Hiya peeps! Thank you for the reviews! I know some of you couldn't review because I deleted the A/N earlier and the last chapter was kinda like chapter 20 so when I deleted it those who reviewed the last chapter weren't able to review. Does thta mke sense? Anyway, that's why you were getting trouble. By the way, this is the second to last chapter! I'm sad….this story's been my baby for this vacation and I'm sad I'll have to end it but school's starting next week Tuesday and then it's bye-bye laptop! *sobs* I'll miss you guys so much too…Anyway I want you people to start reading. Author note at the end for you all so please read. Heads up someone's gonna die…START READING TO FIND OUT WHO!
And now, the story continues *woof woof*
Disclaimer:
Jacob: Hey I found out you've been lying all along, Steph. You DO own Twilight.
Me: WHAT?!? Are you dense?!
Jacob: No I'm smart because I figured out you are the owner of Twilight
Me: If you're so smart answer me this: If I were the owner of Twilight, what would I be doing on FANFICTION?? *raised eyebrows* Emphasis on the FAN part
Jacob: *confused* I have no idea what you're talking about.
Me: *groans* How did you even get to the conclusion that I own Twilight?
Jacob: It says so right here. *pulls out a piece of paper* See? S.N. owns Twilight and who's S.N.? You are! SO HA! And you say I'm dense.
Me: *examines paper* Well Jacob, you are not dense.
*Jacob looks triumphant*
Me: Instead you're illiterate. This is an M you idiot! See? S.M. owns Twilight!
Jacob: *mouth open* Oooooooooooooh.
Me: Uh-huh. Now leave me alone
Jacob: Aren't you going to hit me on the head again?
Me: Nope I can't. * feels sad*
Jacob: Um why not?
Me: Cuz you look too much like Taylor Lautner *hangs head*
Jacob: YES! *grins arrogantly*
Me: *brightens up* On second thought, NEVER MIND *clunks him on the head*
Dimitri: Nice work
Me: Thanks Dimitri. Wait Dimitri?!?!? AHHHHHHHHHHH!
*Steph runs away*
Dimitri: *confused* Why does she keep doing that??
$~*^*~$
Chapter Twenty
"Jacob," I whispered in disbelief.
He was right there in front of me. And everything fell into place. He was back, back to ruin my life. He'd taken Edward. He'd taken Demetri. Just to hurt me. Only, what would he do to them?
He smiled and closed his eyes as I said his name. They snapped open a second later and they were filled with insanity and obsession. I felt as though I'd been punched in the gut.
"Bella," he said, standing up. He was bigger than he'd ever been almost six foot seven and he towered over me. His brown eyes were the same as I remembered them only intensified by emotions hidden behind them. His face was shaped and chiseled, his cheek bones prominent and his muscles were fully developed almost a big as Emmett's. He could easily overwhelm Emmett though, I thought. He was certainly big enough to have been able to overpower both Demetri and Edward.
He was dressed casually in a normal white T-shirt which was tight enough to emphasize his huge muscles and his once long hair was cut short. His jeans fit him well and to any normal eye, he would look like a model with his good looks and developed body. But he wasn't what e looked like. He was a soulless evil monster bent on destroying my life. He had done it ever since I could remember. No longer was he my sweet Jacob. The one who used to be my sun lighting up my darkest days. He was not the Jacob I knew at ten who was my best friend in the whole world, the sweet pure young guy I used to know. He was a blood thirsty wolf who destroyed anything in his past.
But none of it showed as he leaned over and kissed me on my cheek. I would've pulled away had he not whispered in my ear, "No big scene, Bella. You even think about trying to create a big show, and your little boyfriends are going to be cooked alive. Get it?" I nodded as he pulled away and gulped. I was so stupid, I should have known.
He took his seat again and I sat down opposite to him. He pierced me with his intense brown gaze as I looked at the table. "Look at me, Isabella," he ordered. I looked at him and was afraid of the stare he was giving me. In the last two years I could see that his obsession had grown. A fierce wild look was in his eyes and it scared me.
He seized my hand which I had been fiddling with nervously and gripped it tightly. "Bella," he said roughly, stroking my hand with his huge thumb, "you don't know how long I've waited for this day."
"Why, Jacob?" I asked, angry tears refilling my eyes, "why are you here? Why are you doing this to me?"
He looked at me like if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Because I love you Bella."
