AN: Hi everyone! This is my very first fanfic, and I'm so excited to be sharing it with you all. Reviews would be so great - let me know how I'm doing!

Disclaimer: All characters (Apart from Aoife and Aoibheann, who are entirely fictional) are not mine. Property of Stephenie Meyer etc.

Chapter One - Seth

So that was it, and everyone got their happy ending. Bella was now a vampire, young and beautiful for all eternity, Jacob had Renesmee now, and was no longer pining for the girl he knew he could not have. Sam had Emily, Jared had Kim, Paul had Rachel, and Quil had Claire, even if she was only three. Collin and Brady and the other, younger kid wolves - Noah, Kevin, Taylor, Rob, Alyx, Gabe and Brian - were happy enough to spend their time romping in the forest, either human or wolf, and Leah had gone away to college, doing her best attempt to live a regular human life. All that was really left was me. And I was bored.

Now that the dramatics were over - the whole oh-no-we-have-to-save-the-Cullens-from-the-evil-vampires thing - life in La Push had become dull. Don't get me wrong - I was really happy that everyone else was happy and safe, but I was still pent up, disgruntled by the lack of pack-activity, and even missing the distraction that school usually provided. And I guess I was pretty lonely, too. Me and Embry started hanging out a lot. He was the only one, apart from the newer wolves, and me, of course, who hadn't imprinted. Still though, t didn't seem to bother him so much - he knew it would happen for him when the time was right. Me, I wasn't so sure.

It was summer now.

The long days usually consisted of me staying in bed till about ten-thirty, then getting up and helping my mom around the house. After that, I'd maybe head down to the Cullen's for a while - they felt like family to me now. Not that I had ever felt that anger and resentment towards them that Jake once had. To me, they had always just been people. Exceptionally beautiful people, but people nonetheless. Even the sharp, sickly scent that emanated from their marble skin had never really disturbed me in the way in bothered the others. The way it still bothered some of them. Anyway. Usually, I just hung with Jacob, Renesmee and Emmett, watching TV or playing against each other on whatever up-to-date games console Emmett had managed to get his hands on next.

If Bella and Edward weren't doing something else – they still seemed content to spend most of their time with only each other – I'd hang out with them. Sometimes Jake managed to drag himself away from Nessie and back to his garage, and these were the best days. Like I said, I also spent a lot of time with Embry. But if Embry wasn't around, then I usually just spent the time wandering on the beach or in the forest. I hung out with Collin and Brady sometimes, but the saying 'three's a crowd' tended to apply after a while. I knew that being a part of the wolf pack meant that I had an emotional connection to other people that some others would kill for, but it didn't save me from feeling isolated at times. I sometimes wished for a little action - though I knew it wasn't fair to wish that amount of worry onto the tribe.

At night, the pack always met up, and I lived for these brief meetings, always hoping that something would change, that some aspect of adventure would finally be introduced to our safe, happy, peaceful, mundane lives. Jake was the Alpha now, ever since he had "embraced his birthright" during the time of the Cullen crisis. To tell the truth, I preferred him to Sam. Sam sometimes tended to be a bit… pushy when it came to obeying the rules. Jacob was more relaxed.

It was okay, but it was boring.

"Seth!" Mom was shouting, opening the curtains and then flinging open the bedroom window. "Come on, get up."

I groaned and rolled over as dull light and damp air filled my bedroom. "Don't feel like it, Mom."

I squinted at her through sleep-filled eyes. She was standing hands-on-hips and was grinning slightly at me. "Then I guess you don't feel like the eggs and bacon I just cooked up, right?"

