Chapter 14: Torn

Edward's POV

"So, Baseball? Your family wants you to play baseball today, right now? It looks like rain." Leah said as she put her blueberry muffin down and crossed to the window. She opened the curtains, it was cloudier than usual.

"That's the only time we get to play. You should come, Leah, I think you'll really like it." She gave me her 'I-highly-doubt-it' look. It was Sunday, and Leah and I usually made a big deal out of doing nothing on Sundays. At most we'd take a walk, a slow walk and discuss the highlights of the week. That's if we went out at all. Most Sunday's we were both couch potatoes.

"Edward, you are asking me to break tradition!" She turned back to me where I was already putting on my baseball jersey. Her eyes narrowed at me and I raised my eyebrows as if to ask what her deal was.

"I'm not a big baseball fan, Edward. I may just hang out here and get some stuff done around the house … washing clothes and whatever." She sat back down on the couch. She was still wearing her black night dress. She was contemplating going back to bed. I didn't why, but lately Leah had been having down moments. I had tried to figure out what was causing them but her head had been full of bits and pieces, I could never really determine the source. She'd been thinking a lot about this Ryan guy; that guy just might eventually become a problem. Little did she know that I was going to do everything in my power not to let that happen.

"Here, I have another jersey." I threw the white and navy blue shirt in her direction. She snickered and debated whether or not she was going to throw it back at me.

"Don't throw it! Leah, it's not that big of a deal, I'm betting you'll have fun. It's not your normal baseball game. I promise." She scrunched her nose up.

"You promise, huh?" She crossed her arms and I nodded with wide eyes as I hoped she was caving. "Okay," she conceded quietly. "Then after, can we take a walk?"

"Deal!" I offered her my hand and she shook it. I was excited. I knew how much Leah loved power and the rush of speed. She was going to love this!

Alice's POV

We were all waiting for Edward to show up so we could get this show on the road. I loved these days when the family all got together and did something fun. There was no drama and no hiding what we were, just us, enjoying some of the benefits that came along with being a vampire. The thunder had started and the earth beneath my feet was shaking; it only added to my excitement. I grabbed my ball glove and took my place on the mound. I could smell Edward's scent telling me he was near.

"Let's get ready, people!" I yelled. We were playing ladies against gents. I was super hyped. We rarely played this way because Rosalie usually complained that it was unfair. Everyone had taken their position; since he was last to arrive, we were going to ask Edward to be the umpire. When he came into the clearing we all noticed he had his new counterpart in his arms, he was forever picking that poor girl up, most of the times she'd put a protest but today she seemed complacent.

"Hello all," Edward called as he put Leah down. She stumbled, a little unsteadily; she clutched at him and then looked around.

"Hey." She seemed a little uncomfortable. He'd probably begged her to come. She was going to be bored; it wasn't like she could play. She kept looking nervously at Edward and seemed a little lost. I watched as Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper greeted her. I would talk to her later, after I smoked my husband's face. I bounced up and down, I was ready to play.

"Where should I sit?" Leah asked. "I don't want to get smacked in the face with a ball." She clarified.

"Sit off to the side, Leah," I pointed to an area that would be best to avoid being smacked in the head with a ball. "But you won't have to worry because most of these guys are getting struck out!" I proclaimed, sassing at my hubby.

"Bring it on, pixie girl!" Jasper said as he delivered that smile that left me distracted. God, I loved this man, but right now- right now I'm going to embarrass him with my amazing skills.

"Alright, brace yourself," I winked at him and then started the fun.

After a few innings the rain finally presented itself, letting us know that our game was almost over. Surprisingly, we girls whipped the guys. Leah was our cheerleader, yelling and screaming our praises. We were all getting ready to pack it in. When Edward asked us to hold for a moment, he pointed to Leah and signaled her to come over to him. She gave him a look, a look that I've seen her give him a hundred times; she thought my brother was a lunatic. "I want you to give it a try." Edward offered Leah his bat.

"You're crazy!" She said, confirming the look that was on her face.

"Just try it, Leah, you know you want to." He placed the bat in her hands and she gawked at it and then flashed her eyes to me. I shrugged my apology.

"I'll throw it lightly, Leah." I said as I got ready to pitch the ball.

