Chap 18 - Calling home
BPOV
My hands were shaking as I picked up the cell phone Rosalie had insisted I needed. It was new and swanky and felt unfamiliar in my hands. But I could see the benefit of it as I slipped out of the house to walk in the woods. The landline would have made privacy nearly impossible, what with the limited wire and the supersensitive hearing.
I took a deep breath as I pulled up the dialpad and tapped in the number of the Black household. Thankfully I still remembered it. I was unsure how to handle this conversation. I had promised to call Jacob when I'd gotten somewhere safe. He had probably been worrying all this time about me. I felt a little guilty that i hadn't called him earlier than this. But i was also afraid that his father would answer the phone. Billy and Charlie had been best friends. How could I face Billy? How could Billy not hate me?
I sighed again but finally pressed the green call button and put the phone to my ear.
I bit my lip as I heard the line ring. It seemed to ring on endlessly before finally there was a click.
'Hello?' A gruff voice filtered down the line. It sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn't place it. Perhaps another member of the tribe?
'Hi.' I said in a small voice. 'I'm calling for Jacob?'
'Who is this?' The voice asked again. I wanted to groan. Why couldn't Jacob have answered?
'Uhm, Bell.' I said, hoping that that would be enough for Jacob to know it was me.
'Bell?' The voice echoed. I bit my lip. I closed my eyes praying that Jacob was there and was overhearing this. I had no idea how to convince this person to tell Jacob he needed to answer the phone. I also wasn't sure I could just give them this number... It seemed unsafe somehow.
The phone suddenly became muted on the other end. I frowned. Was I about to be hung up on?
Then some muffled noise filtered down the line. Background noise... people talking? Some rustling and then the phone seemed to fall to the floor.
'Hello?' I asked uncertain.
'Sorry! sorry!' I heard Jacob's familiar voice filter through the line. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knocked the phone off the stand!
'Jacob.' I breathed a sigh of relief. It was silent for one moment.
'Hang on a minute.' He said and the phone became muffled again. There were a few more muffled sounds before something heavy banged and Jacob returned to the phone. 'Sorry about that.' He blew out a big breath.
'Are you alright?' I asked, slightly concerned at all the commotion that had been going on.
'Yeah, fine. Just had to get dad away from the phone.' He said in a light tone.
'Oh that was your dad?' I silently scolded myself for not recognizing BIlly's voice.
'Yeah.' HIs voice was quiet. silence stretched between us awkwardly. It seemed neither of us knew how to start this.
How's he doing?' I asked finally.
'Okay, I guess. He's not too happy about your situation, having to lie to Charlie and stuff.'
'I'm sorry.'
'It's not your fault Bella. You can't help wat happened to you.'I sighed. 'So how've you been? I'm so glad you've finally called. I've been worrying about you. I'm sorry I had to leave you alone. I didn't want to, believe me. But they told me you were dangerous for me to be around...' Jacob started rambling.
'It's okay Jacob. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. It's been… something.' I finally mustered.
'Are you safe?'
'Yeah… I'm safe…' I wondered how to tell him I was back with the Cullen's again. Jacob was pretty upset with them for leaving me like they had.
'And…?' Jacob pressed.
'I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner.' I said, trying to find a way to explain what happened these past weeks. 'It's been kind of hectic.'
'I understand. It's a big change.'
'Yeah. I spent the first week in a cave somewhere in Canada, trying to get used to everything.'
'I'm sorry you had to do that alone, Bella.' He muttered quietly down the line.
'Well, after that week, Alice and Jasper found me…' I bit my lip waiting for his reaction.
'Alice and Jasper? Who are they? Are they some other vampires?'
'Yeah, they're part of the Cullen family.' I said in a small voice.
It was quiet for a moment. 'I see.' His voice was cold.
'Jacob.'
'No, I get it.' He assured me, his voice strained. 'You need your own kind around you. So he's back too right, that's why you didn't call?'
I grit my teeth at his assumption. 'Not at first.' I said. 'He wasn't here at first. I spent a month with the rest of the Cullens and they helped me get on my feet. They helped me control myself and learn regular hunting patterns and how to live this new life. I needed them, Jacob. And I won't apologize for that.' I said, my anger getting the better of me.
'I didn't mean –'
'I don't care.' I snapped. 'It was hard. My life was taken away from me by force, Jacob. I didn't sign up for this. I was attacked, violently. It's not easy to transition into this life like that. I had no one to fall back on. I didn't want to go through this, but it was forced on me, by none other than your pack. If anyone could understand what i've been going through I thought it would be you. But I guess I was wrong.' I snapped at him.
'No, wait Bella. That's not what I meant.'
'It sure sounded like that.'
'I'm sorry.' he said, sincerity dripping from every syllable. My anger calmed down somewhat.
'It's been so hard, Jake. I lost everything that day, my friends, my life, my father.' I stopped to catch my breath. 'Don't you dare turn this into something about him.'
