Saving Leah

Chapter 2: Life Happens

"Wow, poor Leah," Bella murmured as she traced circles on my abdomen. We were lying in her bed as we did every night. However, tonight I was a bit more somber than usual. My mind kept going back to today in the forest. I couldn't get her brown eyes out of my mind. They were stained with red and haunting. "I was wondering why I didn't see her at the funeral. Everyone just thought she was ... you know ... being Leah."

"What does that mean?" I asked because I seriously didn't know.

"You know being over dramatic and making everything only about her," Bella explained and I frowned. "Don't look at me like that Edward. You asked me a question and I answered it. Jacob, Embry, and Sam all said that Leah is extremely over dramatic. I think Sam would know the woman he fell in love with." I shook my head the more I heard about Sam the more stupid I believed he was.

"They are aware that her father just died right? One of them should've had enough common sense to check on her!" I snapped because the pack's impression of the woman I saw in the woods was completely wrong and they were treating her like she was to blame. It was suddenly a lot clearer to me way why she didn't go to the funeral. "What about Seth does he feel this way too?" Bella shrugged and stretched.

"I don't know Edward! Why are you obsessing over this?" She asked as sighed and I arched my eyebrow. I wasn't obsessing. I was concerned about Leah and if she'd seen her I was sure she would have been concerned too.

"Because contrary to my belief that vampires have no soul. The woman I saw out there today was broken and someone should be helping her pick up the pieces," I explained.

"I'm sure everything will work out in the end," Bella said before positioning herself comfortably against my chest. "Goodnight Edward, will you be here when I wake up?"

"I'll try my very best to be," I whispered before kissing the top of her head. She smiled and closed her eyes it didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.

I knew better than to have come here. It was after midnight and I was sure that some of their pack members were bound to be protecting the grounds. I knew for a fact they didn't allow Leah to perform this task. The other pack members found her to be weak and only around to cause them pain. They all seemed to forget the pain she must be in. I found it hard to believe they could be that self-absorbed especially with the mind link. I abandoned my car and traveled as fast as I could to the now familiar smell that was Leah Clearwater. I stood outside their house and allowed her mind's eye to show me where she was. She was on the floor in her room surrounded by pictures of her past. Sam and her father.

I have nothing ... no one.

She picked up a picture of Sam and ripped it to shreds. She remembered a recent conversation with him.

"I can't believe you are so selfish to not be at your own father's funeral all because we were there Leah! I know it hurts but you have to grow up. Sometimes life just happens."

"You are a piece of shit Sam Uley!" I couldn't agree with her more. Looked down to the ground and kicked up a few pebbles. I was going to use one to get her attention but my movement outside was enough to draw her attention. She looked out the window and saw me standing there.

What the hell?

"Let me in," I mouthed and she frowned at me. She shook her head. She went to sit down again but something stopped her. She grabbed something from her room and met me outside (with whatever it is that she gives him to put on).

"Put this on. Hopefully it will hide a little bit of your stench," she whispered. She started to walk and I assumed she wanted me to follow her. I found it funny how differently Leah dressed for bed. Being that she was a tomboy I expected her to be in sweatpants and a t-shirt much like Bella wore to bed. However, Leah wore the shortest white nightgown I'd seen in my life. After a few moment I realized where she was taking me. We were going to the line. She wanted me off their property. After we were safely off the res she turned to me.

"What do you want Leech? Are you stalking me or some shit? Do you want to hurt me too?" She asked with a scowl on her face. Even with the distain clearly in her voice I moved closer to her and I gave her honesty.

"I needed to check on you and make sure you were okay," I muttered and she frowned harder. She scoffed and crossed her arms making more than aware of her ... femininity.

"Bull shit," she muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"I call bull shit. Why would your kind care about me?" She said dryly.

"My kind wouldn't, but I do. We are individuals Le- I mean, I'm sure you're an individual, you are not your whole pack," I explained and she just looked at me and I was getting a little frustrated by her lack of response. "How are you? Are you okay?" I spoke slowly and it pissed her off just like I knew it would.

"How am I ... I'm alive," she muttered and looked down.

"That's a good thing," I responded and shoved my hands in my pockets.

"It depends on who you ask," she muttered. "A lot of people would rather I just drop dead." It was my turn to frown at her. She just looked away from and up to the sky. She admired the moon and the stars.

I'd rather just drop dead. Hopefully my soul would sail up into the heavens.

"You ... you shouldn't wish for death," I advised her and she looked at me curiously.

"How'd you ... oh that's right Jake said something about you being able to read minds. So why ask me all these questions about how I'm doing? Couldn't you just pull my thoughts from my head?" I shook my head.

"No, you're mind is in a million places. You weren't thinking about your well-being. I had to ask to get you to think about it," I explained. She nodded and looked a little lost for what to say next.

"I guess I can leave now that you have your answer," she stated almost as if it was a question. I was actually surprised she had been as cordial as she had. She lazily started her stroll back to her house. She stopped before she got too far away from me.

"Hey ... Edward ... this is the first real conversation I had in a really long time," she informed me and I felt her implied gratitude.

"You're welcome." I smiled a little and she offered something different from a scowl, however it wasn't quite a smile.

"I didn't say thank you," she snapped however she seemed a little playful.

"You're welcome anyway," I teased. "Goodnight Leah ... oh I mean." She held her hand up.

"Dude, it's okay you can call me Leah." She waved me off and I watched as she disappeared into the night.