Hello, lovely readers. I hope you're still enjoying the ride :) Much more to come and PEASE REVIEW
In the morning, Bella made her way downstairs to have breakfast. Halfway through her meal, she felt weak, and her stomach rolled. Bella made a mad dash for the downstairs half-bath, making it to the toilet just in time to vomit. When the heaving finally ceased, she sat on the floor and waited for the dizziness to pass. Within a few minutes, Bella felt fine again.
Must have had bad Diner food.
She scraped the remainder of her breakfast into the trash and went upstairs to brush her teeth. By mid-morning, Bella was again getting sick. This time she dry-heaved for a couple of minutes before the sensation faded away. Bella began digging through the medicine cabinet for the oral thermometer. Another wave of dizziness slammed her, and the room spun. After reading a low-grade temperature, Bella drank a glass of water and decided to go back to bed.
When she woke, it was after dark. Charlie was home and had come in to check on her. Despite sitting up slowly, Bella's stomach rolled.
"Bells, are you alright?" Charlie asked her, "Have you been in bed all day?" Before she could answer, she shoved past him to run for the bathroom. She threw up again, barely making it to the sink. She turned on the faucet to rinse the sink out and splash cold water on her face. At least she wasn't spinning this time.
Maybe the worst of whatever this bug was is almost over, she thought.
Charlie waited silently in the hallway as she finally emerged from the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked her suspiciously.
"A bug or something," Bella said and shrugged. "I've been dizzy and throwing up all day."
Charlie humphed. "You just had the flu a little while back. Did you eat something bad?"
"Yeah, maybe," Bella said. "We ate at the Diner yesterday, but I haven't kept anything down since then."
"Do you need me to go get you anything," Charlie asked with genuine concern.
"I don't think so," Bella said and forced a smile. "I'm just going to go try to sleep whatever this is off. If Jake calls, will you tell him I'm sick and went to bed?"
"Yeah, sure thing, kiddo," Charlie said and headed downstairs while Bella made her way sluggishly back to bed.
She woke again with a growling stomach around midnight. Testing her stomach with some water and crackers, Bella paced quietly around the small kitchen.
"What the hell am I going to do all night?" she wondered out loud. Her stomach seemed to have finally settled, and Bella made herself a sandwich.
Only a few people would be up this late, and Jacob has Patrol.
She crept up to her room quietly to shower and brush her teeth before scribbling a note for Charlie.
Feeling better but can't sleep any longer. Going to see Alice. Love you.
As she exited the house, she was surprised to find Carlisle's car sitting quietly in the street. Bella smiled, walked over, and climbed into the passenger side.
"I guess you saw me coming to see you," she said and laughed as she pulled on her seatbelt. The car started and peeled away from the house. When she finally looked up at the driver, she was startled. Edward chuckled merrily.
"I... didn't even pay attention. I assumed you were Alice," Bella said apprehensively.
"So I gathered," Edward said, smirking. "She did see your coming, but she's playing Chess with Carlisle at the moment. I volunteered to pick you up."
"I could have driven myself, you know," Bella laughed, "but thank you all the same."
"So, why are you out and about so late, Bella?" Edward asked, flipping through radio stations.
"What are you doing," Bella asked as she looked at the dash. He despises driving slowly. "What's the stall?"
"Alice said to take it easy because you weren't feeling well today," he said.
Of course, she did.
"You didn't answer my question," he pressed.
Bella rolled her eyes. "I couldn't sleep. You guys don't sleep, so a late-night visit seemed logical."
"Ah, of course," he said, still smirking. Bella reached up to flip the radio station, earning a look from Edward as she searched. "Still enjoying Jacob's music palate, I see?"
"Maybe it's my taste now," she said a little too defensively. Edward chuckled.
"I liked rock music when we met, as I am sure you recall."
"I'm not judging you, Bella. It's just an interesting difference, that's all," Edward said and gave her a real smile. "You liked it but you didn't prefer it."
She could have kicked herself in frustration as her heart picked up the pace. Just the right look from Edward Cullen could damn near make her swoon. Bella cranked the volume up, reclined back, and closed her eyes, attempting to disregard the guilt it made her feel to still be so attracted to Edward despite everything. When they reached his family home, she was unexpectedly yanked from the car by large, cold hands.
"Jesus, Emmett, you could at least wait until I put the car in park," Edward snarled at his brother protectively. Emmett looked down at the fragile human he was hugging and rolled his eyes. Bella giggled, ducked behind Emmett, and jumped on his back, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly. Chuckling, Emmett ran into the house and up the stairs, dropping her unceremoniously onto the living room couch. Bella's elbow banged loudly against the arm.
"Ouch! Shit, Emmett," Bella laughed as she rubbed her elbow. She lifted her arm to look, scowling at the dark purple scar that stretched across it.
"What is that scar from, Bella?" Esme asked as she came into the room. She sat on the couch next to her, pulling her in for a hug before carefully handing Bella a cup of hot chocolate.
"Mom, it's summer," Emmett said.
