Mike's body laid their cold and colourless. My fingers were tracing little hearts on his elbow, while my eyes explored his lifeless body stopping at his covered neck. I knew why his neck wasn't exposed, Mike was found with wound marks on his neck and a body drained of blood; I thought nothing of it. How could I let this happen? How could I be so blind? How could I let myself be as tedious as the body that laid here in front of me? The service was filled with sobs and dead stares. I sat in the front row with his family and his friends from school. I remembered every face that went to go visit Mike's unconscious body with tears running down their face. First was his mother who made a remarkable speech that made everyone moan and cry. Then it was Jessica and of course Charlie, he was the one who had discovered Mike and the one who told me the news about the accident.
I stood there staring at a button on Mike's black suit when I felt a hand on my shoulder telling me we had to leave; it was Charlie. I turned around and realized that tears were running down my face at a remarkable speed. "It's okay Bella, he is in a better place now," Charlie reassured me through clenched teeth. I nodded and glanced back at Mike, bent down and kissed his cheek, "I'm so sorry Mike," I whispered. I really was sorry. Mike was a good friend but I was too distracted to realize that. Great, now I have even more to regret.
I followed Charlie out the funeral home and to the car but that was when I saw him. My muscles tensed up making me stop in my tracks. "Bella, come on" Charlie muttered "I'll be right back." I began to walk towards the tree that he was standing under before Charlie was able to protest. I was led than two feet away when I noticed his eyes were blood shot. "Stefan?" I whispered wondering why he was here. I took a step forward when his eyes met mine and muttered so low, making it hard for me to understand, "I'm sorry." "Stefan, what are you talking about?" I took another step towards the stunning man with the green eyes. He took a step back, "I could have stopped this." "Stefan, what's wrong?" I took another step forward but was shocked to see that he was taking a step back. I have never seen this kind of behaviour before. Meeting only in the forest, unbelievably gorgeous, tense, charming-No. My eyes widened and I looked up at Stefan, "Stefan, tell me what you are talking about now!" I didn't realize I was shouting until after the words escaped my mouth.
He stood still for an instant and began to explain, "Mike, he was your friend?" "Yes, yes he was." My eyes began to fill with tears and my throat began to close. "Do you know what happened to him?" he asked through clenched teeth. I could feel my throat tighten, "He was found near at the hardware store...dead." I closed my eyes and drew a breath in, calming myself down. Poor Mike, how could someone do something like that to him? There are monsters living among us, and right now, a monster is what I have been missing. But he wasn't a monster. He was the opposite. He was flawless; my everything. His model-like features, his cold touch, his green eyes-I opened my eyes and turned my head to the right, hiding my face from Stefan. How could I let myself fantasies about Stefan when all I knew was simple facts and that I was still in love with Edward.
"Bella, how did Mike die? Bella, you need to tell me how he died?" his voice sounded pressing. I looked at him with puzzlement and whispered, "He was attacked by an animal, body drained of blood." He was at my side in a second and caught my face with his hand and looked into my eyes, "Bella, when was the last time you saw Damon?" I removed my chin away from his grip, still looking into his eyes, "Why?" "Bella, please answer me." He said through clenched teeth. "A couple of days ago, in the forest," I said through sobs. Tears were running down my face and I couldn't control it. He grabbed my shoulders and brought me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing my face into his jacket. I began to struggle out of his grip but I was having difficulty. I finally gave in and let my arms wrap around his upper body. "Bella! Let's go!" Charlie yelled from across the parking lot. I raised my head and found green eyes staring into mine. He freed me and turned made his way towards Port Angeles. "Bella! Now!" I faced Charlie and could see that he was already in the cruiser driving toward me.
The ride home was silent. Nothing was said or heard , just the way I like it. I really didn't want to talk to Charlie about anything, he wouldn't understand. He pulled the cruiser into the driveway and I practically ran into the house. I made my way up the stair skipping steps while I ran. Reached my room and shut the door. I let myself slide down the closed door and release all the tension that has been building up inside of me.
Sobs and moans escaped from my mouth as I reflected on my encounters in the last couple of days. First was the man in the forest who had put that body that was draining of blood into the tree. There are only two people who I have met in the forest, the Salvatore brothers. But known of them could have possibly done that. No human could have done that. The brothers were so mysterious and dangerous. Dangerous enough for my loves voice to warn me, to protect me. I let out a loud sob and the memory of Edwards face and his protective arms wrapped around my mortal body. Then Damon's black eyes. They were as dark as night and empty, nothing to see and nothing to show. I lifted my head and saw my reflection in the mirror across the room. Nothing to see and nothing to show, like me.