Chapter 148

• My feet feel heavy as though I've stepped into two buckets full of cement and I have to force myself to move my body forward. Billy greets me with a sad smile, welcoming me home, but then quickly turns to lead the way through the front door. I feel numb and an icy fear begins to expand within me, slowly but surely spreading throughout my entire body from my heart. I exhale shakily as I step through the door frame. Edward's warm and steady hand on my lower back is the only source of heat on my body right now, the rest of me is freezing. I can feel Leah, my father and Jake follow us inside. Billy leads us into the living room, where Quil, Embry and Seth are seated on the couches, blindly gazing at different spots in the room. It's clear that their minds are somewhere else. Everything in the house looks the same, but at the same time there is a strange emptiness and deep sorrow permeating the walls.
• Billy releases a deep breath and motions for us all to find a seat. I can feel my stomach roll with nerves and suddenly realize that I'm squeezing Edward's hand so hard that my knuckles have turned white. I loosen my grip, but Edward simply tightens his hold as if to say that he doesn't mind. I'm walking towards one of the couches, but Edward surprises me by suddenly sitting down in one of the large chairs, pulling me to sit on his lap. I don't argue, because this way we're able to have much more physical contact than we ever would on a couch, which is exactly what I desperately need right now. I can feel the heat of his body seep into mine as he wraps his arms tightly around me, holding me close. Everyone else finds a seat and I can feel the tension rise in the room.
• "What happened?" Edward asks, his voice low but full of authority.