Chapter 28
The end… second round.
Finally the fatal day arrived. Unlike Bella, I happily accepted my comrades' greetings and Edward had been delighted to give me his first gift out of bed: A disc of his own music that he had recorded. I had then thanked him feverishly and we had shown our affection for each other for so long that we were almost late, even with Edward's reckless driving.
Alice shook my hand from time to time, sensing my nervousness and she wasn't the only one. The more the day progressed, the more I felt Edward's worried gaze on me. Unable to hold it any longer, he asks me:
"What is it Bella?" You are very nervous today. »
I then gave him the first excuse that came to me.
"I'm confused because I was born in July, not September, and my mother and I share the same birthday. It's strange and disturbing not to have him with me on this occasion. »
Of course, that wasn't what bothered me the most, but I was sincerely disappointed that I couldn't celebrate my birthday with my real mother. Renee, meanwhile, seemed to have chosen to live her life as a young bride to the full and had spaced out her calls. Perceptive, like Charlie, she had understood after a few phone calls that I was seriously in love with Edward and had left me my secret garden as she called it. Of course, she didn't yet know about my plans to marry Edward. I convinced Charlie to tell her in person.
Skeptically buying my pitiful excuse, Edward had been cuddling with me all day. We hadn't escaped the tragic Romeo and Juliet and ended up watching it in Charlie's living room. When he enviously evokes Romeo's suicide, I decide to provoke him:
"I understand, if anything happened to you, I would end my life on the spot.
Pardon ?! Edward exclaims furiously. How can you think of ending your life? Think of Charlie! To Jessica!
Neither he nor she knows who I really am. Eowyn exists only through you. If you disappear, I disappear too.
I thought you wanted to protect Charlie...
My courage has its limits. Without you and your family, I might not even exist anymore, because I wouldn't have been able to confide in anyone. Who believes in the supernatural these days.
Wolves…
You forgot my first meeting with Paul. I probably would've gone to shreds the minute I brought up Emily's injury. »
He just strokes my hair without saying anything. When the time comes to leave for my party, I kiss her passionately, as an excuse to have to change and go up to my room to try to calm myself down. Wasted effort ! When I go down the stairs, I feel like I'm going to the slaughterhouse. As if to confirm to me that the evening ahead is far from pleasant, a blue window appears:
"Main quest: Stay calm in all circumstances… Reward: Level 4 Shock Resistance skill… Penalty: A night in the forest… Duration: 3 days"
The evening was as described in the book, except that it is even more difficult to live it than to watch the scenes that pass knowing full well what will happen. The only good point is that, thanks to the increase in my dexterity, I was able to avoid taking the glass table head-on, escaping the stitches. Unfortunately Jasper had reacted just as badly as expected and my grumpy Edward was back. I knew from the book that trying to reason with him would be pointless. Minimizing what had happened was actually the best way to comfort him in what he was about to do. So I just tried to find comfort in Edward's arms, while I could.
My attitude seemed at first to surprise him, then to irritate him, but when he saw the sadness in my eyes when he tried to push me away, he gave up and let me sleep in his arms. The next day, I saw him gradually walled up in silence. I smiled at him as soon as he met my gaze, but each time he looked away without returning it. He refused to come up to my room at night.
I then take the opportunity to copy the music disc that Edward had given me on my computer. Charlie, who had offered me a camera as expected, lays the photos he had had developed on my desk and asks me what's going on with Edward. Usually he is always with me when he comes home in the evening.
"It happens that he made another decision without consulting me.
Did you argue?
No…he's abandoning me. »
Charlie widens his eyes and stammers:
" I don't understand.
My visions no longer show me marrying him. In fact, he no longer appears at all…"
Which was true. I had only dreamed of Jacob and that famous rescue at sea these past few days. Charlie seems taken aback:
"But you asked for your hand!" He loves you !
He hasn't shown it to me recently in this case. »
I feel my heart sink and tears well up in my eyes. Charlie takes me in his arms and whispers to me:
"It'll be fine, you'll see...
I know, I answer him. But it will be hard. »
I didn't think so… The moment Edward asked me in an icy tone to follow him into the forest, I felt my heart split in two. I wanted to tell him to drop this ridiculous story, I wanted to tell him that I knew what was going to happen and that it was only going to hurt us. But I knew he needed to experience this loss to realize the pointlessness of his flight. Yet I had all the arguments at my disposal, in particular her failure during her attempt to track down Victoria, the fact that she was coming back to take care of me after having lost her in South America.
Of course, without Laurent to play the scouts, she wouldn't have the information on the Cullens' powers, nor the immediate possibility of having me captured by another vampire. However, I was hoping to bring Edward to his senses before his army was ready to engage in combat. In the meantime, my stupid future ex-fiance was about to put an end to the relationship he had waited for a hundred years. Such a waste ! What a jerk!
As I bubbled beneath the surface, my face expressed as little emotion as possible. It was less serenity than acceptance and Edward was shocked to see my lack of reaction when he told me he was leaving. So I simply answer:
"I know…I've seen and heard everything you're about to tell me…Your universe is not mine, that sooner or later I'll end up being seriously hurt by staying close to you.
