Sorry it took so long, again. But I'm going to update soon, possibly tomorrow, to pay back for the time.
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Chapter 10
Charlie was already gone when I got downstairs the next morning. I went outside to wait for Edward, surprised to find him already there waiting.
He was leaning against his Volvo, smiling that adorable crooked smile at me. I took a deep breathe, remembering yesterday. I would try to not like us get that close again, no matter how badly I wanted to.
"Bella," Edward said in a greeting tone, opening my door for me.
I rolled my eyes at him when he got in the car and began pulling out. "I don't think there was one time you ever opened my door for me when you were human."
"Well, Esme encourages manners among her sons."
I couldn't help but sadly think about Elizabeth for a moment. I pushed it away.
"What was that face for?" he asked as he was pulling out of Charlie's, now serious. Of course, he didn't miss anything.
"Nothing."
He just stared at me dumbly. I sighed.
"Edward… Have you ever thought about…telling Elizabeth?"
He closed his eyes when I said her name, and his jaw and grip on the steering wheel both tightened.
When he opened his eyes, they were blank. Empty.
"I can't do that." He stated flatly, his voice lacking all emotion.
"Why not?"
"No one can know about us, Bella. You were told because you had seen us and heard us."
So it wasn't that he wanted me to know. It was because I already knew too much. I looked away as he realized his mistake.
"Oh… Bella, please, come on. It isn't that I didn't want you to know. Of course, I did. If I could have I would've come to your house and told you as soon as I could. But I can't. There are rules, Bells. Humans can't know."
"Rules." I repeated, "what, the vampire police enforce these laws?" I joked.
His expression didn't show any humor. "Kind of. The Volturi."
"Wait… what?"
"Another day, please," he begged, and I realized we were somehow already arriving at school.
"Is that a promise?"
He sighed and stuck out his pinky, just like old times. My chest ached at the memories as I linked mine with his.
I got through my morning classes easily. Nothing seemed important anymore, even though I was still doing well in classes, I wasn't putting effort into it. I was always thinking about Edward, and the Cullen's, and these vampires that wanted to hurt Edward. I hadn't talked to him about it lately, but I was hoping to after school. I wanted to know what was going on.
I ended up not having to wait until after school to find something out.
It was during lunch; I was sitting with the Cullen's. We were just talking and eating- well, I was eating- when suddenly Alice got a glazed look in her eyes and stared off into space. At that same moment that Edward's head shot in Alice's direction, and slowly his face changed. His lips fell slightly apart, while it looked like he got paler. His features contorted into something I rarely saw on Edward… fear.
"Alice," Jasper's urgent voice broke my gaze from Edward, "what's wrong?"
Alice's face was a mirror of Edward's, but possibly worse. She looked so small, sitting there with her wide eyes and trembling lips.
"Jasper," she whispered finally, and her voice sent a shiver down my spine, "let's go."
That's all it took for Jasper to fly out of his chair, pulling Alice up with him.
"I'm coming," Rosalie announced. Naturally, Emmett followed.
I looked at Edward.
"I'll stay," his tone was oddly strained, "we'll be over right after school."
Without a goodbye, they ran out of the cafeteria. I hoped no one noticed how it was just a little too fast.
"What the hell was that?" I turned on Edward.
He chose to ignore me, massaging his temples with his eyes squeezed shut.
"Edward…" I started, calmer and nicer this time. He looked… in pain?
All he did in answer was grab my hand and place it to his cold face, leaning into my touch. I tried to ask what was wrong, but I couldn't focus enough on my vocal cords.
"Let's go," He let go of my hand and stood up, and I managed to hold in a whimper from having to let him go.
My afternoon classes seemed to drag on for hours on end. Even in biology, with Edward, he didn't talk at all. I caught him staring at me with a strange expression on my face a few times, but other than that he hadn't done anything.
I ran to his car after gym to find him waiting outside, pulling open my door. I rolled my eyes at him again, hoping to get a smile. I didn't get one.
"Please tell me what's going on now!" I begged, after too long trying to wait for him to say something in our car ride.
He didn't say anything, just gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Edward." I snapped.
"Alice had a vision." So that explained her face at lunch… well… part of it.
"Why was she afraid?"
He sighed. I watched the speedometer increase slightly.
I was about to demand more, but we were already pulling into the big white house.
He opened his door and was at me before I had time to process anything.
"Thanks," I snapped rudely, heavy on the sarcasm.
Then I was in his arms.
He snaked his arms around my waist, and mine automatically latched around his neck. He was holding me tightly, but not too tight, probably thinking he would break me. Still, something about the way his face was pressed into my neck told me that he thought I would blow away if he ever let go. I didn't mind him never letting go.
My eyes had fallen shut at the contact, and it was all I could do to keep my heart from flying out my chest as I felt his cool check on my neck and his hair tickling my face.
"Come on," he said, his lips right at my ear, causing me to visibly shiver as a tingle was sent down my spine and back up again.
He pulled back, and I had to fight the urged to jump back into his arms. Luckily, he grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the house.
Alice and Jasper were standing in one corner of the living room, while Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on the couch. All of there faces were afraid. Still, none as bad as Alice's.
