See, I'm being good! This chapter didn't take as long as last one… And I know I said it would be up that weekend but…. Well, my chapters never turn out the way I think they're going to so I had to pretty much retype the whole first half of this baby…. Don't be angry, let's hope it was worth it.
But you may still hate me at the end of this one…. We'll see… enjoy the chapter- though my awesome Beta (Nicarla) would have you believe they're now called 'shapters'… Oh the wonder of typos….
Review?
-Chapter 10-
"Please Nessie!" Sasha begged, adopting a desperate pout as I backed away from her slowly. I inwardly sighed with weariness but kept the smile on my face as I replied. She had been pretty good to me all afternoon after the 'Kyle incident', as we were calling it, at lunch.
"Sasha… I don't even really want to go to this party. Why should I have to get dressed up?" I returned, glancing around me, looking for Cameron to come and save me from her.
"But you are going! So… don't you want to look as nice as you can?" she said, smirking as she realised she'd caught me.
"Can't I just get dressed at home?" I mumbled to no one in particular, knowing when to admit defeat but clinging desperately to the hope that I could somehow get out of going to Sasha's house to get ready for Gary's party in a few days.
"Do you have a hair straightener and someone capable of operating it at your house?" she demanded, apparently losing patience with my evasiveness. She reminded me of Alice in that way.
"Well… no," I sighed and she smiled widely, knowing she'd won.
"I'll drive you to my place after school on Friday," she gushed, walking away to her car with a spring in her step. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me as I walked to my own car. Some people were so easily pleased.
"What was that all about?" Cameron asked me a few minutes later as we were driving home.
"I just agreed to be subjected to hours of torture to get ready for the party on Friday," I admitted, shaking my head at myself. Sometimes I was such a push-over.
"Ouch. My sympathies," he chuckled from the passenger seat.
"Thanks," I said dryly.
"And… how are you doing? You know, after what happened at lunch?" he spoke hesitantly, as if worried I would have a break down if he were too crass about it.
My hands reflexively tightened on the wheel and I let out of a sigh as I recalled how embarrassed I'd been at lunch.
"I'm doing okay. I'm still incredibly embarrassed-"
"Don't be. You're not the desperate loser who has to ask young girls to have sex with him," he reminded me.
"True. He doesn't know I'm only seven," I laughed, the thought making me picture him being arrested.
"I forget most of the time," Cameron said quietly, a shadow of a frown crossing his face. Something about his tone set off some kind of alarm in my head but I ignored it and instead focused on his face. He looked perturbed by something and I couldn't place my finger on it, but there was something different in his eyes.
"Cameron?"
"Yeah?" He looked up distractedly, running a hand through his beautiful hair and mussing it up slightly on one side.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm just tired is all," he muttered, smiling sideways at me. It didn't quite reach his eyes but I nodded and turned back to the road, sensing he didn't want to talk about it. Whatever 'it' was.
When we got home, he still seemed distant and I decided to give him space. After grabbing a bite to eat, he trudged up the stairs slowly and I felt a pang of sadness go through me as I watched his retreating form. He was obviously bothered by something and I had a feeling it wasn't about what had happened at lunch.
I sat down in the living room and flipped through channels on our superfluously sized screen, not really noticing or caring what I watched. Cameron was somehow bothered by something and the ignorance I felt about it was killing me. Just knowing he was feeling less than happy was digging at me. I wanted him to always be happy.
Around six o'clock I started making dinner. There was never usually a rhyme or reason to what I made but that night I decided to make something extra special to try and cheer him up. I was nothing special in the kitchen but Cameron had always seemed to appreciate my cooking so I sat on the small kitchen stool for about ten minutes thinking of what I could possibly make.
He ate pretty much everything and I couldn't think of anything he would possibly prefer over anything else. I'd noticed his simpler taste but after he'd told me about why he ate his toast the way he did, I didn't want to make any assumptions.
The way he'd spoken of his Carolina had been one of the cutest things I'd ever seen. Any and all musings that maybe he'd lied to me about her, about her truly just being a human child, had vanished. He spoke of her the way an older brother would dote upon his baby sister. And watching him blush slightly when I told him he was sweet was just an added bonus.
I smiled lazily as I reminisced before bringing myself back to reality. Whatever happiness he'd been swept up in this morning or even during our laughing fit at lunch seemed to have disappeared during the afternoon. For what reason- I couldn't imagine.
