Chapter 6 – Watching

BPOV

It was two weeks until graduation. It hasn't been easy, but as each day goes by, I am coping. I truly feel like a grieving widow and I've been treated like one. Frequent visitors, countless condolences and special treatment; I was more like Edward's wife, than just his girlfriend. Well, I was supposed to be his wife in the future. At mid terms, my teachers went easy on me because they knew I was distraught.

When I got home from Edward's house, Charlie was waiting for me in the kitchen. His grandmother's ring held my attention as I walked into the house. "Bella?" he called as I closed the front door. Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, "Hey." He was still in his chief's uniform. My stomach sank as he looked at me. "What's up?" I asked. Charlie blinked, "Please tell me you didn't hit Lauren in the mouth?" I bit my lip, remembering what I did. It felt great at the time and it still did now.

"Yea, Dad, I did." Charlie watched me as I stood in the doorway. "Sit down." I moved slowly to sit down in front of him. My book bag slid down my arm to the floor. Charlie leaned his elbows on the table, "Explain." This felt like an interrogation. He was Chief Swan now. I inhaled sharply and the words fell out, "Lauren was frustrating me. You know we don't get along. She was telling lies about me and Edward and I lost it." Charlie's expression was unreadable, "Your principal wants to meet with you, me, Lauren and her parents."

My teeth mashed into my lip. Charlie got up from the table slowly, "Ok, paint me a picture. How'd you do it?" He spoke in a tone that I've never heard before. I explained to him how I did it, down to how I kept my thumb around my fingers. Charlie listened to every detail, "Ok, Bells, I can understand why you did it, but you've got to control your temper." I nodded, "I know." Was that all he was going to say to me? I was getting off too easy. "And one more thing," he added. I looked at him, waiting to hear how long I was going to be grounded for. "One punch?" he asked, almost sounding proud. "Yes," my voice was taken aback. Charlie smiled, "That's my girl!"

I let out a huffed laugh, "Really?" Chief Swan was gone and my dad was back. Charlie smiled like a proud parent, "Yes." Charlie bought pizza for dinner, giving me the night off. I watched him for the rest of the night, looking for signs of a stroke. He was proud that I hit someone. Maybe it was a guy thing.

At the meeting with Mr. Greene, Lauren and her parents, Angela and Mike gave their accounts of the 'incident.' Mr. Greene listened to everything and made his decision before meeting with all of us. In his office, Charlie kept his hand on his belt, flashing his gun to the principal. There were some perks to being the chief's daughter. "Well, Ms. Mallory, it would seem you antagonized Ms. Swan. You were telling lies about Mr. Masen." Lauren's mother turned to look at her, "Where you?"

Lauren and her mother looked exactly alike. Lauren nodded once, not speaking. Her lip was swollen badly from my hit. "This doesn't excuse Ms. Swan's behavior. However, being that she, like most of us in the school, are still grieving over this lost, Bella," he looked at me, "I think a few sessions with the school counselor would be beneficial for you." I didn't let it show on my face, but I was shocked that I was only getting a slap on the wrist over this whole thing. I was glad, but I still felt like I should have been suspended or get probation.

Since the meeting, Lauren and Jessica didn't sit at our table at lunch. Over the coming days, my inheritance did nothing but serve as a constant reminder of who I lost. I've taken to driving Edward's Volvo more. The engine was too quiet, the complete opposite of my truck.

When I went to get it from this house, Alice Cullen went with me again. Alice has been very supportive in the past few weeks. She didn't push to move on. She just let me scream, cry and be miserable and crazy when I felt like it. Alice was becoming a really good friend. When I drove the Volvo, I tried to leave as he did as much as I could. I never changed out his Debussy CD or took his jacket out of the car. It rested in the backseat when I found it. Taking it up, I breathed in the scent his body left on it. Whenever I really missed him, I'd wear it. As far as the money, it was going to my college education.

