A Vampire's Love - Edward Cullen (Twilight saga)

Chapter 30 - Port Angeles (2)

Edward

Bella Swan.

The one whose actions seemed to bring her nothing but trouble. Everything she did, everything that happened to her seemed to call for my protection.

But why was I so involved ?

Because I couldn't risk seeing her hurt in fear of giving in to the monster inside of me ? Or because, as Aiyanna had once suggested, I befriended her enough to find a reason to keep her alive ?

Not being able to read her mind almost drove me mad. How could I interpret her actions without knowing what she was thinking ? Her body language was no different from the ones of the women who dared to approach me. Her heart skipping a beat could be caused by fear, or surprise. Her fingers fidgeting, or her eyes avoiding my gaze were also common reactions from most women around me. But I refused to believe that Bella Swan had such thoughts about me. She knew there was something wrong about me. She couldn't ignore this. And yet, the way she acted around me showed me that she probably did.

According to Aiyanna, Bella was supposed to accompany her to help both Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber to find their dresses for homecoming which was already three days ahead. Alice was the happiest about it since she finally found someone she could dress up. As for Bella, she had declined all invitations from the boys who had asked to be her partner. She had told everyone that she'd go to Seattle on that day, which in some way, had gotten me anxious.

And my anxiety had been justified tonight.

I had used my car and headed to Port Angeles to follow Aiyanna's car an hour after they left. I couldn't have taken the risk to be seen during the day.

I had caught Aiyanna's, Jessica's and Angela's scent in the italian restaurant they had probably agreed to eat at, but Bella had been missing. I could've caught her scent everywhere because of how strong it was to me but it was nowhere near the restaurant. Not only that, but her friends thoughts showed nothing but worry.

Bella had gone somewhere but never came back.

After scanning through people's mind, trying to find if they had seen her, I finally saw her face through a man's perspective. Actually, through four of them.

Relief hadn't gotten to me yet when anger suddenly got the best of me.

I didn't know exactly where I was going because of the shadows surrounding them and their thoughts, but I had seen her frightened face. And I had seen them enjoying it.

Sudden images flashed through their minds. Images of Bella's pale body on the cold ground, not being able to scream for help as one of them would put his hand over her mouth, like they had done to their previous victims.

I had crushed the gas pedal under my foot, zigzaging in between cars before I finally saw it. A sign that one of them had glanced at before he focused on Bella again. This simple detail had been clear enough for me to know where I had to go.

My bright headlights had frozen all of them, including Bella, as they watched me charge at them. If it hadn't been for Bella's frightened face who had stared towards my direction, I wouldn't have stopped.

As I let my car spin around them until the passenger door faced Bella, I had told her, or maybe even ordered her, to get in before I stormed off, resisting the desire to show these guys how easily they could go from hunters to preys.

Still controlled by my anger, I drove straight to the restaurant where I knew Bella was awaited. I could vaguely hear her voice talking to me on the way, but I couldn't listen. I was fighting my urge to go back and...