The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 38

"Where is she!" Edward roared, the family stepping back, never seeing the usually level headed vampire panic.

"Edward." He heard from far off in the distance, and so did everyone else as they also turned to look as Cori poked her head from the Jeep. "Come on!" She said as she looked at Edward, but then realized the family was also looking at her. "What's wrong?" She asked as Edward sped Bella to the Jeep, practically throwing her up into the passenger seat, fumbling with the seatbelts until Bella told him she had them.

"Edward, what's wrong." Cori asked again only to be ignored. "Bella?" "Where did you go?" Bella asked loudly as Edward sped around to the drivers side, starting the Jeep, and throwing it in drive, sharply turning back the way they came in. "I came to the Jeep. I don't understand what the problem is." Cori said getting upset. "The problem is that you disappeared." Edward growled at her, his eyes glaring into the rear view mirror at her.

"Are you hearing yourself. I walked. I didn't run, I didn't teleport-" "Cori, you disappeared." Bella told her hastily. "What?" "We couldn't see you. We couldn't hear you. I thought you got taken. We didn't know where you were." "This doesn't make since." Cori said mainly to herself.

"What doesn't make since is why you tried picking a fight you couldn't win." Edward said. "What do you-" "Including Seattle! What were you thinking Cordelia?" "Were you paying attention to her thoughts?" Cori asked him. "They weren't the priority." He told her as they hit a particularly rough patch of terrain, throwing around the girls.

"My dad. I think my dad was talking about her." Cori told him. "Out of everyone in Seattle, Washington, you think your father was talking about a nomad vampire?" Edward asked, almost scoffing at the thought.

"I'm being serious Edward! Did you see the way she looked at me after Carlisle said my name? It was like she knew my face, but didn't have a name." "I saw it." Bella told them and Cori smiled lightly at her. "Thanks Bells."

"I think we have slightly larger problems here." Edward told the girls, "Listen to me. James is a tracker. The hunt is his obsession. I read his mind. My reaction on the field set him off. I just made this the most exciting game ever. He's never gonna stop. And what he said about Cori. He's interested in her. He knows she's different. He doesn't know what she is, but he wants you." Edward said glancing back at the redhead.

"He called me a show." Cori said as tears stung at her eyes, the seriousness of the situation hitting her. "What should we do?" Bella asked, panicked. "We have to kill him. Rip him apart and burn the pieces." Edward said and Bella's eyes went wide. "It's the only way." Cori told her. Realizing she didn't know where Edward was going, Cori panicked. "Where are we going?" "Away from Forks. We'll get a ferry to Vancouver."

"I have to go home. Now." Bella told him, "You have to take me home." "You can't go home. He's just gonna trace your scent there. It's the first place he's gonna look." "Edward. Our parents." "But my dad is there. We-" "It doesn't matter!" He yelled into the car.

"Yes, it does! He could get killed because of us! They both could! If Lia's right, her dad could be in just as much danger!" Bella yelled back. "Just let me get you out of here first, all right?" He asked. "It's our dads! We have to go back!" Bella argued, "We'll figure out a way to lead the tracker away somehow. I don't know, but we have to do something." Bella said loudly.

Realizing it was quiet in the back, Bella looked back to the back seat, only to find it empty. Not wanting to set off Edward again she put her hand back there, hoping that what ever was happening to Cori, she could help. Once she felt a hand weave its way into hers, interlocking their fingers, Bella glanced back again to see Cori, tears streaming down her face.

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Stoping at the Swan's house, Bella and Edward rushed up to the house, leaving Cori alone for only a second before a knock was heard on the window. Jasper's golden eyes took in her tear stained face, and his heart hurt. Opening the back passenger door, he pulled her out and to him as she clung to him. "Why is this happening?" Cori asked him. "I'm not sure, but we've got to stop it before they hurt you or Bella. I'm sure Edward said already, but we will do whatever we can to make you safe again." He told her and she nodded.

"You ready to make a scene at home?" He asked her and she shook her head. "I don't want to say anything I'll regret." "He's got to let you go. You have to do what you can. He'll forgive you." Jasper told her and she sighed. "Okay." She said nodding her head as he sped her down the road, to her own house that had the lights on.

Running up to the house, she opened the door, slamming it open. "I don't care what he told you Jasper! I don't want to hear any more of his lies!" She yelled out. "Cori! Hey! Wait! I'm not condoning it, but it was an accident!" Jasper called out, as Jonas Austin came to the door, not understanding what was happening.

"Tell him we're done! I hate him!" Cori yelled out running up the stairs to her room. "What? Actually never mind. Jasper, I thinks it's about time you get home." Jonas told him. "But sir-" "Jasper, now." He told the boy, "I'll talk to her." The father promised. Jasper hung his head, walking down the steps, before he dashed around the side of the house, scaling it until he reached her window, climbing in and grabbing a random bag, filling it with clothing.

"Carrot, what's going on?" Jonas asked. "Edward kissed another girl! He cheated! I hate him." Cori told him as she pulled stuff from her bathroom that was just adjacent to her room. "Woah, where do you think you're going?" He asked. "I need to take a drive. Clear my mind. I have enough money and enough gas." She told him, going back to her room. "Where do you plan on going? You're seventeen. I have to know where you're going." Jonas told her, but she just grabbed her full bag, brushing past him. "Cordelia!" "I don't know dad! I don't know anything any more! We were in a relationship for almost three years, and then he just cheats. I don't understand!" She cried as Jonas pulled her into him, holding her close. "But Bella-" "Bella's different!" Cori growled.

"You're not leaving tonight. You're too emotional. You can take off as soon as the sun rises tomorrow." He told her. "I wanna drive tonight. It lets me think. I need to get out of this town. Everything reminds me of him." Cori told her dad. "Cori, just think about this." "Think about what dad? Maybe I want to explore the world a little bit." "What, like your mother?" He asked harshly. "Yeah maybe just like mom. You always did say I was just like her. Maybe I should just leave home and never come back." Cori said harshly and Jonas tried to recover from the blow he just received.

"Look Cori, I know I'm not around that much, but I'm trying. I've tried getting in contact with your mom. I don't know what else to do. We can paint like we used to. I just got back in your life." "I don't know either, dad. I really don't. And We don't paint, you do. I draw. Let alone I've practically raised myself, so I don't know why you want to play dad now. Why don't you just go back to Seattle. I know you want to be there more anyway." Cori said, her voice wobbly as she looked away from her dad, from his heart broken expression. She couldn't do this.

Grabbing her keys to her Jeep, she walked out the door, shutting it behind her. Throwing her bag in the back seat she crawled in, starting it up as she backed out of the drive. Tears blurred her vision as Cori drove, a sob escaping her. As head light drove behind her, she looked it see it was Bella's truck, and all she could think was,

"What have I done."

A/N: This one hurt guys. It hurt a lot. In my soul. Let me know what you thought. Was Cori too harsh? What do you think Jonas will do?