So sorry this has taken so long! Explanation is at the end of the chapter and I'll do my best to get more out soon! Many thanks to my reviewers: socialxxhazard, angelgirl44, twlightforeternity63801, mrsedwardcullenxxx and Hannahmilkweed! This one is from a new POV… I wonder who?
We followed Bella all the way across the states and right into downtown Jacksonville before we increased our distance from her truck. Edward was fidgety, especially for someone who was very good at sitting very still for long periods of time. I had tried to get a conversation started but Edward wasn't having it – so I turned on some upbeat music and let the music take the place of a proper conversation.
I stayed well back as we got closer to the shoreline because there was less and less cars as we got closer to the beach. Our windows were down halfway, the humid breeze gently flowing into the car. Bella's truck began to slow and she put on her signal to turn right. Edward tensed, sensing we were close to her mother's home and I slowed further as she made her turn and waited a few seconds, keeping the truck in sight, before I made an identical turn and continued following her.
She made another right turn a few moments later and slowed right down, pulling her truck into the driveway of a pale yellow house with a white wooden veranda. After a moment, she put the truck into park and turned it off – the neighborhood went quiet as the rumbling echoed dully against the houses. I nodded to myself, memorizing the way to her house and the way it looked before I continued going straight.
I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye as I tried to find a hotel close to Bella's mother's home. For someone who typically looked flawless, as we all did, he looked tired, weary and visibly stressed. His eyes were dark and the circles underneath them where uncharacteristically dark.
"Should we find a place to hunt?" We had hunted near the campground Bella had stayed at near Wyoming; I wasn't really interested in hunting but perhaps it would help get Edwards mind off of Bella.
"I'm not in the mood Emmett. Let's find a hotel, I need to get out of this car for a while." Edwards voice was firm and final so I didn't bother to press it any longer. I was used to silence; when Rosalie got angry or upset, we wouldn't talk for days. But with Edward I wasn't used to it.
We drove around for about half an hour, trying to find a hotel that was as close to Bella's mother's house as possible. We finally found one and checked in for one night – we would add more days if necessary. I walked to the bed furthest away from the window and put my overnight bag down on it – clearly, this bed would not be used for sleeping. I turned off the lights to give the impression that we were sleeping to those that could see the light in our window and under the door.
As I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, I could hear Edwards' ragged breath. We had all become used to breathing, for appearances' sake, and now not breathing was uncomfortable. A part of me knew that Edward was trying to plot a way to see Bella, even if he didn't make contact with her, but I wouldn't allow it. It was bad enough that he had insisted on coming here with me in tow, but I had promised Esme and Carlisle that I would keep Edward away from Bella.
Edward could very easily send her over the edge if he showed up on her doorstep or worse, push her closer to Jacob. I loved Bella like my sister; she was perfect for Edward and they were meant to be together, but even I knew that right now was not the time for Edward to force himself into her life, for his well-being or for hers.
"You know it's nice not having to be around Alice right now… It gets tiring having her seeing my future and predicting things all the time. I guess that's what it must be like for all of you, having to know that I can hear your thoughts all the time." It was one of the first times in about a day that Edward had spoken on his own accord, and not just in response to something I had said.
"It can difficult to keep your guard up over your private thoughts at all times. That's why Rosalie and I take vacations here and there… we like to have our own time together and the freedom of our own thoughts."
Edward went silent and my mind wandered into dangerous territory; there was no time like the present to tell Edward but I hadn't intended it at this very moment. Although Bella had always seemed to think herself as ordinary, she was indeed, quite extraordinary. I had seen her before Edward, the day that she had moved into town. I was chasing Rosalie through the woods in a high-speed game of manhunt when I had slowed near Charlie's house. She had run right past it at full speed and, although he wasn't all that quick, if Charlie had seen something that fast running through the woods, he certainly would have questioned it and gone to investigate. He never would have found us, but the possibility was still there.
I had lurked in the woods as she stepped out of the cruiser and looked around and although I already had the love of my life, my breath was taken away. I could smell her sweet scent from quite a distance and after taking four steps forward in her direction, I stopped myself just before the edge of the woods where I would be seen. Trying to explain why I was hiding in the woods behind the police chief's house would be difficult.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Edwards voice came out of the silence, slightly accusing and a bit morose.
"I didn't think it was important; people come in and out of Forks all the time."
"After all this time? You've purposely not thought about that day… why?"
I heard Edward roll over towards me and sit up on his bed. I stayed lying down and carefully maneuvered my thoughts to remain within the conversation. I wasn't about to let him know all of the other things I had thought of Bella and that I had stayed out late that evening to watch her from the forest.
"It doesn't matter."
Edward sighed and stood up, turning his body away from me and towards the door. He knew I wasn't being forthcoming, but he didn't press any more details and I was glad. Edwards rational side had good timing.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to get out of this room.
"Edward."
I spoke in my mind and I knew he couldn't pretend not to hear me. I wondered if he expected me to just let him leave without so much as a word.
"I can't be here right now. I need to do something, to go somewhere. It's driving me crazy knowing I'm six blocks away from her and I can't be near her."
"Stay. Just relax for a while. Bella is sleeping, nothing is going to happen and if you think it will I'll go and make sure things are fine. But you can't go to her… you need to leave her be. Sit back down Edward."
"No I can't do that…"
"Call Esme. We need to let her know that we're okay. It'll take your mind off things." I spoke out loud now, knowing that the thought of Esme worrying would get to Edward, no matter how much he needed to leave.
"We'll go down to the beach after you get off the phone with Esme, go for a walk. Enjoy the change in weather."
Edward nodded slowly, likely realizing I wouldn't let him go without a fight, and that fight would wake the entire hotel.
"You're not going to make this easy for me are you?" he asked quietly, dialing the numbers with his thumb.
"Not a chance."
Emmets POV is different for what the story has been and I've struggled with this chapter for weeks. Hopefully the next few come into being easily! Review please :) I'll get the next few chapters out asap – currently in the middle of graduating from University so that's kinda important ;)
