She Walks Where Angels Fly
Chapter Six
"You got a job?" Bella's jaw is slack when Hope comes in the next day with news of this. Hope looks proud, and Bella has no idea how Hope was even able to get through an interview without talking but she's happy for her.
"Where?"
"Library," Hope mouths and Bella can't help but laugh. "Of course a library would hire you. They love keeping the place quiet. You're perfect for it."
Hope's cheeks take on a rosy hue and she rubs the back of her neck sheepishly at Bella's compliment. Bella flushes when she realizes what she's said, but it's true. She clears her throat, and turns away.
Bella loves and hates that summer is coming. She loves it, because the weather will actually be nice and school is gonna be out. But she hates it, because this means Hope's wearing less and less clothes. Short shorts, and tank tops that leave her radiant skin exposed. Bella promised herself she would hide away her budding feelings. That she wouldn't let them thrive. That she wouldn't burden Hope with them. But Hope makes it hard to do that when she's prancing around half naked. And it's not like Bella can tell her how to dress. It's her body.
All she can do is hope her feelings go away. She doesn't want to bother Hope with them. Nor does she herself want these feelings around. They're confusing, to say the least. She never thought she was into women. Maybe she's not, and it's just Hope that she likes. But she doesn't know. All she knows is Hope is special from the others. Hope makes Bella feel in ways she never thought possible. Bella feels like she's swallowed a firework when she's around her. And that she's covered in a warm blanket. Bella simultaneously is alive and safe when she's around Hope.
Yes, Bella knows Hope is special. It isn't until Bella's in the kitchen one day and cuts herself, that Bella begins to suspect that Hope might be special in an entirely different way. She hisses in pain and goes to find a towel to cover the wound when Hope is there, having heard Bella's hiss from next door where she had been cleaning the table. She grabs Bella's bleeding hand in her own, squeezing tight so the blood doesn't spurt as much. Bella can feel an intense heat coming from Hope's hands over her own and she stops in her panic, looking down at her hands. Hope too, must feel the odd sensation because she slowly lifts her hands up, revealing Bella's own.
Bella looks at her hand. The cut is healed. Gone, with no sign except for the blood that had been there before. Hope looks as shocked as Bella does but naturally she can't say anything about it. So Bella decides not to press. She instead, pretends to not notice. "Must not have been deep," she murmurs, though she knows it was.
Just what the hell is going on?
Hope bites her bottom lip, eyes looking more horrified than they should over something like this, and then she runs upstairs. Bella doesn't follow her, cursing when she smells the meat burning. She runs to the pan.
They don't talk about it, only because it makes no sense to do so. How would something like that even be explained? It can't be. It just can't.
So they try to forget about it. Bella goes to finish up her school year, and Hope goes to the library to do her job. It seems she's plenty popular there, because Bella can hear whispers of gossip from the student body about the hot new librarian and she grinds her teeth at such things. She shouldn't feel jealous but she does. Hope is her friend. They need to stop trying to talk to her or get close to her.
Mike sees the way Bella's sitting tensed up as she listens to Tyler and Eric talk about ways to get Hope's number and go on a date. They're betting to see who can ask her out first.
"Hey, relax," Mike puts a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to let out a tensed breath.
"I am relaxed," Bella says through gritted teeth, wishing class would start so she could not have to listen to them.
"No, you're not. And I understand that you're worried about Hope but she's a free woman. You can't stop people from hitting on her," he told her as gently as he could. Bella scoffed. "It's not that. It's just, she has a lot on her plate right now, and," Bella swallowed, playing with her pen cap, twirling it between her slender fingers. The cut where the knife had sliced down is gone. Almost as if by magic. She still can't stop thinking about that even if she tried.
It's so poignant. So important. She just doesn't know why yet.
"And she really doesn't need more trouble. She was...hurt by a man," Bella tells him in a lowered tone of voice so nobody can hear her. "If a lot of guys are coming up to her, then we don't know if he's one of them or not."
"Hm, I can see that not going well. But what are you going to do about it?" Mike stretches, puts his hands behind his head. "Get a police escort?"
Bella gives him a derisive look. "That would be ridiculous."
Bella and Mike end up going by the library later if only to check up on how Hope's doing. They walk over, mainly in silence and enjoying the pre-summer sun on their backs. When they get in they can see it's more crowded than usual. Bella can hazard a guess why. Hope's the newest attraction in town and everyone wants a piece of her.
