Breathe In Union
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 1
Bella opened the door to Renee's car and gasped as the oppressive Arizona heat engulfed her. Really, it was something she'd never gotten used to, no matter how many years she'd lived here now, and she almost groaned in misery as she stood from the car. She really hadn't wanted to be here, but Renee'd insisted on going to the local Indian Pow Wow being hosted this year by the Navajo Nation and she'd dragged Bella along despite any protests she'd made.
Closing the door with a resigned sigh, she turned to her grinning mother who'd just dropped her sun glasses down over her eyes. "God Bella, aren't you excited? Our first real Pow Wow! I'm so stoked!"
Bella's brows rose at Renee's obvious excitement. No matter how many years went by, her mother's capacity for childish exuberance never failed to amaze her and she chuckled. "Stoked Renee? Really?"
Giggling, Renee trotted around the front of the car and slung an arm over Bella's shoulders. "Yeah, stoked! Now come on! I need to meet up with Dana and Kathy and I don't wanna miss any of the demonstrations!"
Several hours and countless bottles of water later, Bella stood up from the shaded stands where she'd been sitting with Renee and her friends. "Renee, I'm gonna go find a bathroom. I'll be back in a bit."
Without even glancing over, Renee waved absently as she laughed about something with her friends and Bella shook her head as she stepped down to the grass. She probably could have told Renee she was gonna run off and have a married man's babies and gotten the same response, but that was just Renee. Always had been and probably always would be.
Finishing the last of her water, she made her way to the concession area where she'd seen an actual bathroom instead of settling for one of the many outhouses scattered around the grounds.
As she tossed her empty water bottle into a nearby recycle bin, she passed a group of rough looking teens that were speaking lowly and laughing as they watched the many people pass by. They were obviously part of one of the many tribes here today and a couple of the boys were really gorgeous, especially the one who was now smirking at her. His eyes were the most striking shade of hazel mixed with amber she'd ever seen—there was something almost feral about them—and they were made even more remarkable by his messy jet-black hair and swarthy complexion.
'He's beautiful… in a very bad-boy sort of way,' she thought and then cursed the instant blush she could feel heating her cheeks despite the high temperature of the day. 'What the hell is wrong with me? I never look twice at boys!' And it was true, probably thanks to the many men her mother had paraded in and out of their lives ever since she'd left Charlie. Well, she amended, until she'd met her new husband Phil anyway.
She looked down quickly as 'Hazel Eyes' leaned down and kissed the girl who was clinging to his side, even as those piercing eyes stayed mockingly pinned to her as she hurried past.
With the exception of 'Hazel Eyes', she'd thought she'd gotten by them unnoticed but she tensed and her heart sped when she heard one of the other boys yell out. "Hey pale face. You, with the long brown hair and luscious ass! Come on back baby, I got somethin' long and hard here for ya."
With the exception of 'Hazel Eyes', the group laughed and whistled and she stepped up her pace, just wanting to get away.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she rounded the corner of the bathroom and slipped inside where she proceeded to take her time, hoping to give them enough time to get bored and move along.
As she mechanically dried her hands and patted her face on one of those rough, brown paper towels all public restrooms seem to have, she studied her reflection in the graffiti covered mirror above the sink, seeing what she always saw; a plain, very pale girl with over-large nondescript brown eyes and disproportionate lips. 'Yeah,' she thought, 'nothing earth shattering about me; plain and all too forgettable.' She shrugged and tossed the towel in the waste bin by the door as she walked out.
It was probably just as well that she looked the way she did. She didn't need a man in her life. It would just complicate things. She was going to graduate this year, and leave for college. After that, she'd be too busy developing her career to deal with a man. At least, this was what she tried to convince herself of, even as a pair of piercing hazel/amber eyes flashed through her mind.
When she stepped back around the corner, she heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw that the group had indeed moved on.
Feeling more confident now, she decided to check out some of the booths that were selling various items of jewelry and crafts instead of heading back to sit with her mother and her friends. She'd already been with them for hours now and she just wasn't in any hurry to get back to it.
