Chapter Six – The Week from Hell: Part One

Monday
When Amy's alarm cut through the air on Monday morning, only her eyelids moved, the dull morning light piercing her pupils. Her eyes met the same vision of her bedroom they had seen before she fell asleep the night before.

After the repetitive noise became unbearable, she tightened her muscles in preparation to roll over and shut off the alarm. The pain in her foot ignited like a matchstick, piercing her stiff ankle and shooting up her calf. Her body gave in to the pain, and she collapsed into the cushy comfort of her pillow. Staring up at the ceiling, she reached her left hand to her nightstand and turned off the alarm. She laid in silence for another minute, only prolonging the pain that was sure to come from the effort it would take to ready herself for work.

Jacob had offered to stay the night in case she needed help, but she had swiftly turned down his offer. Like a perfectly trained nurse, he had secured an ice pack around her injured ankle, fluffed her pillows, and ensured she was comfortable in bed before leaving her to rest and sleep. Now, she wished she had allowed him to sleep on her couch. She feared she needed help just getting out of bed.

Mustering all of her upper arm strength, she sat up, a grimace covering her face with each agonizing movement. Step two was moving her legs. Even though she groaned with the pain, swinging her legs over the side of the bed was easier than she anticipated. Standing up was a different story. With her ankle stiff and swollen, she limped to the bathroom and immediately took three aspirin.

Readying herself for work was more time-consuming than normal due to the unwanted pain. She maneuvered through her morning routine less than gracefully, and more than once she had to grab onto a stationary object to prevent her from falling. But after she wrapped and taped her ankle, and the aspirin took effect, she finally felt comfortable putting a small amount of weight on her damaged left foot.

With a weighted sigh, Amy prepared for the most difficult journey yet: the staircase. Step by step, she traveled to the first level of her condo, weary with anxiety by the time she reached the base.

As she clutched her purse, her keys jingling inside, the doorbell rang. Her eyebrows raised in confusion before she pivoted her direction to answer the chime. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the door.

"Edward." Her voice was light and airy with shock.

"Good morning." His serene voice matched his soft smile.

"Morning. Wh-what are you doing here?" She shifted her weight to her right foot and leaned against the door. Like a soft breeze, his scent flowed through the air and into her nostrils, instantly making her light-headed.

"Just checking in." Amy expected more of an explanation, but Edward remained silent, his lush, golden eyes fixated on her. Amidst the dull, gray morning, the man provided the magnificent missing morning splendor.

"I, um, was just heading to work, actually." His beauty clouded her rational thought. Her mind was in an invisible battle. On one end, the undeniable desire her body felt for his consummate body; the other end contained a curious itch of caution – why was he here? She carefully stepped out of her door, her limp obvious. Edward reflexively stepped to the side as she locked the door.

"Are you getting around okay?"

Amy flicked her hair to the side to allow her eyes to feast on him. The battle in her head ensued. "Sort of. This morning has been a little rough, but I'm just stiff." Her right foot started the journey down the outdoor staircase, but she paused before forcing the second foot to join in.

"May I help you?" A shudder ran down her spine as Edward's sweet breath brushed along her cheek. The rational part of her brain was unexpectedly victorious, and she reflexively pulled away from him.

"No, thank you. I need to try to do it on my own."

"Are you sure? I can—"

"It's fine. I'm fine. I'll make it." Step by step, Amy made the slow journey down the stairs. She sensed Edward's presence immediately behind her, his hands just inches away from assisting her. You idiot! The hot guy's hands could be on you right now. What the hell is wrong with you, you stubborn bitch?! She sighed as her feet touched the ground, Edward's following in rhythm.

"Make it okay?" They were facing each other at the foot of the staircase.

"Yes, I think so." A crooked smile was showing on Edward's face, but it left as a breeze passed between them. He took a step backward and shoved his hands in his pockets. The image was eerily similar to his appearance when she exited her car with Carlisle the night before.

"Do you think you'll be able to drive to work? Otherwise I can—" Edward cut himself off, his head whipping around toward the street. Jacob's car pulled up to the curb, and the tall Quileute stepped out of his car in one fluid movement.

Amy's eyes darted back and forth from Edward to Jacob, the unspoken challenge somehow louder than the silence. Edward had turned around completely, and Amy took a step forward to stand next to him as Jacob strode toward them. He was clearly dressed for work, his blue, button-down shirt tucked neatly into his black slacks. Jacob and Edward's eyes were locked on each other, unblinking.

"Morning, Jake." She was surprised at herself as her eyes quickly looked him up and down. The collared shirt perfectly accented his muscles.

"Morning, Ames." A mild version of his perfect smile made a brief appearance before his eyes flicked to the man beside Amy. "Cullen." He flicked his head upward in greeting.

"Good morning, Jacob." Edward's response was more polite, but his words were severely subdued.

Ignoring Edward, Jake continued. "Need a ride to work? I tried calling you, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. My cell phone's probably dead. I haven't charged it in a few days."

Jacob nodded, his eyes flicking to Edward, then back to Amy. "So how about a ride? Or are you two going somewhere?"

