Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
I didn't tell anyone about my latest encounter with James. I knew they'd be mad that I had purposely went looking for him; and the fact that he was exactly where I was. That thought didn't scare me so much, because I knew it was a good thing. I would be able to find him easier this way. And if he wants to meet with me, he'll have my phone number.
Charlie was still at work searching James Laurent into his police finder, not that he found anything. Carlisle was doing his best to help him, and Edward as well sometimes. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett went on daily 'hunts', searching for James throughout the Olympic Peninsula. Most the time, they never found anything.
Edward and I were eating lunch together, when we got the call that Emmett had found him. My breath caught in my throat and my heart spluttered in my chest; this is exactly what I hoped would not happen.
I dropped my fork to stare at Edward. His brow was furrowed as he held his cell phone firmly to his ear. I mouthed, "What happened?".
He shook his head slightly, listening. Then he said, "Is she OK?" And I swear, I almost fainted.
I reached across the table and yanked the phone out of his hand, slamming it to my own ear and ignoring the slight twinge of pain. "Emmett?"
"Bella?" He asked in confusion, his voice full of worry. He didn't sound like him.
"What happened?" Edward was sitting across from me, looking down at his plate of untouched salad. He has been in a state of constant worry lately.
"We found James just outside Port Angeles. He was drunk and yelling at us. I started to fight with him, and Rose got in the way. She… she…"
I covered my mouth with my hand. "What happened to her?"
"James got away, and now we're at the hospital. She's getting checked as we speak."
Oh no. Crap, crap crap – the baby. What if Rosalie has lost her baby? It will be my fault. All my fault… I may have caused someone to die… No, no, no.
"Bella?"
I shook my head, blinking away tears. "You… you need to get back to her. Call me as soon as you know the results, ok?"
"We will. Stay safe, Bella."
"Bye Emmett."
I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the table. I leaned back in my chair and buried my face in my hands, letting the tears flow freely. Within seconds Edward had came around the table and wrapped his arms around me, leaning his head against mine as I cried.
"Shhh, sweetheart," He whispered, stroking my back slowly. "It isn't your fault. Rosalie will be ok."
"What if she had a miscarriage, Edward? I would have killed someone. Of course it's all my fault; Rose and Emmett will be miserable. I can't believe I did this!" I wailed, becoming more hysterical as I thought of the repercussions.
"You haven't killed anyone. They will not be miserable." He comforted me.
"How can you be so sure?"
"James didn't hit her directly. Jasper and Emmett stepped in before he could hurt her or the baby too severely. She will be fine, I promise you."
That made me feel a little better. Edward wouldn't lie to me, though he has before. He wouldn't lie to me about this. I trusted him with that.
I removed my hands from my face and blinked, trying to clear my vision. Edward moved my chair so he could kneel in front of me.
"Oh, love," He sighed, bringing his hands to my face and pushing my tears away with his thumbs. "Please don't cry. It truly pains me to see you so sad."
I sniffled and leaned into his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm just so worried."
"I know you are… but you don't need to hide it. You've been putting on such a brave face all this time; You're allowed to cry. You're allowed to be angry. No one is stopping you, and I'll be here."
I nodded. "I know. It's just, Renee is arriving in 2 days, and I want everything to be perfect. I don't want her having to be here when Charlie and everyone else is focused on finding James. I want her to have a good time. She's been through too much."
"I know. But we'll find him – I promise. Charlie and Carlisle are doing everything they can to find evidence to arrest him."
I nodded. "But I don't want Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice going on these man hunts anymore. It's not safe for them. Like today – look what went wrong? Someone got hurt."
"It won't happen again." His eyes told me he was telling the truth. "If it was up to me, and if Renee wasn't arriving so soon, I would take you away from Forks. Faraway. Just you and I."
I sighed. "I know. I wish it were that easy."
"We just have to take extra precautions." He took my hands and softly ran his thumb over my fingers. "Be more careful. I will not leave your side, not once."
"Good." I pulled my hands from his to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him to me. "I'm scared, Edward."
He buried his head into my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me. "I will do everything I can to make you safe again."
A few hours later, Rosalie arrived home from the hospital. Emmett explained to us that it had been close, and that Rose was going to be taking extra vitamins to make sure the baby recovers from the minor damage. I was so relieved she was OK – I hurried to hug her and feel the baby kick. I don't think I've ever been so thankful in my life.
I then charged at Emmett, beating my fists against his rock hard chest. "You idiot! What were you thinking!"
Emmett chuckled, sounding incredibly tired. He hugged me tightly, until I could no longer move against his chest. I sighed.
"You really are stupid, though. What were you guys thinking, going out there? Picking a fight when he was so unstable?" I mumbled.
"He can really pack a punch." Jasper said, his speech slightly slurred. I pulled away to look at him, and noticed there was a small cut on his bottom lip.
"Jasper!" I pulled myself away from Emmett and walked to Jasper, looking up at him with shock and horror. "He did this?"
