A/N: Here's the last chapter, but because so many people requested it, I will be writing an epi. It should be done before the end of the month. I hope you all like this last chapter. I had a blast writing this story and never intended on it going so far, but I'm glad it did. Thanks for all the constant support and wonderful reviews everyone leaves. I wish I could reply to everyone, but I've got a hectic life with 4 little boys home for the summer. I do appreciate all the reviews and read every single one of them. They always put a huge grin on my face. Happy reading :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.
BPOV
I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of where I was. Everything was hazy and my eyes burned from the stream of light coming through the blinds on the window. I tried to sit up a little and quickly realized I shouldn't have. My entire body hurt. I had never felt physical pain like this before. I wiggled my toes and fingers to make sure I still could. One hand felt like it was being held down. I turned my head in the direction to see what it was and I could barely make out the top of Edward's head, laying on the edge of the bed.
"Edward," I groggily, whispered. I shook my hand, trying to wake him. He shot up, looking over me with a shocked expression. "Where am I?"
"You're at the hospital," he answered. "Do you remember what happened?" He scooted his chair closer and squeezed my hand tighter.
I looked up at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened to make me be in a hospital. "I remember taking Midnight out for one last ride before I left. I went to the meadow you showed me, so I could be alone and think. I fell asleep laying in the grass."
"Do you remember how you got hurt?" He asked, making me turn my attention back to him.
I scrutinized him for a second. "Why are you here? Where's my dad?" I asked.
"He went home for the night after he knew you were going to be fine. He took your two friends back with him. They said they would come back in the morning." He raised his arm, looking at his watch. "I imagine they'll be here soon."
"Where's Midnight?" I asked, in a panicked tone.
"Relax Bella, he's fine. He was wrapped around your foot and followed us back," he explained. I narrowed my eyes, taking in his words.
"He followed us out?" I asked.
He ducked his head and cleared his throat. "Do you not remember getting hurt?" He wondered.
I took a deep breath, trying to make the memories come back. "I remember being woken by the rain coming down. I got on Midnight to make my way back, but the rain was so thick I couldn't tell if I was going the right way. Midnight was really agitated and scared. He kept standing up on his hind legs. I held on at first and I was trying to comfort him. I thought if I stayed in the trees and waited the storm out it would be easier on both of us. I remember the thunder and how much it scared Midnight. He bucked me off so fast; I didn't have time to prepare myself. He took off running and I was dragged behind him. I kept yelling for him to stop, but he wouldn't." I paused, trying to make sense of it all. "I remember seeing your face."
"Yeah, I found you in the woods," he added. "You were pretty beaten up. I thought you were dead, Bella."
"You saved me?" I asked. He nodded his head, giving me a slight smile. "Why?"
"Why did I save you?" He repeated, staring at me, like he didn't understand the question.
"Why did you risk your life to come after me?" I asked, pulling my hand away from him. He was supposed to hate me. I was supposed to hate him. Why was he here? "Does my dad know you're here?"
He swallowed hard, looking down at the floor. "Bella…," he began. However my mother burst through the door dramatically, before he could continue. He instantly stood from the chair and stepped away from me. My mother didn't even acknowledge his presence, when she walked to the edge of the bed.
"Oh, my baby," she breathed, throwing herself on top of me. "How are you doing? Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to get you anything?" She looked me over, as she asked question after question.
"I'm fine mom. I'm just sore," I replied.
"Don't worry. We'll get you all fixed up. I'm sure in a couple days the swelling will go down tremendously and we'll get the best make-up artist to come help cover up anything visible, before your party," she assured. I rolled my eyes. Of course all she could think about was the party.
The doctor walked in along with my dad, Rose, and Alice. I was so happy to see them. Being in the same room with only my mom and Edward was awkward. I didn't even know why Edward was here. He saved me and I was thankful he had, but why was he still here?
"So, how are you feeling today?" The doctor asked.
"I'm really sore. I feel like I can't move."
"Well, for right now it would probably be a good idea to rest as much as possible. I'm ordering another cat scan this morning, along with a few other tests, just to make sure we didn't miss anything," he explained. "If everything checks out and you're able to get up and move around a little, I'll release you later this evening. But you need to promise me you'll take it easy for the next few days."
"This is great news," my mom announced. "Thank you, doctor." He nodded his head, as he continued to look over me and write some stuff down on my chart.
"Bella, we were so worried about you," Alice cried. "You dad probably had the whole town out looking for you."
"I'm fine, Alice. I had an accident. It's not a big deal," I assured.
"No big deal," Rose scoffed. "You had us all terrified you were dead. You better not ever do anything so stupid again." I grimaced from laughing at her. It hurt to move at all.
"I'll have the nurse bring in something for the pain," the doctor informed. "I'd also like you to try and eat something light to be sure you can keep it down."
"Okay," I breathed. I was glad he was going to get me something for the pain. He closed up my chart, smiling one last time at me, before leaving my room.
"I'll get you out of this God awful town and into a place more comfortable," my mother announced. "I should have never sent you here in the first place. I should have known you wouldn't be taken care of properly."
"She was taken care of just fine," my dad argued. My mother turned in his direction, raising an eyebrow.
"Then how do you explain her lying in a hospital bed?" My mom retorted. "She quite possibly could have died."
"Mom," I whined. I wanted her to stop, because it wasn't anyone's fault but my own. I didn't want my mom and dad to argue in front of everyone.
