EPOV
I walked back to seating area half an hour later. Bella had already settled on her seat with a blanket draped over her body. Those eyes were shut tight and she was still wearing the blood-stained sweater from her killing spree. I briefly glanced at Paul who sat two seats behind her. His guard was up, but the world knew he could turn blind and deaf when needed to be.
I sat in front of her, casually watching her as she was sleeping. Bella looked as beautiful as I remembered. Almost as innocent, but I knew better. For a moment I was just watching in silence. Her face was so peaceful and her body was relaxed. Well…it was until I ran a finger along her jaw. Hell, I couldn't fucking help myself. Her eyelids fluttered open immediately. She caught my wrist out of instinct.
I switched my expression. The softness in me was gone and forgotten. "Change your fucking clothes." I said coldly.
She glared at me. Her furry matched mine perfectly. "I will when we land."
"No. Change them now. I don't want to see you walking around my plane sporting their filthy blood." I said, leaving no room to argue. She rolled her eyes but getting up to her feet.
She walked two or three steps away from me before stopping and turning around as if she remembered something. "I don't have spare clothes." She told, more to herself.
"And I look like I fucking care?" I said like an asshole I was. She gritted her teeth. I smirked. Pushing her buttons was the last thing I could do to entertain myself. What? All these three years I had humored her life.
She charged at me like I knew she would. But right now I came prepared. I grabbed her hands before her claws got anywhere near me. She was pushing and pulling like crazy.
"What do you want? Spit it out!" she snapped.
"Will you give it, though?" she shot daggers at me. "Tell me, baby, how many men you fucked to get you to the top?" my heart was bitter, but I smiled wickedly just to get the reaction out of her. She didn't disappoint.
Her head collided with mine I saw white for a second. My grip on her got loose and she used this opportunity to hit me square in the jaw. I laughed humorlessly. I was a sucker for pain.
Her cheeks were red because of the anger. I just wanted to push harder.
"What? Did I say it wrong?" I dared her to deny it. I wanted her to scream that I was completely wrong.
She never did.
Her face was void of emotions. But those eyes. Those eyes were staring back with a deep emptiness. Now I wish I could take back my words.
"You can't forgive me." It wasn't a question. The remorse in her voice made me look away. I was ashamed of myself because, yes, I couldn't fucking forgive her. Ever. After everything that she had done to me, everything she had put me through. I just…couldn't. "You don't know how much I wish I could turn back time." She whispered to the silence.
My mind was a mess. Both of us were broken.
"What would you do?" I wondered. "If you could."
She shook her head, smiling sadly. "Probably run. What else should I do?"
I breathed deep, thinking it over. I couldn't forgive, but I also couldn't let her go. What a selfish bastard I was. It was like I wanted to push her away and pull her in at the same fucking time. This shit between us was insane, irrational. Damn it, I wish I could forget it all and move on.
"Come here." I said. She did. Without a word. I wrapped my arms around her. The movement surprised us both. God, I missed this. I missed her in my arms like this. She buried her face on my chest, sobbing quietly. I soothed her back, unconsciously kissing the top of her head softly.
"I…I'm sorry…for everything…"
"Let's start over." I said out of the blue. The idea sounded crazy, even to me. This would take time, but at least I wanted to freaking try. We should give us a second chance. "It will be hard for sure, but…" I just shrugged because I didn't know what else to say.
"I promise I'll do it right this time." She whispered. But I heard it clearly.
"I hope we will."
"Brother." Jamie greeted me with a big ass smile on his face which was soon vanished as he saw Bella descending the stairs. He didn't expect the storm I was bringing home. "What the fuck are you thinking?" he whisper-yelled.
"She's the one who killed them." I informed him straightforwardly.
"What?"
"Aro and his family. She's the one who killed them."
"Holy fuck…"
"I know, right?" he shut up because Bella reached the bottom of the stairs. I turned to her and gave a small smile. "Paul will take you home, okay? I have business to do." I said to her. She nodded and followed after Paul who was already walking to the waiting car.
"This is a fucking mess, Edward. They will know it's her." Jamie looked like he just got a headache.
"As if I don't know it." I scoffed. I had enough in my hand. He didn't need to remind me what I already knew.
"And what? You want to play protection program shit?" he asked in disbelief, trying to knock some sense to me. "Do you remember what she has done to us?"
Now I was the one who was getting a headache.
"She should be killing me, you know." I decided to tell. "Aro sent her to kill me." It shut him up for a moment. He was digesting it all. "I don't know what to do, J. But I can't fucking let her go." Shit, I sounded really pathetic, didn't I?
"Do you trust her?"
I shook my head. "Not completely."
"Hailey is going to plan a murder, you know?" his face was serious, but I laughed anyway.
"Bella can defend herself just fine."
"No. I'm talking about you."
It was past midnight when I got home. My footsteps echoed through the eerie silence. Bella was sitting at her favorite spot by the pool, staring at the gloomy sky. I walked to her like it was an instinct. Involuntary move. She turned her head to me when I reached her side. I offered my hand for her to take. She rose to her feet.
"You're freezing." I stated the obvious. She chuckled like it didn't matter.
"It's okay."
"Let's go inside." I insisted.
She did not argue. Which I was so grateful for.
I decided to make myself a coffee in the kitchen. My body felt so fucking tired. But after everything that happened in the last twenty four hours, I doubted I could ever rest peacefully. Hell, I was back only to bring more problems to home.
Silence for a full minute. Bella was standing by the window, facing the ocean. I poured some coffee and sipped. The hot liquid burned my tongue.
"They're coming." She said all of a sudden.
I paused and looked up. She turned to me. Her eyes were tired, but aware.
I couldn't pretend I didn't know what she was talking about.
"We'll welcome them." I nodded. Like it wasn't a big deal. When in fact, I could barely think.
She shook her head. "You don't understand. They want you for so long. They want Tampa. They want—"
"You underestimate me?" she didn't answer so I took that as a yes. "You think so little of me, bellissima."
"They will never stop until they kill us." She said rather blatantly.
I smirked. "Nah. Every single Volturi is a quitter." She opened her mouth to argue but I beat her to it. "They are just a bunch of pussies, Bella. All they'll do is sending people like you to fight their war.
It shut her up immediately. Of course. What was I thinking?
Hailey chose this moment to show up. To save the awkwardness that would definitely happen. My cousin barged into the room like she was planning a murder.
Then everything happened in a blink of an eye.
Hailey was inches away from Bella before I knew it. Hands flailing. Those claws almost scratched her face.
"You bitch! What the fuck are you doing here?"
I was fast to stand between them, pulling my cousin behind me. She rewarded me with a blow. In the fucking face.
"What the fuck."
"Are you fucking crazy, Edward? Do you forget what she did to our family?" she shouted it to my face. Damn it, did we have to have this conversation right now? At two in the morning?
"Hails." My tone was a clear warning. But she didn't seem to care.
"I don't want her here!" she yelled. I caught her wrists before she did anything stupid. "You bitch! How dare you! Do you have no shame at all?!"
"Stop it, Hailey." I hissed. She was getting on my nerve sometimes.
"She betrayed us!"
"I said stop!"
She shook her head like she couldn't fucking believe it.
"I don't trust her."
"Well, I don't need you to."
