Chapter 14: Game On
The next morning Carlisle told me to turn on the news and I sat frozen watching the screen. There were multiple dead bodies found in Port Angeles, they gave a trigger warning for sensitive images then showed gruesome pictures and videos of dead bodies being dragged away and laying in an back alley including a lot of blood and police involvement.
They called it a blood bath- a massacre and theorised it could've been organised by a rival gang while others argued it looked like a wild animal attack. They dismissed the latter as animal attacks were extremely rare in Port Angeles but the reporters were confused by the gruesome circumstances.
One of the dead people they identified as Lanny; a wanted criminal, gang leader and serial rapist and my heart stopped. I was beyond happy that he was gone and the streets were a safer place but the way he looked.. it was as if he'd been attacked and bitten by a wild animal- bleeding from the neck, his ice white body bathing in a pool of his own blood.
I hadn't done it, I couldn't have even though I had been planning it for the future- and I haven't told any of the Cullens what had happened yet so my conclusion was that it had to be Edward or another vampire, but why? It was as if they were preparing for something by getting stronger and feeding from humans.
My newfound siblings took the car to school and I waved them goodbye before I left, walking to Bella's house. The images of the news were repeating in my mind over and over again.
The weather, as usual was grey and foggy and it was drizzling silently.
I arrived and saw Charlie had already left. I walked up with jitters in my stomach then knocked on the door.
Bella opened the door. She was wearing a brown t shirt underneath a knitted, forest green shirt with no sleeves tucked within a tan coloured plaid skirt and my black jacket pulled over it. She was wearing transparent leggings and her usual black converse sneakers, holding the straps of the red backpack on her back as she looked at me.
"Hi" she blushed, her face full of surprise.
"Good morning" I smiled "You look.. particularly cute today. What's the occasion?"
"You like my outfit?" She glanced down at it as her blush deepened
"I love it" I chuckled "It's different from what you usual wear.. like jeans and unfashionable shirts and sweaters" my smile widened "it's cute"
She smiled widely, pleased by my reaction "I was feeling good today so I wanted to dress nicely for you"
I took a step forward and pressed a kiss on her lips "You're sweet" I said and she smiled pleasantly.
"I didn't expect to see you here" she said "Did you come to get your jacket back?" She began to take it off.
"No" I stopped her "I know you'd probably like to keep it"
"I do" she said as she looked down, a small smile on her lips.
"I thought maybe you wanted to walk to school together?"
"Walk to school?" She asked with widened eyes.
"Yeah" I shrugged "I like to walk sometimes"
"Where's your car?" She asked looking around the street.
"I don't have one" I laughed "I borrowed Carlisle's yesterday"
"Right" she said before biting her lip.
"So shall we go or do you want to drive?"
She shrugged "We can walk" then stepped outside, closing the door behind her.
We walked to school as I held her hand in silence for the most part, but sometimes I'd glance at her to make sure she was real and I wasn't dreaming. When she'd catch me looking she stared into my eyes and I was wondering what she was thinking and if she felt as mesmerised by my eyes as I was by hers.
After a short while I stopped and turned around to her.
"Bella.. I want to ask you something"
She looked at me but before she could respond I kneeled down in front of her, taking her hand in mine. Her cheeks flushed as shock visibly spread across her face.
"Isabella Swan, will you do me the extraordinary honour of being my girlfriend and going to prom with me?"
As soon as she realised what I was doing she laughed
"Yes"
I pressed a kiss on top of her hand then I stood up and we continued walking to school. She intertwined her fingers with mine.
"I thought you were going to propose for a moment" She giggled nervously
"Not yet" I laughed and she stared at me for a moment before looking forward again with a smile spreading across her lips.
"Wasn't it obvious that we were together though" She added
"It was" I said "But I never asked you officially and I decided to be cheesy today" I chuckled.
"You called me Isabella"
"Yes I did. I love your name"
"I don't" she blushed
"So how about I call you baby instead.. do you like pet names?"
From the way her face was glowing from what I said I assumed she did.
"So, I guess that's a yes" I laughed
"I love that" she whispered
"I love you, baby" I leaned in and kissed her cheek making her giggle.