"No, throw at your normal speed," he yelled back to me.

"I'm going to be your muscle." he told her. He wrapped his arms around Leah, her back to his front, and he placed his hands over top of hers. "We'll swing at the same time.'' Leah turned slightly and looked at my brother through her eyelashes. That was most definitely not a look I'd ever seen her give him before.

"Okay," Leah whispered it was so faint I barely heard her. Edward nodded toward me and I threw the ball. They swung together at the ball which went flying through the trees.

"Whoa," she mouthed. Leah turned and faced my brother with shock, and something else, in her expression. "That was great!"

"Yeah," he murmured back. The sexual tension dripping of these two was so intense that even I was feeling it. I took a deep breath and glanced at Jasper, my eyebrows high, to see if I was right.

"Okay, anyone up for a movie night?" I offered. "It's about to pour out here." Everybody else was in, but Edward just had to be the odd man out.

"Uh, actually Alice, Leah and I-" he started to give me some make-shift excuse.

"We'd love to come," Leah answered before Edward could finish. He gave her a confused look. "We can't very well walk in the rain," she observed.

"But," he tried to argue and she arched her eyebrow at him.

"I want to hang out with Alice for a while," Leah's explanation surprised me. "Actually I'm going to ride back to the house with her." She grabbed my hand and started pulling me in the direction my car. It took us a couple of minutes to get to my car during which time she began to shake. As soon as the doors were closed, Leah buried her face in her hands. I sat in the car trying to process what she was feeling. Why had she come with me instead of sticking to Edward?

"Oh my God," she spoke, muffled, from behind her hands, "what am I going to do?" Reality was hitting Leah. I didn't want to say I'd told her so, but I had expected this to happen and inside I was doing my happy dance. Everybody claimed I was such a pest, with my premonitions and such, but I just think they were all mad because of how often I was right.

"You still want to go to the house?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," she croaked as she lowered her hands and rubbed them against her thighs. "Um Alice, drive slow okay?" She said as she not-so-secretly wiped her tears.

In spite of my driving a little slower than usual Leah and I ended up at the house before most of the others. The only car in the garage was Carlisle's, meaning that he and Esme had made it home already. Leah hadn't said two words to me yet, but I could imagine what she was thinking. She was thinking 'oh my god, how could I let myself fall in love with him. It will never work. He's still in love with Bella.' It was obvious from the panic etched on her face. Every now and then she'd sniffled and a tear would roll down her face. After a few minutes of sitting quietly in the car, I finally cut the engine and regarded my friend. I wanted to call her on her emotions but the better part of me realized that that would cause more harm than good.

"I don't know what's wrong, Leah, but I'm sure it will be okay." I placed my hand on her shoulder and she glanced at me briefly.

"No, no it won't. No matter how many ways I look at this situation, it won't end well." She jerked herself out of the car. I was quick on her heels. I wanted to have an opportunity to talk to her before the others returned home. I wanted to tell her how perfect she was for Edward. I wanted to tell her that it seemed that they'd already chosen each other.

But with a twist of a doorknob everything changed. The door was opened and we both saw her. Bella was sitting on the couch with Esme. Esme seemed overwhelmed with happiness while talking with Bella. I glanced at Leah who now seemed horrified.

"Alice!" Bella hopped up and came and hugged me. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too." I rubbed her back slightly. I was glad to see her; happy and slightly tanned. I noticed, however, that Leah was now standing by Carlisle who had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, his eyes filled with concern. My face now matched the distress on his. This was going to be a huge problem. Someone was going to get hurt by this.

"Where's Edward?" Bella asked eagerly with a worried grin on her face.

"Uh, he should be back soon," I mumbled and my eyes darted back to Leah. Her face looked much more grim than it had in the car. Her eyes held a darkness and an emptiness I'd never seen before. I could barely stand to make eye contact with her.

"Good, because I need to talk to him." Bella went and sat back down beside Esme, who had now picked up on the tone of what was going on. We were all secretly catching glimpses at each other. Bella hadn't noticed the heavy tension in the air. Her presence was like a time bomb sitting in the middle of our living room. We were all now in the same boat suffering from the decisions and the heartbreak awaiting our family. We were all torn.