Chapter 13
He finally spoke up.
"Bella, I don't think its best for-"
I cut him off- I could handle it. "Edward."
He sighed, and began to recite the words:
"You give in return all I need,
You leave me little question as to why.
You reap the crop of my own stolen seed,
You unearth a place for heads to lie."
I nodded carefully, asking him to repeat it, and repeating it back to him.
"What happened the last time he sent you a letter?"
Before I could understand the letter, I had to understand James.
"He began making public scenes. He began to cut people in half-"
"And put their heads between their legs." I finished. I couldn't help but shudder at the image, still fresh in my mind. That was the highest the crime rates in Estancia and the surrounding area had ever been. People were afraid to leave their homes, and when it got to the worst point schools closed and people were 'sick' and 'couldn't go to work.'
I leaned back into the seat, thinking carefully.
"The poem is backwards."
Everyone looked at me strangely, which I was becoming quite accustomed to.
"Backwards?" Emmet eventually asked.
"Cut the poem in half," I began.
"And put the head back on top." Edward finished. He gave me an incredulous look... almost... awed?
He began to recite again:
"You reap the crop of my own stolen seed,
You unearth a place for heads to lie.
You give in return all I need,
You leave me little question as to why."
"Reap the crop of my own stolen seed," I repeated.
"That must be you." Edward concluded, "He kidnapped you, and we kidnapped you from him."
Emmet continued, "And as a result, people will die."
"What have we given him?" Alice countered.
"A clue?" I suggested.
"Maybe." Jasper nodded. He had been very silent. "Either way, he wants you back. And he will not stop until he has you. Knowing James, he won't do the same thing twice. Failure does not sit well with him. It's going to be worse. Much worse."
EPOV
She put my head back onto the pillow I had put for her. She looked dazed, like her confidence and strength were wavering. Even tired as she was, she looked beautiful.
Alice suggested we call it a night; I hadn't even realised the sun had set.
I held her hand as we went up the stairs, feeling the static warmth that I still hadn't gotten used to feeling run up my arm. She took off her robe when she stepped in, and I couldn't keep in my gasp.
I was surprised to see her sly smirk, but it was cut off by a large yawn.
We laughed quietly together and she sat on the side of the bed. She patted the spot next to her and I gladly took the seat.
"Edward," she began, "Where are we?"
"Robins Escape." I responded.
"Oh," she nodded to herself. "I always wanted to live here." She laughed quietly at the irony.
"Edward, is James the one who had committed all those mutilations?"
"Yes." I sighed. And the unspoken question was answered: he might have done the same to her.
"Edward," she began again, "I want to contact Bree and the others. Just to tell them I'm alive."
"Maybe, Bella." I tried. "We'll try to find a safe way."
She was very silent, seeming lost in thought. I stood up, thinking that she needed some time for herself.
A gentle hand caught my wrist as I began to step off.
"Edward?" Bella asked again, and when I turned she was standing behind me.
She stepped forward and hugged me tightly, and once I registered the contact I wrapped my arms around her in return. I tried to ignore the feeling of her slender body pressed against mine. The image of her full breasts was all I could think about though, so there was absolutely no way she could not feel my reaction to her.
Despite this, three small words fell from her soft, pouting lips.
"Stay with me?"
I wasn't sure what had caused her to ask this. She had been through a lot today; was it fear? It was possible, but I doubted that.
Still, I wasn't over thinking it. This beautiful woman was asking me to stay.
The words came out naturally, and I was shocked at their truth.
"I'll be here, Bella. As long as you want me."
A/N: NOTICE!
I'm not sure when I'm going to have time to write again, so Chapter 14 is done and is scheduled to be up on Friday. However, I hear that if this story gets 20 reviews... it'll be up right away... In the mean time Paradise Song is sad and lonely with only one review. I'm begging you to check it out...
Really, though was not self- writing and I really would like to know what you thought of it.