Soul not Included

Chapter 30

Charlie wasn't home when i arrived with Edward but I'm sure he would have appreciated that i came back earlier rather than later. 

I took time to think about everything that i shared and considered what else I could contribute. I knew what i didn't want to do. I didn't want to fly to see Renee. Not only do i not have a particularly close relationship with her... or the desire to, i also wouldn't know how to go about talking to her. It wasn't that nobody noticed that i suddenly replaced Bella but that they haven't spent enough time with her to get a good understanding of her personality. That was why i was able to blend in relatively easily before.

And while my normal friends were suspicious of my behavior in my absence they wrote it off as depression and desperation of love. All of which was an easy conclusion to have especially when i shared with them how badly my emotional state is normally. Never once have i been glad about how miserable I always feel until this moment because of that everyone wrote their own lie to believe and i just had to add more lies within their own narrative.

But things would be different with Renee. Renee knows her daughter. Raised her since she was a baby. How would she not know? I thought Renee would be a lot like my own mother but the last phone call i made to her made me change my mind on it. Renee is attentive in her own way, curious in the steps her child is taking and constantly worried about Bella even if her actions scream 'yes! Freedom from responsibilities at last!' Renee wouldn't have considered letting go of Bella's hand first, I realized that late. It was Bella who banished herself and Renee simply seized the opportunity of freedom from her thoughtful daughter. If i were to see her there was no chance that Renee wouldn't be able to notice the differences. 

The other thing i wouldn't do is insist to keep Jacob and Edward away from the fight. The more hands on deck the better. This would be more achievable if we find Simon and the others so i could stay with the Hawkes while the others fight. And perhaps in this way Jacob wouldn't be hurt by Leah's carelessness. 

"What are you thinking about now?" Edward asked, "didn't you accomplish what you set off to do today?"

"Yeah, and i could have finished that earlier if it wasn't for you."

He chuckled, "Forgive me for worrying about your safety."

I shook my head, "I bet you told yourself on multiple occasions that you're obsessive, creepy and annoying."

He cleared his throat, "no, but I have a sister that tells me on a daily basis. So what are you thinking of now."

I sighed, "I'm not going to use those plane tickets and you can't make me." I looked to catch his gaze. He met my eyes and gave me a nod. "I'm also thinking about someone."

"Alice is looking for your friends. She last saw them heading to Los Angeles but they've changed direction to east. We'll find them..."

"What was their previous stops?"

Edward frowned, "Willow Creek, Yuba City, Napa, Mt Diablo, Mt, Dana, Mt Whitney, Lake Nacimiento, Death Valley National Park, San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles. They're slowly making their way south. Which isn't the safest place for them to be. But whenever Alice sees their destination they've already went to their next location. We thought that since Oliver didn't go with them that it would be easier to find them but it hasn't been easy at all."

"Oliver isn't with them?" I asked.

Edward shook his head, "he left the same day you did. Probably used the confusion of your absence to his advantage. We can't find him at all. Whatever gift he had as a human has amplified considerably. He's blocked me and Alice out completely but that doesn't explain how the others keep giving us the slip."