The Desires of The Heart

Affecting Us All

I stayed at the Clearwater's the rest of the night, leaving alongside my dad who promised Sue he'd be around if she needed anything, and I gave the same sentiment to my friends before heading back to my car. As I open the door I hear the incessant vibration of my phone ringing and remembering I forgot it in here earlier tonight, and wondering if this is Jasper panicking and trying to get a hold of me. I see our picture on the front before I answer, turning my keys in the ignition.

"Hi, sorry I--" 

"Sophia! Thank god! Are you alright?" Jasper cuts me off mid apology and I can hear the relief over the frantic worry in his voice causing me to wonder what has happened.

"I'm fine, Jasper? I was with my dad and left my phone in the car. What's going on?" Driving back in to Forks, I try not to think about what my father would say if he saw me driving and talking on the phone, which is quite frowned upon here in Washington..especially if you're the sheriff's daughter.

"Alice had a vision that Bella had jumped off a cliff into the ocean, and she never saw her resurface." He says gently and I feel a twinge of worry before I pull up to my house, seeing Bella's truck in the drive.

"Well, she apparently made it out because her truck is here at the house...? I don't understand, what's going on?" I question as I turn off the car and just sit in my seat waiting for him to explain what is going on.

"Due to Alice's vision and lack thereof, Alice is returning to Forks to make sure Bella is alright. And after you never picked up the phone I believed something terrible had happened, and couldn't take not knowing. So I'm also on my way. I'm sorry if this overstepped, but I just found you again. I didn't want to risk losing you." My heart swells at his devotion and in anticipation of being able to see him again, as I decide to get out of the car, so my father doesn't become suspicious. 

"I appreciate your concern, but really I'm okay. I don't want you doing anything that might upset your family--"

"They understand. They'd still be in Forks if it wasn't for Edward being overdramatic. And anyways, it was a perfect reason to be able to see you again." I smile before I see my father come out from the kitchen, a wounded look on his face as he holds a hastily torn piece of paper.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go." Without giving him any time to respond I hang up and move towards my dad. "What is that?" He simply hands it over, and I notice Bella's urgent scrawl.

Dad, 

Sorry I've got to go with Alice. Be back in a couple days.

Bella

"What? That's it?" My irritation flares as I look at the sorry excuse of an explanation, but it quickly dampens as I watch Charlie deflate into his armchair. I crumple the note in my hand as I attempt to sit on the arm of the chair to sooth my father. I rub my hand soothingly along his back, trying to cool my temper before I say anything.

"What am I supposed to do Soph? Why does she keep leaving like this?" He pulls his hands through his hair in frustration, and I shake my head knowing there's nothing we can do about it.

"There's nothing we really can do Dad. She's an adult, she can make her own decisions and there's nothing you've done wrong. Don't even think that." He shakes his head and I try not to get too upset with him, he's been so worried about trying to impress Bella or something that it's been pulling apart his heart and soul for much too long.

"I just feel like we keep doing something wrong for her to keep leaving like this. First it was going back to your mother and now it's just a trip to who-knows-where for whatever reason that she didn't think she could tell us. It's starting to really take a toll on me."

"I know Dad, I've noticed. And that's why I'm trying to tell you, you aren't doing anything wrong, this is all on Bella." I look him in the eyes and I can see the tiredness, and pain that he's feeling and it breaks my heart. He just sighs before looking away, running his worn hands over his tired face.

"I'm just exhausted Soph, let's head to bed and just hope tomorrow is a better day." He smiles forcefully, before standing up and wrapping me in a tight hug. "Thank you for everything you did tonight Squirt."

"You're welcome Dad. Let's get some good rest." 

I follow him up the stairs, shutting off the lights behind me looking forward to bed and the possibility of doing something for my father in the morning in order to ease his stress. We say good night and I shut my bedroom door behind me and I suddenly feel a presence at my back. Knowing it's Jasper, I turn around with a sigh defeated with the realization that the timing of everything was not good for my father. As I raise my head to find relief in my boyfriend, my blood turns to ice as I come face-to-face with the red headed vampire I saw a year ago at the baseball game. I hurriedly try to cover my shock, so as to not look weak, but her head cocks to the side as a predator would while hunting and I know she sees through my rouse, and a thin smirk crosses her pale face.

"How convenient it was to find the Cullen's no longer living in the area of such appealing meals. Although those dogs never let me get too close to Bella, but it seems they don't care as much for you."