"I never thought you would have been so stupid to let her get on some wild beast like you did, Charlie. I want to know who was responsible for letting her ride that creature," my mom continued.
"I am ma'am," Edward admitted, stepping forward. She turned towards him, looking him over from head to toe.
"And who might you be?"
"I'm Edward Cullen. I work for Charlie," he answered. "I was the one who taught Bella to ride the horse."
"Then I'd consider yourself fired," she implied.
"Edward is my employee," my dad cut in. "I'll be the one to say whether he is fired or not."
"Excuse me?" My mom sneered. "If he's the one responsible for our daughter almost dying, he needs to be terminated. I can't believe you are standing here, saying you want to keep him as an employee after what he did."
"He isn't responsible for this, Renee. He may have been the one to teach Bella to ride the horse, but he isn't responsible for what happened."
"Are you implying our daughter is responsible for this?" She insinuated.
"I'm not saying she was responsible. All I'm saying is, you can't come in here and try to control the situation. You don't own the ranch in any way and I will not have you start making decisions when it comes to my home," my dad explained. I closed my eyes, practically in tears from them arguing in front of everyone. I wanted to scream and tell them both to shut up. But I couldn't.
"It was my fault," Edward cut in. "I take full responsibility for what happened. You don't need to argue about whether I'll be fired or not. If it makes you both stop arguing and prevents Bella from having any more stress than she's already suffering, right now, I'll quit." Everyone's eyes shot to his. My mouth hung open at his words. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I was planning to leave anyway and this will make things easier; for everyone."
"Edward," my dad began.
"It's okay, Charlie. I know you'd never fire me, but it's for the best. I need to move on," he argued. I wanted to tell him no. I wanted to yell at him and beg him to stay. He couldn't leave like this. He couldn't quit because of me.
"I'll pack up my stuff and be out of there by the end of the day." My dad nodded his head, sadly. He knew there was no arguing with him. He glanced over in my direction, with a sympathetic expression. "I'm really sorry, Bella." He turned and walked out the door, before I could say anything to him. I felt a tear fall down the side of my cheek, after he was gone. I closed my eyes, trying to hide the sadness I felt.
"I'm calling animal control to have the creature destroyed," my mom added.
My eyes shot open and I sat up on the bed. "What!" I shouted. "You can't, Mom!"
"Bella, don't argue with me. That animal could have killed you. He needs to be taken care of, so he doesn't hurt anyone else."
"He didn't do it on purpose, Mom. He got scared and reacted. It wasn't his fault or Edward's fault. It was mine. Edward tried to warn me numerous times to be careful and not take him out by myself. I thought he was just being controlling, but he was right," I explained.
"I'm not letting you anywhere near that creature."
"Mom," I cried.
"Well, in three days you won't have any say on what she does anymore, Renee," my dad countered.
"I'm her mother," she shouted. "She will do as I say." My dad sighed heavily, shaking his head.
"I won't let you kill Midnight," I insisted. "He belongs to Edward anyway. There's nothing you can do."
"It doesn't matter who the animal belongs to. If it's responsible for hurting someone, all I need to do is make a report and the creature will be taken care of," my mom explained.
"Will you stop calling him a creature?" I shouted. "He's a horse Mom, and I love him." As soon as I said the words, everything came back to me. I remembered waking up and seeing Edward's face. I remembered being tucked in his arms as he made his way out of the trees. I remembered him telling me he loved me. My heart started pounding so fast. Did he really say it? I just let him leave. I didn't get a chance to tell him, I loved him, too. I didn't even get to thank him for saving me. The tears started streaming down my face even harder. I had lost everything. I was losing Midnight. I was losing control of my own life. I was losing Edward.
"I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave," a nurse demanded. She stepped further into the room, checking on me. "The shouting coming from this room is disrupting the patients and it's putting Bella in undue stress. If you all don't leave right now, I'm going to have to call security." I wiped my tears, sighing in relief. At least I wouldn't have to be in the middle of this anymore. My friends slowly walked out the door. They both looked back for only a second, mouthing the words sorry. I was completely embarrassed by my parent's behavior.
My dad walked over, giving me a simple kiss on the head and said how sorry he was. I wrapped my arms around his neck, begging him to not let anything happen to Midnight.
"I'll take care of it, Bella. He'll be safe. I promise," he agreed. I sighed in relief. I hoped he was telling me the truth.
My mom took a seat in the chair next to me. Both my dad and I stared at her with a confused expression.
"Like I said, I need all of you to leave," the nurse repeated.
"I'm her mother," she argued. "She is still a minor and I am her legal and soul guardian. I'm not going anywhere."
"Mom," I pleaded with my eyes for her to not embarrass me anymore than she already has.
"Ma'am, I will get security if I have to. She needs her rest. If you insist on staying, there is a waiting room you are more than welcome to wait in," the nurse argued.
She stood to her feet, grabbing her coat and purse off the back of the chair. "I'll have to talk to your supervisor about this. And I will be putting in a request to move my daughter to a more suitable hospital in Seattle. I don't want her staying another minute in this hell hole." She stormed out of my room in a huff. I laid my head back on my pillow, staring up at the ceiling. I was so embarrassed.
"I'm adding a pain medication to your IV," the nurse informed. "It will probably make you a little tired, so you should try to rest for a couple hours." I nodded my head in agreement. "I'll be back in a little while to take you down to your cat scan. Then we'll try to get some food in you."
