Welcome back to chapter 27 of Riptide! This is the second to last chapter, and it astounds me we've made it this far. I'd like to thank everyone for their support, from Facebook to each and every review, favorite, and follow I've received. This community is one of the best.

I love hearing what y'all think, please leave your thoughts.

I'll be back with the last chapter soon!

I woke up stiff, blinking furiously, confused by my surroundings. A warm body underneath me moved and arms tightened around me. Edward and I lay on the couch, covered by a thin blanket. Glancing around, Rosalie and Emmett in their love seat were cuddled with their eyes closed. Alice and Jasper still lay on the floor cushions also wrapped in each other.

Lastly, my eyes landed on Esme and Carlisle, still sound asleep on their couch. The TV was still on, playing quietly.

Everyone must have fallen asleep here. My stomach fluttered as I realized we had broken one of Edward's boundaries. Needing to pee, I tried to peel his arms off of me, careful not to wake him up.

Edward's sleeping face truly resembled a marble statue. It was free of the lines that appeared between his brows when he furrowed them together and the light crinkles of his eyes when he grinned his heartbreaking grin. His stubble began to reappear, the dark copper peppering his jaw.

Gently grasping his forearm, I successfully removed one of his arms. The other one though was still snaked around my waist. His eyelids fluttered as I tried to slip away. His green eyes blinked a couple of times, meeting my boring brown eyes. Confusion passed over his face briefly as I stood up. He sat up, looking around at his sleeping family.

"We all fell asleep," he whispered, voice gruff from sleep. I nodded and stuck my thumb towards the direction of the bathroom.

Once finished, I tiptoed back into the living room. Edward sat, eyes half open, on the couch we were sharing. Upon seeing my return, he held his arms out to me, which wrapped around me as I sat in his lap.

"We slept together," he whispered, amusement in his soft voice.

"It was an accident," I looked up at him from under my lashes.

"My parent's chaperoned, we're off the hook," he chuckled, careful of his volume.

"What time is it?" I asked, leaning into his chest. Edward tucked my head under his chin.

"Around eight. My parents will be awake soon." I looked at Carlisle and Esme, wrapped in each other's arms on the couch across us.

"I don't remember falling asleep."

"You fell asleep around three."

"What happened? Has Aro passed?" My eyes darted to the TV.

A weatherman dressed in a large rain jacket with the hood pulled tight over his head spoke to the camera. In the background, it was raining lightly. The camera cut to footage of a neighborhood where flood water crept over a bridge. I didn't recognize the bridge, it must have not been Clear Lake. A banner confirmed my thoughts, announcing the location, Daytona Beach.

"The storm has slowed down, so its lingering over northwest Florida. I saw while you were in the bathroom. It's still raining pretty steadily."

"I can't believe Aro's finally here."

"Hopefully he will continue to weaken. Aro has a unique path. Most hurricanes stay close to the coast, but his path is predicted to move further inland. Of course, without the water, Aro will lose his strength quickly."

Edward and I spoke softly while the rest of the family began to stir.

The rest of the day was spent keeping updated on Aro and Clear Lake's condition.

It would be three more days before we were allowed to return to Clear Lake, blind to what was left of our home.

Our departure from Nana Platt's beautiful home was more difficult for me than I thought. Nana Platt had surprised me by offering a stiff hug as a goodbye. Her apparent dislike or disapproval, I couldn't figure out which, annoyed me, but I knew I needed to upkeep an overly friendly personality to prove her treatment has not deterred me from the Cullens. If I were to marry Edward, she would become family.

I lay on Auntie Irina's bed with the covers pulled up to my chin. It had been three days since I had last seen my brother. My body still aches and my scrapes make it hard to move sometimes. Auntie had tried to get me to take a nap, but all I could do was cry rather than sleep. She had even shut the blinds tight and drew the curtain for me, but my tears prevented sleep.

I missed Riley. Mom, Daddy, and Auntie said the helpers were trying their best to find him, but that had been two whole days ago.

As each day passed, Mom cried more and more. Daddy looked tired and tired. Auntie grew sadder and sadder.

