In The Right Key

Chapter 11: Please Don't Leave Me

Chapter 11: Please Don't Leave Me

It's been two weeks since I broke my hand. Nothing has changed much except that Jacob has become an almost permanent fixture in my living room. We didn't mind; Jacob was a cool kid. At only fifteen, he could take apart a car engine and put it back together. It was impressive, really. I visited him at the reservation one day and I was mesmerized by how he had such an immense knowledge and skill level.

I haven't played the piano in what feels like forever. Another thing James took from me.

I called my Mom's phone in Florida, but the line had been disconnected. I called her cell but it went straight to voicemail. I was getting desperate to get at least an inkling of information, so I found my step-father Phil's phone number. I almost cried with relief when he answered. When he told me my mother was alive and well, I actually did cry.

James played me. I believed him. That's the saddest part.

Jacob had been assigned to "Watch Bella" duty because I couldn't be trusted while on pain medication. Whatever. One time you start talking to a bottle of bleach and everyone thinks you've gone crazy.

My hand was getting better, though. I could successfully move my pinky and middle finger. Carlisle, being a doctor, said that was great considering the damage done to my hand. No one seemed to question my explanation for how I'd broken it. Although, the Cullen's did look suspiciously at my cast whenever I was around them.

Edward gazed sadly at it from time to time.

I'd been told that vampires could smell other vampires distinctly, so I was surprised no one mentioned the scent of another vampire that I knew was there.

James didn't approach me again. I always saw him, though, whether he was really there or not. He starred in my nightmares and was there every time to scare away the good whenever I had a half-way pleasant dream. He sometimes could be seen at the supermarket or at the movie theater, watching me. Who knew if he was really even there.

My fear manifested. That's how much I was scared by James and what he could do.

I first experienced Alice's and Jasper's gifts two days after I got out of the hospital. Alice saw two more dead bodies by the lake and Jasper used his, admittedly, super cool emotion-control gift to calm me down when I started breathing faster because of the news.

They didn't know how all of these people were dying and I wasn't going to tell them. I just knew it was James.

Honestly, I was afraid James would kill them all if I told them about him. That was why I never told Edward. After all, aren't human-blood-drinkers stronger than animal-blood-drinkers? And what are a couple dozen humans to the Cullen's?

Oh, God, that sounds horrible. I can't believe I thought that.

-----

I sat up in my bed and looked around the room, brightened by the light coming in from the closed blinds. The window that I'd figured James had opened for the first time however many weeks ago made faces at me through the blinds. I tripped on my way out of bed. Damn medication.

The medicine I had to take to keep the pain away and heal my hand had serious side effects like slight hallucinations, clumsiness and severe drowsiness, two of which I was already experiencing beforehand.

I stumbled down the stairs and completely tripped on the last step. I didn't even try to stop myself as I fell. Instead of the cold linoleum I was expecting, I fell into a warm, muscular boy.

"Falling again, Bella?" the boy said. The soothing, husky voice of Jacob Black woke me up a bit. I stepped out of his arms, blushing, and gave him what I hoped was a disgruntled look. At least he caught me this time.