It was so fast, I barely felt it happen
It was so fast, I barely felt it happen. First, I was in the hands of a vampire who thought of me as mouthwatering. Then, I was pulled by Edward, to his chest. I was trying to catch my breath when I noticed we were not just vampires and human anymore.
Loud growling erupted from everywhere. I couldn't see what was happening because everything was moving in a blur. Edward had me on his back and was running before I could make sense of what was happening. When he finally stopped, I felt sick.
"Edward?" I mumbled.
His arms were around me, and I couldn't see his face.
"Edward, what happened back there?" I demanded, struggling to push him away enough to see his face. He was as hard as stone and made it impossible for me to accomplish anything. Then, I heard it.
There was a howl of pain coming from somewhere nearby. Edward growled.
"Edward!" I exclaimed. "Edward, tell me what is going on!"
There was silence until another howl sounded nearby. My heart felt like it was going to stop as I realized what the noise was. It was a werewolf in pain.
"I have to get you out of here," Edward muttered to himself through clenched teeth. My breathing started to get ragged.
"Edward…is it the pack?" I whispered.
He was already pulling me onto his back.
"Yes," he answered simply.
"Then get me off! We have to go back, Edward. I can't let them get hurt!" I complained, thinking of what must be happening.
"I can't do that," he declared, furious. I started trying to kick against him; he growled angrily at me like he had never done before. It frightened me. I felt the tears spill out of my eyes like the way a river flows over a waterfall.
"Jacob," I hollered, unthinking.
Edward growled, pulling me back on the ground. "I can't take you back," he spat. "You didn't see what they will do to you if they find you now, all thanks to him. Everything was going to turn out fine, as Alice saw, but they had to come, something we didn't expect. Now, Alice sees them taking you. And do you know what is going on over there right now? They are fighting. Can you imagine that? And I can't go help them because right now I have to hide you," he continued.
I was looking up at his face now, and I could see the worry on his face, the sadness of having to leave his family that was fighting because of me right now. It was my entire fault, yet he still felt like he had to save me first. I wasn't worth as much as his family was. I wasn't worth anything. I had to do something to make him take me back.
There was another howl and a roar.
"I'm sorry Edward, but you have to take me back. I'm not just saying this because it is my entire fault that this is happening, but because…" I was going blank and I had to think of something fast. "Edward, all this time, I have been using you." He looked at me with a confused expression. "I used you. That glitch in my brain making it so that you can't hear my thoughts was very helpful. All this time…I have been pretending to…love you." It was the hardest thing in my life to say that to him! He was now looking at me with a pained expression. "All I was after was to become a vampire, to be as beautiful as Rosalie, to not be so clumsy anymore…" I realized I should be harsher to make it more believable. "I mean, why do you think I didn't want to get married? That wasn't on my list, but since it was the only way to get what I wanted, I took the offer. It's not like some paper was going to stop me from leaving you," I declared harshly, carelessly. Tears still spilled from my eyes. I could barely stand the accusing look he was giving me. But more than that, there was betrayal. He believed me! It was too late to stop now. Whatever I said after this was only going to make him doubt me. We stared at each other long and hard. His eyes were darker than the night sky. They were darker than coal. But they weren't darker than the hell I was going to live after this…without him.
"Bella, you have to be lying. It's not true," he said through his teeth, but it sounded as if he was trying to assure himself of that.
"It is true," I contradicted. "It's not you I love." I had no idea why I knew this was going to hurt him the most. "All this time, I've loved Jake, Edward. Jake! He's the one I want to be with, but since my plan was to become a vampire, I had to give him up, pretend I loved you. I hurt him for nothing!" I cried.
He stared at me, his mouth open only a bit. Then he was gone. I heard the crashing sound of something. My head snapped in its direction. I saw his blurred shape running, breaking trees and throwing them against other trees. He was furious and it was my entire fault for lying like that to him. He was never going to forgive me now. He was never going to love me again; he was going too hate me for all eternity.
"Edward," I whispered when he had stopped, though he was not facing me. "Take me back," I pleaded.
His face turned back to look at me, and before I knew it, we were moving again. This time, not caring about the dizziness that would follow, I kept my eyes open. I wanted to at least have this memory of running through the forest toward my death…with Edward there. That was all that mattered to me.
When everything stopped again, he placed me on the ground. The first thing I heard was growls and howls of pain, and the first thing I saw almost made me faint; it wasn't from the dizziness. There, where we had first met with the Volturi, was a werewolf on the ground in pain. Jacob! Jane was standing a few feet away, apparently pleased with her work. Looking behind me, I saw that Edward wasn't there to protect me.
The other werewolves were trying to surround the other Volturi while Carlisle tried to convince them to stop the brawl. A wave of calmness washed over me, and I looked at Jasper. He was now the only one looking like he was in pain. Everyone else was looking calm. Jacob was beginning to recover from what he had just been through. He stood up again, whining in pain. I sighed in relief, and he heard me. His face turned in my direction and before thinking it through, he was running toward me.
He reached me, standing in front of me protectively. I looked in Edward's direction. His expression was the same as before…hurt. He wasn't looking at us. He was looking at Alice, speaking silently.
"Please," Carlisle said. "Can we solve this without any fighting?"
