Chapter 8
BPOV
Charlie was smiling. Great, just what I needed, a happy father who had no clue that his daughter was planning to leave.
"Hey Bella, how was your day?" Charlie asked cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. I took a deep breath and began my act.
"I hated it!" I screamed. "I hate it here! I'm going home!" I ran upstairs and into my bedroom. I grabbed the first bag I saw and began just throwing random clothes in it.
"Bella, what's wrong? Come on, whatever it is, it's going to be okay!" Charlie's voice came from outside my door, and it upset me to hear how genuinely worried he was.
I walked out of my bedroom and to a cabinet to get my brush, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. It's always good to be prepared. "Dad, I just can't stay here! I can't be stuck here my entire life!" I ran back into my bedroom and slammed the door to add a dramatic effect. I searched for a bottle of water.
"Bella, you can't go now! It's getting dark soon! Just stay tonight and we can get you a plane in the morning." Charlie said desperately. I quickly found the water bottle and dabbed water underneath my eyes to make it seem like I was crying. I grabbed my bag and ran down to the kitchen.
"Dad, I'm driving, and I'm leaving tonight! I'll go to a hotel if I get tired. I'll be okay!" I filled a bag with food, some cans of soda, and a few more bottles of water.
"Bella! You can't go!" Charlie said more urgently as I ran to the door.
"Dad, there's nothing for me here. What do you expect me to do? Go to school where nobody cares if I exist, watch baseball with you, and do laundry for the rest of my life? No way! I'm leaving! Goodbye!" I ran out the door and towards my truck. Now I just had to drive to James' house.
"So, how did it go?" A voice came from inside my truck. It was too dark for me to see who it was so I began to scream when an icy hand came over my mouth. Please be James, please be James, I thought frantically. "Bella, you honestly thought I would fall for that? James may be thoughtful, but he cannot guard his mind very well." The man said, his voice smooth yet menacing.
"What do you want?" I asked, panting.
"Bella, you know exactly what I want. I want the very thing you didn't want me to get. But don't worry, I'm patient. I also know that this game will get much more interesting when you get there!"
"Edward!" I breathed.
"Yes. And now, goodbye. But remember, there is nothing you can do that I won't know about!" And with that, he was gone. I was freaked out, and I raced to James' house as fast as my old truck could carry me.
When I arrived, I raced to the door, but James was already there. "Get in, quickly!" he said, looking around.
"James… Edward… He-" I gasped. Edward was standing there, in the center of the room, smiling. "What?! What are you doing here? James, are you crazy?" I was shouting at James when a pixie-like girl walked in. She had black hair that was short and spiky, and she walked as gracefully as anyone could. Her eyes were a darker gold, so I knew she would be okay for awhile.
"Bella, you shouldn't have come!" she said urgently. "By the way, I'm Alice. I'm Edward's sister. Didn't Edward warn you?"
"Warn me? He threatened me! He told me that this 'game' would get more interesting, and that I knew what he wanted! James said he wanted to drink my blood! To kill me!" I was freaking out. Alice and Edward both gasped, shocked.
"No! That's not it at all!" Alice said angrily. "James wants that! Oh, Edward! Why do you always have to be so mysterious? You could have just saved her!" Alice scolded her brother, and I backed up against the wall.
"Are you trying to trick me? Why? What's going on?" I asked, trying (and failing) to appear calm.
"Bella," Edward said, "I would never hurt you. I wouldn't dream of it! James wants to. Your blood is so unique and delicious-smelling that an uncontrolled vampire could never resist it. He was after you! I thought he wasn't but tonight, you proved me wrong! Please, Bella, you have to believe me!" Edward said, his voice full of concern. He took a step toward me and, for the first time, I saw his eyes. They were gold. He was safe. He wasn't lying. But that still didn't explain James.
"I believe you. But James' eyes! They are gold! He only eats animals!" I started fretting again.
"Contacts." Alice said simply. "And Bella, just to let you know, this is actually the Cullen house. James is a nomad. And 'his room' was really Jasper's." With that, Alice walked off. Wait… who was Japer?
"You got me." James admitted. He swiftly took out his contacts, and his eyes turned from their familiar gold to a menacing red. He jumped toward me, but Edward was there first. James stopped and ran out the door.
"What was that about?" I asked, freaking out.
"Bella, you aren't safe. We're taking you to Phoenix, like you and James had planned. He won't suspect that. I'll go after him. It's okay Bella, you're going to be safe." Edward said, failing to hide the worry in his voice.