Evening Star: Edward's Story

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Argument

It's late in the weekend, but I did manage to update both stories this weekend after all. Yay! I hope you enjoy this chapter. :) I'm going to miss this story when it's finished. But it will almost definitely require more than fifty chapters to complete it...perhaps fifty-five?

Chapter 47: The Argument

She belongs here, Jacob thought. This is her family, her world.

I was totally unaware of my grasping a nearby tree branch and crushing it to sawdust in my grip until the small bits of wood floated past me on the fickle breeze. How dare Jacob Black assume that Bella belonged here, with him?

As I struggled to swallow down my ire, I vacated Jacob's mind for a few moments, fighting for control. Instead, I allowed my mind to absorb the thoughts of the others within the Black home. As he chatted with Charlie and a man he thought of as Harry, Billy Black was also watching Bella nearly as closely as his son was, deeply concerned by her closeness with my family, especially with me. He thought of warning Charlie about our family, but in a vague way that wouldn't violate the treaty, of course. But he realized, too, that such a warning, while well-intentioned, could only bring stress and discord into Charlie and Bella's relationship. Billy knew Bella's stubborn streak well, recognizing that his interference would only drive her into my arms at this point. He shook his head, both concerned and saddened.

Although I appreciated Billy Black's desire to protect both Bella and Charlie, I couldn't help wincing at some of his thoughts about our family. He didn't trust us in the least, despite our “vegetarian” ways. And he was quite correct in his assumptions that even “tame” vampires such as our family can “slip up,” bringing death upon unsuspecting humans at times when the urge to feed becomes too much.

After all, thankfully unknown to Billy Black, we had been forced to flee from several locations as a result of such slips. Most of these speedy flights had been caused by Jasper, but some had also been precipitated at times by Emmett and even once by Esme. In addition, Rosalie had forced us to leave Rochester after she had achieved her revenge upon the men who had violated her, even though she never fed on them. Alice, Carlisle, and I were the only ones who had never been the reason behind a sudden relocation resulting from a loss of control. A loss of life.

Although on the first day I had met Bella, I had very nearly been the cause of just such a precipitate move.

I had rarely minded the immediate need to disappear that was an unavoidable part of our family's existence. Because I was the “loner” of the group, I kept to myself even more than my family members did, so I never had allowed humans to become familiar enough with me to warrant anyone caring that I had left. When Carlisle gave his reluctant orders for us to move again, I merely shrugged my shoulders, helped Esme spread the dust cloths over the furniture, and packed my personal items from my bedroom: my books, music collection, clothing. etc.

Besides, I also knew how very close I had come to causing such a relocation when I first met Bella...closer than I had ever come during my long existence to losing my tightly-reigned control completely and utterly.

The train of my thoughts was suddenly derailed by what was going through Jacob's mind as he spoke to Bella. I emitted an involuntary groan, for this situation was exactly what I had been most dreading this evening.

Now that he was Bella alone, Jacob Black's thoughts were a little ashamed and embarrassed as he gave her a tour of his minuscule bedroom, no larger than a closet really. However embarrassed Jacob may be at showing Bella his tiny room, he was also experiencing a strange high; he had been successful in separating her from the rest of the group, and, with any luck, he might gain a few moments totally alone with her.