Do I write much??? Yes, yes I do....haha
Big twist in this chapter y'all....not sure if any of you expected this but I would love to hear it.
I am blown away by all of your support and all the recent alert adds that I couldn't get this chapter out fast enough...
YOUR REWARD
Chapter 27
BPOV
After arriving home from the Cullen's I went inside and went straight to my room. There was a light knock on my door frame, even though the door was wide open and I was right there in plain sight.
"How are you doing sweetie?" My mom asked and I could hear her voice getting closer with every spoken word.
"Terrible," I replied as I fell onto my bed. "I know it isn't your fault," I continued as I lay back against the headboard, "But why does this have to happen now? I just found him mom, to be torn away from him now is just so…wrong."
"I know, and I feel terrible about it. I know how much you two care about each other…"
"Love mom, we love each other," I corrected her.
"Whatever the case may be, I believe in fate and if it is your fate to be with the Cullen boy than James will be caught and you will come home." She patted my head and turned to walk out the door but not before turning around and saying, "You will survive this Bella, trust me. It might do you some good to be away from him for a while; I don't want you to become dependent on someone else." She blew me a kiss and then she was gone.
"I'm already dependant on him," but I didn't say it loud enough for her to hear it. There are just some things that parents don't need to know, and that is one of them.
Christmas with the Cullen's was magical in more ways than one. Everyone loved my gifts; that was the first trick, then Edward gave me a promise ring, a constant reminder of the promises he made. I wasn't sure if it was the kind of promise ring that comes before an engagement ring, but it was a promise that I intended to hold him to. The third was how much he let me see, he cried, not a full outcry, but I wiped his tears away. He accepted my promise ring as well.
My promises were the same but different. I promised that I would think of him every day and that I would come back to him more in love with him than possible. I promised that I would be careful and I would take care of myself no matter how hard it was to be away from him.
Secretly, I promised to be his forever, his wife someday if he ever asked me, which I really hope he does and to be a good mother to as many babies as we can manage. I never thought I would want something so bad that I would go through so much hurt to get it. The old Bella, pre Edward, would hot have done this; she would have given up at the first sign of conflict. Edward was worth every second of my torment.
After we'd exchanged gifts Edward took me into his house and we'd sat on the bench in front of his grand piano and he played my lullaby. The first official time I heard it as my lullaby. I cried, he shed a few tears as well and then I played him a song.
It was a song I'd grown to love over the years, not that horrid song from my dream back in Seattle; it held emotions so deep you felt them. They ached through your body with each lingering note. It was all the feelings I felt towards Edward, toward leaving him and being void of him for five whole days at a time. The feelings I felt when he walked into a room, the warmth that came over me each time was staggering. The pain I felt when I thought of what I already knew I had to do.
Yes, there was something I had to do to fix this, I couldn't and wouldn't go a day without seeing Edward, not now, not ever.
That's why I chose to do what I am doing now, sitting downstairs at two in the morning on the desktop computer, in the dark by myself logging onto the website that jump started my life.
Vamplvr1987: Where have you been?
Jameshasagiantpeach: I should be asking you the same fucking question, what the fuck Bella?
Vamplvr1987: I'm sorry, my dad took my things away…apparently you have scared the crap out of him.
Jameshasagiantpeach: I only want to show him the sleaze that Edward is. And I want you baby, I always have. Meet me…
Vamplvr1987: I don't even know what you look like, how am I supposed to know who you are?
Jameshasagiantpeach: Oh you'll know. I'm going to do so many unimaginable pleasurable things to you you'll be screaming my name and seeing my face everywhere.
Vamplvr1987: When?
Jameshasagiantpeach: As soon as you're ready, preferably before you go to Jacksonville.
Vamplvr1987: How about tomorrow morning? My dad will be at work and I can get out of the house before Edward arrives.
Jameshasagiantpeach: How do I know this isn't a trick, because it sounds like a trick?
Vamplvr1978: I'll snag my phone before I leave, I know where my dad puts everything and you can IM me where to go after I've already left. I don't have a car.
Jameshasagiantpeach: I'll pick you up.
