Place of the Lost
A/N: We're on the home stretch. More things are revealed to Bella. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Twilight and all of its Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer
Chapter 23: Et Tu Brute
BPOV:
I was stretched out on the bed of our Nashville hotel room reading Julius Caesar, when Jacob finally fell asleep. His long body hung off the ends of the scarlet floral couch on the other side of the room. He hadn't rested well since our first night on the train. I saw his curtains rattling and heard him tossing and turning every time I woke up. During the day, he seemed nervous and anxious, especially when we talked about visiting his home. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I thought it may have something to do with Edward. We were supposed to arrive in Seneca, South Carolina in two days. It was only twenty miles from Jocassee. Jacob kept pushing for us to stay in Seneca, and letting him go get his dad so we could meet him for dinner. Charlie didn't want that; he was excited about seeing the farm and the river. But once he learned about Jacob's father's condition, he didn't push it. He thought that Jacob didn't want to overwhelm his father with visitors, but I had a feeling that it was something else.
The walls of the room were made of dark wood paneling, decorated with a few cheap paintings of flowers and a woodland landscape. The crimson duvet was scratchy against my skin, and the matching thick curtains made the room feel stuffy and dark. I would have opened them, but I didn't want to wake Jacob. His soft snores meant that he wasn't trying to put his arm around me or look deeply into my eyes. So even though it was the middle of the day, I read by lamplight.
The door opened softly, and I placed my finger over my mouth so that Charlie would know to be quiet. He held a coke bottle in one hand, and the room key in the other. He began to walk toward me, and I put my book to the side.
"Sorry to interrupt." He whispered.
I gave a half smile. "It's all right. I've only read it a hundred times."
"I know." He chuckled. "There's a laundry service, just down the street." He said, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible. "I thought we might want to take some of our clothes down there." By we he obviously meant me. When it came to domestic duties, Charlie was far from proficient. Even if it just involved carrying the clothes down the street, the job would be left to me.
"I'll go now." I replied. That gave me time to get away before Jacob insisted on tagging along. I winced as the bed creaked when I sat up. I walked to the corner and grabbed a few of my dresses that I had worn on the train and some of Charlie's shirts and pants. I stuffed them carelessly in a canvas bag, and made my way to the door.
"Wait." Charlie interjected. "I think you should get some of Jacob's things as well." I rolled my eyes. I wasn't looking forward to carrying our laundry down there, much less Jacob's. Even when he was asleep he got on my nerves. "Come on Bells." He whispered. "Jake's been down lately. You should do something nice for him."
"Fine." I huffed. I went to his suitcase and pulled out some of the things I knew I'd seen him wear. I grabbed the pants he'd worn the first night he came to the house, the shirt he had on at dinner last night and a few wrinkled undershirts. Cramming them in the bag on top of our things, I turned to the door.
"Turn left, it's only four or five buildings down on the other side of the street." Charlie shouted the words, and Jacob stirred restlessly on the couch. I nodded and hurried out of the room before he could wake up.
The hotel hallway was even darker than the room; it was almost eerie. I had to squint to see. The only light came from an open window at the end of hallway. The warm breeze wafted in my face and blew my brown curls off my shoulders.
When I made it outside, the Tennessee summer heat was oppressive. The air was heavy with humidity. I immediately began to sweat. My hair frizzed out and stuck uncomfortably to the back of my neck, as I walked, dragging the bag of clothes behind me. We were in the heart of the bustling city. The street was lined with brick buildings, hotels, restaurants, stores and bars. Music filled the streets, the twang of a country guitars and the droning melancholy voices of blues singers. People hurried, but they weren't as frantic as the pedestrians in Chicago. Men tipped their hats to me as they passed, and the women smiled and nodded. It was more hospitality than I'd expect in a city.
The laundry service was right where Charlie said it would be, clearly visible from the street. I didn't actually know what to expect when I walked in. I had never been to one in Chicago. I walked across the street, and entered the building through a glass door.
The interior was very clean and white. It smelled of fresh soap and metal. I could hear a small group of women singing soulfully in the back. A chubby balding man stood behind the white counter, and greeted me with a smile. His head shined with sweat. "Hello Miss." He said.
"Hi sir." I nodded my head.
