Eternity Is Mine

Chapter Fifteen

Author's Note: I am so touched, its not even funny! All fifteen comments from last chapter were sweet and accepting of my lack of updates. I am SO sorry for the holdup. Anyways, I got a very long PM from a user (who requested to be anonymous) who wondered why there wasn't the whole Tyler-almost-hit Bella-with-his-van scence. I thought I made it pretty obvious with what Bella said to Edward in the hospital after the incident that the bear attack was my replacement for the van scene. And I told the anonymous user that, and they requested I do a chapter on the van scene, but since Bella and Edward are a couple, it'll be different than the book. I agreed, and so here it is. My apologies again, and enjoy the chapter. 

Chapter Fifteen

Edward

   I had never seen someone so energetic in my life. Alice was a blur of squeals and excitement as she pounced on me when we arrived home from Maine. We had just pulled into the Cullen's driveway "EdwardEdwardEdwardEdwardEdward!" She squealed, hugging me as if I had just recovered from cancer. Bella laughed at Alice and carried the luggage inside. 

   "Hey, kid," Emmett said as I passed by him. He slapped me on the back, and I flashed him a grin. Jasper  gave me a strained smile, his eyes black. I glanced over at Rosalie, who was blatantly ignoring everyone, inspecting her nails. I rolled my eyes and walked inside to tell Bella I was going to go home and prepare for school the next day. 

   I found my tiny vampire girlfriend in her room, staring out the glass walls. Her hands were folded behind her back, and I could see her jaw was clenched. Not good. "Bella?" I said, stepping into the room. I moved to her side by the window. 

   "What's wrong, love?" I murmured, wrapping my arm around her small frame. "Some of my siblings' thoughts aren't the best, and I am having difficulty coping with it. I'm sorry Edward, I won't burden you with my troubles. I guess you're leaving now, huh?" Bella turned to face me. 

   Now I understood everything. I understood why Rosalie never spoke to me, or how Jasper kept his distance, or why neither were friendly and accepting like Alice and Emmett. They either weren't open to change, which was me, or they didn't like me. I understood why Bella's relationship with the Hales had been stressed ever since I had met them, but it hadn't been carefree and loving like Emmett had told me it had been before I came into the picture. I understood perfectly. It was all my fault. My fault the Cullens were starting to grow apart. My fault that Jasper and Rosalie were bothering Bella and giving her headaches. My fault. 

   Bella noticed my new expression and she sighed. "Edward, it isn't your fault. Rosalie and Jasper made their decision, and I have to deal with it. They just need to be more flexible, and that has nothing to do with you. You need to get home before Charlie does, make him dinner, and if you leave your window open, I'll be there tonight, like always. Now go." And so I walked downstairs, past Esme, Carlisle, Alice, and Emmett. I ignored the Hales. 

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   The next day as the bell rang, I walked with Mike and Jessica to the cafeteria. "So, Edward. WIll you sit with us at lunch today? Or were we just stepping stones to get to the Cullens?" Mike asked, looking at me, daring me to say yes. I glanced at Jess. She, too, had stopped to look at me. 

   I knew that if I sat with the Cullens today, I would lose all my friends that had come before the Cullens. And not that I minded. But I didn't want to be hated by a popular group of students. What if they turned on the Cullens and spread more rumors about them as payback? I hesitated. Bella always lit up when I sat with them (which was everyday), knowing I loved her enough to choose her over my friends who were there before her. It was a small thing, but it would hurt her. 

   "Um, okay," I stuttered. Jess grinned, her eyes glinting with excitement. The two led me to their table, and I sat in the seat that faced the Cullen table. It was empty still, which meant that they wouldn't know of my betrayal yet. 

   The door swung open, and my blood froze. Emmett was there with his muscular arm around Bella, comforting her. She was distraught and upset, her eyes wide with worry, her face tense. Rosalie simply sat down at their table, gazing at her little sister wih a slightly nervous face. Alice and Jasper were at the table now too. Alice froze when she saw me. 

   The noise of chatter around me seemed to disappear in my ears when I saw Alice move her lips. Bella. Bella turned just as I looked at her like a deer caught in headlights. I saw her heart shatter on the floor. I knew what it was. It wasn't so much who I was sitting with. It was that Bella thought Ihad finally decided that she wasn't good enough. Why else would I sit next to Jessica and be smilingas though I'd never met her and her family?

   Emmett stared too, his gold eyes hardening. I felt my heart quicken. I had hurt his baby sister. I now had hell to pay as well. 

   Lunch passed quickly, only four Cullens at the table. A certain brunette was missing from the cluster of golden-eyed models. I knew why, and I felt my own heart sink to hell. 

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   After school, I leaned against my truck, drumming my fingers against the side. My friends lounged around by Lauren Mallory's car, laughing and joking. The Cullens simply stood around Bella's Volvo, with Bella and Emmett staring at me. Their car was all the way across the parking lot, and I felt isolated and alone. 

   I was trapped in a bubble of confusion, guilt, and sadness. How could I have been so stupid? I knew Bella wouldn't mind that much if I sat with my friends if I had told her why, but now that she thought that I no longer wanted her, would she listen to what I had to say? 

   Suddenly, screeching tires turned me from my thinking. I whipped around to see a large black truck spinning out of control. In my direction. 

   Too startled to move, I stood like a statue, eyes wide with fear as the van spiraled towards me. 

   Then, as the van began to collide with where my legs should have been, a small pale hand shot out and pushed the van away. Another arm wrapped around my waist and yanked me away from the vehicle. Screams echoed throughout the air as I looked up to see my savior. Bella. 

   "Edward," she murmured. "Bella, I never betrayed you! It was all because if I said no to Jessica and Mike, they'd spread rumors as payback," I blurted, thanking God that the van had blocked anyone from getting to us. Bella was crouched over me protectively, one arm still around my waist and the other leaning against the van. 

   "Oh, Edward!" Bella cried, her voice colored with relief. She kissed me, a sweet mildness toning it. "Oh, Edward. I thought, for a moment, that the van would crush you. And I thought, even if he doesn't want me...not him. I thought...I thought..." Bella's voice cracked a little, and I pulled her tiny body to my chest, hugging her. That was when the paramedics arrived, but nothing they did could change the fact that Bella and I almost lost our forever. 

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Author's Note: I have to get this show on the road! So I think maybe 4-6 chapters left of Eternity Is Mine! Let's see...next chapter is Edward in the hospital and then maybe more BxE fluff to finish it off. The chapter after that is the baseball game. After that is Alice and Jasper taking Edward to Phoenix. After that, it's James and Edward in the ballet studio. The next one is the hospital. The last one is prom. Soo, this story is coming to a close. Immortal Nightmare is the sequel that I barely started, and the sequel to that is Forever Mine, and the sequel to that is Undying Deaths. I feel accomplished. This story was started maybe a year ago, and it's still incomplete. UGH. Bye guys, let me know what you think of this chapter. PS, I'm doing a question of the day now. So please do it. 

Question of the day: If you could be any animal, what would you be? Most creative/funny/inspiring/clever answer wins. 

Prizes: Dedication, shout out, character in story, mention in profile, or comments on all your stories.