Before school started, Alice was telling me that she was accepted at Dartmouth. I hugged her, "Congratulations, but why are you going cross country?" She shrugged, "Change of scenery. I mean, my birth family was from the south and since I was adopted by the Cullens, we've remained in the northwest. I want to go out east." Alice's smile began to fade and her eyes focused on something in the distance. I blinked, seeing the expression change. I waited as Alice just stared. "Alice?"

She didn't answer me. After a few seconds, Alice blinked and smiled at me, "I have a great idea. You should apply to Dartmouth. Their deadline isn't over. We could go to college together."" My eyebrows pulled together; maybe she had momentary pause to collect her thoughts. I huffed in a short breath, "I don't know about that. I mean I don't want to leave my dad all alone out here. And I was planning on going..." The words stopped at the thought. I was planning on going to college with Edward.

"Ummm, I don't know," I amended, "I mean I'd have to get the material for the school." She smiled widely, showing her perfect teeth. They were kinda intimidating, being too white and almost sharp looking, "I have extra at home. I'll bring it tomorrow. Please, Bella, consider it. It would be fun going to college together." Could I do it? Go to college away from Forks, where Edward's memory was the strongest? Well, Edward wouldn't want to me stay in Forks, knowing I wasn't fond of the town. For Edward, I would try.

"Well, I've never been further east than Albuquerque. And that is a really good school. Maybe. How about I look up some information and I'll get back to you." The bell rang and we went inside for our classes. Alice went on and on about what Dartmouth had to offer. A beautiful campus, great courses and a new environment. Maybe it would be fun going to college with Alice. I really liked her as a friend. She was loyal, sweet and trustworthy. Maybe going out east was a great way to start over my life.

At home, I did some research on Dartmouth. It was a good school and highly regarded. Maybe I could consider it, but a small part of me still didn't want to leave Forks. Leaving Forks will be like leaving Edward. I know that is silly but, staying here, I felt like I was to him. I know Edward is with me no matter where I go, but I still had the feeling he was with me while I still lived here. It was funny; some nights, I'd wake up feeling like someone else was there. Maybe I shouldn't go out east. I didn't want these feelings to go away. I like those feelings, having Edward watching over me.

EPOV

Alice told me about Bella's day. I saw their conversations while at school. Bella was starting to smile more and be herself. Alice had vision of Bella's bedroom and she was sleeping. Thoughts entered my mind, seeing her sleeping in her bed. Could I do it? I looked to Alice and she just smiled, "Don't worry. You won't hurt her. I won't say anything." I've thought about that so many times since I changed. Just to be able to see her one last time. Just to hear her talk in her sleep. I know I can't touch her, but to see her and that would be it. That had to be enough.
When it was late enough, I ran to her house. The house came into sight as I made my way through the trees. As I got closer, there were brief images of Charlie's dreams, but I got nothing from Bella. I looked into her window and there she was. Her dark hair spread across her pillows. The blanket was tucked around her as she slept peacefully. Sliding into the room, I was bombarded with the sweetest scent I have ever encountered.

The fire in my throat blazed beyond all control. My body responded to the scent; I was coiled to spring. Before I could help myself, my body leaned into a crouch, about to attack the girl I loved. My body was coiled to spring when Bella turned over to face me. I saw my grandmother's ring on her finger, tucked next to her cheek. This was the first time I laid eyes on her since I was attacked. She never looked more beautiful. With my new eyes, I took in every detail of her face. The fullness of her lips, every curl of her hair and curves of her chin and cheek bones. She sighed and I caught the scent of her breath. Venom flooded my mouth. My instincts said to strike but my mind said to stop and watch her.

I fought my deadly instincts, while watching her. She was breathing steadily but her eyebrows were furrowed, "Edward, please. Edward, I need you," she spoke in her sleep. I needed her too. A tear fell from eye; she was crying in her sleep. Her breathing was staggering. My hand reached out to wipe away the tear, but I couldn't. my skin was too could to touch her. Stepping away, I slipped out her window. The window shut and I lingered watching her. Why did this happen? If I were still human, well, I would have loved to climb through her window and stay with her.

