Chapter 34: Goodbye Bella
The next day, I grabbed Emmett and made a necessary trip. After hearing what Bella had said to Leah, I needed to make sure that once and for all she understood. I was not coming back to her.
"So, why am I going with you again?" Emmett grumbled as he messed with the radio.
"Because believe it or not, you're a calming force. You'll be a good mediator, and I'll need a witness," I confessed as we parked in front of the mental institution. "Bella has been feeding people so many different lies. I want someone else there to verify what I've told her and what is said to me."
"You want me to hide, because if she knows I'm listening, her story may change," Emmett added, and I agreed with him. We were buzzed in, and one of the nurses escorted us to Bella's room. As discussed, Emmett stood outside in the hall, listening to every word.
Bella sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. She looked up at me with a weird expression in her eyes. It almost seemed like fear. "Hey," she murmured and then looked away from me.
"Hello, Bella," I started. "I know that Leah was in to see you yesterday." Bella's eyes became wide and watery.
"Yes, she did," Bella sighed. "It's okay Edward. You don't have to apologize for her actions." Her statement confused me.
"Apologize?" I crossed my arms so she knew I wasn't being swayed. I just needed to know what was going on in her head this time.
"Yeah, all I did was tell Leah the truth. I didn't blame her and that you would come back to me. She flew off the handle and yelled at me, claiming that I didn't know a damned thing and that I deserved to be in here!" I frowned as listened to Bella's side of the story. It pretty much kept up with Leah's story, and it did sound like something Leah would say. I don't think Bella's confession had the effect she was hoping for. The thought of Leah snapping over me didn't make me angry. I was actually elated that she felt that kind of emotion.
"You don't deserve to be in here, Bella," I said, deciding to play it safe. "But you need to be in here. You're not well." I sat on the edge of her bed and then quickly hopped back up. I didn't want to feed into any of her mind's delusions.
"I'm not crazy, Edward. I'm determined to get you back. Leah's the crazy one to think that anything between you two would last." Bella got up and started pacing. She reminded me of all the things we'd been through to be together. "Right now, you're just in awe over the newness that is Leah. In time, that will fade, and you will come back." She sighed and picked at her fingers. "I just wish that you hadn't slept with her. I wanted our first time to be special for the both of us. Now you're going to compare me to Leah."
"No, I won't, because I will never sleep with you, Bella!" I could see how Leah became frustrated. Bella seemed so sure of the upcoming events in our lives, but I couldn't even begin to see wanting her again. Especially after seeing how vile she could really be.
"You say that now …" she started.
"No, I say that always! I will never be with you the way that I'm with Leah. I'm in love with her, and I know it may hurt to hear this, but someday Leah will be my wife! I can't imagine loving her anymore than I do right now!" I snapped.
"It's just new puppy syndrome." She sighed and flopped back down on her bed. "I had that with Jacob. The shapeshifters are beautiful creatures, but I could never see myself really committing to Jacob. You want to know why? Because I love you, and I know that I will never feel that kind of love for anyone but you." Her eyes were honest. It made me feel guilty, because I could barely remember what it was like to love Bella. I sighed, I was about to give up on trying to make her see reason.
"Bella, I wish you the best in life. I want you to get well, meet someone new, explore your interests, and have a family. You can't do that if you're stuck on this delusion. I'm going to say this one more time … I don't love you anymore." I looked in her eyes and something in her broke. Her eyes widened and sadness filled them. "Even if Leah decided she didn't want me, I couldn't see myself coming back to you. I'm sorry." I went to leave her room, and she called for me once more.
"Edward, what did I do? What made you fall out of love with me?" I searched my mind, wondering why she wanted this information. I came up with two conclusions. Maybe she was coming to grips with the nothing we were becoming, or she was going to try to use the information to her advantage. Either way, I would be honest, because it was nothing she could really use against Leah.
"Your lack in trust in me is what made me fall out of love with you. I will be honest. Even if you had trusted me, I probably would have needed to separate from you and eventually broke up with you, but it was your lack of faith that made me distant. Then it was your despise for Leah that made me hate you, and that has ensured the fact that I will never be able to have feelings for you again." She rolled her eyes and huffed. I headed for the door again.
"So, what if Leah didn't trust you? What if she believed that you were in love with somebody else? Would you fight for her, or would you claim to hate her like you say you hate me?" She asked valid questions. Maybe she wasn't as crazy as everyone thought. I turned back to her yet again, and this time she wore a smirk, thinking she had outsmarted me.
"Yes, I'd fight for her. Leah gives me a different feeling than … Our love is different. Besides, Leah is the type of woman who would sit down and talk to me about it. She wouldn't try to kill off the competition." I narrowed my eyes at her, and she folded her arms to her chest.
"Leah's not perfect," she huffed.
"I know," I agreed with her.
"Do you really?" She huffed out another frustrated sigh. "Ever since she came into your house, and you realized she wasn't what the others said she was, you deemed her perfect. So what? She's not a bitch. So what? She's not so bitter. It doesn't mean she's an angel." Bella started to cry. I didn't want her to do that, but I did think that she was starting to realize that our relationship was over.
"I know Leah isn't perfect. Matter of fact, Leah and I have had many arguments. We disagree on a whole bunch of stuff, but she compliments me in a way that I don't see any other woman being able to. Her entire being is like … like it is made just for me. I don't think anyone will truly be able to understand what her kiss feels like to me or just a simple touch of her hand. She's just …"
"Okay, Edward. I get it." She turned to me with teary eyes. "You love Leah. I just hope you don't break her heart the way … the way you've broken mine." She clenched the front of her shirt in her hand. I assumed she was trying to fight back more tears. "Good luck … and whatever. I don't want to ever see your face again." She lay on her bed and brought her knees to her knees to her chest, it was then that she completely surrendered to her sobs.
"Goodbye, Bella," I whispered as I left her room. I took a deep breath and then noticed the odd situation in the hallway. Emmett was holding Jacob in a vice grip with his hand over his mouth, and Leah was standing there in shock. As soon as Emmett saw me, he released Jacob. Jacob flew into the room to Bella to help collect herself. I hoped she would let him, and maybe this time, she would finally rebound to the poor sap.
"You left me out here with a hell of a situation, dude," Emmett grumbled. "Your lady friend was pissed too!" I looked at Leah who was staring at the floor. I searched her mind. I figured it would be easier than asking her why she was mad.
"I didn't tell you I was coming because I needed to talk to Bella freely. I felt I owed her that much." I answered her thoughts, and she looked up at me.
"You still could've told me you were coming and just told me not to come," she countered, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Would you have seriously listened to me, Leah Clearwater?" I teased playfully and a slow grin crept onto her lips. "Besides, you didn't tell me when you came. You told me after."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She conceded with more ease than normal. I placed my arm around her shoulders, and we all started to exit the building.
"By the way, you two are treating me and my lady to a night out for all this chaos. It's the least you can do!" Emmett said as he forced himself between us, placing his arms around us both.
Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm sorry it been a long time since I've posted. I hope you all like the chapter. Please read and review … and no flames.