35. JUSTIFIABLE
They raced with tumultuous speed out of Volterra, toward Florence and yet another plane. Alice turned around, gazing back at the still-sleeping city as the sky above them began to lighten. A new day was about to arise.
"Edward, what the hell is going on?!" she demanded, tugging on the shoulder of his shirt. "You need to stop the car."
"No time," Edward said, as though they were already late.
"Alice is right, " Jasper said firmly, giving the frenzied pair with him a full dose of his power. Reluctantly, Edward's foot eased up on the gas pedal, causing the car to slow down. Edward was fighting it, but he knew they were right. Not fifteen minutes ago, he had desperately wanted more time.
"Alright," he said, pulling the car off to the side of the road. He got out, desirous of air and space. Giving the neighboring fields a quick glance, he was grateful to discover that they were alone, too early yet even for the farmers. He raced into the meadow, stopping only when reaching a distant crumbling stone wall. Had he but known that very near that spot was where Bella and Jacob had shared a very intimate moment not five months before, his decision may have proven easier. But, as it was, a battle was raging within him.
Alice and Jasper were quick to catch up, neither out of breath despite the quick run.
"Now, Edward," Alice demanded. "Answers."
"Can't you see? What, no vision?" Edward asked, turning to her.
"A forest," Alice replied, all the more puzzled by her vision riddles. "Much good that does me."
"Oh, right," Edward said, humorlessly smiling. "No, you wouldn't see it, would you?"
"Edward," Jasper said firmly, "We have been exceedingly patient. What happened in there?"
Edward swallowed. He was now very much wishing he had gone alone. This decision would've been easier without them. "I was given my task."
"You mean, it's not yet performed?" Alice asked. "What is it you have to do?"
"Find Jacob Black..." Edward replied through his gritted teeth, as though barely saying the name would make a difference as to what he thought of him.
"Oh!" Alice said, relieved. "That's not so bad!"
Yet, Jasper was more wary. He had been reading Edward's mood. There was much more to this than he wished to let on... "Only find him?"
Their eyes met, and Edward knew Jasper could not be so easily deceived. "Find him...and kill him."
"What?!" Alice gasped. "Edward, you can't! You swore! You swore you'd never kill another human again! I'm calling Carlisle..."
"No!" Edward said, quickly snapping away her phone. "He'll tell Bella. That would... She mustn't know."
"What the hell are you saying?" Alice cried. "Jacob's not my favourite person either, Edward, but he's human, and he's Bella's friend! You kill him and she'll never forgive you!"
"She's not going to find out," he replied, avoiding her penetrating gaze.
"I'll tell her! I swear I will! Don't you think I won't!" Alice threatened, desperate to say something, anything, that would force some reason into him.
Jasper looked at him, his face the calm polar opposite of Alice's hysterics. "If you do not kill him, what happens then? Did they tell you?"
"I die," Edward replied, now looking Alice straight in the eye. "He dies, or I die, Alice. Tell me, which would you choose?"
Her agitated manner deflated, turning morose and quiet. "That's your choice?"
"That's my choice," Edward confirmed, nodding his head once.
"There's got to be some other way..." Alice said, her mind racing trying to think of any alternative that could save them both. "Maybe if you found him, and convinced him to go back..."
"Would you go back?" Edward asked, one eyebrow raised. "If you were Jacob, now free, would you? I can't believe he lasted as long as he did! It's a miracle he didn't insult them, and then get ripped to shreds! More's the pity, for now we're on a merry chase off to Poland of all places, trying to hunt down a werewolf that probably wants me dead as much I do him!" He paused, breathing deeply, awaiting their arguments, but they never came. Both Alice and Jasper merely stared at him, grateful they were not in his shoes. "But, hey! I'm open to suggestions! Fire away!"
Jasper was the first to respond. "I think you should do it."
"Jasper!" Alice snapped, appalled that he had sided against her. "Why?!"
He could see the pain this division caused, but like always, Jasper told her the truth. "What other alternatives are there, Alice? In a 'kill, or be killed' scenario, it's a lose-lose situation! Edward, are you prepared to die to save him?"
"To save Jacob?" Edward said, his eyes narrow little slits. "No way." Especially not after what Felix had said...
But Alice wasn't ready to give up yet. Bella was her sister now, married to Edward or not! She would want Alice to fight for her, to fight for what she believed in, and would have wanted. To fight for what was humanely right. "Look, I'm not saying I agree or disagree. I'm just saying, are you open to options? It may take us weeks to find him!"
"Us?" Edward repeated. "I don't think so. You two are going home."
"Like hell we are," Jasper replied, his face now firmly resolute. "We're going along, if for nothing else, to prevent Jacob killing you."
"I can handle Jacob," Edward retorted confidently.
"We're going, Edward," Alice said, her face equally as determined. "And I'll have my eye so tuned on you, don't even think about giving us the slip."
Edward smiled, and could not help but be grateful that he would not be alone. Whatever the decision and outcome, right or wrong, at the very least, they would be with him.
"Use my cell phone," Alice said, gently. "Call Bella."
"I'm not telling her..." he said bitingly, fearful of her reaction.
"I know," Alice said, "I've heard the conversation already. She'll be suspicious, though, so make it good. I only hope she'll forgive you one day."
Edward stared down at the silver phone in his hand, and flipped it open. Never would he have imagined that he would dread calling her. He longed to hear her soft, sweet voice, fretting over his life and limb. How would she react if he were to tell her the truth? She would beg him not to do it, that much was certain. But what could he do? What were his options? The question then came to him. What would he do to stay with Bella? And then the answer came with a fiery roar. Anything. He would do whatever it took. Including, killing her best friend.
Pressing the number on speed dial, he rang her cell phone. On the first ring, she answered it. "Hello?!" she called out, her frenzied voice near uncontrollable.
He could not help but smile. He closed his eyes, imagining she were but an arm's length away, just out of reach. "Hello, my love."
"Oh! Edward!" she cried, the relief emanating through her voice, along with a short hysterical laugh. "Oh my God! I've been so worried! Is it over? Is it done? Did you kill Jane? Please say you did!"
"It wasn't nearly as bad as all that," he said, wishing he could but reach through the phone and brush her soft cheek. "I've been given instructions. Nothing to worry about at all. Piece of cake, the whole thing. Got all blown out of proportion. Big fuss over nothing, honest."
"Really?" she asked, and he sensed there the suspicion that Alice had mentioned. Perhaps he had overdone it a bit...
"Well, I may be gone for a week or so, that's all. We're going to Poland."
"Poland?! What's in Poland?"
Edward hesitated a fraction of a second. Could he fake it? "Jacob. He's run off. I'm to convince him to go back to Volterra."
Silence ensued over the phone. Edward waited anxiously. Did she buy it?
"Run off? Well, Demetri did say he may be in trouble, but why would he leave like that? Did Aro say why?"
"No."
"Oh. Well, I hope...you'll be safe, and go easy on him."
"I will. I promise." That lie hurt. A promise he was already planning to break. "I'm sorry, Bella, but we really should get a move on. Have a plane to catch."
"Oh, okay. When will you call again?"
"Soon."
"I miss you," she said, her voice radiating all her heartache for being separated from him.
"I miss you, too," he replied, feeling a pang in his cold, dead heart.
"Okay. Goodbye. Oh! And Edward?"
"Yes?"
"You will be careful, won't you? I mean, what if he refuses to go back with you?"
"Trust me, Darling. I'll see that he doesn't. Goodbye." She too bid goodbye, and he clicked off the phone. May both God and you forgive me.