Chapter 9
Finally! Now I don't have to go into hiding on FB anymore.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE WOMEN I KNOW. JACKY, YOU A WONDERFUL FRIEND. *SQUISHY HUG*
Much love to my new pre-reader, J-Tot. You are a ray of sunshine in my dull life. Without you I'd be nothing.
A huge shout out to my wonderful beta, Sunflower3759. She's the bling in my uncut diamond.
There was an email confusion with this story, centering around me. Any mistakes are 100% mine.
Reminder: SM owns these beautiful characters. I'm only using them for my twisted needs.
~LBC~
Bella stood in the driveway, looking up at the house. It looked very inviting and warm. Everything looked the same as it did five years ago, but Bella knew differently. The people living here now were not the same family she thought she knew. No, the ones that resided here now, had turned their back on her, she didn't know them anymore.
They had changed. They had walked away from her, didn't want her to be a part of that world. She was nothing to them.
Bella took the few steps up to the house, trying desperately to keep her breathing even. Her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to walk in with the same hard shell that they had. She wanted to feel nothing towards them.
The door opened and her heart skipped a beat. Bella paused, unable to decide if she was ready for this. She need her answers, but looking up into the stone eyes of the man before her was almost too much.
She took a deep breath and forced her face to be void of all emotions.
"Hello, Bella."
Bella suddenly felt her resolve crumbling. Edward's musical voice left her weak and wanting. She pushed herself to focus and replied with in a stony voice. "I've come to see Alice."
"She's inside. I thought maybe we could speak first."
"We have nothing to talk about. I won't do this with you again. I just want to see Alice." Bella snapped.
"Please, Bella, there's so much we have to discuss. So much was left unsaid between us."
Bella took the last two steps and stood toe to toe with Edward. She continued to make eye contact with him. She could see his eyes were black. He hadn't fed in a while.
"Where is Alice?" She asked again. The more he pushed the more she felt the anger building within her. He didn't own her. He had no control over her anymore.
"Edward?" Alice's voice came from within the house.
Bella knew that Alice had said his name loud enough for her benefit. Bella was a little grateful for her attempt to defuse this situation. This wasn't the time or place for this.
"Edward, please let her in." Alice said as she peeked her head around Edward's body.
Edward took an unneeded breath and moved out of the way.
Alice extended her hand, beckoning Bella through the door. She entered, refusing to make contact with either of them. The smell of Edward's body assaulted her. She suddenly felt her walls crumbling.
"Stop." Bella said, looking up at Edward once again. "You can't dazzle me anymore. You lost that right a long time ago."
Edward reached out, gently wrapping his fingers around Bella's arm. "Please."
"Edward, this is not the time or place. You've seen it. This will happen but not now." Alice stated as she wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders, pulling her away from Edward.
"Where is everyone else?" Bella asked looking at Alice.
Alice didn't answer as she moved them towards the living room. Bella felt her anxiety growing. She had missed them all, even Rosalie. She was being given a chance to...to what? Get answers and say goodbye. Say what she had been denied years ago.
She turned the corner and came face to face with Carlisle and Esme first. They looked as radiant as always, unaged, unchanged.
Esme stepped forward and opened her arms. "Hello, Bella."
Bella found herself drawn into the embrace. She found comfort in it. As much as Bella loved her mother, Esme felt like home. She was a source of love and peace that her mother had never given her.
"I've missed you, Esme." Bella's voice cracked.
"Same here, dear."
"Bella?" Carlisle asked.
"Hello, Carlisle. You look well."
"Thank you." He chuckled lightly.
"As much as I'm enjoying this 'family reunion', I have questions." Bella said as Esme pulled her to the couch.
Bella saw out of the corner of her eye that Edward was staying close. She wasn't completely comfortable having him that near. She needed her strength for this conversation and he was an unfortunate distraction.
It must have been noticed as Edward sighed and moved to the other side of the room. Bella relaxed a little as she sat, and looked around.
Bella noticed for the first time that Jasper was tucked back against the window on the far side of the room. She looked around and realized Emmett and Rosalie were missing. "Where are the others?"
"Hunting. I'm sure they would've been here had they known that you were coming." Esme said.
"It's fine. I'm sure Rosalie won't be disappointed. This is probably all an inconvenience for her anyway."
The silence in the room was enough of a confirmation for Bella. She took another deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She wasn't here for a reunion, she was here for answers.
"You all know why I'm here?" Bella asked, knowing it wasn't necessary to do so.
"Yes, Bella." Carlisle answered. "I promise we'll answer any questions you have."
"Don't make me any promises, Carlisle. Promises mean nothing to me anymore." Bella countered as she raised her eyes to meet Edward's.
"Okay, no promises."
"How long have you been back?"
"A while." Edward answered.
"I'm not asking you." Bella stated as she continued to look at Edward.
