Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Danger
Bella was watching TV with Charlie when she casually brought up her shopping trip with Jessica and Angela. Thankfully her nemesis, Lauren, had cried off when she found out it was Bella who had organized the whole thing.
Charlie was being thoughtful. He knew Bella didn't like baseball, so he had turned the TV onto some mindless sitcom that neither of them really enjoyed. He was happy, though, to be doing something together.
Bella decided to wait for the commercials before broaching the subject. "Dad, Jessica and Angela have invited me to go shopping with them tomorrow night in Port Angeles. Do you mind if I go with them?"
"Jessica Stanley?" Charlie asked.
"And Angela Weber."
Charlie looked confused. "I thought you were coming up to La Push with me and having another tutoring session with Jake while Billy and I watch the game."
Bella sighed. She would rather have been spending her free time with Jacob, even if it was only doing homework, but she could hardly cancel something she had arranged in the first place. Even if she had only made the offer to Jessica on a whim to salve her guilty conscience about using the other girl to deflect Edward's attention away from her.
"Jake knows that I can't study with him tomorrow." She pictured the disappointment on Jacob's face, which he had quickly hid, when she told him about her plans with her other friends.
"You hate shopping, Bells." Charlie was still bewildered why she would agree to do something she disliked so much.
"I'm just trying to be sociable. They're buying clothes-you know, and I'm just there to give them some constructive criticism." Bella knew she wouldn't have to go into this much of an explanation if it was Renee.
"Well, okay." Charlie realized he was out of his depth with all this girlie stuff. "Don't stay out too late." He warned her. "And be careful. Make sure to pack the pepper spray I gave you."
Bella refrained from rolling her eyes, thinking that Charlie was being particularly overcautious because he was a cop. Then she thought of Edward Cullen and changed her mind. "I'll pack it." She promised. "You'll be okay for dinner, right?"
"Bella, honey, I've fed myself for seventeen years before you got here." Charlie laughed.
"I don't know how you survived." Bella mumbled under her breath, then added more clearly. "I'll leave some things for cold cut sandwiches in the fridge, okay? Right on top."
Charlie nodded; his attention already drawn back to the TV.
To Bella's immense delight it was sunny again in the morning. She awakened with renewed hope that the dreaded shopping trip might not be as awful as she anticipated now the sun was out, and by the fact that Lauren had other obligations. She was also a little anxious to get out of town.
With the same nightmare of Edward Cullen now tormenting her nearly every night, she was glad of an opportunity to escape the place where she had the most likely possibility of accidentally running into him. At least when she came across him at school, she was surrounded by other people. Outside, when she was alone, was a more hazardous prospect. She hadn't been tested in that way yet, but she had a feeling that they would cross paths in that way sometime soon in a town this small.
As she got ready for the outing later that day, she vowed to herself that she would be in a good mood and not ruin Jessica or Angela's enjoyment in the clothes hunting. Bella thought she even might dabble in some clothes shopping herself if she felt so inclined. Her meagre wardrobe could do with updating.
Bella dressed for the warmer weather in a deep blue V-neck blouse- something she'd worn in the dead of winter in Pheonix. They were all going in Jesscia's old white Mercury, none of them trusted that Bella's old truck would survive the journey, much to her chagrin.
As Bella was brushing her hair, feeling a slight lift of excitement as she contemplated getting out of Forks, she heard a car horn outside. Jessica was early. Bella quickly ran down the stairs, scribbling a hasty note to Charlie, explaining again where to find dinner, switched her scruffy wallet from her school bag to a purse she rarely used, and hurried out to meet Jessica. They went to Angela's house next, and she was already waiting for them.
Bella's excitement increased exponentially as they drove out of the town limits and joined in her friends excited chapter, thinking this might be fun after all.
Jessica's car was faster than the truck, so they reached Port Angeles in record time. Bella was getting an estrogen rush which was invigorating, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a girls' night out. If ever. They sang along to whiny rock songs playing on the radio, while also listening to Jesscia jabbering on about the boys they hung out with. Jessica's dinner with Mike had gone very well, and she was hoping they would soon progress on to the first kiss stage. Bella smiled to herself, pleased that her little scheme to get them together had worked. That was the Mike problem solved.
Angela listened passively to Jessica burble on and on. She had no real interest in any of the boys they hung out with, thinking most of them were too immature for her taste. Jessica tried to get her to confess who her type was, but Bella interrupted her, noticing that Angela was finding Jessica's nosiness a bit of a strain. Jessica was easily deflected with talk about clothes. Angela threw Bella a relieved smile in gratitude.
Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quainter than Forks. But Jessica and Angela knew it well, so they didn't waste time on the picturesque boardwalk by the bay. Jessica drove to the one big department store in town, a few streets in from the bay area's visitor-friendly face.