"You make me feel butterflies when you act like that" she said.
"You make me feel butterflies all the time when I'm around you" I said, before shaking my head at my own words shortly after.
"What?" She asked, she was smiling from ear to ear and grabbed a strand of her hair between her fingers.
"Just shaking my head at me acting like a love struck teenager"
She laughed and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
"Do you think that maybe it has something to do with this body and its teenager hormones going wild or am I just insanely in love with you?" I asked, looking at her as if I expected her to know the answer to that.
She tried to contain the smile on her face "I don't know. What do you think?"
"Honestly.. I think it's both" I laughed and her face had that same glow that I loved.
We arrived at school.
"When does your first class start?" I asked her
"Um..in about 10 minutes" she said
I bit my lip "So we have a bit of time to waste"
She looked up at me curiously "Why"
I leaned towards her and whispered in her ear "Do you want to make out somewhere private before school starts"
Her face went tomato red at my suggestion and then she nodded
I pulled her hand to a secluded place around a corner, put her up against the wall as I grabbed her waist and I started kissing her lips passionately- my heart pounding in my chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck meeting me with the same amount of passion as she slowly pulled her leg up- letting out a silent, unintentional moan against my lips.
She pulled back, looking down- her cheeks blushing from embarrassment "Sorry" she whispered
"I thought that was cute" I chuckled, biting my lip then put her down as she arranged her messy, brown hair and straightened her clothes, still breathing heavily- her chest moving with short, shallow breaths.
"Are you okay?" I asked as I smiled at her.
"Mhmm" she bit her lip "What was that for?" She asked shyly.
I laughed "I can't stop thinking about wanting to kiss you all the time" I paused "You kind of drive me crazy"
I moved some of the hair away from her face and as I did she stared into my eyes, her breath fastening again.
"You know I still have a whole schoolday ahead of me.. you're ruining my classes"
"I'm sorry" I said as I bit my lip. "What's your first class?"
"I have English with Mr Mason" she sighed, clearly not looking forward to it.
"You don't like English with Mr Mason?" I asked her as I chuckled
We started walking in the direction of the building.
"Not today"
"Well you're in luck because my first class is English too"
"Really?" Her mood suddenly brightened.
I nodded "You won't see me until lunch after that though"
She pouted "Well I'm glad we have English together. Usually I have to sit next to Mike"
She didn't sound happy about that last part.
"Well. Unfortunately for Mike I'm stealing you today" I smirked.
We came across Jessica, who was standing underneath the roof of the cafetaria holding Bella's jacket. We walked towards her.
"Hey Jessica, thanks for remembering" Bella smiled at her as Jessica handed her the jacket.
Her eyes glanced over to me before shifting back at Bella "Hi" she smiled "Cute outfit" she added as she looked her up and down
"Thanks" Bella responded, moving a strand of hair away from her face.
Jessica looked over to me again before she started walking away "I guess I'll see you in Trig" she said waving Bella goodbye
"Yeah I'll see you then" Bella responded then let out a deep sigh after Jessica was gone from our sight.
I analysed the situation then I put my tongue in my cheek trying not to laugh.
"What?" She said as she turned towards me.
"What are you going to tell her.. about us?" I asked "She's going to want to know"
"What does she want to know?" she asked, restlessly awaiting my answer.
"I can't read minds remember" I grinned.
"No, but you probably know from your book knowledge"
"I don't know if this is any help but in what we call canon she wanted to know if you were secretly dating Edward and how you felt about him" I paused "But since I'm obviously not Edward I have no idea how different her questions are going to be"
I laughed "Just be prepared that she's going to try and push your buttons and be persistent about every little detail"
"Oh God" she sighed "So what do I tell her?"
"The truth if you want. About us dating that is"
She smiled, staring intensely into my eyes "I don't mind"
"Lets get to class before Mr Mason will give another lecture again" I chuckled and we walked together to class.
She pulled off my jacket and hung it on the hooks next to hers before we sat down next to each other.
Mike came sitting on her table, completely ignoring my presence.
"Morning, Bella" he said "How was Port Angeles?"
"It was great" she replied "Jessica got a really cute dress"
"Did she say anything about Monday night?" He continued to ask.
