Star-Crossed Ch. 7
Title: Star-CrossedAuthor: Me
Pairing: Leah/Bella
Rating: PG-13 (this chapter)
Warnings: None
Summary: After the death of her father, Leah couldn't figure out how anything could get worse, but it does. It seems that just when she's starting to understanding who she is, an event turns her whole life upside down. Nothing, she believes, is ever going to go her way. Her free will is seemingly taken, but when someone unexpected offers her a choice, she is uncertain of which option to pick. Her life or her freedom?
Leah stirred awake and stared up at a ceiling she didn't recognize. Where am I? She shifted and soon realized she wasn't alone. She slowly looked down and saw Bella was on top of her sleeping. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Did I really fall asleep at Bella's house? It seemed as though the pale brunette was fast asleep, her breathing was even as well as her heartbeat. A noise alarmed Leah and she looked up toward the stairs. She saw Charlie come down in his police uniform with a smile on his face. She gave him a sheepish smile.
"Morning, Leah."
"Hey, Charlie."
He zipped up his jacket and glanced at the two girls.
"Might wanna get Bells to wake up or she'll be late to school."
"I'll get right on that," the female wolf mumbled and looked at Bella again.
The pale brunette looked so peaceful sleeping. Did she really have to wake her up? Charlie's boots sounded all the way into the kitchen and Leah heard the refrigerator open.
"There's leftover spaghetti in fridge if you want some. I'm gonna head out."
Charlie made his way back to the living room and then to the front door.
"Make sure Bella gets up to go to school, okay?" He asked.
Charlie didn't wait for a response and left the house. Leah just glanced at her imprint again. It wouldn't be so bad for her to sleep in for a bit, would it? The female wolf started to shut her eyes again, reveling in the fact that Bella was in her arms. She didn't know if she'd ever get the chance again. When Leah began to doze off, she felt Bella start to move in her sleep and she heard Bella's heartbeat quicken. Uh-oh.
A knock on the door woke the two girls up. Bella's brown eyes widened at the sight of seeing Leah under her and a blush formed on her cheeks. Leah gave an uneasy smile. The knock turned into a pound. Bella tried to get up, but upon placing pressure on the female wolf's stomach, Leah let out a scream of laughter and dropped, bringing Bella with her to the floor. This accident turned Leah on top of Bella.
"Bella!"
The two girls recognized the voice and both scrambled to get up. Bella was the first one to compose herself and answered the door with horrible bed hair. Edward winced from the smell of wolf on her.
"What happened to you? You're gonna be late for school."
"Yeah, sorry. I'll go get ready right now."
Bella moved to shut the door, but the vampire placed his hand to stop the door from moving. He sniffed the air. The stench of wolf was still raw. Jacob's still here. He burst inside and when Bella attempted to hold him back he shrugged her off.
"What are you doing Edward?"
"Where is he?" The vampire snarled.
"Who?"
"Ja -" the sight of Leah startled him. "-cob."
The female wolf placed her hand behind her neck and tried to smile at the vampire. He scowled at her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was...patrolling last night. Bella invited me in. I slept inside. On the couch."
"With Bella?"
Usually Edward wouldn't get mad at the fact that Bella slept beside another girl, but there was something about Leah that he didn't trust enough to leave his girlfriend alone with her.
"What?"
"You," Edward said turning to the pale brunette, "weren't in your room last night."
"Yeah." Was the only response Bella could come up with.
"My mom's probably worried sick about me, so, I'm gonna head out."
Leah made an attempt to leave, but Edward grabbed her arm. The female wolf turned around baring teeth.
"Get your hands off of me, leech."
"Stay away from Bella."
Suddenly, the pale brunette stepped in, pushing Edward away. He looked taken aback and stared at Bella with a confused look.
"You don't tell her what to do," she spoke sternly with a raised finger.
"B-Bella," Edward stammered.
"No. She's my friend. I can spend as much time with her as I want. You can tell her to stay away, but I won't let her."
The vampire glanced at Leah who had a smug look on her face, but was trying to hide the smirk with her hand. He growled, but knew Bella's eyes were on him.
"Fine. Just get ready for school. I'll be outside, waiting. Maybe it's best you leave too, wolf."
The two enemies stared at each other while Bella made her way to her room. Edward gave a small smile as he started to read her mind. However, his smile quickly faded. He could hear nothing. It was similar to when he tried to read Bella's thoughts. Leah noticed his change in demeanor and left. Had he read my mind? She started to run home. No. He wouldn't have let me live if he had. I wonder what he found?
At school, Bella couldn't help but think about how her and Leah managed to fall asleep in that position. The last thing she remembered was laying next to the female wolf, but not on top of her! When the tan brunette started to get sleepy, Bella sat on the floor for a while. Pretty soon she heard the wolf snoring. The pale brunette looked away from the teacher. What compelled her to even think about lying next to Leah? The wolf was very comfortable to lay on. Soft and warm. Better than Edward. The brunette mentally gasped and looked around. Her eyes caught Jasper's confused stare.
How could she think such a thing? She was going to marry Edward and here she was, already criticizing something he had no control over. It was not his fault he was cold and hard. The pale brunette frowned and set her chin in her palm. Edward was with her. Not Leah or Jacob or anyone else. It wasn't right to think about her fiance so negatively. She felt happiness poking at her side. She knew Jasper was trying to help, but Bella didn't want fake happiness. She wanted real happiness.
