Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ The Fragrance of the Perfect Lie ❯ Happily Ever After? ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

“It must be those stinking Canadian wolves that are howling every night,” Charlie growled, brewing a pot of coffee. “It’s only a matter of time before people start to disappear.”

“Hopefully they’ll be captured soon,” Bella said in a choked whisper, fighting back tears. It has to be those werewolves I met that day when I first “met” Jacob. Her air supply quickly became restricted, and her heart was strangled by the iron fist of sheer terror. The werewolf that attacked me a few days ago knows where I live! Oh my god, they know where I live! She gripped the edges of the counter top, now wheezing for air. Charlie’s in danger too!

“Bella!” Charlie cried, gripping Bella by her heaving shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

Still panicking, Bella shook her head wildly as her face turned a deadly shade of blue. Charlie hurriedly led her to a nearby couch, giving her a cup of water once she calmed down.

She concentrated on the slow whooshing of her lungs inflating and deflating, trying to force the wolves from her mind. Panicking like this is the last thing I should be doing. It won’t solve anything. After taking a large gulp of water, she gladly noted that the room had stopped spinning.

“Do you feel better now?” Charlie asked, anxiously eyeing the phone on the wall.“I’m all right Dad,” Bella replied, reaching over and squeezing his hand. “I-I’m just…”

“Here,” Charlie handed her the glass of water.

She took another sip before continuing.

“I want you to be careful with those wolves loose,” Her voice cracked. “I don’t want you to get hurt. T-they sound like they’re nearby, and I’m scared, Dad. I’m really s-scared.”

A stream of tears rolled down Bella’s face, and she wrapped her arms around Charlie’s neck. Staying silent, he merely rubbed her back until her sobs subsided into hiccups.

“Bella, I want you to listen to me,” Charlie gently laid his hands upon her shoulders. “I have to report this before anyone can get hurt. Nothing will happen to me.”

Bella nodded, wiping the last stray tears from her red eyes. “I understand.”“Anyways, I’m pretty sure that they’ll be caught without the use of the police. Still though, I should notify a professional as a precaution,” He went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. “Do you think you’re well enough to go to school?”

“Yes. Thank you,” Bella sighed wearily, getting up and shuffling towards the kitchen.

“Have a good day at school, Bells,” Charlie hesitated before leaving. “Call me if you need anything at any time.”

“Okay, I will.”

The cold, long drawn out howls of the wolves had been disturbing the Swan household for the past few nights. At first Charlie had thought little of it until today, but this was certainly not the case with Bella. Even from the very first night she heard the ghastly chorus of howls, she knew who it was.

The earlier warnings she had received from her dreams echoed in her head as her Chevy chugged down the road. She now had a very good reason to leave Forks, but how? Charlie had promised her that it would be taken care of, but she knew it wasn’t so.

A thick stream of plans raced through her mind, and she carefully considered each one. How can I convince Charlie to leave, though? Her hands gripped the steering wheel in overwhelming frustration. There has to be a way to end this.

Once first period began, Bella felt comfortable under the thick veil of normalcy. It felt strangely good for her to fall into a predictable pattern.

That is, until Edward asked to speak to Bella in private during their Lunch period.

“O-okay,” Bella agreed, accidentally tripping over her chair as she followed Edward. What on Earth is happening? Earlier in the day, Jessica had given her the cold shoulder and completely ignored her. Even now, Bella could feel the heat of Jessica’s glare burning two holes in the back of her head.

“Um…” Edward hesitated, his face glowing bright red. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking. “Would you like to have dinner with me on Saturday?”

“I’d love to,” Bella gasped softly, surprised at how quickly the words flew out of her mouth.

“Would Saturday night at 8 o’clock in Port Angeles work out for you?”

“A-Absolutely,”

The nasal bell rang once more, alerting them of their next class, Biology.

Did Edward break up with Jessica and just ask me out? She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt, except that it felt like she walked off the set of a soap opera.

“I’ll see you in class then,” Edward said with a relieved smile.

Bella nodded, still stunned. In the midst of her current crisis, happiness was one of the last emotions she expected to feel. The feeling blossomed in her chest, sending waves of warmth through her limbs. A small smile formed on her face as she slowly made her way to Biology.