Bela just wishes they could give Hope some space. She doesn't want her to be overwhelmed. Hope's got stacks of books in her hands, hair up in a bun as she is stuck in a circle of people trying to chat with her. All teenage boys. Without another thought, Bella pushes in thorough them, reaching out and snagging Hope by the wrist.
"Hey!" one exclaims.
"Rude, we're talking to her-"
"She's done with you all," Bella retorts at his stupid pimply face and pulls Hope away somewhere quieter. Hope looks relieved to be free of those teenage hormones. She sets the stack of books down to the nearby table and puts her hands on her hips, eye raking over Mike. She mouths a quick hello to him.
"So, er, how's the job?" Bella clears her throat, realizing she just up and pulled Hope away. Possibly distracted her from her work.
Hope gives an amused smile and looks over Bella's shoulder to where the boys still are, milling around, scuffing the floor with their sneakers as they wait and watch from there until Bella is done talking with Hope. "Popular, and busy," Mike comments.
Hope fumbles with her pocket and takes out a pen and paper and begins to write stuff down. "We really need to get you a cellphone," Bella comments because it always takes a while for the writing to be finished. Not that Bella minds terribly- she loves Hope's handwriting. It just must be terribly inconvenient for Hope time wise.
Hope holds up the paper. "Wait for me after my shift. Then we can walk home together." Bella read.
"We could do some work, I don't mind," Mike comments and they both go and get a table to do their homework assignments at. Hope picks up her stack of books and goes back to work. Bella really tries to focus on her work, she does, but her eyes follow Hope ever so often when she passes by their table. Bella tries to not let it bother her when some teenage boys still try to come up to Hope and talk to her, when she clearly can't talk! This is a library, they're supposed to be quiet!
Mike sees the way Bella's staring.
"What?" she nearly growls at him, turning her frustration on him.
"Nothing?" he shakes his head and goes back to his work.
An hour later finds Hope finally done with work and heading over to their table. Bella has only been marginally successful with finishing her work while Mike has finished all of his up. They leave the library, Bella and Mike chatting on the way.
"Anyone wanna get ice cream?" he asks and they all agree to it. There's a good ice cream place along the road. They stop by and get some ice cream.
They're walking home, Bella lagging behind them as she texts with her mother, head down to her phone. Mike and Hope are ahead of her, already having crossed the street. Bella just finishes sending the text and pockets her phone when she hears the rumbling of a truck, veering down the path at her at well past the speed limit of 20.
"Bella!" a shrill cry rang out through the air. Bella looked, seeing the truck barreling down the road. She froze. Like a deer in headlights. She was powerless to do anything except watch it get closer, smelling of diesel and death. "Bella!" another cry rang out over Mike's scream of despair and Bella lifted her hands as if that could protect her and then Bella was on the ground, tasting asphalt. The truck roared past her spraying grit and there was a warm body over her. Holding her, protecting her.
For a second Bella's not sure what is going on. She's shaking, panting, vision blurry from unshed tears.
Then there's footsteps, Mike's worried voice. "Oh my god, Bella, you're okay." He's by her side, face relieved. "I thought..." he swallowed, didn't finish. Bella tries to get up and the weight on her disappears before it offers her a hand to stand up. Bella takes it. It's Hope's hand.
Hope had saved her.
She looks untouched but severely worried, like she'll be sick with it.
"You saved me," Bella breathes out, staring at her in a new light.
"Let's get onto the sidewalk, please?" Mike says, ushering them fully onto the sidewalk before another vehicle can come down the one way street. Bella stumbles to the sidewalk, still in total shock. There she turns to stare at Hope one more. "I had to save you. You were in danger," Hope replies and Bella's jaw drops open.
"That was you calling my name. You can talk now."
Hope's voice is rusty, sounds a bit painful. But she's speaking. She's gained her voice back!
Hope shrugs. "I guess whatever happened to make me stop talking, was broken with the...worry I felt for you when I tried to warn you about the truck."
Bella holds her hands in her own. "I...thank you." Tears brim in her eyes and Hope smiles, pulling her into her chest. Mike stands there a tad awkwardly as Bella sobs into Hope's chest. She was frightened. She had almost lost everything. Hope had saved her somehow.
