Chapter 11: Reunions and Revelations
After a long, rainy night on patrol, Ethan was exhausted but satisfied. They had reinforced the borders and secured the territory. The attack in Mason County still weighed on his mind, but, at least in Forks, all was quiet for now. Back at his house, Billy was waiting for him on the porch. He seemed thoughtful.
"You should go see Bella at school tomorrow," he said, bluntly. Ethan looked at him silently, knowing that his father had always been direct when it came to important topics. You can't continue avoiding the situation. Talk, face what happened, and move on.
Ethan let out a deep sigh. He knew Billy was right, but that didn't make it any easier. He appreciated what he had shared with Bella that summer, but since then, many things had changed. He had changed. Still, it was time to end the tension between them and clear things up. "I will," he finally responded, with an inner resolve he hadn't felt in a long time. I need Bella to get over that stage too, so we can be friends again without this between us.
Billy nodded in satisfaction.
Bella's POV
Bella stood up with a mix of anxiety and expectation. Today was the day. After weeks of avoiding him, she would finally talk to Ethan. Although deep down she wanted to fix things, she couldn't deny that part of her feared what he might say to her. But the time had come to face the past and, if everything went well, maybe they could be friends again.
The day passed normally until after school. As she walked to the parking lot, everything happened so fast that she barely had time to react. A car suddenly accelerated in her direction, sliding across the wet pavement. In an instant, she felt her entire body tense, waiting for the impact...but it never came. Somehow, she had been pushed out of danger.
When she opened her eyes, she was in Edward Cullen's arms.
Chaos broke out around her. The voices, the murmurs, everything was confusing. She could barely process what had just happened. Edward was looking at her intensely, her breathing calm as if the feat of stopping a truck with one hand was not a difficult task for him. Without saying anything, he walked away from the scene, leaving Bella with more doubts about Edward's identity. "Are you okay?" —Her friends asked.
Before Bella could answer, she was taken to the hospital to make sure she had no injuries. Her mind kept reliving the moment: the speed, the impending crash, and Edward…saving her
Ethan's POV
Ethan was late to school for her meeting with Bella. As he walked through the parking lot, he heard snippets of conversations about Bella and an accident in the parking lot. Without a second thought, he ran towards his motorcycle and headed to the hospital
When he arrived at the emergency room, his gaze met Bella. She was sitting, her face a little pale, but safe. Relieved, he approached slowly, trying to contain the mix of emotions he felt. Although Bella was still beautiful in his eyes, he no longer felt the same as he did that summer. They had grown, changed. And it was time for both of them to accept it.
—Are you okay? Ethan asked, approaching Charlie and Bella with a warm expression.
Bella looked at him, her eyes still reflecting surprise at the accident, but she nodded slowly.
"Yes, it was just a scare," he said, trying to smile.
"There's something to talk to her about," Ethan said to Charlie, without taking his eyes off Bella. I'll take her home after this. There are things we need to talk about.
Charlie nodded, trusting his friend's eldest son. She knew that, beyond what had happened between them, Ethan and Bella needed to clear up a lot of things.
Bella's POV
As Bella waited to be discharged from the hospital, Dr. Cullen came over to making sure everything was in order.
"You don't have any serious injuries, Bella," the doctor said with a reassuring smile.
Bella told him that this was all thanks to Edward, who had saved her. Dr. Cullen, not to compromise the situation, just smiled.
Edward's simple name sparked a wave of questions in his mind. Just before she left, he saw him waiting for her at the door. She approached him, her heart pounding.
"Thank you... for saving me," Bella said, looking into his eyes.
Edward watched her in silence for a few seconds, then whispered:
— You should forget what you saw today.
Before Bella could speak again, Edward turned to leave, but not before glancing at Ethan. A flash of recognition crossed his face. He couldn't read Ethan's mind, and that worried him. It was rare to find someone whose mind he couldn't read, and the only other person besides Bella that he couldn't read was the wolf from back then. Before jumping to conclusions he had to be sure.
Ethan, for his part, didn't notice the intensity in Edward's gaze. The mental barrier that protected him from any psychic interference was always present, protecting him effortlessly. For him, Edward's presence meant nothing more than a small obstacle in his desire to talk to Bella
In the distance, someone else was watching Ethan: Rosalie. When her eyes found Ethan's figure, a strange feeling of recognition assaulted his mind. There was something about him that seemed familiar. It was the shapeshifter he had seen in his beast form. And now, seeing him in her human form, something inside her stirred. Not only was he attractive, but he radiated a magnetic force that confused her.
Edward, reading Rosalie's thoughts, turned to her in alarm. His face hardened, worried about Bella and her closeness to this beast. But Ethan didn't pay attention to Edward or Bella. He only had eyes for Rosalie. Bella noticed this immediately. The way Ethan looked at Rosalie was not the same as with other girls. A spark of jealousy ignited inside her, intense but fleeting. He tried to suppress it, reminding himself that what had happened between them was in the past. However, she couldn't help it. The connection between Ethan and Rosalie, although newborn, was palpable, and that made her uneasy. Bella, noticing that Ethan was distracted, gave him a light tap on the shoulder to bring him back to reality.
"Come on, we need to talk," Bella said, as she pointed to the benches outside the hospital.
Bella told him. He looked at Ethan again, trying to get rid of that unexpected feeling. It wasn't logical, but she felt it. That little flash of jealousy was something she hadn't anticipated.
Before disappearing down the halls, Ethan took one last look at Rosalie. In that instant, he knew there was more than just attraction between them.