For the first time in what seemed like centuries, Bella felt that she could engage into conversations with her friends with genuine enthusiasm. There were long periods of time where she could even forget about the werewolves.

“Did Edward ask you out?” Alice asked on Friday during Lunch while Edward went to buy his meal.

“Yes. Why?” Bella asked shyly.

“Both you and Edward seem happier.”

“Really?” She mumbled, feeling heat creep up her neck. I didn’t know that Edward really did like me that much. It humbled her in a way to know that she had such an influence over Edward’s life.

“When is it?”

“Tomorrow,”

“Do you have anything to wear?”

“No,” Bella admitted, her blush turning a shade deeper. “I don’t own very many dresses.”

“Well, in that case, I’m inviting you to my house so you can pick something from my closet to wear,” Alice said with a wide grin. “I just went on a huge shopping spree last weekend, and I wouldn’t mind giving out a dress or two for a friend in need.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that,” Bella replied. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Really, it isn’t a problem,” Alice insisted. “Drive by my house after school. Any time before 10:30 would be good. You do remember how to get to my house, right?”

“Of course,”

Bella gave a sigh. This was clearly a battle she would not be able to win.

As Bella had promised, she immediately drove to the Cullens’ mansion after school ended. Bella’s eyes widened in shock as Alice came bouncing out of the front door towards her with a dozen or so dresses on the crook of her elbow.

“Do I really have to make that much of an effort to look nice for Edward tomorrow?” Bella joked, still a little shocked.

“Yes, it really is that important to look as nice as you can for your date tomorrow,” Alice with an exasperated sigh. “That boy is already head over heels for you, but I want you to leave a lasting impression on him. He’s been a bit, well…lonely for a while now, and I don’t want him to think you aren’t serious about him.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Bella said, wrinkling her nose. “I may need a bit of help though. This is kind of my first date.”

“In that case, follow me!”

Bella jogged behind Alice’s quick-paced steps, struggling to keep up with her. Just as they reached the stairs, a thought struck Bella, stopping her in her tracks.

“What is it?”

“I forgot to call Charlie about staying here after school,” Bella said with a groan. “Can I borrow your home phone?”

“Sure. It’s in the kitchen, right near the stove.”

Bella ran down the spiral stair case, and into the kitchen, nearly running into Edward in the process.

“Hello Bella,” Edward greeted with wide eyes, carrying an iron and a pair of khaki pants.

“Hi Edward,” Bella greeted back, grabbing the phone. “I-If you’re wondering what I’m doing here, Alice invited me.”

“All right,” Edward replied with a bemused, crooked grin.

The call was quite brief. Although Charlie sounded downright exhausted, he seemed happy to know that Bella was seeing friends.

“Bella! Come up here!” Alice’s voice echoed throughout the mansion. “I found some you would look gorgeous in!”

“That’s Alice for you,” Edward said with a quiet chuckle as he ironed the pants. “Always the loudest one in the house.”

Bella gave him one last smile before leaving the kitchen and quickly entering Alice’s room.

“Do you have to be so loud, Alice?” Bella asked, closing the door behind her.

“I wanted to make sure you weren’t going to chicken out on me,” Alice rolled her eyes while grabbing a couple of more dresses from her closet. “Here’s what you can choose from.”

Bella stared at the two dozen dresses of all colors and patterns before her with an open jaw. This was going to be a long night.

After two hours filled with countless squabbles and complains, Bella finally chose what she thought was the best outfit to wear for her date tomorrow. Although it was a little flamboyant for her taste, she knew it would take another two hours to talk Alice out of it.

It was a strapless blue dress, ending only an inch or two below her knees. Too tired after spending an hour and a half on finding a dress, Bella allowed Alice to pick out her shoes and show her how to do her make-up.

“Thank you, Alice.” Bella said with a huge yawn, placing her outfit in a shopping bag. “I really do appreciate you doing this for me.”

“You better,” Alice grumbled, half-serious and half-joking. “I didn’t imagine you’d be so difficult.”