Mom had yelled at Auntie over and over while Daddy had tried to calm her down. She stayed in a hotel, far away from Auntie's house and the beach. Daddy stayed with her too because he didn't want for her to be alone. I stayed with Auntie because she said Mom was not able to take care of me right now.

Auntie was on the phone, I could hear her from the living room.

"Renee, please come back to the house, Bella misses you. She needs you. I understand you're distraught—we all are, but Bella, she's asking for you. Please come home."

I cried when Auntie said Mom didn't want to come to the house. I had been crying a whole lot since three days ago. Auntie let me cry and stain her shirt, rocking me and running her hand over my hair.

"Please think of what Bella is going through too, she is missing her brother."

Riley's face appeared in my mind, the look of horror frightened me as we were separated by the violent waves.

Why had I forgotten my dumb life jacket? It was all my fault. I am the reason Riley wasn't here with me, with us.

Riley must be tired of swimming. Three days is a long time to swim. He must be hungry. He must be sleepy. How could he keep swimming? A shock ran through me. Riley might have not been able to keep swimming. Riley might have drowned.

My hands suddenly covered my eyes and I screamed, hurting my already sore throat.

"Please, for her—Bella!"

Auntie burst through the door and the loud sobs shook my entire body.

"Bella, honey, what is it?" Auntie sat on the bed and gathered me into her arms.

"Riley's dead, isn't he? How could he keep swimming for three whole days?! He's dead!" I wailed.

Looking into Auntie Irina's soft blue eyes, her own tears mixed with my own as she pulled me closer to her, hugging my body to her.

"Sweetheart," she managed to choke out.

"Riley's dead," my chest heaved and the sharp pains came back.

"Bella, honey, please calm down, you're going to hurt yourself more."

"Why isn't Mom here? Is she mad at me?"

"No honey, she...just needs some time to herself right now. She will be with you soon."

"I want my Daddy!" I escaped her soothing arms and scooted under the bed where she couldn't touch me.

In the dark, I squeezed my eyes shut as hard as I could as I heard Auntie sniffle.

"Sweetheart," she said, voice wavering, "I know you are hurting, in more ways than one, please come out so I can see your pretty face."

"Auntie, I miss him. I need him," The tears made my voice sound weird, I was surprised she understood me.

"Baby, I know. I miss him too. Please come out." In the dim light, I saw her reach an arm out to me. Pausing, I finally took her hand and crawled out from under her bed.

"Auntie," I sobbed as she took me into her arms, rubbing my back gently.

"I know, baby, I know. It hurts. I'm hurting right alongside you. It was an accident, sweetheart. Nobody could have predicted this. Right now, we have each other to hold on to. The Coast Guard is still looking for him, they will let us know once they have any new information. Baby girl, I'll call your Daddy for you. I'll tell him you want him."

I nodded and laid my head against her chest, my eyes drooping from exhaustion.

Later that evening, I sat in Daddy's lap while on the couch. A cartoon played, my eyes were glued to the TV without seeing. I had woken up from my nap, Daddy and Auntie made some dinner for me. I only took a couple of bites, much to their dismay. My plate still sat in front of me on the TV tray Auntie brought out. I curled myself into Daddy's arms, wrapping my arms around his neck while his stubble scratched my face.

My eyes shut on their own accord again and the shrill ringing of the phone made my eyes shoot open. Auntie rushed to the phone hanging on the wall and answered it, turning her back to me. She murmured into the phone and I couldn't hear what she was saying.

Suddenly, she whipped around, eyes looking wild.

"Charlie!"

His eyes snapped to hers, he deposited me onto the couch and rushed over to her. Grabbing the phone from her, he held it up to his ear listening to what the person was saying. His eyes went wide, and he collapsed to his knees dropping the phone with a loud bang.

"No!" he yelled painfully. Auntie kneeled beside him wrapping her arms around him. Daddy sobbed. I've never seen him cry before. Auntie sobbed as well.

I knew what their tears meant.

Riley was dead.

I slid from the couch to the floor, curling into a tight ball. My body was numb. I couldn't feel the carpet underneath me. My eyes closed, clamped shut, wishing this was just a bad dream. The tears didn't come immediately. They didn't even come as Auntie buckled me into the booster seat in the car and Daddy sat beside me, still shaking. Nor when we drove to Mom's hotel and got into her room. Mom's scream of despair should have made me cry too, she had fallen like a limp doll to the floor clinging to my crying father.