"It's fine. You're fine now." Hope assures her and Bella burrows in deeper, tears staining Hope's t-shirt. Bella clings and lets the sobs come freely. She finally relents when it's been a bit of time. She pulls free, sniffles and allows Hope to gently wipe away at the remaining tears streaming from her eyes. "I wouldn't ever let anything bad happen to you."
"Yea, you should have seen Hope," Mike speaks up, trying to inject humor into the situation. "She moved like a freaking action star! She ran so fast to get to you. I still don't know how she got to you in time."
"I must have ran track," Hope replies off handily and with a hint of irritation. Like she wants this topic dropped. Instead she focuses the attention on Bella again. "Are you fine?"
"Yea, I am now," Bella sniffs, feeling better about all this.
Bella can barely feel her knees stinging from where she's fallen but Hope notices them. "We have to clean those when we get home."
Mike walks with them all the way to Bella's house to make sure she's alright. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Hope states, arm slung around Bella's shoulder in a comforting manner. Bella is pressed tight against Hope, almost with all her weight. It should be enough to push Hope over, but it doesn't. She's deceptively strong. And fast.
Walking home is a blur, mainly because of Bella's teary eyes and mainly because she's still in shock. Charlie's not home yet, luckily, so she won't have to answer any questions about what happened. Mike leaves them on the front step. He wants to come in, but Hope dismisses him.
"I'll take care of her. She'll be fine, and I'll make sure she texts you afterwards so you know she's fine," Hope says and then tugs the door shut on poor Mike.
Bella is set down on a chair and Hope quickly gets the needed medical supplies from the kitchen drawer. She rolls up Bella's jean legs and kneels in front of her. Antiseptic in hand she carefully cleans and wraps Bella's knees with such delicate touches that Bella can't help but shiver. She blames the shivers on the after shock of what happened.
Bella is tempted to ask Hope why she doesn't just use her healing powers on it, but she knows not to press her luck. Instead she just relaxes into the care Hope is affording her and tries to even out her breaths. When Hope is done, she gets up, eyes carefully assessing Bella. "Why don't you go upstairs and get changed into something comfortable. I'll meet you there in a second."
Bella is too out of it to question much and she goes to her room, changing out of her slightly dirtied clothes and putting on comfy pjs. She's still shaken up, more than she'd like to admit, though a huge part of her is in denial it even happened.
Hope finds her way up to Bella's room in five minutes. She too has changed out of her outdoor clothing which must have been dirty from diving in to save Bella. "Lie on the bed."
Bella does so with a raised eyebrow. Her heart is racing now. This situation seems suggestive. Bella obediently lies down, head on her pillows before Hope lies down next to her, scooping her up into her arms and just holding her.
"You let me stay here when I have my nightmares. I wanted to return the favor to you," she said, voice quiet now. It still sounds a bit rusty and unused, but it doesn't grate on Bella's ears. She snuggles deeper into Hope's hold and lets her eyes drift shut. She can feel her body calming down now, evening out. Eventually, before she knows it, she falls asleep in Hope's hold.
When she wakes it is an hour later, to the smell of dinner being made. She trudges downstairs and finds Charlie setting up the table.
"Bells, there you are. I didn't want to disturb your sleep kiddo. Feeling unwell?" he indicated to her pjs with the fork in his hand.
She looked down then back up at him, as if reaffirming that she had indeed slept in them, which she knew she had. She was just discombobulated still after the ordeal. She hoped she'd get better soon. Hope holding her had helped a lot but now not in her arms, Bella felt a bit nervous and shaky. "Yea, um, a bit. But the nap helped me."
"Good, good," Charlie mumbles absent mindedly under his breath. Hope comes in with the dinner and they have a quiet meal, each in their own heads. They finish shortly, the meal glorious as always.
"Thank you for dinner, Hope."
"You're very welcome," she replies with. He's just lifting up his glass to his mouth when the comment registers with him. His eyes bulge out comically. "Hope, did you just-"
"Dad, Hope can talk now," Bella says.
"Well, this is wonderful!" he exclaims. "How did it happen?"
Bella and Hope exchange a look- Bella doesn't want her dad to know. So Hope respects that. She gives Charlie a nonchalant shrug. "Just did. I woke up today and found I could talk."
"Well, I'll be damned," Charlie laughed heartily. "It's about time. Nice to finally talk to you, Hope."