That stirred me. I rolled out of the bed, yawning and stretching as my mother laughed and left the room, shaking her head. I stood in front of the full length mirror that hung next to my bookshelf, inspecting my reflection. I was so tall that I couldn't see my full profile. Instead, the mirror cut me off just above my mouth, which was pulled into a grimace as I contemplated the day ahead of me. I rolled my eyes and ducked my head after a moment, resenting my own thoughts. I had never been a glass-half-empty kind of guy, but the pace of life lately seemed to be changing that. I ran my hands through my untidily long hair, and turned away from the mirror, looking for clothes. Charlie was here - I could hear him in the kitchen - so it probably wouldn't be so smart to wander out in just my boxers. I pulled on yesterday's shorts and a clean t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and went downstairs.

"Hey, Charlie." I said, wandering into the kitchen. Bella Swan's dad was sitting at the table, his head bowed over the morning paper so that I could see the slight balding spot at the crown of his head.

"Hey, kiddo. How's pack life?" He looked up and winked cheerfully.

I laughed lightly at his joke. "Pretty boring, to tell ya the truth, Charlie. Nothing much happening at all."

There was that word again. Boring. I was even getting bored of the word.

"No?" He took a mouthful of coffee. "Guess that's a good thing, huh?" His attitude was nonchalant but I could still see a glint of the old amazement in his eyes as he contemplated the secretly not-so normal nature of the town he had lived in all his life.

"Yeah." I agreed half-heartedly, taking a slug of orange juice from the carton that rested on the counter.

"Seth Clearwater, I saw that," Mom scolded as she bustled into our kitchen, arms laden with laundry. I rolled my eyes and drained the carton, grinning at Charlie over the top of it as I did so.

I devoured the breakfast that my Mom served up, declined Charlie's invitation to join him and Billy at the fishing hole, and headed down for a wander on the beach. I always took the same route – into the forest that hemmed the back of my house, ignoring the trails and following the scent of brine until I hit the stony shore. Today, for reasons unknown, I felt the urge to go a different, more public route. I decided to go down past the tribe-owned convenience store where Embry sometimes worked – his mom Della ran the store - and go to the private beach that only La Push residents knew about. I walked slowly along the road, kicking stones out of my way and watching with half-interest as they flung themselves across inhuman distances. It wasn't raining, and the weak, late May sunshine was trying to break through the dull clouds, with limited success.

The village was packed - mostly with tourists, though I recognized some faces from Forks and the Makah reservation. People spilled out from the small arcade of stores, they wandered up and down the street, on and off the beaches, and in and out of the forest, dressed in shorts and t-shirts and skimpy summer dresses, lapping up the little sunshine that there was.

I walked straight through the tiny village and headed past First Beach, aiming for Fifth. I had no idea why this tiny undiscovered section of the strand was known as Fifth Beach, and not Second, or Third, or Fourth, and I idly thought about this as I approached it. I randomly heard, throughout all the noise of the tourists and beachgoers, a dull thud as somebody kicked something metal. I rolled my eyes as my sense picked that one up.

As I approached the hidden entrance to Fifth Beach - the one that no one knew about - I noticed a person in the distance, silhouetted darkly in the weak sunshine.

A girl.

She had her back to me, leaning against an old bicycle that was propped up on a stand. There was something slung across her back – a case for a musical instrument of some description, it looked like. I could hear the steady beat of her heart, her even breathing, and her foot tapping impatiently against the earthen floor. I hesitated, frowning at the back of her head. I couldn't go to the beach now, she would see me. I felt the urge to walk forward again, but I stopped myself. I couldn't let her see me go onto the beach - it was one of those unspoken rules, all tying back to protecting the tribe. Though I couldn't see why a few yards of stony strand had anything to do with tribe safety. I heard the girl sigh and it suddenly wrenched me from my little reverie. I panicked as I heard the sound of her sigh echoing in my ears. Was she okay? I wanted to go and ask her what the matter was, why she was sighing, what was worrying her.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew in off the sea, rustling the edge of the forest and whistling through the trees. It swirled around the girl, catching her in its cold embrace. It tangled around her, catching her braid and loosening strands of hair. As the sea air came towards me, I inhaled, and then I choked in surprise.

