Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Freedom

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 02:

Paul POV

“Any word Chief?”

“No son. And if you don’t mind me asking why are you so curious? I never got the impression you and Bells were good friends.”

“She’s important to a lot of people in La Push, Chief.”

“Yeah but you’re the one who looks like hell and seems as desperate as I am to find her.”

“I just want to see her safe.”

“And I want to know what the hell caused a level headed girl like Bella to take off in the first place.”

“Chief, we got a hit” I heard a deputy say. Charlie turned around and walked quickly to his desk.

“Her truck was spotted and pulled over in Nevada. The guy driving it claims she traded it for a motorcycle. Says he hasn’t seen her since. Police are interrogating him but his record is clean. Doesn’t seem like he has anything in his past. Seemed kinda surprised that he was pulled over.”

“Bella doesn’t ride motorcycles. She wouldn’t even know how. That makes no sense. And what the hell was she doing in Nevada?”

Time to come clean. Sorry Jake.

“Actually Chief Bella does know how to ride a bike. Jake taught her.”

“That little sonofa… Okay thanks for the info, Paul. I have to get down to Nevada.”

“I doubt if she traded the truck for a motorcycle that she is still there Chief. Sounds like she wanted something that got more miles to the gallon.”

“Todd, do we have a description of the bike? A license plate?”

“Yeah we do Chief, but we are going to have trouble getting a nationwide APB on it. She’s 18 and isn’t technically a missing person.”

“Do it anyway. Say that she is wanted for questioning as a witness. Even if they can’t make her come back I can get a better bead on where she is at and where she is heading.”

Nevada? My God she made it to Nevada? And farther south or east by the sound of it. Now she is on the open road on a bike. I wonder where the hell she is going.

BPOV

I have no idea where I am going and I love it. Amber seems to be confident she can find this place but there is nothing out here. Odessa is a hundred miles from here. Then I see it. A little bar on the side of the road surrounded by Harleys. We pull into the parking lot and I look at Amber. “You sure this is our kind of place? Looks like being raped might be getting off easy here.”

“B you worry too much. Didn’t I say I was going to take care of you? Now trust me. We could both use drinks.”

Why did I have to wear cutoffs today? And the tiniest bare midriff shirt I owned? At least it’s a black Harley shirt.

We walked in and every head in the place turned towards us. Amber smirked and I froze. I followed her up to the bar. She ordered shots of tequila for us and some big biker guy told the bartender he would pay for them. I threw back three shots to match Amber and ordered a beer. Unsurprisingly we weren’t carded. Something tells me police don’t get out here much.

The big guy walked up next to me at the bar. I stared straight ahead, afraid of eye contact.

“Haven’t seen you around? You new around here?”

Okay talk, Bella. I turned to look at him. He was actually not bad looking. About 6’2 with a beard and goatee wearing jeans and a leather vest over a Harley T shirt. He had piercing blue eyes and jet black hair. His forearms were covered in tattoos.

“Yeah just passing through on the way to Louisiana.”

“What’s in Louisiana?”

“Never been before. Seemed like a good stop. After that I guess I will see where the road takes me.”

“Sounds like you got the right idea. You ever been attached to a club?”

“I was a member of the Biology Club when I went to school in Phoenix but not since then.”

He gave me a strange look and then started laughing.

“That’s a good one darlin.”

“Let me take this one B. This guy is a little much for you to handle. “I heard Amber say as she walked up.

“Hey baby, you want to keep buying drinks or you got something stronger?” She asked.

My jaw dropped but I said nothing.

“I got whatever you need out back. What did you have in mind?”

“Why don’t you show me cowboy and I will let you know if you got anything I’m interested in.”

“Follow me little lady.”

Amber winked at me and I blindly followed her outside. There was no way I was staying in here on my own.

I saw her hop on his bike with her back to the handlebars. He got on in front of her and she started kissing him. I stood there mesmerized by how she can take control of any situation. I wanted that. I wanted to be the girl who could have any man she wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it.

Before I realized it she was riding him on the bike. I knew I should turn away and not watch her have sex with this guy on his bike in a parking lot but I couldn’t. I just watched her. She turned to me at one point while he was kissing her neck and winked. I think she liked that I was watching. I’ll admit I was turned on. I never saw myself as much of a voyeur but this was getting me hot.

I jumped when I heard the whistles behind me. Men from the bar and some women had walked out and were watching the show. Amber just smiled and rode him harder. When it looked like she was done she hopped off the bike and pulled her shorts back on. She whispered in his ear and he handed her a bag from his side compartment. She kissed him on the cheek, walked over to me and grabbed my arm. I guess it was time to go.

Paul POV

I took the first flight to Nevada. I knew she wouldn’t be there any longer but I hoped if I could show her picture around I may get some leads. If nothing else I could drive a main highway out of Nevada and show it around at some diners along the way.

I arrived at Reno where she had apparently traded her truck for a bike and rented a car. I took off down the interstate and headed for Arizona. I knew she grew up there. Maybe she went back.

Edward POV

I read Charlie’s mind as I was sitting outside his station. Nevada. It was a good place to start. At least I knew she made it that far. I got in my car and began driving. It would be faster for me to drive than to fly at this point. Besides I wasn’t heading to Nevada. I was going to Arizona.

BPOV

We pulled up in Austin as the sun was setting and pulled into a campground next to Lake Travis. The sun setting over the lake was beautiful. I asked Amber if we could just stay here. She asked where the fun of that would be. Tomorrow with a little luck we would be in New Orleans. Who knows what we would find there.

