Turn Scars to Stars [2]

Mystery Guest

"Emmett," Mel whined. "Don't pause the game because you're losing."

Mel, Jasper, and Emmett were playing Mario Kart. Jasper was in the lead and Emmett was the angry Bowser caboose in the line of cars. It was amusing to watch his big fingers on the little GameCube controller.

"My phone is ringing," Emmett said defensively. He whipped out his silver cellphone and put it to his ear.

Mel sighed in exasperation.

Jasper stood at the same moment that Emmett rose to his feet. "What's going on?" Mel asked, eyeing the two tense-looking vampires. "Who was that?"

"Edward," Jasper told her. "We have to go."

"What? Where?" Mel tried to keep up with their words, but they kept talking at vampire speed. Her human ears could not pick up full sentences; she only caught snippets.

Bella. Trail. Unknown. Clothing. Charlie.

She then noticed the rest of her family was in the living room. Their faces ranged from concern to confusion. Either way, whatever was happening did not seem good.

"We'll be back," Emmett said so Mel could hear. He looked directly at her. "Please stay inside. We don't know if the trespasser is still lurking around."

Jasper and Emmett disappeared before her human eyes. They had kept up their act of being mortal in front of Savannah all day, but once Sav had gone home, Mel's brothers didn't hold back their inhuman abilities.

~*~

The Cullen family waited for Bella and Edward to arrive after Edward's alerting call. Mel felt like she was sitting on a bench in a museum; everyone was still as statues in various poses of stress. She squirmed on the couch next to Rosalie.

"What happened?" Edward demanded as soon as he passed through the front door. He glowered at Alice, his hands fisted in anger.

Alice stood with her arms folded tight across her chest. Only her lips moved. "I have no idea. I didn't see anything."

"How is that possible?" he hissed.

"Edward," Bella said at the tone Edward was using to talk to his sister.

Carlisle interrupted in a calming voice. "It's not an exact science, Edward."

"He was in her room, Alice. He could have still been there--waiting for her."

"I would have seen that."

Edward threw his hands up in exasperation. "Really? You're sure?"

Melaina did not approve of his tone with their sister. She glared at Edward and communicated to him through angry thoughts.

Alice's voice was cold when she answered aloud. "You've already got me watching the Volturi's decisions, watching for Victoria's return, watching Bella's every step. I constantly keep an eye on Melaina and the family. You want to add another? Do I just have to watch Charlie, or Bella's room, or the house, or the whole street, too? Edward, if I try to do too much, things are going to start slipping through the cracks."

"It looks like they already are," Edward snapped.

"Edward," Esme admonished from her place next to Mel.

"She was never in any danger. There was nothing to see."

"If you're watching Italy, why didn't you see them send--"

"I don't think it's them," Alice insisted. "I would have seen that."

"Who else would leave Charlie alive?"