I hope this fixes the problem! Thanks for letting me know something was up. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)
Jessica was over the moon when Bella informed her how she and Edward had worked things out.
"That's awesome! I'm so happy for you," she gushed as she wrapped her arms around a red-faced Bella.
"Thanks," Bella said shyly, tucking some stray hairs behind her ears.
She peaked over towards Edward across the lunchroom. He was poorly hiding a smile as he leaned back into his chair. Bella bit her lip as she tried to hide a smile of her own. Turning back to her friends, she noticed the concerned look on Angela's face. She was much less enthusiastic about the news than Jessica. She frowned as she glanced between Bella and the Cullen's lunch table, tapping her fingers restlessly against the table.
"Are you sure, Bella? You said he wasn't exactly the person you thought he was."
Bella's eyes widened as she started to furiously shake her head.
"No, no, no," she said, waving her hands wildly. "It's nothing like that. Edward has more...personal issues going on than I was expecting. But we've been working through it."
Angela's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Right. Just be careful. I don't want to see you hurt."
Bella smiled at her friend's concern. "Trust me, I am. I promise. It's not like I'm leaping head first into anything."
That wasn't exactly a lie. Bella was still cautious around Edward and his family. She didn't feel completely comfortable enough yet to go back to his house, but she was more than happy to spend time with him at the cafe in town. It had become more of a meeting place for them when she wasn't working. Alice joined them from time to time, and Bella really liked her despite her more hyper personality. She thought that Alice and Jessica would get along well since the two of them were extremely bubbly people. Even Emmett had gone back to greeting her in the hallways. Besides from the occasional cold glares from Rosalie and Jasper, things were almost normal between her and the Cullens.
Bella almost felt guilty about how uncomfortable she felt with the thought of being completely alone with them. She hadn't completely come to terms yet with their vampirism. It almost felt like a dream with everything else that's been happening. Edward was more than patient with her though. She was very grateful for how he never pushed her boundaries. He was more than willing to study with her in the cafe.
Later that week, she was surprised to get a call from Jacob.
"How soon can you get down to La Push?" He sounded out of breath. His tone sounding more annoyed than anything else.
Bella frowned as she asked, "Why? Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine. My dad is just being an idiot. I need you to come down and convince him to abandon this crusade he's on."
"Well, that depends, what's going on?" She said with a laugh.
"Well, one of your dad's favorite meals is Sue's Fish Fry, right? You know after their fight about the Cullens, they didn't speak for a couple of weeks-"
Bella cut him off. "I thought they made up? You guys were over the other night."
"Yeah, I know. But dad was going on and on about how awkward it was. He wanted to do something to make it up to Charlie."
Bella laughed at the tone of his voice. She could practically hear his eyes rolling.
"Make it up to him? What does the fish fry have to do with it?"
Jacob just laughed and said, "Tell me about it. How soon can you get here?"
Walking into the Black household, Bella was assaulted by the smell of something burning.
"Um, hello?" She called out hesitantly. Only the sound of Billy swearing greeted her.
"Come in!" Jacob yelled.
Bella walked into the living room to see Jacob leaning against the kitchen doorway, shaking his head and chuckling as he watched his father scramble around. He barely noticed Bella's presence as he threw the burning pan in the sink, black smoke rising. She flinched as the fire alarm went off.
"Jesus, dad! This is the third time!" Jacob shouted as he opened the back door.
Bella grabbed a dish towel and started to fan around the smoke alarm in the kitchen. Billy continued to curse at himself as he also fanned a dish towel around the burning pan. Billy shook his head in dismay. After a few minutes of furious waving, the alarm finally shut off.
Scratching at his chin, he angrily muttered, "Maybe I should just give up."
Jacob threw his hands in the air and proclaimed,
"Hallelujah."
Bella smiled as Billy rolled his eyes and turned towards her. "How's Charlie doing?"
"He's doing okay," Bella answered, her eyes shifting towards Jacob uncertainty. She wasn't sure what to say about this.
Jacob shook his head. "You're acting like a loon, dad."
Bella bit her lip to hide a smile as Billy glowered in his direction as he said,
"I am not. Make yourself useful and throw that mess out. How've you been, Bella?"
She moved out of the way as Jacob picked up the blackened pan. The two shared a look before Bella turned back towards Billy.
"I'm doing okay. How are you?"
A strained smile pulled at his lips. "Well, I'm here. Happier now that Rachel's back in town. You remember her, right?"
Bella nodded despite the fact of having no recollection of the girl. All she knew was that Rachel was Jacob's older sister.
"She's moved back into town. She's out looking for a job now, but I'll be sure to bring her around sometime."
"Sounds good to me."
Billy cleared his throat while Bella picked at her nails, unable to look really look at him. She wasn't sure of what to do or say. A heavy sigh sounded from Billy causing her to frown as she looked down at him. Billy's face was tense and wary as he glanced up at her seriously. Bella's frown deepened as she felt worry begin to gnaw at her stomach. What was wrong?
