Holy Crow
Chapter Nine
I felt terrible. No, I felt worse than terrible. Was that even possible? I wasn't too sure, but if there was a word for it, then I was it. I was a sorry something or another, sitting around moping. But I couldn't help it.
Just the thought of Emmett could bring me to my knees. Everything about him just… I don't know, and even thinking about it hurt. It was beyond painful. The thought of what I'd almost had with him, of what could have been… Well that tore at me in more ways than one.
I'd accused him and his family of being vampires. Vampires. Of all things in the world, I'd accused the Cullen's of being blood sucking creatures of the night. I almost laughed at it, it was so ridiculous. So stupid.
My phone rang, but I couldn't bring myself to answer it. I'd skipped school again, Charlie was worried about me, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered right now. I had to be on my own, I had to try and recover. If that was even possible, right now I wasn't exactly sure it could happen.
I bit my lip when the ringing ended, relieved, I hadn't wanted to answer it, sure that it was just Charlie checking in. Again. It was almost sweet that he cared, but not sweet enough to actually make me care if that made any sense.
I sighed and turned my head, letting it rest on my cool pillow. It was colder than I'd thought it would be, and the feeling of it made me cringe. Not because it felt bad, but because it felt good. It was reminiscent of what I'd lost, of my Emmett, even in the smallest of ways.
Suddenly I moved off my bed, shoving the pillow to the ground. I moved over to my closet, slung on an ill-fitted pair of faded jeans and a sweatshirt. Charlie hated these jeans, he said they were too skinny, to old. But I loved them, they brought only a small comfort, but that was comfort enough.
I'd worn these jeans the first time I'd ever met Emmett. They were my favorite pair. My lucky jeans. Maybe I'd burn them, their luck seemed to have worn off.
I didn't bother with lunch, I hadn't with breakfast, what was the point?
I slipped the house key in my back pocket before opening the front door and walking out. I didn't know where I wanted to go, or why I was leaving, but I just had to get out. I had to get away.
I'd made it down the road when I heard a car coming, and not wanting to be hit I moved off into the ditch. By the sounds of it, the truck was massive, and it was moving fast. I made it into the trees when the thing flew by, and as it went I almost gasped.
That was Emmett.
BEBE
I leaned up against the tree nearest me and slowly made my way to the grass covered ground beneath me. It was a little damp but I didn't really notice it. I didn't care.
I hadn't seen him, but it had been him. He was in the tacky black machine he'd just bought, the Hummer. I wished desperately that I could have at least gotten a glimpse of him. Some small glance, but of course my luck had run out a long time ago.
I roughly bit my lip and dropped my head into my open palms. I hadn't even seen him, and it was tearing me up. How was that even possible? All I could picture was his handsome, beautifully sculpted features. His perfect smile, carefree and dazzling. All I could hear was his laugh, so deep and loud, but perfect, just like the rest of him.
My knees came up and my hands and head rested on them, needing support. I felt suddenly so heavy, like the weight of the world was on me. It was impossibly heart breaking, knowing that the person that I loved could care less about me. It didn't matter what he was, or where he'd come from, I was in love with him. And he hated me, that much was clear.
I'd thought I'd cried myself out long ago, but I could feel it again. That split in my abdomen was returning, that gaping hole in my chest was threatening to open up and crush me again. And God, was it painful.
I felt the tears demanding exit, but I couldn't let it happen. Not again, the tears were so painful. Each one a reminder of what I'd lost, and why I'd lost it. How I'd been the sole reason that Emmett Cullen had stepped out of my life.
A cold chill seemed to surround me, and I regretted coming out here in near to nothing. I tried to force myself to calm down, I had to leave and go home before I got sick. But a sudden hand on my shoulder kept me still.
It was cold, and hard, and for a moment I thought it might be my Emmett. I looked up, completely startled and yet thrilled all at once. My wide, wet brown eyes turned up to meet ones that turned my blood cold.
They weren't gold, or any variation of the amber that I loved. They were a terrifying shade of crimson. They were curious but devious eyes, and they made my insides shrink away in fright.
"Hello, beautiful," his voice was smooth, and low, husky and sultry. But dangerous. Everything about him was dangerous. His hair was a mass of matted dirty blond locks, and his skin was pale white, and perfect. His grip was strong on my arm, and I knew immediately that he wasn't right.
He was a vampire. There was no other explanation for it. His free hand moved and his cold skin touched onto the much warmer skin of my cheek as he moved into a low crouch becoming equal with me.
