Chapter Four

A/N: I suck. I totally told you if you sent me some love I would have this chapter out to you by the end of the weekend. I am sending it out early, so at least that might redeem me in your eyes.

FF is totally fail at letting me reply to reviews, but I wanted to tell you I read each and every one and they are giving me the motivation I need to get more chapters done and out to you. I am excited to get to the major plot points, so IF (big if since I am heading back to work tomorrow) IF I can get more chapters finished I will update more frequently. As of now I will continue with the Wed/Sat update. Expect chapter 5 on Saturday.

And now- lets see what happens when they meet.

The rain was falling in buckets as Isabella walked across the meadow to use the outhouse. She knew she would be soaked whether she ran or took her time, so she decided not to tempt the fates and walked. She had turned her ankle a few years ago when she tried to outrun a sudden downpour and it took her weeks to get her strength back. She had managed to find a long stick to use as a cane and hobbled through her usual chores, because in her world if the chores did not get done, she would not survive.

Her business done, she headed down to the creek to gather the water she needed for the day. She could have just left the pail out in the rain for a while, but she liked the freshness of the water that ran through the rocks. She had just lifted the bucket from the flow of water when she heard a twig snap behind her. The handle slipped from her fingers, thankfully ending up on the bank of the stream and not in the slowly moving water. She straightened and turned towards the sound, ready run if she had to. She had faced off many wild animals in her time and had the scars to prove it. The worst had been the mountain lion that thought her easy prey. He would be walking with a limp the rest of his life, but he should not have messed with Isabella.

She gasped when she saw the figure standing at the edge of her meadow. From where he stood it was impossible for him to see her, but she had a clear view of the intruder. Memories flooded her as she watched him walk closer to her cottage. He hesitated at the stairs before slowly walking to the door. She saw him take a deep breath before raising his hand to knock. He shuffled his feet as he waited for an answer that would never come. Isabella slowly moved closer to the thick brush that surrounded the creek, hoping he would leave, yet praying he would stay. His shoulders slumped as he walked off of the porch and stood directly under the maple tree she had hidden in years earlier. His eyes were trained on the spot where she had been hanging the day they first saw each other. She could almost feel the desperation radiating from him as he turned in a slow circle, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Please." He whispered, his head falling back, letting the rain slide over his face, his water-darkened hair covering his forehead. Isabella found herself moving before she was even aware of it. She walked silently through the rain-dampened grass until she stood only a foot in front of him. Her hand shook as she raised it up to brush his hair from his forehead. When he jumped and grabbed at her hand, all of her mother's warnings flashed through her mind. This was exactly what her mother had commanded her not to do. There was danger out there for her, and she needed to stay hidden to insure she would be safe. But the instant his hands closed over her wrists, she felt a kind of warmth she had never known. Heat flashed through her chest as her eyes met his wide stare and she wanted nothing more than to bask in his warmth forever.

*()**()*

He opened his mouth to speak but found that nothing would come out. He had spent the last three days traipsing through the deep Washington woods in an effort to find the cottage. He had purposely left the GPS beacon off because he wanted no one to be able to find him. He was not sure he wanted to go back if he was unable to locate the cottage and the girl that haunted his dreams. The skies opened up just as he was ready to give up. He was tired and wet and his heart was breaking with every wrong turn. His heavy feet sped and his chest tightened when he finally caught sight of a clearing ahead.

Not much had changed in the past 7 years. The cottage still stood, stone and wood, in the middle of the wild meadow. The bubbling of the creek mixed with the teeming rain and that sound was all he could hear. The well-tended garden was still behind the little building, but it was bigger than he remembered. He took a deep breath before heading up to the porch and knocking on the battered front door. When he did not receive an answer, he walked off the porch and ended up under the tree where he first saw the girl. He could remember her perfectly; her long brown hair, bound down her back, her wide frightened eyes the color of warm chocolate. It was not only her beauty that brought him back to her, but the lonely terror he saw reflected back at him. His desire to protect her was still just as strong now as it was then. He let his head fall back, silently begging whoever was listening to send her back to him. Just as his frustrated tears started to mix with the rain on his cheeks, he felt a soft caress on his forehead. Instinctually he reached for whatever was touching him and was startled when he felt heat spread through him as he touched her. His eyes were wide with surprise as he looked down at her.

His memory of her paled in comparison to the beauty that stood in front of him. Even in her rain-drenched state, she was breathtaking. Her hair was still dark and bound behind her as he remembered, though it reached to her hips now. Her wide eyes were still as rich and lonely as he remembered, but some of the terror had fled. His hand was wrapped around her wrist and he looked down as he felt how delicate and tiny her bones felt beneath his fingers. He could see her chest rise and fall rapidly beneath her ill-fitting dress and he wanted to see if the rest of her felt as slight as her wrists did.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he watched her blink away the raindrops that got caught on her obscenely long eyelashes.

"For what?" She answered back, surprised at the roughness of her voice.

"For taking so long to come back." He answered as he brought his free hand up to brush her hair away from her face. She startled at his touch and pulled her wrist from his grip, wrapping both her arms around her body. He raised his hands in front of him, worried he had scared her with his movements. She looked around wildly as if waiting for someone else to pop out of the woods.

"Is anyone with you?" She asked frantically, upset that she had allowed herself to forget her mother's most important request. Seeing her terror, he gently grabbed her face so she was looking at him.

"No, I'm alone." He said quietly as he stroked his thumb over the satin-smooth skin of her cheek. Growing up the way Edward had, attending fundraisers and events, he had seen his fair share of beautiful women. The problem with these women was, once you got close enough to them, you could see all of their faults. What looked like flawless skin, was actually caked on make-up. What appeared to be perfectly touchable hair were really fake extensions. Here, looking at this terrified girl, Edward could see nothing but perfection. There were a scattering of freckles across her nose and he could see bits of dirt and leaves interspersed in her hair. Yet to him, she was everything he could have ever hoped for.

Isabella could only gaze up into his overly expressive green eyes. She wondered why he was here, and wished she could say the words she needed to say, but his presence was making her dizzy. She had been alone for so long, and now the man who had infiltrated her dreams for the last 7 years was standing in front of her. What would this mean for her now?

A/N: Yes…what does this mean for her now? Will he take her back with him? Will he give up his future and civilization and stay with her? I would love to see what you think. See you Saturday if not before.

Rec:

Little Green and Easybella by BettiGefecht

Heart breaking story about an older Bella (25) and younger Edward (18) and how they deal with the reemergence of their relationship and what that means. It is SOOO good. Please let her know I sent you!