"Yes." He answered. "I was trying to shield Alice and Rosalie from him, and I'm glad I did." He saw my expression and smiled a lopsided smile. "I'm fine, Bella, really."
I hugged him. "Never again. You will not go after him again."
I pulled away and looked around. I could see Emmett shuffling his feet. I knew what he was thinking – he wanted to rip James to pieces for hurting his girlfriend, and his friends. He wanted to find him once again and show him who's boss.
"Emmett. Promise me." I said softly, pleading with my eyes.
He frowned. "Bella, I will not let him hurt my friends and family then get away with it. It's not in my nature. It's not how I roll."
"But if you go after him he'll hurt you!" He hurt Jasper, and Jasper was almost as strong as Emmett. The thought made me shudder.
"He won't. Trust me, Bella." Emmett flashed me a goofy grin, instantly softening my heart. I sighed in defeat, knowing I could never win this argument.
In the next few minutes, Carlisle and Esme arrived home and bombarded Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice hugs and questions. Carlisle was writing on his notepad again like a real detective, to report to Charlie later. I felt so worn out from the emotions of today that I decided to go to bed early.
"Goodnight, Bella." Carlisle and Esme smiled pleasantly.
"Night." I smiled slightly and walked up the stairs by myself. On my way up I felt a pair of little arms secure around my waist. "Alice?"
"Oh, Bella." She breathed, hugging me tightly from behind. I turned around so I could hug her face to face. "I was so scared. James had this crazy look in his eyes. I didn't know what he was going to do…"
I had forgotten that Alice was there, in the middle of the action. It made me even more anxious – she could've gotten hurt easier than Emmett or Jasper. I was so happy she was OK.
"You need to stay away from him. Stay away from me, if you can." I told her with a sigh.
"I won't stay away from you. He hurts my best friend, he hurts me." A small smile spread across her face.
"Don't be silly. You have to promise me." I pleaded with her.
"Fine." She agreed. "But that doesn't mean I won't stay with you, and your mom when she arrives. I can't wait to see Renee again."
"Me too." I smiled at the thought. Buried deep under the fear, I was actually excited Renee was coming. She hasn't been to Forks in 11 years, and it will be interesting having her around again. I haven't seen her for 2 weeks.
"I'm tired." I yawned, untangling myself from her. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning?"
"Sure." She nodded and kissed my cheek quickly. "Goodnight, Bell. Love you."
"Love you too." I smiled and turned away from her, walking down the hall to Edward's bedroom. I changed into my pajamas and pulled out my book, crawling onto Edward's bed and snuggling under the covers with my battered copy of Withering Heights.
I wasn't alone for long before Edward came upstairs. He changed and climbed into bed next to me, watching me intently as I read.
I put my book down and looked at him. "What are you doing?"
"Looking at a beautiful woman." He answered with a crooked smile.
The blush spread across my cheeks, and I dog eared my page. I sat my book on the night stand and turned toward him, shuffling closer until our chests were almost pressed together.
"When this is all over," Edward whispered, his stunning face alight with the moon's glow streaming in from the window. "I promise, we will have a better summer."
I nodded, lightly touching his t-shirt covered chest with my fingers. "I've been thinking. After the summer, I should move back to Forks. Maybe Renee will decide she likes it here and want to come with me."
He smiled widely, running his thumb in a circle at my waist. "That would be… amazing. You should definitely keep that in mind."
I nodded and leaned closer to him, resting my forehead against his. We both closed out eyes and sighed deeply, enjoying the closeness that we both have craved for the last few days.
Edward slowly leaned toward me and pressed his lips to mine, lingering there for too shorter time. I pulled him back to me and kissed him, instantly deepening the kiss until we were both breathing hard. His hand fisted against my side, and my fingers buried themselves in his hair. It had been awhile since we had kissed like this – I've missed it. I needed it now. And I wasn't going to stop.
Edward let out a low moan and I climbed on top of him. I pressed myself closer to him, attempting to somehow close the impossible distance that was clearly bothering us both. I had to remind myself to be quiet, because everyone was in the house this time.
We spent the next twenty minutes like this. For that short amount of time, I felt like everything was OK – I had forgotten about James and Renee and the danger I was in. I remembered what mattered in my life – Edward. No matter what happened, as long as he was OK, I was OK. I suddenly felt incredibly grateful for him and everything he has done for me.
I went to sleep with a small smile, with Edward by my side.
Two days later, Edward and I traveled to Port Angeles Airport to pick up Renee. The whole day I had spent worrying – what if James found out she was here? What if she wanted to leave if she found out about him? That would be my worst nightmare.
Esme and Carlisle had agreed to let Renee stay at their house, instead of at Charlie's. They used the excuse that it could be awkward staying in the house that she and Charlie divorced in; not in those exact words, but gullible Renee believed it and agreed. I felt better knowing Renee was staying with the Cullens than staying at the place where James appeared that day. The thought sent shivers down my spine.
Edward and I waited by the car. Renee stumbled through the doors and into the rain, an uncomfortable smile on her pretty face. She peered through the down pour for a few seconds before she spotted us and made her way over.