The scent that emanated from the girl was absolutely incredible. I gasped for air, trying to inhale her smell as though it was oxygen to me. I felt like I was breathing for the first time. My mind raced as I tried to identify it. What was it? It reminded me of peaches and cream, and something soft and light and fresh, like lilies. But that wasn't accurate either. I couldn't place it. I exhaled quickly and inhaled again, but the breeze was gone, and the scent was fading. I glanced ahead, looking at the dark haired figure in the not-too-far distance. The girl shook her head lightly as I watched her, and the smell became stronger. I took a step forward. It was like she was calling me.

"Stop it, Seth. You don't know her." My brain warned me.

"But I want to," I argued back. I took another step, and then broke into a firm stride, my long legs covering the distance between the girl and me in a short time.

She heard me coming, and she turned.

The earth seemed to move, and I quite literally thought that the surface was trembling. It felt as if it was vibrating, the movement coming right from the very centre of the core. I stopped walking. I didn't think I was capable any more. My knees shook and I was tempted to fall to them, to kneel on the ground and perhaps never get up. As the girl watched me, a huge smile spread across her face, reaching her big eyes, and at the same time, a strange feeling began in the base of my spine. It slowly tingled up, further and further until it reached the top of my neck. I shuddered, and the warm feeling shot back down, and up again, before settling somewhere in my middle. She was incredible. I walked towards her again until I was less than a foot away.

She was tall, perhaps only a few inches short of six foot, with pale, creamy skin. Her cheeks were rosy, two spots of soft, delicate pink. Her arms were folded loosely over her body, which was full and naturally curvy. Her hair, in the untidy braid that had caught my attention even from a distance, was a dark chestnut colour, red and gold in the dim sunlight. Her eyes were big, and framed by thick dark lashes. They were the most incredible shade of blue – the first description that jumped to mind was sky but the colour of the sky wasn't clear enough, wasn't blue enough. They were more like the colour of a freshwater stream on a hot summer's day, but yet with the depth and mystery of the ocean. As that particular thought entered my mind I couldn't help but grin – who knew I was so goddamn poetic? Her nose was small and dashed with freckles, and her smile, playing around a full rosy mouth and emphasized by a dimple in her left cheek, was the sweetest I have ever seen.

At that moment, nothing in the world mattered, except for her. And that was all that remained of the world. Me and her. I forgot my friends, my family, my purpose in life, my name.

"Hi," She said quietly, her eyes never leaving my face as I approached. She lifted a hand and gave a little wave. Her wrist jangled loudly - she was wearing piles and piles of multi-coloured bracelets. And there were rings, too, on her right ring finger, and another on her thumb. I noticed her ears too, each one decorated with three piercings.

"Hi," I said back, and I moved closer to her. I was barely inches away now. "I'm Seth," I offered her my hand. She took it with no hesitation, her long fingers gripping mine gently. I looked down at the contrast between her creamy skin and my own, which was a reddish brown. My skin tingled as though I'd been electrocuted.

"Aoife." She said, still shaking. I didn't take my hand away, and neither did she. Her fingers were still wrapped around mine in a manner that should have been awkward but somehow wasn't.

"Eva?" I questioned, trying it out. She laughed. It was a clear, melodic sound.

"No, ee-fah. It's Irish." Her nose wrinkled slightly, an indication of dislike.

I repeated her name again, liking how it felt on my tongue. "Irish, huh? Is that what you are?"

She nodded and smiled; her hair caught the sunlight, and some strands sparkled brightly.

"Are you from around here?" She asked, looking up at me. Of course, despite her height I was still taller than her, towering at six foot five. Her accent was cool - sharper than American, and clearer and easier to understand than British.

I nodded, feeling struck dumb, and I tightened my grip on her fingers. She did the same. It was no longer a handshake. We were holding hands. The tingling started again.

