Chapter 21
Disclaimer: We still own nothing except the pain and suffering that we give all the characters.
Chapter songs:
“Only God Knows” Orianthi
“Because You Loved Me” Celine Dion
“This Woman’s Work” Maxwell
BPOV
I looked over Edward’s shoulder to where that authoritative voice came from.
“Billy,” I said to him as Edward moved beside me and I kept his hand in mine. “Edward, I don’t know if you remember, but this is Billy Black, Jacob’s dad and my Dad’s best friend. Billy, this is...”
“I know exactly who he is Bella.” His sharp tone radiated anger. “What I don’t know is what the hell he is doing here.”
“Bella, I’m going to give you and Mr. Black a moment to talk. I’ll be right back,” Edward told me as his hand caressed my cheek and his thumb brushed lightly across my lower lip, making me tremble slightly as my body became excited by these simple touches.
“Okay,” I said to him. “Please don’t be long.” He nodded and soothingly squeezed my hand and walked towards the nurses’ station.
“You didn’t answer my question, Bella. What is Cullen doing here with you?”
“Billy, I don’t see that this matters to you. He’s here with me.”
“Does your father know about you and Cullen?” Well, this was craptastic. My father was definitely not on the top of my list right now at all, after him forcing Edward out of my life by lying to us.
“No, Billy, he doesn’t know.”
“Don’t you think that he deserves to know who you are spending your time with, Bella?” This was really starting to piss me off. How dare Billy try to tell me what to do and who to do it with. Evidently all of the parents in Washington felt it was their job in life to tell other people what they needed to be doing and with whom.
“Billy, I think that it is my decision when I tell my father about Edward and me. It is my life we are talking about after all.” I tried to keep my calm. I knew that Billy was worried about Jake and Emily, but he had absolutely no right to attempt to interfere in my life.
“Bella, we all know what he did to you. You deserve better than Edward Cullen.”
“I know that you are concerned about me, but I can take care of myself. Edward is not the same person he was. He has changed just like I have. We are both very different people now. We’re both better. He makes me happy. I would never be with someone who would hurt me again, Billy. Edward has learned from his mistakes. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?”
Billy didn’t look too sure about anything that I had said. This was my life and I was never going to let anyone dictate how I should live it and with whom. “It is my place to tell my father and I will in my own time. OK?” I was very stern and I knew that he finally realized that he wasn’t making any ground in our conversation.
Before he could answer me, I saw Jake and Edward coming off of the elevator. Billy seemed stunned to see them together and not ripping each other to shreds. I also saw Emily’s parents talking to the nurse and saw the nurse point to the direction of the waiting room. Jake saw them about the same time I did. Emily’s mom hugged him cautiously, and her dad shook his good hand as they walked to the waiting room.
“Have you heard anything else, Bella?” Emily’s mom asked me as we hugged each other.
“No, we haven’t heard anything since they took her back to surgery.” I walked over to Jake and hugged him. “Glad to see you up and about, Jake.”
“I’m glad to be out of that horribly uncomfortable bed,” Jake told me. “Edward talked the nurse into getting me some kick ass clothes. What do you think?” He motioned to the hospital scrubs he had on.
“You are definitely ready for the runways of Fashion Week in that ensemble,” I joked with him. The tension was palpable and growing by the second, as we all got as comfortable as we could waiting for news on Em.
Edward held my hand, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. The minutes continued to tick away and suddenly the doctor appeared before us.
The look in his eyes said it all, before he even said a word.
“Mr. and Mrs. Young, I’m Dr. Sandler.” He sat down next to them and sighed deeply. “As you are aware, your daughter’s injuries were extensive and she was revived more than once.” He took a breath and said the words that broke my heart. “We did absolutely everything we could. Despite all of our efforts, Emily didn’t make it. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss.”
Emily’s mom began to scream, “No! No! Not my baby!” I knew that there were sobs coming from me and that Edward was doing everything he could to help comfort me. It was Jacob’s reaction that would forever be ingrained in my mind. No one was able to console him. He begged and pleaded with the doctor telling him that he had to be mistaken. That Emily was going to be OK. I heard Billy choke and knew that he was reliving the moment when he lost the love of his life in a horrific accident too.
