Chapter 7: Blood Red

EPOV

I looked at those beautiful brown eyes of hers as what she had just said whirled round in my mind.

"I don't understand." I needed her to explain in detail exactly what she meant. She sighed and then walked over to sit on the golden bed. I followed her and sat patiently by her side. She turned to look at me.

"I don't think I'm emotionally stable enough to lose you ever again." She twisted her body to look at me. "When you went away last September I seriously thought that I wasn't going to last a day never mind half a year. And when you disappeared for three months after I… well after our little discussion I was sick with worry, i just put on a brave face about it and pretended I hadn't even noticed you'd gone. But I was just lying to myself," She was holding back the tears now "the truth is that I have thought about you every day wondering and worrying."

I wanted to be tortured for the pain I had obviously put her through. She leaned back and put her head on the pillow and once again I did the same next to her. We sat in silence for about a minute but it felt like years. I decided to step in.

"What exactly are you saying to me Bella?" Even just to say her voice was exhilarating and I quickly inhaled to take in her beautiful freesia scent. It took her a while to answer me, but when she did I could tell that she had carefully thought through her answer.

" I need you Edward, you are the air that I breathe and I think that every second that I am away from you I start hyperventilating. Sure I have grabbed a few oxygen tanks on my way down but… It's like what you said about your eating habits. You said by feeding on animals you were able to… well not be hungry anymore but you were never satisfied. It's like that with you… I crave you." She turned to face me fully then. "And you're right…if you had never left we would probably still be together now."

I truly hated myself at that moment in time. Why on earth had I ever thought I should go? Now everything was ruined and the love of my existence had slipped out of my reach and I didn't know if I would ever get her back.

"So basically you're telling me that you love me…but we can't be together?" I asked her with a confused look on my face. "What's the point in that?" She stared at me for a while and then leaned over and was about to kiss me on the cheek. "What are you doing?" I asked her, completely surprised by her action. She smiled.

"I was planning on giving you a kiss on the cheek but obviously that plan has flown out the window."

"You're confusing me Bella." I stated.

"I know and I am truly sorry, but trust me on this I know what I am doing… I have to go to the bathroom give me a second." And with that she pecked me on the cheek and walked out of the room. I was completely and utterly confused. Did she want us to be together again? Did she want me on the side? Did she want me to leave her alone? I did not know. Suddenly Alice came flying into the room.

"Where is she…Bella?" Alice practically yelled as her eyes flashed across the room as if expecting Bella to be hidden.

"She has just gone to the bathroom… slow down, what's happened?" I was smiling but the look on Alice's face made me worry. Alice darted to the bathroom at the end of the hall and I quickly followed her.

"What's going on Alice?" I demanded to know. Alice was banging on the bathroom door and screaming Bella's name. Bella wasn't answering.

"WHERE IS SHE?" I yelled at Alice who then kicked the bathroom door down. The Bathroom was empty and the window was open. Alice ran to the window and looked down.

"The mesh… she climbed down the mesh. I was just sat downstairs and I saw you and her together again but then… her future just disappeared." She whispered as if she was scared of my reaction.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you Alice." I heard her thoughts for her answer

It's OK Edward I know you're just worried about he. How long ago did she leave?

"About five minutes ago, I'll go and look for her she can't have gone far. I'll be back in an hour." I walked to the bathroom window, jumped down and inhaled. Her scent was still there but it was quite weak, she must have been running.

I followed her scent the best I could but I lost all trace of her at the main road, obviously she had called someone to come and pick her up. But the scent of a dog was overpowering. No clues there as to who exactly picked her up. I took out my phone from my jacket pocket and called Alice.

"Hello Edward." She sounded panicky.

"Hi, any news on the whereabouts of Bella?"

"No she's still with them." I knew how much it annoyed her when she did not have her insight to the future. I explained to her about the car and told her that I was going to call Jacob and see what was going on.

"Ok, call me as soon as you find her." And with that the phone went dead. Bella had been gone for about an hour now and I was starting to get rather worried. Had she meant any of those things she had just said to me? Or was it just a plot of hers so that she could sneak away? No! I hated myself for even thinking that Bella would ever do anything like that. She had meant every word she had said to me; I could see it in her eyes. I got my phone out and dialled Jacob's number. Someone answered the phone but failed to speak.

"Hello…Jacob is that you? It's Edward…" I was about to hang up when I heard some clattering coming from the other end of the line.

"Edward…its Billy Black here," I was about to ask if I could speak to Jacob when Billy continued "We need your father to come down here right away if that's possible… There's been an accident." What on earth was he on about…who was hurt? That was when ultimate fear took over me.

"Billy…where's Bella?" I felt sick as I waited for a response.

"…" Was all that came from the receiver, but that was enough to tell me exactly who had been hurt.

"We'll be there in five minutes." I slammed the phone shut and ran back to my house as fast as I could. Alice was waiting outside, a look of anticipation on her face.

"Edward, what's happened?" She asked urgently. I just ran past her and straight to Carlisle, the rest of the family were on my heels.

"Carlisle, its Bella. There's been an accident… I don't know what has happened but Billy Black was requesting you get there urgently." The words drilled out of my mouth so fast that I could barely understand them myself but Carlisle nodded as he picked up his medical bag and we raced to his car.

She'll be ok Edward, I promise

"But what if she's not, you can't promise things like that." We were racing down the long road to our house now.

Whatever it is I will make sure that she will heal in perfect condition

The rest of the journey was silent and in less than five minutes we were getting out of the car and running up the steps of Billy Black's house. The door was open and the first thing I noticed was the smell of the blood…her blood.

I turned the corner into the living room and saw her, my angel lead on the faded couch with blood streaming through what appeared to be a tea towel. I crouched by her side and watched Carlisle get to work. The blood seemed to be coming from her stomach and when Carlisle took the tea towel away I could see three huge gashes in the shape of claws. My fists clenched and I was suddenly so angry that I threw the wooden chair next to me across the room.

"WHAT HAPPENED???" I yelled at Billy Black who was stood leaning against the wall looking a shade of pale green. He did not answer but his thoughts were enough.

Bella had broken up with Jacob. Jacob had gone out of control. Jacob had done this to my beautiful Bella.