I was relieved at him asking about Jessica. Perhaps he finally had awoken from his dreams about having any chance with Bella.
"She said she had a really good time" Bella told him.
"She did?" He asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Most definitely"
No matter how much I disliked Mike I was happy for him that he had found someone who truly liked him. I just wished for Jessica's sake that he wouldn't think about her in any condescending way like he did with Bella or was just using her as a second choice. She could be annoying and wasn't my favourite person but she didn't deserve that. No one does.
Mr Mason came in calling the class to order and Mike sat back into his seat. After class Bella pulled on my jacket, taking hers from the hook and holding it in her hands.
"I'll see you at lunch" I said as I held her face in my hands, pressing a kiss on her forehead. Her cheeks turned red when she noticed people walked past us staring into our direction.
"S-see you at lunch" she stammered .
"Good luck with Jessica" I teased her and winked as I walked away.
My next class was Spanish and as I sat down making notes and trying to repeat certain phrases in my head all I could think about was kissing and touching Bella and as I imagined it in my head my heart started skipping beats again.
I always felt an magnetic attraction pulling me towards her ever since I laid my eyes on her that day in the cafeteria, but since last night all of my feelings for her had been intensified- I felt a desire deep inside of my soul that I could describe nothing else than a burning, passionate and almost carnal yearning for her lips and her body. An intense longing that overwhelmed me.
I loved her and I wanted to show to her exactly how much and make her feel it.
The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts just before the images in my head were about to escalate and I gathered my stuff for the next class.
The next class passed in about the same fashion and I made my way to the cafeteria, excited to see her again.
She sat at a table alone in the middle of the cafeteria, biting into an apple and staring at the table were the Cullens sat. I saw Alice waved at her enthusiastically, a wide smile on her face then Bella waved and smiled back. Albeit a bit awkwardly.
I sat down with my tray of food in front of her.
"I see you're sharing a moment with my sister"
She shrugged "I'm surprised they're even paying attention to me. Most of the time they don't seem to notice anyone else"
"Well. You're not just anyone else" I smiled "Alice already considers you her best friend"
"She does?" She looked at me in disbelief
I nodded as I took a bite from my food and chewed.
She looked back at the table for a moment then smiled, glazing back into my eyes.
"How's that?"
"Well. Alice's gift is that she can see the future"
She raised her eyebrows "Oh wow" she said "I bet she saw me coming"
"She did" I cleared my throat "Even though I tried my hardest to resist and deny her visions"
Her face saddened and I saw the concern grow behind her eyes.
"So how does it work, her visions?"
"She can see visions based on the choices people make, or are going to make" I paused "It's very subjective since the future can always change"
She nodded understandably, taking a bite from her apple "So what about you.. did she see you coming too?"
"Yes" I said as a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "The first day I arrived here Carlisle had already admitted me to the school with their last name and when I met Alice she told me we were going to be siblings" I chuckled "You can see why it was useless for me to try and hide from them"
"How about Edward?" She asked after a moment "Why did he leave?"
My face turned troubled when she asked about Edward. It was still a sensitive subject for me and all his name evoked were negative emotions. I didn't know if I was scared that he'd come back and she'd leave to be with him and forget about me, or that I hated him for not being here when she needed him.
His extended absence and silence did nothing but make me more anxious as well.
I looked down, away from her eyes in fear mine would give away how I was feeling.
"I'm sorry" she said "I'm just curious about your family"
"I understand. It's just that part of me is scared of losing you"
She took a deep breath then put her hand on the table reaching over to me.
"Hold my hand" she said and I did as she told me to, holding her hand in mine.
"I don't care about him" she said and paused for a long moment as she looked down.
"The first day when I saw him I did feel an instant attraction, like I thought he was insanely beautiful and something was pulling me towards him" she swallowed "But I thought about what you said, about why vampires are alluring to people and now I think what I truly felt was fear. I've never been more scared for my life than at the short moment I looked into his eyes"
My jaw clenched and I felt the tears well up in my eyes at what she told me. I thought about when he met her that first day in biology class and if he was thinking the same thing when he met her in our timeline.. if that was the case then she was rightfully scared of her life.