I snorted and anger flashed on his face. "You're still with that line?" I commented hatefully, "Jacob, you never loved me. You don't know what love is."
His face was angry for a second before settling into an emotionless mask. Normally he would've blown at that and let his temper get the better of him but he had gained control during these years. "And would you care to elaborate on your definition of love?" he said, slightly curious, but I, having known him for so long, he was seething behind the calm mask.
"Love is when you care about someone so much that you would give up everything for them. Love is when you would do anything for them. Your definition of love is owning them and once you have them, doing what ever the hell you want them. Treating them like they're worthless, like if they're a punching bag," I spat.
He looked at me and smiled slowly. "Ah," he said, still grinning, "But by your definition I do love you indeed. You said love is giving up your everything for them and I did that. I left Forks for you Bella. And then as for doing anything for you I am already doing that aren't I? I would do anything for you Bella. But you're wrong when you say I don't own you. I do Bella. You are mine and mine alone. How many times do I have to say that before you get it? You belong to me, Isa."
"It's Bella you idiot," I said spitefully. Never had I felt so angry before. I hated Jacob to his very core. I had to restrain myself not to launch myself at him and scratch that lecherous smile off his face. "Do you torture so many girls that you can't keep track of them all?"
He smiled evilly before saying, "No, I think I'll call you Isa from now on. Everyone else calls you Bella or Bells. So I need a special name for you now."
I said disdainfully, "Fine. You call me Isa. I won't answer. Perfect plan."
He laughed and said, "You're right. Besides, we'll be going away soon enough and you won't be able to use Isa anyway."
I looked at him in shock. "What are you talking about?"
He grinned. "You really think I'm not going to finish what I started?"
No, I thought, he can't be that crazy. Was he really implying that he was going to take me away as he had planned the last time? That was insane. But by the look of his face, he was dead serious.
"What?" all I could say. He grinned again and gripped my hand tightly again, "Come let's go somewhere more…private." He leered at me on the last word.
I snatched my hand and whispered furiously, "Hell no."
Anger flashed on his face before being replaced with an evil look. "Fine," he said nonchalantly, "You won't come. Then your boyfriends get fried." He held a remote control that just had one big red button in the middle. He pointed at it. "You see this little button here, Bella? This is your boyfriends' life lines. I press this and they blow up. Poof," he said with a wave of his hand, mimicking an explosion. I looked at the button with renewed terror.
"What have you done you monster?" I asked.
He smiled and said, "I have your little boyfriends. At first it was just going to be little Edward since he was in the way the most but then when the other one-Demetri isn't it?- came into the picture and complicated it, I had to take him too." He exhaled heavily before continuing, "You've caused quite a stirrup with all the guys, Bella. You have no idea how hard it was for me these past two years to watch you with Edward. And then when this Demetri guy returned and starting moving up on you, well I just wanted to kill him. If it was up to me, no one would be able to touch you. Not Edward, not Demetri, not even that shitting idiot who tried to rape you. None of them except me."
My eyes went wide with shock and my jaw fell open. How could he know everything? "H-how do you know all of this?" I whispered, stunned.
He chuckled and grinned. "You should have known I would never leave you. After what happened in those woods, when you went over to tend to little Eddie, after you of all people shot me in the back, I was able to get away without you noticing me. I stumbled through the woods and came across a kind old woman to help me."
He seemed to be lost in the past as he continued, "Her name was Sue Clearwater and she tended to my wound and helped me get back on my feet. She was quite old in her eighties and her husband, Harry, had passed away a while now so she was lonely and treated me like the son she had lost when he got married and moved away. Unfortunately for her, Leah is her grandniece and when she found out who I was from Leah who she was quite close to, she was terrified and I had to kill her. Luckily, she was all alone so it made it easier for me. When the rest of the Clearwaters came down for the funeral all I had do was hide. She didn't leave her house for anyone else and I was able to stay there the past two years."
He paused and snapped out of his thoughts and grinned at me. He carried on, "That's actually where your boyfriends are right now. It's quite the hiding place. A quaint little innocent looking cottage in the middle of nowhere."