Vamplvr1987: Okay…I can't wait to see you, to meet you finally.
Jameshasagiantpeach: I have been waiting almost 7 years for this, it's going to blow your mind.
Vamplvr1987: I'm looking forward to it.
Jameshasagiantpeach: You have no idea.
I shut the computer off and made my way back to my bedroom; I was exhausted. I had never felt more violated or disgusting in my life as much as I did when I was replying to James. "I have to do this," I kept telling myself over and over again. I was not going to go weeks without Edward and have him flying in every weekend only to leave me again in the end.
I had to do something and this was all I had come up with; I was meeting James and I was going to take him down myself, but not without a little help of course. I'm scheduled to leave Seattle Airport tomorrow at five pm; this is my only shot and I was going to do it right. James is apparently in love with me and I have no idea who he is. Thankfully, Esme still had a ton of pictures, the newest was eight months ago; he couldn't look that different.
I climbed into my bed and curled up in my blanket, thoughts of tomorrow running feral through my mind. "I can do this, I can do this," I mentally chanted. I had to do this, there was no other way. James was controlling my life and Edward's, he had his hands in our strings and he was making all of the moves. It was time for this to stop and I didn't want to wait months; hours was more like it.
I had found my phone yesterday; I knew where it was the whole time. My dad needs to find a new hiding spot because it's been the same since I was seven. Three things I knew for sure, my phone has a high tech tracking device that my dad had installed the day I got it. I can't turn it off and my dad has it linked to the police station.
Have I ever told you that my dad is overly protective; you have been warned.
The second thing is that Edward was coming over at eight in the morning to spend the day with me and he will bring my absence into view if my mother doesn't figure it out by then. The third, and this one is most important but the least confident, is that James will not physically harm me, anything else I can handle, I would just have to play along for as long as I can.
This was my last chance, after this I'm at a loss. I will be in Jacksonville with weekend visitations and Edward will be in Forks spending six hours a weekend 30000 feet above ground. He doesn't deserve that and I don't want to cause him any amount of discomfort and reason for him to give up on us.
I thought back to our conversations, before I knew who he was. I didn't think someone like him really existed; he had to be someone messing with me. I remember wanting him to be real and that was my birthday wish, for my M&M to be the real thing. Birthday wishes have never come true for me, not until that one.
I thought back to that day of school when I faced my fears and stood next to Edward with his arm around me in a loving and protective manner. The look on Tyler's face was comical; I can say that now because we're actually friends. Never thought I'd see the day when Jessica Stanley would be apologizing, that was unexpected. I still haven't forgiven her and I still think she only did it because of my sudden 'popularity' but our friendship is on the road to recovery. Lauren had been pushed out of the group completely, she wouldn't even give me a chance; not that I wanted her to, she chose her route.
Edward was getting an A in Trig and he thanked me for it often, even though he was the one doing it, I was just showing him the way. Now that I have experienced what life can really be like I do not want to give it up, call me selfish, call me conceited I don't care, I'm not going down without a fight.
I finally fell asleep with thoughts and scenarios taking over my dreams. Before too long, I heard a melody and saw Edward playing the piano in the lobby of the hotel we stayed at in Seattle. He told me to trust our love, that nothing in this world could penetrate it and that I would forever hold his heart in my own. I believed him and when my alarm went off at 6:30 am I told myself today I was going to make it happen.
My dad was already gone; he took an earlier shift so he could be home by noon to spend time with me as well. I threw on some jeans and my sweat shirt, grabbed my phone and stuffed it in my pocket.
I could hear my mom in the kitchen and I knew if I stepped on the fifth step down and the eighth that they would creak and she would be aware of my presence, so I skipped over those ones. I shut the door behind me with a silent click and darted off down the road. I didn't stop running until I was out of the vicinity of the house.
James messaged me the moment I stopped running.
Jameshasagiantpeach: I see you, you look lovely.
I smiled, it was forced but I couldn't let him know that this was in fact a trick.
Vamplvr1987: Thank you, where are you?
As soon as I looked away from my phone I pretended to be looking around frantically for him.