The tears came after Mom and Daddy fell into a restless sleep on the hotel bed, with me settled in between them and Auntie had long gone back to her house. When I was younger, Daddy, Mom, Riley, and me would all curl up in the same bed to watch movies. We all fit in the bed, and Riley grumbled about being too old to be cuddled. He would relax as the movie went on, making jokes throughout. Sometimes, popcorn fights ensued and Mom would yell at us, but still join in. Daddy would tickle me and Riley would save me.

Who would save me from the tickles now?

Who would take me to the beach on their moped?

Who would be my brother now?

Destruction surrounded us. Uprooted trees and stray branches littered the sides of the roads. Leaves spilled onto the road, from being thrown about and torn from their rightful place. Piles and piles of furniture, chunks of houses and buildings were scattered about. Tears formed in my eyes as we drove through town. Edward and I sat taking in everything utterly silent.

The drive back to Clear Lake had been void of lighthearted conversation. The pit of my stomach tossed and turned as we sped closer and closer to Florida. We had passed through areas that had been affected by Aro, while other areas still maintained their peace. The heaps of branches and small debris by the side of the road could not have prepared me for what we found in Clear Lake.

Some buildings were completely demolished while others still sat pristine, untouched. What had kept those safe from Aro's wrath? We turned onto main street, that's when the tears fell. Coral Coffee's sign lay hanging by one cable. The paint of the wooden sides was stripped of paint in some areas, leaving it looking abandoned. The Cove, the bar where James had assaulted me, sat in worse despair. The roof had been caved in, smashing the walls. It lay exposed. Bar stools were thrown about, broken glass glittered eerily in the sunlight.

It looked like something from an apocalyptic movie.

Again, some of the buildings were fine, showing minor wear, while others were pulverized. Knots formed in my belly.

We were coming up to the gallery and I hid my face in my hands, unable to look. Dread engulfed every pore of my body. I felt the car come to a stop.

"Bella," Edward said, strained, "open your eyes, love." He gently pulled my hands into his. I looked into his clear evergreen eyes brimming with emotion. I turned around to face my greatest accomplishment and held my breath. Through the car window, I could see only minor damage. Only the swinging sign was missing and the hinges were very obviously ripped off of the building leaving some damage. Some shingles were torn off as well.

Otherwise, the studio sat as I had left it. The plywood which covered the windows was stained and had dents and imperfections in it, but seemed to have done its job. I opened the car door to further inspect. Edward jumped out of the car as well, following me closely.

"Be careful," he said, eyeing the ground. Large murky puddles now covered the grass and parts of the street. "There's glass and sharp scraps of metal." He was at my side and I shrunk into him as we took a closer look at the studio.

"It's alright for me to be happy, right? There are so many businesses that have start over and rebuild, it feels wrong."

"Of course, Bella. You were lucky. Damn, it really looks like Aro picked and skipped over particular buildings to demolish." He ran his hand through his copper locks.

We walked the perimeter of the building, finding nothing too alarming a fresh coat of paint couldn't fix.

"Let's drive by the house," he murmured. The uncomfortable dread hit my veins once more. My eyes were wide on the drive over. Main street was a mess. Some of the shopfronts had been ripped open, scattering merchandise. Newtons' Surf n' Shop had the bright cheery canary yellow paint stripped off in most places. The decorative lighthouse atop Newtons' had been knocked off, leaving a hole in the roof. I'm sure they would have a lot of water damage inside.

The bridal shop where Alice worked and Angela had finally found her dress also took some damage. Some of the sidings of the building had been ripped clean off of it.

We turned the corner, getting closer to the small neighborhood. The trees were bare of their leaves, a sight never to be seen before because of the lack of seasons in Florida. The trees here almost always kept their leaves.

I was physically shaking as we neared my house and the Cullen's.

My mouth dropped in horror as soon as I could see the structure, tears flooded my eyes and a sob overwhelmed my body.

Edward cursed as he stopped the car.