"I stayed there the last two years and I have been watching you, Bella. Watching you closely all this time. Always there but never seen. I know you suspected it ever since that little incident in the theatre. Remember that day?" he grinned. I gulped. So it had been him. "I wasn't able to control myself that night," he continued. "You have no idea how had it is for me to stay away from you and watch you play with your boyfriends. It makes me so mad and angry and then when I see how they look at you, like if they own you, like if they love you, it just sends me flying off the hook. They have no right, Bella and the fact that you let them just made it even worse. That night in the cinema when you with Eddie you never realized I was there. But it was torture that night, watching him fall al over you, putting his hand wherever he wanted, watching him kiss you when I couldn't. That was in the early days when I started following you so I wasn't as experienced as I am now. I…I just had to be able to touch you that night which is why when you went to the bathroom I was already there waiting for you."
I shuddered as I remembered. I said, unable to keep myself from trembling, "So you never left? You were always there watching me? Everything I did?"
I trembled as he nodded and said, "Of course. I even have pictures of you to prove it."
I swallowed hard and felt cold inside. I had always suspected but knowing made me feel scared. He really was mad. He really was obsessed. With me of all people. Me, who he had kicked, hit, cursed everything. Now, he was different but worse than before.
He sighed. "Enough of this, time for you to go home. Your real home. With me."
I looked at him disbelievingly. "What?!" I said in shock.
He smiled slowly and said, "Did you really think I would let you go after this? Now, it's time for you to come home with me, to your real home. Come on, Bella, people who love each other should stay together."
Anger flared up in me. "I don't love you, you're a monster! I hate you!"
He leered and countered, "You said the same thing to Edward but I know you didn't mean it then so how could you mean it now?"
"Because," I argued slowly, "I actually love Edward. I don't love you, I never have, I never will!"
He looked at me hard. "Oh so you love Edward do you? Then why were you sneaking around with Demetri?"
I sputtered, "I was not sneaking around!"
He grinned, "Then why did Edward catch you with him making out in his own house?"
"How do you know all this?!" I whispered furiously.
"I told you," he said, "I've always been there watching."
He really had been. Else how did he know everything?"
He grabbed my hand again and said in a low voice, "Make a scene and your boyfriends pat the price." He began to drag me out of the café and I had to go willingly. To anyone else, we would look like a normal teenage couple not like a ruthless kidnapper and a helpless hostage.
He dragged me to a car and pushed me in. He got it on the other side and we pulled away from the café parking lot. He kept my hand in his hot grasp the entire time. He had changed in that he didn't keep it on my thigh.
He had grown up since then becoming crazier and more obsessive than possessive. He had shown he still had the possessive drive but his obsession had outweighed it. What unnerved me was that he had been watching me the past two years without me being even aware of it. The things he could have seen…for all I knew he could have already seen me naked. The thought of it made me feel embarrassed and scared. Who knew what else he was capable of? The time in which we were together he was capable of rape and abuse, when he had found me two years ago he was capable of murder, what else now? What could he possibly do that was worse?
I was terrified for Edward and Demetri. They were taken by Jacob because of me. This was all my fault. If Jacob…I winced as I thought this…killed them, their deaths would be my fault. My Edward would be dead because of me. I was worried for Demetri but now that I was faced with their deaths, I could tell who I loved more, something I hadn't been able to tell before. And now, I knew it was Edward. Edward who I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, Edward who I couldn't live without. And if Jacob killed him because of me, there would be no reason for me to live. It was as simple as that.
Jacob drove for more than an hour on the highway until finally he pulled off in a small dirt road that anyone would've passed. It was obscured from the highway and made so that only people who knew it was there would find it. He continued along that road for a long time. It was pure mud and dirt and on either side of it were a whole lot of trees. All I could tell was that we were not in Phoenix anymore since Phoenix could never be this green. The road was bumpy and full of ditches but luckily the car was a pickup and got survive the rough road.
Finally a small cottage came in sight. It was as Jacob had described it, cute and quaint and totally innocent looking. No one would guess that it was a place where a monster stayed. He pulled over next to it and said in a fake cheery voice, "Welcome home honey."
I snorted and got out of the car. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him. "Where are you keeping them?" I asked.
He ushered me inside. "They're downstairs in the cellar."
He plopped down on the couch in the small living room. There was one couch and an arm chair opposite to a small kitchen which also had a table there. Down the hall was a bedroom with a small bed and dresser inside. Opposite to it was a small bathroom and a linen closet with a washer and dryer. I stood standing and said, "Take me to them now."