"What's bothering you, Bells?" Jasper drawled as they exited out of history class.
The pale brunette shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.
"Did something happen? Edward was rather anxious all night."
Bella glanced up at the blond and gave a weak smile. He offered a smile back, but his honey eyes glinted with concern.
"I've just been thinking about...things. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Jasper burrowed his hands inside his pockets and raised his shoulders nervously.
"I don't mean to be rude, but your emotions were kind of all over the place. I understand that my ability might not be wanted all the time, but I'm sure it's okay to need a bit of calm during times like that."
The pale brunette nodded looking down. She knew he wanted to help. She knew he didn't like anyone feeling poorly, but she didn't want to be coerced into feeling something she doesn't truly feel. She didn't want to be forced into a feeling. She stopped walking, causing Jasper to turn and face her. He felt her mood drop to pity. Leah, she thought. Leah's imprinting forced feelings into her. She must hate it. Bella didn't want the female wolf to suffer because of something she didn't feel to begin with. None of the wolves should. How horrible it must be to be assaulted with emotions you can't control.
"Bella, is something wrong?"
"No," the pale brunette responded shaking her head as she continued walking to lunch.
Jasper's pale hands skimmed Bella's and a wave of tranquility sparked through her body. She immediately jerked her hand back and turned to the blond, angry and shocked. He held up his hands in defense, shocked as much as she was.
"Don't you ever do that again!"
"It wasn't on purpose, Bella. I swear!"
Edward caught sight of them and rushed to the pale brunette. He turned to his brother and they exchanged silent words as Edward placed an arm over Bella and stood between Jasper and the younger brunette. He softly rubbed her arm, knowing she was angry from the blond's thoughts. However, just like Jasper, he had no idea why she was so angry. She had never lost her cool by something as small as Jasper attempting to control her emotions. He moved to kiss the top of her head, but she still reeked of wolf and he removed himself from her.
She sat with the Cullens that day, but watched as her "human" friends talked and laughed with each other. It was silent at their table. No one ate and it made Bella feel uncomfortable, for the first time, to be next to them. She moved a leaf of her salad around as Edward watched. Rosalie eyed the pale brunette as well wondering if she knew.
"What does she need to know," Edward asked, lifting his eyes from Bella.
The pale brunette glanced up. Rosalie shut her eyes and mentally cursed the bronze-haired vampire. He chuckled to himself.
"Why have you been so angry at me reading your mind?"
Rosalie turned away from Edward, refusing to answer him. Jasper tried to calm her down, but her feelings were strong. Was she trying to hide something? He turned to Bella whose eyes nervously darted from Edward to Rosalie. Was Bella trying to hide something? Edward turned to Bella and their eyes met. She quickly looked away, finding her salad more pleasing to look at. He turned back to Rosalie and attempted to further reach into her mind. They're hiding something. Or at least trying to.
However, Rosalie wasn't a fool. She bombarded Edward's mind with random, sometimes violent thoughts. When she thought of how Emmett looked naked, Edward shuddered and stopped. His amber eyes looked at Bella who still remained with her eyes glued down. He wanted to know what was troubling her. If only I could read her mind. Bella was glad he didn't have the ability to read what she was thinking. There was no way she could hide Leah's secret.
After school, Bella exited the building, chuckling along with the Cullens at a joke Emmett made about Jasper. If it weren't for the positive emotions surrounding him, the blond vampire would have been offended. The vampires quickly stopped laughing and the pale brunette followed their eyes to Leah Clearwater leaning against the bed of Bella's pick-up. She wore long black shorts, with a loose white tank and immediately turned her attention to them.
The Cullens headed to the shifter; their pace quickened and Bella had to slightly run to catch up with them. As the vampires neared, Leah straightened herself up. Her bangs flowed carelessly in the soft breeze and her hands were buried inside her pockets. Rosalie greeted her with a nod and a grin and the wolf replied in the same manner. Her smile made the pale brunette feel all giddy inside and Jasper turned to Bella, wondering what caused her strange mood.
"What are you doing here?" Edward asked bitterly.
"It doesn't concern the likes of you," Leah responded with the same venom, "only B-Bella." Her strong voice faltered at speaking her imprint's name.
"Bella's business happens to be mine as well." Edward spoke.
Leah turned to him.
"Isn't it close to feeding time over at the Cullens? I'm here to pick Bella up."
"Why didn't Jacob come?"
"Why do you care? Fancy him more than me?"
"I like none of you mutts."
Leah growled and stepped closer.
"Wish I could say the same."
As her hazel eyes battled with his honey ones, she thought of how Victoria would tear him apart, limb by limb and she wouldn't care. Her lips curled into a smirk at the thought of already knowing his fate. Suddenly, she felt guilt. She could never let any harm happen to the Cullens. Bella cared about them. Jasper smiled to himself as he felt Leah's guilt. The wolf's head moved back as if wondering what had gotten into her. How did she switch from rage to guilt? She noticed a certain pair of amber eyes intent on her. She was warned of a leech that could control emotions. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger.
"Leah," Bella whispered, shattering all the anger the female wolf had.
"Yes, Bella?" She responded obediently, causing the pale brunette to blush and the Cullens to stare at her curiously, except for Rosalie who just smiled.
"Tell Jacob to come pick her up at our place. You're too early." Edward said and began to walk away with Bella in her arms.
The younger brunette turned around and exchanged a glance with Leah. They offered each other a small smile, knowing they'd see each other soon.