(A/N: I haven't done reviewer shout outs in a while, so I thought I'd do that now. Don't feel obligated to read it if you're too anxious for the chapter. And if I didn't mention your name, forgive me. I appreciate all my reviewers.
Dazzledbyedward63: You are my most faithful, and sweetest reviewer, and I love that you've gotten your friends to read this. It was really cute when Vampirate1963 was reviewing, and talking about you. I liked the part where you said hi. It was just cute to picture. Anyway, thank you so much. And just because I think you're great, I put a little surprise for you in this chapter. (You'll know it when you see it.) Enjoy!
Belladawn: Where the frick is Bella? you ask? I'm not telling… yet… but you will find out. Thanks for the review. : )
Cullencrazy: I didn't even know there was such a thing as a town called Melvin. The town I live in, usually people haven't heard of it either, and it gets a bit of a bad rap as being a hick town, which is funny, because we're in a major county. Just cause it's small and in the mountains, and there are no freeways here and we only recently got a Starbucks, and it's just a little kiosk in Albertsons… I mean, come on!
Liebe Leben: Your review made me laugh. I'm glad you're enjoying it. By the way, I like your pen name.
Andrea Newell: I'm not sure if you're still reading, but that last comment you left, I wanted to comment back on. I think you should be a lit. major. You're perspective was very observant, and your attention to details in the story was very professional. You made comments on my story that I hadn't even thought of, which I thought was kind of cool. Like the whole Jacob thing. I really appreciate those kind of comments because they're so detailed, and I know specifically what you like, and not just that you like it. So, if you're still reading, I hope you're still enjoying.
Monica-san, x-aly-x, gracethebestestvampire, LittleCoward, Zoella De Vil, Ethereal Fae, Culinaromancer, lions-lamb-4ever: You all have stuck with the story for a while, and you're always faithful to review, which I appreciate so much. Thank you. I love and appreciate you all!
Lastly, I just wanted to note that a lot of people have made the comment, "Poor Edward" in their reviews. All I have to say about that is, I warned you. ; )
Disclaimer: I disclaim that I am cowering in the corner crying myself to sleep because Edward won't leave Stephenie Meyer for me. Yep, I'll deny it to the day I die.
Chapter 14: Flashback
I spent all of five seconds trying to convince myself I was only being paranoid, that she was still at the office. Perhaps Melvin had seen Bella, and had turned us in. Maybe there was something going on at home. Maybe, my logical brain mused over, it was just something as simple as a schedule conflict, and had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the vampire I'd only just come face to face with, and had almost become a mid-afternoon meal for.
But it only took one image of that blasted harpy's face in my mind to send me tearing through the halls without changing out of my gym clothes and dash straight into the office, running into a student aid, who then dropped a file full of papers all over the floor.
"Hey!" she barked at me, but I ignored her and went straight to Miss. Cope's desk.
"Well hello Edward, I…"
"Did Bella come through here?" I interrupted her in a demanding tenor.
"I'm sorry?"
"Bella Swan. She got called into the office. Is she here?"
"Um," she looked down at the office aid who was aggressively picking up papers, making sure I could sense her aggravation. "Hayley, did you happen to see Bella Swan come through here?"
She looked up at me with animosity in her eyes. If I were a vampire, perhaps I could have pulled off a "Dazzled by Edward" moment and maybe she'd have forgiven me, and she obviously wasn't affected by "Big Man on Campus" Edward Newton either, but I was too restless to really care about amending my rude behavior. I tapped my foot as I anxiously awaited her answer.
A sassy "no," was all I got, and then she made a point of turning her nose up at me, and went back to picking up papers.
I needed to be sure she wasn't acting out of bitterness. I took a deep breath, pulled myself together and bent down to her level.
"Hayley," I said as sweetly as I could while picking up the last of the papers off the floor. I gingerly held them out to her, and she looked up to meet my eyes. I tried as best I could to make them as soft and dazzling as possible.
It worked.
She got that same blank stare that Bella always got when I looked at her that way. Despite my anxiety, I had a moment of smugness. Even as a human, I still had it.
I smiled at her as warmly as possible, and said her name again. "Hayley, please. Did you bring a pass to Bella Swan, she would have been in gym, calling her to the office? Please. This is really important."
She seemed frozen for a moment, and then took the papers from my hand. She carefully inserted them back into the folder, and after she seemed a little more composed, she looked back up at me, and smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry," she said, "I deliver all the hall passes this period, and I didn't get any for a Bella Swan."
She looked like she wanted to say more, but I didn't give her the chance. Fear struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I was out of that office faster than a flash of light. I wasn't sure where I was going, or where I should even look, but I was running.