"Just fill out this sheet. We'll have your clothes ready by tomorrow." I took the small slip of white paper from his hands, and grabbed a pen off the desk. I wrote in my name, counted my number of garments and identified what they all were.
"Here you go." I said, as I laid the sheet back on the desk.
"Thank you ma'm. I trust you checked all of the pockets?" He raised his eyebrows, as if to say I know you haven't.
I shook my head, "No, just give me one second." I pulled each piece of clothing out the bag and dug my hand into each of the pockets. I didn't find much, just some lose change and a crumpled piece of paper in one of Jacob's back pockets.
"Here miss, you can put the clothing in here." The man handed me a white wicker basket, and I put the pocket treasure in my canvas bag. I sat the basket on the counter and he smiled. "They'll be ready by tomorrow morning."
I nodded and turned to leave. "Goodbye."
"Have a nice day." He replied.
I sighed as I walked back into the scorching heat. The midday sun was absolutely brutal. My throat was dry and scratchy. I scanned the street around me and noticed a soda fountain only a few paces away. I pushed open the glass door, and walked in.
It wasn't crowded, only a few people sat in booths against the back wall. The floor had black and white tile and the walls were decorated with pictures of ice creams, floats, cupcakes and sodas. The air smelled deliciously sweet. My mouth watered. I sat down at the counter, and my legs dangled off the stool like a child. An older lady in a white dress approached me. "Hi dear." She grinned. "What can I get for you?" I had only planned on a soda, but ice cream sounded so good.
I went for both. "Root beer float." I replied.
"It'll just be a second." She walked back to the ice cream cooler and scooped out a large dollop of vanilla ice cream into a tall dessert glass. I licked my lips, as she filled the glass with dark soda. She sat it down in front of me with a straw and spoon. "Fifteen cents." She said.
I nearly panicked. I didn't bring my purse, but then I remembered the laundry bag. I was so glad Charlie had left some change in his pockets. I scrounged up fifteen cents and thanked the woman. I took out the crumpled paper I had found in Jacob's pocket and laid it on the counter, making a mental note to throw it away when I left.
She went back to work wiping off tables, but I could feel her staring at me. When I glanced over my shoulder, I could see the look in her eyes was one of pity. Did I really look so sad? I didn't feel sad anymore, not since I found out Edward was alive. But I was still lonely, very lonely, waiting anxiously for his return. I sipped my float and stared awkwardly at the wall. The sweet cool drink was refreshing in the heat. I never went out to eat by myself. It was strange not having anyone to talk to. I wished I had brought my book or anything to read, so I didn't look so alone.
I stabbed the blob of white ice cream with my spoon, and the crumpled paper caught my eye. It was probably nothing, maybe a flyer, maybe a note, maybe just a blank sheet of paper, not that it was any of my business. It wasn't as if Jacob had given me permission to go through his pockets, but what did it matter. I didn't give him permission to do any of things he tried with me. I never said, "Jacob take my hand, or Jacob kiss my cheek." I laid the spoon against the inside of the glass, and took the wrinkled ball in my hands.
Unfolding it slowly, it became obvious that there was something written on it. I thought I recognized the handwriting, but I wasn't sure. I skimmed the creased sheet. A loud gasp escaped my lips, and my hand flew into the air in anticipation, almost knocking over my glass. My float wobbled and finally settled back onto the countertop.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" The lady asked from behind me.
"F-fine." I replied, my voice shaking violently. My hands trembled as I clutched the paper with my name on it, with his name on it… a letter from Edward. Tears began to swell in my eyes. A thousand questions about Jacob raced through my mind, but I didn't care about that at the moment. This was a letter from Edward, and that was all I could focus on. My vision was bleary, and I could hardly read the words. He said he loved me. He missed me, and he was coming back. Something was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me any details. My thoughts raced with a thousand horrible possibilities. What if he caught something else in the hospital? Some rare and terrible disease, and he was still in agony. What if he was badly injured with broken bones or head trauma? It could have been anything, and I was so scared for his safety. He was probably lying somewhere weak and fragile, needing someone to take care of him, needing me. And what was I doing? On vacation with someone else. What kind of heartless monster was I?
I dried my tears with a napkin and tried to finish the letter. Three words stood out to me, my friend Jacob. I couldn't even read the sentence around that phrase. It was too painful, too horrible to imagine. He wasn't a childhood companion. Jacob knew Edward was alive. Edward sent him to me to in good confidence, because he didn't want me to be sad anymore.