As soon as she left the room, I carefully reached over and grabbed the phone off the stand. I dialed Edward's number, but it went straight to voicemail. I thought about leaving him a message, but I didn't want to say all I wanted to say over the phone. I needed to do it face to face. Did he really say he loved me, or did I imagine it? Did he know I felt the same way? Why was he leaving if he loved me? I had so many questions about what was going on. But I couldn't get answers to any of them, until I could talk to Edward.
The pain medication was quick. I fell asleep shortly after she added it to my IV. I didn't wake up again, until the nurse came in and told me it was time for my cat scan. She wheeled the bed, down the hall and into a small room. There were other doctors and nurses all around for assistance to transfer me to the table. I was told to hold very still and not move. It really wasn't hard. I hurt too much to move around.
Once I was done, I was wheeled back to my room. The nurse took some blood samples and asked me some simple questions. I think I got all the questions right.
After she left the room, Jake walked in with his parent's Sarah and Billy. I smiled when I saw them and tried to sit up a little on the bed. Jake sat an extravagant bouquet of flowers on the table for me.
"Thanks Jake. They're beautiful."
"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked.
"Like I got dragged through the woods and stepped on," I joked. They didn't laugh.
"You gave us all quite the scare," Billy said. "Your dad and Edward were both a mess. I've never seen either of them in such a state of terror."
"I feel so bad, Bella. I should have known better than to let you take Midnight out on your own," Jake declared.
"It wasn't your fault. It was mine. Edward warned me and I didn't listen. You aren't responsible, Jake."
"Edward is really beating himself up over this. Apparently he even quit," Jake informed.
"I know. He quit earlier when my mom and dad were both here."
"So, it's true then?" He asked. "I thought maybe it was just a rumor."
"I don't know if he was serious or not. I tried to call him earlier, but it went straight to voicemail." I glanced up at Sarah and Billy, wondering if I should really be saying this in front of them, but I didn't care anymore. "If you see him, can you please tell him, I need to talk to him?"
"Sure, Bella," he agreed. The nurse walked in and set a tray of food on the table in front of me.
"We should probably go, so you can eat," Sarah announced. She gave me a hug goodbye and walked towards the door with Billy. I grabbed Jake's arm, making him stay behind a minute.
"Were you there when Edward brought me out of the woods?" I asked.
"Yeah, I was right there," he replied.
"Did he say anything?" I asked.
"I couldn't hear much of what anyone said," he answered. I ducked my head. I wanted to know if he said he loved me. I wanted to know it wasn't just in my mind. "But if you're wondering if Edward loves you. My guess is yes. He's never been like he was yesterday. He took off into the woods before anyone had a chance to even process what was going on. And when he brought you up to the house, he never once left your side. He even attacked me after you were on your way to the hospital. He blamed me for what happened. He has every right to."
"It wasn't your fault."
He smiled, shaking his head. "I should go. If I see Edward, I'll make sure to let him know you want to talk to him."
He left the room, leaving me all alone, once again. I sat up as much as I could and pulled the lid off the tray. Of course they gave me chicken noodle soup. I put the lid back on and grabbed the corn muffin instead. I nibbled on the muffin, forcing myself to eat something. My stomach was already queasy, and adding food was not helping much.
After a while a new nurse came in and looked at my tray of uneaten food. She looked at me with a disappointed look. "The doctor said if you ate and the test results came back fine, you could go home tonight," she explained. "You barely touched your food."
"I'm a vegetarian. I couldn't eat the soup. I ate most of the muffin, though." She laughed, nodding her head.
"I'll go see what I can find for you in the kitchen." She took the tray and left the room. I rolled my eyes at being forced to eat something more. I knew she'd come back with another tray full of food, I wouldn't want to eat.
I turned over on my side, and closed my eyes. I hoped I'd fall asleep again, so I wouldn't have to eat anything more.
I wasn't quite sure how long I'd been asleep. But when I woke up, I felt like someone was in the room. I turned my head to look behind me. Edward was sitting in the chair next to me with his head in his hands. He looked upset about something. I rolled my body around to face him. He heard me stir and raised his head to look at me.
"Hi," I whispered, timidly. He smiled, nervously.
"Jake came by and said you wanted to talk to me. Are you feeling better?" He asked.
"Yeah, I might be able to go home later today," I said. He nodded his head. We diverted our eyes from each other to some other spot in the room a few times, before I spoke again. "Are you really planning to quit?"
"It'll make things easier for everyone. I don't want to be around when Charlie is teaching people how to be a part of the rodeo. I don't like seeing the animals in distress. I can't do it. This way Charlie doesn't have to give me a wage on top of paying the money back he owes me. I told him he didn't even need to pay me back, but he's insisting."
"What are you planning to do with Midnight?" I asked. His eyes shot to mine in confusion. He almost looked sad. I got a knot in my stomach. What if my mom went through with her threat earlier of having him killed? "He's not… My mom… Please tell me he's okay?" I shouted. The tears started welling in my eyes and I began shaking.
"Bella, he's fine," he assured, reaching out his hand for mine to comfort me. "Your dad called in the vet to look him over, because he's been limping, but other than a sprained ankle, he's fine." He reached up, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning into his hand. His hand lingered on my cheek. I could feel him moving closer to me.
"So, what are you planning to do with him?" I asked again, opening my eyes. He sat back, removing his hand from my cheek and my hand.
"I don't know. I guess it all depends on a lot of things."