"I realize I may have overstepped my boundaries with you and Charlie."
Her brow furled in confusion. "What?"
"With the Cullens," he whispered, teeth on edge. Bella tensed.
"I shouldn't have lost my temper so easily. Because of those l-" He cut off suddenly, glancing up at Bella uneasily.
She wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say, but it no doubt had to do with their secret. She tried to school her features to be as expressionless as possible. She didn't want to give away that she knew anything.
"My feelings about the Cullens shouldn't have interfered with you and Charlie. Frankly, nothing should. I value my friendship with your father too much. I...I didn't want to lose that."
He paused, nervously swiping his tongue across his lips. Bella nodded to show she was listening. Billy simply laughed, his shoulders shaking as he covered his face with his hands.
"I thought," he mumbled, sounding embarrassed, "I thought that if I made this stupid fish fry it would make things go back to the way they were."
"What do you mean? We were happy to have you the other week."
"I know, it's stupid. It felt off. Awkward. It didn't use to be like that. Not since...I guess no matter how old you get some things never change."
Bella bit her lip as she scrambled for something to say.
She started off slowly. "I think both of you said some uncalled for things. You guys just started talking again after saying such nasty things. This kind of stuff takes time," she said with a shrug.
Billy smiled widely at her words. Bella couldn't help but grin back. He chuckled and patted her arm lightly.
"You got a good head on your shoulders. You get that from Charlie."
Bella blushed and ducked her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Now why don't we-"
The sounds of shouting caused Bella to jump. Billy frowned as he drew closer to their back door, Bella following anxiously behind him as the shouts grew louder. A large figure loomed in the doorway, busting through. Bella jumped back as the unfamiliar man stepped further into the house and slammed the door shut, glancing around the kitchen. Her eyes widened as she took him in. He was ginormous, unnaturally so. He towered high above her, his head almost brushing the ceiling, She could have easily guessed him to be around seven feet tall. His muscle bulged underneath tan skin, as if they were straining and fighting to burst out.
His dark eyes scanned the kitchen; his nostrils flaring as he narrowed in on Bella. She felt her heart leap into her throat at the murderous, angry look he gave her. Her body froze with terror, like a rabbit staring down a massive wolf. Jacob came bounding in behind him, shouting loudly.
"I told you she's not here. You can't just-" He trailed off, glancing apprehensively between the stranger and Bella. It seemed she wasn't the only one to notice his malicious gaze.
The tension was thick in the air. The stranger took a step forward, his eyes locked onto Bella. She backed away, glancing desperately at the exits. He was blocking the backdoor and Billy was blocking her way towards the front door. She doubted she'd be able to have enough time to maneuver around Billy to outrun him. Jacob wedged himself in between the stranger and her, glaring up at him.
"Just get the hell out of here!"
Billy rolled closer to his son. "Jacob, let me handle this. Paul, Rachel isn't here right now. Why don't you come back later."
Paul didn't seem to be listening. His whole body was shaking with murderous rage as he spat out,
"What is she doing here?"
Billy's finger curled tightly around his knees. "Paul, Bella Swan is a family friend. She's allowed to come and go as she pleases. Now, get out of here."
Paul sneered down at him, baring his teeth. "She smells-"
Jacob stepped forward, attempting to push Paul back. Paul didn't move an inch. Jacob would probably have better luck pushing against a brick wall. "He said get out of here."
Paul laughed mockingly in his face before shoving Jacob aside. Bella gasped as his body thudded heavily against the floor. Her body jerked as she fought to urge to run to him.
"Paul, get your ass out of my house. You don't get to come in here acting like you are, and touching my son like that. I'll be damned if you act like that around my daughter ever. Sam will hear about this," Billy's voice was low and steady, leaving no room for argument.
Whoever Sam was made Paul pause. He glanced between Bella and Billy, making her tense once again. She knew he was weighing his options. Billy rolled closer to Paul, standing his ground under Paul's hateful gaze. With an angry huff, Paul turned and stormed out of the house and into the woods surrounding their house. Bella jumped as he slammed the back door shut, shaking the house. No one spoke. Bella wasn't sure she could even move. Her eyes started to fill with tears as her hands began to tremble.
On shaky legs, she half ran to where Jacob was kneeling on the wooden floor. She squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, but he barely reacted as he glared angrily where Paul had disappeared. She opened her mouth to ask if he was okay when Jacob abruptly stood, scowling heavily. Bella had to take a step back to avoid toppling over.
"He's crazy! I don't want Rachel around that dick anymore."
Billy's face was grim. "His anger is getting out of control. Call Sam."
Jacob whirled around to face his father. "Dad, I'm serious. I don't know what his deal is, but he shouldn't be coming around anymore!"