Even though the clothes section wasn't that large or exciting, Jessica dived straight in. Both she and Angela found a few things to try on, while Bella sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, trying to contain her boredom. She had found nothing she wanted to try on herself.
While the other two girls were occupied, Bella decided to ease her boredom by texting Jacob.
How's the game?
Bella was surprised when her cell phone buzzed almost straight away with his response.
Boring! How's the shopping?
Bella smiled to herself as she quickly typed her reply.
Boring!
Not seen anything you like?
No. How are the old men?
Both crying into their beers and shouting at the TV.
Bella snickered at the image that invoked in her head. She was about to send Jacob another text when Jessica interrupted her, demanding her attention. Bella hastily stuffed her cell into the front pocket of jeans as she pretended to admire the clingy pink woolen dress that Jesscia was trying on. It was not something she would have chosen, but Jessica seemed fond of it, so that was all that mattered.
After the girls were satisfied with the clothes they had chosen, Bella followed them over to the shoes and accessories section. While they tried things on, Bella merely watched and critiqued again, while also sending Jacob an occasional text. Jessica became quite irritated that Bella's cell kept buzzing, constantly diverting her attention.
"You're popular." She said sarcastically. "Who keeps texting you? Is it Edward Cullen?"
As soon as Jessica brought up Edward's name it took the shine off the girls' night out. Bella knew she had done it deliberately to annoy her. "No." She answered curtly.
"Who is it then?" Jessica demanded rudely.
Jessica's pissy attitude immediately put Bella's back up. She noticed Angela hovering nervously to one side, clearly wondering what had sparked off the little tiff.
They had all planned to go to dinner in a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk after the clothes shopping, but Bella felt like she needed some space from Jessica before the tiff exploded into a full-on argument. As an excuse to get away, Bella told them she would meet them at the restaurant in one hour- she wanted to look for a bookstore.
Jessica just sniffed, turning away, and pretending to focus on some silver belts that she had been admiring. Angela gave Bella an apologetic look, knowing very well what Jessica could be like when got into one of her huffy moods. She didn't blame Bella for wanting to escape.
"We'll take a walk down to the bay after we've finished here. Then we'll meet you at the restaurant." She promised Bella faithfully.
"Thanks, Angela." Bella was reminded again of why she liked Angela so much.
Bella had no trouble finding the bookstore, but it wasn't what she was looking for. The windows were full of crystals, dreamcatchers, and books about spiritual healing. She didn't even go inside. Through the glass she could see a fifty-year-old woman with long, gray hair worn straight down her back, clad in a dress right out of the sixties, smiling welcomely behind the counter. Bella decided that was one conversation she could skip.
Sighing, Bella went for a wander through the streets. They were already filling up with end-of-the-workday traffic. She hoped she was heading in the right direction. She wasn't paying as much attention as she should to where she was going, when she happened to glance up and saw a familiar silver Volvo parked along the street. Immediately her mood came crashing down.
Edward Cullen was here. In Port Angeles. Right now. It was his car. She knew it. There was no way it could be a coincidence.
Bella's hand dug into her purse, her fingers closing tightly around the pepper spray as she swiftly changed direction, heading toward some glass fronted shops. But when she got to them, they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. She still had too much time to go looking for Jessica and Angela yet, but she was lost, and unsure about what direction to take. To calm herself down, Bella ran her fingers through her hair and took some deep breaths before she continued around the corner. She just needed to surround herself with other people, then she would be fine.
As she continued at a faster pace, Bella started to realize that she was going in the wrong direction. The little foot traffic she had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings were mostly warehouses. She decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around a few blocks and try her luck on a different street on her way back to the boardwalk.
But as she crossed the street, out of her corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the same silver Volvo as before. It was definitely tailing her. Bella's heart beat sounded loud in her ears as she quickened her pace, half running down the road in an effort to get away.
In the distance she saw a group of four men. They were dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached, Bella realized they were not much older than she was. They were joking amongst themselves, laughing raucously, and punching each other's arms. Bella scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as she could to give them room, walking swiftly and with purpose.
"Hey, there, darlin'" One of them called out. "You look lost. I can give you directions."
"I'm fine, thank you." Bella kept her head down and kept on moving.
"Are you sure, sweetheart?" The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut off jeans, and sandals. He took a half step toward her.
"Stay away from me." Bella warned him. The pepper spray was still clutched firmly in her right hand.
The guy laughed, winking at his friends, who all surrounded her in a tight knit group. It was getting dark, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset. The eastern sky was still clear, but graying, shot through with streaks of pink and orange. A single van passed them, and then the road was empty.
"We've got a real cute one here." The same guy jeered to his leering companions. He reached out and tugged on a strand of Bella's hair.
"Don't touch me!" Bella cried, stepping back. "I warned you!"
"Aw don't be like that. I'm only trying to be friendly, sugar."
