flare | JACOB BLACK [2]

~ SEVEN ~

Paragraphs of italics are Avery's narration while in the connection

~~

We walked out of the theater together in silence. I knew I had to say something or else this trip would've been for nothing. The cold air of the outside stung on my face. The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Bella, talk to me." I stood in the middle of the sidewalk and looked at her.

"About what?" She stopped as well. Her eyes looked past me a couple times.

"Everything. You haven't really talked to me since Edward left. I don't want you feeling like this anymore. So talk to me."

"I--I can't talk."

"Why? Tell me, so I can help you."

"Because it hurts, okay! I think about him and it hurts to much to say anything." Bella's voice cracked at the end of her sentence.

"Bella, you can't focus on him anymore. You have to let Edward go. He just left you and didn't think about what it would do to you. You don't need him if he does things like that."

"No, Avery. He didn't leave." Bella began to get excited. It was a total mood switch. "I still see him sometimes."

I pulled Bella to the side and started talking in a lower voice. I was concerned now. Was she hallucinating? "What do you mean you saw him?"

"Before he left, he told me to not do anything reckless. Then I saw him just now and he told me the same thing. Those guys back there," She motioned towards a biker gang in the alley behind me. "they're the ones Edward saved me from. If I do something reckless then maybe I'll see him again."

"You must be seeing things--"

"I know what the connection can really do so, I'll prove it to you."

The memory of the time at the Cullens house came back. When I broke down because I was getting Bella's vision. She must've noticed on her end too or else she wouldn't know. I never told her about it.

Bella pushed past me and walked towards the biker gang. I called out for her to come back. Of all the times for Bella to be stubborn and it's this time. She ignored me and kept walking. With a groan, I followed her.

She began talking to some ugly biker who was looking at her up and down.

I gripped her arm and tried pulled her away but she locked her knees and didn't budge. "We're leaving, okay?!"

"I don't think she wants to." The seedy biker said with a grin.

"Fine, I believe you." I told Bella as a plea to get out of here. "Can we go now?!"

"No, you don't." Bella gave me a mean look. "But I'll show you."

She got on the backseat of the motorcycle and the biker started the engine. My temper built as Bella still didn't get off the bike.

"Bella." I stated in a low, almost animalistic growl.

The biker suddenly took off. Instinctively, I ran their way but realized it was useless. As they speeded down the alleyway, I became extremely frustrated and angry. I tried to pull myself away from losing it but honing in on the connection. It felt so much easier now, suddenly I could see through Bella's eyes.

Bella was averting her eyes to the sides. She was waiting for Edward to appear. She's so stupid! Then she saw him. It was Edward, it was really him. It was an apparition but still. He told Bella to get off the bike, that she would hurt herself. Then he faded away.

It was like Bella snapped back into reality. She started panicking. She shouted for the biker to stop. And hit him on the shoulder when he didn't immediately do it.

I took myself out of the connection and ran to where Bella was. My instincts came fully and I was running as fast as I could to her. The biker might be angry and do something to her.

As the wind blew through my hair and the breath left my mouth I thought of the apparition of Edward. Bella wasn't lying. She wasn't. All she wanted was for me to believe her.

Bella and the biker had stopped in the middle of the alley back road. He was trying to talk to her still and was holding her arm. He even attempted a few grabs at her. Bella was trying to walk to get out of his grip but to no avail.

They both turned to me as they heard the sound of my shoes hit the road. I didn't slow down as I got closer. I ran even faster.

The biker let go of Bella and started his engine to leave. I got close enough, before he left, to punch square across the face. Then I grabbed him by the shirt and forced him off the motorcycle. I threw his body on the ground and kicked him repeatedly.

"DON'T EVER PULL SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Bella pulled me away from him. "FUCKING CREEP!" I shouted before spitting on him.

My temper was out of control now. I was breathing heavily and kept thinking about going back to beating up the biker.

When we got to my car. I lost it again. I slammed my hands against the hood. "BELLA! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!"

"I just wanted you to believe me..." I could hear the guilt in her voice.

"YOU CAN'T JUST DO THINGS LIKE THAT AND ALWAYS EXPECT ME TO BE THERE!" People began to look at us but I was too fired up to care. "WHAT IF I WASN'T THERE! HUH?!"

"Avery, please calm down, do you need me to drive?"

I opened my mouth to answer but couldn't. I was too angry, I didn't want anyone to do anything. I just opened the driver's door and sat inside. Bella eventually sat down too.

I turned on the radio and let opera singing fill the car. I felt myself calming down almost immediately.

...

I pulled up to Bella's house. The rain had just started. It created a soft noise as it hit the top of my car.

"Bella, just please, don't do things like that. If you have to put yourself in danger to see Edward, then he's not worth it."

"How can I resist it? You don't understand, he was everything to me."

"Apparently you weren't the same to him." I let my words sink in. "But I can help you move on. I won't leave you behind."

As I turned to Bella I saw the glint of my headlights in her watery eyes.

"I'll call you later. Thanks for the movie though." Then she left.

I drove home in silence. No music, no nothing. I needed to think. Bella was stuck and she needed something to help her move on.

A/N
Lol, don't quote me on this but I think I might try to update every Friday.