"It's never too hot for hot chocolate, Emmett," Esme said.
"Mmm-hmm," Bella agreed. "Thank you, Momma!" Esme beamed at her happily. Bella took a sip and set the cup down on the side table.
"Anyway," Emmett said dramatically.
"I wrecked a bicycle," Bella said.
"Of course you did," Emmett mumbled, earning similar smiles from the rest of the family. Picking up Jacob's habits, already.
"You know what," Bella said bravely, "I got better, okay? This chick rides motorcycles now."
"Rides them or drives them," Emmett challenged.
"Drives. I have my own," Bella admitted and laughed. Seven faces turned her way, looking at her as if she had three heads.
"You're not serious?" Edward scoffed, trying to restrain his temper. Bella rolled her eyes and winked at Emmett.
"You'll see. Maybe I'll ride it over to visit one day soon," she joked.
"As if it will ever stop raining long enough," Alice said glumly and scowled at the window. "It's supposed to rain for the next five days. I'm over it."
Jasper chuckled. "Ali just wants to wear her new boots and not get them muddy," he explained. Alice's eyes lit up with excitement, and she rushed to Bella's side.
"Come with me, Bella," she said, seizing Bella's hand and pulling her from the couch. "I have to show you what I acquired today."
"Help," Bella mouthed playfully at the rest of the family, who laughed as Alice towed her toward her bedroom.
"Bellllllllaaaaa," Alice called, waking her. Bella was laying under a pile of new garments and shoes on top of Alice's bed.
"Sorry, Alice," Bella said and yawned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Maybe it's because she's been forcing you to look at outfits for hours," Rosalie said, entering the room. She helped Bella pull herself out from under the pile that Alice was lovingly placing back into her closet, one garment at a time. Alice shot Bella and Rose a brilliant smile as she picked up her new boots and sighed.
"I think she's in love," Rose mumbled.
"I think she might have divorced Jasper for those boots," Bella joked. She stood and swayed unsteadily. Rose caught her as she stumbled and helped her into a sitting position on the floor.
"Did you stand up too fast?" Rose asked her.
"Very funny coming from a vampire," Bella said sarcastically. Damn human weaknesses.
"Honestly, honey, Emmett still does it," Rose said and rolled her eyes.
"I told you guys Bella wasn't feeling well earlier," Alice's voice tinkled across the small space.
"Are you getting sick?" Rosalie asked.
"No. I was sick. I think I had a mild case of food poisoning from The Diner," Bella explained, her head between her knees. "Although..." she paused, reflecting.
"Although what?" Alice asked her as she placed the last garment back into the closet and shut the door.
"I ran into Edward right after we ate. That was the first time I got dizzy. I was nauseous all day and got sick a few times. I was fine again before I came over, but I rode here with Edward..." Bella explained.
"Well, you got dizzy right after seeing him then, but it took hours to hit you this morning? That's not exactly consistent," Alice said.
"That's true. I just wondered if Edward's scent was possibly still affecting me a little," Bella confessed.
"Well, if it does, he'll just have to start keeping his distance a little," Rose said softly. "We can't have you falling and bleeding, can we?"
"Yeah, that might be best," Bella giggled. She attempted to stand slowly, relieved that the spell had passed. The women made their way back to the now otherwise empty front room. Bella headed down the stairs and outside, leaning against the porch railing. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned her face toward the light of the rising sun. Bella felt someone placing a soft blanket, her favorite no doubt, around her shoulders and opened her eyes. She turned around to find Edward behind her, smiling.
"Lovely morning," he said.
"It is," she answered quietly, turning back to the sunrise.
"You remembered," she said, smiling down at the soft gray knitted wool around her shoulders. Edward scoffed.
"I remember everything about you, Bella," he said softly and came to stand beside her.
"Perfect vampire recall," she chuckled. "I keep forgetting."
"You can't help it. It's the human in you," Edward teased, and she laughed. She wiggled her bare toes against the cold boards under her feet, feeling wide awake once again.
"Bella, where are your shoes," Edward asked her.
"In Alice's room," she grinned. He smirked, shaking his head.
"Is it strange for you to be here now that I'm home again," he asked.
"It was stranger to be here when you weren't here," she said honestly. "Certainly less broody around here." Edward laughed.
"I'll have to learn to stop being so overprotective with you," he admitted. "You survived being around a bunch of other vampires without me over the last few weeks."
"Wolves, too," she said.
"Yes, the wolves, too," he agreed. He stared silently out into the woods for a moment, frowning.
"What's wrong," she asked.
"I hear you will be moving in with Jacob when the garage is up and running," Edward said. Bella sighed sadly. She hated that he hurt, despite her happiness with Jacob.
"Hey," she said soothingly, placing her hand on his arm. "You know I'll always care about you. Right? You were my first love, even if things didn't work out how either of us thought they would."
Edward turned toward her and pulled her to him for a hug. "I will always care about you, too, Bella," he said sadly.