Jacob collapsed on the floor and I sank down on the floor beside him. I took his head and cradled him against my chest. I rocked him back and forth and rubbed his back, but his cries continued to intensify. “She can’t be gone. She has to be OK. She has to be OK. She’s my everything. I don’t know who I am without Emily. I can’t live without her. I love her with all that I am.”
I didn’t know what to say to Jacob. I couldn’t tell him that everything was going to be OK because it wasn’t. Our lives had be irrevocably changed. “I know, Jake. I know how much you love her. We all love her.”
I looked up and saw Edward watching us with tears in his eyes. I also noticed that Emily’s parents were missing. I looked to where they had been sitting then to Edward. He mouthed the words “to see Emily.”
“I have to see Emily, Bella,” he begged me. My hoodie was drenched with his tears. I nodded to Edward and he got up and went to the nurses’ station. He motioned for us.
“Jake,” I tilted his head up and looked in his eyes and the light that had been in his eyes since he fell in love with Emily had disappeared. “Edward is going to take us so you can see Emily, okay?” He nodded weakly and I helped him up. He was shaky on his feet and Edward came to help me steady Jake.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Billy staring intently at the three of us. “Billy, would you like to come with us?” I asked him.
“No, Bella. I can’t...” He swallowed thickly and I knew why he wasn’t going. It wouldn’t be Emily that he saw lying lifeless, it would be Jake’s mom. He wheeled in front of us and grabbed Jake’s hand. “I love you, Son. I’m so, so sorry that... I will be waiting here for you.”
Jacob didn’t say a word as Edward led us to the door that lead to the OR. I heard heart-wrenching cries and saw Emily’s mom and dad wrapped tightly in each others’ arms. As we got to the door, my palms got clammy. My best friend was in that room and she was never coming home again. I would never hear her laugh at one of Jacob’s silly jokes. I would never have our gossip time when we shared our most sacred hopes and dreams. She would never be there for me to tell her that I had indeed met the love of my life too, the person I couldn’t live without like she had. I wanted to remember her alive, her bright smiling face, her contagious laughter. I wanted to remember her the way she was this time yesterday, bouncing off the walls because she was actually going to meet her favorite singer in person. She hugged me so tightly when she thanked me for letting them use my car, so she wouldn’t miss the show. But I would never see her smile again. I would never hear Emily’s laughter. She would never hug me again.
“Bella, can you please come in with me?” Jacob asked in a weak voice. I didn’t want to do this. I knew that our Emily wasn’t behind those doors, but I had to do this for Jake. He needed me right now and I wasn’t going to abandon him when he needed me most.
“Yes.” I glanced at Edward and he smiled weakly at me.
“I will be right here waiting for you, Bella,” Edward told me, as he hugged me tightly. Then I grabbed Jake’s hand in mine and entered the doorway.
Jake pulled me with him to the side of the table. Emily looked so peaceful, like an angel. I choked back a sob as I realized that, in fact, she was an angel looking over us now.
Jake released my hand and grabbed Emily’s while he brushed back her hair from her face and kissed her lips.
“Please, Em. I can’t live without you. You’re not dead. You’re not dead,” Jacob said as he continued to stroke her face and kiss her lips tenderly. “Emily, Baby. I love you. Please, please, come back to me, Em,” he pleaded.
I placed my hand over Jake’s where he had Emily’s hand clasped in his. I was startled by how cold she felt.
“Jake, honey,” I said through my tears. “I want her here too, but she’s gone. She’s gone.” I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could, as he mourned the future that was suddenly robbed because of one careless person’s actions.
“But, Bella, I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to her.” I heard the door open and saw orderlies that were here to take her away from us.
“Tell her goodbye now, Jake. It’s time.”
“Emily, I will always love you. You made me such a better person that I had ever hoped to be. You brought me more joy than any one person deserved to have in a lifetime. I will be forever thankful that you were in my life and that you loved me.” He kissed her one last time and walked out the door.
“Thank you for being my friend when I needed one, Em. I love you.” I kissed her cheek and walked to the door where my future awaited me.
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