Jameshasagiantpeach: Keep coming forward, you'll see me I'm in a black Sedan.
Vamplvr1987: Okay…
I changed over to my txt messenger and sent my dad a text, hopefully he would receive it in time. If not the locator will tip him off if it hasn't already.
Dad, I took matters into my own hands, you can ground me later but right now I need you to watch my locator and find me. Do not reply or this will end badly, I know you can do it, you're the best cop in town and the best father. I love you…B.
I deleted that message and sent another…
Angela, play along please…
I sent it then deleted it.
Angela, I'm finally meeting James, I can't believe it….wish me luck…eeee.
When I looked up I was face to face with a black Sedan, the windows were fairly dark, but I could see James' hungry eyes like they were glowing. I smiled timidly remembering that he liked my shyness, something he told me during our one way conversations.
He motioned for me to get in and I did. Here we go.
EPOV
When I dropped Bella off at home after the wonderful night we spent with my family she kissed me in the car and I felt it again. The feeling that this change in our lives was going to be the end. I wanted so bad to be able to read her mind, to know that the separation wasn't going to ruin what we have. If she needed someone to listen; I wanted to be that someone. If she needed to let out her frustrations and yell kick and scream; I wanted to be her retreat.
Most of all, I wanted Bella to be mine forever.
She left me with a goodbye and I waited until she was safe in her house before I started the car. The drive home was a blur, all I saw were two brown eyes staring back at me. They were beautiful and full of life yet saddened in a way that jerked at my heart. When I walked in the house Em was thumping down the stairs in a hurry.
"Eddy, I got a phone call from Chad, he saw James in the school parking lot talking to a few people." He didn't need to say another word. I knew I should be calling Chief Swan but I had to show James I wasn't one to be messed with. "He called me right away."
"Let's go," I seethed. I never knew your vision could turn different colors but I swear mind turned to red.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Em grabbed his coat and we were out the door and back in my car in seconds.
"How many people was he talking to?" I asked as I backed out of the garage and sped down the dirt road from our house.
"He said like four or five, we can take them dude. James is a scrawny tweak; he'll be easy to take down." He seemed more enthused about this than I was; I was more pissed than anything else.
I drove passed the school once and we both saw nothing, "Did he say what he was driving?"
"Yeah, a black sedan he wasn't sure the make and model," Em was looking out the windows all around the car.
"I don't see anything dammit," I hit the steering wheel with my fist. I thought this was going to be it; I thought I was going to find him, kick his ass and turn him in to the police making it so Bella didn't have to leave me. My hopes were shattered when the parking lot was empty.
"Well, I told everyone who's on the lookout what he's driving and they'll tell us if they see him. We'll get him Edward, he can't hide forever."
"He can hide until Bella leaves, I can't let her go Em, I just can't."
"You'll see her on the weekends, it'll work out." He tried to calm me, "You'll see. She'll be back home in no time."
"I don't want her leaving at all Em; it's hard to breathe just thinking about it. It makes me nauseous thinking about her in danger, having to leave her home, I can't bear it. I won't."
"Let's go home and we'll keep trying," a black sedan passed in front of us through a stop light and we both watched in silence as it rolled past. "Dude, is that him?"
"We're about find out." I flipped my switch and took a right to follow the black car. It continued to drive for a while then pulled over in front of a house. I didn't take notice to where we were I just pulled up right behind it, not even shutting my engine off before I got out. I walked up to the driver's side door and yanked it open, ready to punch that mother fucker in the face but I was met with Angela Webber.
"Shit," my hands were in my hair and I couldn't think straight.
"Edward, what's wrong with you?" she asked in her caring tone. "Is something wrong with Bella?"
"No," I nearly growled, "I just thought you were James. He's driving around in a black car, I'm sorry if I frightened you."
"Its fine, I'm sorry I excited you," she joked halfheartedly. She stepped out of the car and shut the door before turning to me. "Everything will work out, love never fails, and you two are going to live happily ever after."
"Why does all of this have to happen? What the fuck did I do to deserve this, what did Bella do to deserve this?" I leaned back against her car and slouched over with my hands on my knees.
