Welcome to Chapter 38!
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-Chapter 38-
Bella's POV
Riley left me be. The boy laying on the ground was lifeless. I sat crossed-legged on the railroad tracks, looking up at the orange and pink sky caused by the sunset. The wind was blowing lightly, making the leaves rustle against the nearby trees.
I watched as a little bunny rabbit hopped it's way from behind a tree to a hole in the ground. I smiled to myself; when was the last time I took the time to appreciate nature?
I thought about Edward, Jane, Victoria...everyone. I thought about the decision I made; not to marry Edward. It would tear to to pieces, not to mention ruin my relationship with the others. But I know that this is for the best, that I have to find myself in order to carry on.
I realized that I lost myself along the way; that I forgot who I was and focused to much on what I should be.
I missed being able to be alone, to have quiet time to myself. I missed the feeling of independence; I don't have to rely on anyone and no one has to rely on me. I'm free and I can do what I want without being interrupted by someone else's life.
I missed reading and having my thoughts to myself. Reading was my personal escape - a fantasy that I have long lived in my human life. Reading was like someone else's world that they allowed me to enter. Reading is amazing, and it makes you think about everything.
I stood up and started to walk down the train tracks. I left the boy's body there, knowing well that he will soon vanish and will either go up to heaven or down to his doom. By this boy's generosity and kind heart, he will definitely be an angel.
Maybe he'll even encounter my parents at some point.
Ah, my parents. The last thing I remember about them was their smiles and their advice.
"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." My mom would tell me.
"They'll love you, Bells. You're an amazing person." My dad reassured me.
I miss my mom and dad so much. It hurts to think about them now. Before, I thought they died innocently, in a car wreck. Since I found out Rosalie was the one to kill them, my whole point of view changed. Rosalie was the cause of their death, and she kept it from me for so long. Too long. A second is too long, too. I won't ever be able to forgive her.
But I miss my parents. I know that they can be here on Earth, it isn't impossible. They have duties to obey, too. Angels have requirements to fulfill.
Maybe if I transport to them...where is their favorite place in the entire world?
Without a second thought, I conjured up so much energy that within a blink of an eye, I was right where I knew they would be. In front of me, their backs turned, were my parents, drinking a cup of wine in front of a front seat ocean view.
Jane's POV
"Where's Bella? She's supposed to be back by now!" Edward said, worriedly.
I've been watching this worry-wart for the past hour pace back in forth in the living room. He keeps mumbling and muttering about how he's going to kill Riley for keeping Bella too long. I kept rolling my eyes at him and he shot me glared every time.
"Stop worrying about her! She can take care of herself." I snapped, annoyed.
"No she can't, she's still new at this." I retorted, pacing faster.
I groaned. "Have some faith in the girl!"
He sighed, irritably. "You're right, you're right."
"Of course I am." I muttered, relieved that he finally stopped his stupid pacing.
Edward's cool and all, but I swear he can be the worst worrier I have ever encountered in my entire existence.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. My the scent wafting in the air, I could sense that it was the Judge, Riley. It's odd for a member of the council to be making unexpected visits, but I guess if he's here, then it must be important.
"Riley!" Victoria exclaimed, opening the double doors.
Riley came storming in, a huge frown on his face. One of his fists were curled up in ball and the other lay limp. Well, that's not weird at all!
"Why the sudden appearance?" I heard Aro ask, as he joined us in the living room.
Riley sat on one of the leather couches with a puzzled look on his face, like he was having some sort of inner battle with himself. His brows were furrowed and his red eyes were intensely staring at nothing. His hand was still balled into a fist and his jaw was tight.
"I have news." He whispered.
By the tone of his voice, it wasn't good news.
"What kind of news?" Victoria queried, cocking her head to the side. The motion made her curly hair bounce.
"Bad." He muttered, almost apologetically.
"Where's Bella?" Edward inquired, his voice hard and cold.
"Indeed...where is Bella?" Riley repeated, his own curiosity surprising me.
Bella's supposed to be with him! I swear, if that dumb ass did something to her...
"What do you mean where is she? She's suppose to be with you!" Felix growled, bursting through the room.
Riley stood up. "Bella said she's sorry."
As his clenched hand slowly approached the coffee table, suspense started to build up inside me.
As he released his grasp on whatever object I presumed he was holding, he winced slightly.
There on the coffee table, lay the engagement ring.
"She...she just left?" Edward stammered, shocked.
"She wasn't acting all too well today." Riley explained, running a loose hand through his black hair.
"I don't understand..." Edward shook his head, too shocked to be upset.
"Neither do I." Riley shrugged. "Were there ever any troubles with your relationship?"
"No!" Edward blurted, his mind elsewhere.
"After the things I almost walked into? Hell no." I interjected, receiving a glare from Edward.
