Control
Chapter Twelve: Moving Backwards
I found myself sitting on the beach ten minutes later. I had run until I tripped and stumbled to where I now sat. I didn't look up when Paul sat down next to me. His usual anger was absent from his face. He seemed to be bracing himself for whatever I would throw at him next. I hated that I put him so on guard. No matter what I did the past kept catching up to me. When he spoke his voice was low and soothing.
"You came to me, Bella. You came to me the other night and told me that you would trust me enough to believe for the both of us. Now you have to trust me to have strength enough for the both of us to get through this," he said. His hand hesitantly took mine.
"Paul," I said softly but he pressed a finger to my lips.
"I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to listen. Can you do that?" He asked. I nodded and he took a deep breath. "After we made love the other night I decided that I could never be apart from you. You are inside of me and I am inside of you. No one, not even the Cullens, can take that away from us. I won't let them," he said sounding slightly angry again.
"But," I began but he covered my mouth with his whole hand this time.
"I want you to look me in the eye Bella and tell me something. Tell me that after the night you told me you loved me that you didn't feel whole again. Tell me I am imagining the fulfillment we both felt that night. Tell me that after having me in your hands, in your mouth and in your body that you still want him. Because if you do I will walk away right now," he said. He released my mouth.
"I only want you," I said. He waited. He was so much better with words that I was. I tried my best. "That night was one of the best of my life. You're the only person I want touching me, kissing me and making love to me," I said. He crushed me to his chest; cradling me in his lap. I felt his face buried in my hair and he was shaking slightly; like he was…crying. I had pushed him so much and so often that he had been afraid I would do so again.
"Bella…I," he says but his voice is so thick with tears that he can't continue. My next comment lightens the mood immensely.
"Hey I can't let you go. You eat pussy too well for that," I said. I am rewarded with a watery chuckle.
"I have to tell you something," he said. I tense automatically but he pulls back to look me in the eye.
"I have never done that to anyone before you," he said. My look of doubt made him laugh. "It just never really felt right. But with you…" his voice trails off. I move his hair back from his forehead and press my lips to his brow.
"I'm glad," I said.
I clench Paul's hand tightly as we all make our way the few short remaining yards to the treaty line. My tension seems to actually soothe his agitation and he squeezes my hand in a reassuring way. One by one the Cullens appear. Carlisle followed by Esme then Alice and Jasper then Emmett and Rose and oh god there he is. I bite my lip hard and look at the ground.
"Thank you for meeting us here," Carlisle said.
"You made a compelling argument," Sam said. His arms were crossed over his bare chest.
"Don't they own any shirts?" I heard Edward mumble. I tried not to laugh when Emmett smacked him across the back of the head. I have to smile at the jealousy in his eyes as he regards me with wary eyes clinging to Paul's side. Paul wraps his arm around me tightly and presses his lips to my temple. Edward's eyes go dark but he doesn't say a word.
"Well as I was saying on the phone. We have a real situation. At this moment there have been reports of people going missing in Seattle. Normally this wouldn't be a concern except for the fact that the number is now in the hundreds. We believe that someone, possibly Victoria, is creating an army to take us all out," Carlisle explained. I looked up at Paul who looked like he had already heard this information.
"So you want us to join forces," Sam said. Carlisle nodded.
"It would be a temporary arrangement. Once the threat was eliminated we would go our separate ways," Carlisle said.
"And this lifts the original treaty temporarily?" Paul asked from beside me. Edward scoffed.
"He thinks we'll try to kidnap Bella," Edward said. His face was twisted in a very unattractive way.
"Get out of my head freak," Paul retorted. I squeezed his hand once and he calmed down.
"I think maybe Paul and Bella should leave now," Sam said taking quick assessment of the situation.
"No," I said immediately. "I need to be here. I need to hear this." Paul and Edward were having a stare down. Seeing them so close together illuminated their differences. Paul was taller by a few inches and more muscular. The contrast between their skin was almost shocking to the eye. Edward's face was too perfect; too symmetrical-like a statue. Paul was ruggedly handsome in a way none of the Cullens could even touch.
"Can you attempt to control your thoughts?" Edward said suddenly. Paul was smirking. I smacked his chest and instantly regretted it when pain shot through my hand. Paul pressed his lips to my temple again.
"Sorry kitten you were just looking at me so intently," he said. "I'll try harder." Sam cleared his throat.
"So what's the plan?" He asked Carlisle. Jasper stepped forward. He smiled at me before speaking.
"We lure them to an isolated spot. They think we are outnumbered and that is where you guys come in. Even with their numbers they will fall," Jasper said. "Newborns are less experienced fighters which gives us an advantage. They don't even know you all exist."
"How do we lure them?" Jake asked. His brow was slightly furrowed. Jasper nodded to me. Paul went rigid at my side and started shaking.
"Over my dead body," he shouted. He half yanked my arm until I was shielded behind him. "That is the farthest thing from any kind of option." I pulled my arm from his grasp gently.
"That's not your decision," I said. He turned to face me. I haven't seen him this angry-ever.
"No," he said. When his spoke his voice was deadly calm. I moved until we were toe to toe and leaned back to look him in the eye.
"It's the only thing that will work," I said equally calmly. I could hear murmuring around us but I didn't back down. He cupped my face gently with one hand.
"I…need you as far away from this as possible," he said. I shrugged his hand off and it fell limply to his side.
"And I need to know that I did everything I could to keep everyone safe," I countered. His face darkened.
"You're so fucking stubborn," he snapped. His tone stung me and I snapped back.
"And what the fuck does that make you?" I countered. I heard Emmett snicker.
"Bella said fuck," he said to whoever was listening. I ignored him.
"He's going to lose it," Jake murmured. Paul was shaking head to foot but I wasn't about to back down.
"Calm the fuck down right now," I snapped. He raised his eyes and I saw the wolf in them. I wasn't going to make it out of this walking straight that was for sure.
"Fine," he snapped. "You fucking win. Risk your fucking life like fucking always. Fucking leave me. It's what you're fucking good at," he lashed out. Before I could respond he disappeared into the woods leaving everyone shell shocked.