Chapter 11 – Hunted
BPOV
Alice & I got home in record time. I wasn't paying attention to the road. All I thought about was Edward. I held the heart charm for the entire ride. She saw how upset I was being away from Edward. "I saw he was getting pretty bad. I just wanted you to see each other so he would calm down. Are you mad at me?" I turned to look at her. Alice was looking at me with pleading eyes. "Why would I be mad? I'm grateful. I just miss him."
Alice laughed her tinkly laugh, "It's almost over. I have to remind the both of you about that." The car was filled with our laughter and conversation. When we got home, there was another car in the driveway, behind Charlie's cruiser. It was Jacob's Rabbit. Alice got her bags out of the trunk. "Thank you, Alice. Today was great. Thank you so much for my surprise." Alice hugged me and we walked into the house. the door opened, Alice was wrinkling her nose.
"Dad?" I called out. There was talking coming from the living room. Alice and I went into the living room and saw Billy, Charlie, Jacob and Sam. They were watching a game and leaning over several pizza boxes. "Hey, girls. Did you have fun?" Charlie asked. I nodded, "Yea. We had a great time." It was a better idea to leave Edward out of my day. Billy was staring at Alice and she was looking back. Charlie picked up on that, "I'm sorry. Billy, Sam, this is Alice Cullen. She's staying with us while her family's away."
Billy feigned a smile, "It's nice to meet you. Charlie has told me a lot about you." Alice played along, "It's nice to meet you too. And Sam as well." Alice's eyes turned to Sam, who woodenly turned to look at her. Sam just nodded and went back to watching the television. Alice went upstairs, at a human speed. It was likely she would stay upstairs for the rest of the evening.
I went to the kitchen and wrote a message to Edward. He wrote that he was already in Canada. It still marveled me at how fast he drove. I was thinking he drove slightly slower when I was in the car. Edward knew his fast driving scared me. After finishing with my phone, my attention was on my new necklace. I thought to Edward's reasons for me to accept it. The heart was hard and cold and only I held the key to it. That thought made me smile. Someone heaved themselves off the couch.
Jacob came into the kitchen. "Hey Bells. How was your day, really?" I looked up at him to read his face, "It was fine. Really. We went to Olympia after I got off from work. And thanks for working with Alice today." Jacob huffed, "Sure, sure. Trading off babysitters." I wanted to hit him, "What did you do? Did you get any rest?" Jacob looked over his shoulder, then back at me, "I don't know how to tell you this."
His thick brows were heavy over his eyes. His body straightened suddenly. "You could've waited to tell her when the house wasn't so crowded," Alice chimed from behind Jacob. She walked past him and sat at the table. I looked to her, then to Jacob, "What, what is it?" Alice and Jacob looked at other, "We didn't get her. She went into the ocean." Ice water ran through my veins. She was here and not there. It was good and bad thing. Victoria wasn't near Edward, but she was till terrorizing my home.
Alice sighed heavily, "Too bad, mutt. But this won't be going on much longer. Soon, Bella will be away at college. Hopefully, your pack can handle Victoria without us here." I clutched the counter for support. Jacob held my shoulders, his hands still shaking, "Bella, are you all right?" I shook my head. How could I be all right? "That's why Alice took me to Olympia, to get me away from her." I took in a big breath after my epiphany.
"She figured it all out," Alice said. She came to my side. I looked at her and thought; did she tell Edward about her vision? Is that the real reason he was here? Alice took my hand and had me sit at the table. Her cool hands pushed me down in the seat and patted my hair, "Don't worry, Bella. We'll be gone soon. She won't come near you." I looked to Alice's expression, it was hopeful, then to Jacob's, it was angry. He didn't like the news of me leaving soon.
"Is that why you're here, Jacob?" He nodded, "Yea. We watched him all day. Then when he was coming home, we showed up for a surprise visit." The room was starting to spin from my seized lungs. I don't know when I stopped breathing. All this was becoming unbearable. Being away from Edward, Victoria hunting me and she was threatening my friends and family; this was all becoming to be too much for me. Dealing with all this, a thought came to me. I ignored my audience and thought to myself.
The treaty was broken and Victoria is still after me. I'm leaving Forks soon, so maybe…..? Alice gasped and kicked me a little too hard. My eyes pinched shut from the pain. Jacob's eyes tore from my face and looked to Alice, "What is it?" Alice glared at me; she knew what I wanted to ask. "It's nothing. I just saw something about Esme."
Alice lied coolly. Jacob and Alice looked towards the hall. Their senses were way better than mine. Sam came into the kitchen, looking toward Jacob, "Billy's ready to go. Is everything all right?" Jacob looked back at me and held my eyes, "Yes. She knows." Sam nodded and went back to the living room, "Let's go."
I walked over to Jacob to say goodbye. He leaned down and his huge arms hugged me back, "Don't worry, Bells. I'll be watching you tonight." He shot Alice an angry glance and she met his with her own. Goodbyes were exchanged between Charlie, Sam and Billy.
Charlie came into the kitchen, "Are you girls hungry?" I shook my head, unable to speak. Alice answered, "We had Italian before we got home." The two of us disappeared into my bedroom. We changed into our pajamas in silence. Alice was mad from her vision. My body was still rigid, but I tried laying down to calm myself. Alice sat up next to me. My anxieties didn't dissolve. Neither did my separation pains. Victoria, of course, held a great part of my anxieties, but being away from Edward was even greater.
I knew my own pain, but what about Alice's? She's away from Jasper. Was she missing him as much as I missed Edward? I looked up at her, "Alice?" She looked down at me, "Yes, Bella?" I propped myself up on my elbow, to have a better look of her face. Her expression was calm. "Is something wrong?" I shook my head, "No, but are you all right?" Alice had a confused look on her face, "Me? Why do you ask?" I looked down to my bed.
My plan was suddenly beginning to feel shameful. Not only was I hurting Edward, I was hurting Alice and Jasper. They were separated because of me. "Alice, I'm sorry. You shouldn't be here. You should be with Jasper." Alice smiled her gleaming smile, "No, Bella. I should be here. If I didn't come, who knows what would have happened? Well, I knew what was going to happen, that's why I came.
As for Jasper and I, I just saw him today." My eyebrows puckered and she giggled, "He came with Edward. While you two were together, Jasper and I went hunting." Alice was incredible. She arranged the whole visit and still had time to do an excessive amount of shopping. "Besides," she continued, "I talk to Jaz all night while you are sleeping. Don't worry about me, Bella. Just focus, we have finals this week." I groaned, "Finals." The word came out like a dirge, "Yes, that is such a distraction from my worries."
Alice was a great help in my studying. I only have two finals to worry about; history and calculus. As we were parking at school, Alice gasped and stared out of the windshield. I knew that look. She didn't move for a long time. To keep myself sane, I counted my breaths until she exhaled in a huff. "Alice, what is it? What did you see?"
She looked at me, then she scanned the parking lot. While her eyes moved across the parking lot, she took out her phone and dialed. "Edward, she's made her decision. She is coming."