He grabbed my hand pulled me next to him in less than a second. I pushed myself away from him, "Jacob. No. I agreed to come with you because you hold my best friend and boyfriend's lives in your hand but I am not going to stay up here like if I don't give a shit about them when the truth is I don't give a shit about you. Now, take me to them now." I know I was being quite officious but I couldn't help it. I had to see them and make sure they were okay.
He sighed and said, "Fine. I was hoping you would get over them and just make my job a whole lot easier but if you insist." With that he slunk off to a door that I hadn't noticed. He opened it revealing a long staircase which led into darkness. He felt the wall for something and suddenly the staircase was illuminated. He took my hand and I tried to pull it away but he kept it in his firm grasp. He pulled me down the stairs until finally we reached the bottom.
Wow, I thought, this basement must be forty feet under the ground at least. The place was the size of the small house and in the dim light from the top of the staircase light I could see a small underwater pond on the side. "That's where I get water from," Jacob explained when he saw me looking at it. "Come this way if you want to see your boyfriends."
"Would you please stop calling them that? Edward is my boyfriend not Demetri," I grumbled. He pulled me into a narrow corridor in the corner of the room. My voice echoed though I had spoken barely in a whisper.
He chuckled, "That's not what it looked like the night of Edward's party."
Ugh he certainly hadn't gotten any less annoying, I thought wryly. I remained quiet.
The corridor was illuminated by a huge crack down the top of the tunnel. The ground was uneven and cracked and I stumbled a couple of times along the way. I tried not to since every time I stumbled Jacob was more than happy to catch me. I really didn't want him touching me right now and when I stopped tripping he grew quiet and somber. In his silence, I felt intimidated.
Finally I could see an end to the tunnel. It was a circular room and inside was nothing but what looked like two figures tied back to back to chairs. Their faces were hanging downwards and they looked unconscious. I gasped and ran ahead of Jacob.
"What did you do to them?" I asked as I reached what looked like Edward judging by the faint glimmer of bronze hair. His glorious face was bruised and his clothes were torn. Demetri was in a similar state with a black eye.
"Nothing," Jacob answered leaning causally against the wall watching me with narrowed eyes. "It's not like it matters anyway."
I looked up from where I had been examining a gash across Demetri's cheek. "What do you mean?" I asked flatly. Then I thought of another question, "What are you even going to do to us? I mean now you have three people captive, what's next on your evil agenda?"
He chuckled and said in a careless tone, "Well, now, that you're here, it's time for your punishment." I shuddered at the casual voice he used. I winced as I thought of all the things he could do to me. But as long as he didn't hurt Demetri or Edward did I really care what he was going to do to me?
"And what is that punishment Jacob?" I asked him in the same casual voice but you could still hear the undercurrent of hate. He obviously heard it and moved forward towards me.
"Well," he said, slowly advancing on me. "What do you suggest?" He grabbed me and held me to him. I struggled to release myself from his grip but he was too strong. He stroked my face, my hair, my jaw, and then softly touched my lips. I turned my face away from him but he grabbed it and made my eyes meet his.
"Jacob, there is nothing else you can possibly do to me again. Do whatever you like as my punishment. I don't care anymore. Just let Edward and Demetri go and then you can do whatever the hell you want to me," I said in a flat tone.
"Hmm…you really mean that don't you?" he speculated and released me. "Sounds tempting but no."
"Why ever the hell not?" I asked, "You get to do what ever the hell you want and I won't even say a word of protest just as long as you let them go."
"I know, I know, it sounds like a great bargain," he said frowning. I could tell he wasn't taking anything I said seriously and my hopes of getting Edward and Demetri away from him seemed doomed. "But then if you don't care what happens to you, is that really a punishment?" he said rhetorically.
"Just let them go Jacob," I said tiredly. "Let them go and you can do what ever you want. Kick me, hit me, cuss me, hell even rape me if you want. Just let them go."
"Hmm….the rape sounds extremely enticing but again, no thank you, Bella. You have to be punished properly and I think the proper way to do that is to murder the ones that stand in our way. Although you say you love Edward alone, I think I'll still do Demetri anyway. He's a liability either way. And besides, more hurt for you," he said nonchalantly.
I was horrified at his reasoning. "Jacob," I said my voice panicked, "Jacob, no. You can't kill them."