Bella suddenly gasped, making the springs in her mattress squeak. Her eyes looked around the room, like she was searching for something. The next look on her face tore into me. Her face crumpled and she began to cry. She sat in the middle of her bed with her face in her hands. Her shoulders jerked back and forth, as she cried. When she lifted her face, I stopped breathing. Even in her grieving state, she still took my breath away. The deep set of her brown eyes were so beautiful that she was exquisite.

How I wanted me to leap into that room and hug her? But how could I? With what I am now? She wouldn't love me. I had to leave her with the memory of me, human. Human like her and with her. Bella was too beautiful a person to love something like me. So I've decided. I would have to let her go, but I would try to keep her safe. Bella would go on with her life and I will watch her as much as I could. No one was going to hurt the woman I loved.
While she drove to school, I followed her through the shadows of the forest. This was strange though. I could hear the minds of everyone I passed, but not hers. While she was at school, I had to keep track of Bella through the minds of her classmates. Why couldn't I hear anything from her mind? At lunch, she was with Alice and Angela. She was looking over the information from Dartmouth. "Alice, this school does look really good. But I'm still not sure." Edward, I know you're here. She is going to get accepted. She'll be fine. If you want I can keep an extra eye on her, Alice thought. I had to find a way to thank Alice for that. It's not necessary. I worry about her too, she confessed.

I watched Bella for the rest of the day. "Bella, have you been by his house yet?" Angela asked. She was biting her lip; what she always did when she was nervous, "Yea. Alice went with me. That's how I got the ring." She showed her hand to Angela, "He wrote me a letter saying he wanted me to have it." Angela looked back to Bella's face. Tears were welling in her eyes. "Bella, its fine," Angela took Bella's hands, "you know he's always with you."

Bella smiled sheepishly, "I know. But I want to see him." They walked to the parking lot, where Bella got into my car. While I watched her for the rest of the evening, a horrifying thought came to me. What if the ones that did this to me came back? What if they came across Bella? Her scent was too good for any of our kind to resist.

Alice resists because she does not want to disappoint Carlisle and I resist because I love her. I swore to myself, if any of those monsters came anywhere near town, I would rip them apart before they could come near Bella.

BPOV

Life was coming up fast on me. Prom was next weekend. If Edward were here, he would have convinced me to go by now and ask Angela and Jessica to go shopping with me for my dress. During the evenings, when I was free, I looked through mine and Edward's photo album. It was a Valentine's Day gift we made for each other. Edward had a matching one in his bedroom. The pictures of us were from when he and I went to First Beach, me cheering him on at his basketball games and of us in his living room. At first, these pictures made me cry, but now, they made me smile again.

The memories of Edward were painful and cheerful. When I was in my memories, I was happy again, but as always, reality sets in and I realize he's gone. "Bells, phone for you," my dad called. I went downstairs and took the phone, "Thanks, Dad." "Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, Bella," it was Damien. "Hi, Damien. What's up?" There was a long silence, "Ummm, I wanted to know if you'd like to go to the prom?" I pulled the phone away from my ear to look at it. Did I hear him right? "Damien…" I was going to turn him down. Prom wasn't something I needed right now. "Wait, wait. It's not like that. Edward was one of my closest friends and I know he wouldn't want you sitting at home on the biggest night of your high school life."

I sighed, "That's sweet of you, but I don't know. Could I think it over?" "Of course, Bell." My heart stopped, "Don't call me 'Bell'," I snapped. "I'm sorry, Bella," he amended quickly, "I'll talk to you later." I rolled my eyes, "Alright. Bye Damien." I hung up the phone too hard and went to my room. How dare he call me by Edward's nickname for me? Part of me appreciated that Damien cared enough, but another larger part of me was appalled that he would ask. Edward was one of his closest friends, but how could he ask his girlfriend out. Maybe I should go with him. Have fun for a night.