I cleared my throat. She was gazing at me with growing interest and I was trying very hard not to gaze back.

"Problem with your bike?" I asked suddenly, trying to control myself so I didn't freak her out. I stared down at the Chopper with feigned interest.

She sighed and looked down too. "Puncture."

"Don't you have a repair kit?" I nodded at the backpack on the ground beside her and the rucksack that was strapped to the back of her bike.

"It's all used up." She bit her lip and grinned bashfully, shifting so that the large instrument case moved from one shoulder to the other. She still didn't let my hand go. Another tremor ran down my spine. I felt sort of like I was going to explode. Not to phase, but literally to explode into millions of tiny pieces.

"Oh. I could go get you one if you want." I said, reluctant to leave, but still very, very willing to help her.

"That's okay. My friend's cycled down to the store. She should be back in a minute, and then we'll be on our way."

"Oh, no!" The words slipped out of my mouth involuntarily.

"What's the matter?" Her stunning eyes watched me with confusion. There was no hint of wariness or fear though, and for that I was grateful. I coughed a little, embarrassed. My heart ached as I looked into her eyes. Just as I opened my mouth to give her some bullshit reply in an attempt to cover my slip, I heard a loud whoop.

"Aoife! I got the kit! And there was this guy working in the shop, and he was soooo cute, and -" The girl's bike skidded to a halt. Aoife's fingers slid away from mine, and I immediately wanted to snatch them back. I clenched my fist tightly, feeling as though a part of me had been taken away.

"Who's this?" The girl hopped off her bike, and came to stand next to Aoife. She was small. She reminded me of Alice Cullen where size was related, but that was all. She was really short and skinny too, but not in a weedy way . She was lean and slightly muscular, with tanned skin and hazel eyes. Her light brown hair was in a tight ponytail, pulled off her face.

"This is Seth," Aoife muttered, not looking at her friend.

"Hey, Seth." The girl stuck out her hand. I shook it briefly. I wondered if they were sisters. "I'm Aoibheann."

I frowned slightly again, the unfamiliar word sticking in my already-muddled brain.

Aoife laughed. "Ay-veen."

"Oh, okay. Funny names, huh?"

"Hey!" She laughed again. The sound made me laugh too and I gazed at her again, suddenly forgetting about the other girl. There was a moment of silence as she gazed back at me, and then suddenly Aoibheann cleared her throat. The spell was broken, and I reluctantly looked away.

"Um, so, what are you two doing in La Push?" I asked as Aoife dumped the instrument case on the ground and got down on her knees to inspect the damage on her front tyre. I noticed the two girls exchange guilty glances.

I laughed. "Runaways?"

"Not exactly." Aoife grinned sheepishly. "Our parents know we're here, they just don't know what we're doing."

I was confused and my expression showed that. Aoibheann laughed at me.

Aoife smiled up at me from the ground and my heart smashed again. "Our parents think that we're staying with my cousin and her husband for the summer."

"How did you work that one out?"

"Well, we came here about four weeks ago. Four weeks, right, Aoibheann? We went to a garage sale, bought a couple of bikes and a tent, and we've been moving around sicne. We started in L.A., then we went to this amazing place in California called Big Sur, and then San Francisco. We passed through Las Vegas, too, on the way to the Grand Canyon."

My jaw dropped. "You cycled here from Los Angeles?"

Both of them laughed. Aoife spoke again. "We cycled part of the way. We got trains when the distances were over two hundred miles. I do have to admit, we caught a train across almost all of Oregon. We're not that tough!"

"Still, that's pretty hardcore." I was unable to keep the awe out of my voice. "Where the heck do your 'rents think you are? And do they not ask to speak to your cousin?"

Aoibheann snorted. "Aoife is very good at accents."

I grinned down at Aoife. She grinned back. It was heart breaking. Or heart smashing, was probably more appropriate.