"Like what?" I wondered. "Would you be willing to sell him to me?"
"I don't want your money," he refused.
"Why? I can pay for him right now and take him back to California with me. I'll find a place to keep him. Then you could have your money back and you could even buy your land you want," I suggested.
"The money doesn't mean anything to me. I only…."
"But what about the land you want to buy?" I asked, interrupting him. "Then you wouldn't have to leave."
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Bella, will you just listen to me?" He urged.
"Sorry."
"I just wanted to come by and give you your birthday present. I got it for you a while ago, but since I won't be at your party, I wanted to give it to you now." He held out a small unwrapped box for me. I took it from his hands and carefully lifted the lid. Inside, was a simple, chain bracelet, with a heart shaped, crystal charm. It was beautiful. "I know you probably won't like it. It's not a diamond like you're used to getting. I don't even know why I bought it. I just saw it one day and I thought of you. If you don't ever want to wear it, you don't have to."
"It's perfect, Edward. I love it," I assured. He smiled, bashfully
"Will you help me put it on?" I asked. He took the box from me and pulled out the chain. I held out my arm and he clasped it around my wrist. His fingers brushed across my arm, sending chills all through me.
He swallowed hard, furrowing his eyebrows to prepare for whatever it was he wanted to say. He took my hand in his. "I…," he began. My mom came through the door, before he could finish.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She shouted. Edward jumped to his feet, in a panic. "Get out of my daughters room. What are you trying to do, finish the job of killing her?"
"Mom, stop!" I yelled. "He isn't doing anything wrong."
My dad came rushing in the room to see what was going on.
"I need you to call security, Charlie," She yelled. "I don't want him anywhere near my daughter ever again. If I have to, I'll get a restraining order against him."
"Oh give me a break, Renee. He isn't going to hurt her," my dad argued.
"Why are you defending him? He's the one responsible for our daughter being here?" She questioned.
"He's also the one responsible for saving her life," he countered. My mom turned in his direction, staring at him curiously.
"Why are you here?" She asked.
"I only wanted to talk to Bella," he replied. "I wasn't here to cause any problems for anyone. I'll leave now."
"Edward, please," I begged. He turned in my direction, shaking his head. He stepped out of the door. My dad followed him out, while my mom stayed.
She sighed and walked over to sit next to me. "I'm so sorry about not being here to monitor your visitors. If I had known he was here, I would have made sure he was removed. I don't want him bothering you anymore."
"He wasn't bothering me. I asked him to come," I revealed.
"Why would you want him to come here?" She asked.
"Mom, did you not hear dad? He saved my life. He risked his own life to search through the storm and find me. Do you not care? If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be alive."
"Yes, well as far as I'm aware, you wouldn't be here in the first place if it wasn't for him. So, I guess in a way he redeemed himself, but I still don't want him around. He's nothing more than common street trash. Your father was always doing stuff like this when we were together. He'd bring some lonely runaway kid home and put them to work to try and straighten them out. More times than not, they robbed us blind. I couldn't handle the stress and fear of something happening to either of us, so I left."
"Edward isn't like that. He's really nice and he genuinely cares about dad and the ranch. He'd do anything to help any of us out," I argued.
"Well, either way, I don't want him around you," she insisted.
I huffed, knowing there was nothing I could do about it right now.
"The doctor said you were free to go. He just needs to sign some papers and give you some instruction. Then we'll get on the road to head back to Seattle," she announced.
"I don't want to go to Seattle." Just as I said it, my dad walked back in with the doctor.
The doctor did one last examination and went over my test results I had earlier, before signing my release papers. He instructed me to take it easy and not do anything strenuous for a few weeks. I agreed. I knew I wasn't going to want to do anything for a long time. My mom was sure to ask the doctor about my party. She wanted to know if I would still be able to go. The doctor said I could as long as I was careful. Personally, I didn't want to go to the party. I felt like my mom wanted this party more for herself than for me.
I went into the bathroom to change my clothes and came out to my parent's arguing once again. This time it was about whether I should stay with my dad for a couple more days or whether I should go to Seattle with my mom now. It would have been nice if either of them considered asking me what I wanted.
"I want to go back with dad," I interrupted. My mom put her hands on her hip and raised an eyebrow at my sudden outburst. "I don't want to drive for three hours into Seattle. I'm exhausted and sore. All I want to do is sleep."
"Well, you can sleep in the car on the way to Seattle," my mom suggested.
"Mom!" I exclaimed. "I am telling you I want to stay with dad. I just want to sleep."
"What about your party honey?" She asked. I rolled my eyes. "You need to get ready for it. We need to do some shopping and find you a party dress to wear. We have a lot of preparations to make."
"These are all things I can't do anyway. Didn't you listen to the doctor? I'm not supposed to do anything strenuous. I'm pretty sure shopping would be too much. You can handle things on your own, I'm sure. I'll have dad drive me in to Seattle on Saturday," I announced, firmly.
"I don't like the thought of you being back on the ranch. What if something else happens to you?"
"What's going to happen? I'm only going to sleep." She sighed, looking over to my dad.
He put his hands up defensively. "I didn't put her up to this if that's what you're thinking."
"Can I stay dad?" I asked.
"Of course you can. You are always welcome," he agreed. I smiled, grabbing my water off the table. I gave my mom a quick hug, before following my dad out to his truck. He helped me up into the seat and got me buckled in. I looked back at my mom, standing on the sidewalk in front of the hospital. She looked angry. But right now, I didn't care.