"There's no need to cry," he whispered to me in a voice that made the small hairs on my arm stand. His thumb brushed away my lone tear, and his cool, sweet breath fanned out over my entire face.
"I'm here," as he spoke he leaned toward me, and there was nothing that I could. I couldn't say that I was dazzled, like I had been with Emmett, this vampire wasn't handsome like he was, but he was still a vampire. He still had the deadly thrall that they all seemed to have. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to, his grip was far too strong.
His hard lips pressed against my neck, I struggled lightly under him, but his hand squeezed my arm harder. His voice came out in a low, lulling sort of noise, it vibrated against the skin of my neck. Before I knew what was happening I felt it, his cool teeth pressed against my skin.
My mouth fell open slightly, I wanted to scream. I wanted to protest but I was so shocked I could muster up no words.
He was going to kill me, and there was no one to save me. No Emmett, no Alice, no Rosalie or Edward. No anyone.
EBEB
My body rocked hard against the tree behind me as the person hanging onto me was torn off of me. My head hit the tree and I groaned in pain, my body slumped against the base of the thing and I felt my vision fade to black.
My hand reached up to my neck and I moaned in some pain. He hadn't broken the skin, thankfully, but he'd bitten hard enough for it to hurt. My mind wasn't moving fast enough to process the fact that someone had saved me. But I didn't question it, I was in too much pain. The skin where his wet lips had touched burned, and the sensation was anything but pleasant.
I closed my eyes, as the blinding pain shot through my head. Behind my closed lids bright lights shot through my vision matching every throb of pain in my skull. I felt like I might pass out at any moment, but I fought it. I couldn't just black out while there was a vampire ready to kill me. It would be too dumb, even for me.
I felt my body slump forward some as I tried to resituate myself, so that I could stand. It didn't work out and I somehow ended up on my hands and knees, I heard yelling but it didn't fully process in my mind.
My hand slipped in a small patch of mud in the grassy ground beneath me and I fell. I hardly had the strength to pull myself up, but I didn't end up needing it. Two small, but strong hands grabbed my arms. At first I was afraid, and I screamed, but when my eyes opened and I saw who it was, my scream died in my throat.
I flung myself into her small arms, and hugged her tightly to me. It was Alice, my best friend, and one of the people I'd missed most during all this mess. My muddled mind would forever recognize this girl. The fight behind us didn't really register in my mind, but Alice was clearly aware of it.
Her hands reached and she lifted me, with almost no effort at all, into her arms. I leaned against her and my arm went around her neck, I knew she was trying to help me so I wouldn't make this harder on her. Not that it seemed hard at all for her. She was so impossibly strong!
"Alice," I said coming more to my senses. But she didn't seem to be looking at me anymore, I heard someone else approach and a flash of blond came into my vision. Jasper. I almost cried with relief. Were they all here? I wanted to lift myself up more to see, but I couldn't.
"Emmett said to leave with her. We've got to get her out of here!" Jasper said urgently. Emmett? Emmett was here too. I felt my heart plummet in my chest, and it suddenly became much harder to breathe.
"Right," Alice said in a low voice, before turning. I only caught a glimpse of the other Cullen's and it made the hole in my chest ache.
"Where is he?" I asked in a slightly raspy voice before they had time to speak anymore, but Alice chose not to answer. She was walking, she was trying to get around someone I could tell, some red head. But I didn't care, I wanted answers.
"Emmett!" I shouted, forcing myself up in her arms so that I could look over her shoulder. And I saw him. He was fighting the blond who'd almost bitten me. And as I called his name I saw the wild vampire's fist collide with Emmett's chest.
I screamed his name again and struggled against Alice's hold. I needed to get to him, I needed to make sure he was okay. I needed to help him, I couldn't just run away! His head snapped up at my second scream, and for the briefest of moments our eyes locked before he went back to his fight. He seemed to fight with a renewed vigor, but I couldn't help but still be afraid for him.
My entire being was set on fire, I fought harder against her hold, and she shouted at me. I didn't care, I had to get to him. "Emmett!" I screamed again, louder this time like it would make her drop me like I wanted.
"Jasper!" I heard Alice scream, and it was then that he took me into his even stronger arms. I was crying now, I could feel the hot tears on my face. But that was the last of it all for me. I couldn't see him see anymore. Jasper ran at speeds that I couldn't even comprehend; my vision blurred, and my stomach churned as he ran. I felt sick.
