Forget Me Not | ✓

15 | Acrimony

  
   
   
    
15
Eclipse
A c r i m o n y

AFTER LAST NIGHT'S chase in the woods, tensions were running high among the Cullens. Emmett's violation of the Treaty may have caused a lot more problems than necessary and he was too proud to admit it. In fact, he pointed out the fact that the silver wolf seemed very interested in Adele – that maybe she could calm things down. This led to an outburst on her part – "you know nothing!" – and she promptly slammed her bedroom door, surprising them all.

Adele was the first one out of the house the next morning so she was the first to pull into the desolate parking lot. She sat in her car and listened to music via the radio as students began to fill up the lot. As the rest of her family pulled in, Edward and Bella emerged from his silver Volvo and she spotted Jacob Black leaning against his motorcycle at the lot entrance.

"Jake!" Bella called out in greeting. Adele got out of her car and crossed her arms, watching from afar as the couple neared him.

"Charlie said you left town." Jacob said in an unfriendly tone. He glared daggers at Edward and then at the Cullen's looming a little ways behind him.

"To see my mother." she crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow at his unfriendliness, "Why?"

Jacob examined her, relieved to hear her beating heart and she the natural flush in her pale cheeks. Edward laughed bitterly. "He's here to make sure your still human."

Glaring, Jacob turned to him, "You want to read my mind?" He thought of when San Ailey carried Bella out of the woods. He thought of the first time he saw her after Edward left her – she was pale, malnourished and depressed. He thought of the time they rode motorcycles and in her delirium, she crashed. And then, when she went cliff diving and almost drowned. "Enjoy."

Upon seeing Edward's distress, Bella exclaimed, "What are you doing?!"

"Just taking a walk down memory lane." her spat.

"He's reminding me...of what it was like for you when I went away." Edward muttered. You mean when you abandoned her, thought Adele. He didn't bother to turn back and scowl at her.

"Jacob, please!" she pleaded.

Huffing, he stopped and looked between Edward and the rest of the Cullens with gritted teeth, "I'm here to warn you – if your kind come on our land again–"

"Wait, what?" she furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Edward's guilty expression.

Realization struck Jacob when he remembered that Edward was with his family in the cause last night. "You didn't tell her....?"

Edward always thinks he's knows what's best for her but clearly, his judgement was flawed. He took her to Phoenix because he didn't want her involved in the chase or Victoria's latest appearance. Bella was infuriated. Adele would've told her but she didn't want to be involved in their fucked up relationship.

"Tell me!" she demanded, "I want to know."

"There was a stupid misunderstanding between Emmett, Adele, and Paul." he downplayed it to the fullest. He didn't mention Victoria or the fact that there was a misunderstanding in the first place because of her. "Nothing to worry about."

Adele stalked up to them, "Go ahead and lie about anything else, but do not involve me!"

"Man!" Jacob grinned and ignored the many teenagers staring at them, "Listen to you. Slick. Did you lie to get her out of town, too?"