The bell had rung, and people were filing through the halls, gathering things from their lockers, excited the day was finally over. I bumped into a few people on my way, when suddenly I saw Jessica. I knew it probably wasn't a good idea, but this was another one of those desperate times/desperate measures moments.
"Jessica!" I breathed.
I could tell she wasn't sure what her reaction should have been when she saw me approaching her, but she quickly read the fear on my face.
"What is it Edward? Are you okay?"
"Have you seen Bella?"
She shook her head. "No. Mike asked me the same thing earlier. He looked just as worried. What's wrong?"
I didn't have time to explain. I started to turn away, but she grabbed my arm. "Edward," she spoke quick and hard, demanding my attention. "Is something wrong with Bella?"
"I don't know. No. She's… I just can't find her. Are you sure you haven't seen her?"
She didn't seem to believe me, but answered my question. "I'm positive. I haven't seen her since this morning. By the way, Mike was looking for you too. He seemed angry."
Great. The last thing I needed right now was another encounter from Mike.
"Like, really, really angry." She added. "Like, boiling pot angry. Like, so angry, his face was turning red. And like, deep apple red, not faded red sweater that's been washed too many times red."
"Okay Jessica." I said trying to pull away from her grasp.
"Like, I've never seen him so angry in my life."
"Jessica…"
"Like, if that dead volcano in the Hawaiian Islands were to erupt, they might rename it after him."
She was starting to sound like Crazy Jessica again, and she wasn't letting me go.
"Jessica, I really need to go find Bella."
"I'll help."
"No Jess, I don't have time. I need to go now."
"Edward, I'm not an idiot." That was debatable. "Something's obviously going on, and if Bella's in trouble, I should help. Best friend remember?" She said pointing to herself. "Plus, Mike looked like he had murder on his mind, so, who's going to protect you?"
Four suspicious vampires hopefully.
She smiled at me and held up a little arm making a muscle.
I shook my head. I needed to find Bella, and I needed to find her now. I needed to get rid of Jessica.
"Okay, why don't you go ask around, and see if anyone's seen Bella, and then come find me, okay? That would help a lot."
She stared at me with an unfathomable expression on her face. She almost seemed to be concluding something in her mind, and then, she looked sad. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked away from my face, the corners of her eyes starting to glisten. "Okay Edward." She said. "I'll help you look for Bella. Just, do me a favor." Her voice was solemn and defeated. "Just, be careful when you see Mike. I wasn't kidding. He was really angry."
She gave me one last wistful look, shut her locker, and then walked away, head and shoulders still slumped.
I didn't have time to try to figure out what was wrong with her, so I took off again, asking more people if they'd seen Bella. Of course no one had, and as the halls began to empty, hopelessness was creeping up from the pit of my stomach and forcing itself into every nook and cranny of my body, leaving no room for hope to evolve. I didn't have a clue as to where she was. Only suspicions of who had her.
Was it the vampire harpy? I wanted to call out her name, but I didn't know it. Had she taken Bella as an act of revenge for not getting my blood? Was Bella my substitute? The thought pained me so much I could physically feel it barring my insides. I clutched my stomach in response.
No Edward. I warned myself. You can't give up!
I supposed it could have been anything. Bella had always been a magnet for danger right? Maybe it wasn't any different here. Maybe she just tripped on the way to office and had injured herself, sending her to the hospital. That was very Bella.
I thought of Hayley, the office aid. "I'm sorry," she had said. "I bring all the hall passes this period, and I didn't get any for a Bella Swan." While I preferred my latter theory, the first seemed more likely.
I felt my legs wobble, and I fell into the lockers. I couldn't go any further. I felt my breath quicken and it became harder and harder to take in air.
What could I do? I could run forever, but it wouldn't bring me closer to Bella. I didn't even know where to look. I needed something. I would have taken anything that gave me a direction to turn in. There was still the possibility that she was fine, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was in more danger than I could have imagined, and I'd had lots of experience to use for the imagination.
I could feel blood draining from my face. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to turn. All thought and reason was retreating from my mind. Frustration was building so intense, the only thing I could do, was scream.
I threw my head back and let out such a wail, it put the four vampire growls from earlier to shame.
When I stopped, the halls fell silent. Even though there was no one left to occupy them but me, this silence was different. It was deafening.
Come on Edward. Pull yourself together!
I flinched at my internal rebuke, but I let it motivate me. I had to be overreacting. I did that. I always did that. She was fine. She was fine.
I pulled myself up, and stood straight, although I still felt a little faint. I shook myself off, and prepared to move forward, when I heard foot steps behind me. Loud footsteps. Someone was running directly toward me. Each step pounded on the ground furiously with a loud thud.
