Freeze Frame - Chapter 27 TEASER TIME Y'ALL!!!

“Don’t thank me. If I had known, if I had taken better care of you, none of this would have happened.” I declared.

Bella snorted against my chest. “Edward! You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

“You’re right Bella. I didn’t know. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that I let you down. I couldn’t stop James.”

A few weighty minutes of silence passed between us.

Bella’s voice finally sliced through the silence. “He’s dead. Isn’t he?”

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut for a moment. “Yes.”

“Did you?….Were you the one?….”

I kissed the top of her head. “No. But I wish in so many ways that I had.” I admitted.

Bella lay still in my arms. More silence.

“I’m glad he’s gone.” She finally whispered.

I could feel the wet mark of her tears on my chest. I just sat there and stroked her hair, held her and reassured her how much I loved her.

Loving Bella Swan was the only thing I knew how to do right. I wrapped her into my arms, held her tightly and listened as her grief, anger and sadness poured out.

FREEZE FRAME - CHAPTER 26 TEASER TIME Y'ALL!!!

Here you go y'all! Just a little taste of what's to come!

After I had successfully cleaned the floor, I realized that I needed a shower myself. I rinsed out the bucket and watched as the horribly dark colored water swirled down the drain in my shower. I shivered and thought of Bella. She too had been bleeding. I had to steady myself as I stood up. I had grown either dizzy from the smell of the chemicals or the exhaustion being caused by my head wound. I slowly walked back into the kitchen to replace the cleaning supplies to their regular place.

I went and turned my shower back on and stripped out of my clothes. I went to my closet to find some fresh clothes to put on when I suddenly spied a piece of paper shoved haphazardly in between some of my tee shirts. I pulled it out and opened it.

I slid down to the floor and great sobs of grief burst forth from my chest. Bella. Even in her greatest moment of peril had found a way to tell me that she loved me. I’m not sure how long I stayed on the floor just letting all the emotion out. I don’t think I had cried like that since I left Forks for Europe without ever having the chance to tell Bella how I truly felt about her.