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Chapter 24

EPOV

Busting through the already broken door, I'm faced with my worst nightmare—Bella, lifeless on the floor, her blood everywhere. James is standing over her, arms raised above him.

"JAMES!" my voice roars, followed by a guttural growl that comes from deep within. I make it from the door to James in less than a second, pushing him into the bar. Glass flies everywhere and the smell of blood is so pungent, it accosts me from every angle. Venom races through my veins. I haven't wanted to kill someone in this manner in a very long time. The frenzy that's been lying dormant, deep within me, starts boiling over.

At this point, I don't see Bella. I don't see James. I see red, and it's painting the whole room.

He will die.

I turn around to find Bella still lying on the floor. I concentrate on her, trying to hear any signs of life coming from her body. I'm not breathing, not moving. Looking back at James, he moans and rolls over on the floor, holding his side.

I can hear his heart beating.

I can hear the glass crunching as he moves.

There is movement of fabric and splintered wood.

Finally, there's a soft fluttering, a heartbeat. I'd know that heartbeat anywhere. I've listened to it in the stillness of the night. I've heard it race as an orgasm rips through her body. I've heard it skip a beat when my skin touches hers.

I turn my attention toward James.

"Edward," James moans from the floor. "She's a whore," he winces, holding his side. "You've said it yourself, she's dispensable. It's why you pick up girls like her. Don't make this worse than it already is," he says, looking at me and making eye contact. I know that he sees the unadulterated anger in my eyes. I can taste it, feel it. "You don't want to do this" are his last words.

"You've given me no choice!"

I charge him, sending us both into the mirrored wall. A splinter of glass cuts his cheek, causing venom to pool in my mouth. I decide not to waste any more time on him; he's nothing. He's the one who's dispensable.

I need to help Bella, so I end him.

With one bite, my teeth rip through the skin of his neck, killing him instantly.

Leaving his dead body on the ground, I turn to her. Her heartbeat is fainter. I'm afraid I waited too long. Carefully, I lift her up and carry her back to my bed and allow myself a moment to just be with her. This could be it. I should've come earlier. My instincts told me something was wrong and now I'm filled with guilt. I can't lose her. Not now. For once in my life, I have something to live for, if that's what this is. I gently touch her hair and her lips. My lips touch hers, softly.

I've never changed another person besides Rose. I don't even know if I can do it again. I don't know if I'll have the will to stop myself once I taste her blood.

My mind drifts to Rose. I remember the fury in her eyes once she woke. She hated me so much. I don't know if I can risk that with Bella. I'd rather die myself than have her hate me, but I can't live without her. I know this now. I need her. She's everything. She's the sun and the moon, light and goodness. She makes me want to be a better person. She's saved me from myself.

With those thoughts, selfishness takes over and I bite for the second time today, but this time, I hold back, allowing the venom to leave me and flow into her. I make several shallow bites at her pulse points, taking as much caution as I can. I don't want to flood her body with too much venom, but I need it to be enough to save her. She can't die.

"Bella, please, baby . . . come back to me, please."

I'm not sure when Rosalie comes to my side, but when I finally break out of the deep depths of fear and despair, I look over at her. She's sitting so still, amidst the destruction left in the wake of James. The expression on her face is one of mixed emotions, but more than anything, I see the worry etched into her brows.

"Did you find McCarty?" I ask, my voice raspy and dry, barely above a whisper.

"Yes," she answers, solemnly.

"Is he . . ." I begin to speak, but I can't finish the question. I don't even know how much time has passed—how long I've been lying here.

"He's going to be fine. It'll take a few days, but nothing life-threatening," she says, her eyes focused on Bella.

"Are you not going to change him?"

"I can't right now, because it's not the right time. I would never do it without his approval. We need more time to talk about it."

"But you're not completely ruling it out?"

"No. Losing Mother and coming close to losing Bella has made me see the benefits of immortality. Just as you feel that you can't go on without Bella, I feel the same toward McCarty. He's my life and, besides you, the only family I have. Even vampires shouldn't have to live their lives solitarily. What's life without someone to share it with?"

I turn and look at my sister, truly seeing her human side for the first time since the day she woke from her transformation.

"I disposed of James," she adds.

"Thank you." I can't even think his name right now without wanting to kill him all over again, let alone decide what to do with his remains.

"You're going to have to call Jake and Garrett. They'll continue to look for him and we don't need them showing up here. They'll also be looking for Bella."

Rose has always been the logical one, and I know she's right, but I can't think about any of that right now.

Needing to do something but not knowing what, I carry Bella to my bedroom and begin cleaning her body. I gently remove her clothes and wash the blood from her skin. Seeing her naked, cut, and bruised fills me with instant rage and grief; it causes a growl to erupt so thunderous that the walls of the room shake.

I'm so consumed in my wrath that I almost attack my sister when she touches my arm.

"Go hunt, Edward. It'll help clear your mind for a while. I'll finish taking care of Bella."

"No! Don't you touch her!" I growl.

"You know I won't hurt her. I'll finish getting her clean and then I'll dress her. She'll be fine."

My brain is at war with my heart, knowing Rose is right, but feeling too terrified to leave Bella.

Rose ignores me and finishes cleaning Bella's body. Once my emotions are in check and I see that Bella is safe with Rose, I leave to hunt.

After I return, I don't leave her side again. Minutes turn into hours, and hours turn into days, as I lay beside her, listening to her faint heartbeat. I want to be there if she makes any sort of movement. I listen for an incline in her heartbeat or an increase in the number of breaths she takes, but they don't change. She doesn't change. She remains still, too still. I wish Carlisle were here. He would know what to do. He could tell me if I did it right. He would know how to save her.

I pull out my phone and dial Carlisle's number. It only takes a couple of rings before he answers.

"Edward. How are you?"

Without hesitation, I immediately start telling him what's happened. He asks me precise questions about how long Bella's been unconscious and where I bit her . . . how many times, what the extent of her injuries were, and was there any damage to the heart. After I provide him every intricate detail, he assures me that I did everything I could, but that only time will tell.

As I end the call, I'm overcome with dread. All the "what ifs" are still plaguing my mind. I know Carlisle was just being realistic and not wanting to get my hopes up, but his final statement about time makes me realize that it's out of my control. There's nothing I can do for Bella now besides wait and be here if and when she wakes up.

I feel venom sting at the corner of my eyes, as dry body-wracking sobs force their way out of my throat.

A hand gently touches my shoulder. "You did the right thing," Rosalie whispers.

"What if she dies anyway? I don't think I can continue on without her."

"She's not going to die."

"You don't know that! There's no way of knowing for sure if the venom took effect. She hasn't made more than a whimper since she went unconscious."

I'd never want her to be in pain, but any sort of sound from her would be welcomed at this point—any sign that she's still in there, that she's still alive. The only thing I'm holding onto is the quiet beating of her heart.

And then it stops.

A/Ns:

Thanks for reading and reviewing! We're so looking forward to hearing what you think about this chapter. The end is near! The last chapter will be posted on Saturday and then we'll have a futuretake for you guys next week!

We'd like to thank our beta, Mauigirl60, for her time and help on this story!