My dad drove back to the ranch. He told me my friends had left for Seattle after they visited me this morning.
"What about Edward? Did he leave?" I asked. I tried to sound as uninterested as I possibly could, but I knew I was failing miserably.
"He packed up all his stuff and he seemed ready to go when I talked to him at the hospital," he explained. "He wanted me to tell you how sorry he was. He said he'd be in touch."
"Do you know where he was headed?"
"I don't know. He took both the horses with him, so I don't imagine he'll go far."
"He took what horses?" I asked, in a panicked tone.
"He took Chester and Midnight. They are his horses, Bella," my dad answered.
"But I thought he said he'd keep Midnight here? He said I'd be able to see him."
"He's doing what he can to keep Midnight safe. I wouldn't put it past your mother to follow through with her threat of calling animal control. It was the best option, at least for right now. He said he'd be in touch and when I talk to him, I'll have him call you. I know how much Midnight means to you and so does Edward. He'll take good care of him for you."
I didn't say anything else on the drive home. It was hard enough to hold in the tears, I wanted to cry. Both Edward and Midnight were gone. I had nothing left.
As soon as we got home, I went to my room and cried myself to sleep. My dad tried to encourage me to eat, but I didn't want to.
In the early morning hours, I woke up and couldn't sleep anymore. I walked downstairs and went into the kitchen to find something to eat. I found a plain bagel and nibbled on it. I knew I needed to eat, I just didn't want to. My stomach hurt too much to eat.
Instead, I walked out to the barn. I wanted to know for sure they were gone. I walked down to Midnight's stall and like my dad said, he was gone. It was as if he was never here. I walked up to Edward's room and pushed the door open. All of his stuff was gone. The only thing remaining was his bed, and a few other furniture items.
I crawled up on the bed. I curled up in a ball and cried once again. I had never cried so much in my life. I missed him. I wanted him to be here.
When a stream of light hit my face through the window, I finally climbed out of the bed and walked back to the house.
"Where've you been, Bella," my dad asked, seeing me come through the front door.
I sat down in the chair across from him. "I was out in the barn. I wanted to see for my own eyes, they were gone."
"Did you and Edward have a chance to talk, before you mother interrupted you?" He asked.
"Not really. Neither of us said much."
"Bella, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me. On the way to the hospital, you woke up for a few seconds and you mumbled something and I want to know if you meant it." I stared at him with a confused expression. I didn't remember saying anything. "Bella, do love Edward?"
My mouth hung open at his question. Did my dad really hear me say I loved him? "Yeah Dad, I do," I admitted. "But it doesn't matter. He's gone and I have to go back to California with my mom. Mom would be furious if she knew anyway. I'd be the scandal of the week, back home, if everyone found out I fell in love with a ranch hand, who works for my dad and lives in a barn. I have to go back to my old life."
"You don't have to do anything, Bella. You're almost eighteen and can start making decision for yourself. You need to decide what you want. It's time to make some hard choices to plan your own life. There isn't any path you have to go down. There isn't anyone you need to please, but yourself."
"But I've been raised to do what I'm expected to do, to act a certain way, and be a specific type of person. If I'm not who I'm expected to be, then I'm not good enough," I countered.
"Are you happy, being what everyone else wants you to be? Do you like living in a world where everything you do is judged?" He asked.
"No," I answered.
"Then why do it?" He asked. I stared at the table with a blank expression. "You need to stop worrying about what people will think and be who you want to be," he suggested. He was right. This is my life and I need to be who I want to be, not what everyone expects me to be. "I've got to go into town to take care of a few things, but I'll be back later. Jake will be here, if you need anything." I nodded my head, before getting up from the table and going back upstairs.
I grabbed my cell phone and tried calling Edward's number. The message said it had been disconnected. I called Alice instead.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Better, I guess. I'm still really sore."
"Well, your mom put us to work, searching for a party outfit for you. She's going crazy with all the last minute planning. Apparently she invited a bunch of producers and film executives. I think even a couple well known directors. It's supposed to be a very sophisticated party, instead of a fun and exciting party."
"Why is she inviting people I don't know and have no interest in seeing?" I asked.
"She said you once mentioned how you'd like to be an actress, so I guess she's trying to get your name out there and see if any of these people would be willing to put you in one of their movies," she explained.
"I don't want to be an actress," I shouted. "I may have mentioned it out of nothing else to say, but it's not who I want to be."
"Then I suggest you talk to your mom, because she has it in her mind, it's what you want." I sighed out of frustration.
"I'll figure something out. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I hung up the phone and plopped back on my bed. I stared up at the ceiling for a long time, trying not to think anymore. I just wanted all the anger and pain and frustration to go away.
In the late afternoon, after lying on my bed, for most of the day, I got a wonderful idea. It wouldn't solve all my problems, but I wanted to do it.
I walked out to the barn, hoping to find Jake. I spotted him at his car, just about to drive away. I yelled his name and waved my arms to get him to wait. He stopped and got out of his car.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, running towards me.
"I'm fine. I just need a favor. Could you drive me into town? I need to do a little shopping."
He looked at me skeptically. "Aren't you supposed to be taking it easy?" He asked.
"I only need to go to one store and I already know what I need, so it won't be very hard. "Please," I begged.
"Get in," he smiled. I walked around to the other side of his car and got in. He drove me into town and to the western wear shop I had gone to buy my riding wear. I remembered they had show wear as well and I wanted to wear something to my party.
