Changing Tides
by Momma2fan
Chapter 2
Bella opened her eyes and watched as Edward walked away from her. She remembered the heartbreak, the way she tried to suck oxygen into her lungs. She felt her feet move to follow him, but couldn’t catch him. She tripped over the same tree limb and stayed on the ground. She remembered everything. She knew she needed to wait for Sam, praying he remembered as well.
She was so far off the path she couldn’t figure out where she was. Knowing it was futile to try, she sought out some shelter under a canopy of trees and huddled down to wait for Sam. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Edward left her, but it was long dark when she heard someone yelling her name.
“Sam?” She said softly, knowing he would hear her. Moments later, the black wolf appeared before her. “Hey. Please tell me you remember too?”
Sam moved back to the bushes and phased, pulling on his shorts as he came out. “I remember it all. Are you okay?”
Bella shrugged. “Honestly, I think I’m in shock, I wasn’t sure it would work. What do we do now?”
“We start over. Remember what I said on the cliffs, I’m with you the whole way. According to what I saw, this is where things drifted off course. You weren’t meant to spend months in exiled depression. We won’t let you sink this time, Bella.”
She nodded. Sam held his hand out to her, helping her out of her hiding place. The pair of them walked in silence for a while, until they were almost back to her place. Bella could see the swish of flashlights as they searched the night for her.
“Try not to be so foreboding when you stare at Jacob, it freaks him out. He doesn’t believe the legends.”
“Noted. When you spend time with him, don’t let him be so touchy with you. He developed those feelings for you quickly, best we avoid that this time around.”
“I will.” She looked up at him. “Perhaps you should carry me?”
Bella opened her eyes and watched as Edward walked away from her. She remembered the heartbreak, the way she tried to suck oxygen into her lungs. She felt her feet move to follow him, but couldn’t catch him. She tripped over the same tree limb and stayed on the ground. She remembered everything. She knew she needed to wait for Sam, praying he remembered as well.
She was so far off the path she couldn’t figure out where she was. Knowing it was futile to try, she sought out some shelter under a canopy of trees and huddled down to wait for Sam. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Edward left her, but it was long dark when she heard someone yelling her name.
“Sam?” She said softly, knowing he would hear her. Moments later, the black wolf appeared before her. “Hey. Please tell me you remember too?”
Sam moved back to the bushes and phased, pulling on his shorts as he came out. “I remember it all. Are you okay?”
Bella shrugged. “Honestly, I think I’m in shock, I wasn’t sure it would work. What do we do now?”
“We start over. Remember what I said on the cliffs, I’m with you the whole way. According to what I saw, this is where things drifted off course. You weren’t meant to spend months in exiled depression. We won’t let you sink this time, Bella.”
She nodded. Sam held his hand out to her, helping her out of her hiding place. The pair of them walked in silence for a while, until they were almost back to her place. Bella could see the swish of flashlights as they searched the night for her.
“Try not to be so foreboding when you stare at Jacob, it freaks him out. He doesn’t believe the legends.”
“Noted. When you spend time with him, don’t let him be so touchy with you. He developed those feelings for you quickly, best we avoid that this time around.”
“I will.” She looked up at him. “Perhaps you should carry me?”
He nodded and swept her up in his arms. “We’ll get it right this time, Bella.”
“Charlie!” Jacob yelled when he saw Sam appear with Bella in his arms.
“Oh, thank God!” Charlie ran up to the large Quileute man.
“She’s alright.” Sam explained as he passed her over into her father’s waiting arms.
“Thank you, Sam.”
Paul and Jared ran up to him as Charlie staggered under the weight of his daughter. Sam reached out to help stabilize them and heard Bella whisper, “He’s gone, Daddy. He left me.”
“I know, baby. You’ll be okay now.” Charlie carried her into the house as Bella looked over his shoulder at Sam and the others who followed behind them.
Jared stared at her with sadness in his eyes, while Paul stared at the ground, angry his evening was interrupted.
Charlie sat her on the couch and Dr. Gerandy looked her over. “She’s just got a few scratches, nothing serious and the beginnings of hypothermia. Just get her warm and let her rest, she’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
Once everyone cleared out, Sam stepped forward and pressed something into Bella’s hand. After giving her a gentle squeeze, he walked out of the house followed by Paul and Jared.
“Dad, I’m gonna go take a shower.”
“Okay, I’ll put an extra blanket on your bed.” Charlie followed his daughter up the stairs. “Are you okay, Bells?”
“He left me, Dad. He told me he loved me and he left.” She sighed. “I’ll be okay in time.”
***CT***
The days passed and after a week, Bella finally reached out to Sam.
I’m going stir crazy! -B
LOL. Come to the res. You can meet Emily. -S
Okay. I’ll be there in a while. -B
See you soon. -S
She dressed in jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. She chuckled at the irony of the silver wolf on the front of it. Paul was a silver wolf and the most volatile of the pack. Today would certainly be interesting.
Sam heard her truck as she made her way onto the reservation. They hadn’t discussed how this would work since she shouldn’t know where he lived. Hearing her head toward the beach, he smiled. Jared was on patrol and would bring her to him.
Jared phased and pulled on his shorts as he walked out of the woods. He had followed the rumbling truck to the beach. “Bella?”
She turned and gave him a timid smile. “Hi. Jared, right?”
He nodded. “What are you doing down here?”
“I can’t sit in my bedroom anymore. I need to live my life. I thought I would get some fresh air and think.” She walked on the sand toward a fallen log and sat down. “I’ve always enjoyed First Beach.”
“So how have you been doing?” Jared sat beside her. He was genuinely curious about her, feeling as if she was someone who would be important.
“I’m doing okay. I’m more pissed than anything else.”
“What? Why are you pissed?”
She shrugged. “I let him control me, Jared. He told me how to act, speak, what to eat, even how to dress. Since he left, I realized I don’t even know who I am anymore. He’s been gone a week, I don’t want to mourn an unhealthy relationship anymore. I think it’s time to find me again.” She looked over at him. “The night Sam found me, he gave me his number. He invited me to come down today. In my excitement to get out, I forgot to find out where he lived.”
Jared laughed. “You’re something else, girl. Come on, I’ll take you there.”
He helped her up from the log and followed her to her truck. Bella handed him the keys as she hopped into the passenger side. After getting settled and turning on some music, Jared drove them to Sam’s.
Hearing the rumble of her truck, Sam was waiting for them on the porch. He watched his brother help the girl he thought of as a sister out of the truck and walk toward him.
“Bella, how are you?”
“I’m okay, Sam.” She walked up the steps and stopped in front of him. “It’s time to move on.”
“Well, come meet Emily. She needs another female around here.”
When the three of them walked in, Emily was sitting at the table looking through a cookbook. Bella remembered she was always looking for a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe and never found one good enough.
“Emily,” Sam started gaining her attention. “I want you to meet someone.”
Emily smiled shyly at the group and stood from her seat. “You must be, Bella. Welcome.”
“Thank you.” Looking over at the cookbook, “What are you looking for in there?”
“Oh, well I cook for Sam and his friends. I’m always trying out spaghetti sauce on them, trying to perfect a homemade one, not something from a jar. I’ve yet to find one I like. They’ll eat anything though,” she giggled, hugging herself to Sam’s side.
“Um...I happen to know a good one. I’d be happy to teach you.”
She and Jared watched as Emily’s face lit up and Sam smiled at her happiness. “That would be great, Bella. When do you want to start?”
“I’m not doing anything now.”
Emily grabbed Bella’s hand enthusiastically and pulled her into the kitchen, Jared and Sam laughing behind them.