I knew the insane amount of self control it took Edward not to harm her but I was scared. Scared of what would happen if he came back and how long his self control could last without falling in love with her.
I also became more convinced that what she felt for him when she got to know him wasn't love. Fear was not a feeling you should have towards someone you love.
It sounded like she was just fascinated by the way he looked more than anything, and most of that was outside of her control.
The part of me that wanted to protect her from Edward was fighting the part that knew I couldn't make her happy. I didn't know what part was going to win.
"Did you ask your dad about what I said?" I paused "About your windows"
She puckered her eyebrow "No I didn't really understand"
"Have you watched the news today?" I asked her.
She shook her head "No, why?"
I leaned my elbows on my table, putting my head in my hands as I ran them over my face and through my hair.
"Adam. What's wrong?" She asked, her voice progressively getting worried. She reached across the table to touch and caress my arm.
I looked at her then took her hand in mine again.
"I love you" I said as I smiled at her.
"I love you too" she flushed and smiled back, caressing her thumb along mine.
"But what's wrong? You seem worried about something"
She frowned; the expression on her face more serious now, her eyes searching mine.
"I don't want to worry you" I said as I looked down.
"I thought you weren't going to hide anything from me anymore" She said as she groaned in frustration. Her puppy eyes were too hard to resist.
"I'll tell you later after school okay?" I said
"You promise?"
"I promise baby" I said as I pulled her hand up, pressing a kiss against it.
Her face lightened up, her lips curling into a smile.
"I love when you call me that" she whispered
"Talking about when I called you that, I didn't expect you were going to say yes to going to prom with me" I chuckled
"Um..about that" she blushed
"Let me guess you're going to say you think you shouldn't go because you can't dance or walk straight"
"Yes" her blush deepened "I don't think it's a good idea"
"Then why did you say yes?"
"I was lost in the moment and I do want to go with you but I don't"
I stared at her for a moment and laughed "You're confusing me. Is this still about dancing?"
She nodded, biting her bottom lip.
"Well.. this is going to be my first dance too because I've never went to prom" I said "But how about this.. we'll practice"
Her eyes widened and then she frowned "Practice?"
"Yeah, what would you say if I invited you over to our house next week so you can meet my family" I smiled "Edward has a lot of music that we can steal and use for our.. practice"
Her eyes glistened at my suggestion then she looked over to the table where the Cullens sat for a moment and swallowed "I don't want to be a bother"
"You won't be I promise. I still have to ask them of course but I'm sure Carlisle and Esme are going to love you"
She smiled widely "Well in that case, i'd love to"
"Sorry that I'm already planning another date when we haven't had the one Saturday yet" I laughed "I'm just excited"
She shrugged "I don't care. I just want to spend more time with you"
"So I hope Jessica didn't bother you too much about.. our other date"
She took a deep breath.
"I guess that means she did" I chuckled "Consider me surprised"
"I diverted most of her questions but she kept asking if we kissed, then acted disgusted about me dating you by calling you weird and" she blushed "I might have snapped at her"
I smiled at her, caressing her hand "You're cute and I couldn't care less if she thinks I'm weird, I don't really like her" I shrugged.
"You don't?" She seemed surprised at my confession.
"She's your friend of course but it's because of her thoughts.. lets say they don't really match what comes out of her mouth sometimes"
She stared into my eyes for a moment
"How is it you know what people are thinking when you can't read minds? You knew what Mike was thinking too"
I nodded "I do, it's because of Edward. There's a whole book from his point of view" I paused for a moment and took a deep breath "It's my favourite book, actually" I forced the last part out of my lips.
I didn't know how to tell her that I developed a crush on her while reading that exact book and that I had been in love with her since before I saw her without even knowing it.
Knowing her she probably wouldn't be weirded out and even find something romantic in it, unlike any normal person.
I guessed that was exactly why I loved her and found her intriguing. Her mind didn't work like most other girls.
In a way I got the opportunity to fall in love with her twice and all over again.
She looked puzzled, as if she didn't really know how to process that information.
"So you know what people are thinking through his mind?"
I nodded and laughed "It's kind of cool isn't it?"
"I suppose so" she said then stared at her bitten apple as she investigated it.