A tree from my front yard had fallen through the roof, roots sticking up haphazardly in a huge clump of earth. The roof had caved in from the blow, tearing down some supporting walls with it and leaving the inside exposed to the elements. Bricks were strewn across the yard just as if a toddler knocked down a tower of blocks in defiance. Pieces of drywall sat in crumbled heaps. Some of the framing lay exposed, bare like a skeleton while other pieces were snapped like twigs. The corner of the house, which was no more, was obliterated into only the foundation, marking what used to stand. The front door hung limply off half of its hinges, creaking in the breeze.

The hauntingly light breeze.

Throwing open the car door, I fell weakly to the ground, my right palm landing on a large shard of glass.

I couldn't even feel the pain of the glass slicing my hand open or hear Edward's worried shout as I fisted the grass in utter agony.

Hands stroked my back, lifted me into Edward's chest.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered, tormented.

Edward ripped a piece of his t-shirt and wrapped it around my palm.

"I need to see," I muttered emptily.

He helped me to my feet, hand on my waist to help me balance. We walked together towards the ruins as Carlisle and Esme's car pulled into their driveway.

For a moment, I was distracted. My head whipped towards the Cullen house, which still sat in all its glory. The flower beds were missing its flowers, trees bare, but otherwise, the house hadn't appeared to be touched. I shook my head, unsure of the motivation of the movement—frustration, envy, or relief.

They rushed to Edward and me, tears falling down the gentle curve of Esme's cheek. She enveloped me into a hug, running a hand over my hair, trying to add words of comfort. I could tell she was truly upset about the damage—Aunt Irina had been an integral part of her life too. Seeing Aunt Irina's home almost eradicated had affected her, like another piece of Aunt Irina was gone.

The four of us circled the house, carefully stepping over the fence that had blown over. The backyard resembled nothing like before. The entire back fence was gone, only a few pieces remained. The gate where Edward had once left me stunned after the debacle with the ocean was no more. My garden was annihilated. The storm surge had just reached the beginning of my backyard, leaving lots of small pieces of debris and mud as it receded. The only thing that had survived Aro was Aunt Irina's orange tree. One lone orange clung to its branches, how it managed to persist, I'll never know.

I ran my uninjured hand over the trunk, thankful for one piece of normalcy and piece of Aunt Irina.

Inside, if you could call it "inside" anymore was completely water damaged. The furniture, the few pieces that were left, were trashed, never to be used again.

I clutched Edward's shirt as he held me in his arms, but I wasn't comforted by his embrace, I had lost too much.

"Here, honey, drink this tea, it can help with the anxiety," Esme murmured as she handed me a mug of steaming liquid. I accepted it, only because I felt obligated since I denied her offers of food. I sat on the Cullen's couch in the living room, hugging my knees to my chest. We were still without power, and the effort Esme had made to make me a simple cup of tea added to my guilt of not eating the plate she had made me. I sipped the tea, and although it was warm in the house, I felt a tiny bit of ease. It was almost dark, Edward, the rest of the Cullen men and Jasper were next door at the little remains of my house, trying to condense the wreckage into a pile for the city to clear. I had tried to help them, but with my injured hand and fragile emotions from losing my home, I had been more of a hindrance. Esme and the girls had been trying to distract me.

Rosalie and Alice had pretty minimal damage, especially compared to my house. Rosalie and Emmett's house had some shingles stripped from the roof and their fence was ripped apart. Alice's apartment was intact, Jasper's (and almost Alice's) house had a fallen tree as well, but it fell away from the house, leaving it pretty much unscathed.

The bay doors at Emmett's garage had some dents from things banging into them and had some paint missing, but otherwise okay.

The only person to have experienced complete devastation was me.

But not once did I feel alone. The Cullen clan had caught me in their net of endless support, jumping into action into helping me. Their love brought tears to my eyes, this strong, powerful wave of feeling so loved had nearly knocked me to my knees.

Rising to the window, I brushed the curtain away to monitor the activity next door. I continued to sip the tea and its calming effects radiated throughout my body.

A new sense of determination swept over me. I set down the mug and searched for my shoes.

"Bella, honey, where are you going?" Esme questioned.

"I'm going to help them. It's my home, I should be doing something."