Bella braced herself, feet apart, eyes narrowing on her target. She raised her hand and released the pepper spray right into the man's face. He yowled, cussing violently, his hands immediately cradling his eyes.
"You little witch! What did you do that for?" He yelled. "You'll pay for that. Grab her, guys."
Before any other of the men could react, Bella kicked out, catching one of them directly on the knee with her boot. As he fell back, yelping in pain, she managed to duck under the arm of another, before tearing off at a fast run before terror could incapacitate her.
Before she had gotten very far, bright headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car scattering the men who were still attempting to chase her. To her horror, Bella saw a flash of silver as the car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open right in front of her.
"Get in." A furious voice commanded.
This couldn't be happening, Bella thought wildly, fate really had it in for her tonight. She felt a choking fear rising in her throat as she captured a glimpse of Edward Cullen's white face, his eyes blazing with repressed anger.
Adrenaline pulsed through Bella's veins as she acted on instinct. Rasing her right hand, she used the pepper spray for the second time, squirting it through the open door of the Volvo. There was a muffled sound from inside, making her hope that it had reached its target. Without hesitation, she took off running again, her arms whirling by her sides like windmills to give her extra momentum. She heard the screech of tires and guessed the Volvo was following.
Desperate tears pricked at her eyes as she hurtled around the corner, smack bang into an elderly couple, who looked startled to see her there. Bella sobbed in relief at the sight of them.
"Are you alright, my dear?" The old man asked, peering at her through his thick-rimmed glasses.
"I'm…I'm…being followed by a silver car," Bella managed to gasp.
"By what?" The old man's wife looked puzzled. "I can't see anything. Can you, Fred?" She turned to her husband, who shook his head.
Bella was slowly regaining her breath. She turned around fully, staring in the direction she had last seen the men and Edward's Volvo. The street was empty.
The elderly couple kindly stayed with Bella, walking with her back to the boardwalk and pointing her in the right direction for the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Jessica and Angela. She thanked Fred and his wife, waving to them as she jogged the last few meters to the restaurant. Its welcoming lights spilled out onto the sidewalk, easing the tension which had been Bella's permanent companion since the attack.
Jessica and Angela were waiting outside as Bella approached, calling their names. "Jess! Angela!" She yelled, waving as they turned at the sound of her voice.
They rushed over to her, the pronounced relief on both of their faces making Bella feel warm inside. She embraced both girls, one after another, feeling a rush of affection, even for Jessica, in that moment.
"Where have you been?" Jessica's voice was suspicious.
"I got lost." Bella admitted, talking so fast she was almost incoherent. "And then you wouldn't believe what happened – "
"We ran into each other." Edward's silken voice seemed to come out of nowhere, making Bella jump. She turned to look, stunned into silence as he appeared beside her out of the darkness. "Would it be alright if I joined you?"
Bella looked at Jessica and Angela's staggered expressions as Edward unleashed the full force of his charm on them. He flashed them an irresistible smile, hooking both girls in easily.
"Er…sure." Jessica breathed.
"Um, actually, Bella, we already ate while we were waiting – sorry." Angela confessed guiltily.
"That's fine – I'm not hungry." Bella could barely breathe. She couldn't believe this was happening and began to doubt everything that had led up to that moment.
"I think you should eat something." Edward's voice was low but full of authority. He looked up at Jessica and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Bella home tonight? That way you won't have to wait while she eats."
"Uh, no problem, I guess…" Jessica bit her lip, trying to figure out from Bella's dazed expression whether that was what she wanted. She glanced at Angela, who glanced back at her.
"Just a minute, Edward." Jessica grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her to one side. "You were texting him, just like I thought." She hissed in Bella's ear. "You could have just been honest that you wanted to meet up with him, instead of planning this ridiculous charade about accidentally running into each other."
Bella was slowly coming out of her funk. "That's not true, Jessica. I had no idea he would be here."
"Oh, please!" Jessica drawled sarcastically. She turned her back on Bella and called Angela. "Let's leave the lovebirds to it, Angela."
"Okay." Angela looked at Bella's drawn face in concern. "See you tomorrow, Bella…. Edward." She kept glancing back as Jessica grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the car, which was parked a little way away, across First Street. As they got in, Angela turned again, her face still filled with worry, but Jessica had already started the car and was ordering her in.
Bella watched in despair as her friends drove off, leaving her stranded on the sidewalk with Edward Cullen.
Bella jumped again as she felt a cold touch on her arm. Edward was gazing down at her, his face unreadable. "Honestly, I'm not hungry." She insisted, her self-awareness was finally returning now the girls had gone. She was angry at herself for not speaking up while they were there, but her brain had ceased to function when he had appeared out of the darkness beside her.
"Humor me." Edward walked toward the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression.
Obviously there would be no further discussion and Bella decided she would be safer surrounded by an audience when she confronted him. She walked past him into the restaurant with a resigned sigh.
A/N-thanks for reading!