“Amber, weren’t you scared?”

“Scared of what, B?”

“That guy. You had sex with him on his bike and you didn’t even know him.”

“That was the fun part B. The unknown. Things can’t be safe all the time. You told me you once cliff dived in a storm. That wasn’t safe. But you didn’t want to be safe. You took a chance. Why don’t you take chances all the time?”

“I admit I did something stupid, but that guy could have killed us.”

“Anything could kill you B. The only certainty of life is you won’t get out alive. Why spend all your time worrying about it? Didn’t you say some psycho vampire was hunting you in Forks? Did you cower in a corner hiding? Hell no. You went on with your everyday life. You’re stronger than you think. You just have to let go of all the crap you have let build up around yourself. All the masks you have to keep the real you from coming out. Here you are out on the road with nothing but a few pair of shorts a pair of jeans and some barely there t shirts most of which you have gotten from me. Just you and your bike. This is where you find out who you are. Not when you are dealing with Edward’s expectations or Jakes or even this Paul guy. You have to find you. And I’m going to make sure you do. Because the you that is inside is one bad bitch. You just don’t know it yet. So if you want to fuck some biker in a parking lot do it. If you want to watch me fuck a biker in the parking lot do that. Enjoy yourself B. Cuz once you’re dead who knows? It’s either hell and flames or heaven and trumpets.”

“You make it seem so easy.”

“It is.”

I fell asleep that night early. I had dreams of nightclubs and stripper poles. I woke up that morning feeling strange. My legs were sore and my feet were killing me. Too much riding I suppose. Amber was lying next to me as always. She had a hand on my breast. I gently removed it and got up to get dressed for the day. I looked at the beautiful lake below us. I grabbed a bikini out of Amber’s bag and jumped off the cliff we were camped on. It wasn’t a high cliff and I needed a bath. Lake water was the best thing until we hit a truck stop. The water was cool, in direct contrast to the heat outside. I realized I was going to have to find a way to get back to the tent. After hiking in a bikini for a little while and stumbling over some roots I made it back. Amber was up and smiling at me. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and we packed for the day. It was time to head to New Orleans.

I stopped at a diner in Arizona. It looked like a nice place and I could see Bella stopping here. It was the only one for 30 miles in either direction. At least that is what the sign says. I walked in and sat at the bar. A waitress came up and asked what she could get me. I ordered a Coffee and a large breakfast platter. I was still a wolf and needed to eat. When she brought my food I charmed her a little and showed her Bella’s picture. I asked if she had seen her.

“Yeah kinda hard to forget that girl. Only her hair is shorter and blonde now. She sat in that back booth eating a salad and talking to herself. It was disturbing. I can tell you that much. She wouldn’t shut up. Just looked across the table and acted like she was having a conversation with someone who wasn’t there. I thought she might be one of those psychics who see dead people. I was about to ask her to leave cuz she was freaking out the customers. But before I could she asked for a check and paid and was on her way. Rode out of here on a black Harley.”

“Thanks for the information. You see what direction she went?”

“Southeast. This would have been last Friday.”

Bella was talking to herself? This could not be good. Of course with her luck she may have a ghost stalking her.

BPOV

We were on the road again. After fighting Houston traffic we emerged out of the smog dome and continued our path to New Orleans. Some boys tried to flag us down on the road and we shot the finger at them and left them in the dust.

We stopped at a crappy motel on the outskirts of New Orleans. So far I saw a lot of swamp. Amber told me she had something important to talk to me about.

“B we need more money. Way I see it we have two choices. One we could knock over a liquor store. Or two we could strip. I’m good either way. What do you think?”

Holy crap. “Can’t we just get a job somewhere?”

“Why the fuck should we B? That takes too long and I am not in the mood to sweep floors and serve food to assholes for minimum wage.”

Okay.

“I guess we will strip. I don’t want to rob anybody.”

“Perfect.”

“But I can’t dance. And I’ve never had my clothes off in front of anybody. What if I freeze?”

“Three nights ago you had never had sex, much less with a woman. Things can change B.”

So that is how I found myself following Amber into the Starlight Gentleman’s club on Bourbon St.

Amber spoke to the manager. I’m not sure what she said but he was most gracious in allowing us to dance at his fine establishment.

I was sitting at the bar waiting for my turn when I heard the name Amber and looked up. She walked out wearing our regular outfit of tight short shorts and mid drift shirt. I watched her mesmerized while she moved and men threw dollar bills at her. I tried to remember how she was moving and what she was doing. I knew my turn was coming up. After she was done she came and sat by me. The bartender told me to go to the back and get ready. I felt sick. I heard my name being called and walked out onto the stage. What the hell was I doing? And I blacked out.

I woke up the next morning in our motel room. Amber was already up and sitting at the desk chair looking at me.

“Good morning Sleeping beauty. Maybe that will be your new stage name.”

“Oh God I’m sorry Amber. Did you have to carry me back here?”

“What are you talking about B? You were great last night. We made a thousand bucks between the two of us.”

“But I passed out.”

“Jeez kid, what the hell were you drinking last night. First you turn into this wild stripper I didn’t know you had in you and now you don’t even remember it?”

I did? I don’t remember it. But my legs are sorer than they were the night before and my feet are killing me. What the hell is happening to me?

“I can tell by the way you’re biting your bottom lip that you are worrying too much. Let go B. Let go of your inhibitions. Relax and become you.”

I had been. But I didn’t know who I was any longer. Or did I? It seemed like the longer I went the more I was becoming… Amber.