"I have a random question I'm curious about" she said.
"What is it?" I was in love with her endless curiosity about the smallest things.
"If I dared someone of your family to eat this apple, or another piece of food. Could they?"
I laughed "Of course you were going to ask that"
She bit her lip "Sorry if it's a weird question. I'm burning with curiosity"
"I know. That's what I love about you, or one of the things at least"
"There's multiple?" She seemed genuinely surprised.
"I have a list" I smiled widely, melting into her brown chocolate eyes for a moment and noticing her cheeks get red.
"So.. could they?" She asked.
"I guess its comparable to that one time when someone dared you to ate dirt and silly you actually did it"
She blushed intensely "H-how do you know that"
I laughed "I know everything remember"
"I can't believe I would ever tell that to someone. Are you sure you're not reading my mind?"
"I'm afraid I wouldn't understand your mind even if I could read it" I paused "But you'd be surprised how much.. vampire allure can get people to tell embarrassing things"
"Oh" she said "I see"
The bell rang and it was time to separate again. I saw Bella taking a deep breath.
"Do you think we should skip class again?" I asked
We stared into each others eyes for a moment, I was getting mesmerised by hers and forgetting I had a class to attend to.
"Yes" she answered but then her cheeks immediately flushed "I- I mean there's no risk of me fainting so I'm going"
I laughed "Well I would've skipped class if you were but if you're going then I guess I have to"
She hesitated and looked down to avoid eye contact "Yeah.. I'm going"
I stood up and walked over to her offering my hand.
"Can I at least walk you to class, miss Swan?"
She giggled at my attempt to be cheesy then stood up and took my hand in hers.
"You know we have biology together after lunch right?"
"Of course, I just wanted to be extra"
I walked her to our next class, we went outside in the storming rain and she pulled up the hood of my jacket- which I suppose was hers now and we walked all the way to the building. I looked at her sideways and smiled.
"You really love my jacket don't you?"
She nodded "It smells like you" she blushed at her own words and bit her lip "Thank you for letting me keep it"
"Of course baby, anything to make you happy"
She arranged her long hair underneath the hood of my jacket, probably trying to hide her smile or how much she was blushing- I had all of her habits figured out already.
We arrived at class, hanging our jackets on the hook and sitting next to each other at our usual spot.
Mr Banner came walking into class, pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that was holding an old TV and VCR. Most of the students in the classroom got excited at the sight of it.
Instead I got a case of Deja vu, I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen.
Mr Banner shove a tape into the VCR and suddenly the lights turned out and everything went black.
Shit I forgot that would be happening now. If I was in chapter ten or eleven already then time was progressing fast, too fast for my liking.
I had horrible eyesight in the dark in my own- old body but now I could see everything more clearly. I glanced at Bella next to me and noticed we were sitting very close to each other, she was resting her arms on the table and only an inch away from touching mine.
The tension was palpable in the air. I had a hard time focusing on what the tape was about when the opening credits started rolling. Instead my breath and heart were fastening and all I could think about was Bella sitting in close proximity to me and the intense longing that burned inside of me of wanting to touch her- I could feel the electricity spark up between us.
Bella folded her arms on the table and I heard her sigh as she rested her head on top of it, she noticed me staring at her through her hair and a smile appeared on her face. I smiled back at her.
She looked back at the TV and I slowly moved my hand to touch her leg and up to her thigh, feeling the thin fabrics of her leggings. I audibly heard her breath becoming faster- she sat up straight and put her hand on mine, trying to lead my hand underneath her skirt.
I shook my head and stopped her then put our intertwined hands on top of her skirt as I caressed her fingers. She gave me a confused look but held onto my hand tightly, brushing her thumb along my fingers as she redirected her focus on the TV.
I wanted badly to do what she wanted me to do and it took me an insane amount of self control to stop her hand at that moment, but that was a line I wasn't going to cross for reasons yet unknown to her.
I was a Christian and grew up as one. I knew that I had to tell her that one day because I knew she was going to expect things to escalate more on a physical level as time went on. But I also knew I had to stay true to my own beliefs and be disciplined in the way I wanted to show my love to her.