"No. He was just, um … " Her voice trailed off, and she decided that not answering was probably a better choice. "Yea, a ride would be great." Jacob raised an eyebrow as he turned around to walk back toward his vehicle. Amy seized the moment of privacy to speak to Edward. "Sorry to leave right away, but we work in the same place," she explained, pointing her thumb at Jake. "I don't want to make you go out of your way, so, I'll see you later?"

Edward nodded, eyeing Jacob as he waited, leaning against his vehicle.

"Thanks for stopping by." Amy grinned at him, then limped toward Jake. She met the chocolate brown eyes of Jacob ahead of her, but she knew a set of golden eyes was watching her from behind.

*****

"So you gotta tell me something," Amy said as Jacob navigated through the morning traffic on the main streets of Winthrop.

"Shoot, gimpy." He grinned at his own joke.

"What is the deal with you and Edward? Do you guys not like each other or something?"

The smile quickly faded from Jacob's face, and he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

"I don't want to pry or anything." Very suddenly, Amy felt guilty for asking. "I mean, I can tell it's a sore subject. I just … it was very weird before."

"That obvious, huh?" Jacob maintained his focus on the road, and Amy kept her focus on Jake. "He and I got in a fight about a year ago."

"A fight? Like an actual fight?" The timbre of her voice raised in disbelief.

"Yea. With him and his brother." Amy remained silent in anticipation, and Jacob knew he would have to continue the story. "I was already having a really bad day. It was really late and raining. I was on my way back from a friend's house, and I got a flat tire on the way home, which just made it worse. And while I'm standing in the rain getting soaked trying to fix it, I cut my leg, so now I'm even more pissed off. And then out of fucking no where, that Cullen kid attacks me …"

The narrow slit ran down his leg. He could feel the warm liquid oozing outward into the moist night air, a deep red droplet falling toward his shoe.

"Damn lug nuts," Jacob said out loud. He stood up with the wrench to return it to the trunk. Before he reached the rear of his vehicle, a boulder slammed into him, knocking him roughly to the ground and stealing his last breath. Jacob rolled onto his stomach and slowly pushed himself up onto his knees.

"Jasper, no!"

Clutching his chest, Jacob looked up and saw Edward pushing his brother back. Jasper's black eyes were wide and furious, as if he was possessed by the sight of Jacob. The blonde-haired freak was clawing at Edward's clothing, snarling like an animal.

"Dude, what the fuck is the matter with you?" Jacob's voice was more aggressive than he had anticipated as he rose to his feet and marched toward the thrashing Jasper.

"Jacob, back off!" Edward shot Jacob a harsh glare as he wrestled with his brother.

"You back off!" Jacob spat back.

In what seemed like a second, random bodies appeared and tangled. Jasper had surrendered to the clutches of his father and siblings. Full of rage and frustration, Jacob swung a punch at Edward, his fist colliding with what felt like stone. In a millisecond, it was as if the animal in Jasper transferred to Edward, and with one vengeful strike, Jacob was on the ground again. Edward stood over him, eyes exploding with fury …

"The rest of his … clan stopped the fight. Then they all disappeared. Only Carlisle stayed behind. He actually showed enough respect to see if I was okay, unlike the rest of his damn family."

Jacob parked the car, bringing even more emphasis to the finality of his story. They had arrived at the Daily News building. Amy was attempting to form a reasonably sensible response in her mind.

"I'm really sorry, Jake. I can't even imagine that." Her emotions bounced around in her head like a high-speed tennis match. She and Jacob exited his car, Amy taking twice as long to comfortably plant her feet on the ground. Jacob had already walked around the car and extended his arm to support her weight as she stood up. Jake locked the car after she exited, and they began their short walk to the front door in the morning mist. "I guess I don't get it – why was Jasper trying to fight with you?"

"No idea. I don't even know if I want to know. So I ignore them, and they ignore me."

"Amy! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for the past 30 minutes!" Charlotte jogged outside to the twosome, gripping her mobile phone in her hand.

"I'm sorry – my phone's dead. What's up?"

"News has been going crazy. A woman was murdered last night, and the police are holding a press conference in twenty minutes. Sophie wants us there."

Amy felt her pulse quicken, her adrenaline helping to fuel her actions. In less than three minutes, she and Charlotte were on their way to the courthouse for the press conference, cameras in tow.

*****

Amy let her head collapse onto her desk. This is a disaster.

All her early preparation for tomorrow's issue was wasted. Because of the murder, news needed a completely different front-page layout: new copy, new photos, stories shifted, stories ditched. Every department was affected. Employees were scurrying around the building, the sounds of elevated voices and shuffling papers filling the office.

It was just after 10:30 a.m. Amy and Charlotte were on their computers reviewing the photos from the press conference, and the remaining members of the photography staff were assisting other departments with new layouts. Unlike her experience in New York where crime and murders were more prevalent, Winthrop hadn't had a homicide in more than three years. Anxiety levels were high.

For the next three hours, Amy and Charlotte shuffled between their work areas and the news department as stories were written, edited, finalized and placed into layout.

