Chapter Twenty-One – Phone Call

Chapter Number: Twenty-One

Chapter Name: Phone Call

Page Numbers: 423-432 (Hardcover)

Date of Chapter:  March 16, 2005

Summary:  Bella continues to stay at the airport hotel with Jasper and Alice. She sleeps for long stretches, exhausted by worry. She realizes that her inner time clock is off because she continues to find herself waking up at 2:00 in the morning.

When Bella wakes up she notices that Alice has started another sketch. Bella immediately recognizes this sketch as the living room in Renee’s house which can only mean that James knows exactly where Bella lives in Phoenix.

Bella becomes quite upset thinking that now Renee is in danger, and that James is never going to stop. She is sure he will work his way through her loved ones in order to get to her. Although Jasper tries to calm Bella down she resists and for the next three hours she mulls over this realization.

While Jasper is checking them out of the hotel, the phone rings. Alice tells Bella that the rest of the Cullens are just getting on a plane and that they’ll meet them at the airport and then relocate someplace closer to Renee’s house. Alice promises Bella that she and Jasper will make sure nothing happens to Renee.

Right after Alice hangs up the phone it rings again. Alice hands it to Bella mouthing the words, “your mother”. Bella hears Renee’s voice in a state of thinly veiled panic saying, “Bella, Bella!” The next thing she knows Renee’s voice is replaced by that of James. James makes it clear that he has Renee and that he will kill her if Bella lets on to the Cullens that this has happened. Alice doesn’t realize who is really on the phone with Bella because Bella is very cagey with her replies, and she leaves the room. There is one condition to which Bella agrees as she thinks it is the only way to save her mother’s life.  Bella must get away from the Cullens and get to her house before noon. Next to the phone in her house will be another number that she needs to call, and then James will give her further instructions on where to go.

After Bella hangs up the phone, tells Alice she is writing a letter to Renee, and asks Alice if she will deliver it to her house. In reality, she writes a goodbye note to Edward telling him how much she loves him and that she willingly went to James to save her mother’s life. She also tells him not to go after James because that is what James wants.

Characters involved: Bella Swan, Alice Cullen, Jasper Hale, Edward Cullen, James

Characters Mentioned: Charlie Swan, Rosalie Hale, Carlisle Cullen, Laurent, Emmett Cullen, Esme Cullen, Victoria, Renee Dwyer, Phil Dwyer

Places visited: A hotel near the airport in Phoenix.

Memorable quotes:
"
I can’t win, Alice. You can’t Guard everyone I know forever. Don’t you see what he’s doing? He’s not tracking me at all. He’ll find someone, he’ll hurt someone I love…” 
~ Bella to Alice concerning James’ motivations.

“Do you think you could get away if your mother’s life depended on it?” 
~ James manipulating Bella after she initially refuses to see him.

“And please don’t come after him.  That’s what he wants, I think.  I can’t bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.”
~Part of Bella’s letter to Edward.

“Then I carefully sealed away my heart.”
~Bella’s reaction to having written the letter to Edward and given it to Alice.

Important Information Learned:
Bella is willing to sacrifice herself for someone she loves.

Bella is able to break free of Jasper’s calming power is she is highly agitated and tries.

James has Renee.

Bella plans to lose the Cullens at the airport and to then meet up with James.