Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Freedom

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 07:

BPOV

I have been here at Paul’s for two days. When he is not out patrolling we have pretty much been having sex. It was a great deal Amber worked out for me. When he is out on patrol I have pretty much been getting high. Not a productive way to spend my time but I really didn’t want to leave the house. After so long on the road I found I was really tired. This peaceful time could not last though.

“Bella I’m bored.”

“I know Amber.”

“We need to do something. I need to get out before I go crazy. If you want to stick around this reservation then fine, but do we have to stay here every minute?”

“No Amber. I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. It’s just I’m scared if I leave the Rez I’m going to get hounded by Edward and I don’t know what he would do if he found me.”

“Why the hell should we be scared of him B? We going to let him run our life?”

“No.”

“Then to hell with him B. Leave a note for your wolf boy and tell him we are going into town or something. If we don’t show back up, tell him to look at the Cullens first.”

That did seem like a good idea.

We got on our bikes and drove into Forks.

“What a shit hole. I’m glad we got out of here, B. Now if I can just pull you away from your booty call we might get some place. Why are we still hanging around?”

“Did you forget about Victoria?”

“Fuck Victoria. She got lucky catching us on the way out of town last time. She probably isn’t even in the area right now. We could leave and never come back.”

She was right. We could…

“Dammit B why won’t you leave him? You don’t love him. You know he doesn’t love you. Without the imprint he wouldn’t give you the time of day.”

“But that’s the thing Amber, I don’t love him. But I always thought the imprint made you love somebody. He admitted he didn’t love me at first either. But if he has grown to love me, how can I not give myself the same chance.”

“What makes you think he is telling the truth?”

“I can see it in his eyes, Amber. Every time we make love.”

“I see a horny guy.”

“Then why didn’t he try to sleep with me that first night? You had to get him to compromise to have sex with me.”

She looked tired. It’s probably a bad sign when your alter ego looks tired.

“I don’t know B. All I know is we haven’t been free since we have been here. We are getting tied into this crap again. I don’t like it.”

“Bella how are you doing?”

Ahh shit.

“Hello Edward.”

“Am I speaking to Bella?”

“Yes you are.” The look of relief on his face was obvious. I guess he thought he could get me to do what he wanted.

“Bella love, please come with me. You need help. I know you love me. Let me help you.”

“I don’t love you Edward. I don’t think I ever did.”

“Is this Amber?”

“No you asshole, this is Bella. The girl you left in the fucking woods. Remember me? I don’t love you. I don’t want your help. I don’t need you. Me. Bella. I don’t need you. Why can you not understand this? You say you love me. If you really loved me you would stop being so selfish and go away.”

“Bella this isn’t you, love.”

“Stop calling me love! I don’t love you and it’s rude!”

“So you love your dog?”

“I don’t love Paul either but he at least respects me. He gives me my space and doesn’t try to control me. I mean here you are. I remember telling you I didn’t want to see you anymore. But the minute I leave the Rez, here I am dealing with you again.”

I looked at Amber but she just smiled at me and got on her bike. Seemed like a good idea.

“I’m not letting you go Bella.” He reached for me and I jumped back.

“Touch me and I scream rape.” That stopped him in his tracks. “I guess I’m heading back to the Rez but first I am stopping off at the police station and getting Charlie to put a restraining order on you.”

“You really think that would stop me from getting to you if I wanted?”

“No, but it’s the thought that counts.” I started my bike and drove off, Amber following me. We stopped in front of the station and I glanced at her. She was smiling.

“What?”

“You didn’t need me to handle him. You looked him in the eye and told him off. I am so proud of you.”

Yeah I guess I did. Weird.

I walked into the station and saw the looks from the deputies. I guess I did look a little out there for this little town.

“Uh hi, is Charlie here?”

I heard a voice in the back. “Bella is that you?” I saw him hurry from his office.

“Yeah Dad it’s me. How are you doing?”

“Baby it’s so good to see you. Do you want to go get lunch or something?”

“No Dad, I’m actually here on official business.”

“What kind of business?” He looked at me with a wary face. I could understand that.

“I want a restraining order placed against Edward Cullen. He is stalking me. I have had enough.”

He smiled. He actually smiled. You would have thought I gave him a new gun. Of course considering how much he hated Cullen this was probably better.

“I can certainly do that, Bells. I will serve it to him myself.”

“Thanks Dad.” I turned to leave.

“Bella?”

I turned back toward him.