We walked in and the first thing I saw was a bright pink blouse with a sequined design across the front and down the shoulders. I grabbed it off the hook and found a pair of black wrangler pants with the same sequined pattern across the pockets and along the bottom. It was perfect. I walked to the dressing room and tried it on. The outfit would work perfectly with my pink boots. On the way out, I grabbed a belt and a black hat to finish the outfit off.
I went to the counter and paid for the items. Jake watched me curiously.
"What are you buying these for?" Jake asked, motioning towards the bag I carried out to his car.
"I need a party outfit don't I?" I asked, with a smirk. He still seemed mystified by my purchase, but he didn't ask any other questions. He drove me back to the house and I took them upstairs, so my dad wouldn't see it.
After I ate a little food with my dad, I spent the rest of the night, packing up my stuff. I asked my dad if he'd heard from Edward yet, but he said he hadn't. He promised if he did, he'd tell him to call me. I wasn't sure even if my dad told him to call me, he would. I wished there was a way I could find him.
Early the next day, my dad carried all my bags out to the truck and helped me in. He still treated me like I was going to break. I was actually feeling a lot better, physically. Mentally, I was still dying inside. But there wasn't much I could do about it at the moment.
We headed out on the road towards Seattle. I was nervous and scared to go. I didn't want to go. My dad could tell I was tense and attempted many times to calm my nerves. Unfortunately, nothing worked.
He said I needed to figure out who I wanted to be and where I belonged. I needed to stop being what everyone expected me to be and just be myself. Tonight, I was planning to do just that. I wasn't going to do anything drastic, but I knew it would get the point across.
As soon as we arrived in Seattle, my mom met us at the hotel and showed me to my room. She said there were three dresses, for me to choose from. I didn't tell her I had no intention of wearing any of them.
"Now, I need to get going," she said. "I have some last minute details to take care of and I need to be sure I'm there in plenty of time to greet everyone. There will be a limo here promptly at seven pm to drive you to the country club. The team will be arriving shortly to get you ready."
"The team?" I asked.
"Yes, I hired a make-up artist, a manicurist, and a hair stylist to come in and get you ready. Just tell them what you want and they'll make it happen," she explained.
I sat down on the bed, and stared around the room. I noticed the three dresses hanging on the hooks in the bedroom. They were all beautiful and I would love to wear every single one of them. But tonight, was about making a point. I had to wear what I planned to wear.
The team showed up shortly after my mom left and quickly got to work. I heard them scoff at my appearance a few times. They thought I couldn't hear, but I did. I knew I was in dire need of a make-over, but it didn't really bother me the way I was.
One of the girls did ask about all the bruises I had all over my body. I explained to her what happened to me and she seemed sincerely sympathetic. The other two, looked at me like I was crazy. I didn't care though.
I asked the hair stylist to fix my hair in large ringlets, hanging down my back. She tried to insist I should wear it up for such an important night, but since I was wearing a hat, I couldn't wear it up. So she did as I asked.
After they left, I spent the rest of the time sitting in a chair, thinking over what I wanted. I wanted to be with Edward. If he would have waited just a little longer, I would have gone with him. If he would have just said he loved me, like I was sure he did, I would have done anything he asked me to do.
I waited until the last minute to put my outfit on, in fear someone would come up and see me and try to talk me out of it. There was nothing wrong with the outfit I chose. But for a birthday party and the nature of it, there was no way I could walk into the party, dressed the way I planned to, without turning a few heads. I'm sure my mom would be furious. But I didn't care. There was a big difference between my mom and dad. I knew both of them loved me, and only wanted the best for me. But my dad accepted me for who I was, no matter who I choose to be. My mom on the other hand, expected me to be a certain way, because of who we were and where we lived. If I didn't live up to what she wanted, she'd be upset. My intention tonight wasn't to upset my mom or cause any drama in her life. It was just to make a point. I needed to be free, to be who I wanted to be.
Right on the dot at seven, the limo pulled up in front of the hotel. The driver came around and opened the door for me. I slid into the seat and took a deep breath. There was no going back now.
He pulled up in front of the country club. It was breathtaking at first glance. There were floor to ceiling windows, and a large terrace. My mom did choose a good spot to throw this party. I took yet another deep breath, before I walked up to the doors.
Thankfully my dad met me at the front entrance. He did a double glance as I walked up the steps to meet him.
"What are you wearing?" He asked, trying to hold back the chuckle.
"Is it too much?" I asked.
"No," he assured. "It's just not what I expected to see you in. Everyone in there is dressed in very formal attire. I even feel out of place being in there."
"Well, we'll feel out of place together, Dad," I said.
"I do have to say, I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful than you do tonight," he complimented.
I gave him a hug. "Thank you," I whispered. I pulled away and took his arm. "Now let's get this over with." He chuckled, patting my hand with his and leading me through the doors.
The second I walked in, everyone's head turned. I held my head high and walked in to the room. My mom came rushing over to me from across the room.
She pulled me away from dad and over to the side where no one could see us. "Bella, what are you doing?" She asked, in a panicked tone.
"I'm coming to my party, Mom."
"Why aren't you wearing one of the dresses I left out for you? And what exactly are you wearing? She grabbed my arm inspecting me with a disgusted look. This is hideous. What exactly are you trying to pull? And why are you wearing a crystal when you could be wearing diamonds?" She asked, noticing the bracelet Edward had given me. "We don't wear crystal, Bella. We wear diamonds. We have an image to maintain."