I sighed sadly and shut the recipe book, the soft breeze from its pages closing, pushing my hair back from my face. I shrugged my shoulders in defeat and stood from the stool.
"Cameron?" I called up the stairs, having decided I would just ask him what he felt like eating.
I waited patiently by the bottom of the stairs for a reply but when a few seconds of silence passed I immediately felt uneasy.
"Cameron? Are you there?" I called a little more loudly, as though I were speaking to a human.
When no answer greeted me I placed my foot on the bottom step and took a deep breath. I was initially sceptical about invading his privacy but dismissed that thought as curiosity overwhelmed me. I called his name a third time as I ascended the stairs and approached his closed door. When there was no answer, I couldn't stop the anxiety from creeping further forward.
I hesitated at his door before turning the handle but once I did and I pushed the door open my eyes went wide. His room was empty, a small pile of clothes neatly folded and resting on his made bed were the only signs that he'd even been there. Where was he?
A feeling a dread of hit me and felt like a stone plummeting to the pits of my stomach as my mind immediately started jumping to conclusions.
He'd finally gotten sick of me.
He'd finally come to his senses and abandoned me. The same way I felt abandoned by my family…
I gasped out loud, my knees actually buckling beneath me as a new horror presented itself in my head.
What if the Volturi had come for him?
No. No, no, no! Not another person I cared about.
I hunched over my bent knees for a few long seconds. Breathe in, breathe out. Or stop breathing altogether and save yourself the trouble, my inner voice suggested brightly. I took a huge gulp of air and straightened up, wondering if maybe there was some clue as to where he could be. I looked desperately around the room and noticed for the first time a piece of white paper, folded in half and sitting on his pillow. I sprung to my feet and made a dive for it, pulling it to me with trembling fingers. It was a letter addressed to me.
Renesmee,
Please understand. I need some time to be alone, to think. It is not your fault. I wish I could stay to be your protector, to watch out for you, but right now I am in no frame of mind to fulfil such a role.
I'll be back by Friday night.
There were a series of words that I couldn't make out because of the many lines he'd crossed through them, before his signed name at the bottom. I squinted at the page, trying to determine what any of them could be but he'd so thoroughly scribbled over them it was impossible.
It was a few seconds before what he said fully hit me. He was gone, but he was coming back. It was Tuesday so that meant only a few more days….
I was still devastated but... he was coming back! He wasn't going to abandon me! I let the relief encompass me for a few seconds, sagging against one of his pillows.
Big mistake- it smelled exactly like him. The light aroma of the familiar fabric softener mixed with his scent sent a spark through me that just made me long for him to be back even more. I didn't want to be alone, but even more than that, I didn't want to be without him specifically. Things already felt wrong and I'd only gone an hour without seeing him.
I was so pathetic.
What did he have to be alone to think about?
Where was he?
I got slowly to my feet, folding the letter gently and slipping into my pocket. I was secretly glad to have something of his left behind, in case he didn't come back. The clothes in his room weren't really his, they'd been bought with Cullen money. When I thought about it, the only definite sign that he'd ever been here, that he was real, was the piece of paper in my front pocket.
Whatever he was going through, Cameron didn't want me there.
I'd be lying if I said the realisation didn't sting. A lot.
I trudged morosely back down the stairs to the kitchen and grimaced when I saw the cookbook on the counter where, just minutes ago, I'd been trying to find a way to cheer him up. Bit late for that, I chided myself as I sunk down onto the stool again.
The next few days were going to be hell.
***
"Do you think he dumped her?"
"What kind of idiot would dump Nessie Masen? She's hot,"
"Maybe she dumped him?"
I kept my head down at school on Wednesday, trying to avoid the whispers and gossip that was running rampant about the school. I felt like the words were following me, trying to make things impossibly worse.
Waking up and walking down those stairs, alone, and knowing I would be so for the next few days was not something I enjoyed in the slightest. The feeling of depression had swathed over me further as soon as I made breakfast, instinctively putting down a piece of bread in the toaster for Cameron. As soon as I'd pushed the lever I'd realised my mistake and pressed the 'cancel' button immediately.
It was a lonely breakfast.
And it proved to be a lonely school day. Sasha was away with some kind of illness and my other friends obviously hadn't felt up to approaching me about the matter. So instead, speculation had swirled around like the damn plague and I'd had nobody to talk to. Except Morgan. She'd made a point of talking to me…
"So I see he's finally through with you," she'd laughed, her eyes narrowed mockingly in my direction as I changed my books.
