More Than This

It felt like my heart had dropped to my stomach and my lungs had been ripped out of my body.

“It’s okay, Rose. She couldn’t have gotten very far,” Quil says while gripping Claire’s little body closer to his own. I know he knows what I must be feeling.

“We’ll find her, Rosalie. Quil, Embry and Seth go that way. Sam, Jared and Paul go that way. Collin and Brady you can head that way. Leah, Emily and Kim you guys can stay here and call us if Giselle turns up this way. Let’s go Rose,” Jake commanded pointing out directions and then grabbing my hand. We took off down the street at a quick speed.

“Giselle!” I called out, hoping she just wandered off and nothing bad had happened. “Giselle!”

“I think we should go this way,” Jake said authoritatively. We were at a crossroads.

“No, we should go this way,” I said feeling like this was the way I needed to go to find Giselle.

“Rosalie, her scent is stronger this way, come on,” he argued while pulling on my arm.

“Jacob, let go,” I shouted and took off in the direction I wanted to go. “Just go the other way and we’ll meet up!”

“Rose!” he shouted causing me to turn to see him walking toward the direction he wanted to go. “Be careful!”

“I will!” I shouted back and picked up the speed with my short legs. The adrenalin was pumping through my veins at such an extreme level it felt like I might combust at any moment. “Giselle!”

…“Mommy!” I heard her cry and my legs almost came out from under me. The cry was slightly muffled, but I knew it was close. I rounded the last corner on the street and saw an alley way. I pushed myself farther and saw her tiny frame.

“Giselle!” I cried out with the tears blurring my vision. I finally reached her and scoped her body up, pulling it as close to mine as possible. “Oh, my baby. I was so worried. Oh, Giselle.”

“It’s okay Mommy,” Giselle consoled hugging me closely. “This man said he had a dolly for me.”

“What?” I questioned pulling back to see a hulking figure come out of the shadows.

“It’s nice to see you again, hot stuff,” he said coming out so I could see him. He looked exactly the same as when I saw him last.

“Bray-Brayden,” I choked out, clutching Giselle for dear life.

“In the flesh,” he smirked sauntering closer. “I missed you a lot Rosalie and I still dream of that night we had together over and over again.”

“I have a lot of friends close by that would be here in a second flat, if I screamed,” I spoke trying to sound confident, but it came back meek as all my horrible memories came flooding back.

“Ah, now why would you want to do that?” he questioned with a fake baby voice. “Giselle can I tell you something?”

Giselle nodded happily, too naïve to understand this situation. “Don’t talk to her, you’re scum,” I spat which earned a dark look in Brayden’s eyes. The flash of anger quickly dissipated though, and was replaced with a conniving gleam.

“Giselle, I’m your Daddy,” he said happily. Giselle’s face looked confused.

“Really?” she asked innocently while looking at me. She looked so hopeful when she asked, “Is he really my Daddy, Mommy?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Now come on you two, let’s go home,” Brayden said while trying to pull Giselle out of my arms.

“Stop it. You’re nothing to her or me. Let go of her,” I seethed as he pulled harder. I was no match for his strength and Giselle was dragged from my arms.

“No, I’m her father,” he said and walked over to a truck, I just noticed parked on the other side of the alley way. He buckled her in and then turned back to me. “Either you get in with her or I leave with her.”

“Jake…” it came out as only a whisper. I had intended for it to be a scream. I was going to try for it. “Jake!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, while lunging toward the car. I ran past Brayden, having speed on my side and ripped at Giselle’s seat belt.

“Not so fast,” Brayden grunted pulling me back from the seat and then throwing my body up in the truck. He locked the doors and then ran around to the driver’s side. He unlocked it and then got in, shoving the keys in the ignition. I was yanking on the door handle the whole time, trying anything to get us out.

“Jake,” I cried softly as we pulled away.

“We’re gonna be such a happy family. Mommy, Daddy and Giselle,” Brayden vowed, happily placing his right hand on Giselle’s small head.

“Why?” I questioned. “Haven’t you done enough to me?”

“I always had big plans for us, Rose,” he explained. “From the moment I saw you at that party, I knew you had to be mine.”

“You’re sick,” I sputtered.

“No, I’d like to say I’m determined,” he smiled happily and flipped on the radio to a station playing kid’s music. Giselle was ignorantly content and Brayden was beyond the point to being just ecstatic.

I turned to look out the back window of the pick up truck to see Jake just reaching the street as we turned the corner. His face looked almost red and he let out a roar that could be heard even from inside the truck.

“Jake,” I whispered one last time as Brayden picked up speed and entered the highway.