The Tale of the Brokenhearted

Chapter 27: Never Think

Alice's POV

"So why is Leah coming with us again?" Bella asked as Edward helped her into her coat. We were all in the living room getting ready to find a place to divert the newborns attention from Bella during the battle. I could tell that Leah felt awkward being there, but Edward wanted her to come. He felt better knowing that she was with him and safe. Leah looked up from behind her fingers and toward Bella and Edward.

"They think that the addition of an unfamiliar scent will help to keep you safe and Victoria off of your trail." Edward explained as he cut his eye to Leah and she frowned at him. I felt bad for Leah, but I didn't understand what Leah and Edward were doing. I just wanted them to come clean with Bella already! I understood Edward's line of thinking; he didn't want any additional emotional stress going into this battle. He just wanted everyone alive and then Bella and he could part ways. I just couldn't get over the sadness on Leah's face as she watched them together. I knew she was trying for a look of indifference but she was failing miserably.

"You don't seem like you want to come." Bella commented and Leah snorted in her direction.

"I don't think anybody really wants to be in this situation, but I don't want you to die, Bella, and I'm okay with going." Leah got up and walked toward the kitchen. "I'm grabbing a coke." Leah continued out of the room.

Bella sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh Edward, I'm so scared." She wrapped her arms around Edward's waist and nuzzled her face in his chest. Edward looked at me with a conflicted look on his face. He patted Bella's back awkwardly. Jacob stared at the sight and his hands started to shake.

"I guess you made your decision!" Jacob snapped.

"Jacob?" Bella actually seemed shocked by his outburst, but in my head I applauded him. Both men had been more than sensitive to her indecision, but I could imagine it was difficult to see Bella cooing over Edward.

"What Bella? I'm standing right here and if you were in the least bit interested in me," I watched as Jacob swallowed back his emotion, "if you even cared how I felt, you wouldn't- you wouldn't be all over him. You wouldn't hurt me like this, if you loved me." Bella moved out of Edward's grasp and rushed over to touch Jacob and he twisted away from her. "I can't do this anymore Bella! From here on out I will protect you, but don't consider me a romantic option, because I'm not interested."

"Oh shit!" I murmured and both Edward and Bella looked at me. I didn't know what else to say. I wasn't expecting Jacob to all of the sudden grow a backbone where Bella was concerned. "Sorry."

"What just happened?" Leah asked from the living room doorway. Edward looked to Leah as Bella tearfully wrapped her arms back around him.

"Jacob decided he didn't want to wait for Bella's decision," Edward explained and gave Leah an expression of remorse.

"So what does that mean?" Leah asked through gritted teeth. "Edward, what does that mean?"

"Leah," I started to interject. It wasn't that Edward didn't love her; what was he supposed to say? Leah quickly dismissed my attempt to diffuse her anger.

"I'm going to check on Jacob," she explained but before she made her way out the door she stopped. "Loving someone is the easiest thing on this Earth to do. If you love someone completely, there should be NO question in your heart as to where your loyalties lie. I don't really think you love Jacob or Edward, not enough to be with them forever. I think that Jacob made the smart decision ditching you!" She huffed, she looked at Edward and something changed, Leah slammed the door on her way out, she'd done well to voice her annoyance with such poise but I could tell that she was really frustrated. Rage hit Edward's eyes as he watched Leah walk out of the door. Bella was holding him tightly and a flash hit me. It was brief and unexpected. I saw Leah and Jacob, I was shocked because normally the shifters are a bit harder to see, but this vision was live and in HD. I saw them embraced, naked, comforting each other in the snow.

"No," Edward whispered so low that Bella couldn't hear. His tone was low but the emotion was clearly there; hurt and betrayal.

Decisions need to be made … that's what I see, I shared my thought with Edward.

"Don't leave me Edward, I couldn't take it if you left me, too." Bella began to cry and just as she did Carlisle and Jasper came into living room. Edward simply held Bella to him and said nothing. I shook my head. This was the perfect time for the truth, but of course my brother didn't see it that way, so he held his tongue.

"Let's get you out of the line of fire." Edward ushered Bella outside and once they were out of my sight I had a mini fit.

"OH MY God!" I snapped.

"So, did Edward change his mind?" Jasper asked and Carlisle was curious as well. "From the sounds of last night I thought that he was pretty wrapped up in Leah."

"Jacob snapped. He was tired of seeing Bella all over Edward. He didn't want to wait for her decision anymore so he let go, and now Bella's clinging onto Edward tighter than ever. I'm pretty sure that Edward still wants Leah, but I saw something that put him over the edge," I confessed.

"What did you see?" Carlisle inquired as he crossed his arms and stepped closer to me.

"I saw Leah and Jacob together, intimately." I huffed out my frustration and then focused out the window on the pitiful four, not one of them was happy.

"This is what happens when people are deceitful, Edward should have been honest with Bella from the beginning," Carlisle mused. "Now, he's stuck between a feeling of obligation and love. I don't know which one he values more. I just know my son, and if he picks Bella, neither one of them will be happy for long." Carlisle continued. "But we don't have much time to debate this … the battle will be here soon." Jasper nodded and we followed Carlisle out the door.

Edward's POV

Jacob was carrying Bella to the place where we would set up camp tonight. I watched as he carried her like his bride into the woods and then disappeared out of sight then turned around. Leah stood nearby, in between Carlisle and Alice. I closed the distance quickly and stopped in front of her.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," she mumbled as she made sure not to look at me.

"I know you don't, but we do need to talk," I stated and she shook her head.

"Not right now," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to create a shield. I was hurting her and she didn't even know what I was thinking. "I knew she would choose you. Who wouldn't choose Edward Cullen?" She chuckled wryly and then a tear rolled down to her chin.

"Leah, I…" I wanted to tell her that I still did and always would choose her, but somehow she'd got it in her mind that Bella's decision was law. However, Bella wasn't the only one that got to choose, I needed to be happy just as much as she did. Right now the one person holding my happiness was breaking down in front of me.

"How much longer before we start walking?" Leah asked.

"We could start now?" She nodded.

"I think you two should go alone. Contact me if you need to, we'll see you both tomorrow." Carlisle reached out to Leah and gave her a big hug. "Be careful out there, Miss Clearwater. Let this other mess clear from you mind and focus on your survival." He kissed her forehead as if she were his daughter and ushered both Alice and Jasper away. After they left I paused and studied Leah, who once again was focusing on her shoes.

"You can't even look at me?" She shook her head and there a million things I wanted to say to her, but there was only one thing that my mouth and mind could agree on at the moment. "I love you, Leah." She choked on her laughter. She raised her eyes at the sky; the moon had come into view as she looked up at the clouds. The tears streamed down her face.

"You should choose her, Edward. I'm no good for you. I'm jealous and I'll always worry… about when you'll leave me. It would be easier if you just did it now." She turned quickly away from me and ran into the forest. She abandoned her human form in an attempt not to have to deal with our conversation anymore.