Burning Candles
Summary: (Set during Twilight) Curious because of Edward's strange behavior towards her, Bella decides on her second day in Forks to confront him and decides to pay him a visit… to his house. She never expected him to attack her though.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 8: Swing Life Away
Bella's POV
"Edward, Alice." I greeted them, my voice as solid as I could make it. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Edward looked at me cautiously as Alice stepped forward slightly. A frown was what held her mouth from saying anything. I inhaled sharply and stared at them even further. Alice opened her mouth and sighed. "Edward did not want to tell you Bella." Alice said and I looked at her strangely. Tell me what? That something was wrong with my parents?
"Alice." Edward warned, but Alice wasn't listening. "Alice—no."
"I had a vision Bella." Alice said quickly. "Jacob and the rest of the wolves have them and they are planning to lure you in and then kill you. We thought that it was better if we didn't tell you so that you wouldn't have to worry about it. Then it probably wouldn't happen if you didn't know of it." Alice explained and I turned my head sharply at Edward to see if what she was saying was true.
"Well?" I questioned him.
Edward looked up at me slightly then looked back down towards the floor. "It's true Bella."
"Tell me more." I demanded firmly.
Alice looked towards Edward, a bit shocked from what I had said. They had probably thought that I did not want to know the details. But I was so angry at them for concealing this, that it didn't even matter anymore. I had the right to know since it concerned me. If it hadn't concerned me, I wouldn't have cared… this much. "Well in my vision, it was of Jacob having your parents—" my parents? Jacob had my parents? This must of happen! Charlie and Renée could be dead already and they're just telling me this now?! "—and they lured you in and then killed you. You were all alone Bella, you couldn't do anything."
"I—I…" I didn't know what to say at all. I was so angry, yet there was a part of me that was glad that they hadn't told me. I tried to calm the other part of me down, but it wasn't working. "I have to go."
"Where are you going?" Alice questioned.
"I have to go and think."
"Bella, I don't—"
I cut her off, "I think that you owe me that much Alice." I said coldly and turned around before walking out the door.
"What's bothering you?" Esme questioned carefully as I swung my legs back and forth as we sat outside on the stairs together. "I can tell that something's bothering you darling, what is it?"
I shrugged, not really wanting to confide in anyone anymore. "It doesn't really matter."
"Of course it matters!" Esme protested, "something is bothering you. That matters Bella." Esme told me and I shrugged again. Esme sighed and placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me towards her in a hug. I knew that she meant it to be caring, but my attitude had not changed from before when Edward and Alice told me their secret.
"I don't think that…" I trailed off and sighed. "Nothing's the matter Esme, really."
Esme hugged me tighter and laughed softly. "I know that something is wrong Bella, you're too easy to read, remember?" She asked and I nodded sadly.
I had always hated that I was so easy to read when it came to my emotions. It was something that I had wanted to change about myself for forever. "It's just that Edward and Alice told me about Alice's vision and it just annoys me that they didn't tell me about it before. I mean they're my parents! I have the right to know what happened."
"Bella…" Esme trailed off and then it hit me. The whole family had known everybody except me.
"You knew!" I accused.
Esme bowed her head and let her arms drop from around me. "Yes Bella, I did know. But Edward insisted that we shouldn't tell you so that you wouldn't get worked up on something that probably would never happen. He was just—"
"I can't believe it!" I shot up and walked down the steps. "Everybody knew except me. It only concerned me and I was the only one who didn't know." I said grudgingly and Esme nodded slightly. "That's a low blow, I love my parents, I would only want their safety and if they are being kidnapped or torture, I'm not going to stand by and let them be."
"See Bella that was what Edward was worried about! He doesn't want to lose you to an untimely death." Esme tried to explain, but I had already made up my mind. "Please Bella, don't do anything that would put you in harms way."
"I—I…" I had to think quickly, I had to lie Esme and then I would go and check up on my parents. This had to be done and I knew that there would be nobody there to help me. "You're right Esme."
Esme sighed in relief. "I'm glad you've seen Edward's thinking."
