to tell you what he did. What his father did". His voice was slurred and his eyes were losing focus as he spoke.
"Jacob, are you drunk?" I asked appalled. I tried to wrench my arm out of his grasp but he just held on tighter. "Jacob, you're hurting- please let go!" I panted, trying with all my might to shake him off. Instead of listening, he did the same to my other arm with his other hand. I was biting my lip to keep from yelling out in pain and was getting pretty scared of him. I desperately searched for Edward but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Ask your boyfriend what he did to my family last year. Go find him and ask him," he commanded and I nodded wildly.
"Yes, yes I will Jake! But please, let go of me!" He finally complied and kissed my cheek roughly before striding away from me. I stood, in the centre of the room, in my beautiful dress, feeling hideous as ever. Tears began streaming down my face and I was instantly ashamed of myself. I knew it was stupid to cry, but I'd been so terrified that Jacob was going to do something to me in his drunken state. I didn't move for a long time and instead just watched all my family and my dad's friend dancing madly with each other. An hour ago, I'd been blissfully happy and now it seemed like I had a lot to confront Edward about.
I didn't find him for the rest of the evening and eventually just walked out of the club to sit on a bench outside. It was right beside his car so I was able to check that he wasn't waiting in it. I took my right arm and examined the deep bruises that were beginning to form around the top of it. Cold fingers suddenly fit themselves into these marks but it was easy to see that they had been made by fingers a lot chubbier. I jumped slightly at Edward's touch.
"What has he done to you?" He growled furiously. I jerked my arm out of his hand.
"Nothing," I said quietly. He examined me for a long moment and eventually sat down beside me and took my face in his hands.
"What has he done to you?" He demanded again, but gently this time. Panic suddenly removed every trace of anger from his eyes. "You've been crying?" I wiped my face but knew I couldn't lie to him.
"Yes," I said simply. He wiped beneath each of my eyes softly.
"What has happened to you, Bella?" I hesitated.
"Nothing, really," I insisted but he raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. "Jacob was drunk, I think. He grabbed me and started shouting at me that I should ask you what you did. He didn't let go for a while". His face was hostile and livid again.
"He hurt you," he stated, his tongue harshly wrapping around the words, whipping them out at me like an accusation. "You should have come for me". I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Yeah and where would I have found you? I've been looking for you for about an hour, Edward. I wanted you and you weren't there, so don't start blaming me," I retorted angrily.
"I'm not blaming you, Bella. I'm just saying that you shouldn't have sided with Jacob Black over me. Maybe then I would have been there". I struggled to pull away from his body. I was incredibly hurt and I could feel the tears welling over again. I spoke before my voice became completely useless.
"So the reason you haven't been with me tonight is because I chose to talk to an old friend? So if something really bad had happened to me, like Jacob had got a bit carried away and raped me," – he flinched – "what would you have said then? Would that have been my fault too? I chose to talk to him so I chose the consequences?" Edward's face was horrified.
"Bella, no, of course not! Did he do anything like that to you?"
"No. But I don't think you really would have cared if he had. You'd probably only enjoy the trouble he'd get into". I stood and walked away from him- again. He didn't follow me this time and I was glad; the tears were flowing freely now and sharp sobs were breaking out. It felt like my relationship with Edward had suddenly come to an abrupt standstill.
Okay so I know both Edward and Jacob are being slightly arsehole-ish but it will all wrap up later on in the story. What do you think?
