Author's note: Hello! Thanks again for all of the feedback and sticking with me. So much love!
Disclaimer: Unedited.
…
"Where do we go from here?
When it all goes from here
Lost inside the black hole
Droppin' down the edge
Fade away in shadow
Is this where it ends?"
This is the End - FJORA
…
Eleven Years Ago
"You need to know how to protect yourself," Charlie says, handing me his gray pistol.
It glistens in the sun as I take the heavy steel in hands that all of the sudden feel too small.
I am fifteen but I feel like I am five again.
Guns are bad.
People kill people with guns.
My hands begin to sweat as I try not to fumble with the weapon.
"Guns can protect you, Bella." He tells me, picking up how nervous I am.
Charlie just started a job in the crime lab at the police station. The amount of crimes against girls my age are enough to make any father lock their daughter up and throw away the key.
He means well and he's not wrong. Even more, he's not drunk as he begins to help me hold the gun.
He quickly fixes my hold, wrapping my fingers around the grip so my thumbs are protected. He suggests a better stance and tells me to relax.
These are the moments I always loved Charlie the most. When he is in tune with my feelings and sober. An actual father and parent I've longed for my entire life.
It's a breath of fresh air in retrospect to Renee.
Charlie is so care free.
But I don't know how long this will last. I've been living with him again for almost and I can see hints of him starting to struggle. I check in on him but he's the type of man who ignores his feelings and says he's okay even though he's not.
He swears he's sober and has been passing a mandatory drug test but I worry about him especially since I have been seeing Edward more.
"The safety is there, slide it up then place your fingers on the trigger." I can feel my dad beside me, watching me as I move my fingers slowly.
The safety clicks then I do what he says, placing my pointer finger on the trigger.
He's set up some cans and we are in the middle of the woods a couple miles from our house. It's hunting season so no one will be surprised if they hear shots this way.
My wrists hurt as my finger twitches debating when a good time to pull the trigger would be.
"On three," he whispers, something he used to do when I was younger and didn't want to try something new.
I count with him, slowly until we reach three then I pull the trigger.
I feel my body jolt in response but I don't lose control as I continue to press the trigger multiple times.
My ears ring as the pops are closer than they've ever been. I hear some bullets ricochet off the cans and watch as the one in the middle shakes on the tree stump.
"Nice work, kid." Charlie says with a smile, quickly taking the gun from my hand, putting the safety back on then back in his waistband. "Now you know how it feels so you won't be surprised."
It was almost like he knew what I was going to be up to tonight.
In a few hours, Edward is taking me to one of his games.
Not sports games of a favorite team like normal boyfriends take their girlfriends to, but I will be acting something the longs of a trophy wife.
I should have taken the fact that Edward gambled as a red flag and ran for the hills.
He was just like my father.
Addicted and ruined by something that was once enjoyable but now controls his life.
He too tried to hide it from me but when the money flooded in and he was barely working a part time minimum wage job, I started asking questions.
He didn't lie, which I was thankful for, but it was almost like I became drawn even more to him.
He began taking me out to fancy dinners and buying me expensive presents. We went to high end clubs and partied in the VIP sections. I was soon drawn to the money and I was just as addicted as he is.
I loved the life we were living together.
Young and free, full of love and adventure.
I wanted to feel the same thrill he was feeling. Since living with a sober Charlie, I've been almost longing for something to keep me on edge.
It was almost too easy to convince him that I could be a partner in his game. I think he was expecting me to break up with him when I asked if I could talk to him about it. Plus, he was drunk and I took advantage of that.
I flirt with his opponents, make them drink more than they normally would and he makes them bet more than they normally would. I saw it in a random movie and thought it would be an idea to bring up to him.
I wasn't sure he would go for it, but he did.
A couple of hours later, Edward is picking me up in a black Camaro, our rental car for the night.
We ride out of the city until we are on the main interstate.
I relax back into the seat, getting comfortable for the long ride. I play DJ while Edward makes fun of my choices but sings along to a few before swiping my phone and changing to something he likes.
I pout and he reaches for my hand, kissing it then squeezing it and holding it in his lap.
I relax and watch him turn his attention back to the round with one hand on the steering wheel. He sings softly to himself then when it gets to his favorite part, he belts the lyrics out loudly.
I can't help but laugh at him.
We spend the rest of the drive picking random songs then
"Okay, what does this sign mean?" He goes over one last time before pulling up to the hotel.
"Stay where I am," I say, confidently and assuringly with a small smile at him.
He gives me a smile back then nods.
"What's your red signal?" He asks.
My red signal, what I do to get his attention and tell him I need to get out.
I raise my hand to my head and scratch it then tap it then scratch it again then tap it, over and over in the order until I give myself a headache.
He's testing me, something he has been doing since the day after he agreed to let me come with him.
He's been having second thoughts. He's tried to talk me out of it, but he learned early on that once I made up my mind, he won't change it and I won't let him back on his words unless he has a perfect reason. He never has one, I don't let him nor do I ever give him one.
I learned how to play the game for crying out loud.
I know I'm hard headed and this could be a bad idea but I put up a good argument and never let him see a hint of anxiety in me.