I noticed Aoibheann frowning at Aoife and was suddenly aware of the fact that I was a stranger to these two girls, and that my hanging around them was probably weirding them out. "I better go," I said, very, very reluctantly. "Um, how long are you guys going to be in Forks?"

Aoife face fell slightly at my words and her disappointment at my impending departure made my heart soar. "I don't know how long…" She trailed off, looking away from me, her eyes on the tyre of her bicycle though there was no real focus in them. There was a brief silence. Aoife cleared her throat. "Hey, um, before you go, could you tell us where we could find the Cullen's house? Do you know them by any chance?"

"The Cullen's place?" I stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, you two are Bella's cousins?"

"Just me," Aoife smiled up from the ground as she began to press the tire gingerly, searching for the puncture. "Yeah, do you know her?"

"Hell yeah, I know her! The Cullens are good friends of mine!" I hastened my enthusiasm suddenly, wondering if this beautiful, interesting, different girl knew about Bella's… situation.

"Are you serious?" Her blue eyes widened as she grinned up at me. She looked delighted. "D'you think you could tell us how to get there?"

I bit my lip. "It's pretty far away…"

Aoibheann scoffed loudly while Aoife snorted from where she was kneeling, her hands expertly repairing the wheel. "Seth, we just cycled across California, part of Oregon, and Washington too. A few miles more probably isn't going to kill us."

The minute she uttered the word kill, my heart contracted in my chest. I couldn't let anything kill her. I'd rather anyone else died, anyone else in the world, rather than her. I would die for her.

I felt slightly shocked after that thought ran through my mind. I shook my head, trying to clear it. And yet, in a way, it felt clearer than it ever had before.

"Um… well, if you say so. But hey, let me show you guys the way, at least."

Aoife stood up. "Done," She said to Aoibheann as she dusted off her knees. "It was just a tiny puncture. And it's ok, you don't have to show us the way. We're big girls, we can probably find it. Besides, aren't we keeping you?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Naw. I don't have anything to do."

Aoibheann frowned at me. "How are you going to keep up?"

"Er…" I hadn't thought about that part. "I've got a bike."

"You do?" Aoife's eyes lit up as my gaze shifted back to her face, and I felt enthusiasm radiating from her. It encouraged me.

"Yeah! I'll go get it. You guys wait here." I didn't exactly want to leave her, and it took all I had to turn on my heel and walk away from her. As soon as both girls were out of my sight, I ran as fast as I could, taking my regular shortcut through the woods. When I reached my house, I grabbed my old bike from the shed out back. It looked like I might be too big for it - I was still human last time I used it - but I managed. Great. The goddamn front wheel was flat. I pumped it up quickly, my breath leaving me in short puffs as I anxiously anticipated my return to the girls. Finally I was set, and as quickly as I could, I cycled towards the spot where I'd left the two girls. I picked up their conversation about a half a mile from them.

"Aoife, what is wrong with you?" Aoibheann's tone of voice was disgruntled.

"I don't know…" Aoife's voice was quieter, more thoughtful. "It's that guy, I think. The second I saw him, I just got this weird feeling… I don't know, Aoibheann. It was like he shocked me or something."

Aoibheann laughed. "He likes you, too."

I scoffed to myself. "Like" was not the word to use here. I felt bad eavesdropping, so I tried to blur out their conversation as I approached. Her delicious smell almost bowled me over again.

"You ready?" I grinned at them. They both got on their bikes. I noticed how little stuff they had with them, despite the fact they had travelled across three states. They both had large backpacks on their backs. Aoife had a rucksack strapped onto the back of her old bike, while Aoibheann had the tent and two spare pairs of hiking boots on her newer model. Aoibheann, like Aoife, was also lugging around a heavy-looking instrument case. I was pretty sure Aoife's contained a guitar.

I took in what they were wearing. Aoife was dressed in a loosely fitted black t-shirt, knee-length canvas shorts, and a pair of brown, well lived in hiking boots. Aoibheann was wearing cut-off denims, a shirt that might have once been blue, and trainers.

