AN: thank you for the reviews as usual you're all very nice :)
Regarding the story: If tomorrow never comes is coming to an end soon, there's just one or two more chapters (one with the inFamous party at Leah's) I'm planning for a sequel which will be a rewriting of Eclipse/Breaking Down... obviously it'll still be Jake and Bells against the world :)
Chapter 29
Bella decided to take a shower and clean her room before her father and Billy came back from fishing. The events of the day were catching up with her, and she wondered what exactly Edward was doing at the clearing. Had he followed them here?
A knock on the door startled her. She went to open it and met Edward's golden eyes. "Can we talk Bella?"
She nodded and let him in. "What are you doing here? Why were you in the clearing?" She asked him.
Edward passed a hand though his hair, to her he seemed almost nervous. It was strange to see him so unhinged; he had always been so controlled in the previous life. Had it been her influence that had kept him collected? Had her different choice altered his life more than she thought? "It's… complicated…"
"Edward… what's going on?" Bella whispered.
He looked at her and in his gaze she could read a longing that scared her and at the same time reminded her of the feelings she had for him in the other life. In this reality she was totally head over heels in love with Jacob though. "You were supposed to be mine… Alice saw you as my mate and I don't understand why you are with someone else."
Bella bit her lip and sat heavily on one of the chairs. So Alice has seen her with Edward, and she wasn't with him. Alice's visions were faulty, they weren't set in stone. In the previous life she had relied so heavily on the certainty that she was destined to be a vampire, and now she saw the hard truth. Alice wasn't infallible and Bella had been a fool. Sadness like no other hit her squarely in her heart, and finally she could really bury all the last vestiges of affection for this vampire and his family. "I chose Jacob because he's better for me and I love him… I really do."
"I know." Edward said, sitting on the chair next to her. "The problem is that I was sure about you being my mate and I asked the Volturi, the vampire royalty, for the permission to add you to our family. And now they approved it and I'm allowed to change you into one of us. Obviously I can't… We're in trouble."
"We? You are in trouble! I haven't asked for anything!" She shouted, she was so angry. In the other life she had begged to be changed and now he was just offering on a silver plate what he didn't want to give in the previous life. "I want my human life, I love my human life. You made the mess and you're going to solve it. Did you tell them that I knew about your secret and that I was still human?"
He nodded dejectedly.
"Fuck!" She swore for the first time in her life. "Fuck! They'll kill me if I don't become a vampire, won't they?"
He nodded again. "I'm sorry Bella."
"No you aren't… you and your family are selfish. You only make the choices that are good for you, have you ever stopped and thought about what would be good for others? For me?" Bella said sadly. "Now I'm in danger and not just me, do you think they'll take well the fact that werewolves are here in Forks?" She added. "You endangered a lot of people with your foolish decisions."
"I know you don't believe me Bella, but I'm truly sorry. I'll try to rectify my mistake." He whispered.
"And how do you plan on doing it? Will they accept your apology? I don't think so, they'll ask you why I don't want to be with you and they'll tell you that I can't know of your existence if I don't become one of you and I'll have to watch my back for the rest of my life." Bella told him, she was so angry that she could have taken a lighter and burn his sorry ass.
"I'll find a way to protect you and your loved ones Bella, I promise you." He said resolutely.
"Your promises mean next to nothing to me Edward, and now please leave before Paul barges in and kicks you out." She said seriously. "I don't want to talk or see you ever again Edward, and I mean it."
"I'll make it up to you." He whispered before leaving.
She shook her head, Edward was such a disappointment. Now she needed to tell the pack about this looming catastrophe, and there was James to catch as well.
When her father and Billy came back they asked about Jacob, Bella told them that a friend from the Res was in need to repair a car and that Jacob had offered his help. Billy met Bella's eyes and at the question written on his face, she nodded. Both knew that Jacob would have never given up a week-end with her for anyone, not even for a friend.
The next morning Bella packed everything and decided to go fishing with her dad and Billy. It was nice to be with her father and to hear his memories of his youth and of her mother. It was sad to realize that he would never move on from her, even though she had.
Bella thought that the loyalty was praiseworthy but at the same time he was being stubborn, Renee would never come back or change her mind and he definitely was still a catch. She resolved to try and fix a date between him and one of the many available women in Forks.
By the late afternoon they drove back home, they left Billy at the Res, with still no trace of Jacob, and Charlie drove them home.
"Thank you dad for the amazing week-end." she said.
He smiled. "Thank you Bells, I'm really happy that you had fun. I'm just sorry that Jacob had to leave. Are you sure that everything is okay between you two?"
"Of course it's okay. I'll invite both of them to dinner this week and you'll see that we're still as in love as before." She replied.
He nodded. "Okay then, I wish you a good night and I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast."
"Actually dad, I need to speak with Jake before school starts, so I'll be leaving early. I'll see you tomorrow night." She said.
Obviously she wouldn't be talking with Jake but with Sam the next day. They need to plan a strategy to catch James, and the pack had to start training to defend the Res from the Volturi.