The steps were then replaced by a loud cry.
"Aaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh!"
Before I had a chance to turn around, something hard hit me from behind, and I was flying through the air. Whatever hit me went with me, and we were both on the ground quite a few feet from where I had just been standing.
"You!" cried an angry and desperate voice. "It's your fault. It's all your fault!"
"Mike?" I cried out after I'd recovered from slamming into the ground. "What is it with you and tackling me?"
His fists began pounding on my chest and I tried to get away, but he stayed on me, jumping forward whenever I tried to back off.
"It's your fault!" he kept shouting, and continued pounding.
I put an arm up to block my face, and used the other to try to push him off. There was something in his tone that was shaking me, adding to the fear that was already in place. I finally managed to push him off, grab his wrists, and then pushed him over so that I was now on top of him pinning him to the floor.
He tried aimlessly to hit me again, but he crumpled in defeat, and then tears filled his eyes. It was enough to ease my grip on his arms.
"Mike?" I asked, terror in my voice. "Mike what's wrong?" He continued sobbing, and I shouted at him, more aggression in my tone now. "What's wrong?" I had released my grip on his wrists and was now shaking his shoulders. "Answer me!"
"You!" He cried between sobs. "She's gone. She's gone and it's all because of you!"
I froze. What had he meant? Bella?
"Bella?" I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper.
His sobs began subside and a madness claimed his expression. He pushed me off, and I didn't fight him.
I was still too frozen to move. He sat up and put his arms around his knees and waited for me to come back.
When I did I asked him softly, too afraid to hear the answer. "Is she alive?"
He wiped his face with his sleeve, and then, without answering me, handed me a yellow slip of paper.
The words written down were not what I had expected.
You have till six to come up with the 2,000 you cheated me.
Will contact you at six sharp with delivery instructions.
If you don't have the money, the girl dies.
If one cop shows up at delivery site, the girl dies.
If you make one wrong move, the girl dies.
~Becker~
I reread the note. My hands were shaking. It didn't make any sense. Every time I read "the girl dies," my heart would stop beating, and I felt a hammer pound stroke by stroke in my head.
"Mike, this doesn't make any…"
And then I was crumpled into the fetal position on the floor, but not because Mike had attacked me, and not because my body could no longer handle the stress it was experiencing, although I was getting closer and closer to edge of that cliff. My body was cowering on the hard cold tile, because the next set of memories was hitting me like a jack hammer to the brain. Of all the times the memories had flowed today, of all the headaches, this one was the most painful of all. Partly because it was the longest and most detailed, and partly because of what those memories entailed.
I barely noticed Mike hovering over me, calling out my name, begging me to tell him what was wrong. I barely heard the concern in his voice that resembled the way he'd spoken to me before I'd kissed Bella. My ears were ringing and my heart was pounding in my chest.
I internally begged the memories to stop, fearing both the pain and the contents the memories held. I wanted to escape. There had to be a way out, but I searched and searched, and couldn't find the door. I had to endure each picture, each scene that was confirming more and more what Mike had shouted at me.
It wasn't a vampire that was the reason Bella's life was in danger. It was an X-Vampire. Mike was right.
It was my fault.
I could feel the end of the outpour coming as I noticed that the timeline was getting closer and closer to the present, and then, like a hurricane coming to a sudden halt, the memories stopped, and the head ache was gone, but the pain in my chest still lingered, taunting me as it's icy fingers wrapped around my heart.
I stopped screaming and began panting.
Mike wasn't shouting over me anymore, but his hands were on my shoulders, and I couldn't bear to look at him. The guilt was too strong, even though it wasn't my guilt. It was Edward Newton's.
And there it was: The reason that every time something hinted at Edward Newton being a trouble maker, chills shot down my spine. Every time it was suggested in those memories that he was just a bit more dangerous than his parents realized, I felt ice crawl on the back of my neck. The reason had fully made itself known to me now.
It was my fault.
It had been hidden from me before, though the thoughts had always unnerved me, but still, I couldn't see it. Now it was here, and there was no escaping it. Edward Newton had left quite a mess that Edward Cullen was going to have to fix, because Bella's life depended on it. Bella's life was in graver danger than it had ever been in before, because this time, she didn't have a vampire on her side. She had a measly, weak little human that had been the reason she was in this situation in the first place.
It was my fault.
I looked up at Mike. His eyes were wide in fear.
"Edward?" He asked. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head. Of course I wasn't alright.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?"
I shook my head again.
"Bella." was all I could manage to say as I rummaged over the thoughts that had just invaded my mind. The thoughts that explained why exactly, Edward Newton was so dangerous.
