Raum
A Good Liar
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Chapter 9: "Bonfire"
Bella finally graduated. A week later, sitting beside her in her room, Edward recalled that she hadn't slept much on the night before graduation day; they had shared memories of the time they spent in high school. He recalled how he had wanted to be the first to give her a present.
"Here," he whispered, giving her an envelope.
Bella eyed him in confusion, but she beamed as she unwrapped the gift: an old black and white picture of Edward. He was smiling, gorgeous in his graduation gown.
"Your graduation," she murmured, connecting the boy who was looking at her from a distant time with the one who, with the same captivating gaze, was beside her in that moment.
"When my parents died and I was turned, I was still in my senior year. I didn't graduate as a human, but I did it many times as a vampire. This photo was taken at the first one," he explained. "Tomorrow we'll have your graduation picture to match it."
"We could have graduated together tomorrow, if–"
He understood what Bella was going to say – if she hadn't lied about Edward's death; if he hadn't left her in the first place – and gently shushed her. "No ifs, love. We will graduate together, just not tomorrow." He searched for her gaze, one corner of his mouth twitching upward in his most endearingly teasing grin. "College, I mean. We don't want to be stuck in high school, right?"
Bella distanced herself from him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I have to get ready and go." She sighed, reluctant to leave the beloved harbor of his embrace.
Edward refrained from protesting, but frowned.
"It'll only be for a few hours," she reassured him. "I'll be back so soon you won't have time to miss me. Doesn't time pass faster for vampires than for humans?" she tried to joke.
"It's not about how long you'll be away," he pointed out. "It's where you're going."
She gave him a small smile. "As if I didn't know," she told him softly. She caressed his forehead, smoothing the crease between his eyebrows. He held his breath as her fingers brushed his high cheekbones and went down, tracing his strong jawline. "It's just a dinner. My goodbye to the Quileute and La Push," she reminded him. "Tonight I'll be in your arms again."
Edward didn't speak further. The coming hours would be too long. He had been at Bella's side when she had received the news that Renèe wasn't coming to the graduation. Bella had hidden her disappointment well, but nonetheless she hadn't refused his comfort. When she had come back home after celebrating with her friends, he had shared her enthusiasm, and they'd had their private celebration, too.
They had spent hours making plans for the summer: Bella would visit her mother in Phoenix and then would leave – officially – for a holiday on her own. Actually, she would visit the Cullens. A meeting with them had been finally been arranged, and she and Alice were keeping in touch through phone calls and emails. After some days with Edward's family, it would be time to leave for London. They had savored every moment, daydreaming about the upcoming months. That was, until the day Bella had been invited to La Push.
Charlie had gone with Billy to fish. Unfortunately, she had been called to dinner, too. Edward had understood that refusing the invitation wouldn't be the best choice for her, because it would have seemed too strange to Charlie; Bella considered it a chance to say goodbye to people who had been like family to her.
Regardless, Edward wasn't good at hiding his irritation. "I'll go for a quick hunt," he decided, taking his leave as she went to prepare herself for the evening. "I'll be waiting for you in the woods when you get back."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The dinner at the Blacks' turned out to be even more awkward than Bella had imagined. She hadn't spent much time with Jacob since their argument in the woods, on the day she had visited the Cullen house and found it empty. They had limited themselves to greeting each other when he and Billy had visited Charlie, and she had always found a good excuse to avoid longer meetings.
Both Jake and Billy were acting as if Bella didn't know the truth about the wolves – as if Laurent's attack had never happened. The Quileute blame the Cullens because they lie, pretending to be humans, she considered. But aren't they hiding their own truth behind a façade?
She caught Billy looking at her with a veil of sadness in his eyes; then he looked at Charlie, as if he were pitying his best friend over the loss of his only daughter. Bella stabbed the fried fish with her fork as if it had been the one to anger her. She swallowed a mouthful of food, regretting that she hadn't refused the invitation.
Charlie seemed oblivious to the silent turmoil going on at the dinner table. As if the evening wasn't embarrassing enough, he began to talk about the summers when, as children, Bella and Jake had liked to play on the beach together. Jake erupted in a laugh as Charlie described the 'cake' Bella had prepared with mud and her attempt to make Jake eat it.
"Jake, we had to stop you before you could actually gulp it down," Charlie recalled, chuckling. "You said you didn't want to waste Bella's efforts. Always a gentleman, right?"
"Good thing Bella cooks better now," Billy added.