I was rewarded with possibly the ugliest look possible sent at me from Rosalie's fierce eyes.
"What's going on?" I was surprised that I was brave enough to speak.
No one answered.
"I know Alice had a vision. A-and now everyone is terrified. What was the vision?"
Edward spoke up, "Bella, it's fine, really it's-"
"FINE?" Rosalie screamed.
"Rose…" Emmett reached to her, but she shrugged him off.
Alice started shaking, I noticed.
"Alice, what's wrong?" I whispered to her.
No one answered, again.
Rosalie's icy voice broke the silence, "she saw Jasper being killed. Yes, Edward was already dead. James was just finishing off Jasper in her vision. You know, the vampire coming for Edward? The man that we would have fled from if Edward didn't want to leave you? He wanted to stay here with you. Edward will die because of you."
A terrible growl shot out of Edward's snarling mouth, and he flung himself towards Rosalie. Alice was snarling as well, but she didn't attack. Emmett stepped in front of Rosalie before Edward could reach her.
But I barely took notice to all of this. All I could focus on were Rosalie's words.
Edward will die because of you.
It felt like a was in a dream, everything was going on around me so quickly, Edward yelling at Rosalie and Emmett, Alice watching and snarling, Jasper probably trying to calm everyone. But everything was somehow moving slowly at the same time.
My heartbeat was probably beating fast, but I could hear the slow thumping, pounding in my ears.
"Bella," Edward's urgent voice cut in, "Bella, look at me."
But I couldn't. My eyes were stuck on the small black haired pixy standing against the wall. Her face frightened beyond belief. She saw her soul mate being killed. Because of me.
"But it isn't just Edward! Not just Jasper!" Rosalie was screaming again, her voice sounded like she was near hysterics while she stopped moving and just stared at me. "We are all going to die."
I looked back at Alice, to see the same face she had on earlier. This time she was shaking, her face contorted in her fear. Jasper held onto her with his eyes closed.
I had to think and act quickly. I closed my eyes and focused on something for a moment.
On a decision.
"Alice, what do you see now?" I demanded.
She looked at me, studying my face with her empty eyes. Her voice came out on a shaky whisper, cracking slightly, "please don't make me watch it again…" Jasper just clung to her tighter.
I ignored the sadness I felt for Alice before continuing, "I don't mean to hurt you Alice, but I think it may change. I made a new decision."
I though I saw a shimmer of hope flicker in her eyes before her body stiffened and her eyes glazed over as she looked into our future. A few moments passed before her eyes fluttered back open.
"It's…" she started, biting her lip, "changing. I saw it… happening again… first, but then I saw us killing them. But… then it was them killing us again." She looked at me. "It keeps changing. But…" she looked down again, "it's more of the same thing… more of us dying. But… it looks like there might be a small chance. Small."
Jasper was holding onto her still, his lips pressed against her temple.
"Bella," she spoke again, "what decision did you make?"
I swallowed, not trusting my voice for a few minutes. But it was time for a Bella Swan to be brave.
"Goodbye."
It made sense that it was raining once I reached the front yard. It was dark and storming badly, raining buckets onto me. I was already soaked.
I started towards my car, but Edward was then standing right in front of me, soaked as well.
"Bella!" his voice was incredulous and pained; I didn't like hearing it like that. I wanted to go home. "What are you doing?"
"I'm leaving, Edward." I spat out as rudely as my voice could get. It didn't sound too intimidating.
He reached his arms out towards me, but I cringed away visibly. It didn't go unnoticed by him. "Fine. You can leave, but tomorrow we can-"
"No, Edward. There is no tomorrow." I had to get this over with.
Confusion crossed his features. "What do you mean? There's always tomorrow."
"No, there isn't always tomorrow. I am leaving. I don't want to be here anymore. I'm going to Phoenix."
He stood staring at me, his mouth opening and closing, searching for words.
I started running towards my car again, and I just about there before Edward appeared in front of me.
He leaned down so his face was level with mine as he grabbed my shoulders.
"Why?" He demanded.
If I told him the truth, he wouldn't let me go. That much was obvious. It was deciding what lie to tell him that was the hard part.
"I-I can't deal with this. Being around your family, and all this vampire stuff going on. I'm a human, I'm not even supposed to know! Let's j-just go back to pretending that I don't know."
"What about me!?" he was screaming now, and I refused to make eye contact with him.
"Bella," his voice now almost had my knees give in. The sadness was obviously not being hidden now, "what about me?"
I closed my eyes completely so I wouldn't have to look at him at all as I said this; I was too disgusted with myself. "I'll go back to pretending you are dead. And you can go back to being alive and not telling me."
He was completely still and silent as I walked around him and got into my jeep. I started my car before he spoke.
"Where are you going in Phoenix?" His voice sounded funny. Guarded. Completely guarded.
"Home," I stated, flatly, with lack of emotion as his was.
I started out the driveway, not too far to hear Edward's agonized shout.
"Home is where the heart is, Bella!"
I allowed myself one last look in my rear view mirror, where I saw a white angel, made of stone, kneeling on the ground in the pouring rain with his hands gripping his angel face.