The Edge of Insanity | Rosalie Hale

Chapter 23: Chaos

They landed in Phoenix on the earliest flight they could catch. The moment they stepped into the airport, they spotted Alice. She looked pale—even for a vampire—and visibly shaken.

"Where's Jasper?" Edward demanded. But the question was rhetorical. His jaw clenched as he caught the answer in her mind. Something was very, very wrong.

Daniel and Emmett exchanged a look—quick, sharp, loaded with silent understanding.

Alice's voice trembled. "Bella, she—"

But Edward was already gone. He vanished without another word.

Daniel stepped closer to Alice. "What happened?" he asked, low and tight.

Alice barely met his eyes. "Jasper's looking for her... but she's gone. She went after James."

She didn't need to say anything else. They all took off, following Alice.

"Hold your breath before going in," she warned. "There's gonna be a lot of blood."

Emmett, Jasper, and Daniel braced themselves.

By the time they reached the ballet studio, Edward was already locked in a brutal, fast-paced fight with James. The room was a blur of motion—shattered mirrors, torn floorboards, flying debris. James fought like a cornered animal: erratic, vicious, relentless.

He locked onto James's fear—buried under arrogance, but it was there, flickering, growing. He pushed. He could feel James flinch. Daniel nearly unleashed a nightmare on him, but Jasper was right there. No. Not now. He knew that if he made James suffer in that way, Jasper would feel it too. His love for his brother was greater than his rage, so he didn't use his gift.

Instead, he moved. In a flash, he grabbed James by the arm and hurled him through a full-length mirror with enough force to shatter it into razor-sharp shards.

"Emmett!" Daniel shouted.

Emmett launched forward like a wrecking ball. His fist connected with James's chest, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. James flew back, crashed into a support beam—but he wasn't done.

He roared and charged again, faster, wild-eyed, slashing at anything in reach. He caught Emmett by the throat, lifted him with inhuman strength.

Jasper appeared in a blink, slicing through the air. With a sickening crack, he tore off one of James's arms, sending it flying across the floor.

James screamed but didn't stop. With his remaining arm, he slammed Jasper into the wall—hard enough to crack concrete.

Daniel was already there. He ducked under James's swing, clenched his fist, and punched upward into his ribcage with a crushing snap. Then he grabbed James's other arm and broke it clean.

But James still wasn't down.

He spun, kicked Daniel across the room, then lunged toward Bella—desperation in his eyes.

Emmet got there first. He tackled James mid-air, slamming him into the ground with a sound like thunder. They rolled, a blur of fists and fangs, slashing and tearing.

Daniel recovered and sprinted back into the fray. He leapt over debris, landed on James's back, and dug his fingers into his shoulder blade with brutal precision.

"Don't fucking touch my brothers," Daniel snarled, his voice low and deadly.

Jasper, dazed but on his feet, moved beside him. "Together," he said.

Emmet held James in place. Jasper and Daniel struck in perfect synchronicity—two swift, final blows. One to the neck. One to the spine. Breaking Him in Half.

Alice burst onto the scene, tearing James's head from his body for good measure as Jasper sparked the fire. Together, they scattered every piece of him into the flames, letting the blaze consume the remnants until the studio looked like nothing more than a tragic accident. When the job was done, they vanished into the night.

Carlisle, Edward, and Alice took Bella—unconscious and pale—to the hospital, while Jasper, Emmett, and Daniel headed straight for the airport, ready to return home.

When they landed, Daniel didn't hesitate. He ran straight to Rosalie, who was already waiting for him at the gate. She had known—deep down—that he would come back to her, that they all would. But seeing him, whole and safe, made it real. She could finally breathe again.

Daniel felt it too—that sense of wholeness only she could give him. Without a word, he pulled her close and kissed her.

When they finally broke apart, she eyed him from head to toe. The scent of blood and smoke clung to him.

"You're a mess," she said flatly.

Daniel smirked. "Messy's my new look. You like it?"

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, cool and calculating. "If you want a compliment, you're going about it the wrong way."

He stepped closer, voice low and teasing. "Maybe I like the way you look when you're annoyed."

She didn't smile, but there was a spark in her gaze. "You're a pain."

"Exactly what you need," Daniel said, fingers brushing her arm lightly. "Keeps things from getting boring."

Rosalie tilted her head, studying him. "You're also reckless."

He leaned in, voice dropping to a near whisper. "And you love it."

She pulled back just enough to smirk, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Don't get cocky."

"Too late," he replied, letting his fingers trail up her arm. "Also, you married the mess."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't pull away. "Yeah, well, someone has to keep you in line."

"Good luck with that," he said, tracing a slow circle on her arm.

"And you better not give me any reason to try."

They stood there, the quiet between them saying more than words ever could.

The End.

— ✦ —

So, this is the end of Twilight. Thank you all for your patience and support—I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next up: New Moon. It's going to be great!

As always, let me know what you think.