He smiled lecherously. "Hmm…and why ever not? I think that their death on your hands is quite the punishment for all that you've done. Shooting me in my back two years ago, playing with Edward right in front of my face and then doing the same with Demetri…you have no idea Bella how mad you made me. Seeing you with them…it made me mad with love for you. And that madness needs to be repaid. Besides, by punishing you, I will also punish them for touching you, kissing you, talking to you, making you laugh, for even looking at you. See it's all win-win for me?" he ticked them off one by one in a casual tone.
"You're a monster," I whispered dangerously, "A bastard, a son of a bitch, a freaking monster! You're everything soulless, everything evil." My voice was increasing with volume.
"Yes," he said tiredly but his voice was agitated, "I know I am all of those horrible things you say but who made me this way huh? Who was the one who drove me to all of this?! YOU! You're the reason I am even alive if you call what I am living which is ironic since you were the one to try to kill me in the first place! It's you, Bella, I am alive! I am alive solely because of you, your beautiful face, your heavenly body; everything I've ever done was for you! Just to have you! I love you Bella, dammit! And I have done everything I could to have you again!"
I screamed in frustration. "Hadn't you done all of those things to me in Forks you would have had me still! If you hadn't cheated on me, if you hadn't abused the living day lights of me, I would have stayed with you! But that is the one thing I am grateful for from you. The fact that your betrayal was what led me to Edward, whom I love with everything inside of me!"
This time it was he who yelled in frustration. "That is it!" he shouted. "I made a mistake okay! I cheated on Leah; I did all those horrible things to you but look at what I've done for you! I've tried so hard to get you back and yet you've always hated me for it! And still, you don't see it! I love you!"
"You don't love me you idiot! You're freaking obsessed is what you are!" I screamed at him and he groaned.
"Fine then if that's what I am!" he fired back. "The point still remains that as long as I am alive you cannot be with anyone else, no one but me! You belong to me Isabella! Why don't you get that?!"
"Because I belong to no one but Edward," I whispered calmly.
His eyes hardened at that and he just looked at me. "And what about the other one?"
"I feel something for him but it's nothing like what I feel for Edward."
He nodded slowly. The sun had been out all this time so I couldn't see anything but the people. But now, the sun had come out and was shining brightly. Cracks on the ceiling were now giving off light and I could see the walls of the cave. I gasped as I looked at them.
There were hundreds maybe a thousand pictures of me taped to every inch of the circular wall. I moved closer to examine them. They were photographs of me I recognized every day of the last two years. There was even one of me in my graduation gown, one of me in my bed sleeping the other day, one of me playing the piano a night in my granddad's study, one with me talking to Eric that day in the park. I saw a lot of them with me and Edward in which Edward's face had been burned with fire. There were some with Demetri as well at the ball in the garden, in the Twilight café, walking into the studio. I was shocked by the amount of pictures. There must have been at least ten thousand at most.
"Jacob, did you take all of these?" I asked horror-struck. He was completely obsessed wasn't he? Totally insane as well. Oh my god, what had happened to him since? He'd gone from abusive, cheating ex-boyfriend to stalker.
He nodded silently and pointed at on it the middle that was bigger than most. "This one is my favorite though." It was a picture of both us when we were ten on one of Charlie and Billy's fishing expedition. We were next to the river where a tire hung and we were posing for the picture. I was in the swing with Jacob pushing me on it. I remembered that day. I even had a copy of that picture next to my bed at my old house in Forks. I had left it though when I moved.
"Why can't we go back to those days?" he said quietly.
I glanced at Edward and Demetri and felt my resolve harden. "Because you've turned into a blood thirsty beast since then," I said flatly. His lip curled and his face turned into a hard mask.
He smiled mirthlessly. "Yes, I guess I am now. Now back to what we were discussing, which was I believe the deaths of your boyfriends."
"I told you don't call them that."
"Yes but either way Demetri is a liability. Who knows? You might decide to love him after Edward's gone! And I can't have that now can I?" he laughed with no real feeling.
"And now on with it. I say I do it now. We leave within the next hour and skip through town. I already have all the arrangements, passports driver license, birth certificates and what not," he said causally.
"No!" I said trembling. "Please don't kill them, Jacob, please," I begged.
"I'm sorry Bella but I can't do that," he said flatly.
He pulled a gun out of his back pocket and held it to the side of Edward's head. I grabbed his hand.