As she browsed the various tables, she kept feeling drawn to one particular table where a very weathered old indian woman sat watching over her wares, but despite the tug she felt, she kept on course and viewed each booth and table in order. 'Be patient Bella…you'll get there eventually…' she thought as she turned back to look at a rack of t-shirts.
Eventually though, she did get there and when she did, the old woman was staring straight at her. Bella shivered as that wizened gaze settled on her like a cloak of lead and she jerked her gaze down to the jewelry on the table, doing her best to ignore the heavy feeling of—well, she didn't quite know what (fate maybe?)—that came over her.
The old woman's gravelly voice brought her attention right back up though as she wagged a craggy finger. "None of those are for you girl. I've been waiting for you. The Spirits have one thing set aside for you." She hopped off her stool with surprising grace and looked back at Bella. "Wait here girl. I'll be back."
Bella didn't even consider leaving as the old woman moved the tent flap aside and disappeared. For some strange reason, she just couldn't. It was as if she knew whatever the old indian woman had for her was vital, and so she stood and waited.
When the old woman walked back in, she was smiling as she stared deeply into Bella's eyes and handed her an intricate and tightly braided leather bracelet, upon which was a silver wolf with tiny amber jewels for eyes. It looked very old and expensive. "The Spirits say the wolf is yours girl. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other." She inclined her head once while holding Bella's gaze and spoke once more. "So the Spirits have spoken."
She turned, sat back on her stool and looked away and only then did Bella find her voice. "It's beautiful, but how much do I owe you? I need to pay…"
She trailed off as the old woman spoke again. "You cannot buy that which the Spirits deem as yours girl, now go, and never forget their words."
Bella walked away from the old woman's booth in somewhat of a daze as she committed the words she'd heard to memory, "The Spirits say the wolf is yours girl. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other."
'Save each other?' she thought. 'How in the world can a piece of jewelry save me, or better yet, how can I save it?' She shook her head at the thought even as she struggled to tie the bracelet on. When she finally had it secure she gasped as she could have sworn the tiny amber eyes flashed to life for a moment. She scoffed at the thought. There was just no way that happened… right? She chuckled and rolled her eyes. Of course the eyes didn't flash… she was just letting her imagination get the best of her after all the talk of wolves and Spirits… 'Yeah, that's all it is… my crazy imagination.'
Still, even with all the weirdness, she smiled as she studied the piece now securely fastened to her wrist. For some reason, just wearing it gave her a warm feeling inside… it was hard to put into words, but she almost felt empowered by it—like a rush of confidence and security, and she wondered at it as she made her way back through the many tents and booths.
Taking a quick glance at her cell phone to note the time, she was amazed to see she'd been gone from the stands where Renee was waiting, for an hour and so she picked up her pace to get back before her mother freaked. Renee was pretty absent minded and… well ditzy, but when she finally did notice her absence on any occasion when Bella'd done this before, she'd had a tendency to go overboard in the flippin' shits department.
So, focused on hurrying back as she was, she didn't really notice that she'd cut through the area behind the concession tents; an area that was deserted and relatively quiet. When she finally did notice, it was too late.
"Well, look what I found… my very own pale face with the luscious ass. Must be my lucky day," he said as he shoved Bella up against a parked truck.
Bella's heart stuttered and took off as she stared up at the boy who'd been yelling after her earlier. A quick look around confirmed her fears; they were alone and if the glazed look of his eyes didn't give it away, one whiff of his breath told her he was pretty drunk. 'This is bad,' she thought. 'And from the way he's leering at me, could only get worse.'
"Look," she said, her voice trembling in fright, "just let me go. You don't want this kinda trouble. I'm sure when you sober up, you're gonna be shocked for even trying something like this, so don't ruin your life, just let me go."
He scowled and shoved her, pinning her against the truck with the whole weight of his body. "Who the fuck are you pale face? Dr. Fuckin' Phil? I don't need your philosophical bullshit so shut your fuckin' mouth. Better yet, lemme shut it for ya."