"You haven't done anything; it's just the path of love." I looked up at her with a quirked brow. "Edward," she leaned against the car next to me. "Love, real love, is a very hard thing to come across; when it happens it doesn't come easily. There are, how should I say this…tests."
"Love tests?" I asked in a mock tone.
"Yes, tests to see if you are capable of such things as true love. There will always be bumps in the road, there will be hurdles to conquer and this is just one of those hurdles."
"I'm not sure Bella can take this, she isn't used to things being so wild like they have been. I'm afraid we won't pass the test Ang."
"Oh Edward, let me tell you a thing or two about our dear Isabella." She smiled and it caused the edges of my lips to lift. Angela was a good friend to Bella and she was a good friend to me; she as showing me that right now. "There isn't a test Bella has taken that she hasn't passed, I think she got a B once in her life and it was not a pretty picture in the least. Bella is stronger than you think and she loves you more than a vegetarian loves tofu."
"That is not a good analogy Ang," I told her sarcastically.
"Well it's the only one I have that actually makes sense so take it or leave it," she chuckled. "She loves you; she's told me, she's showed me and I've witnessed it with my own eyes. Things will work out, you'll see."
"Thank you for being such a great friend to her, she's been through so much disappointment, I'm thankful she's had you." I had to say it because it was true and the truth of it was filling me like a balloon that was about to burst.
"I wouldn't be anything less," she replied simply.
"Thanks for being my friend, too."
My head was down and her hand patted my back before rubbing small circles and then she removed it completely, "Anytime."
I fell asleep around three in the damn morning and I had to be up at seven to see Bella before she left. My mind wouldn't wrap around it and I couldn't believe that I wasn't going to see here for five excruciating days. The thought of it caused pain throughout my entire being; my heart ached for it not to be true but my mind told me that it definitely was.
My alarm woke me up and the first thing I did was send my love, my heart and my soul to the one person who could have it. After the message was sent I hoped in the shower and got ready for one of the worst days of my life. Little did I know it was going to be worse than I thought.
I pulled up to her house, still with no response to my IM, and knocked on the door. Renee, which is what she insisted I call her, answered the door with an unfathomable expression.
"What happened? What is it?" I asked, all coherent thought gone in that instant.
"She's not here, she left, I didn't hear her wake up," she was sobbing in my arms and I wanted to know everything.
"We don't know where she went?" I asked, trying to get her to keep talking, to give me something to work with.
"She's with him," she whispered.
"What," I almost lost my balance and took us both down the stairs, "With whom?"
"Charlie received a text from her saying she was taking matters into her own hands; to watch his locator to find her whereabouts."
"And," I pushed.
"The locator went out 20 minutes ago," she broke down into hysterics and I became physically ill. Bella was who knows where with James, James, the fucker of her worst nightmares.
What the hell was she thinking?
I called Alice without releasing Renee; she needed someone to hold onto or she was going to go over the edge.
"Ali, come quick, I need you."
"What is it? Is something wrong with Bella?"
"Yes, get over here," I ordered and snapped my phone shut.
"When was the last time you heard anything?" I asked Renee.
"About 15 minutes ago when Charlie called to tell me he received the text and that the locator wasn't working." She sobbed through the whole shpeal and I was growing more and more worried with each second that ticked by.
My phone vibrated in my hand and I swore if it was Alice I was going to freak out but when I opened it, it was a message from Angela.
Edward, I got this really strange txt from Bella this morning around 6:50, she said please play along. Then she sent me another txt that said…Fwd: Angela, I'm finally meeting James, I can't believe it….wish me luck…eeee. Is she okay?
Bella was trying to trick James, he was smarter than that, he was going to figure this out and she was going to get hurt. My blood started to boil.
What did you think? I am seriously dying to know...I wasn't going to go this route but I ended up doing it anyways and I hope I chose the right direction....
REMINDER: No rape in this story...
I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed, I know I say it all the time but I can't get to everyone and this is the best way for me to show my appreciation to you. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by Saturday...maybe sooner but don't hold me to it.
As always...
PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR THOUGHT
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