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IT WAS FOR THE BEST that Paul took Bailey home as Jacob tended to Bella who was finally awake. It seemed that hearing Bella's voice had helped a bit, she wasn't as frantic anymore. Instead, Bailey was completely silent staring at nothing, in particular, as tears continued to roll down her cheek. They reached Bailey's house about half an hour later and Paul just looked at her. Bailey sat in her seat quietly for a few minutes. She knew that he was staring at her. She wanted to hang her head in shame. She wanted the ground to swallow her up, she wanted to disappear. Of all the people who could've seen her that way... it had to be Paul.
"Are you okay?" Paul asked gently.
Okay? What a complicated question. Bailey wasn't sure how to answer that. She didn't know how she felt at the moment. Bella was alive after all, that was good. But instead of feeling relieved, there was something else. Not necessarily anger but something similar to it. And whether it was directed to herself or Bella, Bailey wasn't sure of that.
Sure. She wanted to say. That would dispel any worries for the time being. Bailey opened her mouth but no words would come out—no words could come out. She reached for her throat. This was a new feeling, something she'd never felt before. It was as if her vocal cords had just shut down. Bailey lowered her hand and tried to clench her fist but couldn't, she was too tired. She walked toward her empty house.
Bailey retreated to the second floor of her house. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like she had two black eyes given how her tears had melted her mascara. Her face was blotchy, with patches of red. She turned her head to the side and moved her hair a bit. Parts of her scalp were also red where she had hit herself.
She hung onto the sink and shut her eyes. But even if it was just for a moment she saw Bella's body falling—Bailey snapped her eyes open at once and stared at her reflection. She exhaled deeply and turned on the water to wash off her makeup and freshen up a bit.
Once she finished she stepped out of the bathroom to find Paul standing right outside the door with a finger over his mouth. Bailey looked up at him, confused. She looked down when he held up a piece of paper for her to read and it said: Vampire, inside.
Bailey's eyes widened slightly just as there was the roar of an engine outside. Could that be Bella and Jacob? She glanced at Paul, he seemed to be wondering the same thing. Bailey was aware of the treaty rules, Paul had told her about before.
Paul was shaking as he deliberated. There wasn't enough room to phase inside and Bailey was way too close for comfort for that. But he needed to protect her, he needed to get her out of here. Thankfully this was a different scent from the red-haired bloodsucker.
He beckoned Bailey to follow him and she did. He shielded her as they slowly walked downstairs toward the exit. If there was a vampire it had likely already heard their heartbeats, it had caught wind of their scents. Paul just hoped the leech was turned off by his wolf scent and kept its distance.