He slapped her then, hard, and her vision narrowed as she sucked in a shocked breath. She'd never been struck before and it was a shock to her system, to say the least. Tears sprang into her eyes as she turned her head back to face him, tasting the copper tang of blood as she licked her split lip.
He took in her shocked, wide-eyed stare with a grin. "Much better, now where were we? Oh yeah," he said as he took her mouth in a brutal kiss as his left hand came up to painfully squeeze her breast.
She struggled and whimpered, but as soon as she opened her mouth to try to scream, he shoved his tongue in and she gagged.
Finally, her brain kicked in and she bit down, causing him to draw back with a snarl. "You bitch!" he hissed as she felt his fist connect with her cheek, causing her to cry out loudly.
She was literally seeing stars and hearing white noise now, he'd hit her so hard, but she did manage to register when the crushing weight of his body was gone and she slid down to the ground, trying desperately to make out what was going on.
There was a struggle going on, just in front of her and she tried to dry the tears from her eyes so she'd be able to see. There were two figures, one over another, throwing furious punches as he spoke. "You like beating women, you piece a' shit? Well, how ya like getting beat instead?"
The figure on the bottom cried out and whimpered, "Fuck, stop! She's just a pale-face bi…"
His sentence was cut short by a fist connecting with his face and Bella curled in on herself and let her sobs take her. She was quickly going into shock and she didn't think she could pull herself out of it at the moment so she tucked into the smallest ball she could and cried.
The feeling of strong arms scooping her into a comforting lap startled her and she whimpered before the feeling of gentle fingers running through her hair soothed her. "Shh, it's all right now. He's gone and I've got ya. You're all right."
She relaxed into his hold and rested her head against his firmly muscled chest as she got control of her tears.
When she finally did gain control, she looked up and lost herself, once again, in the piercing intensity of that hazel/amber gaze.
"It's you," she murmured and he cocked a brow and gave her a wan smile.
"So, I made an impression, did I?"
She was just about to respond when Renee and two cops rushed around one of the tents. "Bella!" her mother screamed when she got a look at her face. "What did he do to you baby?"
One of the cops grabbed Bella gently as the other grabbed 'Hazel Eyes' and shoved him face first over the hood of the truck while cuffing him quickly.
It all happened so fast that Bella was shocked silent, but as soon as she heard the distinct clicking noise of those cuffs going on her savior, righteous anger welled up and she jumped between the shocked cop and the boy who'd saved her. "Leave him alone and take these damn cuffs off him!" she yelled as the other cop tried to grab her again. "He didn't do anything! He saved me! Why don't you go find the real bad guy? He should be easy to spot because he," she pointed at a still cuffed and spread-eagle 'Hazel Eyes', "…kicked his ass for doing this to me!"
The cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' face-first against the hood of the truck turned to him. "That the truth kid?" and 'Hazel Eyes' scoffed and rolled those beautiful eyes.
"Yeah, it's true."
Bella's mouth dropped open, before she found her voice again. "Are you kidding? Why would I lie about that?"
The cop shrugged. "Some girls seem to like gettin' slapped around, and then they lie about it to save their poor boyfriend." He shrugged. "It happens more often than you'd care to know, little girl."
Bella stared at 'Hazel Eyes' for a moment and worked to get herself under control. She needed a cool head here, because this was just getting out of hand and freaking out on these cops wasn't helping their case any.
She ran a hand through her hair. "Look Officer, I've never seen him before today." She gestured at a freaked and crying Renee. "That's my mother and she can attest that we don't know him. He heard me being attacked and did the noble thing by helping me out and then comforting me when I was an emotional wreck. I'd never been hit before today so it was a bit much to take in." She pinned the cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' with a steady gaze. "Now you have an innocent guy—a hero really—cuffed and face down on a truck; treatment he doesn't deserve, so please do the right thing and let him go."
The cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' turned toward his partner. "Check their I.D., verify that they're mother and daughter." He looked back at Bella. "If that checks out, you'll all be free to go."
Bella nodded. "Good, thank you."
Bella was just glad that she had her school ID with her and that it listed Renee Dwyer on the back as her mother, otherwise they would have had fun proving their relationship. Who the hell carries copies of divorce and custody papers?
Once the cop verified everything, he nodded at his partner who took the cuffs off and turned 'Hazel Eyes' loose. "Stay outta trouble kid, and next time, let us handle it."
Bella grabbed onto her rescuer's arm as he sneered at the cop but he relaxed at her touch and looked down at her with an unreadable expression. Bella saw a softness in those striking eyes though and was reassured by it. "Let it go," she whispered, "It's not worth it." And he nodded as she steered him toward Renee and away from the cops.
"So you saved my baby," Renee gushed and threw herself at a tense 'Hazel Eyes' who glanced at Bella as Renee finally backed away. "Thank you." She dug in her purse, pulled out a twenty and tried to hand it to him but he backed away with a scowl. "I don't want your money lady. That's not why I did what I did." He shook his head. "Look, I'm just gonna leave now. Have a nice life…" he glanced at a mortified Bella, "…and stay safe."
With that he spun around and stalked off and Bella shot her mother a dark look just as she made a split-second decision. She couldn't let him leave without getting to know him—there was a pull—a drive to know him that she couldn't ignore, so she tore off after him, shouting back to a spluttering Renee, "I'll meet you at the gate when the Pow Wow's over!"
Rounding the corner where she'd watched him disappear, she yelled as she spotted him, "Hey! Wait!" and almost sighed in relief when she saw him stop and slowly turn back. She caught up quickly and smiled as best she could with a swollen lip as she stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Bella. Can I buy you a coke?"
He rolled his eyes as he took her hand, finally cracking a small smile. "Paul and yeah, I could go for a coke."
Bella beamed at him. "Great, let's go."
Bella opened the door to Renee's car and gasped as the oppressive Arizona heat engulfed her. Really, it was something she'd never gotten used to, no matter how many years she'd lived here now, and she almost groaned in misery as she stood from the car. She really hadn't wanted to be here, but Renee'd insisted on going to the local Indian Pow Wow being hosted this year by the Navajo Nation and she'd dragged Bella along despite any protests she'd made.
Closing the door with a resigned sigh, she turned to her grinning mother who'd just dropped her sun glasses down over her eyes. "God Bella, aren't you excited? Our first real Pow Wow! I'm so stoked!"
Bella's brows rose at Renee's obvious excitement. No matter how many years went by, her mother's capacity for childish exuberance never failed to amaze her and she chuckled. "Stoked Renee? Really?"
Giggling, Renee trotted around the front of the car and slung an arm over Bella's shoulders. "Yeah, stoked! Now come on! I need to meet up with Dana and Kathy and I don't wanna miss any of the demonstrations!"
Several hours and countless bottles of water later, Bella stood up from the shaded stands where she'd been sitting with Renee and her friends. "Renee, I'm gonna go find a bathroom. I'll be back in a bit."
Without even glancing over, Renee waved absently as she laughed about something with her friends and Bella shook her head as she stepped down to the grass. She probably could have told Renee she was gonna run off and have a married man's babies and gotten the same response, but that was just Renee. Always had been and probably always would be.
Finishing the last of her water, she made her way to the concession area where she'd seen an actual bathroom instead of settling for one of the many outhouses scattered around the grounds.
As she tossed her empty water bottle into a nearby recycle bin, she passed a group of rough looking teens that were speaking lowly and laughing as they watched the many people pass by. They were obviously part of one of the many tribes here today and a couple of the boys were really gorgeous, especially the one who was now smirking at her. His eyes were the most striking shade of hazel mixed with amber she'd ever seen—there was something almost feral about them—and they were made even more remarkable by his messy jet-black hair and swarthy complexion.
