dusk

chapter 5

My eyes slowly crept open. I was on the living room couch, lying on my back, looking up at a very concerned Charlie.

"Bella," said Charlie, his voice saturated with relief. "You broke out into a heavy sweat and just fainted. I was so scared that you hit your head, I almost called 911."

"I'm fine," I lied groggily. I almost passed out again as I remembered everything Charlie told me. "I just was really hot. I think I'll go take a shower."

Charlie looked reluctant at letting me wander away from his sight, but didn't object. What I really need was time to think, to concentrate. Billy couldn't want me dead, he was best friends with Charlie and really only had my best interests at mind. He did want the Cullens dead, though, or at the very least out of Forks. And he was obviously angry enough to take action. I pondered to myself what had set him off.

The warm water relaxed and soothed me, calming me and washing away some of my worries. I still hadn't heard from Edward, which was really unlike him. My head swam with unanswered questions. I soon gave up on trying to relax completely; I was too on edge for that to even be a possibility.

As I toweled off I started to wonder if everything could possibly be linked. The letter, Billy and the other Tribal Elders, Edward's strange disappearance from my life. They had to be, I just had no clue how. I was trying to solve a puzzle, but I was missing a very crucial piece. I had to find that piece. My sanity depended on it. I could only hope that Edward already found it, in which case I would just have to find Edward. I internally screamed in exasperation. Why did everything have to be so difficult!

I figured the best place to start looking for him would be his house. I felt pathetic, getting so easily frustrated, even though I hadn't even started my search. Tomorrow I would look for him. I said good night to Charlie and pretended to take some pain pills. I couldn't afford to be sleepy tonight. I had a mission. As soon as I heard Charlie start to snore, I took action.

There was no way I could even hope to sleep tonight when my head was so full. I pulled on a pair of jeans, leaving on the black spaghetti strap tank top that Edward had once complimented, and shrugged into a light gray hoodie. Once downstairs I put on my raincoat and grabbed Charlie's cruiser keys from on top of the small table in the foyer. My truck would be too loud and I couldn't risk Charlie waking up.

As I got into the cruiser and put the keys into the ignition, I prayed that Charlie wouldn't find out that I snuck out in his work car. A police cruiser, no less. Despite it's age, the cruiser ran pretty quietly, unlike my truck. I drove quickly, actually over the speed limit, to the Cullen's house. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw lights on in the house and no angry mobs or wolves outside. I ran to the front door and knocked. I heard someone swear under their breath inside. Carlisle opened the door and looked relieved when he saw me.

"Come in, Bella. We weren't expecting you, but we needed to speak with you anyway," he said, gesturing me to come inside.

I wasted no time in asking questions. "Is Edward here? Where has he been? Have you heard what Billy did? Do you know who wrote the letter? Has Bill-" but I stopped suddenly when Edward appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

I ran to him, the sooner to be in his arms. He held me close to him, each of us breathing in the other's scent.

"My Bella, I've missed you so much. Please forgive me for not staying with you in your time of danger," he started, his voice burning with sadness.