Edward rushed to her with an umbrella and kissed her cheek. They walked over together and then Renee threw her arms around me, showering me with kisses.
"Hey, Mom," I smiled, hugging her tightly under the umbrella. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, baby." She pulled away to smile at both of us. "And I've missed you, Edward."
Edward chuckled and opened the car door for her, allowing her to climb in. We both got into his Volvo and began heading back to Forks.
"What have you two been up to?" Renee asked conversationally, sitting forward in her seat so she could see both of us.
"Umm…" I looked nervously at Edward.
"We haven't done much. Mostly hung around the house. The weather has been lousy." He covered for me, looking out the windshield into the rain.
"I can see that." Renee chuckled. "When is it ever sunny?"
"Never." I smiled, turning in my seat to face my Mom. "You look tan. Has Phoenix had nice weather?"
We made easy small talk until we pulled into Forks. Renee began looking curiously out the window, at the passing forest and mist. She hadn't been here since she left with Charlie, in almost 11 years. Not that much has changed, but she has changed. She was clearly seeing everything in a different light to what she did when she lived here. I could see she was remembering; the good things and the bad. I smiled slightly, watching her carefully.
"Miss it, Renee?" Edward asked with a crooked smile.
"Yes." She murmured. "Yes, I have."
We pulled into the Cullen driveway in the next few minutes. Renee must have remembered this, because a huge smile broke out on her face and her eyes instantly brightened.
"Renee!" Esme and Carlisle were standing on the porch, shielding themselves from the rain. Edward turned off the engine and we all got out, grabbing a bag each and carrying them to the porch. Renee stepped onto the porch and hugged Esme tightly, laughing and smiling. They must hardly recognize each other.
"It's been too long!" Esme grinned, leaning away. "You look great!"
"So do you!" Renee exclaimed, turning her attention to Carlisle. She folded her arms, smiling. "Carlisle Cullen."
"Hello, Renee." Carlisle smiled fondly and pulled her into a hug. "It's nice to see you."
"You too." Renee pulled away, smiling. She looked back at Edward and I and grinned.
"Shall we go inside?" Esme asked pleasantly.
We all nodded and headed inside, taking Renee's bags upstairs and placing them in the guest room. Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie arrived shortly, putting on their happy façade for Renee. Renee thought none the wiser, happily meeting and greeting each of them. Alice was the only one she had met before, but she hadn't seen her since she was 7. It sure has been too long.
We all sat around the dining room table for tea and coffee. Charlie arrived shortly after, unwillingly taking a break from his police work to see his ex wife. They embraced as if they were the best of friends, which I found fascinating. I knew they were friends, but there was no awkwardness between them whatsoever. When I looked at Edward, he was also watching them with interest.
Esme and Carlisle had arranged dinner for tonight at the diner, so us girls all hurried off to get ready. I made a promise to myself not to think about James once tonight, and just enjoy having my Mom here. I let Alice dress me up in a dress with makeup and high heels, and then I helped her do the makeup of Renee and Rosalie. We met the boys downstairs and then went on our way.
We sat at a large table and ordered drinks. I spent most of my time talking to Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Edward, seeing as Renee was busy talking to Carlisle and Esme.
"Hey Bella," Emmett grinned at me. "What do you call a kangaroo wearing a sweater?"
"Umm… ?"
"A wooly jumper!"
I couldn't help but laugh, face palming at the idiocy that is Emmett. It felt so good to laugh again. I could see Edward smiling I laughed, which made me want to smile more.
"Let's play would you rather." Alice suggested excitedly, leaning forward to smile at all of us. "Would you rather… Xbox, Play station, or Wii?"
"Xbox is alright," Emmett answered.
"Play Station owns." Jasper laughed.
"And Wii is for little girls!" Edward finished, causing us all to burst into loud laughter. I was doubled over for a few minutes before I regained myself and wiped the tears from my eyes.
"Would you rather… spots or stripes?"
"I like Zebras, so stripes." Jasper answered with a smile.
"Spots are associated with disease," I scrunched up my nose. "So stripes."
"The movie Racing Stripes is my favorite, so stripes." Emmett beamed.
We all looked at Emmett with raised eye brows.
"What! It's a cool movie!"
We all burst into laughter once again.
We ordered our food and then talked some more until it arrived. By the time it did, I was starving – I've barely eaten in the past week, and I figured I better stuff myself while I'm in a good mood. Everyone else seemed to be taking my lead, because we barely said a word as we ate.
I caught up with Renee after dinner, and was intrigued to find out she had found new friends. She was clearly happier, and though she still mentioned Phil occasionally, she didn't have as much pain in her voice. I was proud of her – she was recovering. Slowly, but surely.
We were just standing up to leave when my phone rang in my bag. I quickly took it out and put it to my ear. "Bella speaking."
"Bella," James' ice cold voice made me freeze as if I had been stunned. "Why did you tell me your mother was in town?"
The smile dropped off my face.