"I don't want to do anything stupid," I said loyally and smiled slightly. "I should go and apologize to Alice and Edward about acting that way. I was terribly rude." My lip twitched slightly.
"If that's what you wish." Esme said and smiled. "I knew that you would see their ways Bella, they're just trying to keep you safe."
Safe? Is that what they called it now? My parents would not be left there to die in the werewolves paws. I would not allow that. I had to do this and I would just have to pray that Edward and Alice and everybody would understand. "Of course, I know that they're just trying to protect and we don't even know if Alice's vision is true!" I lied as I clenched my teeth.
"That's right," Esme said suspiciously, "what are you thinking Bella?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking about explaining my behavior to Edward and Alice." I told her quickly and then thanked her for her help and walked inside the house. I heard voices from the kitchen and I knew that Edward and Alice hadn't moved from their spots. I cleared my throat as I entered the room. "Hi." I uttered softly.
Edward looked at me tentatively. "Hi."
"I just want to apologize for my behavior. I was being over-dramatic and I trust that you guys are just looking out for me. It was stupid for me to think that you guys weren't going to tell me at all." I smiled weakly. "Thanks for looking out for me and don't worry I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm just going to go on with life until we think of a plan…together." I finished as I closed my mouth and clenched my teeth harder.
Edward moved forward and placed a kiss to my temple. "Thanks for understand Bella. I know we'll think of something."
Without me. The voice inside of me said. Once I left, they were probably going to have to make a plan about how to save me. I didn't know if I liked the idea so much, but I would do anything to save my parents from death. "No problem, Charlie always used to say that I was very understanding." I joked lightly and Alice took me into her arms.
"Oh Bella, you're the best." Alice confided. "I knew you would understand."
I nodded. "I'm just going to get something upstairs and then I'll be back." I told them and wiggled out of Alice's tight grip. I made my way upstairs, unaffected that I heard footsteps behind me. I knew that Edward would follow me to make sure I wasn't doing anything. I turned on my heels as I noticed that I had entered 'my room.' "Need something?" I asked.
"Nope, nothing." Edward smiled and advanced towards me, wrapping an arm around my waist tightly. "You're amazing Bella."
I softened at his tone. "I know."
"Oh! And you're the one that calls me cocky?"
I giggled, "because you are!"
"I am not." Edward shot back.
"Are too." I said quickly and leaned forward, pressing my lips gently against Edward's. I pulled back and he groaned. "That's the only way to shut you up." I told him and he smirked.
"Anyways back to the subject," he drawled. "I'm really sorry about not telling you, I was just trying to keep you safe and I don't want to lose you Bella." He said quickly, his words almost mush-ing together. I had never seen this side of Edward. "I don't think I could handle to lose you Bella—"
"I know," I cut him off. "I understand, you don't have to explain anymore."
"I just feel that I have too." Edward complained. "I didn't know that you would be so understanding. It was sort of a shock."
"You know me," I told him. "I am always understanding. I might fight with you sometimes, but we always work it out. Anyways I know that you truly had good intentions about this and of course Edward, I understand." I repeated for the hundredth time, or it felt like it.
"I have to go out tonight with the guys, promise me you won't do anything stupid." He pleaded.
"Don't worry Edward," I lied. "I promise I won't do anything stupid."
I leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss before he could say anything else.
Getting ready wasn't hard at all. Alice had gone out shopping with Carmen. Esme was downstairs in the kitchen with Tanya, Irina, Kate, and Rosalie. I had told them that I just wanted to be alone and they were good at leaving me alone. I grabbed my backpack and stuffed something's that I would need and then grabbed a piece of paper out of one my school notebooks and brushed away my hair from my face. My nerves were eating away at me. Although I knew that this wasn't the right choice, I knew that I couldn't stay here and let my parents die. They might not even be in that state and then I could return here. I was ready to face the consequences when I got back. I grabbed a pencil and wrong.