Bella looked up at him and Jake. There had been a time when she felt welcome in their home. A small smile ghosted on her lips as she recalled those vacations in La Push. But the question she was dreading didn't take long to arrive and upset her again.
"You kids aren't hanging out together as much as you used to," Charlie observed. "Is everything all right?"
"I've just had a lot to study," she rushed to answer. "You know, for graduation and the scholarship."
Scholarship. It was the magic word that had the power to steer Charlie's conversation immediately in another direction.
Her father beamed at her. "Right, the scholarship. Bella's going to London next year," he announced proudly.
Billy's eyes widened. "Congratulation, Bells." When he smiled at her, she thought she had caught him sighing in relief. Bella fought against the urge to roll her eyes. If he ever guessed that Edward was going with her to London...
Jake froze. "London?" he repeated. He shook his head in disbelief. "That's great news," he muttered. Bella raised her eyes and met his. "Later," he mouthed, signaling that the subject wasn't over.
"Are you staying for the bonfire?" Billy asked. "The guys are having some fun tonight. Leah and Seth will be there, too."
Charlie excused himself. "I can't stay late, because I've got an early shift tomorrow. But what about you, Bells? You'd enjoy it, and you came with your truck, so you can stay even if I have to leave. "
"Err...I..." she babbled, looking for an excuse to leave with her father.
"Come on, Bells, you deserve some fun," Jake insisted.
"He's right," Charlie agreed. "You can't spend every night in your room studying."
Bella would have given anything in that moment to be back in her room with Edward. She glared at Jake, but his gaze was warm and kind when he looked back at her, silently pleading for some time together. For a moment she wondered if he knew that there wouldn't be other chances.
"Okay," she relented at last.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
After Charlie left, Jake escorted Bella to the bonfire. But as soon as the young men spotted her coming to the beach, she was met by cold gazes and tight smiles. Embry averted his eyes when she waved at him. He appeared to be on his own, and Bella noticed Sam's absence.
"Isn't Sam coming?" she asked Jake when they were still a few yards away from the group.
"He and Quil are on patrol tonight."
"On patrol?" she echoed, remembering the night that had made her think that every danger was over.
Edward couldn't wait until the morning to share the news, so he had awakened Bella in the middle of the night.
"What happened?" she asked, alarmed when she noticed the odd hour.
"Victoria has been destroyed," he announced. "I wanted to be the one to kill her, but Jasper found her while he was hunting with Emmett and Carlisle, and they couldn't miss the opportunity."
The relief because of Victoria's death mingled with tension as Bella looked at Edward. His expression was hard, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if in that same moment he were living in his mind the battle he hadn't had the chance to fight. When she rested her hand on his cheek, he didn't lean into her touch as he usually did.
"Carlisle was there?" she asked softly. She recalled how Emmett and Jasper had fought against James, but she couldn't imagine Carlisle tearing Victoria apart.
Edward nodded, and the tension on his face lessened. "You're family, Bella. We know Carlisle would never hurt anyone, but he would do anything to protect his children." His voice became warmer and soothing. "You're a daughter to him."
"Laurent and Victoria have been killed," Bella reminded Jake. "Why do Sam and Quil need to be on guard?"
"The area isn't bloodsucker-free yet," Jake muttered under his breath.
Before Bella could reply, Seth jogged toward them and welcomed her with a hug. A toddler was with him. "She's Claire, my little cousin," he explained, introducing the young girl. "She's visiting Emily for the weekend, and tonight Leah and I are babysitting."
Bella crouched in front of the child. At first Claire moved behind Seth's legs, but then she peeped out and smiled back at her.
"Hi, Claire," she crooned. "I'm Bella. Can you say my name?"
"Beh-wah," she tried.
Bella looked around and spotted a small shell in the sand. "Look. What do we have here?"
Claire stepped forward, curious.
Bella handed her the shell. "A little gift for you." She pointed to the shore. "There are many others over there. Why don't you ask Seth to go there in the morning?"
"Here you are, Seth." Leah's stern voice caught all them by surprise as she arrived. "I was looking for you and Claire. You know that she tends to walk away. Don't take your eyes off her."
"I used to do the same," Bella cut in. "Once I got lost in a mall in Phoenix–"
"Seth, are you coming?" Leah interrupted her, moving toward the bonfire. "Jake," she called over her shoulder, "don't be too late."
Bella stood up and waved at Claire as the child and Seth followed Leah. She refrained from commenting on Leah's harsh behavior and kept her thoughts to herself.
"Want to go for a walk?" Jake offered.
She welcomed the opportunity, glad that she didn't have to spend the whole night with the other guys.
