𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐒━︎━︎ J. Hale ✓︎

𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
ACTING

"JAMES IS A TRACKER. The hunt is his obsession and my reaction―︎as well as Jasper's―︎set him off." Edward told the two girls. "We just made this the most exciting game ever." Luna didn't move her eyes from the scenery that flew by. She was too busy trying to decide whether or not she should punch Edward for driving so fast, or Jasper for leaving her with Edward. Edward's fists tightened around the steering wheel as he glanced back at Luna through the rear view mirror.

"For someone so quiet, you have such loud thoughts." Edward stated, grabbing Luna's attention. She let out a sigh before turning her head to look back out the window. When Luna ignored him, he looked back at Bella. "He'll go to your house first. He'll track your scents there."

"What?! Charlie's there. He's in danger because of me! Because of us!" Bella shouted, causing Luna to wince slightly.

"Then we'll lead the tracker away from him somehow." Edward told the girl. He looked back at Luna before he spoke. "Luna, when we get there, grab a jacket or something and put it in Bella's suitcase."

"I can't just leave, Edward." Bella argued.

"It's the only way to keep you safe." Edward sternly told the girl, glancing back at Luna. "To keep both of you safe."

When they arrived at the Swan residence, Luna entered the house five minutes before Bella did to add more affect. She greeted Charlie before walking up the steps and entering the room. Luna changed into a different shirt, opting for a silky half-sleeved yellow shirt. She looked around before grabbing a flannel of hers as well as a red leather jacket.

"I said, leave me alone!" Bella shouted from down stairs before the sound of a door being slammed could be heard. Luna waited for Bella to enter her room before quickly following after her and stuffing the two pieces of clothing into the bag. Luna closed the door as Charlie walked up the steps.

"I can't hurt him." Bella whispered, looking between Luna and Edward.

"You have to." Edward says.

"Bella, did he hurt you?" Charlie asked from the other side of the door.

"No, dad." Bella sighed.

"Then what? Did he break up with you?" This time it was Luna that asked, raising her voice slightly so that Charlie knew the girl was in the room.

"I broke up with him."

"I thought you liked him." Charlie said.

"That's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I have to go home." Bella's eyes were filled with tears. Edward looks at the two girls, grabbing the suitcase.

"I'll be in the truck." The two girls nodded their heads before continuing their act. Bella opens the door and runs past Luna and Charlie. Charlie ran down the steps after her while Luna made her way down much more slowly.

"Your mother's not even in Phoenix." Charlie states.

"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road."

"You can't drive home now. I'll take you the airport in the morning." Charlie begged.

"I want to drive. I need time to think. I'll pull into a motel in a few hours. I promise." Bella told him.

"Bells, I know I'm not around much, but I can change that. We can do more things together." Charlie told her as she headed toward the door. Bella stopped, took a deep breath, then turned to face her father.

"Like watch more baseball on the flat screen? Or go to the coffee shop? Same people, same steak, same berry cobbler every night? That's you dad, not me." Luna visibly winced at Bella's harsh words. It reminded the Star girl of an argument she and her mother had had.

"Bella, I just got you back." Charlie told the girl with desperation.

"And if I don't get out now, I'm going to get stuck here like mom did." Bella told him before storming out of the home. Luna swallowed thickly before patting Charlie's arm.

"Don't worry, Charlie. I'll make sure she gets there safely." Luna softly said before exiting the home and quickly entering Bella's truck just as she sped off. Luna jumped in surprise when Edward appeared beside of Bella's window.

"Move over." He told the girl. Bella did as told, sitting in the middle of the truck as Luna sat against the door. Edward glanced at Bella. "He'll forgive you."

"His face. . . I used the same words my mother did when she left him." Bella shakily said.

"It was the only way he'd let you go."

"Jesus Christ, what the hell does that even mean?" Luna snapped, already fed up with situation. She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned her head against the window, her arms tightly crossed over her chest due to Edwards fast driving.

"Your father's safe now, Bella." Edward said, ignoring Luna's outburst. "The tracker is following us." When a loud thud was heard, Luna jumped in surprise as did Bella. She turned her head only to see Emmett standing on the bed of the truck. "It's alright, it's just Emmett. Alice is in the car behind us."

They drove towards the Cullen house in silence. Luna was ready for this to be done and over with. Once she finished high school, she was for sure moving away from the town of Forks. Had she known what it had brought her, she would have never moved in the first place. Though the opportunity of possibly getting killed came to mind, she quickly shoved it aside knowing that Edward could hear her thoughts.

Had she known Forks was only going to bring her more trauma than she already had, she would have never came. Had she known that she was just going to become a burden to the family of Vampires, she would have never came. Had she known she was going to fall in love with a certain vampire, she definitely would have never came. All of those things terrified her. Yet all she could do was keep coming back for more as if the trauma was a drug that she couldn't get enough of. Her life was already messed up as it is, so why not mess it up a little more, right?

1,048 words

Authors note: I have a class in five minutes and I really don't wanna go🥺

I hope you all enjoyed! Stay safe! Until next time, bye my loves!♥️

@HAHA_LIFEISTOUGH