"I didn't want to wear a dress. I have bruises and cuts all over my body. I didn't want to have to explain to everyone what happened. So I'm wearing what I feel comfortable in. And it's not hideous. It's what I like. As for the crystal, it's important and I would never replace it with a diamond. This is just who I am, Mom."
"No, this is not who you are. You have just been away for too long and your mind is all mixed up. Once we get you home, you'll figure things out and realize what a huge mistake you're making. Now, why don't you go in the back room and I'll have someone rush to the hotel and pick up your dresses."
"What is wrong with the way I dressed, mom? I'm not hurting anyone. I'm not offending anyone. I'm just being me. Why can't you accept me for who I am? You have told me what to do and what to be for my entire life and never given me a chance to make any decisions for myself. I don't want to live in Hollywood anymore. I don't want to be who you want me to be anymore. I just want to be who I am."
"Then, who are you?" She asked, mocking my statement.
"I don't know who I am, mom. I've been told who I need to be, my entire life and I haven't figured out who I am, yet. All I know is, once I got over being the bitch I was when I first came here, I was happy. People liked me and respected me for me, not because they had to. For once in my life, I felt free to be who I wanted to be. And right now, I need to figure out where I want to go in life and back to Hollywood, is not, where I want to go."
"You are not the daughter I raised. You would never act like this at such an important event. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is to me and your step father?" She asked.
"Well, I'm not embarrassed. And neither is my dad." I looked over at my dad, giving him a smile. He smiled back. I walked away from my mom and over to my dad, who was visiting with Billy and Sarah. I noticed Jake had found some girl to start chatting up. I didn't know who she was. She was probably a daughter of one of the producers or something. Most the people here were people I didn't know. This wasn't a birthday party for me. This was a party for my mom to show off.
Alice and Rose came rushing over to me as soon as they saw me free from my mom. They both stared at me cautiously.
"I'm not sure what to say to you," Alice said. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. I just wanted to be comfortable and I didn't want my bruises and cuts to show. I'm supposed to be resting right now, not trying to entertain people," I explained.
"Is this some sort of rebellion?" Rose asked.
I rolled my eyes. "I don't see it as a rebellion. I'm just being me." They both stared at me with unconvinced expressions.
Later on when my mom got over what I wore to the party, she started bringing me around the room and introducing me to directors and executives and producers. I was so tired of feeling like a product to be passed around and decide whether I was good enough.
My mom introduced me to a guy named Emmett, who happened to be a young film producer. I got the impression, the way she introduced me to him, it wasn't to get me into a movie. It was to find me a boyfriend. He wasn't bad looking. He was tall and muscular. He had a nice smile and nice eyes. But he wasn't who I wanted.
"Interesting outfit you choose to wear tonight," he observed. I looked him over, noticing his perfectly pressed tux.
"Well, this is my party. So, maybe I should say you're a little over dressed," I accused, rudely.
"Then I guess I should apologize for reading the invitation wrong," he said.
"You didn't read it wrong. It's just not what I wanted for my party. I didn't have a lot of say in what happened tonight," I informed.
"I see."
Rosalie and Alice came prancing across the room and joined us. I noticed Emmett take a long look at Rosalie.
"Emmett these are my good friends Rosalie and Alice," I introduced. He smiled at them, making sure to give Rosalie a nod of his head, while he checked her out. She gave him a flirty smile in return. "Alice, will you go to the bathroom with me?"
""Sure," she agreed. I think she could see what was happening, just as much as I could.
"You two stay here and get to know each other," I suggested. I walked away with Alice and headed for the bathroom. We went in and I sat down in the small sitting room.
"So, what's going on with you?" Alice asked, sitting down next to me.
"I'm just trying to be me."
"So, this new look, is the new you?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to come in something comfortable and something I felt like I could be myself in. My mom is driving me crazy and I don't want to be here anymore. I thought coming here to spend time with my dad was going to be the worst thing ever. But it turned out to be exactly what I needed. So much has happened and I feel like I found what I'm good at. I found where I belong. Yet, my mom is trying everything in her power to make sure I stay the way she wants me to."
"So, this was some sort of rebellion?" She asked.
"Maybe, I don't know. I just didn't want to do what my mom says anymore."
"Well, just so you know, I think you look adorable. This look really fits you," she offered. I smiled, giving her a big hug.
"Thanks, Alice. I needed that."
We walked back out into the party area. We stopped at the entrance, looking around at everyone. My dad was standing in a corner on the phone. Billy and Sarah were standing near him in their own conversation. Jake was still chatting with the same girl as earlier. I noticed a couple of his friends near the food table, looking very nervous. I laughed at them. I figured I should go say hi, to loosen them up. They had no reason to be hiding in the corner all alone. Jake seemed to be doing just fine, so could they. Alice nudged my arm and motioned toward Rosalie and Emmett. He had her giggling and falling all over him. Alice and I both gave each other a knowing look and giggled at them.
"Bella," my mom called. "Come over here, I'd like to introduce you to someone."
I rolled my eyes and grumbled. "Please come with me," I begged.
Alice took my arm. "Lead the way." I smiled and led us over to where my mom was standing.
"I see things didn't work out with Emmett," my mom whispered as I took my spot next to her.
"No Mom, they didn't," I whispered back.
"This is J.J. Whitlock. He's the president of Dawning studios," my mom introduced. I extended my hand to shake his.