Edward,
I know that you must hate me now, but if you're reading this note, you know that I'm gone. I've gone to my parents. I lied this afternoon when I said that I was alright with everything. I'm not fine with it and this is for me. I have to do this, nobody can stop me, and it's just something that I have to do. I can't bear with the fact that my parents are in danger. If they're not in danger, I'll come back and I'll deal with the consequences of what I've done. I love Edward, don't forget that. I'll be seeing you.
Love,
Bella
I knew that I couldn't cry, but if I could have, I would have. Edward meant the world to me, but I also loved my parents. I couldn't let them be in danger because of me. I grabbed the keys that I had taken earlier off of the desk in Edward's room and slipped out of the window. I hit the ground with a soft thud and turned towards the cars. I pulled my brown hair up into a ponytail and inhaled sharply as I brushed my bangs to the side. I had to get over this, I just have to go and not look back. It would be easier this way. I unlocked Edward's precious Volvo and slipped into the driver's seat. I would have to go above the speed limit because Alice, Carmen, Eleazar, Edward, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were due home anytime soon and I was pretty sure that the group in the kitchen would notice my absence soon. I put my key into the ignition and breathed in deeply before turning the car on. I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway slowly, careful to not make any noise. I quickly turned the car in the right direction and sped off, I didn't look back. I knew that if I did, I would have crumbled to pieces.
Edward's POV
I knew that something was wrong.
As soon as I arrived home from hunting, I knew that there was something going crazy inside. Alice's mind was racing and she was wondering how this could have happened. I pushed open the door and tried to search Esme or Rosalie's mind, but they were keeping it blank, they didn't want me to know. Alice was going crazy and couldn't control her thoughts, although they didn't help me that much. Alice ran to me and grabbed both of my arms tightly.
"It's terrible Edward," she muttered quickly. "Bella's gone."
I looked at her sternly. Was she serious? Was Bella really gone? "That's not possible." I told Alice fiercely and she nodded her head. "Bella can't be gone, where would she go?"
"She's gone back to Forks Edward, I knew this was going to happen…I—" She closed her eyes and I looked into her mind. I knew that she was going to have a vision about Bella. I knew it, I could feel the fury building up inside me. How could Bella do this to me? She had promised that she wouldn't go, but she had broken it.
I was right; Alice's vision was of Bella.
Bella was running quickly through the Forks forest and she was going towards her old house. She burst through the door and checked all around, wondering where her parents were. She was searching everyplace the werewolves would think of and then shrugged before walking out. She was stopped by Jacob Black, the werewolf himself. They were bantering back and forth and finally Jacob revealed that he had Bella's parents. She looked at her parents who had been tied up and then back at Jacob. She argued with him and then agreed to something that was unknown. The vision shut off quickly.
"This can't be right." I told Alice, "she wouldn't!"
Alice shook her head and gripped my arms tighter. "Edward, Bella would do something like this. If we don't hurry up and go after her, she will definitely be dead by tomorrow at the latest. We have to go." Alice told me fiercely and I nodded, running into the kitchen where everybody else was huddled.
"Bella…" I croaked and they nodded.
"We'll follow you," Carlisle told me and I agreed before grabbing the car keys of Alice's car and grabbing Alice. She pointed to my room calmly and then I nodded before running up. I looked at my desk and a letter was there with my name written on it in Bella's handwriting. I opened it and scanned it before stuffing it in my pocket and running back downstairs to grab Alice. She came willingly as we jumped into her car. The rest of the family was getting ready to leave as well. I noticed oddly that my car was gone, Bella must have taken it.
I didn't know I was shaking until Alice gripped my arm once we were on the highway. "She'll be alright Edward."
"You don't know that," I told Alice coldly.
End of Chapter 8: Swing Life Away
Authors Note: I am completely sorry about the whole wait! I can't believe that I made you guys wait so long and I am truly sorry for doing that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it wasn't too confusing, I'm not expecting many people to be reading this anymore, but thanks so much for all the support you have given me. Next chapter will be up next week, I promise!
I read 300 pages of Eclipse and it almost made me cry. I'm going to put anything else because I don't want anybody to yell at me for spoiling anything. So I'll post something when I know everybody has read it. Like a year from now. xD
Review please!