It amazed me how different they were to most of the other girls I knew. The girls I knew worried about how they dressed, and what their hair looked like, and wore make-up. They would never wear hiking boots, or have messy hair, and they would never, ever cycle halfway across America. Aoife and Aoibheann were like a breath of fresh air.

The fourteen mile cycle to the Cullen's was enjoyable. I bantered easily with the girls as though I'd known them for years, unable to resist paying close attention to Aoife as we cycled. I had just met her, yet I loved everything about her. I loved the way she laughed, the way her beautiful eyes observed everything carefully and yet somehow easily, the way her small nose crinkled slightly when she didn't fully understand something.

They were amazed by the long and winding driveway up to the Cullen mansion. "Is Bella's husband rich then?" Aoife asked, not in a nosy way - more curious than anything.

I laughed, peddling a little more furiously as the lane rose before us. "Very rich."

"Edward is his name, right?"

"Yeah, Edward."

"This is gonna be weird. I haven't seen Bella since her Mom and Phil got married."

"Really? Wasn't that, like, years ago? How old are you?" I turned my head to look at her, and my bike swerved as a result of my distraction.

"Careful! Sixteen. Well, I'll be seventeen in July."

"I'll be eighteen in August. You close to Bella?"

"Yup. Well, kinda. We were when we were kids, I guess. We both liked reading a lot. But it's hard to stay close when you live on different continents…" She trailed off as we pulled up outside the mansion.

"Nice, huh?" I grinned, looking at their faces. The two of them were speechless. We left our bikes leaning against the porch steps. As we reached the top step, the door opened, and Edward Cullen was suddenly leaning against the doorjamb.

"Seth," He said to me, smiling.

"Hey, Edward." I said back. "This is Aoife and Aoibheann. Turns out Aoife is Bella's rebellious cousin. I found her wandering around La Push."

Edward raised an eyebrow at the two disheveled girls in front of him and let out a friendly laugh.

"Hey, Edward." Aoife stepped forward, grinning, and offered Edward her hand. He took it. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Edward nodded, still smiling pleasantly. "It's funny. You remind me of Bella."

Aoife scrunched up her face at him in surprise. "Really? I don't think we're anything alike."

I suddenly remembered Aoibheann and turned to look at her. She was standing next to Aoife, her mouth slightly open. It seemed that she was not impervious to the Edward's physical beauty. I was pleased to see that Aoife didn't seem to notice the way that Aoibheann certainly did. She introduced herself and shook his hand, still looking a little dazed.

"Come in!" Edward said, throwing open the door wide and walking inside. "Aoife, Bella will be so happy to see you. She's told me a lot about you."

Aoife grinned cheerfully. She kicked off her hiking boots before stepping inside. "My shoes are mucky, sorry."

Aoibheann did the same, while Edward laughed at them. It was a good call – the pristine white floor inside the mansion mightn't have reacted so well to three states worth of mud and debris. A moment later, as I followed the girls inside, my sensitive ears picked something out - footsteps, lightly coming down the stairs.

"Edward?" Bella's melodic voice, still relatively new to those of us who remembered her human one, rang clear.

Aoife looked up at the staircase. Now shock appeared in her face. She brushed it away after a moment, composing herself and smiling hugely at her cousin. Her dimple popped out, making me shiver again.

"Aoife?" Bella said loudly, a smile appearing on her beautiful, marble face. She glided down the stairs and towards Aoife. The second she started moving, my whole body tensed and an automatic growl hummed in my throat. The soft, warm, fragile girl I would die for was standing next to me, and a vampire was charging towards her. What should I do?! What could I -

A second later, Aoife was in Bella's marble arms, being cradled and hugged fervently. I automatically took a step forward, closer to Aoife. I was terrified for her life, though I knew Bella would not hurt her. And yet I was afraid for the girl I had just met, the girl I … the girl that I wanted to take and hold and love forever. I recoiled slightly when those thoughts ran through my head. I hadn't expected them, but I realized they were true.