Knowing how she reacted to Edward and how she thought about marriage I knew those were a few difficult conversations awaiting us.
The movie ended and suddenly the lights turned on, blinding me. I needed a few seconds to adjust to the bright classroom and as my everything became clearer I glanced at Bella. She was blushing and trying her hardest to avoid looking at me as she bit her lip.
The bell rang and we put on our jacket, swung our backpack over our shoulders and walked out in silence.
She put the hood up as we walked back into the rain- it was refreshing and washing away some of the intense feelings I was having. She put her hair between us but I could see that her face was still visibly red.
"So.."
"So" she said, almost whispering.
"What's your next class?" I asked
"Gym"
"Do you want to talk about what happened in biology class?"
She pulled the hood further so her whole face was covered "'No"
I laughed "You know.. it's normal to talk about these things"
"I'm shy" she said quietly
"I know" I said "You're being cute and silly and all but it's an important conversation we should have"
She let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
"I never had feelings like this for anyone. I don't know what's happening to me"
I looked around to see if anyone was nearby to overhear us or staring, as they would do no matter what we were doing or talking about.
"In that case, I don't think it's strange that this is how you deal with them" I chuckled "I'm not much more experienced with them than you are. I only had one girlfriend before remember"
"Did you-" she blushed pulling the hood over her face again but I knew from her tone what she was going to ask.
"If you want to know if I'm a virgin, no I'm not. I did have sex before"
She made a random high pitched squealing sound that was adorable to me for some reason.
"Oh"
She looked back at me and I stared into her eyes but then we arrived at the building where she would have gym. We stopped in front of the door and I turned to her.
"We can talk about this later okay?"
She nodded
"Have fun in gym.. try not to think too much about me and trip over a ball or something" I laughed.
She groaned and gave me an angry glare, she didn't like being teased about her clumsiness I noted.
"Sorry. I'm just joking"
"I know" she sighed "But you know very well that is going to happen that's why I'm mad"
"Well, be careful okay?" I said it with a straight face so she knew I was being serious.
She nodded then wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest.
I ran my hand through her wet hair then pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Alright time to go to class"
She looked at me and I held her face with both of my hands, pressing a kiss on her lips and holding it longer than I planned.
I leaned away "See you after school" I smiled and left her behind flustered.
After school I waited for her outside, it was still raining and a thick fog was hanging around on the parking lot.
I saw Bella walk to me through the rain.
"Hi" she said shyly
"Hey babe" I said as we started walking together to her house.
"How was gym?"
"Fine" she said
I looked at her examining her face "Are you sure?"
"Don't you know?" She asked as she looked at me
I bit my lip "I know you hit yourself in the head"
"Ugh" she groaned
"Also that Mike was probably annoying you, as always"
"That's true" she sighed "And I would like a head up next time if I'm hitting myself in the head with a tennis racket"
I tried to hold in my laugh but failed miserably and she glared at me.
"Ugh.."
"I'm sorry but if I have to remember every time you fell or hit your head then it'll take ages but maybe I can make a list for you" I said "A long list" I corrected.
"Are you making fun of it?" She asked
"Of course not" I smiled "If you really want a list of you being clumsy then I'll make that for you"
Her lips twitched into a smile "I do"
She reached to take my hand in hers, it was a first that she took the initiative to do that and it made me feel warm inside. She noticed the look on my face and smiled.
"So.. it's after school now" she said
"Yes, I suppose it is"
"Can we talk now?"
I looked at her for a moment before looking straight forward again.
"Carlisle told me to watch the news this morning and.." I paused "The guy who assaulted you, his name was Lanny and he was found dead this morning in Port Angeles among his other friends or rather gang members"
Her face went pale- shock spreading across her face as she looked at me "What happened?"
"They think it was a rival gang or animal attack but I don't buy it"
"What do you think?" She asked
"I think it was a vampire"
"Do you think that Edward.."
"I don't know" I sighed "If so then him killing these thugs isn't a problem, I'm glad that he did but I'm worried about whoever is stalking me"
"Maybe you should stay over at my place" she said, the worry was evident in her voice.
"If I could I'd stay over every day but.. what about Charlie?"
"Right" she sighed
"I'll talk to my family and see what they think" I paused "But Bella?"
