CBWR? Chapter 18

Thanks again for all the reviews, PMs, etc. You guys are the best!

I know people would like longer chapters, but that's honestly not the point in the "exercise" for me. I've never written this way before. It's new, and I'm learning from it. :) Bear with me. At least the posts are still daily!

That sick feeling in my stomach was definitely back.

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Chapter 18:

As I stared into Alice's eyes – black with fury – I waited. At first, I wasn't sure what I was waiting for exactly – if it was to hear the muffled shot that ended my life, her demands for more of an explanation, or maybe just to hear myself breathe, which I didn't appear to be doing. After what felt like a long time, but was likely only a second, I realized I was waiting for my life to flash in front of me. That little bit of your mind that replays all the significant bits to remind you where you have been and how you ended up here, at the end.

It didn't happen.

I was pretty glad it did happen, because I really didn't want to relive any of that shit.

What I did hear was Bella's scream.

"No!"

I felt the impact in my chest instead of my head, where I was expecting it. And instead of a single, small point of contact of a bullet, it was Bella's body against my chest. We were both thrown backwards and away from the Beretta, with Bella frantically scrambling to cover me with her body.

That sick feeling in my stomach was definitely back.

"No! No! No!" she cried out over and over again.

"What the fuck, Cullen?" Alice snarled. I looked around Bella long enough to see Alice had at least dropped the barrel off to the side, no longer aiming at my face.

Bella was still screaming into my ear.

I grabbed her shoulders and tried to pull her off of me, because – shit – if she ended up in the line of fire somehow...well, I didn't want that to happen. I couldn't get her off, though – she had what could only be described as a death grip around my neck. She was still screaming at Alice.

"No! No! Please, don't kill him! Please! No!"

"Bella, it's all right – shit!" I tried pulling at her arms again, but I didn't get anywhere. I looked up to Alice, praying she was going to give me at least a little bit of a chance to explain. "Alice – come on! Help me out here! I'll tell you everything, just fucking help me out!"

"Fuck you!" Alice took a step back, holstered her gun in her boot and put her hands on her hips.

Bella tucked her head against my chest and tightened her grip again.

"She put the gun away, Bella – it's okay." I didn't have the slightest idea if it was okay or not, or if Alice was just going to wait and off me at the next opportunity, but I had to say something.

"I'm not going to kill him."

Bella turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Alice's eyes narrowed, and for a while they just looked at each other. Bella's grip slowly loosened, and I felt her chest rise and fall with her slowed breaths. Eventually she looked down again, then over to me, then back to the floor.

"I think we need to talk, Edward," Alice said as she glared at me. She turned on her heel and went straight for my whiskey. At eight in the morning? After she had her glass, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up.

"Balcony, please!" I reminded her.

"Fuck you."

Fine. It wasn't worth the argument.

I convinced Bella to let me up, and as I rubbed my bruised jaw, she ran to the freezer and collected a bag full of ice for me. She seemed to be prepared to hold it right there for me for the recommended fifteen-to-twenty minutes, but the look on Alice's face told me I wouldn't last that long if I let her. Instead, I took the ice from Bella and told her to hang out in her room for a while so I could talk to Alice. Once she was convinced Alice was not going to shoot me – at least, not yet – she went and left us alone.

"You better start talking right now, Cullen," Alice said. "I'll have you tossed off this building if you don't come up with a pretty damn good story."

I did have a good story, right?

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Chapter End Notes:

Um...yeah...sure. She's bound to be on your side after you explain it.

Moron.