*Flashback*
Popularity came easy to Edward Newton. He'd already been somewhat of an icon in junior high, but when he became a freshman, his status sky rocketed. He was the fastest kid in the school, quickly earning a reputation for his speed and athleticism around the county. He was attractive, and everywhere he went, girls eyed him.
He was close with his parents and siblings, especially his older brother, who'd always looked after him. They had a good family. They were safe.
And Edward… was bored.
In the middle of freshman year, Edward met Riley Statton. Dark. Rebellious. Strong. A thrill seeker. Riley's name alone intimidated his classmates to the point where they shied automatically away from his presence.
It didn't take long for Edward to be drawn into the phenomenon that was Riley Statton, and it didn't take long for Riley to develop a liking for Edward. He'd needed a predecessor for when he graduated, or at least, when he left, and Edward Newton seemed like the perfect candidate. He was charismatic, eager to please and bored.
Six months later: It's summer, and Edward has fully earned Riley's trust. He is about to learn that Forks isn't exactly the safe place he was raised to believe. After months of sneaking out late, parading around town like a pack of dark creatures of the night, terrorizing the town folk like coven of… vampires, Edward found himself in a world of restlessness and thrill. He broke, he stole, he partied, the list went on.
It was a new way of living. The adrenaline that coursed through his veins seemed to breathe into him a new life, full of adventure and excitement. It wasn't all bad. Some things they did that his mother wouldn't have approved of were just adventure stunts, like bunji jumping and cliff diving and motorcycle riding. Riley Statton was either a magnet for adventure, or just knew where to find it, and he was sure to take Edward with him on every stunt, whether criminal or recreational.
Edward practically worshiped Riley. The way he grabbed life by the tail and held on with all his might, challenging it to toss him off. He'd never met anyone more full of life. Riley wasn't afraid of anything. He never said no to a challenge. He never backed away from a fight. He seemed to have everything he ever wanted at his finger tips. When you got past the fear he inspired, he was easy to be around.
He was also, dangerous.
Something about the way he looked at people, that glaze in his eyes whenever he picked Edward up for a late night adventure, it didn't take Edward long to recognize it, but it did take time for him to fear it.
Middle of summer: "Riley?" Edward asked. "Do you do drugs?" He'd never seen him do it, and as much as he loved the rebellious lifestyle he was now leading, and loved the thrill of hiding that lifestyle from his family, he hadn't gone that far.
"Of course not." Riley replied. "Drugs kill people."
"What is it then? What are you keeping from me?"
Riley smiled.
That was the end of that conversation… for now.
End of summer: Riley had finally let Edward into his own secret world.
They crawled through a dark alley Edward had never noticed before. At the base of an old abandoned warehouse, Riley lifted up a bored that had looked nailed shut, and revealed an opening into the building. They crawled through. It looked just as you would have expected on the inside, but as you traveled deeper in, things became more alive.
The went down a set of stairs which dropped them into a darkly lit room where a rough and high tempo song was playing. Six pairs of eyes carefully watched the two men enter their room, which reminded Edward of a villain's secret lair.
Riley walked in past Edward and began slapping hands with the people seated around, then turned around, and faced him again.
Three months later: "Edward, just tell me what you're doing!" Mike yelled at him, exhausted from fighting.
Edward didn't answer, he just kept walking. He couldn't let his brother in on his secret life. He didn't want to share.
And more than that, his noble side didn't want his brother anywhere near it. He needed to keep his brother blind. What had started out as rebellious fun had spiraled into a world so out of control he could barely keep his equilibrium.
Riley had never meant to make Edward his friend. He was his replacement.
They called themselves The Rouges, but the name was a misinterpretation of where they came from. They weren't outcasts, they weren't from the bad part of town. They were the sons of the richest men in and around Forks. And they, like Edward, were bored. But unlike Edward, they were twisted. They were dangerous.
They had enough money at their disposal to get whatever they wanted, but it wasn't enough to entertain, just enough to make people look the other way when trouble arose, and they were at the heart of it.
Riley hadn't lied. He didn't do drugs.
But he delivered them.
And now Riley was gone, leaving Edward to finish off his dirty work.
At first, he was swept away by their world. As long as he worked for The Rouges, he could have anything and everything he'd ever wanted. His family wasn't poor, but they had never been that rich. He was guaranteed to get into any college he wanted when he graduated. They even took care of his homework for him. They knew exactly how to appeal to a high school boy.
Junior Year: Edward Newton met Bella Swan. Edward fell in love with Bella. Bella was good, and he was not, but it was that goodness, that need to deserve her, that finally gave him the incentive he needed to leave The Rouges, a task that wasn't going to be easy.
