Bound by Obsession

Chapter 7: The Breaking Point

The town felt different in the early morning light, quieter, as though the entire world had paused for Edward to catch his breath. He had barely slept after running from Jacob and Bella, his mind too tangled in knots to find peace. Now, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, he walked aimlessly, lost in thought.

The air was crisp, the autumn chill biting through his thin jacket, but Edward barely noticed. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, his head bowed as he walked the empty streets, trying to silence the whirlwind in his mind. Everything felt like it was closing in on him—Jacob's confession, Bella's manipulation, the life that had been lost.

For a fleeting moment, Edward had imagined what it would be like to just disappear. To leave everything behind and start over somewhere new, somewhere where no one knew about the werewolves or the secrets that weighed him down. But even that escape felt like a fantasy. There was no running from this. No running from Jacob.

He found himself at the edge of the forest again, the towering trees beckoning him. This place had once been a refuge, where he and Jacob had spent stolen moments away from the world. Now, it was a battleground, thick with memories both beautiful and painful.

As Edward stepped into the shadows of the woods, he heard the crunch of leaves behind him. He turned sharply, half expecting to see Jacob, but instead found Bella standing there, watching him with that familiar calculating look in her eyes.

"You're out early," she said, her voice too casual.

Edward's shoulders tensed. He wasn't ready to deal with her, not now. "What do you want, Bella?"

She stepped closer, her gaze softening slightly. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. Last night was... a lot."

Edward let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, you could say that."

Bella sighed, her voice dripping with false concern. "You deserve better than this, Edward. Better than being lied to and hurt over and over again."

Edward turned away, staring at the trees in the distance. "I don't want to talk about it."

But Bella didn't relent. "You need to. You can't just keep running from the truth. Jacob is dangerous, Edward. He'll only hurt you more if you stay with him."

"Why do you care so much, Bella?" Edward snapped, spinning around to face her. "You've made it clear how you feel about him, but this isn't your life. It's mine."

Bella's eyes darkened. "I care because you're my friend. And because I can see what you can't. Jacob is toxic for you. You deserve someone who will put you first, who will protect you—"

"Like you?" Edward interrupted, his voice hardening.

Bella blinked, taken aback. For a moment, her mask of concern slipped, revealing a flicker of frustration. "That's not what I meant."

"Isn't it?" Edward's voice was colder now, sharper. "You've been trying to turn me against Jacob since the beginning. I didn't see it before, but I do now."

Bella's face tightened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I'm trying to help you, Edward."

"No," Edward said, stepping closer to her, his eyes blazing with anger and clarity. "You're trying to manipulate me. You've been feeding my doubts, twisting everything to suit your agenda. You don't care about what's best for me—you just want to win."

Bella's expression hardened, the softness draining from her features as her true intentions surfaced. "You're making a mistake, Edward. If you stay with Jacob, you'll regret it."

Edward shook his head, the last threads of his confusion finally snapping. "I'll decide what I regret."

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Bella standing there in the woods, her hands clenched at her sides.

Meanwhile, back at Jacob's house

The tension in the air was palpable. Jacob paced the length of the room, his phone gripped tightly in his hand. He had sent Edward countless messages, but there had been no response. Every minute that passed without hearing from him felt like torture.

He couldn't shake the image of Edward walking away, the pain and confusion in his eyes. It was his worst fear come to life—losing Edward, not because of some outside force, but because of his own mistakes.

The door suddenly creaked open, and Jacob's heart leaped. For a split second, he thought it might be Edward, but the sight of Bella walking in quickly doused that hope.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob growled, his tone laced with irritation.

Bella closed the door behind her, her expression calm but unreadable. "I wanted to talk."

"I don't have time for this," Jacob snapped, his patience hanging by a thread.

Bella smirked, stepping further into the room. "You might want to make time, Jacob. Because if you don't fix things soon, Edward's going to walk away from you for good."

Jacob's jaw clenched. "What do you know about Edward? You don't know anything about what he needs or how he feels."

Bella's smirk widened, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "I know more than you think. He's confused, Jacob. He's hurt. And if you don't do something drastic to show him that you're not the monster he's starting to believe you are, he'll leave you."

Jacob's heart pounded in his chest, her words hitting too close to home. "What do you want, Bella? Why are you even here?"

Bella's smile faded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm here because you're losing him. And deep down, you know it. If you really love Edward, you'll let him go."

Jacob's body tensed, his fists clenching at his sides. The rage that had been simmering inside him since last night was threatening to boil over. "Let him go? So you can swoop in and poison his mind even more? I don't think so."

Bella laughed softly, shaking her head. "You don't get it, do you? Edward's already slipping away, and the more you try to hold on, the more he'll resent you for it. You think you're protecting him, but all you're doing is pushing him further away."

Jacob's chest tightened. He wanted to lash out, to yell, to make her leave, but her words echoed in his mind. He could feel the truth in them, and it terrified him.

"I won't let you manipulate him," Jacob said through gritted teeth. "Edward will see through you."

Bella's gaze hardened. "Maybe. But by the time he does, it might be too late for you."

Jacob's heart pounded as Bella turned and left the house, leaving him alone with the crushing weight of her words. He knew he couldn't wait any longer—he had to find Edward and fix this before everything fell apart.