Because Being Together is Enough |Book 1|

Chapter 18 ~ This Isn't Goodbye

A/N: Guy's I accidentally added chapter 18 with chapter 17 so I fixed it! I'll be adding chapter 19 shortly! I just need to edit it!

"Good luck." Jasper whispered as he kissed me. Him and Emmett vanished and Edward walked us to the door.

"I can do this." Bella mumbled as tears spilled from her eyes. I gave her and Edward some privacy and then Bella yelled, shocking me. "Go away Edward!"

"Bella? Louisa?" Charlie called as Bella slammed the door shut.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed through her tears. I ran up the stairs with her and into my room. We both locked ourselves into our rooms. I grabbed my duffel bag and started to pack everything. I had the card that had all of my money my parents had given me on it.

"Bella, are you okay? What's going on?" I heard Charlie's frightened voice.

"I'm going home!" Bella shouted back at her father. I ignored their conversation as Jasper helped me pack my things. When we finished he helped me zip up my bag and kissed me.

"I'll be at the house when you get there, go." He whispered and pushed me towards the door before vanishing out the window. I unlocked the door and watched as she pushed past Charlie and ran down the steps.

"What happened?" Charlie asked. "I thought you liked him."

I followed after the two and into the kitchen where he had grabbed her elbow.

"I do like him – that's the problem. I can't do this anymore! I can't put down any more roots here! I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like Mom! I'm going to make the same dumb mistake she did. I hate it – I can't stay here another minute!" She yelled at her father. Charlie looked at me then back at Bella.

"Bells, you can't leave now. It's nighttime." He whispered as I followed Bella towards the door and she ran out.

"I'll make sure she's safe, Charlie. Don't worry. She's acting irrationally. She'll be back." I reassured him and gave him a hug before running out into the night. Bella gunned the engine and peeled out of the driveway. Edward was on the side of the truck and I jumped at the sound of his body hitting the truck.

"Pull over." He told her.

"I can drive." Bella said through her tears. In a matter of seconds, he was in the driver's seat and Bella was in the middle.

"You wouldn't be able to find the house." He explained to her. Lights flashed behind us and Bella whipped her head around to look out the window. "It's just Alice."

"The tracker?" I asked.

"H heard the end of Bella's performance." Edward said glumly.

"Charlie?" Bella asked.

"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now."

"Can we outrun him?" I asked.

"No." He answered and I nodded. Suddenly the truck shuddered and a dark shadow sprung up outside the window. I heard Bella scream as Edward but a hand over her mouth. "It's Emmett!"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"It's okay, Bella. You're going to be safe." He promised her. I missed Jasper. I blocked out the rest of their conversation with my thoughts. What would happen? How was this going to play out? When would it end? As my thoughts raced, I barely noticed we were at the house until Jasper had me outside and in his arms. In a split second, we were in the house. Laurent stood in their midst and I heard the deep growl in Emmett's throat. "He's tracking us."

"I was afraid of that." Laurent replied unhappy. Alice talked with Rosalie before the two sped up the steps to gather their things. Jasper held me tightly into his side to the point I couldn't move.

"What will he do?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm sorry," Laurent answered. "I was afraid, when your boy's were defending her, tha it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?"

"Nothing stops James when he gets started." Laurent answered.

"We'll stop him." Emmett promised and I shuddered at what he meant.

"You can't bring him down. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven." So James was the leader. Laurent looked between me and Bella and then back at Carlisle. "Are you sure it's worth it?"

"Don't underestimate James." Laurent warned. I ignored the rest of his conversation because Jasper was trailing a hand down my side. Laurent left and I then let my heart race at the intimate touch Jasper was giving me. He knew what I was doing and he rejoiced in it because I looked to see him looking down at me with a look of victory in his eyes.

"Go change clothes with Esme." Edward directed me. "James is mainly wanting you. Not Bella."

"Okay." I whispered as Esme took my hand and we walked up the steps together. We were in their room and she started to take her clothes off. "So what are we doing?"

"Trying to confuse the smell. It won't work for long, but it might help get the two of you out." She said and I nodded before we traded clothes. When we got back down the steps, Edward and Emmett were ready to leave. Carlisle was handing something small to Esme. He turned and handed the same thing to Alice – it was a tiny silver cell phone.

"Esme and Carlisle are taking your truck, Bella." I heard Edward say. He'd taken one of Bella's flannels and tied it around his waist to have her smell on him.

"Alice, Rosalie, take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south." Jasper then said.

"We're taking the jeep." Edward finished motioning between the three boys.

"Alice," Carlisle asked, "will they take the bait?"

"He'll track you." Alice said after she had looked into the future. I felt Jasper's hold on me tighten. Our closeness would soon come to an end and we'd be separated and I was scared. I didn't want him to leave.

"Let's go." Carlisle began to walk toward the kitchen. Jasper and I walked into the living room so we could be alone and he quickly placed his lips on mine. And then it was over. He hugged me to him and then he was gone.

I felt tears prick at the back of my eyes and Rosalie came to my side. She hooked our arms together to try and cheer me up. We left then into the car that was going to take me away from Jasper.