'He's beautiful… in a very bad-boy sort of way,' she thought and then cursed the instant blush she could feel heating her cheeks despite the high temperature of the day. 'What the hell is wrong with me? I never look twice at boys!' And it was true, probably thanks to the many men her mother had paraded in and out of their lives ever since she'd left Charlie. Well, she amended, until she'd met her new husband Phil anyway.
She looked down quickly as 'Hazel Eyes' leaned down and kissed the girl who was clinging to his side, even as those piercing eyes stayed mockingly pinned to her as she hurried past.
With the exception of 'Hazel Eyes', she'd thought she'd gotten by them unnoticed but she tensed and her heart sped when she heard one of the other boys yell out. "Hey pale face. You, with the long brown hair and luscious ass! Come on back baby, I got somethin' long and hard here for ya."
With the exception of 'Hazel Eyes', the group laughed and whistled and she stepped up her pace, just wanting to get away.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she rounded the corner of the bathroom and slipped inside where she proceeded to take her time, hoping to give them enough time to get bored and move along.
As she mechanically dried her hands and patted her face on one of those rough, brown paper towels all public restrooms seem to have, she studied her reflection in the graffiti covered mirror above the sink, seeing what she always saw; a plain, very pale girl with over-large nondescript brown eyes and disproportionate lips. 'Yeah,' she thought, 'nothing earth shattering about me; plain and all too forgettable.' She shrugged and tossed the towel in the waste bin by the door as she walked out.
It was probably just as well that she looked the way she did. She didn't need a man in her life. It would just complicate things. She was going to graduate this year, and leave for college. After that, she'd be too busy developing her career to deal with a man. At least, this was what she tried to convince herself of, even as a pair of piercing hazel/amber eyes flashed through her mind.
When she stepped back around the corner, she heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw that the group had indeed moved on.
Feeling more confident now, she decided to check out some of the booths that were selling various items of jewelry and crafts instead of heading back to sit with her mother and her friends. She'd already been with them for hours now and she just wasn't in any hurry to get back to it.
As she browsed the various tables, she kept feeling drawn to one particular table where a very weathered old indian woman sat watching over her wares, but despite the tug she felt, she kept on course and viewed each booth and table in order. 'Be patient Bella…you'll get there eventually…' she thought as she turned back to look at a rack of t-shirts.
Eventually though, she did get there and when she did, the old woman was staring straight at her. Bella shivered as that wizened gaze settled on her like a cloak of lead and she jerked her gaze down to the jewelry on the table, doing her best to ignore the heavy feeling of—well, she didn't quite know what (fate maybe?)—that came over her.
The old woman's gravelly voice brought her attention right back up though as she wagged a craggy finger. "None of those are for you girl. I've been waiting for you. The Spirits have one thing set aside for you." She hopped off her stool with surprising grace and looked back at Bella. "Wait here girl. I'll be back."
Bella didn't even consider leaving as the old woman moved the tent flap aside and disappeared. For some strange reason, she just couldn't. It was as if she knew whatever the old indian woman had for her was vital, and so she stood and waited.
When the old woman walked back in, she was smiling as she stared deeply into Bella's eyes and handed her an intricate and tightly braided leather bracelet, upon which was a silver wolf with tiny amber jewels for eyes. It looked very old and expensive. "The Spirits say the wolf is yours girl. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other." She inclined her head once while holding Bella's gaze and spoke once more. "So the Spirits have spoken."
She turned, sat back on her stool and looked away and only then did Bella find her voice. "It's beautiful, but how much do I owe you? I need to pay…"
She trailed off as the old woman spoke again. "You cannot buy that which the Spirits deem as yours girl, now go, and never forget their words."
Bella walked away from the old woman's booth in somewhat of a daze as she committed the words she'd heard to memory, "The Spirits say the wolf is yours girl. Keep him with you… always… for you will save each other."