"Of course, but you do realize we were not the ones who started it," he said, still calm.
"We do, and so why don't we solve this problem once and for all?" Carlisle suggested.
"Sounds like a plan, and as you know, we were going to give Bella and Edward a second chance, but this might just have sped things up some," he declared.
Jacob growled in front of me. What was I to do now?
I stepped in front of Jacob before he could stop me.
"I'm here and I think we need to discuss the changes that have been made," I said, my head turning in Edward's direction. I still couldn't feel terrible, though.
"Go ahead, but could your blond son stop this…feeling he has put over us of calmness?" Aro asked.
"Only if you swear to not start anything."
Aro nodded. Carlisle looked at Edward and Alice and they nodded. Jasper's face seemed to relax as we regained our own emotions. I could feel the pain again, and I could see the accusing look Alice and Rosalie shot at me. Why did this have to happen?
"Go ahead, Bella, state your proposition." Aro still seemed calm.
"I-I have to tell you that…Edward doesn't have anything to do with what I am going to do, so please keep him out of this," I pleaded. I took a step forward. "Edward and I have just made a decision. He and I are not going to be getting married anymore and I think…" I stopped. I couldn't have the werewolves here for this part. Everyone was staring at me. "I…need to say that…that…maybe speeding…up….things…" I didn't know what to say. I started to walk closer toward Aro. Jacob growled behind me, but I ignored him.
"Yes?" He waited patiently. From the corner of my eye I thought I saw Edward come forward. "I understand."
I pursed my lips and wiped the tears in my eyes.
"No," bellowed Edward at the same time that Jacob growled angrily.
"But you heard Bella; she assured us she was not going to be marrying you anymore. That means she is able to make her own decisions. Don't worry, Edward, we know you still love her, though we do not understand the reason for why you are not going to get married. I'm sure it must have been a hard decision for the way you two are looking," he said innocently.
"It was her decision, not mine, but that doesn't mean I don't feel the way she never felt for me anymore. I care." I was staring at him, trying not to cry-it would give me away….but he loved me! He still loved me after all I said!
"Ah, I see."
"So to take her, we have to get rid of this pack here?" Felix said.
The pack was suddenly growling; and Jacob was suddenly beside me again.
"Nobody has to kill anybody," I declared harshly. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions by myself. And from what I have heard about the treaty, they have to bite me, don't they? I have not been bitten. And, if I may add, I can choose to leave with whoever I want at whatever time I want," I stated.
"Bella…No, Bella," Esme pleaded softly.
I turned to her, and gave her a weak smile; then I frowned. "I'm sorry. It will make your lives easier without me, though. You won't have to take care of me again. I won't be a burden for you."
"Bella…" Edward's voice was hard and low.
I looked at him. "I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Something is wrong here," Aro laughed. "It does seem to me like Edward doesn't want to be away from Bella."
Edward's expression changed. It was confused.
"Why don't you come along with us?" Aro suggested.
"Would I have a choice?" Edward asked.
Aro seemed to think it was funny. He laughed out loud. "I guess not." He laughed again. "Well, shall we get going? Bella, Edward…Alice?" Alice shook her head.
Jacob whined behind me, and I turned to look at him with sad eyes. Then, I looked at Aro. "Can I have a moment alone with Jake?"
Aro nodded, and I didn't want to look at the rest of the faces who were staring at me.
I started to walk away in the opposite direction of where everyone else was. Jacob followed behind me until we were far enough that nobody would be able to hear me. There, Jacob left to change into his human form. He didn't hesitate when he came back to hug me. He held me so close and I could feel the warmth coming from his skin. I was going to miss him so much.
"Please, Bella, don't go. Get married with the bloodsucker! I'll let it be. But please, just don't leave," he pleaded against my hair. I heard a sound that made me think he was crying. I wanted to see his face, knowing it could be long before I saw him again, if I ever did.
"I can't. It's the only way they will leave everyone alone. Then, you'll be able to give up being a werewolf and live a normal life," I said.
"Bella, Bells," he repeated my name over and over again.
"Tell Charlie…It doesn't matter. Make something up! I'm probably not going to come back either way," I whispered.
He pulled back, and I realized he was crying. There were tears on his cheeks.
"So you've decided? Can't you get out of it?"
"No."
He pulled me up to kiss me. His lips were hard n mine and I didn't care. It was going to be the last time I saw him…for a long time…and I did still love him.
"It doesn't matter anymore…Bells… I just need you! If you don't marry the bloodsucker…I'll take you…back. I'll…take you…back," he promised between kisses. "Just come back…for me…" he begged.
He kissed me for a long time, and when we both needed to breathe, he pulled away. I looked at him in the eyes.
"I'll be back," I promised. "One day…and I'm…not going to marry Edward…but after this, I don't think I will be able to live a life as normal as it has been until now," I confessed. "We'll have to wait and see, because without Edward…I'm nobody."
"If you still remember me, you'll always be Bella," he assured me, before bringing my face up to kiss me again.
"Edward..." Jacob leaned away, hurt. "I'm sorry, Jake. I…"
"I'll take you back…but you better come back for me." He smiled at me. It wasn't the smile I loved. This was different. I would be back.
I know, you must be thinking something...Duh, right?
Well, please tell me what you think...
