Back to the Start
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Red Seaweed
Horrorstruck, Bella backed against her truck, when she realized Edward Cullen was standing in front of her. All her hopes that he was finally going to leave her alone were dashed.
"What are you doing here?" She accused breathlessly. "You promised to leave me alone."
Edward's eyebrows pulled together. "Bella, you don't have to be afraid of me."
"I just want you to stay away from me. Why do you continuously try to insert yourself into my life?" Bella demanded, her anger once again overriding her fear.
Edward looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering. "That's not what I'm doing. I came here to tell you some news – something that I think is important I share with you. So, I warn you, I'm going to be a little overbearingly protective the next few days – or weeks – and I wouldn't want you to think I'm naturally a tyrant."
"What are you talking about? What's wrong now?"
"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we're here, and they're curious."
"Visitors?"
"Yes, well, they aren't like us, of course – in their hunting habits, I mean. They probably won't come into town at all, but I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight until they are gone."
Bella shivered at the determination in his voice, he made it sound it sound like a vow. Was she never to be rid of his presence? "I have enough protection already. I don't need yours."
Edward's eyes darkened, his lips thinning. "If you're referring to the dog, then that is no protection at all. He has limited experience in dealing – "
"Don't you dare call Jacob insulting names! He took down one of your kind on his first phase!" Bella cut in harshly. "He has experience enough. He is not alone anymore, either."
"I see." Edward murmured. "So, more are changing?"
Bella wished she could have bitten off her tongue. She was regretting letting that pertinent bit of information slip. Edward Cullen had the ability to get under her skin, riling her up so much that she couldn't think straight.
"I'll make sure to pass the information on to Jacob about the so-called visitors." She said coldly, bending down to pick up her keys from the ground. "I'm leaving now. Do not follow me – "She glanced back up at him, only to realize he was no longer standing in front of her. Baffled, she turned around in a circle.
"I'm coming with you, Bella." Edward's voice now came from inside the truck.
Bella stiffened, feeling a sharp sting on the palm of her hand where she was gripping the key so tightly. Edward was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, waiting for her to climb in.
"Get out!" She yelled.
"I am going to escort you home." Edward smiled his crooked smile. "I am not leaving you unprotected, Bella. So, you can continue to stand there gaping at me and getting drenched. Or you could do the rational thing, get into the truck, and drive home. Your choice. Either way, I am not leaving."
As her frustration continued to build Bella felt she might explode - she took a deep breath. She wanted to shout, have a tantrum, and beat her hands on the ground like a toddler. She wanted to vent, let all her anger out, but she was afraid she might accidentally reveal another secret. It was just so easy to let things slip and then the damage was done. So many times, she wanted to unsay things, take it back. She was learning how to deal with it, but slowly.
"So, you're not leaving?" She checked one last time, her tone calmer than she expected.
Edward just nodded, answering her question through the rain with narrowed eyes.
"Fine." Bella said grimly. "Stay there then. I'll just go back inside the store and call Charlie to come and pick me up instead."
She could feel Edward's eyes on her back as she half-ran through the light sprinkle back toward the front entrance of Newtons Outfitters. As she walked through the sliding doors, she glanced behind her one last time, the truck was empty.
Charlie cleaned up while Bella got dinner ready. He had come straight away to pick her up after she called him at the station. He was knee deep in paperwork and was glad for a reason to take a break. It didn't take long until they were both sitting at the table, eating in silence. Charlie was enjoying the food. Bella was desperately wondering how to broach the subject of Edward Cullen and his continuous harassment. She wasn't sure what Charlie could do, but she decided it was only fair that he was made aware of the extent of it.
"Was work okay, Bells?" Charlie asked, snapping Bella out of her reverie.
"It was slow. That's why Mike said I could leave early. We only had two customers." Bella tried to keep her voice steady, but her stomach was hollow. "And afterwards Edward Cullen accosted me by my truck."
Charlie dropped his fork. "He approached you again?" He practically shouted. "Even after being warned to stay away?"
Bella gulped at the extent of his reaction. "Yes."
"That's why you called me?"
"Yes."
"What was he doing there? What did he say?" Charlie hadn't picked his fork back up.
"I didn't give him a chance to say much of anything. As soon as he turned up, I walked right back into the store and called you."
Charlie's face had gone bright red. He looked like he was having an aneurysm.
"Dad, are you alright?"
"He's gone too far this time." Charlie thundered.
Uh oh.
"Dad, please calm down." Bella pleaded, worried that he might do something crazy, the angry father inside him overriding his cop mode.
"No, Bella, I will not calm down." Charlie ranted. "What else has he done? Has he been hassling you at school?"
"A little." Bella admitted.
"Right." He muttered grimly. He pushed the rest of his uneaten food away and stood up from the table. "I'll take care of this, Bella. Don't you worry."
Bella began to panic when she saw him reach for his gun belt and strap it on. "Dad, no, you can't go to his house with all guns blazing!" She cried in alarm.
Charlie gave her a disparaging look. "Credit me with some sense, kiddo." He walked into the hall and grabbed his work jacket from the coat rack.
Bella quickly followed him. "Then what are you going to do?" She pleaded.
"Last time I spoke to the Cullens it was a courtesy call." Charlie grabbed his police badge and stuck it in his pocket. "This time it will be an official visit." He shrugged on his jacket. "I'll be taking one of the deputies with me. Edward Cullen won't be able to wriggle out of it this time, Bella, honey. I'll make sure of it."
