AN) Please let me know what you think. I would like at least 10 reviews of the story thus far, before I post the next chapter. Which is awesome, if I don't say so myself. You won't be disappointed. I promise. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Almost Too Much To Bear.
I swallowed a loud gulp as I felt the plane begin to descend. The pilot's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, informing the passengers of our imminent arrival. The seat belt sign, blinked cheerfully in rhythm to the annoying pinging noise that accompanied it. In less than 2 hours, we would be back in Forks. I looked over at Alice, who was seated across the aisle from me, for some sort of reassurance.
Alice was huddled into Jasper's shoulder, who was whispering sweet nothings into her ear. No reassurance there. If I had a heart, it would be slamming against my ribs and if I could perspire, I know there would beads of moisture coursing down my body.
All that had happened in the last few days had transpired so quickly, I had had no opportunity to really think about the repercussions of any of my actions. I was heading back in to Forks as a vampire. Regardless of the fact that I did not lust for human blood, any blood actually, come to think of it, I still could not see Charlie. Even with tinted contact lenses to hide my new eye colour, there were still too many physical changes that could be explained away. My face was gaunter, sharper. My hair was a darker shade of mahogany, thick and lustrous. My body was more sculpted, muscles and contours defined. Besides my eyes, my breasts had given me the second greatest shock. They were at least a cup size fuller and incredibly perky. Alice had laughed at me for staring at my new self in the mirror for so long. Perhaps if I waited a few months to see Charlie, he would be able to put down my significant physical changes to travelling and maturing. That thought brought about a small flicker of hope that started to warm my chest and ease the pressure I felt suffocating me.
Alice and I had not really had the chance to discuss much. Everything had happened so quickly. Since leaving Volturra, she had been slipping in and out of the trance-like state that descends over her when she has a vision. I was incredibly nervous at the prospect of seeing Edward. I had to guard my heart from shattering when I saw him with her. Despite the fact that I knew him to be under some sort of spell, I knew deep down that it was going to hurt. It was going to hurt like hell, watching him love someone else the way that he had loved me. I would just have to wait and see if there was any loophole in the spell he was under and bide my time to use the opportunities that were presented to their greatest capacity. Alice and I had no game plan. We had decided to see how things were in Forks, before devising a more concrete plan.
I was dragged out of my thoughts, by the sound of buckles being unsnapped. I looked across at Alice and Jasper. They were busy getting some luggage from the overhead compartments. I had a carry bag full of clothes, compliments of Alice that I reached up to tug from the compartment above my head. There was a sigh to my left; it was Alice waiting impatiently in the aisle that had separated our seats. "Are you ready for this Bella?" She asked, raising a pair of perfect jet-black eyebrows.
"That is a question I seem to have been asked quite a few times these last few days" I grinned at her, but then added more seriously "I'm scared out of my wits Alice. What if this was all for nothing? What if I can't reach him?" I'm sure if it had been possible, tears would have been welling up in my eyes by now.
"It'll all work out Bella. There is just no other alternative I am willing to accept" Alice said. Determination etched on her face.
A feeling of calm engulfed me and I looked at Jasper sadly. "Thanks, I think I needed that"
"No problem Bella, we're here for you, you know. No matter what happens in the next few hours, just know that we're here" He smiled kindly at me.
"Let's get going, no use postponing the inevitable" Alice muttered.
We made our way off the plane and into the darkness of the parking garage where Alice's bright yellow Porsche was parked. "I didn't want to use this car out of principle, but Jasper, being logical as ever, reminded me that it was the fastest way to get to the airport to save you from becoming a late afternoon snack for the Volturri" Alice attempted to make the remark sound humorous, but bitterness clouded her words.
"Alice, you don't need to angry at Edward for my sake. Besides, we now know why he did the things he did." I said to her, wanting to make it clear that we not forget how this whole thing had come about. We needed to remember that it was Nicole that had made Edward do all those things.
"I guess you're right Bella. I was so angry when we left. I said some truly dreadful things to him. And that kick, I just hope that when all this is sorted out, he won't be too mad about the hole in his wall." There was a soft snigger from Jasper as he started the car and sped out of the garage.
We travelled the rest of the way in silence. Each of us too caught up in our own thoughts to try and make conversation. The tension building inside me tripled as we crossed the border into Forks. The weight that seemed to follow me everywhere, pressed down on my chest. I could feel Jasper trying to regulate the feelings churning in me, but they seemed to bounce of me. He looked at me curiously in the review mirror. I raised my eyebrows at him to indicate that I had no idea why his ability was not working on me.
We were almost at the Cullen's home. The tension was now actually causing me physical pain. Jasper's eyes kept darting to mine. "Please stop the car" I managed to wheeze out through the pain that was crushing my lungs like a vice grip. "What's wrong Bella? We're almost there, just hang on for a couple of minutes" Alice had turned in her seat, confusion and concern clear on her face. I ignored her. "Jasper please! Just let me out of this car." Jasper looked at Alice, who nodded her head slightly. He slammed on the brakes and pulled the car to the side of the road.
I scrambled to get out of the car. Once out, I turned to my friends. "I just need to get some air and clear my head before seeing him and … her. I will be at your house in an hour, I promise" The words stumbled from my mouth, making me sound slightly incoherent. Before either of them could utter a response or protest, I took off for the trees.
This was the first time that I allowed myself to run at full speed. It amazed me that I was not afraid of tripping over things or running into trees. I could now see why all the Cullens had enjoyed it so much. It had a certain liberating quality to it. To feel unrestrained, powerful. The air rushing through your hair.
I had no idea how long I had been running for, nor did I know how far I had run. I stopped to listen to the sounds around me. I heard the soft bubbling of a stream, that to my new vampire hearing, sounded like a symphony of gurgles and tinkling. I was drawn to the sound. I made my way over to the stream and sat on a large flat rock. Impulsively, I took off the sneakers and sock I was wearing and slipped my feet into the water. It was cold. It must have been icy for my skin to even register the temperature. There was no moon visible, just the stars that sparkled in the night sky. I was suddenly reminded of Timon from the Lion King's theory as to how the stars wound up in the sky. I couldn't help myself from letting out a soft chuckle.
Suddenly all my senses zeroed in on the almost imperceptible sound of the muffled snapping of a twig under something or someone's foot. I turned my head in the direction of the sound and let out a low warning growl. Something caught my attention in my peripheral vision. In a split second, I was thrown against a tree, the impact eliciting a loud crack from the trunk. Before I could be attacked again, I was on my feet, facing whoever it was that was intent on causing me harm. A shadow darted from behind a tree. It moved so swiftly, that even with my vampire vision, I could not quite make out what my attacker looked like. Before I could respond with any sort of defensive measures, I saw two milky white arms lunge for my throat.
The hands seem to hit some sort of invisible wall inches from my face. My incredulous eyes travelled up the length of the arms to the face of the body that owned them.
"Edward?"
