Chapter 11: Cavalry

Of all the times I allowed myself to indulge in the fantasy of Edwards return, I thought I knew how I'd react. Throw myself at him, cry, laugh, smother him in years worth of kisses and bask in the elation of being in his arms.

And yet, now that it finally happened, I ended up staring at him. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Couldn't comprehend that he was here. The one feeling I didn't not expect was anger. I was angry that he was here. He could've come back at any moment, why did he have to come back now, when I had to change Charlie. I was stressed enough with trying to figure out how not to kill him.

Why didn't he come back to protect me.

Edward stood and took a step towards me. His eyes were guarded, a careful mask. "Bella, I'm so sor-" I held a hand up, trying to convey with my own eyes that it would best for him to stop talking.
"Until I am ready to hear you utter those words, do not say them to me. Do not even think them in my direction." My heart and the hole in my chest constricted. Edward was in front of me. My love for him and pain of his leaving both had things they wanted to say, but he'd been gone longer than we were together and the jagged hole had a thing or two to say. Just not now.
"I do not have time for this right now." I gestured to Edward then back to myself. "I have something very important to sort out and very little time to do it in." I side stepped him to leave the office when he put a hand on my arm to stop me. "Bella, what happened? What happened to you? Why are you here?" His eyes widened just a millimeter but I knew what it meant. He felt it too.

That electric current between the two of us. Pleasure, undeniably still there, was all the more intense even after the change. But I would not let myself be distracted by that. He made it clear that he didn't want me when he left me alone in those woods, he did not have the right to touch me now, no matter how good or right it felt. "Edward, please take your hand off of me." I glared at him until he removed it. I took two long steps back from him, fighting between wanting to be closer and further away. "You gave up your right to know what's going on in my life a long time ago. Besides, I'm sure Alice told you why I'm here, on account of you being here." I started to walk to the downstairs garage, with Edward wisely keeping the distance I imposed between us.

"On the contrary, you're on my families property, I have every right to know what you're doing here. And-" He paused, waiting for me to turn around and look at him. "-Alice didn't tell me anything. I was making a brief visit to see everyone when she had a vision of me sitting in the chair in the library. I didn't understand why I would be here, but then your name flashed in her mind and I left at once to come here." He looked a little embarrassed by that admission. Just like I would be embarrassed to admit that I loved that he rushed here.
"Bella, please tell me what happened to you. Who changed you, when did it happened?" He pleaded with me. He wouldn't drop it, so I gave him the short version.
"Victoria came and paid me a visit." Edward hissed at her name. Why was he being defensive over that? "And she kicked the shit out of Charlie and I. Then decided that the best revenge against you for killing James was to torture us, mainly me, then she bit me on my toe, so that it would be a slow and painful change." He looked horrified, ashamed, guilty. Why? He made it very clear he didn't care about me anymore. "And Charlie? What happened to him?" He enquired
"Charlie is currently at the Rez hospital with Billy Black. Awaiting Sam Uley and I to check out this house and return. Alice left me letters explaining that we have use of the Forks House and this house, on account that I'm going to change Charlie too. He has a life threatening blood clot in his brain that could go at any time. I gave him the choice to let it play out naturally or for me to change him. Sam Uley, as current chief, has given me permission to change Charlie so long as I can keep him under control. Charlie has agreed, he knows what he's getting into." my explanation rushed out of me. I was just dealing with one thing then the next, to finally explain it all out loud, made it sound absolutely ridiculous.

"You're going to change him? How long have you been a vampire, Bella?" It felt amazing when he said my name, but I didn't want it to. "I woke up as a vampire two days ago. We were tortured for two days before being bit." It felt like a lifetime ago already.
"You're a newborn, you won't have the control to stop once you bite him. Which leads into my next question, what diet have you chosen?" He didn't ask me in an accusatory way. Still, it felt like it was a challenge.
Rage swept over me. Everything he put me through, the traumatic experience of my change and he thinks he can swoop in and tell me what I can and cannot do as if he'd never been away. As in love with Edward as I still was, that was one thing I did not like about him before he left. When I was human he thought he knew better, controlled aspects of my human life. I didn't want him to realize that he still had an effect on me like he used to, so I shut down the emotion as quickly as it came. "Well, do you have any better ideas? Because I am against the clock and every second we waste standing here is a second Charlie could be closer to dying before I can change him. So come on, lets hear what you'vE GOT IN MIND!" I was shouting by the end of my mini rant. Maybe I couldn't quite keep a lid on my anger. In my anger I had sauntered outside. I hadn't noticed.

Edward looked taken aback at my outburst. I was never this outward with any of my frustration back when we were together. Only in extreme circumstances, like when James lured me to the ballet studio. "Well, we could get Carlisle here to change him. He has the control to do it and most likely administer pain medication so his transformation isn't as... torturous." He kept his voice level as suggested Carlisle. I felt stupid for not thinking of him then immediately dismissed the feeling. Why would I think to ask for his help, he left too. They all did. A couple of notes from Alice saying they didn't want to leave and that they all missed me didn't change anything. They were just words on a page.
Before I could ask how long it would take for him to get here, Sam came bound out of the house. He looked like he was going to go for Edward and despite my conflicted feelings surround him, I couldn't let Sam lay a finger on him. I sighed and stood in front of Edward, putting my hands up towards Sam.
"Sam, ease up. I am just surprised as you are to see him here. But we have more important things to see to right now." I tried to emit calmness as best as I could but Sam was breathing hard. He was angry.

Edward suddenly dropped to the ground, staring into the brick of the outbuilding we just left. He look completely immobilized, with an assortment of feelings flying across his face. Pain, anguish, shock, horror and guilt, again. What was happening to him. I called his name a couple of times but he didn't reply. I resorted to kneeling opposite him and waving my hand in his face. His eyes refocused as I heard Sam snort with evil satisfaction. Edward looked at me, his eyes brimming with tears that wouldn't fall. "I didn't know. I had no idea what my leaving would do to you. I was just trying to prote-" I shot up away from him.
"No Edward, I've told you, we're not having this conversation now." I sauntered over to Sam, half turning and pointing to Edward. "Are you doing this?" I demanded. My eyes burned into Sam's. His gaze so intent on Edwards prone form that I had to give him a light shove so he'd answer me. "I'll ask again, are you doing this? What are you even doing?"
"I'm just remembering everything from the moment I found you in the forest when he left. I know it's not the time or place, but he should know what he left in his wake." I shoved Sam a little harder. " Goddamit Sam we don't have time for this! Charlie needs to get here as soon as he can!" I turned around to look at Edward. After a few moments he managed to sit up and get to his feet, turning to face me as he did so. The look in his eyes were haunted, full of apologies I didn't want to hear. Just as I was about to say as much, the phone Alice left me vibrated. A text

ETA 1.5 hours. Family is coming.

I looked from Edward to Sam and back again. "That was Alice. The cavalry is on it's way." I sighed.

Great.