He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes tight then opening them again. He can't hide the inkling of regret on his face as he nods. He doesn't fight me this time and it's unnerving.
I don't smile as he turns off the ignition and gets out of the driver side door.
For the first time, I struggle to keep that anxiety away.
…
Present
"SWAT! EVERYBODY DOWN!" A man shouts in a demanding voice as the smoke bomb fills the room on one side.
I am behind Edward who has pushed me under the table and against the leg. I curl into a ball, trying my best to stay behind him. I cough as some smoke strays towards us.
"Come this way," A familiar voice says behind me.
I turn to see the dealer, reaching her hand out towards me. I look back at Edward then back at her, confusion on my face. If there is anyone here who may know their way around, it would probably be the dealer but the only person in this room I know I can trust is Edward.
I choose this time to take a look at her. Her red, curly hair is tied tight into a bun. She looks stressed but calm and stern as she urges us to follow her.
"I'm with them." She tells us, blowing her cover. "Agent Victoria Nomad. Come with me," she commands.
I don't feel relief but Edward nudges me forward. I move to follow as she swiftly crawls behind the table that luckily has a large wall between the legs protecting us.
"HANDS NOW!" Someone in the open says before bullets are flying and smoke fully engulfs us as another bomb is blown. I can hear people running and trying to take shelter anywhere they can find.
I cover my ears and Edward towers his body over me. Victoria pulls her pistol from her holster then pulls a small microphone from her blouse. She yells out numbers into the microphone telling whoever is listening that bullets have been fired.
She doesn't move her position as she waits for orders.
I can feel myself jump as the bullets continue. I can feel the floor vibrate as people run around the room, thankful the patrons were kicked out earlier. There's loud thuds, groans and yells as each family tries to take cover or get away. Even though my eyes are closed I can still see the flashes and red lights from the tactical guns of the swat team.
After what feels like eternity, the bullets have died down and smoke from the bomb has completely cleared.
My hands are still over my ears but they are ringing. I can barely hear Edward as he yells for me to keep moving. I finally open my eyes and look towards Victoria who is waving her hand for us to come to where she is on the other side of the table.
Finally uncovering my ears I crawl towards her, ignoring the headache forming. Edward holds my waist as he follows behind me, almost pushing me to keep me going.
"NOMAD!" Someone calls out to her.
She holds her hand up to Edward and I, telling us to stay where we are. She checks her pistol, making sure it is loaded and ready just in case it is a trap.
"HERE!" She yells.
"ALL CLEAR!" The voice yells.
Victoria sighs in response but tells us not to move before she stands, still holding her pistol close. "OVER HERE!" She yells out, looking around at the scene around her.
Footsteps get closer as she continues to call out to her team, giving information and taking orders.
"Bella?" Edward's voice is hoarse as he calls for me. I don't realize I have sat my entire body on his, my legs stretched out in front of us. My back is laying on his knees and his arms are wrapped around me tightly.
I look up at him. He looks tired, concerned and upset.
My eyes widened. "I didn't use my red signal!"
His eyebrows furrow then his face completely softens. "After all of this you think I'm worried about a red signal."
I can feel myself becoming confused, and dizzy, as I try to understand his words and reaction.
"I was with you the entire time," he says but his words are becoming muffled and my body gets hot.
"I-," I try to say but my throat feels too dry to speak again. I try to lick my lips but my tongue just sticks to them. I try to clear my throat but it comes out as a cough that turns into a fit and I can't stop.
I am crying and gasping as Edward calls for me.
"ISABELLA!" He shouts, "STAY WITH ME!" His voice goes in and out as I suddenly feel too tired to stay awake.
I don't feel anything hurting me, just tired and abruptly cold.
"Look at me!" I feel his hand on my cheek. I can see him, tears falling from his eyes and his face turning red in frustration. I'm looking right at him but he continues to shake me and yells for help.
I can feel myself trying to form words to call out to him but I can't.
"I'm not leaving you again, Bella. Don't leave me. I love you."
I always hated that it took something like watching a loved one die in front of you to remind you how much they mean to you.
When Charlie was alive, I made sure to call him often and have someone checking on him despite Renee wanting me to have no contact with him multiple times in my life. The chances of his life ending abruptly were too high not to make sure he knew someone loved him daily.
In my opinion, you should love a person the same amount everyday but even I am not immune to the modern day love stories.
I never thought my love story would be like one of those fancy English literature novels. I had grown up around a broken marriage between an addict and a narcissist. I was doomed from conception and that ideology only flourished as I got older into my relationship with Edward.
I can't even think about how Renee didn't help me dream of fairy tales and happily ever afters.
There was no such thing.
But if my happily ever after is Edward telling me he loves me as I drift into the darkness of afterlife, I'd be okay with that.
I can see shadows of other people around me and I can feel them moving me around and away from Edward. I try to call and reach for him but I can't move.
"Sir, you need to move!" Someone yells at Edward, pushing him out of my sight.
But his face is the last thing I see before everything around me goes black.
"I'm here! I love you!" Edward calls again.
…
Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will probably be the last unless I choose to do an epilogue. As always, thank you for sticking with me and let me know what you think!
Also thinking of changing the name of this story to "The Game of Us". I feel like it's more fitting, let me know (: