Chapter Twenty

Edward

I needed to decide what to do, I had been stupid to tell Bella about us but she had made me so angry. What the others would say when they found out was pretty easy to imagine. They would be angry with me, possibly more than just angry and Jasper? Well, he would be looking for blood, mine or at least what passed for it. I could ask Bella to forget what I said, explain that I had been frustrated by her attitude and just wanted to scare her but something told me that once out of the bottle, the genie was going to be almost impossible to recapture.

My head no longer ached but I still felt strange and I knew it must have something to do with last night. The best thing to do would be to make my way to the house, close enough that I could hear their thoughts. If Bella had contacted someone I would soon know and then I would have to decide what to do about it. I doubted even Carlisle would be very willing to overlook such a serious breach of the law although he wouldn't report me to the Volturi, but Jasper just might. On the other hand, he was far more likely to take matters into his own hands and hunt me down, then I would need to be close enough to Carlisle to beg for his help or I was a dead man.

I made my way slowly back towards the house praying that Bella had decided I had been trying to scare her and kept my words to herself. I could see movement in the windows as I drew closer but I couldn't hear anything. Surely I was close enough by now although I'd never really taken much notice of the range of my gift, it was just there. Creeping closer I could see Rose and Emmett sitting together in the lounge and Esme and Alice in the workroom but in my head, there was absolute silence except for my own thoughts.

Not until I was close enough to hear the conversations did it dawn on me that I had no idea what any of them were thinking, I was deaf, my gift had ceased to work its magic. Panicking I drew back again fearful I might be spotted, I had to get away and think but I needed to find Bella too. If I had lost my gift then it must have happened when I was in her room when the terrible pressure started but if she was responsible how had she done it? After all, she was only a human, a simple human female.

Bella wasn't at her house and she couldn't have gotten to work without her car, Alice had offered to drive her in today but Alice was at the house and Bella hadn't been there, I would have heard her heartbeat when I had been close enough to hear their voices. Besides, no one mentioned my name or Bella's and they surely would have been discussing my actions if they knew. So, where was she? I hesitated, my first instinct was to ring her father and ask him where she was but what excuse did I have? And what if she had gone to him with my story or worse still with the truth about my late night visit. I couldn't afford to find myself taken in for questioning about a break in or worse still an assault although I very much doubted she could make that stick. She would have to prove that I was even in her bedroom but that nasty crack I had heard when I grasped her wrist did have me slightly worried. I had momentarily forgotten just how fragile humans were and to check my strength. This had become a huge mess and without my gift, I had no way of knowing just what was happening and who, if anyone, Bella had confided in.

I made my way to a small clearing I used when I wanted to be alone, up in the mountains. First of all, I would hunt, perhaps that would allow me to think clearly and perhaps my gift would return. Then I would make a plan of attack, decide who it would be safest to approach. I also needed to know if Jasper was aware what had happened because if he was then I needed to get as far away as I could as quickly as I could but I also wanted to be in place to keep on top of the situation.

Carlisle

I was stunned, Edward had assaulted Bella and worse still, told her our secret? Had he lost his mind? What the hell was he thinking? Our only rule had always been to keep the secret, especially as the Volturi watched us more carefully because of our strange way of life. By telling Bella he was putting everyone at risk, including Bella and probably her father too. The question was why? And what had possessed him to assault Jasper's girlfriend?

She was sobbing openly now and shaking violently so I put an arm around her when what I really wanted to do was to call Esme and get her over here. She would be of more use to Bella than me but for now, it was just the two of us.

"Bella, do you think you could tell me exactly what happened? I'll ask Molly to fetch some coffee and give you a few minutes to compose yourself"

I waited until she nodded then handed her a box of tissues and let her closing the door carefully behind me.

While Molly, my secretary, went to fetch coffee glancing inquiringly at my closed door I used the opportunity to phone Esme.

"Carlisle? Did you forget something?"

"No, Esme could you drive over now?"

"Of course, I'll leave right away. What's happened?"

"Bella was here when I got in, she'd injured herself and Clive treated her."

"Oh, poor Bella! How did it happen?"

I hesitated,

"She said Edward assaulted her, she's very distressed. He also told her what we are."

I heard her sharp intake of breath, she was as shocked as me.

"I'll be with you as quickly as I can."

Molly arrived back with the coffee on a tray along with cookies and I took it from her with thanks and slipped through the door pushing it shut behind me immediately with my foot just in case Bella was still distressed.

She had stopped crying but was still very pale and shivering but managed a weak smile for me.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, I didn't know what to do. I came here as soon as I could."

"Drink your coffee and take your time. I rang Esme and she'll be joining us soon."

She nodded and sipped her coffee with her good hand although I saw her wince.

"Bella, you said Edward assaulted you, I have to ask, did he…..?"

"No" She shook her head vehemently,

"He just grabbed me, that's when I hurt my wrist and got the bruises."

"Bruises?"

As she pulled up the sleeves of her sweater she winced again and then I saw the reason why, both upper arms were circled by finger shaped dark bruises, he had really used some force. Before I could say anything I heard Esme's voice outside and a tap on the door, she had obviously run all the way as it would be faster. It would be easier on Bella to have a woman's presence, especially as I assumed I was going to be forced to answers questions about our secret.

Bella tensed but as soon as she saw Esme's expression she got up and almost ran into her arms. Whatever she thought of what Edward had told her she still trusted us which was a relief.

"Oh Bella, I am so sorry my love. Come on, sit down and finish your coffee then you can tell us everything."

She did so, still holding Esme's hand for moral support and as we listened in horror Bella told us everything that had happened between herself and Edward over the past few weeks.

"I am so sorry Bella and thank you so much for coming to us first. We should be honest with you in return but first, have you spoken to Jasper?"

She shook her head,

"I didn't want to worry him, he's too far away to do anything."

Esme and I exchanged a look, if Bella was Jasper's mate and we didn't doubt him then he would probably have felt her distress and it was a wonder he hadn't called. It was at this point that her cell phone began to buzz insistently. She fumbled to extricate it from her pocket and looked at the screen then gasped looking fearful.

"It's Jasper, what do I say to him?"