I finally got up the courage to look, and to my relief Edward was nowhere to be found. Jacob was at my side, one hand on my shoulder and a sympathetic smile on his face.
"Bella, I'm sorry about…what happened. Maybe you should just go home and rest. We can try them out another time." I knew what he spoke was true, and I wasn't about to cry in front of him. So I held back the tears as best I could, gave him a small smile, and nodded as I watched him load them back into the bed of the truck.
When I got home it was raining. Big surprise there. I was happy that we had decided to wait, I didn't want to deal with riding in this, no matter how it felt. Charlie wasn't home yet, so I just went up to my room and layed on the bed for a while, trying to collect my thoughts together.
"Alright," I said as I was piecing my thoughts together. "I know that Edward doesn't care anymore. He can't. He said so himself, and that makes the most sense. But if he didn't…why did he come back? Why must he continue to torture me like this? Does he enjoy toying with my heart? Or what's left of it." I fell backwards onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling.
Half of me was expecting Edward to show up out of nowhere again. But the other half was hoping he didn't, and glad when that seemed to be what would happen. Maybe I finally was getting over him. But that was enough of that. Thinking about him only made things worse, and talking was out of the question. So I'm going to act as if he never came back. Or better yet, that he never lived.
"Billy, it's Bella. Is Jacob there?" I asked over the phone, hoping that he would forgive me about what happened yesterday.
"Oh, Bella. He's not in at the moment. But I'll tell him you called." His voice sounded just the slight bit…annoyed?
"Oh, Alright…" The click indicated that he had already hung up. How rude could he be? I hadn't done anything to him. Not that I know of, anyway.
This was beginning to get on my nerves. I was happy that Edward had chosen not to show his face. That beautiful, angel face. No. No thinking about that now. Jacob, or better yet Billy, was acting too strange. Everytime I called he said that Jacob was out, or hanging with friends. Whenever I went over to see for myself, he wasn't there either. And this was beginning to scare me.
"Charlie, I was wondering…" I asked over dinner one day, trying not to sound too anxious or anything. "Have you talked to or see Jacob around lately?"
"Actually, yeah. He was in town yesterday I think hanging out with a group of kids. I think it was Sam's group. Why do you ask?"
"No reason…" So, Sam was behind this? He had gotten Embry, and now he was after my Jake? I don't think so. The hole in my chest had finally reached a barable pain and Sam was going to be the one to rip it back open again.
After dinner I went upstairs, showered, and got dressed and ready for bed. I walked into my room, not really expecting anything new. Of course, you never get what you expect. I glanced up to find Edward perched on the end of my bed. He didn't seem to pay attention to my enterance.
"Edward…What are you doing here?" Before I could say anything else he was standing right in front of me staring right into my eyes.
"Bella, I know that you told me to stay away, but I just can't. You're in danger. You have to listen to me on this."
"Edward, the only one that I'm in danger of is you." Wow, I was surprised by my own courage.
"Bella, listen to me." He put his hands on my shoulders and froze me in place. "Jacob isn't who you think he is." Now he crossed the line.
"Who are you to say who Jacob is? Huh? He's been nothing but a good friend to me since the beginning. Before you left, and afterwards. So don't you dare say who he is."
"Damn it Bella! Listen!" I looked deep within his honey eyes, just a bit darker in color now. "Jacob isn't human. He's changed. Haven't you wondered why he hasn't been around lately? Why he's avoiding you?"
No, this isn't happening. He was wrong. "Were you spying on me? Jacob is just as bit as a human as I am!" Okay. Bad example.
"No, he's not." He tone was every bit serious. "He's not, Bella. Please. I'm just telling you. For your own protection. Stay away from him." He spoke the last words slowly, making sure that I understood. And I did.
"You're just trying to get me to suffer, aren't you?" His look turned to confusion. "I finally move on, find someone who is really there for me. And you can't stand it. You have to make sure that I'm alone and miserable." His grip on my shoulders tighten into a painful hold.
"Isabella Marie Swan. Do you hear yourself? I'm trying to keep you from getting killed!" As much as it hurt, I tried to get free of his grip. Of course, no luck.
"Edward, I know him. You don't. So just leave me…and Jacob…alone…"
"Are you suicidal! He's going to-"
"I love him, Edward!" This made him go silent. Once again I felt his grip loosen, but he didn't move from the spot.
"…Wh…What?"
"I said…I love him." I could swear that if I were to blink, I would have missed the single drop of water I saw accumilate in his eye. Only for a split second. Then I was left alone in the darkness of my room as I heard the engine of the cruiser pull into the driveway.