"She was rather hesitant when I asked her whether or not she wanted to spend eternity like this." Riley slowly added, watching our expressions cautiously.
"Hesitant? She was...she was having..." Edward stuttered.
"Second thoughts." Riley finished Edward's incomplete sentence.
"But why?" Edward asked, still in dismay.
"I thought everything was going well between the two of you!" Victoria said, frowning.
"You guys seemed so happy together." Tanya agreed, shaking her head.
"This just doesn't seem right." Aro murmured.
"We should give her time." I suggested.
"We can't give her too much time, we have three weeks until the Centennial Celebration. All Demons will automatically be summoned despite what they are doing." Victoria added.
"Do you think the Dark Lord will mind if her training is put off for a while?" Riley asked Victoria.
"He doesn't mind how long it will take to train her, he just finds it amusing that someone recited the Latin Script on her." Victoria half-smiled.
In the corner of the room, I saw Edward back up against the wall, in complete disarray of everything around him.
"You guys, I think that is the least of our worries right now..." I murmured.
In unison, we averted our eyes to a Demon in the corner of the room who was slowly going insane. He kept muttering unintelligible words and he had his head in his hands.
"Find Bella, and find her quick." Victoria ordered.
Bella's POV
"Mom?" I called out timidly. "Dad?"
I watched as the two figures looked at each other confusingly for a moment. My mom looked just like the last time I had saw her - her hair tied up in a messy bun, her laugh lines visible and her hazel colored eyes twinkling with potential. My dad still looked the same, too, his salt and pepper hair topped messily on his head and his chocolate brown eyes were still kind.
Slowly, they turned around at the same time.
And I smiled.
"Bella?" My mom finally croaked.
I took a step forward. "It's me, mom." I said, happy tears springing to my eyes.
They stood still, frozen on the sand. The ocean waves crashed against the rocky shore; no wonder why they loved it here so much. It's beautiful.
"It's-it's you..." She whispered, her lower lip trembling.
"It's me..." I confirmed, smiling foolishly.
"Oh, oh my god." She cursed, before running to me and crushing me into a hug. Following closely behind her was my startled father, who joined in on the hug.
"Darling, we've been waiting so long to see you." My father confessed.
"Mom, Dad, I'm really dead." I said. The words sounded awkward, but they were the truth.
"We know, honey, we know." My mom whispered, caressing my hair. "We know what you are, we accept you for who you are, and we love you. We love you so much." Then she broke down into sobs, happy sobs.
"I love you too mom. I love you, dad." I replied shakily, another round of tears coming.
"I love you, sweetheart." He said.
I pulled away from my parents, who stared deeply into my eyes.
"I know what happened to you." I said, carefully waiting for their reaction. But their kind, gentle faces didn't cease to change. They smiled warmly, their eyes still welcoming and honest.
"Your sister didn't mean to do this, honey." My mom interjected, her hair blowing in the wind.
Her words made me feel guilty. Coming from Rosalie's mouth, I didn't care because it's just another way of defending yourself, but coming from my mom's? It made me feel like a monster.
Because I killed her.
"I killed her, mom." I barely whispered.
"That's okay." My mom and dad said.
Normally, I would be startled but this time, I wasn't.
"God knows she didn't mean to do it. She's an angel now." My mom smiled, her eyes twinkling with pride.
I smiled. "I'm glad."
Jane's POV
It's day number sixteen. We haven't found Bella yet and there's no trace of her anywhere. Her teleportation was done neatly, which is quite surprising for such a new Demon. Then again, she's an Immortal Demon - they're capable of anything.
Edward hasn't been the same since Bella left. He's sullen, quiet and discrete. He never talks to anyone unless he has to and he almost barely ever feeds himself. I worry about him sometimes, but he tells me that he has faith, that he knows that Bella will come back to us. I have faith, too, hope even. Bella wouldn't up and disappear if it weren't for a good reason.
Riley has been sticking around, too. He talks to Victoria all the time; there's definitely a strong thing going on between them. Honestly, I'm happy for the two of them. Even if they haven't realized it yet, they're good for each other. Their personalities just click and they seem like great companions for one another.
The Centennial Ceremony starts tomorrow. Aro said that we're lucky that it's tomorrow, all Demons will be summoned and Bella will be there whether she wants to or not. There are also the awards to look forward to and the prizes to go along with them. I'm in the Major Demon category, and if I win, I'll probably end my Demon training and just start living my existence.
I walked into the living room and saw the engagement ring still on the coffee table. I'm quite shocked actually, for sixteen days it's been sitting there and Edward hasn't touched it since. It probably reminds him too much of her.
I find myself telling him to lighten up sometimes, to have a little bit more hope and to remember that Bella will come back. She will, I just know it. It's a gut feeling.
Everyone's due to be back here soon, to report whether they found a lead or not.
I just hope Bella's alright.
I hope she figured out whatever it is she needed to figure out.
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