“Could we maybe have lunch or dinner sometime?”

I looked at Amber who was looking away. Fuck it.

“Yeah, but you have to take me somewhere. Your cooking is horrible.”

He laughed. It was the first smile I had seen him have in a long time. Even before I left.

“It’s a date. When would you like to go?”

“How bout tomorrow night?”

“Sounds great and please be careful on that bike. Roads are slippery out there.”

I had to smile a little at his concern. A few months ago and he would have been lighting my bike on fire.

“I’ll do that Dad.”

Paul POV

I got home from patrol and saw the note Bella left me. I didn’t like not knowing where she was but I agreed to give her space and honestly she had given me more time in the last two days that I expected.

I sat down on the couch and began flipping through the channels. When that didn’t work I stood up and went for a walk. As I was getting back form my walk I heard her bike pulling into the drive. Thank God. Every time she leaves I worry if she is going to come back.

“Hi Bella.”

“Bella’s asleep. She has had a rough day.”

“What happened?”

“Not that it’s any of your business but Edward Cullen bothered her the moment we hit town.”

“Did he hurt her?”

“I would never allow that. But I was proud of Bella. She told him off. Not me. And then she went to the police station and had Charlie put a restraining order on him.”

I couldn’t believe it. She put a restraining order on Cullen? Wait till I tell the pack about this.

“Now Bella is asleep so this would be a good time for you and me to have a talk. A little one on one time if you will.”

“What would you like to talk about?”

“Bella of course.”

“Okay.”

“She’s getting stronger. She told off Cullen herself and agreed to have dinner with her dad without asking me. I wonder though if she is getting stronger or becoming the doormat she used to be.”

“Bella was never a doormat.”

“How do you figure? She let everyone walk all over her. She fell apart when Cullen left and nearly fell apart again when Jake left her after he phased. She has always needed a man to give her self-worth. Now I worry that she is using you for that.”

“Funny it seems to me she is using you, Amber. Or are you using her?”

“I am what she made me. Deal with it. I’m the one who watches her back. I’m the one who lets her be free.”

“And I don’t, is that what you’re saying?”

“No, you don’t.”

“Wasn’t it Bella who wanted to stay here? I didn’t make her.”

“I agree with you on that. Why did you hate Bella?”

I think this issue with me hating Bella need to get cleared up. I wish “Bella” was here.

“I would like to have this conversation with both of you but since you ask, I never hated Bella.”

“The names you called her. She really wanted you to like her. She always wanted everyone to like her. It was a weakness you exploited.”

“You need to know the only person I truly hated was myself. You think she was the only one I acted like that too? She wasn’t. I was like that with everybody. I was proud and nobody was going to tell me what to do. Especially some ancient spirit that had already made me a slave by turning me into a giant wolf.

My childhood was shit. I watched my dad beat my mom and the two of them get so drunk they passed out on the living room floor. I hated them. I hated myself. I didn’t know what love was. I didn’t realize what it was until she left. It hurt me. Not because of the damn imprint. Because I saw I had an opportunity at something real and I let it slip away. And this time I didn’t have a spirit or a shitty childhood to blame it on.”

“Bella’s childhood wasn’t great. She didn’t get abused or molested but she never had a childhood. It’s why she resents her mother and father.”

“Bella resents Charlie and Renee?”

“Of course she does. She felt that she was always taking care of Renee. She never had a normal childhood. She resented her for being weak and needing care for. Bella wanted to be the child. She wanted to be the one who was mothered. As far as Charlie goes, deep down she feels if he loved her enough he would have moved near her. She thinks he loves Forks more than her. And she’s right.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I had no idea Bella felt that way. I knew a little of her childhood from Jake but apparently not enough.

“She doesn’t need another man to let her down Paul.” And with that Amber walked inside and I was left alone on the front porch.

BPOV

“Bella?”

“Yes Paul?”

“I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?”

“A date?”

“Yeah, just the two of us.”

“The two of us?”

“Yeah, me and you?”

“What about Amber?”

“I’d like it to be just the two of us but I will take what I can get.”

I looked at Amber. “What do you think?”

“I think you need to get him out of your system. If going on a date to discover he’s an asshole can speed that process along then so be it.”

I wasn’t sure about this. I hadn’t been away from Amber since I found her. But she’s right. Besides Paul won’t try to hurt me.

“What did you have in mind Paul?”

“You like to ride Bikes right?”

“Yes.”

“How would you like to ride a wolf?”