Chapter 3

Everyone in the studio was dead silent. Edward was on his knees staring ahead of him with a blank, empty look in his dark eyes. Emmett and Jasper were quietly whispering to each other in the far corner of the studio. Alice sat in another corner with her eyes tightly closed while she rubbed her temples with two wary fingers. Carlisle was busy on the phone with the police, reporting the tragedy and the finding of the body.

Edward began to scan the room then stopped when he noticed a note taped to the right of broken mirrors that lined the back of the studio. Sluggishly, he stood and fumbled toward the paper. He grimaced as he gazed at the shattered mirrors that were painted red from blood that smelled so familiar to his nose. He pulled the note of the mirrors and read it. He read it a second time then turned to his family. They were all staring at him, even Carlisle who had just clicked end on his cell phone.

"I have to be somewhere," Edward said firmly. He headed toward the door with the note crushed in his strong fist.

"The note?" Emmett began but stopped when Edward past him and paced out the door. Carlisle sighed unexpectedly.

"James isn't finished. Edward is going to meet him. I know it," Carlisle reported.

"I'm going," Emmett declared. He began for the door till Alice cut him short.

"No, Emmett. This is Edward's fight." Emmett looked down at his little sister's dark eyes then sighed and walked back to Jasper.

Edward paused at the gate to the park. Children and their parents scattered around the place, all of them having the fun of their lives, something Edward was sure he would never experience ever again. He remembered the reason why and quickly broke his gaze from the children and walked towards the trees that lined the back of the park. His fists were clenched at his side and he tried to make himself unnoticeable by putting on a fake smile. He was relieved to find the sky was overly clouded because he didn't have to worry about covering his skin that is known to sparkle in the sun. Little by little, more trees began to surround him as he walked deeper and deeper into the dense forest. He took a deep breath through his nose and his eyes snapped wide open as the smell of a vampire filled the surrounding air.

"James," he growled.

Laughter filled Edward's ears. He turned around and there stood his enemy. There stood the enemy that destroyed his future, his life, and himself. James snickered as he studied Edward's tear-stained face. "So I see you've visited the studio. My time with you-know-who was too boring. I thought killing you as well would make this hunt much more interesting. Don't you think? Killing two in one hunt, not bad," James noticed he was beginning to lose Edward's attention so he quickly asked, "Poor her. Her sweet heart wasn't there to save her when she was being tortured. I was hoping you would make it so I could take you both down at the same time." James smiled evilly, which started Edward's adrenaline. Edward lunged for the vampire and landed on grass. James' foot stamped on Edward's back and his foot pressed down to hold the struggling vampire still.

"You're no match against me, Edward. I thought I was dealing with a pro here. You're as bad as Bella."

The sound of Bella's name in James' mouth got Edward going to an uncontrollable roar. He grabbed James leg by twisting his hand back and pulled with unimaginable power. James grunted as he crashed to the ground next to Edward. At the speed of light, Edward jumped up and his leg went flying toward James who expertly grabbed it and pulled it back. James jumped onto Edward's body and began ripping at his stomach. They both struggled and shoved at each other vigorously till James used his razor-sharp teeth to rip at Edward's arm. Edward let out a loud moan and reached to seize James' stony neck. James mimicked his move and grasped Edward's neck. They both lay there, eyeballing each other, each one only seconds away from possible death. James carelessly spat at Edward's face and began to mumble.

"Have I ever told you how tasty Bella's blood was?" He smiled and breathed out in Edward's face. The scent of Bella's blood occupied Edward's nostrils. His grasp on James' neck weakened for just a second as memories flowed through his scarred mind. That was enough time for James to shove Edward's arm away and have a stronger hold on Edward's neck.

"Weak!" he spat out at him.

Edward moaned as he was lost in his memories. The first time he saw Bella in the lunchroom. How she struggled to make him happy in biology. When he saved her from the rapists. How she finally figured out he was a vampire. When they both sat in the meadow and he overreacted. Their first kiss.

Edward mumbled Bella's name over and over and his distant eyes snapped back into reality when a sharp pain shocked him as his neck was twisted viciously. He yelled and forced the form off of him. A loud crack sounded as the body hit a nearby tree and cracked it in half. Bad language flowed through James' mouth as he stood up and rubbed his back. He sprinted back toward Edward and his deadly teeth targeted Edward's neck. The images that Edward had seen from Alice's mind of Bella's last minutes came to life in his mind once again. Then, something else filled his thoughts.

It was Bella's voice along with an image. She was talking to him and Edward recognized it was a premonition that had followed the last one Edward had seen from Alice's mind. In it, Bella was laying sprawled in front of the broken mirrors in the studio. She was looking up at somebody but her knotted hair was covering the rest of her face. She had her eyes opened only halfway and tears were falling from them. She was gazing up as if she was seeing an image and she said the words that made Edward filled with new hope. She yelled with the last of her energy, "I love you." Her eyes then fell closed and she fell still with a satisfied smile on her face.

Edward looked up just in time to see James rushing at him. Edward's eyes were filled with revenge and he let out a deafening roar as he used the last of his power to charge at the terrified murderer.