"Shutup, Morgan, you don't know what you're talking about," I'd said angrily, turning on my heel and slamming my locker behind me.
I smiled grimly at the memory and couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't started treating her the way she deserved long ago.
Wednesday night I didn't slept a wink, my thoughts refusing to silence themselves once I shut my eyes. It was masochistic to be torturing myself with images of his face, his smile, but I found myself uncaring. My… friend, really the only friend I had besides Jake that I wasn't related to, had left. I missed him so unbearably much and had the strangest feeling of loss growing inside me by the second.
By the time last lesson rolled around on Thursday I could barely filter my teacher's words anymore. I felt empty, vacant, hollow- then put down the thesaurus and do something about it! part of me rebelled.
I wanted so badly to go to him and it had been less than two day since he'd left. Could I make it until Friday night?
I knew the answer and was on my feet the second what I'd known all along hit me. There was no way I could wait until tomorrow night. I had to go to him, somehow find him, right now.
"Renesmee?" my English teacher, Miss Waverbrook, asked when I stood up in the middle of class. My cheeks flushed slightly as I realised what I'd done in the middle of class. Epiphanies should be saved for outside school hours, apparently.
"Oh, don't worry about her, Miss. Nessie's going through a break up right now, her emotions are probably-" Morgan began from the desk beside me, but she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. I turned to her desk and delivered a swift kick to the side of her chair. I would never forget the expression on her face as, arms flailing madly, the girl I hated most crashed to the floor.
Absolute silence filled the room as everyone's eyes turned to me. I gulped, turning to the front of the room to see Miss Waverbrook glaring at me.
"To the Principal's office, young lady!" she demanded, writing something down on a piece of paper, ripping it in half and passing it to me to take. I frowned as I gathered my books into my bag and went to her desk. And to think I'd always liked my English teacher…
"I expected better of you," she muttered, eyeing me sternly as I left the room. I sighed as I walked down the corridor to the Principal's office. I'd never gotten in trouble before, never having had a real reason to do anything to land me in hot water in the first place. Sure, Morgan had always ticked me off, but since when did I solve anything with violence?
Since your family and Cameron left you, that little voice in me piped up gently. I sighed and bit my lip to stop the unexpected tears from forming as I took my seat in the waiting room to see the Principal.
My family- gone.
Jacob- gone.
Now Cameron was gone, too.
I was truly alone.
***
After spending half an hour being chewed out by the balding, middle aged man that was the Principal at Lytton High, I left school on foot, not feeling like driving. My epiphany from earlier was long forgotten as I wandered out to the parking lot. I opened my car and dumped my books in the passenger side seat- I would come back for my car later that night when I wasn't so messed up in the head. It probably wasn't safe for me to be driving in such a state, anyway.
And that was how I found running aimlessly through trees, thinking things through, making foolish wishes that everything would be alright. It didn't feel like anything would ever be alright again.
I ran for hours, grass and foliage slowly giving way to dust and rocks, and then back again. The sun slithered lazily down the horizon until all that was left was a bright speck in the distance, barely noted as I sprinted through more trees. It wasn't until the trees started to thin again and the sounds of the waves crashing gently on a distant shore reached my ears that I slowed. I looked down and was dismayed to realise that my favourite pair of red Converse had been worn down until they'd ripped to shreds. My hard, vampire skin had protected my feet from most of the sharp rocks and other things I may have stood on, but they were slightly red and when I slowed down enough to notice, I could feel them throbbing slightly. I was also surprised when my stomach rumbled loudly, a sure sign that I'd been running longer than I realised. School had let out around three o'clock and a quick glance at my watch told me it was just passed ten.
I looked around me, contemplating if I was hungry enough to take down a deer or something and drink its blood. My stomach tightened happily at the prospect of food but the emptiness I still felt inside me prevented me from acting on my idea.
I grimaced as I looked up at the impossibly dark sky. I didn't really have any idea where I was, which direction I'd run in. I knew I'd easily be able to find my way back by following my scent, but something drew me forward, the way I'd been headed. When there were no more trees to hide my unnatural speed, I slowed down to a human jog and broke through the last of the trees. The moon hung brightly in the night sky and the darkness above was speckled with bright points of light.
Just looking up reminded me of when I was younger and my mother and father would take me places where the sky could be seen. Unobstructed and beautiful was the way it was meant to be. I could remember them each holding one of my hands and swinging me back and forth between them as they walked. Tears trickled down my cheeks and I sank slowly to the ground, the slightly damp sand crunching slightly underneath me.
