Burning Heart Chapter Two

Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't been updating any of my stories. More specifically, I'm sorry I haven't updated The Cliffs of Love. I posted a new chapter, but it got deleted and, of course, since it's been over 90 days, I don't have the document anymore. I thought I lost this one too, but then I realized I had it in a Word document, and not on the actual website. I might not finish The Cliffs of Love, hell I might delete the majority of my stories. If I do that, I will make them available on another account. Let me know what you think about that!

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Recap

I sigh, feeling better about this situation. Looking up at Victoria, I see surprise and confusion in her features. She didn't expect this; she thought he'd help her. Inside Bella does a fist bump. She might not attack me now! I guess Riley has a logical reason to fight. But why is he fighting for me?

Riley's arms come around behind me, touching the rock on each side. I'm surrounded by him, no way out. "Mine."

Bella's POV

Now I'm confused. Why did Riley say 'Mine'? Is he going to kill me? Oh god he is! Even though the thought is set in my mind, I can't make myself believe it. I don't think he's going to kill me at all. Surprisingly, I feel safe with him; safer than I ever felt with the Cullen's. This realization rocks me to my very core.

A low growl emanating from the forest on the other side of the small clearing causes Victoria to turn abruptly. I guess she was so focused on killing me, and Riley if need be, that she forgot about the others. She forgot about Edward… bad move bitch. Behind her, Edward is furious; venom is dripping from his jaws. He looks like he has rabies. I giggle quietly at the thought.

The sound makes Victoria glance between Edward and I, not knowing what to do. First Riley's betrayal, then Edward coming back; it's two on one. She moves so she faces away from the cliff, her body dangerously close. I want to run at her and shove her off the cliff to her death, but she'd get to me first.

Edward is on her in less than a second, sending them both off the edge. A gasp passes my lips. This is insane.

Riley turns to face me, his eyes calming as he looks at me. My breath hitches when I look in the deep red pools. His hand slowly comes up to touch my cheek; the spark ignites again. I shiver softly; not from the cold, but from the crazy emotions flying through me a million miles a second.

He's breathing slowly, not that he needs to. His breath fans out across my face, my eyes closing at the sweet smell. Rain and saltwater… I could stay like this forever, pressed between him and the boulder. I'm not even cold. Now that I acknowledge that I don't feel numb from the weather, my body begins shaking like a leaf. I look up at him, a silent plea to get me warm.

"I'll be right back. Less than two seconds, I promise," I nod and he disappears. Just like he promised, he's back before my body adjusts to his absence. In his arms is the parka Jacob brought and a lighter jacket that I didn't have time to put on. He holds them up, signaling that he'd put them on me. "I don't want you to overexert yourself."

I lift my arms, allowing him to dress me. This is sweet of him. I look up at him when I'm bundled up. He's so close I can see dark black flecks in his eyes. He's thirsty; he needs to hunt. Even with this knowledge I reach up and rest my hands on his cheeks, my thumbs brushing just under his eyes. His breath catches as he watches me.

My hands leave his face and travel down to his neck. They slowly wrap themselves around, entwining at the base of his neck. I lean forward, resting my head on his chest. His arms wrap around my waist, holding me to him. My eyes flutter shut. This feels right. This is where is need to be. My breathing returns to normal, a slow and soft normal.

He lowers his head to mine, resting his chin on the top of my head. I relax, forgetting the battle going on, forgetting that my life is in danger. I'm content right here, in Riley's arms. As soon as I relax, he goes ridged. I pull back slightly, looking up at him. His eyes are distant, looking at the boulder behind me. He's listening to the battle.

"We have to go," his voice breaks the silence.

Now, I pull back so my hands rest on his shoulders. What happened? Tell me! "What happened, Riley?" I'm shocked at how calm and sincere I sound.

He looks down at me, his eyes returning to normal. "We have to run, or we'll never get out."

"I have to grab my pack and my sleeping bag," he's gone and is back ten seconds later, my bag hanging off his shoulder and my sleeping bag rolled up in his arms. I nod, "okay, let's go."

He unrolls the sleeping bag and wraps it around me, picking me up in his arms. All of a sudden, he's bolting through the woods. I bury my face in his neck, breathing in the rain and saltwater that's just so Riley. I shiver, snuggling into him further, trying to escape the wintry weather.

A deep growl rumbles in his chest. I look up at him, confused. His eyes are a darker shade of red, tinted with grey so I know he isn't here anymore, he's listening to the battle and scanning for threats around us. I know I'm safe with him, in his arms, so I rest my head on his chest again, letting his deep growl calm me.

Slowly my eyes drift shut, only to shoot open after what feels like less than a minute. But… the scenery is different; I don't think we're in Forks anymore. Hell, I doubt we're even in Washington. Now, I notice that I'm lying in a bed, an old quilt covering me. It smells like rain and saltwater; like Riley; like home.

I shift in bed, sitting up and groaning. My back feels like shit. I must've bruised it when I was up against the boulder. I twist my head, effectively popping my neck. I sigh happily, feeling relief that my neck is loose now. I push the quilt off me and turn, slipping my feet off the bed and onto the wood floor.

I push myself into a standing position, looking around. The room is nice and comforting; it had pictures of nature on the cabin-like walls. A smile crosses my lips as I make my way over to the door. I rest my hand on the cool doorknob, mentally preparing myself for what awaits me on the other side. Slowly, I turn the knob, looking down the hallway.

It's barren apart from the occasional picture on the wall. Stepping out on the room, I make my way toward what seems to be the living room, judging by the couch that I can see. When I make it to the end of the hallway, I see someone standing, looking out the bay window to the forest around the house. After a moment, I recognize the dark blonde, almost brown, hair and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Riley," I can hear the slight smile in my voice, causing me to smile more.

When he turns, I see him smiling, but his eyes appear conflicted. Confused, I move over to him. It takes a minute because he stays where he is. Once I reach him, I raise my hands to his face like I did the first time. Setting my hands on his cheeks, I look in his eyes.

"Thank you… for saving me," I cast my glance down, unable to look in his eyes. A blush is dusting my cheeks right now, I know it.

His hand cups my chin, forcing me to look up at him once more. "You're welcome, Bella," he smiles, making the corner of my mouth turn up, "and thank you."

I scrunch up my eyebrows. "For what?"

"Saving me," he bends down and captures my lips in a sweet kiss.

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