"Please, don't let me interrupt." A dark form stepped out of the trees next to the house. Startled, Bella stepped away from Edward and gasped. She smiled when her eyes landed on Jacob, but it quickly faded as she took in his angry demeanor.
"Jacob," Bella said anxiously.
"I saw the note you left on the table. I guess it was for Charlie since it sure doesn't seem like it was for me. I thought you were sick, Bella." Jacob's words seeped with anger. Bella gaped at him in surprise.
"I was," she answered through clenched teeth as her temper began to flare. "I was in bed all day. You're more than welcome to ask Charlie. I couldn't sleep last night, so I came here to see Alice."
"Convenient," Jacob said. "The one time you don't tell me you're coming here is after he gets home. It's amazing how this shit keeps happening, isn't it?"
"Don't you dare -"
"No, you don't," Jacob yelled angrily. "Don't act like I'm always wrong, here, Bella. You're the one standing here hugging your first love on his front porch while I patrolled less than a mile from your house all night worried that you might need something and I'd be too far away."
"I didn't ask you to do that, Jake!" Bella yelled at him.
"You're right," Jacob yelled back. "You didn't. You came here instead. And I have to say, Bella, you look just fine to me." Jacob took a running leap towards the woods and POOFED into his wolf form, leaving his shredded shorts raining down onto the lawn. Tears rolled down Bella's face as she spun and stomped into the house. Jasper and Emmett eyed her warily as Bella trod past them toward Alice and Jasper's room for her shoes. She carried them to the steps and sat down to pull them on.
"Can someone," Bella's breath hitched with an involuntary sob, "Please run me home?" Edward began to stand, and she waved him off.
"I'm sorry, but it's probably best if it's not you just in case Jake's at my house." She wiped the backs of her hands against her face hurriedly.
"Come on, Sis, I got you," Emmett said soothingly. He placed his arm lightly around her shoulder and lovingly walked her outside to the car.
(JPOV)
Jacob ran. He had never been so angry at Bella in his life.
The wolf in him howled mournfully, desperate to make sure his imprint was okay, but Jacob was in control right now.
Right now, he needed to run.
He needed to get as far the fuck away as he could as fast as he could. Somewhere he could angrily dwell in his thoughts without anyone else inside of his head. After everything that had happened, all that they had been through, Jacob could not let go of his jealousy over Edward Fucking Cullen. And, apparently, for a good reason.
We are making plans to build a life together, but the minute he comes home, Edward is stuck to her side like glue, he thought. Jacob thought about what he had just walked in on. Bella wrapped in a blanket, Edward's arms around her standing together as the sun was rising. It was all too reminiscent of what he had seen through Seth's eyes the morning of the battle.
Had she lied about being sick in the first place? She had promised no more lies, but Jacob wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure about was the way she still looked at Edward. She was still enamored with that monster in gentlemen's clothing. Jacob no longer feared that he would turn Bella, but he would certainly attempt to get into her head.
Jacob was fed up. More than that, he was hurting. He had wanted to talk to Bella about what had happened during the battle, but she refused every time he tried.
Jacob thought about Mike Newton, gagging at the memory of ripping the bastard's head from his shoulders. It was difficult, regardless of how much he had disliked the man, to believe that he had ended the existence of someone he had known personally.
Not just any damn Vampire. Someone whose humanity was robbed of him. Mike's life was snuffed before Jacob had ever put his teeth into his neck.
Mike had embraced his narcissistic tendencies, losing all that was good about him in his human life. It would be easier if Jacob could focus on that Mike. Unfortunately, he could not help but picture the smiling, playful but asinine guy that had spent days on end tossing footballs on First Beach. The guy who had been Bella's friend. Human Mike would have done anything to keep her safe, even if he was a dick most of the time.
Jacob's guilt was eating him alive and haunting his dreams. Perhaps it always would. While he understood that Bella had been traumatized by the experience, the truth was, so had everyone else involved. Leah confided in him that Seth had been having nightmares over it as well.
Seth had liked Mike. Then again, Seth liked everyone. The kid could spot the good in Ted Bundy.
Unfortunately, it made Seth vulnerable, as did his affection for his pack. That was the whole reason they had chosen for him to be with Bella during the battle. Mike was never supposed to be there.
Jacob feared Bella resented him for killing her newborn "friend" instead of trying to convince him, as she had, that he could be different. That he did not have to live like a monster just because he was one.
Everyone would be looking for me by now, he thought. He'd run quite far from the reservation and mentally kicked himself for the distance he now had to cover to get back. Not to mention the ass-kicking he'd get from Sam for going AWOL
Giving in to the wolf's urging to return home, Jacob picked up his pace.
He had not stopped being angry, though he had calmed down. Jacob was not ready to go hash things out with Bella just yet. He needed time. Time to heal his own tattered heart and process all of the fucking trauma he had shoved aside. Everything was moving too fast. More than anything, he needed Bella to figure out what the hell she wanted.
As he beat his feet for home, he knew what he needed to do. This time, Bella would need to be the understanding and patient one.
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