She looked at me, she probably knew it was serious if I used her name instead of her pet name.
"Can you promise me something?"
"Sure"
"Don't go outside alone" I paused "I know you went out to the woods once but with this threat it's safer if you stay inside or are around other people"
She took a deep breath
"Please?"
"Okay I promise" she said
We arrived at her house and I saw Charlie's cruiser was already there. She noticed the car as well.
"I'll see you tomorrow" she said shyly
"So, I guess I can't kiss you before leaving now?" I chuckled
"You can.. just a quick kiss" she blushed
I held the side of her face and leaned in to kiss her lips softly and slowly.
I leaned back and smiled "See you tomorrow" I said and she waved me goodbye.
When I arrived home I went to Carlisle's office and asked if we could talk.
"What's wrong Adam?" He asked
"I was wondering if Bella could come over this weekend, or next week"
He smiled warmly "I would have to discuss this with the others and address their worries but as far as I'm concerned she's always welcome here"
"And there's something else I need to tell you"
His expression grew worried "What is it?"
"This vampire I told you about. I think they did those murders back in Port Angeles"
"You're right" he said "The circumstances were indicative of a vampire attack"
I took a deep breath "I am concerned about Bella's safety, do you think you can plan a family meeting?"
"I can gather them tonight if you want. They should be back from hunting soon"
"Not tonight. There's something I wanted to do and I might need a favour"
"Whatever you need Adam"
"Can I borrow your car?"
He agreed and I went back outside, unlocking his car and started the engine.
I drove through the small streets in Forks- The fog was thickening and the wind began to pick up, and before I knew it I was driving through a windstorm and pouring rain.
I tried to pay attention to the road but my windows were blurred and the windshields didn't do a good enough job of wiping all of the rain away. I took a turn onto the highway and drove straight until I saw a green sign with a white border that said "Port Angeles" in white letters with an amount of miles written next to it that I couldn't read.
I followed the signs and took the exit to Port Angeles.
When I arrived the skies had darkened but it was covered with a thick mass of clouds. It was still raining and the fog was hanging around the streets.
There weren't as many people outside, I saw some bystanders walking their dog but I assumed most people were inside because of the heavy weather.
I drove around the streets and came across an alley. The whole area around it was cordoned off with yellow lines that said 'Don't cross' and 'Police investigation'.
I parked my car across the street, turned off the engine and got out- walking to the yellow lines.
I looked around nervously to see if anyone was nearby then I lifted up the yellow line and swiftly bent down to pass it then I walked up to the dark, unlit alley.
I was doing something highly illegal- entering a crime scene so I hoped it would be worth it.
It was very hard to see anything in the alley and it made me feel extremely uneasy, all I saw around me was black. I came across a few small yellow stands that had black numbers on it- which you would often see at crime scene investigations.
I kneeled down at one of them and looked at the dried up blood.
Suddenly I jumped and my heart stopped when I heard a whoosh of wind behind me, followed by something falling onto the ground.
My breath got stuck in my throat and my heart fastened as I stood up and looked around. The uneasy feeling was growing inside of me and my instinct and self perseverance was telling me to run away.
I heard different noises in a short amount of time. First I heard a squeaking sound followed by the sound of a trash can moving and as I looked over to it I saw it was wobbling slightly as if someone had touched it.
"Hello Adam" a unrecognisable voice spoke. Their voice was dark and monotonous, echoing through the alley. It gave me chills.
"How do you know my name?" I asked but I noticed my voice was shaking and I couldn't stop but focus on the pounding heart in my throat because it was the only sound I could hear. All around me was deafening silence.
I turned around towards where the voice was coming from, staring into the endless stretching darkness, but I didn't see anyone. Whoever did was clearly didn't want to show their face to me and stay anonymous. They also chose this alley deliberately to talk to me so I wouldn't recognise their voice.
They knew what they were doing. Always one step ahead of me. I was delusional to think I could hunt the creature down- I was nothing but prey.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"That's not important" the voice from within the darkness said.
"Are you the one who's been following me?"
I walked towards the darkness, but then I felt a whoosh of wind blew past me again- I could barely make out a haze of someone passing me in a flash. I turned around but again I didn't see anyone.