"Don't Jake. Please." I continued to beg. I tried to grab the gun but he just grabbed me with his other hand and threw me against the wall. I hit the wall hard and my entire right side of my body screamed out in pain. The impact had been enough to damage my shoulder and I knew it was going to hurt if I moved. I bit my lip so that I wouldn't have to cry out against the pain. I couldn't feel it that much anyway; my heart was tearing in two to see the scene in front of me. And I had once thought the sight I had came upon at Edward's party hurt? No. It was nothing compared to seeing my childhood friend and once boyfriend about to murder the love of my life and my best friend.
Tears were flowing freely down my face as I watched him begin to pull the trigger.
"NO!" I screamed and hid my face.
"Now Demetri!" I heard my angel's voice yell. I looked up in disbelief to see my Edward springing up from the chair his hands freed and Demetri doing the same. They both looked like fierce warriors as they tackled Jacob like two quarter backs during a football game.
Jacob yelped in surprise and started to fight them away.
Edward gave him a punch the gut saying, "I owed you that one."
Demetri was next giving him a right hook to the eye and said in a deadly tone, "And that's what I owed you."
They began to beat him severely but Jacob was too strong. He managed to throw them off of him and they fell against the wall. He pushed Demetri so hard that I saw his body crumple. Edward was grimacing in pain.
Jacob scrambled for the gun which had been knocked out his hand by the impact of the tackle. He looked at me and sneered as he picked me up roughly from the ground. He shoved me against the wall and stood back. He held the gun to my forehead.
He said, "I'm sorry, Bella. I really wanted us to be together this time. I can see it in your eyes though that you wouldn't have let go of these two even if the idiots didn't try to overpower me."
"Why don't you get it Bella?" he said in a pleading tone.
"Why don't you just understand that we are meant to be together?" He shook his head.
"But no, you have to hold on to him," he spat looking at Edward disgustedly.
"And then there's the other one," he said shooting Demetri a look of utter contempt.
"Why would you choose either of them? They don't know you like I do; they don't love you like I do. And yet you would rather have either of them instead of me."
He shook his head again this time in disappointment.
He looked up. "Well it's too bad," he said scornfully, "If I'm not going to have you, then no one can."
With that he raised the gun to my head.
"No!" Edward shouted and sprang across the room and was in front of me before Jacob could blink. He covered me with his body and turned around so that his back was to Jacob and he was facing me. We looked into each others' eyes and his eyes conveyed all the love I felt.
"No," he said to Jacob, "If you want to kill her you'll have to go through me." He turned around to face him and looked at him with hatred. Then he turned back to me and whispered, "I love you Bella." He put his forehead on mine and looked into my eyes. I knew that every word was true. "I love you too, Edward," I whispered back.
Jacob laughed mirthlessly, "Aw, isn't this the most wonderful love scene ever? I almost feel bad for Demetri to have to see this before you all die. Oh well his suffering won't last that long. It'd be my pleasure Edward to kill you."
He raised the gun to shoot and I could see it over Edward's shoulder. He was still looking at me and he didn't so much as flinch. "I love you," he said again.
Jacob began to pull the trigger again and I heard the gun shot and shut my eyes at the sound. Tears were blurring my sight again and I looked up only to see Edward's startled face staring at me. It wasn't twisted in agony nor did he crumple to the ground in pain. He whirled around and I could see what had happened.
My stomach lurched and I felt my heart rip.
Demetri was the one crumpled on the ground in agony. "NO!" I screamed and dashed around Edward's frozen body to get to my friend. Jacob was in the same position.
No one had suspected that Demetri would shield Edward and take the bullet instead. Edward's face twisted in rage and agony and he took advantage of Jacob's surprise and tackled him to the floor. I saw him rip the gun out of his hand and start to hit Jacob wherever he could reach. The look on his face was one of pure fury and I could see Edward's eyes brimming with tears. Apparently in their time of captivity they had become closer and worked out their differences. It would be for naught though if Demetri died.
Meanwhile I was with Demetri. The bullet had hit the left side of his upper chest when he had tried to shield us. Blood was gushing out of it quickly and I quickly tore off his t-shirt to apply pressure to it and try to slow the bleeding. Demetri himself was conscious and watched me solemnly as I tried my best to slow the bleeding. But it was no use as blood continued to pour out. I sobbed as I tried to stop it.
"Shh…" I heard Demetri whisper. His voice was laden with love and compassion. I looked into his face and found myself staring into his eyes which conveyed everything his voice had. "Don't cry."
"Demetri," I sobbed. "Don't…Don't die, please," I begged. "I can't lose you, D, I-I just got you back," I cried.
