A/N: This is the phone conversation that takes place between Edward and Alice in chapter 7.
Edward
The minute Bella leaves I feel guilty. I should have just drove her to the store. It would have taken less than 15 minutes and I could have waited in the car. I hope she doesn't get lost.
Oh, well. There's nothing I can do about it now. Lying here on my couch does feel really fucking good. I'm almost asleep when my cell phone rings. I groan and dig it out of my pocket. The area code isn't familiar. My finger hovers over the power button briefly before deciding to answer it.
"Hello?" I say groggily.
"Um, hello. My name is Alice and I'm looking for Bella Swan. She called me from this number a few days ago."
This must have been who Bella called when she used my phone the first night. "Yeah?"
"Is she there?" Alice asks hopefully.
"No."
"Oh my gosh! When did you see her last?" She begins to panic.
"I mean, she's with me, yeah," I say quickly. I didn't mean to freak her out. "She's just not here at the moment."
"Oh, thank God!"
"Is everything okay?"
"No! You have to tell her to call her dad. He's filing a missing persons report on her."
"What?" I shout. It comes out angrier than I intended. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Bella's dad is the Forks Chief of Police. He think she's been kidnapped because she disappeared on Friday and hasn't contacted anybody. She has to call him right away."
"Fucking… are you fucking serious?" I ask in disbelief. Motherfucking Chief of Police? Fuck me. This is the last thing I fucking need right now.
"Yes. Look, it's important that she calls him, for the both of you. She asked me not to give anyone this number but I will if she doesn't call him," she threatens. Her attempt at intimidating me is almost funny. Almost.
"She'll be back soon. I'll let her know." I try my best not to be short with her but, as hard as I try, my voice is still laced with irritation.
"Um." I hear Alice taking a deep breath on the other end before continuing. "Is she really with you? I mean, she's okay?" She sounds so concerned. Concerned and scared for her friend. I sigh and wait for some of my tension to dissipate before answering.
"Alice, Bella is fine," I assure her. "She took my car to the store to get tampons. She should be back any minute."
"And… you'll tell her to call her dad?"
"Of course."
"Okay." She still sounds uncertain.
"If it makes you feel better you can give him this number. I don't fucking care."
"No, I believe you. Will you tell her to call me too?"
"Sure."
"Okay, thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Bye."
I flip my phone closed without saying anything else, wanting to be done with the call. What I really want is for this fucking situation to not be happening. Her father is a fucking cop—no, chief—for Christ's sake! A fucking kidnapping charge is the last thing I need.
Rationally, I know that this isn't a big deal; it's a misunderstanding that will only take one phone call to fix. Still, I'm pissed at her for being so irresponsible. I'm pissed at myself too. I keep forgetting she's only 19. Of course she can't up and disappear for four days without someone flipping out. I've been on my own for so long that I didn't even think about the repercussions she might face for running off. Not that anyone ever gave a shit about what I did once I became an adult. Regardless, I should have thought of it myself. I should have made sure she called one of her parents.
Her parents. Damn it. What the hell am I doing?
One thing is certain. I need to calm the fuck down before she gets back.