I held tightly to Jasper out of fear of falling, but I wanted nothing more than to jump out of his arms and run back to Emmett. I knew that I would only get in his way during the fight, but there was no way that I could just sit back and wait for him to get hurt. There was no possible way.
We made it to the Cullen's home in almost no time. Alice and Jasper moved quickly, getting me to some dark room that looked far too much like a basement for my liking. I was sure that that was what it was. Jasper sat me down on some couch and turned to Alice, looking like he was expecting something.
"Please, Jasper. You don't have to-" I saw the frown on his face and her words came to a halt, she stared down at her feet for a moment before launching herself at him.
Her embrace was tight, but it was brief. She pulled away in almost no time. "I'll go, and he can come back. I know he won't be able to concentrate," Jasper spoke this clearly, but in a voice that was almost too low for me to hear.
What did he mean? Who would he be replacing on the makeshift battlefield? I sat up on the couch, and wanted to stand but I knew that my legs were far too weak for that to happen.
Alice reached up and kissed Jasper before she pulled away again, "Be safe," was all she said before she let go of him. He was gone again before I had time to even blink.
There was silence in the room for a while after he had gone. Alice looked like she was concentrating on something, and I felt incredibly out of place. I pulled my legs up to my chest and tried hard not to think of what was happening now. What was happening because of me.
I thought of different ways that I could sneak out of the room, and run back to him. And even if she was ten times faster than me, I thought that maybe I'd have a chance.
"No, Bella. He's coming back," I looked up suddenly, and was startled at her words. They were stern, but they were spoken softly, and in the voice that I'd missed so terribly.
She moved slowly over to the couch before sitting down beside me, almost uncertain. There was a long pause, it wasn't totally uncomfortable, but it was painfully long. Suddenly she opened her mouth, ready to speak, "Bella, I know this must be hard for you-" I didn't let her finish her words before I launched myself into her arms.
"I'm so sorry, Alice. I'm so, so sorry. I was so stupid. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. You had no reason to tell me. To trust me. And I…" I felt my throat close up, but I fought back the choking tears. "I screwed everything up," her arms squeezed around me; the pressure of the embrace was comforting. This was real, she was here and everything was going to be alright.
I heard her begin to speak, but her words were cut off, this time though it wasn't by me.
"Bella."
That voice could only ever belong to one person, it was low and soothing, deep and sweet, and it reminded me painfully of happier days. I went almost limp with fright and relief in Alice's arms. I was too much of a coward to immediately pull myself away from her, but I heard his footsteps, slow and cautious as if he were approaching someone on the edge of a building ready to jump.
And maybe I was that person. But if I was, then he was then the only person who could bring me back.
I pulled myself away from Alice, and stood. There was a space between us that was so small that it hurt. He seemed so far away at the same time though, it was odd, and painful but I already felt better. Being so close to him again, it was a thrill that I'd always be addicted to I was sure.
I felt some part of my heart break at the look he was giving me. It was so uncertain, as if he wasn't sure that I would be relieved to see him. As if I'd be the one to reject him. Well, I suppose I had been the one to do that before, however unintentionally.
Our reunion was nothing like mine with Alice had been. I didn't throw myself at him, or cry. I was surprised, but it still felt right. It still felt impossibly real.
He took a few steps closer to me, and reached his hand out. The tips of his cool fingers reached mine, and slowly they moved up and wrapped around mine. I stepped closer to him, and that seemed to be enough for him. His hand tugged me gently toward him and I slowly moved to lean again him.
My hand rested against his chest, and he lifted my hand in his to rest between us on his front. His free arm moved to wrap around me, and he pulled me even closer to him. I could feel him lean down, the side of his face rested against mine and his lips gently brushed against my cheek.
He was back. We were back. With no words, or overly dramatic sweeping acts of love. We just were.
I'd finally found my way back to my Emmett.
EBEB
A/N: Ugh, you should beat me. No really, please do. I didn't much like this chapter, but I hope it was well received. I wrote this at the last minute. I had an entire ending all ready to post in the morning. But I changed my mind, this is a new chapter. I have to edit the rest to make this fit in, but knowing me I'll probably write an entirely new end. Oh, well, so long as it's liked, huh? haha Thanks to all who reviewed!
Oh, and to explain why James was so suddenly there(!), he came after scaring the mess out of the Cullen's. They were at the baseball field and well he caught… You know, I think I'll just save it for the next chapter. Much love to all. Thanks for reading. (:
I hope you decide to review!
-Marry
