Tickertape

Chapter 2

Stars

The sun seemed to scar my skin with lines of colour. I held my hand away from my face, examining the matt white of my skin, more preoccupied with my own than Edwards. It's dull surface was strange to me, this whole scenario was so strange but I found it strangely easy to accept. What I had scene was a privilege, I had scene my perfect future, my goal. Now I just had to make it happen, cutting out all the bad parts. I hadn't said anything for a while, just took in the sun light, barley giving Edward a second look. I could see that this worried him in a way it shouldn't have. He shifted uncomfortably, hugging his knees to his chest as I lay on my back. I looked towards him, squinting in the white light that scattered off his skin.

"You're not afraid?" His voice was just audible above the wind but carried that hint of hidden emotion.

"No... I...I've seen it all" I shared my private smile, hiding my grin behind my hair.

Silence passed awkwardly between us. I could see his mind replaying the event from the house only hours before. I coughed awkwardly, kicking myself for the stupid comment, at the same time, realising the way he met my eyes was so different form the way he had last looked at me, when we were a real family. His eyes were a mess of dark temptation, longing and anger, something I had read as attraction and desire, though not the intimate love of my husband.

"We should be getting back," Edward rose fluidly from the ground, his eyes casting toward the grey sky, flashes of lightening carving veins of gold into the clouds, thunder shaking the ground.

I stumbled and tripped my way along the trail, my hair catching in brambles and my sleeves snagging on branches. Edward waited patiently for me each time, helping me often when the path was steep or particularly jagged.

I was busy tugging my shoes lace from where if had threaded itself through a thorny hedge when I was wrenched from the ground and thrust harshly behind Edwards back. He held me behind him as he turned three-sixty, searching all distances, and then the feeling of fear crashed over me.

"What is it?" I whispered, my quick breathes breaking the question.

"Run,"

My arm almost came out of its socket and it was tugged terribly hard to one side and I began to run, stumbling over rocks. Trees flashed by in blurs and it felt as though I was flying the speed I was being pulled along. He didn't stop as we came to a steep and rocky hill, practically a cliff to my struggling feet. As we picked up speed, charging down the hill, my feet left the ground and I tightened my arms and the new hold about Edwards's neck.

My body collided hard with the earth, my head narrowly missing a rock close by. Picked myself up as fast as my body would allow, seeing Edward already on his feet from his fall, a primal grown rolling from his chest.

James stood across from him, his eyes on me rather and his aggressor. My brain struggled to paste the situation together; all I could do was prevent him hunting me.

"What?"My scream was hoarse with the tears adding to the effect I desired, though they were not from my acting skills. The stars were against me, there's nothing I can to stop this happening, but I've got to try.

"Are you in on it too?" I turned my wide eyed terror on Edward, though I knew I was never good at acting. Edward turned to meet my eyes. He blinked one for an extended amount of time.

"Shut up before I decide to kill you now." His voice carried a menacing drawl so similar to James' that it had me sinking back to the ground, limbs shaking, half believing that he would actually damage me.

"Dinner, I see," James chuckle was menacing as he shared a sly, greasy smile with Edward. "She certainly smells," Hr sampled the air, "Mouth-watering"; his eyes were on me like a hawk.

"More than lunch," a suggestive laugh left Edward lips as he raised his eyebrows at James though his eyes were repulsed by his own words and by the comments made my James. I was the little things that gave him away. The slight harsh tilt of his head, and the rough flexing of his neck, the way he rolled his wrists and tensed his fingers, the way he dug the front of his shoes into the soil as if it would somehow hold him back.

"No point in wasting her I suppose," James was crouch before me, his breath choking me as it drifted across my face. "Like fine wine, these things should be," He stood up, taking a few steps back, "Savoured." He purred. I longed to reach my hand out, to hear the metallic wrench of the tearing this skin; to feel the soft resistant's of the mussel, to smell the intoxicating aroma of this burning flesh.

I tensed my neck slightly, raising a growl from my chest though all that escaped was a small and pathetic whimper.

Edward swung me over his shoulder; I attempted to put up a convincing fight.

"Bad luck," James purred in my ear, "I would have made it quick." And with that he was gone from the clearing, leaving me to sobs my fear out onto Edward shirt as he switched to carry be bridal style. I continued to sob as he carried me back to Charlie's house, my home now, I suppose.

As we got to my front porch, I began to struggle against Edwards arms.

"Let me down now," I demanded, sniffing back the tears.

"No." He answer was short, an angry undertone threatening to anyone, but me.

"Just let me down, Edward." My anger bubbled furiously to the surface as he set my down, my knees almost immediately buckling. He caught me, of course. But I angrily swatted his hands away, insisting that I was fine. I patted my pockets in search of a key, finding them, I opened my front door. I stopped just inside, deliberating slamming the door shut behind me, but I didn't and He followed me in, much to my annoyance.

I didn't want this now. I didn't want to watch the hurt in his eyes and the self direct torment. I didn't want him fussing over me, having his father give me an all over health check including a full body scan.

I filled the kettle, pressing the button down. I hadn't realised how much I missed coffee. Mixing the instant with milk and hot water, I went to sit down in the living room, falling onto the cushions with a heavy sigh. Edward, who had remained silent the whole time, remained standing, his eyes not looking at me, but at some distant place, but the expression on his face was terrible.

His jaw was crushed together, his mouth turning down at the corners. His eyes were harsh and could not have looked more terrible if they had been bleeding.

"Bella," He finally said, his hard eyes now looking at me with an intense and deadly serious stare. "You should go and live with your mother, in Phoenix."

"You're breaking up with me." The painful sentence came with a heavy sigh and hurt bubbled in my stomach and old wounds began to tear open my heart. I coughed to hide the gasp that would have been choked with the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.

It's strange how I had forgotten that burning sensation; the one that really hurts your eyes and nose just before you cry. So many human traits I had forgotten, but not missed.

He remained silent, neither confirming nor denying my statement. I was loosing him again.

"You can't leave me!" I blurted out, the tears now rolling freely as I stared intently at him; pouring every emotion I have into the connection between us.

"I'm here," He was suddenly next to me, cupping my face in his hands. "Where else am I going to go?"

He kissed my lips in a soft controlled way. I leaned into it, moving up onto my knees to push my full weight into it, moving his hands from my face to my waist, and then placing my own around the back of his neck. I was leaning over him, fully into the kiss and I could feel his restraint wavering when he gently pushed me backwards until I was lying back against the arm of the couch far from him as possible. I sighed heavily, leaning back, folding my arms defiantly across my chest.

Sudden inspiration had me reaching around my mind for the elastic like shield that contained my thoughts. I flexed it for a moment before pushing it away, not with out a slight effort, but I could hold it.

We could have a beautiful future.

"No we couldn't, Bella. We're so different. It like trying to push magnets together, we can try, but it will never work." He turned his eyes on me, as he hadn't been looking before. A slight smile pushed past my desperation as I was eager to see him realise that I was not speaking.

We don't have to be so different. Change me.

His hands were back, cupping my face again as he kneeled before me. "How did you do that?" He voice was breathless and eager.

Kiss me.

His lips were on mine as we moulded together like two pieces of a jigsaw made for each other, and when fitted together, like intended, we create a beautiful picture.

"Where's Charlie?" Edward murmured into my neck as I gasped for breath.

"Seattle," I breathed