The Long Night

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

But I needed to man-up and comfort her, no matter my anger toward the mutt...and toward myself.

Fortunately, my careening thoughts outside her truck had only taken three second to fly through my mind, and she had not yet noticed my presence here.

Bracing myself, I opened the passenger-side door of her ancient truck, ignoring the creak of protest from the behemoth's primeval suspension, and scooped a very damp Bella into my arms.

She allowed the embrace, but I also detected a foreign stiffness in her—as if I weren't the one she wanted to be comforting her.

Damn...Bella probably wanted the mutt to be with her, embracing and soothing her.

I sighed quietly, grateful beyond words that Jacob was in no condition to hold Bella against his chest and comfort her...and thankful that despite her feelings to the contrary, she was allowing me to hold her.

Bella's grief was past words, and I knew that none of mine could help. I could only embrace her, running one hand soothingly up and down her spine as she leaned into me, sobbing as if her heart were breaking.

Watching her crying like this was excruciating. Sheer agony.

Her entire body was shaking, wracked with her grief. It was killing me to see her like this—so broken.

And I had forced her into this situation. It was and is entirely my fault that she was so emotionally overwrought at this moment.

She hadn't quieted when I took her in my arms, but as I held her against me, I felt her slowly relax into my body, finally accepting what little comfort I could provide for her.

I wasn't certain how long I had been holding her trembling body against mine, but she finally attempted to speak. Between gasping sobs, I managed to discern a few words: “Charlie,” “home,” and “worry” among them.

“Are you really ready to go home?” I asked, my doubt evident in my voice. I certainly didn't want Bella to face an upset and possibly panicked Charlie when she arrived home in this tearful condition.

Knowing Charlie, he would immediately blame me for Bella's uncontrolled tears. Personally, I didn't want to face him, either. I may be indestructible, but I wasn't an idiot.

It took her several attempts, but I finally caught on to what she was trying to express: her uncontrollable sobbing was not going to improve significantly before Charlie would expect her home, and she was afraid that he'd call Billy and hear what she had done. She felt it was her responsibility to break the news to Charlie as he had his heart so set on her choosing Jacob over me.

Nice. I felt my anger toward Bella's father begin to simmer once again. It wasn't fair to put that kind of pressure on her, to make Bella feel guilty over her choice of boyfriend. She was legally an adult, after all.

Reluctantly I slid across the bench seat of her truck behind the steering wheel, lifting Bella over me and settling her in the middle of the seat so that I could keep one arm around her as I drove. Once I had her trembling form curled up against me, I reached forward to twist Bella's keys in the ignition and start the behemoth's engine.

As the truck roared to life, I cringed slightly, the loudness of the engine causing something like a faint, ringing pain in my sensitive ears. How did Bella manage to drive this...thing day in and day out—and enjoy it? I shook my head ruefully; at times Bella's preferences were well beyond my understanding.

I drove Bella home extremely slowly—far more slowly than I had ever driven her truck, or any vehicle for that matter, trying to offer her as much time as possible to regain her composure before we arrived at Charlie's. I felt her fighting desperately for control, her small, fragile body so tense against mine as she tried to quiet her powerful sobs and quell her tears. I drew her even closer to my side in silent sympathy, my icy form hopefully refreshing against her red face and hot tears.