Chapter V

Confrontation

There were probably thousands of gestures, words and actions I could have made back then. But like always, I was ruled by a stupid heart, torn by conflicting feelings. Edward was leaning against his car, as if waiting for me, and I almost jumped out of Jacob's truck, and in that moment it didn't matter that he was looking at me and drawing conclusions that would surely have further consequences.

What mattered was this moment and the avalanche of memories that the sight of Edward triggered. I don't know how to describe what I felt, it wasn't love, but rather an outburst of long-suppressed emotions. Like the bursting of a soul, as full as a balloon filled with air. Millions of thoughts, remorse, disappointed dreams, plans that would never come true... It was the relief of a person who was given a second chance to say goodbye to a parent, brother, friend or loved one who died suddenly.

Jacob got out after me, but stayed by the car, looking with resignation at this emotional welcome scene. I snuggled eagerly into Edward's arms, as if escaping the outside world, partly because it was him, because I was desperate for affection, and maybe because for that moment I could think back to a time when everything was still simple. I needed at least a moment of illusion.

Edward snuggled into my hair and, in a gentle move I knew so well, took my face in both hands and placed a light kiss on my lips. Then, still hugging me, he turned towards the car I had arrived in.

He wasn't going to pretend he didn't see Jacob.

"Jacob," he nodded in a cold greeting.

"Edward," he replied dryly.

I expected verbal taunts, quarrels, perhaps fistfights, but in this world such quarrels were not necessary. After all, thanks to Alice, Edward must have known who Jacob was to me, even if he didn't know it himself. He had plenty of time to prepare for this meeting.

There was no anger that dominated Jacob's emotions. Edward, as usual, exuded calm.

He looked at him coldly.

"I underestimated you."

"You underestimated Bella." Jacob responded bitterly.

"If I hadn't let her experience adult life alone…"

"If you weren't such a complete loser and you didn't let the woman you love experience adult life alone... she would probably be with you now, although probably poorer for the experiences," the man I considered now as someone more than my best friend smiled, narrowing his eyes.

"Do not provoke me, mutt."

Edward moved me slightly aside, as if preparing for a physical confrontation.

"Don't worry, leech, this page of history is still being written. Well, I wish I could claim the title of winner, but unfortunately Bella…" Jacob added, looking at the vampire assuring me with his body with a certain superiority.

"Jake! Please... not now! " I screamed. I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want Edward to know about it.

"I thought you were a bit smarter," Edward said, as if surprised. I knew what he meant. He was surprised that Jake didn't seem to know who I chose.

Jacob took a few steps forward. Certain that Edward was laughing at him, he mocked with a cynical smile.

"At least I'm not the idiot who gives his rival a woman on a platter dressed in purple lace."

It was too much.

As soon as I had time to jump away, they attacked each other.

Hell broke loose right under my feet.

I've never seen such a rapid transformation before. Jake took his wolf shape before he even reached Edward, and since they were so close, it must have been a fraction of a second. They were both superhumanly strong, designed to defend and kill each other. Jacob could have easily torn the vampire to shreds, but Edward had extensive experience in avoiding death and was superior to him in speed.

At first, when they slammed together, they looked like a living ball of matter. I heard cracking sounds, the sound of skin being torn, and I saw blood. Vampires don't bleed, so it belonged to Jacob. I screamed loudly for them to stop, because it was all I could do, not wanting to risk my life. Even though I had seen fight scenes before, this sight was breathtaking. It wasn't about the will to survive, each of my opponents didn't care about their lives at that moment, it was about pure hatred, and if that was enough to annihilate me, I would now have two corpses in front of me.

The fight lasted several minutes, was surprisingly even, and involved precise throwing and avoiding blows. I felt the tension building, that lava of anger was coursing through their veins, that only one would survive, or maybe they would both kill each other. I was screaming all the time, begging and begging them to stop

"You are reducing my chances of survival! Without you, the Volturi will easily get me!" I shouted. I felt that if there was an argument that could stop this duel before it was too late, it was about me.