And worse than that, he'd already put his family in enough danger with his lifestyle, he couldn't bare to put her in that same line of fire.
It was the real reason he'd stood by and watched while his brother stole the one thing his heart ever truly desired with pure convictions.
He'd talked to the leader, Becker. He was the mediator between every deal. He was the one that sent Edward on every delivery. He'd even taken a special liking to Edward after Riley left. If Becker hadn't cared about Edward the way he did, it would have been impossible to leave The Rouges, but he'd made it happen, imparting to him a warning that they'd be watching, and if he were to ever give any information away about them, he, and those he loved would pay dearly.
And who did Edward love more than Bella?
*End Flashback*
"My fault." Edward cried again when he came to from his flashback.
The Rouges were the one thing that had kept him back from letting Bella see his true affection for her, from letting them see his true affection for her.
Until now.
If they had been watching, Edward Cullen had made a pretty palpable display of his love for her today, and now, for some reason, they had her, and were threatening to kill her.
And he knew they would too. He could remember one kid he'd made a delivery to. The money wasn't enough, and the kid tried to run. That boy disappeared, and while Becker had told him the kid had successfully gotten away, he'd always suspected different.
But why now? What did Becker mean by the $2000? Edward Newton hadn't done any work for them for months, and they had left him alone. He'd been true to his promise. He hadn't said a thing to anyone.
Another thing caught my attention. I sat up straight and looked at Mike who had a strange mixture of emotions on his face, from concern to rage.
"Mike," I asked. "Why did you get that note?"
He eyed me warily, and then the accusation returned to his eyes. "Riley came back to town." He stated and I cringed. "When he found out you weren't working for whoever you were working for anymore, he was coming after you."
"How do you know this?"
"Because I saw him two days ago, and I confronted him. I told him you were doing fine and I didn't want him messing up your life again, and threatened him to stay away."
I internally cringed. Mike threatening Riley would have been laughable in his eyes.
"He said he had a job for you, and I told him to give it to me."
"Why would you do that?!" I practically shouted at him.
He didn't back down, but instead tried to match my outburst. "Because I know you've been depressed, and I knew that all it would take was one job to pull you back into that world, and I didn't want to lose my brother again."
I looked at him shocked, and he continued, tears threatening the rims of his eyes.
"I'm not an idiot Edward. I may not know everything, but I have a pretty fair idea of what you were doing when you started hanging out with Riley, and I know exactly when you got out of that life, and no matter how furious I am at you right now, I'd rather lose my right arm then see you go back."
I could easily detect the pain in his voice, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
All animosity I'd ever felt for Mike Newton faded right then. It was a moment so significant I don't think I'd ever forget it, even when I went back to being Edward Cullen, if I ever went back. I also knew that it was going to make it impossible to go to school with him in that world, knowing how good he could be, but him having no recollection of this moment, of this brotherhood.
I admitted something to myself in that moment that I will never, never confess to a soul as long as I live.
In this world, Mike deserved Bella.
"What went wrong Mike?" I asked. "With the drop?"
"I don't know. He gave me a package. I delivered it. They gave me another package, and I gave it to Riley. End of story. It was a lot easier than I thought it would have been."
"Who was the package for?"
"I don't know. But I delivered it in the kitchen at Hunans."
I searched my memories. Edward Newton had delivered there before. "Frank." I breathed. "But he's never cheated Becker. It couldn't have been him."
"Well, now they think I did it." He cried, and fear rode in every word on his tongue.
"Give me a minute. You said you gave the package to Riley?"
"Yeah." We were both silent again for a moment, and then Mike spoke. "We have to tell the police."
"No!" I bit back. "I know these guys. They'll do what they say. They'll kill her. They're a lot smarter then Fork's police department. Trust me."
I could see reality sinking in as his features became tormented. All his life he'd known the world to be a safe and happy place. I thought of his family. Safe had been the feeling they'd rid on all their lives. I remembered that feeling. Nothing can touch us here. But just as in the world where I was a monster, nothing was ever as safe as people presumed.
"What are we going to do?" he asked when he'd finally composed himself.
I was on the verge of losing it myself. More than ever that day I wished I had been a vampire.
Vampire!
"We have till six till they call right?"
He nodded.
"You are going to do everything within your power to get $2,000."
"What are you going to do?"
I stood up, my eyes on the exit. "I am going to go get us some help."
And for the first time since gym class had ended, I felt a flicker of hope.
(A/N: So remember earlier when I warned that Edward's life was going to get a lot more complicated??? In case you missed it, it just did. ; ). Read and review, it makes me happy. And happy writers write happy chapters!)