Aoife was laughing in surprise, her face burrowed in Bella's stone shoulder. I could see Edward frowning slightly at her, and I knew he was deciphering her thoughts. His eyes shifted to me, and then back to Aoife, who was now gently pulling away from Bella.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, sounding almost delirious.

"Well…" Aoife shot a look towards Aoibheann, who was gaping at Edward still. Between the two of them, they explained. Bella's beautiful face displayed a wide range of emotions as the girls recounted their tale, covering shock, horror, terror, and then, undeniably, awe settled onto her face.

"You could have been killed!" She gasped disapprovingly, leading the two girls over to the enormous white sofa.

"Nah, we were ok." Aoife laughed. "The only thing we were worried about was getting caught!"

Bella bit her lip, her stunning features creased with worry. I came and sat next to Aoife just as Bella opened her mouth to speak. She hesitated briefly before she said the words. "We should ring your parents."

"No!" Aoife cried, her voice suddenly full of emotion. "Bella, please, you can't do that! They think Aoibheann and I have been here the whole time… they'll never let us go anywhere again!" Her big blue eyes were huge in her pretty face, and she had widened them in fear - whether the fear was real or not, I could not tell. Maybe she was just a good actress. A very good actress.

I could see Bella wavering. Her lips were mashed together in a hard line but her eyes were amused. "Well… okay. But you have to promise to stay here for the rest of the summer." Aoife opened her mouth to protest, but Bella held up a snow white hand to silence her. "For a while, at least. Please, Aoife." Bella, too, widened her eyes. They were now a golden colour, the red of new-born vampires long since faded. Aoife looked thoughtful for a moment. She looked at Aoibheann, who shrugged, and then her gaze met mine. I shrugged too, a faint smile on my face. She smiled back, and then turned to Bella and agreed.

"Okay," She said. "We'll stay." Her leg was inches from mine. She twitched, and was suddenly a fraction closer to me. A suddenly realisation hit me and not for the first time today, I felt choked up. I loved her. I loved Aoife. This girl I did not know, and I loved her more than the world. I inhaled her delicious scent again, and automatically, I reached out for her hand. I heard Bella gasp, and Aoibheann's eyes flickered to Aoife's wrist, where my fingers were. I lifted Aoife's arm gently, pretending to look at the jewellery that crowded her arm.

"I like this one," I said, pointing at the silver heart link one I had noticed before.

"Thanks," She said with a laugh. "My grandmother gave it to me."

I gently ran my fingers over the silver links in the bracelet, and reluctantly dropped her hand. As I did, her fingers traced across my palm, making me shiver. Bella was staring at me intently, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. I looked around, trying to change the subject.

"Where's Jacob?" I asked, noting his absence.

"He took Renesmee… for a walk." Edward replied cryptically, which translated as "hunting". Only Bella and I had ears sensitive enough to pick up the slight pause. I liked Edward. He had become a good friend of mine. I had always liked him - the pack had previously been disgusted with my easy alliance with the vampires, but I couldn't help it. I liked them. Edward smiled at me when that thought ran through my head. I was used to people intruding on my thoughts by now, what with Edward, and the rest of the pack.

Bella had taken Aoife and Aoibheann away from the sofa and was chattering happily to them, leading them upstairs. My heart seemed to break away from the rest of me as Aoife walked up the marble staircase, but somehow it kept beating, anxiously pounding against my ribs in a way that hurt. Aoife turned and looked at me, her eyes wide, a slightly sad smile playing around her mouth, as though she too was reluctant to go. I felt the urge to follow her, and took a step forward.

"Seth." Edward said quietly, calmly. "She'll be back in a few minutes."

And yet somehow, they were the longest few minutes of my life.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

Lily-Beth x