'Save each other?' she thought. 'How in the world can a piece of jewelry save me, or better yet, how can I save it?' She shook her head at the thought even as she struggled to tie the bracelet on. When she finally had it secure she gasped as she could have sworn the tiny amber eyes flashed to life for a moment. She scoffed at the thought. There was just no way that happened… right? She chuckled and rolled her eyes. Of course the eyes didn't flash… she was just letting her imagination get the best of her after all the talk of wolves and Spirits… 'Yeah, that's all it is… my crazy imagination.'
Still, even with all the weirdness, she smiled as she studied the piece now securely fastened to her wrist. For some reason, just wearing it gave her a warm feeling inside… it was hard to put into words, but she almost felt empowered by it—like a rush of confidence and security, and she wondered at it as she made her way back through the many tents and booths.
Taking a quick glance at her cell phone to note the time, she was amazed to see she'd been gone from the stands where Renee was waiting, for an hour and so she picked up her pace to get back before her mother freaked. Renee was pretty absent minded and… well ditzy, but when she finally did notice her absence on any occasion when Bella'd done this before, she'd had a tendency to go overboard in the flippin' shits department.
So, focused on hurrying back as she was, she didn't really notice that she'd cut through the area behind the concession tents; an area that was deserted and relatively quiet. When she finally did notice, it was too late.
"Well, look what I found… my very own pale face with the luscious ass. Must be my lucky day," he said as he shoved Bella up against a parked truck.
Bella's heart stuttered and took off as she stared up at the boy who'd been yelling after her earlier. A quick look around confirmed her fears; they were alone and if the glazed look of his eyes didn't give it away, one whiff of his breath told her he was pretty drunk. 'This is bad,' she thought. 'And from the way he's leering at me, could only get worse.'
"Look," she said, her voice trembling in fright, "just let me go. You don't want this kinda trouble. I'm sure when you sober up, you're gonna be shocked for even trying something like this, so don't ruin your life, just let me go."
He scowled and shoved her, pinning her against the truck with the whole weight of his body. "Who the fuck are you pale face? Dr. Fuckin' Phil? I don't need your philosophical bullshit so shut your fuckin' mouth. Better yet, lemme shut it for ya."
He slapped her then, hard, and her vision narrowed as she sucked in a shocked breath. She'd never been struck before and it was a shock to her system, to say the least. Tears sprang into her eyes as she turned her head back to face him, tasting the copper tang of blood as she licked her split lip.
He took in her shocked, wide-eyed stare with a grin. "Much better, now where were we? Oh yeah," he said as he took her mouth in a brutal kiss as his left hand came up to painfully squeeze her breast.
She struggled and whimpered, but as soon as she opened her mouth to try to scream, he shoved his tongue in and she gagged.
Finally, her brain kicked in and she bit down, causing him to draw back with a snarl. "You bitch!" he hissed as she felt his fist connect with her cheek, causing her to cry out loudly.
She was literally seeing stars and hearing white noise now, he'd hit her so hard, but she did manage to register when the crushing weight of his body was gone and she slid down to the ground, trying desperately to make out what was going on.
There was a struggle going on, just in front of her and she tried to dry the tears from her eyes so she'd be able to see. There were two figures, one over another, throwing furious punches as he spoke. "You like beating women, you piece a' shit? Well, how ya like getting beat instead?"
The figure on the bottom cried out and whimpered, "Fuck, stop! She's just a pale-face bi…"
His sentence was cut short by a fist connecting with his face and Bella curled in on herself and let her sobs take her. She was quickly going into shock and she didn't think she could pull herself out of it at the moment so she tucked into the smallest ball she could and cried.
The feeling of strong arms scooping her into a comforting lap startled her and she whimpered before the feeling of gentle fingers running through her hair soothed her. "Shh, it's all right now. He's gone and I've got ya. You're all right."
She relaxed into his hold and rested her head against his firmly muscled chest as she got control of her tears.
When she finally did gain control, she looked up and lost herself, once again, in the piercing intensity of that hazel/amber gaze.
"It's you," she murmured and he cocked a brow and gave her a wan smile.