My thoughts traveled back to the first night I met Jacob. I had practically fallen into his arms, given myself to him with no questions asked. Then, I remember the paper he crumpled behind his back when he embraced me. That was it, that was the moment he decided to forsake Edward. My stomach began to twist into painful knots. I couldn't hold back the sobs any longer. Quiet cries erupted from my throat. Jacob wasn't just annoying anymore. I hated him, I hated him with every ounce of my being. How could he do that to Edward, to me? He pretended to care for both of us, but he lied to keep us apart. How selfish could he be? Did he not see how much it hurt me to be apart from Edward? It wasn't enough to betray him on his own, he had to drag me down with him. Now we were both guilty. Anger seethed in my tears.
"My goodness." The lady exclaimed. I heard her approach me from behind. She sat in the stool beside mine, and I felt her arm slide around my shoulders. "Dear, don't tell me you're all right this time, because I know you aren't." She leaned in to me and whisper the words in a gentle tone.
I hung my head, and she wiped a tear from my cheek. "It's complicated."
"Sometimes it helps just to tell someone about it." Her wrinkles deepened when she smiled.
I sighed deeply, and tried to explain the horrible mess I was in in as few words as possible. "Men." I said, my voice full of contempt.
She smirked and looked at me with knowing eyes. "Are you in love dear?"
"Very much so." I replied.
"And the boy, he loves you too?" She asked.
"Yes he does." I almost managed a smile at the thought.
"Well whatever it is, if you truly love each other, everything will be fine." The door opened behind me, and a couple walked in. The lady patted me on the back, and got up to tend to the customers.
I resigned myself to my thoughts. Poor Edward, it just wasn't fair. Everything he loved was gone. Life betrayed him, and now his best friend. Et tu Jacob? He stabbed him in the back without wavering. But Edward would not fall. I wouldn't let him. I may have made a mistake, but I was all he had left.
I wadded the letter back up into a ball and got up from my seat. I wiped the last remaining traces of tears from my eyes, and threw it in the trash. Jacob couldn't find out what I knew. I waved and smiled at the kind lady, and she mouthed the words good luck.
When I made it back into the heat, my mind began to race. I had plenty of new information, and now I needed a new plan. I took slow steps on the sidewalk, as I tried to gather my frantic thoughts. How did Jacob get the letter? Did he visit Edward in the hospital in Chicago? Did Edward come to his house? If Edward was in South Carolina, that would certainly explain Jacob's apprehension about taking us to his home. But things still didn't add up. Why would Edward be in Jocassee? If he was sick, how did he even get there?
His words from my dream echoed in my head. "Follow him to me." Jacob wasn't going to Chicago. So I could only assume that I was meant to go to Jocassee. I didn't know how I was going to get there if Jacob wasn't going to take us, but I had to go. There was no choice, I was going to get there. I took a deep breath, as I approached the door of the hotel. I finally had a solid plan, but in the meantime I was going to have to be an amazing actress.
I walked through the door and down the dark hallway to our room. I tried to be as quiet as possible, but deep chattering voices greeted me from the other side. Charlie sat on the bed, a newspaper spread out in front of him. Jacob was awake, still stretched out on the couch, and he looked wracked with worry.
He didn't say hello, just glared at me angrily. "You didn't have to take my laundry down there." He spat the words with venom. Charlie rustled his paper, as if to warm him to be nice.
I smiled sweetly, trying desperately to put away the anger that seethed in my soul. "Oh Jake, it was no problem." I giggled.
He perked up a little bit, some of the tension seemed to fade from his features. "You should have woken me up. I would have liked to go with you." He smirked and licked his lips.
I sighed, here we go again. I pushed back the lump in my throat. "Yeah, I would have liked that." I tried to speak in the most sincere voice I could muster, but it was difficult not to smack him across the face. It wasn't the time to seek revenge against Jacob. He still held the key to everything I wanted. Until my feet hit in the rocky soil of Jocassee, South Carolina, I was going to be kind to him.
A/N: We're getting close to the end. I'd like to know what you want to happen. Should there be a baby involved? Do you want Bella to become a vampire? Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading! Please Review!