FIC || WHEN THE LEVEE BENDS THEN BREAKS FOR YOU || PART I
Title: When the Levee Bends then Breaks For You
Rating: T
Characters: Angela/Edward, Edward/Bella, Angela/Ben
Timeline: Eclipse/AU
Summary: Edward has never doubted the love that he has for Bella Swan. As a matter of fact, he believes it to be one of the truest, most unwavering things in his undead life. So imagine his surprise when an unexpected friendship arises between him and the shy, Angela Weber and he is forced to discover what he can and can’t live without.
Disclaimer: All characters that belong to Stephenie Meyer belong to Stephenie Meyer, I’m just borrowing.
Notes: Part I takes place 3 months prior to the Preface.
Previous: Preface
***
Part: I
“Hey Jess, where’s Angela today?”
I slowly peaked up from my uneaten meal at the curious tone of my love, Bella Swan. She’d asked the trite human, Jessica Stanley the whereabouts of Angela Weber, a kind, yet shy girl who usually occupied a seat at this very table, but oddly enough was absent today.
As a matter of fact, as I allowed myself to think back on this previous week, Angela’s presence had been surprisingly scarce. In a very rare moment, I found myself just as curious to know the answer to Bella’s question.
“How the heck should I know? I’m not her keeper,” Jessica’s thoughts read but instead she said, “I have no idea. I’ve been calling and texting her all this week, but she’s not answering her cell. I even tried calling her house but no one picks up,” she explained, worry marring her heart-shaped face.
“That’s weird,” Bella turned to me. “Angela’s not the type to just miss so many days of school and not tell anyone, especially her friends. Do you think she’s okay?”
“I’m sure you need not worry about her,” I offered in an attempt to lull her worries away. “I’m sure she’s fine,” I nodded.
Having access to the minds of young teens, I was never surprised by their lack of diligence when it came to attending classes regularly. Frequently, I read thoughts of plans to skip certain classes or even the idea of ditching school all together in favor of some recreational activity.
Even I was guilty of this from time to time.
Bella sighed, seemingly soothed. “I guess you’re right but,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, apprehensive of the others who sat at the table. “Edward you don’t think that something…?” she allowed her voice to trail off as her eyes conveyed all her concerns and even though I was incapable of reading her thoughts, I got the message loud and clear.
She was worried that Angela’s absence might have something to do with a vampire.
It was a valid concern with the red-haired, Victoria still out on the loose, but I doubted that she even knew of the human girl, let alone felt the need to attack her. Victoria’s need for revenge rested with me and me alone. She wanted me to suffer as she has by taking away the one thing I loved most in this world and even though I felt a certain twinge in my chest at the thought of Angela being attacked or worst; she was certainly not the one I held most dear to my heart. That honor went to the brown-eyed young woman who sat beside me. The fact that she was so worried about her friend, made me worried about her.
“Would you be put at ease if I offered to go by her home and see if she is, in fact, all right?” I asked. Even though I was skeptical that a vampire was involved, Bella was right about Angela’s attendance. School was important to young girl. She worked hard in all her classes and more than once I’d heard her internally agonizing over the latest reading assignment or test so the fact that she was absent all week shouldn’t be taken lightly, I suppose.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that Edward,” she replied, although I knew from the pleading look in her eyes that it was what she wanted me to do.
I smiled at her. “You didn’t. I offered.” I knew that if she were capable of going over herself, she would have but due to the fact that she was still grounded, that wasn’t an option. A part of me was happy about that just in case there was any actual danger.
“Thank you,” she said and I felt her relax.
It was settled.
On my way to pick up Carlisle from the hospital-we were going on one of our hunting trips this weekend but because he was working later than usually, he instructed me to simply pick him up on the way home-I would stop by Angela’s home to see if the girl was indeed all right. It was, after all, the least I could do.
Angela had been a wonderful friend to Bella when she’d moved here from Phoenix. As a matter of fact, I considered her one of the only girls who genuinely cared about Bella and held no ulterior motives when it came to befriending her so it wasn’t just the least I could do, it was the right thing to do.
When the final bell rang ending the school day, I met Bella in the parking lot by her old Ford pickup. As part of her punishment for the motorcycle stunt, she wasn’t allowed to associate with me or any of her friends outside of school. This was the only reason why I was not driving her home myself.
“Will you please call me and let me know about Angela?” she asked after I’d given her a gentle peck on the lips, reluctant as always to say goodbye.
“You really shouldn’t worry so much,” I told her as I opened the door to the truck and allowed her to slide behind the wheel. Once her feet were clear, I closed it shut. “I’m sure she’s fine.” Bella nodded though I knew the dark-haired girl still rested heavily on her mind.
“Yeah…” she said before turning over the engine. She looked at me with that longing that came when we had to leave each other. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I had plans to sneak into her bedroom later tonight like always, but as I’d mentioned, there was the hunting trip.
