"Please," Bella whispered a cry.
I knew I had to do what was best for Bella all around, not what was just best for me. I decided a compromise would be the best I could deal with.
"You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep." I conceded.
The engine roared to life as I turned the key. I whipped the truck around while listening to everyone's thoughts.
I knew this was going to happen, Alice thought smugly.
Yes! We get to fight! Hell yes! Emmett rejoiced.
"Emmett?" Bella said. I looked in the mirror and she was looking down at her hands.
"Oh, sorry." Emmett said while letting go of her wrists.
This is the most exciting thing since mine and Jasper's trip to Africa. I hope Edward always keeps Bella around, everything is always so interesting! Emmett continued to think happy thoughts the whole way back to Forks.
While everyone else was silent I was working plans in my head. "This is how it's going to happen," I began to explain our strategy. "When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes." I gave Bella a dark look in the mirror to let her know I wasn't going to change my mind on this point. "Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."
What? No fight! "No way," Emmett interrupted. "I'm with you."
I sighed. "Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone." I explained.
You aren't going to ruin this for me. "Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you," Emmett said with authority.
A growl almost escaped my lips. "If the tracker is there," I frowned, "we keep driving."
No worries! "We're going to make it there before him," Alice said with confidence. Oh no you don't, Edward, I'm staying with her. She thought when I planned to send her home."What are we going to do with the Jeep?" Alice asked to provoke me.
I gritted my teeth as I spoke. "You're driving it home."
No way! "No, I'm not!" she said coolly.
Tonight I just couldn't help myself, a stream of profanities come through my lips, but low enough I was sure Bella couldn't hear them. Would she think of me as a gentleman after this? What a dumb thing to be thinking about in such a crucial moment, I thought to myself.
"We can all fit in my truck," Bella said quietly.
I ignored her, she wasn't helping my cause.
"I think you should let me go alone," Bella said even more quietly, purposely provoking me.
I clenched my teeth and breathed through them slowly. "Bella, please just do this my way, just this once."
"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile," she continued like she hadn't heard me. "If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious."
Why does she continually worry about me when she should be worried about herself? Beautiful, selfless, warm, trusting human...why do you do this to me? I roared internally. "That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters." I told her.
I could see her rebuttal churning in her eyes before she spoke. "Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are."
Where on earth did this creature come from? Emmett wondered. "Edward, listen to her," he urged. "I think she's right," Emmett said, positively delighted.
Hum, she has a point. "Yes, she is," Alice agreed.
They already convinced me to come back to Forks and bring her back to the vampire who hunted her and now they expect me to stay behind! "I can't do that." I barked.
It was true, it was almost physically impossible for me to leave her now.
"Emmett should stay, too. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett." She continued.
You have got to be kidding me! She's turning on me now! "What?" Emmett's eyes narrowed in her direction.
I'll placate him. Don't worry. "You'll get a better crack at him if you stay," Alice suggested.
The way they were planning was driving me insane. I had to put my foot down at some point. "You think I should let her go alone?" I said incredulously.
Do you think I'm an idiot? "Of course not. Jasper and I will take her." Duh.
I felt like I was being beaten down. They were making sense and I knew it, but I just couldn't stand the pain if something was to happen to her and I wasn't there to protect her. "I can't do that." I repeated.
Bella spoke up, "Hang out here for a week -" I looked at her in the mirror and she could see my I don't think so expression and amended "- a few days. Let Charlie see you haven't kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home."
It will work. Really. Alice thought to me.
"Meet you where?" I conceded, curiosity getting the best of me.
"Phoenix." She said matter-of-factly.
"No. He'll hear that's where you're going," I said impatiently.
Oh! Great plan...Alice thought seeing what Bella would say before she spoke again.
"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going."