Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! It's encouraging as an author to get such feedback.
Thank you Rachel for another proof-read. I hope this chapter isn't disappointing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or any of Stephenie Meyer's characters.
He was about Bella's age, I'd say, and a head taller than myself. I had to look up to meet his gaze. His skin was icy pale, so white that I imagined it would be cold to the touch. His hair was a coppery brown color and slightly disheveled, like he had just crawled out of bed. Contrarily, his eyes were ringed with deep shadows, the irises pure black and mesmerizing. Despite his apparent lack of sleep, he looked like he had just finished a photo shoot for GQ magazine. He was more attractive than any male model I had ever seen.
"Yes," I answered belatedly, thrown off by his handsome features.
"I'm Edward Cullen. I believe my sister, Alice, called you." His muted voice was smooth like his sister's, and it took a moment to form a complete thought. Bella never mentioned any boys in her emails…
I felt my head bob in confirmation.
"Come with me. I'll take you to her." He turned and headed for the elevator. I quickly followed.
The doors slid closed, and he pressed for the third floor. Once we were alone, the questions began to bubble to the surface.
"Why is Bella in Phoenix?" Why were any of them in Phoenix? How did she get hurt? Was Charlie here?
He drew a sharp breath. "It's … complicated."
"I think I can keep up," I responded, undeterred by his hesitation.
His solemn face was touched by a ghost of a smile, as if my words had triggered some inside joke.
"Bella…" he began, his face changing slightly as he said her name.
The elevator doors opened at the moment, and he took off down the corridor. I jogged to keep up with his swift pace.
"She had a slight … breakdown," he said, turning his head slightly so I could hear. "I think it was mostly homesickness. She wanted to come back to Phoenix to stay with you—"
"But she knew I was in Jacksonville," I interrupted, half pleased she had come to her senses and decided to leave Forks. All that rain was too dreary for someone to grow up in. She would love Jacksonville…
His face twisted, as if he was responding to my very thoughts.
"She knew you'd be returning soon. Perhaps she wanted to be in a familiar city. I came with my sister and father, Carlisle Cullen, to see if she was alright. And to try and persuade her to come back to Forks," he added, eyeing me as if waiting for my reaction.
"I see." I kept my face blank. "And, how was she hurt?"
"She agreed to see me at our hotel room, and she tripped on her way up the stairs."
I almost smiled. It was just like Bella to cause all this trouble by tripping. I thought I saw the edges of his mouth twitch too, but his face was abruptly serious again.
"She fell down two flights of stairs and through a window," he finished blankly.
Why couldn't she have just taken the elevator? I wondered.
As we turned a corner, I could have sworn I heard him mutter "why, indeed?"
He stopped outside room 301. Grasping the handle, he glanced back at me before pushing the door open.
I rushed to Bella's side at once. Her face was pale, her dark hair spilling over the pillow and her eyes closed. She was connected to an IV in her arm, a steady stream of clear liquid lazily moving through the tube and into her bloodstream. The only sound in the room was the incessant beeping of a monitor as it registered her heartbeat.
My hand flew to my mouth as I examined her. She was covered in bandages, and one leg looked bulky beneath the blankets. I turned to Edward.
"She has four broken ribs, a broken leg, and a series of scratches and bruises," he whispered, gently taking one of her gauze-wrapped hands in his own. He winced as he named each of her injuries, as if they caused him physical pain.
Guilt? I wondered. Or … something else?
"My father's a doctor," he said a little louder, keeping a hold on her hand. "He was able to attend to her immediately, which was fortunate."
I nodded, grateful she had had assistance right away.
"Are you the only ones who came?" I asked pointedly. He seemed to understand the meaning behind my question.
"Charlie is still in Forks, though he knows what's going on. Alice called him."
I nodded again, and looked around the small room for a chair. He pulled one from the corner and held it out for me before drawing up a chair for himself. We sat down on either side of Bella's bed.
I gazed at her peaceful face for a moment or two, thinking it through. Bella had experienced a lot of accidents in her short life. I remember when she broke her collar bone falling off a horse on the carrousel. I remember her breaking her wrist when she crashed her tricycle. I remember every scrape and bruise, and I was there for all of them. Whether it took a kiss or a cast to make it better, I always took care of my little girl. And here she had just sustained more injuries than I could count, and I had been on the other side of the country.
I looked over at Edward. His gaze was fixed on her as well, and I could clearly see pain in his eyes. There was also another, unread emotion burning beneath the surface as he watched Bella. I was trying to place it when there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in," Edward called, his eyes never leaving her face.
A man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties poked his head into the room. His skin was the same shade as Edward's, complete with the black eyes and dark shadows. His hair was the color of spun gold, and his face was just as handsome.
"I'm Carlisle Cullen, Edward's father," he said to me.
"Renée Dwyer," I answered, taken aback by his youth. "Thank you for helping my daughter."
"You're more than welcome." He nodded. "If it's alright, may I speak to you outside?"
I glanced back at Edward. He remained motionless, his fingers intertwining with Bella's. I decided I could leave them alone for a minute; there would be time to make sense of it all later. I rose, kissed her lightly on the forehead, and followed Dr. Cullen out the door.
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