Pinned but Fluttering

Chapter 4

I'm sorry that this chapter is soooo late. I've been buried under a huge mess of rough drafts for my online research class that I had to comment on before the students can continue with revising and then submitting their final drafts. It's been a ton of work, but I did finally squeak out this chapter for you all. Thanks for your patience!!

And enjoy!! :)

Chapter Four

I swallowed hard as I paused in front of a rather imposing door. “Judge Marcus Aro” read the brass-plated engraved name on the oak door. I felt Mrs. Jane's reassuring hand on the small of my back, encouraging me to step forward.

“Take a deep breath, Bella. You'll be fine,” Mrs. Jane smiled. But her smile was almost nervous, something I hadn't seen from her before. Mrs. Jane never wavered, so why was she looking almost as nervous as I felt?

After all, this was it.

This meeting would decide my future, in more ways than one. My stomach always took the brunt of my nerves, and my breakfast was threatening to make a reappearance. I swallowed again, closing my eyes and praying that I wouldn't vomit.

I heard Billy behind us, clearing his deep voice in annoyance as he and Jacob paused on Mrs. Jane's heels.

A secretary, presumably the judge's, hurried out from behind her very professional-looking desk. “You can't go into Judge Aro's chambers,” she said. I turned, hoping that she wasn't speaking to me. There was no way in hell that I was letting Billy settle this all-important issue without me being there.

He would lie, as he always did, covering his tracks so expertly that everyone remained in the dark, just like always.

Mrs. Jane was the first person to ever begin to see through him, to have the slightest inkling of what kind of hellish situation I was in. Her sympathetic eyes and determined demeanor were the main reasons I was pushing forward with this possible change. I trusted her, and I rarely trusted anyone.

I brought my mind back to the present, letting out a low breath of relief when I saw that the secretary's eyes were fixed on Jacob.

Jacob was a big guy. I mean, really big. Over the past year he had shot up at least six inches in height, and he looked like he spent hours each day in a gym working out, even though he didn't. He was solid, muscular, and huge; truthfully, he didn't look much like an almost sixteen year old in the least.

“No minors allowed in the judge's chambers,” the secretary stated emphatically.

I was surprised that she took him for a minor; he looked like he was at least twenty-one to me. Seriously. And I also found it interesting that she hadn't leveled her attention on me yet; with my small stature and mousy appearance, I appeared younger than my seventeen years. I didn't even have decent boobs.

Then I saw the thick stack of files on the secretary's desk and realized that she knew who I was...who we all were. Mystery solved.

“Thank you, Gianna,” Mrs. Jane smiled, confident once more.

Jacob's eyebrows rushed together in anger. “I need to push my dad's wheelchair. And he has stuff for me to do in there.” His voice was aggressive, and I couldn't help shrinking slightly against Mrs. Jane at his tone.

I knew that tone boded no good, especially when I was involved.

“I will escort your father into chambers. And I'm certain that he will not require your assistance.” Gianna's glare was truly Jacob-worthy, and, despite my nervous, jumpy stomach, I found myself slightly intrigued by this show-down before the meeting had even started.