'I'm sorry.' he said again.
An awkward silence hung between us for a moment.
'Alright.' I finally said. I heard his soft sigh of relief filter down the line.
'How've you been?' He asked softly.
'I'm getting there. I'm getting used to everything slowly.'
'That's good. And your control?' He asked almost carefully as if he was afraid of the answer.
'Apparently I have some kind of super control.' I said, my voice couldn't really disguise the sarcasm. Jacob let out a bark of laughter.
'Super control huh?'
'Yeah, human blood doesn't really do it for me, I guess.'
'That's good right?'
'Yeah, I'm still hesitant to be around a lot of people. But we've been slowly testing me. I can handle them without that much difficulty.'
'That's good. So the animals are enough?' he asked. It was clear he was uncomfortable with this topic. But I was thankful he was trying.
'Yeah they're enough for me.'
'Good.' He took a deep breath. 'Are you coming home then?'
'I can't ever come home, Jacob.' I reminded him gently.
IT was quiet for a moment, before his voice sounded again, contrite. 'I know, I'm sorry. I meant are you coming by soon?'
'That's actually why I called.' I bit my lip again, nerves taking over again. I started pacing from tree to tree, trying to control my nerves.
'What's up?' His voice perked up.
'We think Charlie might be in trouble.'
A curse slipped through his lips and then his snarl filtered down the line. 'What's going on?' He demanded.
'We're not sure exactly. It might be nothing. But another vampire might be after him, because of me.'
'What did you do now?' his voice was gruff, but I knew he meant it as a joke, an attempt to lighten the mood.
'She might blame me for the death of her mate.'
He groaned at the answer. 'Let me guess, she wants you dead in return? What does she look like?'
'Red hair…' I frowned trying to remember that night in the baseball field, but I couldn't remember anything else about her than her red hair.
'That's it?' he asked.
'I don't remember her clearly. I haven't seen her in a long time. But it's probably safe to say that she wants to hurt me, if not kill me'
'That's why you think she might target Charlie? Alright. I'll tell the pack to keep an eye out for anything with red hair.'
'Thank you.'
'When will you be coming?'
'I'm not sure exactly. We have to make a stop in Denali first, to see if she somehow got hold of information that could work against us.'
'What information?'
'I…' I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I should tell Jacob about the gifts of the Cullen family.
'You can't share it with me?' HIs voice sounded slightly hurt.
I sighed. 'I don't know. I'm just not sure it's my place to tell.'
He mulled that over for a moment, before a faint rustle filtered down the line and I realized he was nodding his head.
'Is it okay if we come to the old Cullen house in Forks?' I asked. 'I think the rest of the story is better told when we're face to face.'
Jacob sighed. 'Yeah, that's fine. I'll inform the pack.'
'I think we'll be there in about one to two weeks.'
'Are you all still keeping to the animal diet?' Jacob's tone had turned gruff again.
'Yeah.' I assured him quickly. Then I remembered my eyes. 'But, my eyes…'
'What about them?'
'They're still pretty red. It takes about a year for the red to fully disappear.'
'Alright, so if we see red eyed brown haired stumbling vampire, don't attack.' His familiar deep chuckle rumbled down the line. I smiled in response.
'That would be nice, yes.' I giggled, deciding to pass over his stumbling remark.
'Alright. I'll make sure you're welcome. Do me a favour though, call the night before you arrive?'
'Yes, of course.' I quickly assured him.
'Good'
'Thank you Jacob.'
'For what?'
'For still being my friend.' I said in a small voice. I had been worried about this phone call, worried that JAcob would have forgotten about me, or let his natural aversion to my kind cloud his judgement of me. but I was glad to find the same old Jacob on the other end. I suddenly found myself eager to head back to Forks and be in his presence again; my personal sun.
It was quiet for a moment. 'Thank you bella.' He responded after a moment in an equally small voice. 'for still being my Bella.'
I smiled at that and after a few moments of goodbye we hung up.
I walked back slowly to the house. I hadn't wanted anyone to listen in on the phone call. Everyone was in the living room when I entered the house again. Carlisle got up and walked over to me.
The question in his eyes was clear.
'It's all arranged. We just need to call the evening before we get to forks to let them know we'll be arriving. But Jacob will make sure the treaty still stands and as long as we adhere to the animal diet they're fine with us being there.'
'Good.' Carlisle said, smiling gently at me.
'I told Jacob about Victoria and that we think Charlie might be in danger.' I told him quickly. 'The pack is going to keep an eye out before we get there.'
'That's good.' Esme sighed in relief. I smiled at her.
'Alright. let's get packing then!' Alice said, standing up and clapping her hands excitedly.
Before I'd had a chance to respond she'd flitted to my side and hooked her arm through mine. We were up the stairs before I could even blink. I grinned and shook my head at her enthusiasm. But with her help we finished packing in record time and before I knew it, it was time to head to the airport.