"Shh…" he said again. "Shh…Bella…stop crying," he commanded softly. "Look at me."
I did and he whispered so softly so that only I could hear, "I love you so much, Bella."
The first time he had said, I ran. The second time, he kissed me. But now I had to say how I felt about him. Not confessing it to Rose or Alice or Renee or Mason or Jacob like I had done before but this time to him. "I love you too Demetri," I whispered back, still crying.
He smiled. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say it back."
"I love you, Demetri, I really and truly do," I sobbed again and again.
"Shh…" he said again. "I love you too Bells. Always remember that." With that he began to close his eyes.
"Demetri!" I heard Edward shout as I heard a gun shot and he sprinted to where I was on the floor with him.
I looked back and saw Jacob crumpled on the floor against the wall with blood pouring out of his stomach into a pool. He was unconscious. I could care less after what he'd done to Demetri. I relished the sight of him looking defenseless for once before turning back to my friend.
"Demetri," I heard Edward say softly, "Come on buddy don't die. Don't give up. Remember what we talked about? We said that we'd both always be there for Bella no matter who she chose in the end. You can't keep that promise if you die." Tears began to fall from my angel's eyes.
Demetri opened his eyes again to look at Edward. "Edward," he said slightly breathless, "I've always hated you, you know. But that was before I got to know you. When I came back I plotted to get Bella back and leave you to go back to your player days. That's why I had pulled in some favors to get Maggie's mother transferred back to Phoenix." I gasped and both Edward's and my face were filled with shock.
"You did that?" I stuttered.
He grimaced and nodded. "Yes, I did. I also kissed you that night at his party because I knew Edward was looking for you and that if he found you he would go drink, get drunk and then when he saw Maggie his old feelings would re-surface."
I glanced at Edward expecting to see anger and betrayal on his face but it was filled with nothing but kindness and understanding. "I'm sorry Edward," Demetri apologized.
He laughed a little. "No…don't apologize, Demetri. That was a master plan. If I were in your place I probably would have done the same."
He smiled wryly and turned back to me, "Forgive me Bella for making you see that. I know I hurt you horribly with my plan."
"Shh…all is forgiven," I told him.
He looked at both of us, his eyes starting to droop. "Edward, I misjudged you. I thought you weren't worthy of Bella's affections and so, I behaved horribly. Bella, I hurt you and for that I'll never forgive myself. You have no idea how bad I felt after you left the studio and I saw how hurt you were inside. I'm sorry, Bella, Edward. I didn't realize that you two were perfect. I was blinded by love and jealousy that I didn't stop to consider whether or not I was destroying something good and not bad as I thought. That's why I knew I had to take the bullet for you. I couldn't let Edward die. You two are like a fairytale. Like Romeo and Juliet. I was Paris and this time I was the one who died not the two lovers. Me, I don't matter; I'm just an extra. Now, Romeo and Juliet can go on to finish their fairytale." He gasped in pain.
"Demetri!" I breathed in horror. He looked at me calmly and whispered his last words.
"Bella, I promised you that I would love you forever and always know that I will honor my promise to you."
With that, my friend, the person I cared about so much, the person I loved, my Demetri closed his eyes forever.
"No!" I sobbed hugging his body. I felt Edward take me up in his arms. He too was crying.
"Why Edward?" I asked over and over again.
He looked at me with tears in his eyes, "I don't know Bella."
He held me tightly in his arms as I continued to sob.
Demetri was gone.
My life would never be the same again.
But I was with Edward.
And somehow I felt inside that everything was going to be okay.
$~*^*~$
Aww…poor Demetri. I didn't want to kill him but I figured if he stayed you guys would hate him more. And he doesn't deserve hate. Especially after what he just said. He's a nice dude.
Guys, I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me. You reviewed, you Author Alerted, you Favorite Authored, you Favorite Storied, you Story Alerted and some of you even joined the site just so you could review and I'd be able to reply. You have no idea how much everything you've done means and I would really like to thank all of you for reviewing. The reviews themselves made me feel better when I was down which was quite often this summer. And whenever I had one of my breakdown moments writing for y'all always made me feel better as did the hits and Favorite Stories and stuff did too. So thanks guys for everything! :D
Anyway if you want the next chapter you'll have to work for it….and I mean really work as in lots of reviews! :o)
REVIEW PEOPLE!!
Loves and Hugs,
~Steph~