I was right.

They jumped away from each other as if preparing for another clash, but then I jumped between them, and to reach each other with my fangs they would have to crush me.

"Bella, what are you doing?!" Edward hissed furiously.

"Enough of that! If I have any chance of surviving, it's you! I feel guilty for the hatred you feel for each other, but spare me from mourning one of you today. Maybe these are the last days of my life, I'm begging you!"

They stopped fighting.

Jacob walked to the car, where there were always some spare clothes, and returned to his form there. He put on new pants. His body was dirty with blood, and his eyes were still flashing with rage.

"We'll be able to defend you without him, too," he growled over his shoulder.

"Jake!"

Edward took a deep breath, trying to calm down. His hands were still clenched into fists and his eyes were black with anger.

"Listen, mutt, consider the fact that you are still alive only in terms of Bella's wishes being fulfilled. Nothing would ever give me greater joy than to return your soul to the hell it came from. But - "

Jacob let out a long growl, "I'm here to protect Bella and Charlie's house," Edward continued. "There is no telling where the Volturi will appear. All we know is that there will be six of them. Bodyguard, a type of warrior. They blindly follow the orders of the royal family, and the order is to bring Bella to the palace in a state capable of change. Caius knows that Bella chose a mortal life, so he decided to ignore her wishes and plan her future himself. The Volturi do not give second chances, it is their way of maintaining obedience among their kinsmen."

"Bella," he turned to me, "Charlie will be protected by me, and please, listen to Sam at all times. I can't show myself in the wolves' territory, so there you stay only under their protection…"

"Which is undoubtedly sufficient. We were doing great without you," Jake interjected.

"Oh yes, you actually did very well," Edward growled.

"Enough!" I raised my voice again trying to stop another fight between them.

Edward turned his back to Jacob and his front to me. He took my hand and looked into my eyes.

"Bella, you know this is goodbye, right?"

I couldn't answer anything, tears came to my eyes.

"Maybe in another world, in another life, we would have a chance. But apparently fate wanted it differently, I guess I was right, that for any love you can't rob the world of the living of your person. Bella... Don't cry. I will protect you while you breathe. I will keep watch. Now your heartbeat is my meaning. I love you. I would like to rule time... but I cannot change the past."

I couldn't speak, I sobbed, burying my face in his chest. He stroked my back slowly, trying to calm me down.

After a while he whispered, "Don't make my mistake. Fight for love." He moved away from me slightly, as if with this gesture he was signaling that it was time to part.

At the same moment, Jacob, who was now standing at a distance, leaning against his car, said in a cold voice. "Are you going to stay and make out with the leech, or are you going back?"

A spark of amusement flashed in Edward's eyes.

"Go now, darling."

I got into the car, and God knows that at that moment I would have liked to go to Caius myself and beg him for death. My soul was torn in two halves.

"Let's go get your clothes," Jacob said. And off we went.

Millions of incoherent thoughts swirled in my mind. I was depressed by this development with Edward, meeting him only made my guilt about the betrayal worse. Jacob seemed alien to me now, and looking at him I saw no resemblance to the boy with whom I had joked with in Emily's car recently about "giving away my T-shirt."

I had no idea what was going on in his head, he wouldn't let me get close to him. He was offended, angry, disappointed with my behavior, and was probably just now digesting the tender farewell scene he had witnessed. He was less than 18 years old and behaved exactly as befits his age.

He drove me crazy because he made everything complicated. He wouldn't let me say a word when I desperately wanted to tell him my feelings, and now I was so furious with him that I didn't even want to speak. And yet there were some proportions in it: Jacob loved like a madman, he had the courage to change fate, for as long as I knew him he was constantly risking rejection, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he suddenly said "ENOUGH."

The passion Jacob had was fire, and contact with the element must always hurt.