"Just over two years, Bella." Alice answered trying to defuse the brewing emotions in the room. She continued to watch Jasper's future. If this anger didn't end the past was bound to repeat itself. Jasper would fail again.
"Two...years?" Bella felt her heart break.
"Bella, we didn't..." Esme began.
"It doesn't matter, Esme. Everyone had their reasons." Bella felt lost. Charlie hadn't told her. He knew, and yet he hadn't told her. She was feeling more betrayed by the moment. "The vampire? Who is he?"
"We're not sure, Bella. He's been entering the wolves' land but steering clear of ours. We've tried to track him but he continues to elude us." Jasper answered. Everyone in the room could hear the pain in his voice.
"He knows about you then?"
"It seems so. Alice has been trying to watch for him, but she's not sure what to watch for. There's no reason for it."
Bella looked up at Alice. She gritted her teeth. "Truth, Alice. What did you do to Victoria?"
"Victoria?" Edward asked.
Bella threw him a look. "Not asking you."
"We didn't do anything to her. We lost track of her years ago. She just disappeared."
"Lost track of her, is that what you're calling it? There's no reason why she would just let me live. Someone got to her."
Bella could see the confusion on their faces. "So it's a coincidence that both Victoria and Jasper visited Mr. Jenks' office on separate occasions."
Bella watched as everyone looked back and forth and waited for the answer. She began to wonder if they even had an answer. Her emotions felt lost at sea. Being pushed, pulled and thrown around. She wasn't sure if she could handle much more.
Jasper was the first to speak. The pain was still there but more controlled. "When was Victoria there?"
"About two years ago. Wait a second. You lost track of her, came back here two years ago and I see her around that same time. This makes no sense." Bella was beginning to feel like she had been brought into the middle of another set up.
"That was the only time you saw her?"
"Yeah, I looked over my shoulder for months. I thought for sure she was coming after me. I haven't encountered her since. None of you had anything to do with that?" Bella was feeling more confused by the minute. This emotional roller coaster needed to stop.
"Bella, the truth is, when we lost track of her we came back. She swore that she would get revenge on Edward." Carlisle admitted.
"Revenge? What do you mean?"
"It's sort of an eye for an eye thing, Bella." Jasper added. "Edward killed James so Victoria decided to take your life in return."
It took a human moment for Bella to process the information. They couldn't have; they wouldn't have. Bella felt the shock take over. "So, let me see if I have this straight."
She pushed herself off the couch. She stepped towards Edward and saw Jasper back away from the two of them. She knew he was being effected by the emotions that were about to explode from her.
"You left me vulnerable. There's a killer out there, looking for vengeance because you killed their 'mate'. They want me dead and you walked away. You told me that I wasn't good enough for you. But the whole time you just didn't want to waste your time protecting me from something you started."
Bella continued her approach on Edward. She tilted her head, forcing him to look at her. "You abandoned me. Left me in the woods alone and defenceless. You left me for dead. Was that the easiest way to fix your mistake. Leave me a broken zombie. Four months, Edward. Four months I spent locked up inside myself. I looked out at the world and saw the happiness around me and I felt nothing. I wasn't even sad; I couldn't even cry.
Crying would've been at least something. Charlie saw his daughter dying slowly every day. You wanted me to have a full and happy life. My life ended that day, Edward. I move through the motions; I feel emotions but they mean nothing to me. Just like I meant to you, nothing!"
Bella took a step back as Edward reached out to touch her. "Don't. Touch. Me."
"Bella, no, please, you don't understand. You're confused."
Bella looked away from Edward in disgust. "It seems pretty damn clear to me. Once again I am getting nothing from you. The fact that you aren't the reason Victoria left me alone, and that you don't know anything about this vampire, and , let's not forget the factthat you hid yourselves from me for years; hell, I guess I'm leaving here empty handed once again."
Alice followed Bella as she headed for the door. "Bella?"
Bella didn't slow down as she answered, "What?"
"You need to understand. We came back for you."
Bella paused in shock. She took a moment to let the comment sink in. She wasn't sure what to believe. She hadn't really gotten answers just more questions. "Alice, I just don't know what to believe."
"I've never lied to you, have I, Bella? We did it for you, not to deceive you." Jasper's voice was forced.
He was still on the far side of the living room. His hands curled up in tight fists. He was having great difficulty because of her blood and emotions.
"I'm going back to Charlie's. If any of you really ever did care about me...you know where to find me." She left the Cullen's house feeling like she had done the right thing. Proud that she had finally been able to let them know she had moved on and had continued to live even after they had killed her.
Who's at Charlie's when Bella gets there?
1. Alice
2. Edward
3. Jacob
4. Riley (winner of who was responsible for Charlie's death)
If your answer is Riley, who do you want to see saving the day?
1. Alice
2. Edward
3. Jacob
4. Emmett and Rosalie
Rec'd:
Because of a Boy by Cutestkidsmom. It is a wonderful and touching story.
