Tick Tock ➙ Edward Cullen

Chapter Thirteen

The darkness of night had come and gone, sunlight now pouring into the living room where Melinda and Cindy slept. The redheaded girl woke with a jolt after barely sleeping through the night. Her brain was constantly alert while her ears picked up the faintest sounds in the house. She rubbed at her aching neck as she sat up and checked on Cindy, who seemed to still be peacefully asleep on the couch across the room.

Melinda walked to the front door where she had propped one of the kitchen chairs under the door handle after breaking the lock last night. The girl peered past the sheer white curtain that covered the small window, looking out at the house's front yard. She noticed Edward standing along the treeline, checking in on the house. He hadn't noticed Melinda in the window and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Morning." Cindy grumbled from the couch as she sat up and stretched widely, rubbing one eye as she stood up. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." Melinda replied as she stepped away from the window. She watched Cindy as the woman walked into the kitchen and immediately headed for the coffee maker.

"So what are we gonna do all day?" Cindy asked while she walked around the kitchen, grabbing things to make breakfast with while the coffee maker hissed loudly.

"Whatever you want, let's just stay inside though." Melinda started helping Cindy with breakfast as she put two pieces of bread in the toaster and turned on the stove top. She didn't want to tell Cindy about the tracker and the events that occurred on the baseball field because she didn't want her to worry. James was gone and Edward was keeping an eye on the house, that's all that mattered.

"Why do we have to stay inside?" Cindy asked with a confused expression while she handed Melinda a carton of eggs.

"Uh, I think it's supposed to rain today." She lied but it most likely wasn't that far off from the truth.

"It's Forks, it rains every day." Cindy pointed out.

"It didn't rain yesterday." Melinda answered with a small chuckle as she put the eggs back in the fridge.

Melinda had convinced Cindy to spend the day watching movies with her so that she could keep her aunt safe. She hadn't heard anything from Edward yet so could only assume that everyone was safe but they were still hunting James. It was later in the afternoon when all of a sudden Melinda's phone started ringing. The caller identification said Edward, so she left the house before answering it.

"Hello?" Melinda said into the phone as she sat down on the steps of her porch. She could hear Edward heavily breathing on the other end.

"Melinda, Bella has gone missing and we think the tracker has her in Phoenix. You and your aunt should be safe but I will be leaving Forks to go find Bella. Please do not leave your house." Edward explained frantically into the phone. His voice was slightly muffled and it sounded like he was running.

"Where in Phoenix? Let me do something to help." Melinda replied and stood up off the steps. Her mind was racing as she looked around, trying to come up with anything that could help Edward.

"It's too dangerous, you can't come." Edward told her.

"The tracker wants me too. That could be useful in saving Bella's life."

"No, Melinda! He will kill you!" Edward shouted into the phone but Melinda had made up her mind.

"Better me than Bella, right? Now tell me where you're going." Melinda snapped. Edward informed her that Bella was at a ballet studio in Phoenix and the girl hung up the phone. She rushed back inside to put on her shoes and grab the keys to the Acura, ignoring Cindy's yells as the woman asked her where she was off to.