"Jacob, just-"
Jacob didn't stop talking, too heated to end his rant. "I don't know know why he follows her around like some lost puppy. Rachel's gay anyway, it's not like-"
Billy shook his head. "Jacob, can you call Sam for me? We'll talk about this later."
Jacob opened his mouth to argue but quickly snapped it shut at Billy's pointed glance. Mumbling under his breath, Jacob stalked towards the phone hanging on their kitchen wall and punched in a number. Bella watched him, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Her mind was still locked onto Paul. The hair on the back of her neck was still on edge. She was vaguely aware that Billy was trying to get her attention.
"-are you alright? Bella?" Billy said, his voice slowly getting louder. "Bella, should I call Charlie?"
She blinked owlishly down at him, not fully comprehending what he was saying. "What?"
His gaze softened as he said in a quieter voice, "Do you want to sit down?"
"I-yeah," she stumbled out, walking towards their kitchen table that was nestled right below the back window.
Taking a few deep breaths, Bella tried to calm down. Her eyes flickered towards the forest surrounding Billy's house. Paul had disappeared somewhere in the brush. Why he had gone there, Bella could only imagine. Paul was dangerous. That level of hostility didn't come from anywhere. Something sparked in her mind, a small flicker. She remembered one day she was telling Alice about Jacob, how he lived in La Push. She had gone oddly quiet as she talked about the beaches. Bella asked if Alice had ever been, and she heavily hesitated before answering that they weren't allowed in La Push.
"What do you mean?"
"We made a treaty with some of the tribe elders. They knew about our secret. Because of our diet choice, we had managed to convince them that we meant no harm to the humans that lived here. They agreed to let us stay on the condition we never killed humans and we stayed off their land."
Bella's brow furled in confusion. "How did they know?"
Alice pursed her lips as she watched her. Slowly shaking her head, Alice said,
"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm not allowed to say. They keep our secret, we keep theirs."
Alice had promptly changed the subject then, but Bella still wondered what that could have meant.
Bella's head fell into her hands as she rubbed her face. A horrible gnawing feeling dug at the pit of her stomach. First vampires, and now whatever craziness was happening on La Push. Bella sighed wearily as her body sagged with fatigue. She just wanted to go home. Both Billy and Jacob tried to convince her to stay or to at least let Jacob drive her home. Bella had refused and promised she would call them when she got home.
Charlie surprised her by saying she had gotten five calls asking for her while she had been gone.
"From who?"
"Two from Alice Cullen and three from Edward. It sounded like it was really urgent. Is everything alright?"
Bella felt her stomach drop. Wringing her hands together, she managed to say,
"I'm sure it's just about some homework they missed."
Her voice had sounded weak. She didn't even believe the lie. Thankfully, Charlie didn't press any further. He eyes her suspiciously for a moment before giving her some privacy to call them back.
Picking up the phone, Bella dialed the number back. She was met with a frantic sounding Alice.
"Bella? Bella is that you?"
"Yes." She answered, frowning at the audible sigh of relief from the other side. "What happened?"
"Thank god! I was so scared."
"What? Why?"
There was a rustling sound as the phone was taken from her. Edward's voice echoed back.
"Alice said she had a vision of you go blank. Like you had just disappeared."
Bella opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Edward's voice sounded scared and on edge. It made her feel even more scared if possible.
"What does that mean?"
The silence on the other end of the line was not welcome.
"Edward? Alice? What does that mean?" There was a panicked edge to her voice now. Bella closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she took a deep breath.
Calm down. You're okay. Everything's fine.
"It...well...Usually, it means-" Alice trailed off, sounding uncomfortable and nervous at the same time.
Bella could connect the dots together. Jesus Christ, had Paul been that deranged by her presence? Pressing her hand to her mouth, Bella managed to gasp out,
"I think I need to go."
"Do you want me to come over?" Edward asked, his voice was soft.
Yes. Bella wanted to say, but she hesitated. She was still heavily shaken up by the whole thing. If she were being honest, she wanted to be alone right now.
"You don't have to. I'll be okay."
"If you want me there, just say the word. You don't have to be alone if you don't want to."
Bella clenched the phone tighter in her hands. "It's okay, Edward. I'll call you tomorrow."
After a few more failed attempts, Edward finally left her off the phone. Not without making her promise to meet him at the cafe tomorrow. Bella hung up the phone and stood silently in the kitchen.
What she wanted was a long, hot shower. Bouncing up the stairs, Bella ignored Charlie's concerned questions. She felt exhausted. All she wanted was some sleep, but her body was still wired up.
I'll deal with it later. She thought as she picked up a novel from her desk. Right now I just want to relax.
Bella couldn't focus on a single word in the book. She kept picturing Paul's murderous face.
I'll deal with it later. This was the last thought she had before falling into a fitful sleep that made her feel even more exhausted the next day.