I waited until she pulled out of the parking lot before I made my way over to my car. Alice and the others had already left to go pack up the Jeep so all I had to do was complete my task of locating Angela, making sure that she was indeed well, before heading over to Forks Hospital to pick up Carlisle.
Angela’s home wasn’t hard to find at all.
I’d heard her give her address to Ashley Dowling for a study session once and subconsciously I’d stored it away like I did so many things I’d heard in the minds of humans. I never thought that I’d actually have any use for knowing exactly where Angela Weber rested her head at night, but here I was.
I parked near the street before crossing the lawn and heading up the porch of the suburban home. It was the typical two-story home, with a white swing for lounging on the edge of the porch. There were no lights on inside, but I decided to knock anyway. I didn’t hear any voices inside or any thoughts. I let out a soft sigh before glancing back behind me. With winter approaching, the days were growing shorter and the nights longer. I watched as the sun started to set.
“They’re not home.”
I turned at the sound of the voice and was greeted by a small, elderly woman. Obviously Angela’s next door neighbor since she came from the house adjacent to hers. I walked off the porch to meet her. Stopping just at the edge of the lawn, I offered up my warmest smile.
Poor child, it’s just so sad, her thoughts read, but I kept my face neutral as I spoke.
“Hello ma’am, my name is Edward Cullen. I’m a friend of Angela Weber who lives just there,” I pointed to her house behind me. “Do you know where I might be able to find her this evening?”
She smiled at me. “Well, hello Edward. I’m Mrs. Dixon, but you can call me Emma. I must say, you have such lovely manners for a fellow your age,” she admired and I gave her a short nod, smiling accordingly.
If only she knew the truth.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma. Do you…know the Webers?” I asked slowly. My voice held mock curiosity. I already knew the answer. Next door neighbors were always privy to information about one another. I knew it wasn’t my place to be asking questions of this nature given that I’d only promised Bella that I would check to see if Angela was at home. She wasn’t so I should have simply left it at that, but I considered Angela a friend of mine as well and I was concerned for her. This woman seemed to know her whereabouts so I would simply ask the right questions until her thoughts or words (whichever came first) revealed information that was of use to me.
I watched with concern as Emma’s aged face grew somber. She looked down for just a moment. “Yes I do,” she sighed, remorseful. “And Angela…what a sweet girl. I hate that such a thing has happened to her.”
“I’m sorry, what exactly has happened?” I shook my head confused. I tried to appear unfazed, but I was unable to hide the anxiety in my voice at hearing her words. What did she mean? What has happened to Angela? I probed her mind with such force that within seconds her thoughts were literally shouting at me.
Cancer. That poor child…
“What?” I breathed, looking at her with wide eyes.
“It’s not really my place to tell you, but you seem like such a nice, young man and you’re obviously a friend of Angela’s,” she trailed. “She and her family have been in and out of the hospital all week. She’s been diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma-”
I didn’t allow her to finish her sentence as I sprinted to the Volvo and sped down the highway towards Fork’s Hospital. I didn’t exactly know what I was going to say or do, if I would even enter her room, but I knew for certain that it was where I wanted to be.
All I had to do was follow her scent to find her. It was easy enough. She’d always smelt of sunlight and spicy cinnamon and when I reached the hall on the second floor of the hospital; I watched as her parents emerged from what had to be her room. I’d never actually met them but there was no denying how much Angela resembled her mother-the same dark hair and bright eyes. I even spotted the twins brothers that occupied her thoughts so much while at school. Careful of watchful eyes, I hung back at the end of the hall until they disappeared in the elevator.
I was supposed to be arriving here to pick up Carlisle, but instead all I wanted to do was see Angela. I didn’t even know what I would see when I entered the room or what I would tell Bella about my discovery tonight. None of it really seemed to matter. All I knew for certain was that I wanted to see her.
I slipped into the room once the coast was clear, careful not to be seen by an oncoming nurse or make any noise as closed the door behind me.
The room was static and dark.
There was no movement and aside from the beeping of the monitors, the IV drip and Angela’s shallow breaths, there was no real sound. I slowly walked over to her bed, bracing myself for the sight before me.
Angela was very still as she slept. So much so, that I couldn’t help but to compare her to that fairy tale classic, Sleeping Beauty. She was a vision as she lay at rest. I'd never even noticed that about her before, but with the glasses she usually adorned on the stand by the bed and her rich, brown locks pooling around her head-free of her usual ponytail-I couldn’t deny that aesthetically, she was beautiful.
She was also paler than usual.
Unlike Bella, Angela had somewhat olive toned skin. Her skin had a kiss of sunlight to it but now her face was drained of most of its color. I didn’t like it and the longer I stayed, staring down at her sleeping form, the more I agonized on whether this was something that I had the right to tell Bella about at all. Then again, how could I not?