The note had been written, the escape plan put into action. And as I slipped into the back of the taxi, giving instructions to the driver to take me to the ballet studio, I couldn't help but picture the panicked, terrified faces Alice and Jasper would have worn when they realised I'd disappeared. The guilt followed, washing over me in waves until I pushed it down, forcing myself to focus on other matters.
Finally standing outside the ballet studio, I tentatively touched the shiny handle. It was unlocked and I let myself in. Now there was no going back. Even if I turned to run, James would easily track me down and there was no one to save me.
I'd walked to my death, and my only hope was that my mother would be let go.
"Bella? Bella?"
My mom's voice, high pitched with hysterical panic. I immediately ran in that direction, pushing through doors, running from the lobby to the studio, where the voice instantly grew louder.
"Bella! You scared me!"
Her tone had turned lighter, happier. Still, I continued to run towards it, the confusion and fear gripping me tightly. But when I yanked open the door to the store room at the end of the studio, I was met only with a small TV screen staring back at me, playing a recording of a tiny me, all dressed up for a ballet lesson.
When I turned back to the studio, there was only silence, and the long shadows from the limited light that streamed through the high windows. I took a step out.
A hand pressed against my shoulder, shoving me backwards into the wall.
"Hello, Bella."
I stared straight ahead, doing my best to stop myself taking in large gulps of air, willing my body to stop shaking from terror. I didn't want to give James the satisfaction of a fearful prey.
"I know what you're thinking," he went on. "This is all some elaborate plan to trick you into coming here alone to 'save your mother'."
Oddly enough, his voice had lost that predatorial tone from earlier. Now, it was softer, almost concerned. I dared to take one glance at him, and though his hand was still against my shoulder, he was holding me at arm's length from him.
"Bella, Bella," he sighed, as he shook his head. "I don't want to kill you. I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you."
I swallowed. "About what?"
"About Edward." His fingers pushed against my cheek, gently turning my head towards his, and my eyes were drawn to his red ones. "Bella, he's not good for you."
It was quite possibly one of the most ridiculous things I'd been told. Edward? Not good for me? The idea was absurd.
"What do you mean?"
"He's not-" James broke off, releasing my shoulder and taking a few steps back. "He's not a good person."
Those words snapped something inside of me. I didn't care about being dragged out of the state, or running into the arms of death to save my mother, only to find she was safe all along. But hearing James tell me that Edward wasn't… wasn't perfect, triggered something.
"And you would know that how?" I snapped back.
James chuckled. "There's the fire I was searching for." However, his smile quickly faded and the serious expression returned. "I have eyes everywhere, Bella. I have the contacts of people all around the world. Some of their names would shock you. I've heard things about Edward. Bad, bad things."
"But… Edward loves me."
"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I'm not one to say. But Bella, this relationship won't end well. It never does, with those kinds of people."
"I don't believe you." Edward was a good person. He wouldn't hurt me intentionally. He would never treat me with anything less than I deserved.
"Always so stubborn." He hesitates. "This isn't how I wanted to do it. I saw you there in the field, stood beside Edward, and when I realised you're together, I knew I had to do something. Bella you have two choices. Either you stay here and I let the Cullens save you. Or I can take you away from them. Which do you choose?"
My legs finally unfroze, and got me half way across the studio, before James leapt and landed in front of me, knocking me to the ground.
"You're lying," I said, from where I stared up at him on the floor.
"You'll realise the truth soon enough."
Determined not to hear another word of his nonsense, I pushed myself up again. But James easily kept me down.
"Edward's coming," he said, eyes darting around the room for a second. "Please, Bella. Please listen to me. Get away from him while you still can. Get away before he does too much damage. Before leaving him will hurt you too much."
"This is stupid," I insisted. "I won't leave Edward."
James closed his eyes for a moment. "I can get rid of him, Bella. If you ever need me to, well, I'll be around. I'll get rid of him."
He crouched beside me, his mouth by my ear, his icy breath making me shiver. "I'm sorry."
His hand wrapped around my leg and he swung me up and flung me into the wall, the mirror shattering, glass raining over me. He ran over, leaned down, and in one swift movement, he smashed my leg into the floor at such an angle that filled me with excruciating pain.
Then a dark shape slammed into him, propelling the pair into the far wall. I twisted round to see Edward, his eyes closed, his throat held by James. He opened his eyes and stared directly into mine. Even from that distance, I saw them darken to black.
James smashed his head into the window, just like he'd smashed my leg into the ground. Edward's eyes fell shut again and James released him. The red-eyed vampire spun around to give me one last fleeting look, before he jumped up to the overhang, broke a window and disappeared into the night.
