A/N: I'm still working on the next chapter, but I thought I would leave this little bit in the meantime. My thanks to bbblez, Arewithlock,writersblock335, Anonymous(LOL), Ant1gon3, EdwardsMate4ever, and iLoveless4ev, and all the others for your encouragement.
All mistakes are creatively mine. I miss Snarky, but I don't want to burden her. (Besides, it's the holiday. She's probably still eating barbecue.
Big OOPS! Thanks to feckle who did beta most of this. Any mistakes are my re-writes.
Disclaimer: All Stephanie Meyer's. I own nothing.
He had done the right thing.
Goodbye, my friend.
He stood staring at the door still picturing his friend's face as he looked at the love of his life, his mate. Homosexuality was not something he was familiar with before Jasper and Edward exploded into his life, but he knew just seeing the way Edward looked at "his Carlisle" that he had witnessed a love just as pure as any heterosexual one he had ever known or read about before. His fiancé had never looked at him the way Carlisle had looked at Edward. He laughed at the absurdity of it; a male homosexual vampire couple had a better relationship that he himself had ever dreamed.
His short years on earth as an adult had been for shit. The only bright light had been his childhood. He still missed his family. He had first lost his siblings as a child to the Spanish Influenza, and then his parents died soon after his fiancé left him for better prospects. It wasn't until Edward that he had felt like he belonged again. Jasper had taken his freedom and blood but had unknowingly given him so much more. He could sacrifice for the young vampire. Hell, Edward had always done the same for him. The young vampire had saved his life initially, then saved his dignity, never letting Jasper lay a finger on him. Edward could see how frightened he was of Jasper's threats. He also knew Jasper used this to bend Edward to his will. Riley's fear had cowered him, never allowing him to speak up to prevent what Edward endured for him. Assurances in the morning could do nothing to ally his guilt. Edward begged him not to interfere, sending him out of the room whenever Jasper had a certain look in his eyes. He retreated to his room feeling useless, as Edward, who he considered as a younger brother, suffered. Knowing Edward was a vampire and much stronger than he, did not stop Riley from feeling remorse.
He did, however, gladly do whatever he could to make the young vampire happy and to make up to him all the times he felt he let him down, whether it was listening to the radio, going to the movies, or simply discussing the latest events, or a shoulder to cry on.
It was obvious Edward missed his soulmate, Carlisle - the love of his life. The whole tale of their affair was told to him one night as they sat looking at a starry sky. The tale of how the two of them had fallen in love with each other on first site when Edward was still human; how he loved Carlisle even when he found out the handsome blond doctor was a vampire. They had planned to spend an eternity together.
He said he had once wanted to be a concert pianist and once heard him play a piano in a music store once. He was so amazed and proud of Edward. Riley had no musical talent, whatsoever. He begged Edward to play again for him one day, perhaps even teach him how to play. He loved watching Edward's long, graceful fingers caress the keys, drawing elegant sounds out of them like a siren. Edward was attractive, but when you added his intelligence, generosity, and his innate talent, he could see why two vampires wanted to possess him.
In the end, Riley was adamant about not going with them. He feared slowing them down. He truly thought of Edward as his younger brother and wanted what was best for him. He was tied to his master - Jasper. He could not leave him if he wanted to. And unlike Edward, he did not have a soulmate to help counteract the pull he had to Jasper. Besides, there were places vampires could go that a human could not. He unnecessarily begged Carlisle to protect Edward at all cost. He had a chance. Jasper would need him with Edward gone. Perhaps he could offer himself as a replacement.
Carlisle finally agreed because he was marked, other vampires would be attracted to him – another danger for all of them. The only other solution would be to change him, but there was no time. They had no choice.
He hugged Edward one last time, a few tears escaping before giving him his mother's crucifix. It was all he had of his life before. The gold necklace was passed down through generations. His family did not have much money but held on to it no matter how badly thing had gotten. Edward placed it around his neck, vowing never to take it off.
It was only a matter of time.
Trying to stop the tremors that suddenly developed, he looked around the hotel room and reminisced about the times he and Edward had shared there as well as all the other luxurious places. Jasper cared for Edward in his own sick perverted way.
Only the best for his "Little vampire".
How Edward hated that endearment, which only encouraged Jasper to use it more. But he saw what Edward could not – that Jasper didn't truly mean it as an insult. Just as he had witness the happy reunion, he would be there to see the fallout once Jasper returned and realized his "Little Vampire" was no longer there.
And he would pay the price.
Run, Little Vampire, run.
Taking one last look around, he returned to his room, a glass of wine in his hand. He pictured his parents and his siblings as he preferred to remember them - happy and healthy. Proud of himself for finally doing what he should have done all along, Riley stood tall, without quivering, as he heard the hotel door opening.