Sunrise

Chapter 4: Chasing Cars

Chasing Cars: Snow Patrol

Okay, my friend demanded that things speed up, because she REALLY wants to help write. So, keep in mind, I didn't write anything beyond kissing… if there's anything beyond kissing in here. (I'm scared of Julie, the friend.)

OOO

The next few days passed and I still hadn't seen Matt.

Well, the pond hadn't done much for me. Sure, I was free of dirt, but I wasn't clean. So, it was shower time.

What was really pissing me off was that Matthias would always disappear before I was done talking with him. I had wanted to get to know him better, but every little touchy subject reference, and he was streaking down the hallways before I could yell "Wait!"

Boys.

The same phrase popped into my mind as it had a thousand times with Matt: What a freak. I tried desperately to shove the bad image of the Gangsta Italian from my mind. What was he—the Mafia?

I laughed, considering how close to the truth that was.

I entered my room and stopped as I was taking off a jacket the maid had given me. Matt was lounging on the bed, reading a book in Latin, but his eyes had snapped up when he heard me.

"Cara?" he asked slowly at my frozen state. My body was in lockdown, and if I was human, I would be blushing.

I had been about to take a bath when Matt was in the next room, and he could hear every little splash of water. And, at the moment, I had paused in taking off my jacket, and there was just a tank top beneath.

Now, I normally didn't care about wearing tank tops, but Matt freaked when I just looked at him. How would he react when I looked like I was stripping?

He blinked furiously, and I realized I was right. His eyes had gone slightly darker, and I could see he was struggling to keep his eyes on my face. I sighed, shrugging my jacket back on.

"I'm sorry, Matt," I said. I was going to give up on not saying his name. He shook his head.

"No, no," he protested, "it's not your fault. I should be sorry."

"It's not your fault I'm so sexy," I said jokingly, but immediately regretted it as he grimaced.

"I don't know how you do it," he said finally, shaking his head in surrender. I frowned. "I mean, I think I have myself under control, and then you do one little thing that makes me…"

He trailed off, probably not wanting to upset me. I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Thing is, I'm dying to… have you, and I just can't." He was practically on the verge of telling me everything. I sat down on the bed next to him, and murmured,

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he growled, more at himself than me.

"But it is," I disagreed.

"It's not," he argued hotly, glaring at me.

"Is too," I continued, disbelief in my mind that he would argue.

"Is not!" he finished, exasperated.

"Is too," I mumbled. I could feel his glare on my back as I turned from him.

"Is not!"

I turned back to him, glaring at him full on. "Is too, and I'll prove it!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked. "And how are you going to—,"

He cut off as I walked over to him, grabbed his face in anger, and pressed my parted lips to his. He froze at first, but then he responded, hands snaking across and around my waist, crushing me to him, and I found that I did enjoy this, even if I didn't exactly love Matt.

But just as I was about to get too much temptation, he pulled away, pushing me back, and flopped against the bed. I knew he felt it too—his eyes were bright, and he was breathing deeply, raggedly, when he didn't even need to. I sat on the bed, and he locked eyes with me.

"Let's not do that in front of the others," he suggested quietly. I looked at him in confusion.

"Isn't this what they want?" I asked timidly. I wasn't sure what the Volturi wanted from me.

"Not… exactly."

I waited patiently. He sighed, realizing I was waiting.

"I guess since you kissed me I owe you an explanation, right?" he asked sarcastically. I nodded, a smirk on my face. My decision was having it's advantages. "Well, they think you'll have great power, coming from such two… for lack of a better term, accomplished vampires. Your mother—" My heart clenched. "—she was able to keep her mind private, even to you dad, who could read a mind a few miles away. Even to Aro, who could see every thought, every memory you've ever had—or will have, dammit—on contact."

I was right, I thought grimly. I'm glad I never shook his hand.

"But that's not me," I said after a while. "Edward can read my every thought. I'm not much like my mother—at least in terms of mind. Do they even realize that?"

"I think they're too stubborn too," he said softly, and I felt anguished. His tone was tinted with surrender. Did that mean he couldn't help me?

"But that's why I wanted to be your… slave," I added meekly. "So I wouldn't have to run with the Vampire Mafia!"

I could see he was trying desperately not to laugh; his lips were twitching futilely. "V-Vampire Mafia?" he asked, trying to hold in his laughter.

