Now
It was only a matter of time before he found me, and it didn't make a difference that my heart had broken a million times today. I didn't really try to hide, just to live a normal day without seeking him out. My shattered heart thunders in my ears as they come in, swarming like maggots on a carcass. No, the second floor offers no extra protection from the likes of Jacob Black and his disciples.
"Isabella. I knew you'd come," he states triumphantly.
"Yeah, I guess the way you murdered my dear mother in cold blood got my attention," I respond, sounding so much braver than I feel. He would crush me under his boot if given the opportunity, and then carry out the threat in his note from the hotel.
"I couldn't possibly have been responsible, since I was in Seattle that day. Ask anyone," he jeers, a challenge. No, I'm smart enough to know he'd had someone do it for him while he created an alibi for himself. Jacob doesn't like to get his hands dirty anymore; he has minions for that, and he pays them dearly. That, and he isn't afraid to kill them off if they step out of line.
"What the fuck do you want with me, Black?" I'm furious enough to forget for a moment who I'm dealing with, the adrenaline coursing through my veins giving my body a false sense of bravado. The crack of his knuckles over my cheekbone as he backhands me, is a swift and painful reminder. I lock my knees, forcing myself to stay upright as the pain radiates up my temple and down my jawline. The tears fall unbidden; I've never been hit before, never been so disrespected.
"Your obedience, to start with." His smug face is so self-satisfied I want to puke all over his cowboy boots. I hold my hand to my cheek and wait for him to tell me the rest. "I need a new picker, and you're it."
"I…" I pause, trying to phrase my words in the way that's least likely to gain his wrath. "I don't know how," I whisper.
He rolls his dark eyes, flicking his long black hair over his shoulder. He's such a vain peacock, all the years of having others obey his every whim having gone straight to his head. "It'll be easy with your attributes. That's what I'm looking for, this whole thing to be easier overall. So I can make money faster." His boots make a racket on the old wood flooring as he circles me like a hawk with its prey. "You have a job at the Dead End bar, it's near the edge of town. Gets plenty of tourists passing by on the 101, and they're clueless to the fact that it's risky to leave your car in the parking lot."
"I couldn't possibly break into cars and drive off with them!" I want to ask if he's crazy, but I already know the answer. "Not to mention I don't know how to waitress. I doubt my clumsiness makes me a stellar candidate."
Jacob raises his hand again, and I flinch. The evil smile he gives me in return proves that it's intentional. "You and Paul can work that out. You simply nab keys and pass them to him, and he'll give them back after he runs them through the code cutter."
I don't say anything else; I'm honestly too scared and too tired. He turns and motions to the morons with him, and they all start filing out.
Jacob stops at the door. "Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about your father's promise."
Fuck. I give in when he leaves and sit down, my knees too weak to keep me standing. Maybe keeping him happy with his chop shop, can help me avoid unholy matrimony.
That just reminds me of Edward and the way he looked earlier today. He's still as handsome as I remember, and then some. He was sweet and patient for the most part with his little girl. He got flustered for a minute when she spilled her drink, but Sue Clearwater came bustling from the back and wiped up the table and ran the mop over the floor. I noticed she fussed over the pair for several more minutes before moving on back to the kitchen. I shrank down in my seat, fascinated with the salt shaker while she passed by me. I liked her, but I couldn't start a conversation with her while Edward was in the restaurant and chance him discovering me there.
I never saw a woman, never heard the girl ask after her mother, but that meant nothing. Edward is the ultimate in marriage material as far as I- and possibly all women over the age of sixteen in the Pacific Northwest- am concerned. I still have dreams of the life we talked about constantly; the plans that we made while we were curled together in his truck, whispering words of love and commitment. There's always been this emptiness… the expectation of promises fulfilled. I know I've had all that I could ever expect to have, with love and friendship and adoration and just a sense of belonging. That's never coming my way again, there's no prize at the end of any rainbow. I created the void, I just wish it had sucked me into it along with my empty heart.
Then
"Thank you for having me for dinner, Mrs. Cullen." I smiled shyly at my boyfriend's mom. Esme Cullen was one of the nicest adults I'd ever met, not someone who looked for the next thing someone owed her like Charlie did.
"You're always welcome, Bella, you know that." She smiled, and I felt the warmth in my chest much the way I did when I was with my own mother.
"I love my mom, but she isn't a very good cook," I laughed. "I prefer your cooking."
Alice piped up, "Mom teaches me, I'm sure she could teach you, too."
"That's a great idea, Mary Alice. You could come after school a few days a week," Mrs. Cullen offered.
I blushed, and Emmett laughed. "It's so easy to make you red faced, Bells."
I blushed harder, and Edward felt the need to come to my defense. "Stop picking on her, E."
"She's fine, she can hold her own, can't ya?" Emmett directed it at me, but I just looked at my lap. Their family was louder than mine, way more boisterous than what I was used to having at my house.
"Did you finish your homework, Emmett?" Mr. Cullen thankfully changed the subject and took the attention off me.
I turned to Edward, and the corners of my mouth lifted at his grin. "Any chance to see more of you is a good idea in my book."
"It would be a good idea for the future. Especially if you've never learned to cook," I said quietly.
"Oh, she taught me and Emmett first."
