Chapter 8- Hard Feelings

I'm not lovin' you, way I wanted to
What I had to do, had to run from you
I'm in love with you, but the vibe is wrong
And that haunted me, all the way home
So ya never know, never, never know
Never know enough, til' it's over love
Til' we lose control, system overload
Screamin' no, no, no, no, no
I'm not lovin' you, way I wanted to
See I wanna move, but can't escape from you
So I keep it low, keep a secret code
So everybody else don't have to know

Kanye West- Love Lockdown

Edward's POV

The cottage: a safe haven from the hectic terms of life. Or rather, death. To cruel is this world, for people are enveloped by greed, anger, and power. Was there no justice? That was what I thought before Bella came into my life. But now, that hollowed feeling was creeping back up while I watched Bella lay on our bed staring up into space. She was unable to move or speak, and that was getting to me. It was if I was looking at a puppet, willing it to move when there were no strings attached.

I mindlessly flipped the TV on and searched through the channels until something vaguely interesting turned on: a medical show that involved the patient going into shock. Of course, the person had withstood a compound fracture, but still. The TV flashed the bone sticking out of the patients ankle with the poor man seizing up just had Bella had done... three hours ago.

The doctors were now debating ways they could save the leg without amputating it because of the foreign infection that developed at the break site. I shuddered to myself as blood oozed from the ankle on the screen. I needed to hunt. But, I couldn't leave Bella. I would just have to endure it.

I flipped the channel again, and this time, some show about suitcases appeared. I changed it again. Some guy was trying to get out of a straight-jacket. Flip. Flip. Flip. The regular pattern of me changing the stations was oddly comforting. I had control over it. I had control for once. I sighed as I settled on program about howler monkeys.

Next to me, Bella began to shift. I turned my head as I watched her slowly come out of her paralysis. When she could blink her eyes again, I merely said, "Hey," and that seemed to be enough.

Bella's POV

I blinked my eyes as they registered my surroundings. Edward was standing over me, worry engraved in his face. Murmuring could be heard from the background. It was most likely the TV.

"Hey," he said quietly. I smiled feebly. My face felt stiff as the rest of my body did. However, I managed to lift my hand up to touch his face lightly. His eyes closed at my touch and he hummed in contentment. I could clearly remember what happened to me before I blacked out, so I didn't bother asking that. I didn't feel like asking him anything right then.

I used the hand that wasn't cradling his face and used it to motion him closer to me. He bent his head lower and I kissed him. He eagerly kissed me back and we continued until our breathing became ragged. He crawled next to me on the bed and held my hand.

"Why couldn't I move?" I asked him a little breathlessly. He took a moment to compose himself before answering.

"Because Leah hit you in the diaphragm," he answered simply as some monkey screeched in the background. I reached for the remote and turned the TV off.

"Oh," I answered back and smiled. He laughed lightly, but I could still sense the worry there. I knew something was bothering him. My eyebrows furrowed as I examined his face. He was such a good liar, I probably couldn't even figure out what was troubling him if I waited for seventy more years. Which, of course, we have, I joyously thought.

"What's wrong? Does something hurt?" he asked panicked, sitting up a little. I shook my head in response. He sank back down and sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked. He looked at me as if I was crazy.

"With me?" he asked. I nodded. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

"No, I mean, why are you so…antsy?" I asked. That was the first word that came to mind. Yet, it fit his mood. He did seem antsy, like he had to keep on moving. He shrugged and looked at the ceiling. "Edward, tell me," I pleaded. I wanted to help him so badly.

"I did something," he said. My muscles locked up as I looked at him. He realized the extent of his words. "Nothing bad," he reassured me. I forced my muscles to ease. "It's just that…I kind of ran off with you without telling anyone or checking on Renesmee or anything," he said. He shut his mouth like he said too much.

Renesmee. "Where is she?" I asked panicked. He sat up and massaged my shoulders.

"With everybody else. This is why I took you here, because I knew you would panic. You need to rest. Please, please stay here for a while," he pleaded. I considered this for a moment.

"Fine," I said. He sighed in relief. "On one condition." Now he tensed. "You have to call them to see if she's okay," I said firmly. He laughed and nodded.

"You are so strange," he said and picked up the phone next to him.

Seth's POV

The fluorescent lights of the room pierced my eyes. Carlisle was taking bits and pieces of glass out of my skin and wrapping up various wounds. There was nothing he could do about my cracked rib: it was already healing. The room that I was in was completely white and sterile. There were no windows in this room, only the door. If I wanted, I could probably eat off of the floor due to the immaculate cleaning skills of Esme.

Jacob was in the room with Renesmee, and that was it. Jacob had become more protective and wouldn't let her out of his grasp now. Leah wasn't here because she was so ashamed of her defiance against Jacob. I groaned as Carlisle pulled a deep one.

"Sorry, sorry," he murmured as he placed a bandage over it. It was only temporary, but still. I glanced at Renesmee's face. It was pretty funny, really. The way her little face scrutinized mine. I would have started laughing in any other circumstance, but I did not feel like laughing just then.

But just as I turned my head to not think about the pain and Katelyn and Carlisle, Renesmee grabbed my face and redirected it towards hers. While she was doing so, her small face disappeared and was replaced with Katelyn. I sighed. The pain was gone. It was more like heaven; however, I still felt the tinge of unease. So as I saw Katelyn, I quietly drifted into an easy sleep with her by my side.

A/N: I know it was short, but I'm working on another story for the mediator, so give me time! Good part coming up, I promise!

-Daisy