Hi guys! I don't know if I like this chapter or not…oh well. Just let me know what you think! And I should tell you, I'll probably only be updating on weekends now. I'm working crazy hours…okay, you probably don't want to hear about my life. Here's the story.
Oh yeah - the sequel to Between Heartbeats will be up as soon as I've completed one of my other stories in progress.
Jacob came in, rescuing me from my destructive thoughts. He looked properly abashed, and I realized Seth must have told him I figured it out. I reminded myself I was mad at him.
"Hi, Bella," he said sheepishly. "How are you?"
That was a stupid question. I knew it and he knew it, too, but he was too stubborn to admit it.
I looked at him.
"Okay," he caved. "I'm not sorry I did it, if that's what you want."
"You could have killed him." I tried to muster up an angry tone, but my voice just sounded lifeless. My energy was going fast.
"Oh come on, Bella, I had no idea this was going to happen – and I had no idea you were going to do something stupid like this."
"Don't be mean, Jake, I had no choice."
He snorted.
"I'm tired," I said quietly. "Please send Esme back in on your way out."
He opened his mouth to argue then looked closely at me. "Sure Bells. Feel better, okay?" he hesitated, and I knew it was as close as he would get to an apology.
"'Kay," I murmured.
By the time Esme glided back in, I was almost asleep.
The gunman had no face.
It was terrifying, as I gazed into hazy nothing where his eyes should have been. My mouth worked, but I couldn't scream. I stumbled backwards, only to lose my balance and fall. He kept coming. Slowly, one step at a time, but he was coming.
I scooted backwards frantically, shaking my head, still not making a sound. Laughter echoed harshly around the room. How could he laugh, without a mouth? But he did and it made it all the more terrifying.
His finger tightened over the trigger. I knew it was over. I wanted to close my eyes but I couldn't.
As the shot rang out someone threw himself between us. Carlisle's golden eyes met mine, as the awful sound of the bullet thudding into his body ricocheted endlessly around the room.
He fell.
"No!" I found my voice at last, forgetting the faceless gunman as I hovered over my father, my protector.
His lifeless eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, accusing me. "It's not supposed to hurt you!" I sobbed, trying to shake him awake. "You're immortal, invincible! You're not supposed to die!"
"Look what you did."
The faceless gunman shook his head in mock sadness. "You let him die for you, a puny weak human. Pathetic."
He disappeared, and in his place stood Edward. His eyes condemned me, their anger rooting me to the ground.
"How could you, Bella? You know our secret was sacred. Carlisle gave up everything because of you – a weak, lousy, human. Now it's all over. You don't deserve us, Bella. You never did."
"I didn't want this!" I screamed, desperate for him to understand. "I didn't ask him to do it…I never would have let him. I didn't know, Edward!"
Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Esme were all there suddenly, each one glaring at me. "I always knew it would come to this," Rosalie spat at me darkly.
"Let's go," Alice said, putting an arm around Esme. "She can rot here, for all I care."
"Edward," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He only threw a glare back at me, as if I wasn't worth wasting words on. Then they were all gone, and I was alone.
Alone.
"Edward!" I screamed, trying to run after him, but I couldn't get my legs to work. "I'm sorry!"
The faceless gunman was in my way. "Too late, Bella," he said, his voice mocking. "No more chances."
He fired.
"Bella! Wake up honey, it was just a dream. You're safe. Safe here."
Carlisle's voice reached me, pulling me up from the terrifying darkness. I grasped onto it, clinging desperately to the hope that it had only been a nightmare, none of it real.
But it could have been, and that scared me half to death.