"What the fuck do you want with me, Black?" I'm furious enough to forget for a moment who I'm dealing with, the adrenaline coursing through my veins giving my body a false sense of bravado. The crack of his knuckles over my cheekbone as he backhands me, is a swift and painful reminder. I lock my knees, forcing myself to stay upright as the pain radiates up my temple and down my jawline. The tears fall unbidden; I've never been hit before, never been so disrespected.
"Your obedience, to start with." His smug face is so self-satisfied I want to puke all over his cowboy boots. I hold my hand to my cheek and wait for him to tell me the rest. "I need a new picker, and you're it."
"I…" I pause, trying to phrase my words in the way that's least likely to gain his wrath. "I don't know how," I whisper.
He rolls his dark eyes, flicking his long black hair over his shoulder. He's such a vain peacock, all the years of having others obey his every whim having gone straight to his head. "It'll be easy with your attributes. That's what I'm looking for, this whole thing to be easier overall. So I can make money faster." His boots make a racket on the old wood flooring as he circles me like a hawk with its prey. "You have a job at the Dead End bar, it's near the edge of town. Gets plenty of tourists passing by on the 101, and they're clueless to the fact that it's risky to leave your car in the parking lot."
"I couldn't possibly break into cars and drive off with them!" I want to ask if he's crazy, but I already know the answer. "Not to mention I don't know how to waitress. I doubt my clumsiness makes me a stellar candidate."
Jacob raises his hand again, and I flinch. The evil smile he gives me in return proves that it's intentional. "You and Paul can work that out. You simply nab keys and pass them to him, and he'll give them back after he runs them through the code cutter."
I don't say anything else; I'm honestly too scared and too tired. He turns and motions to the morons with him, and they all start filing out.
Jacob stops at the door. "Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about your father's promise."
Fuck. I give in when he leaves and sit down, my knees too weak to keep me standing. Maybe keeping him happy with his chop shop, can help me avoid unholy matrimony.
That just reminds me of Edward and the way he looked earlier today. He's still as handsome as I remember, and then some. He was sweet and patient for the most part with his little girl. He got flustered for a minute when she spilled her drink, but Sue Clearwater came bustling from the back and wiped up the table and ran the mop over the floor. I noticed she fussed over the pair for several more minutes before moving on back to the kitchen. I shrank down in my seat, fascinated with the salt shaker while she passed by me. I liked her, but I couldn't start a conversation with her while Edward was in the restaurant and chance him discovering me there.
I never saw a woman, never heard the girl ask after her mother, but that meant nothing. Edward is the ultimate in marriage material as far as I- and possibly all women over the age of sixteen in the Pacific Northwest- am concerned. I still have dreams of the life we talked about constantly; the plans that we made while we were curled together in his truck, whispering words of love and commitment. There's always been this emptiness… the expectation of promises fulfilled. I know I've had all that I could ever expect to have, with love and friendship and adoration and just a sense of belonging. That's never coming my way again, there's no prize at the end of any rainbow. I created the void, I just wish it had sucked me into it along with my empty heart.
Then
"Thank you for having me for dinner, Mrs. Cullen." I smiled shyly at my boyfriend's mom. Esme Cullen was one of the nicest adults I'd ever met, not someone who looked for the next thing someone owed her like Charlie did.
"You're always welcome, Bella, you know that." She smiled, and I felt the warmth in my chest much the way I did when I was with my own mother.
"I love my mom, but she isn't a very good cook," I laughed. "I prefer your cooking."
Alice piped up, "Mom teaches me, I'm sure she could teach you, too."
"That's a great idea, Mary Alice. You could come after school a few days a week," Mrs. Cullen offered.
I blushed, and Emmett laughed. "It's so easy to make you red faced, Bells."
I blushed harder, and Edward felt the need to come to my defense. "Stop picking on her, E."
"She's fine, she can hold her own, can't ya?" Emmett directed it at me, but I just looked at my lap. Their family was louder than mine, way more boisterous than what I was used to having at my house.
"Did you finish your homework, Emmett?" Mr. Cullen thankfully changed the subject and took the attention off me.
I turned to Edward, and the corners of my mouth lifted at his grin. "Any chance to see more of you is a good idea in my book."
"It would be a good idea for the future. Especially if you've never learned to cook," I said quietly.
"Oh, she taught me and Emmett first."
I couldn't help but giggle. "Then we're covered, aren't we?"
He nodded, a sparkle in his jade eyes, and I sighed softly in contentment. We'd been talking about marriage more and more, and it made me happy that his family accepted me, and us. I wanted a big brother, a little sister, and a mother and father that doted on their children. We just hadn't decided if we should wait until we were a little older, instead of rushing to do it after I graduated. My only fear was the year of separation while he was off at college, but he was working up the nerve to tell his parents he wanted to put it off until I could join him.
The simple teenage complexities that seemed monumental at the time were what I'd give anything to be worrying about again.
He nodded, a sparkle in his jade eyes, and I sighed softly in contentment. We'd been talking about marriage more and more, and it made me happy that his family accepted me, and us. I wanted a big brother, a little sister, and a mother and father that doted on their children. We just hadn't decided if we should wait until we were a little older, instead of rushing to do it after I graduated. My only fear was the year of separation while he was off at college, but he was working up the nerve to tell his parents he wanted to put it off until I could join him.
The simple teenage complexities that seemed monumental at the time were what I'd give anything to be worrying about again.
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