On what felt like her fiftieth trip back to her office, her phone rang. Still standing, Amy was focused on a handful of e-mails from Anthony Cornatto, a writer from the Lifestyle section. Anthony wrote the feature story on Carlisle, which, amidst the chaos, was the only portion of her work that had remained stable since Friday. She curled a section of hair around her ear and answered the phone.

"Daily News, this is Amy."

"Hi. It's Wes."

Amy froze, his voice causing an instant, unwanted raise in her heart rate. She forgot she had given him her business card. Her work and mobile phone numbers were showcased for him on the tiny piece of cardstock, not to mention her e-mail. Her mind immediately reflected on Edward's words from yesterday: Stay away from him. From Wes … He's going to keep trying to see you.

"I know you're upset with me—"

"Don't call me at work." She hung up before he could finish his sentence. Staring at the phone, half-expecting it to ring again, she sat down at her desk. When the phone remained silent, she returned her focus to her computer. She began flicking through the images of the Cullen family from the Spring Fling.

Her eyes scanned the family, from Carlisle, to Edward, and finally to Jasper, the quiet younger brother who had practically attacked Jacob. It didn't make sense. Carlisle and Edward in particular had been friendly. Helpful. Edward was proper and polite, albeit strange on occasion. But his allusive demeanor was attractive, not to mention every aspect of his appearance. Besides Jacob, the Cullens were the closest people she had to calling friends.

Charlotte walked in as Amy let out a dragging sigh. "Need a break?"

"Or a drink."

"Let's go grab some lunch."

"Actually, I need to make a stop somewhere. Do you know where the Cullens live?"

*****

Carlisle opened the door as the Pruis was driving away, although he had recognized the visitors based on scent. For that reason, he had decided on not answering the door. He was still concerned that the alluring scent would cause Edward even more emotional distress.

A small, brown package rested outside the door, a white, letter envelope taped to the front. After the car's taillights disappeared from his vision, he opened the door to retrieve the package.

Curious, he opened the package and the letter. The remnants of his human emotions were exposed through his smile. He immediately went upstairs to his son's room to show him the gift.

Edward was sitting in his room, the curtains shielding the light from the windows to match his brooding mood. The mellow sounds of a soft, acoustic guitar were floating from his sound system.

Carlisle had not been able to revive Edward from this dark place, but he hoped the sudden arrival of the package would blanket his son with new warmth.

"She was here," Carlisle said quietly, sitting beside Edward on the arm of his couch.

"I know. I could smell her."

Carlisle rested the note and package on Edward's lap and squeezed his shoulder. "I know these past few days have been rough on you. But I want you to know I'm very proud of you."

"Proud of me?" Edward's voice was pained. "Dad, I almost killed her. Several times."

"But you didn't." Carlisle squeezed Edward's shoulder again. "You see something in her."

"So do the others. They're coming. I know you know."

"Yes, they are. But we'll take care of it." Carlisle stood up, hoping this conversation didn't overwhelm his son even more. "Take a look at that," Carlisle told him, nodding toward the package resting in Edward's lap. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe she sees something in you, too."

As Carlisle left his room, Edward's eyes lowered to the item Amy had left behind. He opened the package and pulled out a beautiful, framed photo of his family. In the center was Carlisle, his arms wrapped tightly around Esme. Edward stood at Carlisle's right, followed by Alice and Jasper. On the other side of Esme were Emmett and Rosalie.

He moved to the envelope next, producing a letter written in small, very neat, handwriting:

Carlisle,

Enclosed is a gift for you and your family. Normally, I would take great pride in such a wonderful photo, but my subjects were beyond photogenic.

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet you, Esme and all of your children, and I especially wanted to thank you and Edward for assisting me last night. As a new resident, I consider myself fortunate to have met you both. Please pass along my gratitude to Edward – he has been nothing but kind.

Take care,

Amy

The darkness that had enveloped him for days finally began to fade, and an entirely new emotion began to replace it.

*****

Tuesday
Amy limped into the office on Tuesday morning, her favoritism for her left foot not as obvious as the previous day. Even more of an improvement was her ability to drive herself to work. To celebrate, she was wearing her favorite pair of black slacks, coupled with a regal, red top that flaunted the curves of her hips. Her hair was down, as usual, but fell in graceful waves down her back and front.

The chaos from yesterday had faded, what with the Tuesday edition of the paper released a few hours ago. She was carrying the newspaper under her arm, and she immediately unfolded and opened it once she entered her office. After scanning the front page, she flipped to the Lifestyle section where the charismatic, warm grin of Carlisle Cullen met her gaze. Her first reaction was to smile. Her second was to ensure her eyes found Edward, his crooked grin causing its usual flutter of lust to pass through her body like a shockwave.

Her ringing phone interrupted any potential aftershock.

"Good morning, this is Amy."

"Hi Amy, it's Miranda. You have a visitor at the front desk. Shall I send him back?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thanks, Miranda."

Her eyes flicked back to the photo of Edward after she hung up the phone. Even though her injury was less of a bother, she would have liked to see his chiseled face outside of her door this morning.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to find an old man standing in her doorway, an aura of regality surrounding him.

"Good morning, Ms. Isadorra. My name is Aro."