"What do you want?!" I asked, frustration and anger overtaking my fear "Stop playing games"
"Bella Swan"
They paused. Their voice came from a different direction this time.
"You leave her to me and I won't harm you"
My heart stopped. A deep, overwhelming dread overtaking over my body.
"What do you want from her?" I asked, anger filling my voice.
Silence fell across the streets for a moment that felt like forever.
"Her blood"
I got chills and it wasn't from the cold wind and pouring rain. Their words were intense, threatening and above all determined with not a hint of hesitation.
I balled my hands into fists, digging my nails deep into my hands. My whole body was tense and burning with anger, my heart still pounding in my throat. if I wasn't careful the anger was going to blind me and I'd do something that would cost me my life..
But I was human, fragile. I couldn't protect her. Not from this, not alone. I felt helpless.
"You'll never get it" I threatened.
"Do you understand nothing about the concept of blood singers" they sounded frustrated.
My heart stopped "What do you mean with that?"
"If you did then you know we'll stop at nothing to get it.. the blood of a singer is like a drug to us and we're the addicts who'll do anything to get a taste of it" they paused "Anyone who stands in our way will regret it." They paused again for a long time.
"Don't be stupid, Adam. Don't lose your life over this ordinary girl"
"You mean Bella is your blood singer?" I paused and swallowed "But she's Edward's, is it possible for two vampires to have the same?"
They groaned "Who I am is none of your concern. But Isabella Swan is mine"
"Over my dead body" my voice was firm and direct.
"I don't want to hurt you" they said "There's no need to be any unfortunate casualties"
It was silent again.
"You don't have to do this" I tried to reason with them "Everyone has a choice"
They laughed menacingly without humour.
"I'm a predator. I don't have a choice"
"The Cullens are vampires. They have decided to be different, to not feed from humans. You can make the same choice if you wanted to"
There was a deafening silence.
"I have tried" is all they said before pausing dramatically "I'm a monster Adam. The villain. It's worthless trying to save me from my own nature"
They paused again "If you think that you can that makes you nothing but as stupid and naive as Carlisle was"
What the hell did that even mean?
"Stop talking in riddles" I demanded but they didn't reply "You think Carlisle is stupid and naive?"
"Carlisle is trying to fix something that's unfixable" They said, their voice hard.
"You know you're not the only one that wants her blood right?" I said "We're going to get rid of James and you'll be next if you even dare to think about touching her"
"Don't worry about James. I'll deal with him" they answered.
"I won't let you hurt her" I hoped they could hear the determination in my voice.
"You can't stop me"
"The Cullens can"
"They won't" their voice was firm.
What did that mean? I suddenly felt more weak and helpless than I did before, the feeling of dread growing stronger. I couldn't do this alone and they sounded sure that my family wouldn't offer their help, but why?
"Then I'll do it myself"
"You'll die"
"I don't care" I snapped.
The creature groaned.
"You have until next week to think about my offer"
"You leave her alone" I threatened again.
They disappeared with the wind.
"Fuck" I shouted to release my anger and frustration as I kicked against a trash can, hard enough to make it clash with the ground and roll over a few metres making the content splatter around. I got back inside of the car, slamming the door shut before driving to Bella's house- speeding over the dark, foggy highway.
I parked the car in front of her house and watched over her bedroom window and front door, leaning back into my seat and trying my hardest not to fall asleep.
I decided I was going to talk to the Cullens tomorrow and figure out a way to deal with this horrifying threat. The hardest part was going to be that they kept their identity a secret and that we had no idea who and what we were looking for, so Bella was going to need protection and someone to watch over her and Charlie at all times.
I'd go as far as involving the wolves if the need called for it. I was convinced they would offer their help if there was a human life in danger with a red eyed vampire on the loose near their territory. Surely a temporary peace treaty could be discussed and put in place because of our mutual interests.
The enemy of your enemy was your friend, after all.
Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought of Bella possibly getting hurt.. or worse. I closed my eyes shut as a tear escaped and rolled over my cheek.
I'd do whatever it would take to keep her safe. Whoever this freak was, wasn't going to hurt her.