"So, I made an impression, did I?"
She was just about to respond when Renee and two cops rushed around one of the tents. "Bella!" her mother screamed when she got a look at her face. "What did he do to you baby?"
One of the cops grabbed Bella gently as the other grabbed 'Hazel Eyes' and shoved him face first over the hood of the truck while cuffing him quickly.
It all happened so fast that Bella was shocked silent, but as soon as she heard the distinct clicking noise of those cuffs going on her savior, righteous anger welled up and she jumped between the shocked cop and the boy who'd saved her. "Leave him alone and take these damn cuffs off him!" she yelled as the other cop tried to grab her again. "He didn't do anything! He saved me! Why don't you go find the real bad guy? He should be easy to spot because he," she pointed at a still cuffed and spread-eagle 'Hazel Eyes', "…kicked his ass for doing this to me!"
The cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' face-first against the hood of the truck turned to him. "That the truth kid?" and 'Hazel Eyes' scoffed and rolled those beautiful eyes.
"Yeah, it's true."
Bella's mouth dropped open, before she found her voice again. "Are you kidding? Why would I lie about that?"
The cop shrugged. "Some girls seem to like gettin' slapped around, and then they lie about it to save their poor boyfriend." He shrugged. "It happens more often than you'd care to know, little girl."
Bella stared at 'Hazel Eyes' for a moment and worked to get herself under control. She needed a cool head here, because this was just getting out of hand and freaking out on these cops wasn't helping their case any.
She ran a hand through her hair. "Look Officer, I've never seen him before today." She gestured at a freaked and crying Renee. "That's my mother and she can attest that we don't know him. He heard me being attacked and did the noble thing by helping me out and then comforting me when I was an emotional wreck. I'd never been hit before today so it was a bit much to take in." She pinned the cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' with a steady gaze. "Now you have an innocent guy—a hero really—cuffed and face down on a truck; treatment he doesn't deserve, so please do the right thing and let him go."
The cop holding 'Hazel Eyes' turned toward his partner. "Check their I.D., verify that they're mother and daughter." He looked back at Bella. "If that checks out, you'll all be free to go."
Bella nodded. "Good, thank you."
Bella was just glad that she had her school ID with her and that it listed Renee Dwyer on the back as her mother, otherwise they would have had fun proving their relationship. Who the hell carries copies of divorce and custody papers?
Once the cop verified everything, he nodded at his partner who took the cuffs off and turned 'Hazel Eyes' loose. "Stay outta trouble kid, and next time, let us handle it."
Bella grabbed onto her rescuer's arm as he sneered at the cop but he relaxed at her touch and looked down at her with an unreadable expression. Bella saw a softness in those striking eyes though and was reassured by it. "Let it go," she whispered, "It's not worth it." And he nodded as she steered him toward Renee and away from the cops.
"So you saved my baby," Renee gushed and threw herself at a tense 'Hazel Eyes' who glanced at Bella as Renee finally backed away. "Thank you." She dug in her purse, pulled out a twenty and tried to hand it to him but he backed away with a scowl. "I don't want your money lady. That's not why I did what I did." He shook his head. "Look, I'm just gonna leave now. Have a nice life…" he glanced at a mortified Bella, "…and stay safe."
With that he spun around and stalked off and Bella shot her mother a dark look just as she made a split-second decision. She couldn't let him leave without getting to know him—there was a pull—a drive to know him that she couldn't ignore, so she tore off after him, shouting back to a spluttering Renee, "I'll meet you at the gate when the Pow Wow's over!"
Rounding the corner where she'd watched him disappear, she yelled as she spotted him, "Hey! Wait!" and almost sighed in relief when she saw him stop and slowly turn back. She caught up quickly and smiled as best she could with a swollen lip as she stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Bella. Can I buy you a coke?"
He rolled his eyes as he took her hand, finally cracking a small smile. "Paul and yeah, I could go for a coke."
Bella beamed at him. "Great, let's go."
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.