Bella's ability to sense my absence even in the blackness of sleep was unerring as usual. I had only been in the chair at her desk for but a few of her heartbeats when she jerked awake, screaming bloody murder.
We were only a few feet apart but I still moved as fast as inhumanly possible to close the distance.
My granite arms wrapped around her as gently as possible, hurried whispers flowing from my lips into her ears, trying to quiet the panic and despair coursing through her veins before Charlie was disturbed.
I was not just forbidden from the house, but from his daughter altogether.
In no uncertain terms was it made clear to me I would not touch her, speak to her, see her - not even at school. The faculty was also recruited to safeguard her.
Charlie was blameless, though - I was only reaping the rotten fruit in which I had sown.
I only wished he could see it was doing more harm than good to Bella.
She had begged and pleaded with him to no avail.
The fact I only had mere hours to undo months of damage was nothing, however, compared to Jacob Black.