I glared. For once, I had not been sarcastic or joking. I had been serious, and—I would never admit this—but afraid. "It's not funny," I whispered furiously. He stopped at once.

"I'm sorry, Cara," he whispered back. I felt my dead heart warm slightly. "I didn't realize it bothered you that much."

I sighed. Cat's out of the bag. I guess I had to be honest with someone like Matthias. He was the Devil, but I was his Witch, having sold my sold to him for eternity.

"But it does," I admitted, matching his soft tone. "I only want to relax." I laughed bitterly. "Something I've never been able to do in my entire life."

"Maybe I should kiss you again?"

"Yeah, and maybe I should punch your face in like last time," I retorted, glaring back at him. His smile faltered slightly, and I instantly felt horrible. "I didn't mean it," I mumbled. "Natural reflex."

"I see," he muttered, pulling away. I grimaced.

"Please, don't," I pleaded, but he was already getting off the bed.

"No, I'm not going to push you either way." His expression had gone back to cold.

"Matt!" I called angrily. "You're being an ass!"

"Am I?"

"Damn right you are!" I hissed, surprised by my own intensity. "Maybe I should kiss you again."

"You don't want to."

He flipping thought I was bluffing. I glared at him as I grabbed his jaw again, pulling it down to mine, locking our lips together. He responded somewhat differently than I intended. He stiffened slightly, reluctantly, pulling back.

"No," he said. "Don't kiss me."

It was a command. I felt myself restricted, angrily, a growled out a, "Screw you."

"You don't want to," he explained. "You're making a mistake."

I glared at him. I hated the control he held over me. I wondered if he said, "Love me," would I loose all that I felt for him now? The hate? The annoyance? The humility at his Gangsta attempts? I wondered if he said, "Sleep with me," would I want to?

I just wanted to kiss him. Was it such a big deal? Now that I had, I wanted to kiss him, and I knew he wanted it too. Why was he holding back.

He sighed, averting his eyes. "You don't understand. Someday, you'll get the hell out of here, and when that happens, you don't want to be tied here by lust, or if you even form a sense of 'like' for me by then…"

I exhaled sharply. "Boys are complete idiots," I said at last. "If you think I will ever get myself out of here, you're full of shit." He raised an eyebrow.

"And, why exactly am I full of… shit?" He blinked a few times, shaking his head.

I threw my hands up. "Because, dear Matt, you seem to be missing the fact that I am in the midst of the Royal Vampiric family. Doy! They aren't just gonna give me a credit card, and say, 'Have fun with your life!'. Dude, I'm obviously more important to them than that, or they wouldn't want me in the first place."

He rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant." When I waited, he ended up dropping the subject.

I felt the void opening. I felt him slipping away. No, I didn't love him, but I did want to… well, I guess you could say I was "in lust" with him. I wanted to suddenly touch him, like he had a hold over my body instead of my mind.

But he had demanded I not kiss him. I wanted to punch him. I settled for a slap.

He staggered slightly, then he glared at me, eyes blood red. Angry.

"Are you still set on hitting me?" he growled. "Or are you done yet?"

"I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop preventing me from what I like to do and what I don't like to do." I flashed a blinding smile. "That would be great."

"I'm just trying to keep you from making—"

"A huge mistake?" I guessed. "I have heard that a gazillion times. I can recognize a mistake from a mile away."

He glared. "So can I."

I gave up. "Fine," I muttered. "Control my life. See if I give a damn!" I looked away, facing the wall. "Oh yeah, and don't worry, you only got what you wanted, finally. Lusting over me till I snapped. But no, that isn't enough for dear Matty. He has to take it away too!"

I heard his annoyance—an intake of breath. "I-I don't mean it like that. I'm not trying to make you feel robbed in any way. I just want…"

He trailed off, and I had a hunch about what he was going to say, but I knew he'd never say it. And he probably didn't even feel that way.

He laid a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed it and held it to my side. I wanted to throw something, watch it shatter against the wall. "I just wanted to get to know you," I whispered, and then I ran before he could command me stay.

OOO

Sorry it took so long, guys! I had three major papers I had to write!

Biology. Worst subject ever. Let me tell you.

Yeah, so they went up a step, and Cara's an emotional wreck. Well, she'll explain it soon, why she cares. She doesn't love him yet, trust me. And I don't know if she will. XD. I'll leave you to ponder.

Jamie.