Twilight FanFic: Ch. 3

Chapter 3:  The Resolution
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I was meandering, okay to be honest, I was running at just under top speed back to the love of my life.  She was at my house, with my family, being made even more gorgeous for our wedding day.  I smiled at the thought of her finally becoming mine forever, not just forever but for eternity.  I had gone out hunting, so that I would be completely free to do anything, and everything, I wanted with my new wife as soon as our vows were said.  I felt like I was floating, I had never been this happy in my nearly 108 years on this earth.  I never dreamed to be this happy, I never dreamed at all, but if I could, it would certainly be of my Bella.  Ah, love is wonderful.  And to imagine I almost killed this exquisite creature when I first saw her, that would have been such a horrible shame, a waste really, seeing as how she has brought me so much joy.  I was about two miles away from the house when I was abruptly pulled out of my reverie by the sound of Alice’s voice in my head; she was practically screaming my name.  ‘Edward!!!!’ she was thinking, then she paused, I assumed seeing that I had heard her, and she quickly continued, filling my mind with too many images to comprehend, and too many words to sort through…but the most important words were there, loud and clear.  ‘Bella’s here with the dog!  Hurry!!’  I picked up my speed and ran faster than I ever had in my afterlife to save the woman I loved from that mongrel.
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As soon as Bella crumpled to the floor I was by her side.  I was worried she had fainted or something, but her eyes were open, frozen open actually.  She looked like she was going into shock.  I touched her as lightly as I could manage with my huge hand and said her name just loud enough for her to hear.  She didn’t respond.  Okay, now I was starting to panic.  Crap, crap.  What had I done?  I didn’t want to cause her breakdown; I only wanted her to have a choice.  Crap.  I should have stayed in Alaska.  Suddenly I was flying through the air, and I hit the wall with such force that it would have broken a human man’s back, and then I was looking directly into the eyes of the thing I hated.  He was holding my neck in his steel grasp so hard that I couldn’t really breathe.  I looked him dead in the eye and choked out around his stone grip.  
“Do you want to phase right here and risk hurting Bella?”  I cocked half a smile.  But it seemed to get his attention he released his grip only slightly, and stayed very close to me.  Bella had snapped out of her shock and was standing again, watching the scene with horror struck eyes.  I wanted to tell her everything was okay, but this parasite wasn’t going have that.  Horrible sounding snarls were coming from his throat.
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I snapped out of my momentary shock when Jake was no longer kneeling beside me, but instead slammed against the wall by Edward.  I managed to get to my feet before I froze again, when I heard Jake say something about phasing.  After Jake said that Edward released his grip on his neck slightly, but he was still very close to Jake.  
“Edward, please…” was all I managed to get out.  He raised one perfect eyebrow when I spoke, but never took his eyes off Jacob.
“Bella, this dog is trespassing on private property, we don’t take that lightly,” he snarled the sentence out through clenched teeth, and then continued “Please go wait in my room while I take care of this.”
“The hell I will!!” I shrieked.  That snapped Edward out of his careful calm and he turned to look at me, with true exasperation on his face.
“Damn it Bella, can’t you just this once, do as I say?”  He was mad, well he was already mad, but now he was madder, because his voice came out in a harsh tone, not anywhere near it’s usual velvet perfection.  He actually looked and sounded like a…well vampire.  He was still looking at me, and I just shook my head, indicating that I wasn’t going anywhere.  He sighed heavily.
“Fine, stay if you want but you will see me rip this pathetic mongrel to pieces,” Edward said this in a very calm and collected voice.  I had no doubt that he would do exactly that, so I moved as quickly as I could and planted myself so close to them that if Jake did phase I would be in the way.  Edward’s eyes widened, as did Jake’s.  I looked at them both, and set my mouth into a tight line, indicating that they were going to have settle this without fighting.
“Bella, maybe you should listen to him,” Jacob sounded defeated.  I wondered if he would just let Edward kill him to be done with the misery that I caused him.  The part of my heart that belonged to Jacob throbbed at the thought.  Then I thought of the consequences if Edward did kill Jake.  The rest of the pack would surely break the treaty to seek revenge for their fallen brother.  I couldn’t let them fight, I couldn’t let Jake die, and I couldn’t let Edward get hurt.  I just couldn’t.
“UGH!!!” I very nearly screamed, “This is ridiculous!!” Both men were looking at me as if I had lost my mind.  
“Edward, let Jacob go, he isn’t going to phase right now, not with me here,” Edward looked like he was about to argue, but then I suppose Jake said something to him with his thoughts and Edward released Jake from his grip.  
“Good, now, Edward you sit there in the chair,” I pointed to the off white wingback that was in the corner nearest the window.  Edward complied, but not without letting out a growl.
“Jake, you sit down right where you are,” he was far away from Edward in his place against the wall.  He complied, without a word.  I planted myself in the middle of the room between them both.  
“Alright, now we are going to talk this out like adults,” I stated in a very business like manner, my voice didn’t even crack, which surprised me, but I continued anyway.  I looked at Jake first.
“Jacob, you know I care about you, you know that,” he nodded.  “That being said you also know that I can’t marry you instead of Edward,” Edward apparently didn’t know about the proposal because when I said I couldn’t marry him I had looked towards Edward, and he was gone.  I looked back at Jake and he slammed into the wall by a stone hand.  I cleared my throat loudly and Edward retreated back to the chair.  
“Jake…” I walked to him and kneeled in front of him taking his too hot hand in mine. “I need you to be happy; I need you to be okay, please, for me, let it go and try to move on.”  Jacob looked like he was about to cry again.  He nodded and stood.
“Bella, I love you, I always will love you, we could have been happy together, we could have lived a normal life, you wouldn’t have had to change for me…” he trailed off and then restarted, “but I guess you have made your choice, and I will respect that, but Bella, I can’t be any part of your life, sorry,” he said the last word with such remorse that I almost cried.  When I tried to speak I realized that I was crying because my words were all choked up, I swallowed hard and then spoke, having released Jake’s hand.
“I understand,” I choked out, “Be happy Jacob, a part of me will always love you, I’m sorry that I can’t love you with everything I have, you deserve better than me anyway,” I went to him and hugged him tightly for too short of a time while tears rolled down my cheeks.  I was fleetingly pleased that Alice hadn’t put any make-up on me.  Jake patted my head very lightly, then unwound my hands from his waist and stepped back towards the door.
“Goodbye, Bella,” was all he said before he turned and disappeared out the door and out of my life forever.