Veil of Desire - Jasper Hale

1.7

It had been a week since Edward's sudden departure from school, a week of Catalina listening to Bella's endless complaints about his mysterious absence. Catalina herself had noticed the Cullens' slight shift in demeanor—more distant, guarded, as if they were carefully holding something back. Even Alice, who was usually so warm, had seemed unusually reserved around her. Despite their subtle withdrawal, Catalina kept her curiosity at bay; she didn't want to push, especially if it meant risking their friendship.

But now, Edward was finally back, and Bella was determined to speak with him. That morning, as Bella nervously recounted her plan for the hundredth time, Catalina had smiled, squeezing her friend's arm reassuringly.

"Good luck, Bells," she said, watching Bella take a deep breath before hurrying off toward the main building.

The school day passed in a blur of lectures and assignments, as mundane as any other. Catalina's mind drifted between her classes, only half-listening as she wondered about the Cullens and, admittedly, what Bella would say to Edward. As the final bell rang, she made her way to the parking lot, finding Bella near her old truck. They fell into conversation immediately, Bella animatedly recounting her awkward attempts at talking to Edward, her words laced with frustration and fascination.

"So... what did he actually say?" Catalina asked, chuckling at Bella's flustered expression.

"He was... polite," Bella huffed, clearly dissatisfied. "Almost distant, but kind of intense, too. I don't know; it's like he's... hiding something."

"Sounds like classic Edward," Catalina teased lightly, rolling her eyes. Bella sighed, her shoulders slumping as they continued chatting, the sounds of other students leaving school filling the air around them.

Suddenly, a loud, metallic screech tore through the lot, sending chills down Catalina's spine. She spun around just in time to see a dark van skidding across the icy ground, its wheels locked, sliding directly toward them. There was no time to react, nowhere to run. Catalina's breath caught as she instinctively reached for Bella's arm, her mind racing.

Catalina felt her breath catch as the van skidded toward her and Bella, metal shrieking against the icy pavement, its path unstoppable. Time seemed to slow, and her instincts screamed for her to move, but her body was frozen, her arm reaching instinctively to pull Bella back.

Just then, a figure appeared between them and the van—a blur moving with impossible speed. Suddenly, Edward was there, his arm outstretched, his hand planted firmly against the van's side. With a single, steady push, he brought it to a complete stop, inches from where she and Bella stood.

Catalina's wide eyes met Bella's, and they exchanged a look of pure, stunned disbelief. It didn't make sense. Edward had been across the lot seconds ago. And yet... here he was, standing before them, his face taut with tension and concentration. His golden eyes flickered briefly to Catalina, his expression unreadable, as if he were assessing her reaction in the silence that had fallen over them.

Without a word, Edward stepped back, the urgency in his movements sharper than ever. He didn't offer an explanation, didn't even pause to check if they were okay; he simply turned and, in seconds, disappeared into the crowd.

Catalina's gaze followed him, her mind racing as the questions flooded in, yet words failed her. Bella seemed just as shocked, her mouth open as if she wanted to call out to him, to demand some kind of explanation. But by then, Edward was gone, heading directly for the sleek silver car where his family waited, eyes trained on him with varying expressions of tension and disbelief.

Catalina's pulse thundered in her ears, the image of what had just happened burning into her mind. She and Bella hadn't imagined it—they couldn't have. But any attempt to grasp what they had seen slipped away like a dream, something unreal and fleeting.