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Chapter 17

Friend or Foe?

When I woke up, everything was already dark outside, and I was still in the strong cold arms that protected me and that I brought so much at the moment. These arms held me together.

"Hey, my angel, are you feeling a little better? "

Edward's whisper almost melted into the darkness.

I didn't want to break this comfortable silence, so I spoke to him in my mind.

'I feel rested but still not really well. Thank you for being there for me. I can't thank you enough for that, Edward.'

"You're already giving me everything by being here in my arms, Bella."

Again his whisper before kissing me passionately.

We sat up carefully as we ended the kiss, though I snuggled up to Edward the whole time. I needed his closeness so much.

'Edward, I might want to talk to Jo right now. Is he there?'

He didn't answer me and took an arm away from me to turn on the night light. Then he nodded at me and looked at me questioningly.

I had to swallow.

'I can do this,' I said to myself in my mind and nodded to him as well.

Edward looked at me skeptically.

"Jonath, would you please come up. Bella wants to talk to you!"

He didn't even have to raise his voice, and I knew if Jo were in the house or in the immediate vicinity, he would hear this.

Less than three seconds later, Edward's bedroom door opened, and Jo entered. He looked very upset and kept his gaze on the floor.

"Bella, I want to tell you my story again. But I have been thinking. Would you allow me to show it to you? Maybe then you can understand me better!", he said with a little hope in his voice.

Edward growled softly.

I thought about it.

I wasn't comfortable with it, but I had Edward with me. He wouldn't let anything happen to me and besides, maybe I would really understand it better that way.

I threw Edward a questioning look. He nodded at me once again, barely noticeably.

"Okay," I said to Jo, holding my hand out to him invitingly.

When he grabbed my hand, Edward flinched very briefly, but didn't let on as I looked to him.

Jo's memories flooded in on me.

I witnessed his transformation, whereby he tried hard to hold back the pain from me. I saw how Victoria dealt with him, how she taught him how to fight and showed him how to hunt. However, he spared me from watching him kill people and I felt that he was ashamed of what he had done in the past.

I closed my eyes to concentrate better.

Jo showed me the meeting with the other vegetarians - there were four women and one man. I saw the fight with Victoria and how she almost killed him, saw how he discovered his gift. He showed me his feelings from that time, that he was tired of watching her hunt people down, how she treated people just like a piece of livestock. And I saw her attempts to return him to his 'natural' nutrition.

When he got to the memories of the night Angela was killed, I stiffened. I began to shake uncontrollably. However, I did not let go of Jo's hand.

I wanted to know everything.

"I'm with you!" whispered Edward in my ear, and I calmed down a bit.

Flashback

Jo showed me how he had felt, how it literally tore him apart not being able to save both people - Angela AND me. He was disgusted to watch Victoria drink from Angela. I realized that he had been standing right behind me to protect me.

Why hadn't I noticed him?

When he saw Angela slipping lifelessly to the ground, hatred arose in him. He saw me start to run. At first he wanted to chase after me to help me, but then he saw the thirst in Victoria's eyes and rushed at her to save me. Unfortunately, she was stronger than him and so he didn't manage to kill her. However, when she disappeared, he panicked. He followed my scent and saw the police and everything else outside my house. He heard the conversations in the house and that no one wanted to believe me. He snuck into my room to wait for me when Victoria was standing in front of him. He was about to pounce on her again when she stopped him.

"Okay okay, you win. You can have the little human. "

At first he was taken aback. Victoria never did anything without ulterior motives. He had learned that in the years with her.

"I'll give you fifty years with her, then you'll come back and live with me AND you'll drink human blood. Think it over! Fifty years with her or I'll kill her on the spot! "

I sensed, although he tried to hold it back, his sadness, but he consented.

Flashback end

I widened my eyes in fright.

He had done THAT for me? He stood by me, helped me get over Angela's death, saved my life, and now I learned that he also gave up his chosen life for me!

I literally threw myself into his arms.

Edward guessed my intention in time and let me go.

"Oh Jo, I'm so sorry! I wish I had known! I ... I don't even know what to say."

"It's okay, Bella. I was happy to do it for you and I would do it again and again. "

"But Jo, Edward ...", I looked at both of them, "we have to do something. I mean, you don't want to kill people anymore, then you don't have to!"

I was upset.

That sneaky snake!

"No, my angel, he doesn't have to. We've been planning how to hunt her down for a few days now - since your breakdown, to be exact. I read in her mind that she either wants Jo back or will kill you. Since you wouldn't be happy with one and I won't let her kill you, we're going to kill her. My family is already planning," Edward explained to me.

"Okay, then let's go down and help them. "

My mind was made up.

Edward and Jo agreed with me, and we went into the living room where the rest of the Cullens were already gathered.