Chapter 34 – Undeniable Resolve

EPOV

Bella sighed and settled against me again in the backseat of Carlisle's car. I placed the bag of medicine on my knee before I looked down at her. She was gnawing on her lip. A small groan escaped me. What thoughts had her worrying? I tightened my arm around her, reminding her that I was close.

It wasn't long before Alice was stopping at Bella's front door. She and I had talked while waiting for Carlisle to finish the discharge papers. She asked me to stay with her, being opposed to staying at the Cullen manor, but demanded that I hunt since Jasper and Emmett could stay until I returned.

"Stay in the car," I instructed. "I'll be right back."

I walked into the house and quickly went through all the rooms—even though I could tell Emmett and Jasper had just been through every one—before heading back out. I smiled at Bella as I helped her out of the car.

"Nothing," I said in response to her questioning and leery look.

She nodded, walking slowly into the house, past Emmett and Jasper, and right up the stairs. I followed. I wanted to make sure she was settled into bed before I left to hunt—not that I wanted to leave her alone, but knew I had to hunt.

"Would you mind getting my luggage out from under the bed?" she asked, walking into the closet.

I was a bit confused. She needed her rest, but I did ask she requested, getting the luggage out and placing it on the bed. I was slightly worried that she wanted to pack right this instant, and the fact that she had hardly said a word on the drive from the hospital wasn't helping. It was times like these I wished I could read her mind. I sat heavily on the bed and wished for the hundred-millionth time that she would open up to me. She was shutting me out just like she had in high school before she had…

NO! My mind screamed. I got up, going into the closet and she was gone. Locating the hidden panel, I tried it; it wouldn't open. I couldn't find the seam where the door closed, and trying to shoulder my way through didn't work.

What was I going to do?

Pulling out my phone, I dialed her number. As soon as it started ringing, I heard and saw her phone—it was on the floor.

NO! Not again. I couldn't and wouldn't believe she'd left me again.

"Emmett, Jasper!" I yelled, coming out of the closet and dialing again.

"Charlie, it's Edward—Bella has vanished." I listened for a moment. "Where would she go?"

I closed my phone, running my hand through my hair.

"What did he say?" Jasper asked, trying to calm me.

I allowed the calming waves to wash over me.

There has to be an explanation. Maybe she had gone into her closet's closet, closed the door, and was magically keeping me out. But that doesn't explain where I found her phone. Had she decided that she couldn't—didn't want me in life?

"He doesn't know. He's checking some things and told me he would call when he knows something."

"I don't like this," Emmett said, picking up the tracking bracelet from where Bella had obviously hidden it.

"Me either, but what can we do? She's left me again." I couldn't help voicing what I was trying not to think about or admit might be true.

"The rest of the family is not going to take this well, especially Alice," Jasper said, stricken by the prospect of telling her.

"Alice!" I shouted.

How in the world I had forgotten?

"You shouted." Alice's voice drifted into the closet from the bedroom.

I was quickly out of the closet and in front of her. "Have you seen anything?" I was seething, barely keeping my grief-stricken helplessness in check. "Anything at all, Alice?"

"No," she answered impatiently, concern clearly written across her face. "Why? What has happened?"

I sunk to my knees, grabbing my hair and pulling. I let out a sob.

Where could Bella have gone? Were my suspicion even right? Had she really left me again?

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Alice asked.

"Bella vanished," Jasper said, giving up on trying to calm me now—I was too far gone, he told me with his thoughts. He wrapped his arms around Alice, comforting her.

BPOV

I hated what I was about to do, but I needed to get to the bottom of who was after me. I didn't want to run off to Scotland with Edward and hide, letting others try to figure it out. I had a feeling I knew who it was, especially after seeing the note left for me—well, for Edward. I had made the note vanish before Edward burst through the doors—it was the only thing I had time to do. If it wasn't for that event triggering my asthma, I would have been to the bottom of it by now.

I placed my phone on the closet floor, after typing a brief message to Edward, and hid the bracelet where it could be found. I hope Edward would understand he couldn't know where I was going—I would explain once I returned. In the back of my mind, I knew he was going to think that I've left him again, and I would deal with his fear later. I never planned to leave him again.

"Do you know where I can find Billy Black?" I asked someone the moment I was in La Push. Not knowing if he was at home or with a member of the clan council, I transported myself to the town center.

"I can take you to see him." The answering voice was one I recognized and came from behind me.

I turned. "Sue!" I exclaimed, astonished that she would be the one that I ran into first.

She wrapped her arms around me a second later, giving me a gentle, loving hugged. "Your dad called me in a panic saying you had disappeared again. I was about to go let Billy know and now here you are. What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked while I followed her to her car. It was her way of asking what brought me to La Push.

I cringed the moment her back was to me. She and Dad had dated off and on over the years, starting a year or so after her husband Harry died, and, though I didn't need one, she was like a mother and always there for me. "You know I've been struggling for the last few years," I started, climbing in her car.