"I'll come with you." Bella said desperately.
"No, kiddo, like I said, this is an official visit. You stay here. Although, I will need you to come to the station with me later to make a statement, okay."
"You won't lose your temper?" Bella worried.
Charlie's expression darkened. "As much I would like to wring his neck, like I said, this is an official visit." He zipped up his jacket. "I'll be back soon. You did the right thing, Bella. I'm proud of you."
Then he left.
There was no way Bella could stay and hang around the house by herself. She felt too antsy, and was fearful that Edward would use the excuse of Charlie's absence to ambush her again. And she needed to warn Jacob about what she had overheard the two hikers talking about, as well as admit that Edward was still stalking her, despite all the warnings.
With her truck still parked outside Newtons, she had no choice but to call a cab to take her to La Push. It took ages to arrive, and she was so on edge, she was half considering just walking to the reservation instead. When it finally turned up, she was shaking with relief.
Once the cab pulled up outside the Blacks', Bella paid the driver, and climbed out. The house was dark, no lights in the windows, and she wondered why no one was at home. She was always used to Billy being there. He didn't often go out unaccompanied. Her fist thudded against the front door with desperate energy, the sound reverberated through the walls.
"Come in." Billy called out after a minute, and a light flicked on.
Maybe he had been in his room resting, Bella thought, as she twisted the knob. It was unlocked. She found Billy leaning around an open doorway just off the little kitchen, a bathrobe around his shoulders, not in his chair yet. When he saw Bella, his eyes widened briefly, and his face turned worried.
"Well, its good to see you, Bella. Are you okay?"
"Hey, Billy." Bella hated that her voice sounded so shaky. "I need to talk to Jacob – where is he?"
"I bet he's still asleep." Billy remarked. "He's been up most of the night. Is it anything I can help with?"
"Um…I don't really know." Bella stalled, wondering what to do for the best.
"Try me." Billy said kindly. "You can trust me, Bella."
"Do you know what Charlie is doing right now?"
"Should I?"
"He's on his way to the Cullens to pay them an official visit."
Billy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What? Why?"
In a trembling voice, Bella finally admitted to Jacob's father the extent of Edward Cullens stalking behavior. He was totally shocked. By the time she came to the end of her long-winded explanation, his face was grim. "I wish I had been told about this before. Does Jacob know?"
"He knows some of it."
"I see." Billy pursed his thick lips for a long moment. "I need to speak to the others." He said, referring to the tribal elders. "We cannot condone this. A line has been crossed."
"Can I see Jacob now?" Bella pleaded.
Billy sighed. "He's out late a lot these days. Kid needs his rest -probably you shouldn't wake him."
"I'm sorry, Billy. I have to." Bella was barely holding it together. She needed Jacob. She needed his warm arms around her, giving her his own unique brand of comfort.
"Okay then." Billy said, finally caving in.
"Thanks." Bella muttered as she ran down the hallway.
Jacob's tiny closet of a room was the only door in the yard-long hallway. She didn't bother to knock. She threw the door open and it slammed against the wall with a bang.
Jacob-dressed in nothing but a pair of cut-off sweats- was stretched diagonally across the double bed which took up all of his room but for a few inches around the edges. Even on a slant, it wasn't long enough; his feet hung off the one end and his head off the other. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his mouth hanging open. The sound of the door hadn't even made him twitch.
His face was peaceful with deep sleep, all the worry lines smoothed out. There were circles under his eyes that Bella hadn't seen before. Despite his ridiculous size, he looked very young, and very weary.
Billy was right, Jacob needed his sleep. Bella didn't have the heart to disturb him. What she had to tell him could wait. She stepped back out, and shut the door quietly behind her.
Billy stared with curious, guarded eyes as Bella walked back into the front room.
"I think I'll let him rest."
Billy nodded, and then they gazed at each other for a minute. She could see more questions in his dark eyes, but didn't have the energy to answer them.
"I'll be down at the beach for a while." She told him. "When he wakes up, tell him I'm waiting for him, okay?"
"Sure, sure." Billy agreed.
Bella walked down to First Beach. It took her a while to find the path that led through the tall hedge of weeds. It was colder here, with the wind whipping off the black water, and she shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her jacket. At least the rain had stopped.
Bella paced down the beach to the north seawall. She couldn't see St. James or the other islands, just the vague shape of the water's edge. She picked her way carefully across the rocks, watching for the driftwood that might trip her.
She found what she was looking for before she realized she was looking for it. It materialized out of the gloom when it was just a few feet away: a long bone-white driftwood tree stranded on the rocks. The roots twisted up at the seaward end, like a hundred brittle tentacles. Bella couldn't be sure it was the same tree where Jacob had told her the stories- the stories that had begun so many different, tangled threads of her life – but it seemed be in about the same place. She sat down where she had sat before, and stared out across the invisible sea. She pictured Jacob in her mind, sleeping so peacefully, and felt an overpowering urge to protect him. Completely illogical as he was the protector.
The slate grey of the ocean reflected the cloudy sky, all except for a flash of fiery red. Bella wondered what it was that floated toward the shore. Some kind of strange seaweed, perhaps?
Then she realized, whatever it was, it was moving through the water faster than the waves. It wasn't floating randomly; it was propelling itself to the beach. Bella felt a sudden chill ripple down her back. She rose to her feet slowly, edging closer to the shoreline to see if she could get a better look.
A/N-thanks for reading!