CHAPTER 10.
My last resort was Edward.
I didn't want to go back to him, scared that I might throw myself into his arms, kiss him, and say many things I might regret later on.
On the other hand, what choice did I have?
I could book into a hotel of course, but I only had $500 on my bank account, and that would be gone before I realise it. Between gas for my car and a room, that money wouldn't last more than a week. I sighed as I drove aimlessly around, keeping an eye on the little arrow indicating of the gas got too low.
I stopped at a gas station, doing a full fill that cost me $40. (A/N: I don't live in USA so I don't know if this is right. If you know the right price, can you please tell me? Thx.)
I was left with $460.
I took out a pad of paper and a pen from my bag and I wrote down how much money I would use and how much I would need before I died of cold and hunger. I could live in blood for a couple of weeks, but how long would it take before I turned into a monster?
Not long was the only answer I came up with.
If my calculations were correct, I would use $400 of my money, which left me with £60. And that would mean that I had to go back to The House and get the rest of my hidden money. I had about £300 at The House.
Knowing Jason, that money should be gone by the time I went for it.
I thumped the steering wheel in frustration and heard a faint tap on the glass. I turned my eyes on the glass and saw Edward smiling at me. He was soaked through and I smiled, opening the passenger door for him.
"Thanks." He said as he got in, trying to keep the water off the seats. I threw the pad and paper at the back, where it landed on my bag making a low thump. Edward twisted round so he could look into my eyes as he spoke.
"I heard." He murmured, brushing a strand of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. I leaned my face toward his hands, bathing in the weird warmth I felt radiating from it. He drew comforting circles on my jaw with his long fingers that were calloused.
"Do you still play?" I whispered. Edward used to play the piano, and one of his compositions he dedicated to me. My lullaby.
"Yes." his voice was much closer now, and I opened m eyes to see him staring at me with something like sadness in his eyes.
Instinctively, I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed the tip of his nose. He laughed and brushed his lips against mine.
"Don't go." I whispered. It was weird hearing the words coming out of my mouth. The same words Jason had whispered to me, earlier that day.
"I'll stay with you, forever." He whispered back, his lips moving against my ear.
"Promise?"
"Promise." I kissed him then. A real kiss on the mouth. He kissed me back like ha hadn't done in years.
He grabbed my waist with one hand, and pulled me onto his lap with the other. Hs lips ran down my neck and up again. The rain was coming down so hard outside that nobody could see what was going on inside even if they wanted to.
My hands went under his shirt, caressing the hard skin. He kissed me harder, putting so much want in it that it nearly made me explode.
He did the right thing and pulled away, before I went crazy.
He laughed when he saw the relief on my face and kissed my cheek once more.
"You haven't got a place to stay." He stated, I nodded and pulled down my shirt, which had ridden up higher than it should go. He brushed the hair off my face and said the words I wanted him to say,
"Come live with me. I've got my own little apartment a few streets away. Nobody should bother you there." I was speechless for a minute for a minute. I couldn't find my voice to utter a simple 'yes'. Edward laughed at my sudden voice loss.
His voice was rough as he said, "Maybe I should drive, seeing as you can't move or speak." I nodded and rushed out into the rain, diving for the passenger's seat. I got in and saw Edward had already started the engine, and as soon as I latched the seat belt on, he sped away.
It took less than ten minutes for us to get there, and I spent most of the journey looking – or rather, staring – at Edwards profile, fantasizing about running my lips over his string jaw.
Not really fantasizing, coz when we got to the apartment – small and cosy, the way Edward always like things – I got to kiss his jaw and many other parts of his body. Let's just say that we both ended up on his big bed - what is up with guys and big beds??? – Both half-undressed and breathless. He pushed me away when I tried to go further – naughty me – muttering,
"Mmm, Bella. Not now. Later, I promise." I groaned in frustration and rolled off the bed, heading for the bathroom to have a long warm shower. I heard Edward busying himself round the small place, and I smiled to myself. Maybe things won't be as bad as I thought.
I wrapped a long towel around me and stepped out of the shower, dried my hair and threw on a pair of jeans and a black turtleneck. I stepped out of the bathroom, and threw my dirty, wet clothes in a bin liner. I was going to throw them away, get rid of any evidence that this day and the other ever existed.
I felt much more relaxed and at ease as I stuffed the bin liner in my bag and walked to the kitchen. Edward was standing at the small table, a newspaper in his hand, reading the top headline that was printed across the top.
MASS MURDER STRIKES SMALL TOWN OF WASHINGTON, FORKS.
I gasped and Edward started reading the top line quickly under his breath.
"Due to the capacity of two years ago, the murder strike in Seattle, Forks had been under protection by secret services. After everything had quietened down, the secret services thought it was a waste of time protecting a small town that was so small that no one would ever bother going there. Murder strikes in this small town called Forks, today.
"Police Chief Swan is on the case, he answered our questions respectfully, but when it came to the suspect murder all he said was: 'I am sorry, but that is Police Department papers. We are not allowed to release information without the permission of the suspect, or the suspects' lawyer' (A/N: I don't know if this is true, but I saw it on Law and Order before so I decided to use it.)
"The small town of Forks is yelling to us, 'is it right that the Secret Services should protect a town so big, where murder is a daily pacing? Is it right to abandon such a small town, defenceless and calm, to sort it's self out?' so, dear readers, I believe that the answer is no. no, a defenceless town must not be left alone, to face its own problems. Every town MUST have help. And will our town, Seattle, help Forks fight its way through to righteousness?" Edward stopped, and collapsed in a chair, sighing. He dropped his head in his hands and muttered,
"No, no this can't be happening again."
"What? What is happening, Edward? Say something." I pleaded. I had been relieved about hearing that my father was fine, that he was still alive. But when Edward had said 'no, this can't be happening again' I was confused and forgot about everything else.
I knelt by his side and stroked his hair.
"Bella, you do remember Victoria, don't you?" he asked.
"Yes."
"When I said we were leaving . . . Victoria had . . . threatened Carlisle, that if we left without a warning, something might happen to the citizens of Forks, or . . . something might happen to you. So Carlisle went and told as many people as he could about everybody leaving, about a job he couldn't turn down. And I told you, thinking that maybe if I told you, you'd tell other people. But that wasn't what Victoria meant. She meant that we warned her so she's out to get you. And every other person who knows you and has loved you." He finished and raised his head to look at me. I was stock still, listening to every word he said.
"C-Charlie?" I stammered. Edward looked away and I jumped to my feet, grabbing a jacket, money and car keys.
"Bella, what are you doing?" he asked, surprised.
"I'm going to find my father." I said my voice shook with unshed emotion. He stood up and walked over to me, his arms wide. I fell in them and he hugged me tight to his chest.
"Bella, everything is going to be OK. You can't go; your father thinks you're dead. He's done a funeral and everything. I . . . was there." I gasped and started to cry. He rocked me gently side to side, "But I'll come with you if it helps." He whispered
"Oh, Edward! Thank you, so much!" he stroked my hair until I had calmed down.
"OK. Let me get a change of clothes, money and jacket, yeah? Meet me down there. I'll be down in a minute." I nodded and flew – literally – down the five flights of stairs to the bottom. I jogged to my car and waited patiently for Edward to come down.
When he did, it wasn't only he that walked down the road towards me.
But Jason Blackfire walked towards me in the opposite direction.
It was crossfire.