"You need to take care of yourself, too."

"I can't sit here anymore, I feel weak." I griped, moving towards the foyer.

"There is no weakness in accepting help, Bella." She soothed, placing her hand on my cheek, stopping me in my tracks.

"I can't thank your family enough for the help they have always given me."

"You're family now, Isabella," she replied fiercely, "we help our own."

She hugged me tight, maternal love radiating from every pore of her body.

"Let's go over together and see what we can do, shall we?" She smiled and bent down to put on her own shoes.

Darkness engulfed Clear Lake. The only light came from the windows of those who had returned, using candles or lanterns to battle the darkness. Those who were lucky enough had generators. The Cullens, avid campers, had three. They loaned an elderly couple down the street one generator, as the wife especially needed it for her CPAP machine. Another family was borrowing the second, having four young kids. In order to lend out the generators and save on gas, all of the Cullen siblings were staying with their parents, they definitely had the space. Edward insisted I take "his" bedroom, he slept downstairs on the couch. I had rolled my eyes shortly after kissed him soundly in appreciation.

The next couple of days were spent helping those around us in rebuilding the community. One the second day, power was finally restored, making everything a whole lot easier. All roads were now clear, and truckloads of volunteers, supplies, and donations began pouring in. People from around the country, and even the world, were supporting Clear Lake and Florida in rebuilding. It was truly beautiful.

Some had lost all, others lost but few, but everyone came together to help one another.

The flooding had not been as bad as predicted, while it did rain in excess, most of the damage sustained in town was from the devastating winds. Combined with the rain, many people experienced water damage.

As I was distributing some canned goods to a couple well in their 70s, a news reporter came up to me with a camera not far behind.

"Hi, I'm Ashley from News 8 in Orlando, do you mind if I interview you?" she asked, already preparing to shove the microphone in my face. Edward nudged me in encouragement, he flashed a crooked smile.

"Uh, sure," I replied.

"Great! Your name? Ready, Roland?" The camera guy shot a thumbs up, and she smiled into the lens.

"Bella Swan," Edward answered for me. I looked up at him in appreciation as she began.

"I'm here with Bella Swan in Clear Lake, Florida with a group of volunteers who have all showed their support for the community. Bella, are you from Clear Lake?"

"I moved here a little more than two years ago, I would always visit growing up."

"Did your home take any damage from Aro?" She asked, a softness in her voice. The cameraman moved a little closer.

"Yes, my entire house needed to be torn down. A tree fell through the roof, combined with the wind, it was beyond repair."

"I am so sorry to hear that," the reporter said genuinely, "yet you are still here and volunteering when you have lost so much yourself."

"Other people need help too. It's all I can do to lessen the reminder of losing my home and what was left. In my short time living here, Clear Lake has been an amazing community to be a part of, I can only try to repay some of the hospitality the community showed me when I arrived."

The reporter shed a couple of tears, wiping them away with the back of her hand.

"We need more people like you in the world, Bella Swan. You appear so hopeful."

"It's all we can do to rebuild. Also, it's hard not to be hopeful with all of the support we've received from volunteers from around the country."

"Thank you for sharing part of your story with us."

I nodded while the line kept moving in front of the table. I handed a paper grocery bag to the next person.

The camera must have cut because the reporter had wiped away more tears, not trying to look so put together. "Really, Bella, you are so inspirational." She grasped my hand. "I wish you the best of luck in everything." She turned and waved, with the cameraman still following behind her.

"You're going to be famous!" Edward laughed.

He didn't know how right he was at the time. The interview clip had soon gone viral on the internet, gathering about 150,000 views in the first twelve hours of when it was posted.

We had salvaged everything we could from my house. I had wanted to keep the mint green fridge and re-purpose it into something else, I just needed ideas. The house was now level, the high pile of the remains had been picked up and taken away. I now owned an empty lot with only trees.

Stores opened up again, more and more daily. Volunteers handed out clothes, household necessities and manpower to those who needed it.