Sue nodded. She and I spent many hours talking on the phone about the direction my life had taken since I left Forks. She was the one that finally convinced me to take Grandfather up on his offer—to build me a house in Forks.

"My life was just getting back to normal, and then a message was left for Edward. I know the tribe doesn't approve of me dating him, but we're back together. Sue, I'm so happy. He makes feel alive."

"That is all I would want for you, Bella—for you to be happy. It doesn't matter that I don't like who you're dating, and the tribe shouldn't care either as long as Edward's good to you."

Her voice held aged wisdom, but the way she phrased it made me questions if she knew what the Cullens were.

"What type of message?" Sue asked.

"I want to discuss it with Billy first, to make sure I translated it correctly."

We had just arrived at a small house, more like a shack than anything else. It was simple, and had the necessities that made survival easier—indoor plumbing, a kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms.

Billy was in his wheelchair on the porch when I got out of the car.

"Bella?" he asked.

I hadn't seen him in years, and he rarely ventured off the reservation since Jacob transformed into a wolf for the first time years ago.

"Yes, Billy, it's me. I'm sorry I haven't visited before now. And… I'm here now because I need your help." I handed him the brief message, giving him a moment to read it. "Does it say, 'Leave her and I'll back off'?"

He looked at it again and nodded.

"Where is he? Where's Jacob?"

"With the pack, but he should be back soon." Billy's voice was fraught with anger.

I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or his son. "Then I'll wait." I sat on the porch step, facing him.

"Are you happy with him?"

I sighed; I guessed Billy was mad at me. He had never come out and said I couldn't date Edward, knowing the prophecy and its secrets, unlike the rest of the elders who only knew the original wording—they didn't know it added to itself. I knew, however, he didn't like it and only told me "we'll be watching." I had no idea what he had meant until I heard the legend of the wolves and how some of the tribe members have a dormant gene that is triggered by the continued nearness of their natural enemy—the vampire.

"Yes, I'm very happy with Edward. I won't let anyone destroy my happiness." I felt Jacob near, being able to sense his presence with my magic, and raised my voice a little. "Not even you can make him leave, Jacob. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, Bells," Jacob said, coming around the corner of the house, tugging on a shirt. "What do you see in him?"

Like father, like son, I thought.

"A future," I said, exasperated. "We went over this in high school."

"We did, Bells. I just don't believe you are happy—truly happy."

"I am, Jacob. I was miserable when I left Edward and, try as I might, I couldn't get over him. I love him, and…" I was interrupted by Jacob.

"And what? Marry him? Become one of them?"

"Jacob, you very well know that can't happen. I can't become one of them, not fully at least—my magic won't allow a full transformation. And, yes, I see myself marrying Edward one day."

"I won't," he started, and I cut him off, knowing what he was going to say—he wouldn't allow that to happen.

"It's not your choice or your decision!" I shouted at him. "It is my choice. It always has been my choice. I ran because of what the prophecy revealed, and I chose to ignore it, ignore my feelings for Edward—what I wanted. I ran away from everything because I thought it was the clan and tribe's way of controlling me, but it's not like that—has never been like that. It took me a long time to realize that and to admit that the choice has always been my decision." I paused for a moment and took a deep, cleansing breath before going on, a little calmer. "The prophecy has always said"—at least the versions Jacob has seen—"I would marry a vampire, Jacob. Don't ignore that fact. A name—Edward's name—didn't appear until after he tried to make a promise to me, a promise to ask me to marry him when he knew I was ready. And, besides, the Cullens know nothing of the prophecy."

"You… you haven't share it with them," Billy said, astonished. "If I'm interrupting what I know correctly, they are central to it."

"No, I haven't—and yes, they are key players," I stated. "But every time I think I am ready to share it with them something happens or someone gets in the way." I looked Jacob in the eye before saying, "Back off, Jacob. And don't send anyone else to frighten me, kidnap me, or to kill Edward."

"Why would I send anyone to do any of that? I'll admit that leaving the severed swan's head and note was extreme, but I would never harm you," he sneered.

"And what about Edward? Hurting him would hurt me."

"The bloodsucker deserves to die. He needs to be destroyed."

"You lay a hand or paw or tooth on him, I'll kill you," I snarled, breathing hard. "Back the hell off. It's my fucking decision."

"I'll make sure he stays away," Billy said. "I'm still the chief, and he has to obey me."

"Thank you, Billy. I need to be getting back," I said, walking away and disappearing. I was soon back in my closet.

"Edward, did you even look at her phone?" Emmett asked. "There's a message on the screen for you."

"What's it say?" Alice asked.

"'I love you, and I'll be back soon,'" I said, coming out of the closet to stand next to a distraught Edward. "Alice, would you please call Rose, Esme, and Carlisle? Ask them to come over. There's something I need to tell everyone."

"Sure," she replied, taking out her phone as she left the room.

I watched as Edward slowly stood before his arms were around me. "Where were you?"

"La Push. I'll explain why when the others get here."

His wide-eyed stare told me he didn't like where I had gone. Hopefully, when everything was out, he'd understand why I had to go.