I do not own Twilight.
SunflowerFran betaed – thank you so much!
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Bella insisted on paying the bill at the restaurant. Since Charles had given her the money for the trip, it was only fair she treated her girls to an abundance of vegetarian dishes at Terre à Terre. Not that Bella ate much, since her appetite had been non-existent for days, if not weeks.
The storm had been getting weaker as they watched and shared a plate of coconut ice cream with pistachio wafers. At around eight p.m., they'd all agreed that it was safe to go.
The girls giggled as the made their way through the warm drizzle, and once they'd reached the car, Jackie shook her hair as if she were a dog. She slipped into the backseat, immediately looking at her phone.
"Hey, Bella, I'm calling Mum and Dad to tell them we're only just now leaving."
Their father had phoned earlier after hearing about the storm on the news.
"Yeah, okay." Bella got into the passenger seat. "You okay to drive?" she asked Leah.
"Totally."
Leah was already starting the car.
"Maybe I should call Edward, too," Bella mused. "Let him know we're on our way. I never specified when we'd be back. Maybe he's waiting."
"I know I haven't asked, Bella," Leah said, glancing at her shortly. "But… have you made a decision?"
They hadn't talked in depth about what had happened with Edward after their drive to Brighton. Bella had told her friend and sister that she needed to get her head clear.
"Yes, I have," Bella said with conviction. "I'm not letting this destroy our relationship. I love Edward, and I know he loves me. I was sick myself, and I know that those around you can give you so much strength. Maybe I failed him as well, you know?"
A small gasp from the back of the car made her realize that Jackie'd been listening.
"I know, I know," Bella said, turning so she could look at her sister. "But look at it this way: I never even noticed how terrible he must have felt all this time. I didn't notice what was going on, because I was so preoccupied with school and work."
Now, Leah frowned at her too, which made Bella roll her eyes.
"We're going to find a way to get through this, okay? And now, I'm calling him."
Ferreting through her bag, she pulled out her phone and dialled Edward's mobile.
It went straight to voicemail.
He was probably working and had forgotten to charge it.
Or…
Bella shuddered at the thought.
Or he'd gotten drunk and forgotten to charge it.
Her earlier forebodings were violently returning.
"Hmm?" Leah raised an eyebrow, signalling she wanted to be filled in.
"Voicemail. I'm going to call the house phone."
No reply.
Bella bit her lip. Something was wrong. Awfully wrong.
"What is it?" Leah asked.
"I don't know. But something's not right. Am I crazy to be saying this?"
"No," piped up Jackie from the backseat. "Can't you call his sister? You told me they seemed to be close, didn't you?"
Not such a bad idea, Bella thought.
"I don't have her number."
"What about Jasper?" Leah suggested. "Didn't you say he knows her husband from somewhere?"
Suddenly there was no air in the car as Bella's veins froze.
Because she knew, without a doubt, that something was seriously wrong.
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