Yes, he said firmly, nodding his head.
I'm also aware that I'm just a distraction in the human charade you're playing… That you played well with me and now you're tired of it…"
His expression darkened as I spoke the words he had carefully selected to break the love Bella felt for him.
"After all, I'm not doing you any good and marrying me would be the worst mistake, blocking out a hundred years with a woman who grows old, withers and eventually joins the carbon cycle rotting underground, I complete, to go to the end of his reasoning. »
Edward's face hardened at my words, but eventually he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"I see you understood me perfectly, so we won't bother you anymore. The others have already left. »
He starts to back away, but I stop him:
" Hold on ! You forget that…"
I take off her mother's ring, which I haven't taken off since her marriage proposal, and place it in the palm of her hand.
"You'll need this for your new toy, I say coldly. »
He looks at the ring for a few seconds, then clenches his fist and whispers:
"Thank you Eowyn. Farewell.
Goodbye, Edward, take care, I reply, choosing my words carefully. »
He leaves in a blink of an eye and I whisper to myself:
"We will meet in Rio in a few months. »
I look around me and realize that I have absolutely no idea where I am. I sigh and take out my cell phone. I try several numbers before someone answers:
" Hello ? Paul?
What's up Bella?
I just got dumped by my vampire fiance in the middle of the forest and I'm completely lost.
Hold on ! What ?
It is complicated…
Ok ! Don't move, I'm trying to find you. Do you know anything about your location? »
I described to him as precisely as possible what was around me, although he ironically assured me that the names of the flowers and the trees were not necessary. I wait quietly after Paul has hung up.
"Quest completed… Your Shock Resistance skill has been upgraded to level 4"
I now felt strangely calm. And then, after a while, I see a large, dark silver-haired wolf scampering towards me. I stand up and smile broadly at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Paul! You found me ! You're the best ! »
"Complicity with Paul +2"
The wolf shakes his head, letting out some kind of clucking. I let go of him and he begins to transform back into a human. I just have time to turn around so as not to see the size of his family jewels. I then hear him put on some clothes and he pats me on the shoulder. I turn and meet his face, laughing.
"I thought you would have been curious!"
Your little muscular buttocks only interest your Rachel!
Ah… you still had time to see their pretty curves…
Paul! I sigh… I really don't feel like laughing.
Ok ! Explain everything to me! Why do you find yourself in the middle of the forest all alone. »
And I explain everything to him as we set off. I tell him about my visions, my plan with Alice, the catastrophic anniversary, and the Cullens' decision to leave Forks.
"Did you really go to that party knowing you were going to bleed into a room full of vampires?" ! he said incredulously. I don't know if you have big balls or if you're missing a case!
"Paul has respect for you. »
"And suddenly, your leech decided that the best way to protect you was to leave… concludes Paul…
Yes.
You're right, he's an idiot. Just leaving you in the middle of the forest wasn't a brilliant idea.
I'm not telling you… But he's going to regret it.
Are you going to find him to torture him?
Oh, he won't need me for that… He'll end up starving himself to death.
What a drama queen!
I'm not going to let it destroy itself. But for now, he'll keep hunting because he has one goal: He's hunting Victoria!
The red leech, who escaped?
Yes, she was there at the Spring Ball. She saw me with Edward and she has a little score to settle with him.
Because he killed the blondie?
Yeah, it was his mate. For a vampire, the mate is the equivalent of the imprint.
In this case, it should rather be the opposite… She who stalks him…
Except Edward isn't her goal… She wants me.
A mate for a mate? asks Paul, whitewashing.
Yes… I am his prey, I sigh.
How can you stay so calm when those best able to protect you are gone.
I can always come to you, wolf warriors are just as strong as vampires, I reply.
Ahhh! this is a fun phrase! I thought you put vampires on a pedestal. »
We finally arrive near my house. I thank him and he is about to transform again when I remember my dreams I turn to him and I call out to him:
"By the way, Paul! »
He sits up, his shorts in his hand and his package, not so small, in the open air. I blushed, while a smile is drawn on his face.
"I knew you wanted to get an eyeful!"
But no ! I protest, hiding my eyes. I've had visions of Jacob with another wolf, gray coat spotted with black, saving a girl with long brown hair from drowning. It was near a cliff.
You're not planning to kill yourself anyway! gets angry Paul.
No ! Of course not ! I just wanted to warn you that these visions are more and more frequent, I think it will happen soon. »
Paul thanks me for the information and leaves. I come home disillusioned. I go upstairs, enter my room and find that the photos where Edward appears have disappeared, as well as the music disc offered on my birthday. I check my underwear drawer and find the bank card with relief. I then head to the laundry room and take out a small chest. Opens it to check its contents and brings it to my room. I take out a small notebook, find what I'm looking for and sit down at my desk. I turn on my computer, open my mailbox and send a short message to the address found in the notebook:
"Everything is going as planned… Operation Rio is starting…"