While I was left homeless, Esme and Carlisle demanded I stay with them until I could find other living arrangements. I wanted to rebuild, I just didn't have the means as of now. Edward had come up with ideas about the floor plans of the new house, he and Esme conspired together, showing me countless pictures and blueprints. As an interior designer, Esme had been dabbling in architecture. She was thrilled when I accepted her help, my new house would be her official debut as an architecture.

Today was my first day back in the studio. I had the gallery closed still, giving me time to work. I remembered back to that day I sat in front of the blank canvas and couldn't paint. My love for painting had reignited after surviving the hurricane. I was now starting a new piece. I had a title in mind already, rare, as usually, I name my pieces close to finishing or once they are completed. This one was to be named Riptide.

I swirled the deep blue paint along the canvas, adding a bit of white and gray to my brush to blend the colors. Grabbing a new rounded brush, I loaded it with a mid-tone blue, adding the color along the edge of the darker blue. Blending quickly, I continued this process, adding more strips of paint along the abstract line I had created.

I took a lunch break, allowing the paint to dry as well. The title of my new piece held so much meaning to me. While the currents had taken my brother and in his death, my Aunt and father, the water also brought me a new life. Just as water cleanses, my life felt renewed.

While I haven't spoken to my mother, she had tried calling once or twice during the hurricane, but I had missed her calls. She didn't try to call again. I spoke often with Dad, his presence once again in my life. He wanted to make the trip down a week or so into Aro's aftermath, but I had dissuaded him, there wasn't much left to do at my place, and I knew he couldn't take off so much work. He had promised to make a visit in September, for my birthday.

A knock sounded on the glass door to the gallery, and I poked my head out to see who it was. Angela stood, trying to look inside. I quickly went to open the door and she burst inside and hugged me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping me put everything together so quickly! I owe you, you're such a great friend!" she gushed, still holding me in a tight grip.

"I'm glad everything is going to work out, maybe not exactly like you planned, but now everything is more meaningful."

"Tomorrow I will be a married woman!"

"You will, it's hard to believe your life is going to completely change tomorrow."

Angela and Ben were wrecked by having to postpone their wedding. After talking it out, they wanted to marry as quickly as possible, not wanting to try to recreate their previous plan. They only wanted each other, not all of the extra fuss. It had been decided they were to marry in Angela's father's little church, then have their reception on the beach. It was going to be simple, but nothing less than beautiful.

Thankfully, Angela had taken her dress with her when she evacuated, so it was still in perfect condition. She had forced Ben to take his suit as well. Lauren and Jessica's dresses were ruined in the storm, so all of us decided on simple lavender dresses which were straight off the rack. Only Lauren seemed to care.

All of the details had been taken care of, the only thing left to do was set up the tables and chairs under the canopy that was raised on the beach.

After discussing the last few final details, Angela was off to get her nails done for tomorrow. She was bubbling with excitement, how she would sit still for her nails to look nice, we'll see.

Later in the early evening, Edward had volunteered to help unfold chairs and tables with me. A few of us were working, and we were already halfway done.

"I can't wait to see how beautiful you will look tomorrow," Edward murmured in my ear. He had cornered me by the truck that had all of the chairs stacked in the bed.

"Oh, please, all of the attention should be on Ange," I pushed his chest lightly.

"My attention will always be on you, my love," His green eyes seemed to deepen into an olive color and his lips were dangerously close to my neck.

"Edward, we have to help," I said breathlessly.

"They'll be fine without us," his breath fanned even closer to my neck. He enveloped me into his arms and dipped me, lips finally landing on my neck. I hummed in contentment as his lips trailed now to my jawline. At last, his lips met my own, and he groaned in response. I broke for air, hold the nape of his neck.

"Where did Bel—" Jessica's loud voice said, she rounded the trucks just as I had pushed Edward's wandering lips away from my earlobe.

"Come on you guys, we are almost finished. Make out later." She rolled her eyes and huffed, walking away.

My cheeks flamed red and I gave Edward a glare—half serious half-jokingly.

"You got us in trouble!"

"Actually you did," he smirked, "you look too beautiful for your own good." I looked down at my striped t-shirt and short overalls and then shot him an incredulous look.

"You're a dope!" I playfully pushed him, sauntering away from him and back towards the canopy.

"You really shouldn't have said that," he growled, chasing after me and scooping me into his arms.