"You're good with children," he observed once they distanced themselves from the group.
"Claire is a cute little girl."
"You could be the mom of a child like her, one day," he went on. "A baby Bella."
She shrugged.
"You don't have to renounce it," Jake insisted. "No one should make you give it up."
Bella increased her speed, pacing nervously. "Don't start again."
"I'm not letting go easily," he retorted. "You're still free to choose."
"I've already made my choices, and I'm happy with them."
"Yeah, go figure. What is this news about London? Is the bloodsucker in the mood for some European food? Is he offering you a trip over there to make you forget what you're leaving behind?"
Bella glared at Jake. "First of all, I'm going to London because I've gotten a scholarship – and I've worked hard for this. And then, in case you haven't noticed, Edward saved your life. Isn't that enough to earn him some respect?"
"I wouldn't have been in danger if it hadn't been for another of those leeches," he seethed. "And I'd have given my life if it meant that I could save yours."
Bella was at a loss for words. If Jake hadn't stopped Laurent when the vampire had attacked her, Edward would have been too late. The memory of the beaten wolf confirmed how Jake meant his words. He would have actually died for her. "Edward and I are leaving soon," she said, her tone calmer. "Can't we say goodbye without fighting?"
"Goodbye?" Jake repeated incredulously, his voice sounding shaky. "You've just confirmed what I was dreading. What's next, Bells? How long before that leech bites you?"
She raised a hand, trying to end the conversation, but Jake didn't stop.
"What do you think will happen when Charlie gets the news of your death?" he pushed on. "Do you believe I'll be able to look him in the eye if I don't try everything I can to stop his only daughter from throwing her life away?"
"Enough," she snapped. "I need some time alone," she mumbled, running away.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Bella ran until she felt short of breath. She could understand how, for Edward, running was the best way to let off steam when too many concerns weighed on him at once. She wondered if she would need to do the same, as vampires didn't get tired. After she was changed, how long would she need to run before calming down?
Jake's words echoed in her mind, making her push on her legs again, resuming her run. The thought of Charlie, mourning her with his friends, didn't leave her mind. Would she ever regret her decision to become like Edward? None of the Cullens had gotten the opportunity to have a say in their transformation. Since they hadn't chosen their existence, if she ever came to miss the human life she had renounced and the people she was leaving behind, nobody in her new family would understand. She promised herself she would never raise such a concern with Edward, knowing how much it would hurt him. It was something she couldn't discuss with him, even if it meant she would be alone in her longing.
Bella had followed a narrow trail on a hill, where the coast was high and formed a cliff. She began to walk down, heading toward the bonfire. She inhaled deeply as the sea brought her its salty scent, and she lost herself in her memories. Images of warm summer nights, when she had been with the Quileute kids on the beach listening to their stories, kept her company. Now she was going to say a quick goodbye and leave. Edward. His name echoed like music in her mind; Bella found herself smiling at the thought that in less than an hour she would be back in his embrace.
A small figure on the trail caught her attention. She rushed toward the child, hoping that she didn't move toward the brink and put herself in danger.
"Claire," Bella called softly. "Where are Seth and Leah? Have you come here alone?"
The child looked up at her. Before Bella could gather her in her arms, a rumble made her spin. Bella stood up, her arms stretched in front of herself. She was going to scream, but her voice caught in her throat.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Jake didn't go back to the bonfire after Bella left him. He didn't want to endure the harsh comments of his friends about his attachment to Bella. He could almost hear what Leah would say – he bet that her remarks would be the nastiest. Leah was going to leave as soon as Sam returned, determined not to spend another minute with her ex-boyfriend. Jake resolved to wait in the woods until then.
On his way back to the beach, he noticed that Bella seemed to have had the same idea he did. He spotted her in the distance, walking along the trail on the hill. She seemed lost in her thoughts, and for a moment he wondered what she was thinking. It's better that I don't know, he told himself, disgusted at the idea that the bloodsucker had invaded Bella's thoughts and taken up permanent residence there.
The rumble of a motorcycle startled him.
No headlight was on.
He saw the motorcycle coming down the trail at full speed, its track erratic, as if the driver was drunk or agitated.
He saw that Bella wasn't alone. Claire...what's she doing up here?
"BELLA!" Jake screamed, and ran toward her.
But he was too late.
Thanks for reading!
Cliffie anyone?
The next chapter is due to be posted in two weeks. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this story!
Thank you! to my wonderful friends Camilla10, Miaokuancha, Marlena580, and Jmolly.
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