So, back to the present...
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Chapter 22
Present
EPOV
I stand facing the canvas and stare deeply at the eyes that I've been drawing for years. I ponder over it as I tilt my head a little to the right. I take up some brown again and my brush hovers above when there's a light tapping on my door.
I ignore it and move the brush closer when the tapping turns to banging. I sigh in frustration and drop the brush at the table.
"I'm coming. For god's sake, who the hell is banging so ear—" I falter as I open the door and face Jacob. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
I stare at him for a long while and finally move aside. "Come on in."
I make my way to the couch. He follows and takes a seat in the side chair.
"You look like shit." I greet him, grinning.
"So, do you." He says and smirks.
I shake my head amused. "You clearly haven't changed."
His smile drops and he looks at me seriously. "But you have. A lot."
I sigh. "So has Bella," I say, thinking back to our conversation yesterday. That girl is in the past now, she had said.
Jacob's lips lift in a somber smile. "Yeah. These last three years haven't really been great for her."
My brows furrow. "What happened?"
His jaw hardens at my question and his eyes narrow at me. "Why should I tell you? You made a decision to leave her. So, it's none of your business."
I glare at him. "Bella is my business, whether you like it or not."
He scoffs. "You wish."
My mouth thins and my hands clench in fists. We stare at each other, as if in a dueling match. Finally, he sighs.
"Look, Edward, I'm not here to fight."
I arch a brow at him. "Why are you here?"
"You can't keep doing this to her, Edward. You can't keep playing this game of push and pull with her."
"I'm not playing any games," I say tightly, my teeth clenched.
"She has already been hurt enough. I told you I'll protect her, no matter what."
"And I told you she's not yours." My eyes narrow at him.
We're again glaring at each other. "Why did you leave, Edward?" He asks, harshly.
I look away. "I don't have to explain myself to you."
His voice turns softer. "I just… I just want to understand. Why did you run?"
I stay silent and stare at my feet for a long time. Finally, I say, "Do you remember what you said to me at the cliff?"
"What?"
"After Bella and I fought and she ran away, I followed after her. I had intended to beg for her forgiveness, to promise that I wouldn't leave her at all. But then I saw you two together. She was holding on to you as if her life depended on it." I squeeze my eyes shut, as the memories appear in front of me.
"When she leaned her head on your shoulder, I thought she had realized that she can rely on you. I thought that she had given up on me, that she had finally realized that I'm not worth it. I stood there frozen as you lifted her in your arms and carried her to your car. I couldn't do anything but watch as everything ended right in front of my eyes. I was mad, I was hurt, but most of all I was scared. Scared that she really did get tired of chasing after me. So, the next day, I accepted the offer."
He is silent for a long time and then finally scoffs. "You thought that Bella and I got together, immediately after your fight?"
I look away but don't reply.
He continues, "I hated you even more after that day. Later when she found out that you were leaving, she still ran after you. But your flight had already left. She was never the same after that." His voice is barely a whisper at this point.
My eyes shoot in surprise. "She came to the airport?"
"Yeah. Jasper called her and told her that you were leaving. She sat there at the airport crying for hours before I came and dragged her away. After that, she was in a daze. She never smiled, never said more than a few words. It was terrifying. I was scared she'd never come out of it.
"It took her a long time to finally come back. But she had lost her faith. This Bella doesn't believe in loving carelessly anymore. She doesn't trust easily. And she keeps everyone at an arm's length."
His fists are clenched tight at his sides and for a moment I think, he is going to punch me. But he doesn't.
I'm frozen in my seat, his words like a bucket of ice water on me. I drop my head in my hands and pull my head in frustration.
"I regretted it every day, Jacob," I say, my voice almost a whisper.
We are both silent, both pondering over everything that was said.
I look at him finally and then say with conviction. "I'm not running away ever again, Jacob. I'm not giving up on her, no matter what."
He stares at me and says in a firm voice. "I'm not going to make it easy for you."
He gets up after that and starts towards the door.
"Hey, Jacob," I call out when he's near the door. He turns and looks at me questioningly. "Thank you for protecting her," I say sincerely.
His eyes shoot in surprise. Then he smirks. "I didn't do it for you."
With that, he opens the door and leaves, while I stare at the closed door gaping. Finally, I smile and shake my head. Freaking dog.
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~SunAndMoon42