"It's very nice to meet you, Bella. I guess I should be saying happy birthday as well," he offered.
"Thank you, Mr. Whitlock."
"Oh, please call me J.J. No one ever calls me Mr. Whitlock. It's too formal for me." I smiled at him. "And let me introduce you to my son, Jasper." He motioned to the man standing next to him. He gave both Alice and I a bashful grin. He looked sweet. Alice was smitten immediately.
"So, I hear you're interested in becoming an actress," J.J. began. "Have you had any formal training?"
"No," I answered. "I really don't have any interest in being an actress. I'm actually leaning towards going to college. I think it would be good for me."
"What would you be studying?" Jasper asked.
"I'm not sure. I was thinking something to do with animals. I haven't really decided yet."
"Bella, you barely made it through high school," my mom informed. "How do you plan to get through college?"
"It wasn't because I didn't know what I was doing. I just didn't want to do it. But college, I'll be choosing for myself. I can do it if I focus and have a goal set," I informed. She sighed under her breath. I knew she was trying to hide it from me, but I heard it.
"Jasper just finished college at Yale with a history degree," J.J. announced, proudly. Jasper looked down at his feet, coyly.
"Wow, a history degree," Alice repeated. "I've always been fascinated with history, especially the civil war era. It's such a monumental time in our country." I stared at Alice with questioning eyes. I'd never known any of this about her. I noticed Jasper grin at her.
"It's my favorite era too," he admitted. "I learned so much in college I never knew was even possible. I'd like to be a historian, focusing on the civil war. Dad wanted me to do something in show business, but I had no interest in doing what he does."
"I gave in eventually and let you be who you wanted to be," J.J. defended.
I took the opportunity to glance at my mom. I hoped she took to heart what he said.
"I'd love to hear more about what you learned in college. I'm always interested in hearing more about the civil war," Alice announced. He smiled at her, nodding his head. They walked off, and found a table to sit down at.
"Are you planning to let all your friends steal the guys I'm trying to set you up with?" My mom asked, covertly.
"Maybe, I'm not interested in being set up, Mom."
"Excuse us for a minute," my mom said. She pulled me aside.
"What has gotten into you? I've had about enough of this little attitude," she warned.
"I'm not having an attitude. I just don't want you meddling in my life anymore. Just leave me alone. If I'm interested in finding a guy, I know how to go about it. I don't need my mother setting me up with anyone. Especially, when the two guys you attempted already, are not my type at all."
"Then what is your type?" She asked. I was about to answer, but a gasp came over the entire room suddenly. I looked around trying to find out what happened, when I saw it. The room became eerily quiet and a path opened up in the middle of the room. All I could do was gawk, with an open mouth.
Edward walked through the doors, leading Midnight behind him. He spotted me and walked straight through everyone, towards me.
"You are not allowed to be here," my mom shouted. "Take this smelly beast out of here, now." Edward ignored her completely. He stopped directly in front of me, never braking eye contact.
"I couldn't do it," he began. "Midnight belongs with you. He misses you. He loves you. He'll never be happy without you. So, I'm giving him to you as a birthday present." He paused, while he handed me the reins. "Happy Birthday, Bella." I swallowed hard, fighting back the sobs forming in my throat.
He stood in front of me for only a second more, before turning and heading back for the door. I looked over at Midnight, who nuzzled my head. My dad walked over and took the reins from my hand, and gave me a questioning look. It wasn't a look of what just happened, like everyone else had, it was a look of why aren't you going after him.
"Charlie, get that thing out of here," My mom shouted. "If I find out you were part of this in any way, I will take everything you own."
"Edward," I called. He stopped, just at the entrance and turned around. Our eyes met and I knew everything he just said, wasn't about Midnight, it was about him. I took the hat off and dropped it to the ground, before walking as fast as I could across the floor. He ran towards me, meeting me half way. He took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately. His lips moved with mine, so perfectly. I missed his lips. I missed his taste and his smell. I didn't want the kiss to break. I never wanted to be apart from him again. His fingers tangled into my hair, holding me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my body against his. I knew everyone in the room was watching us and my mom was quite possibly still shouting things, but being in Edward's arms and kissing him again, made everything disappear. All that mattered was the two of us.
He broke the kiss, wiping the tears I didn't realize I was crying, off my cheeks, with his thumbs. He looked deep in my eyes. "I love you, Bella," he whispered, seriously.
"I love you, too." He let out a relieved sigh, bringing me into a tight embrace. "Now will you please, get me the hell out of here?" I pleaded. He chuckled.
"Absolutely," he agreed. "Go get Midnight and we'll leave." I nodded my head, smiling up at him. I turned around and walked back to Midnight.
"Bella, what are you doing?" My mom asked, in a hushed tone. "You are making a huge scene."
"I'm sorry mom. I don't belong here. I belong with Edward," I informed.
"The stable boy?" She asked, with a disgusted look on her face.
"With the stable boy," I agreed. I took the reins from my dad and gave him a quick hug. He had the cheesiest grin on his face. I was sure he had something to do with this.
"Bella, wait," my mom shouted, rushing toward me.
"Renee," my dad interrupted, "Let her go. She's an adult and she's made her choice. It's time to let go."
I walked towards Edward and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. We walked out the doors together, with Midnight following close behind. I never looked back. I didn't know what lied ahead for us. All I knew, was I belonged with Edward and Midnight.