"Where are you?" I whispered to no one but the wind. "Why did you leave me?"
I wasn't sure who I was talking to but I felt like I had to say it out loud. I didn't think I'd ever felt more alone. I sat watching the water for I don't know how long. The moon was barely visible that night, peeping out only occasionally from between the clouds to throw white light on the water. It wasn't until I heard a dog bark somewhere in the distance, breaking the solemn silence, that I got to my feet. I hadn't even realised how cold I was until I got to my feet and blood rushed back into them. I'd left my sweater with my books in my car and the thin cotton shirt I wore gave me no protection from the sharp coastal breeze.
I walked slowly along the water, parallel to the beach, taking deep breaths to calm myself. The most I could do was see if I could hold out until Friday night. If Cameron didn't come back, well…. I was going to Volterra. I couldn't stand not knowing anymore. I couldn't stand being apart from them any longer.
And then there was the other mind numbing possibility that Cameron might not come back at all. It made my heart twist just considering it. I'd come to rely so heavily on him over the past month and the idea of being away from him for any extended period of time was almost unbearable.
But deep down I knew what I felt for him went beyond using him as a sort of crutch, as a companion during a difficult time. It felt like nearly everything revolved around him now. And when he wasn't with me, time felt wasted. When- I refused to think the word 'if'- my family returned I wondered if he would stay. Would he at least visit me?
I honestly didn't know what he would want and the thought that maybe he wouldn't want to know me when he no longer felt he had an obligation to protect me was severely painful.
With that thought I turned and faced the wall of trees I'd emerged from earlier, picking a random gap between trunks to enter. The wind had mostly blown my scent away but with my sharp memory I could pick out trees and boulders that I recognized from the journey there. The sprint home took far less time than it had taken me to get to the coast- that said, it was till many hours before I reached Lytton. I reached my car at the otherwise empty school lot at around two o'clock in the morning.
I fished my keys out of my pocket and was just about to put them in the lock when suddenly my vampire senses kicked in. The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I felt goose bumps pepper my skin. I spun quickly, glaring at the bordering forest I'd parked near. There was someone there. The wind was billowing in the wrong direction so I couldn't smell a thing and the night was so dark even my preternatural sight couldn't help me. I stayed perfectly still for a long moment, reaching out with my only other sense to see if I could hear anything.
Whoever it was, they were being so quiet that I couldn't hear a thing over the leaves rustling gently in the wind. Not human.
"Cameron?" I whispered into the night, praying it was him.
No reply came.
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders, turning back to the car and planning on just getting the hell out of there. That second, a hand touched my shoulder lightly and I screamed in fright, literally jumping ten feet in the air. My vampiric reflexes kicked in and I managed to do some sort of flip in midair, landing myself on the other side of my car.
I looked up immediately, my eyes widening and my stance straightening up when I saw who it was.
Standing before me, was a vampire I hadn't seen in over seven years.
Alistair.
He looked the same as I remembered him, although my memory was far from perfect- I'd only been a few months old when I'd met him, and even then, he'd kept away from me as much as possible. Tall and imposing with almost freakishly white skin and red eyes that would give a child nightmares. He was one of the nomad vampires whom my grandfather had called for assistance from in our time of crisis with the Volturi. I remembered this vampire well because he was one of only a very small number that fled before the Volturi even arrived in Forks.
"Alistair?" I breathed, instinctively stepping backwards. Alistair had drunk human blood when I'd been a baby and from the red I could see in his eyes as he looked at me now, I could tell he still did.
"Renesmee… Still alive I see," he said and I didn't miss the slightly patronizing note to his voice.
"Yes," I replied. And then inspiration hit me. "Have you heard anything from Carlisle recently? Edward? Anyone in my family?" I begged, my eyes lighting up with hope as I wondered if maybe he'd heard something about their fate.
They had to be the reason he was here, didn't they?
"Ah, Carlisle… No, I'm afraid not, I'm merely passing through. Though…" he paused, his alabaster complexion freezing in place as he regarded me.
"Though?" I pressed when he didn't continue.
"Rumours. Mere rumours of an uprising against the Volturi." He paused and started walking at a leisurely pace in the direction I had just come from. He was leaving already? I mentally shrugged, indifferent unless he was going to help me with my family, which it seemed he wasn't.
" I had wished to visit Carlisle and confer with him in regards to it," he added unexpectedly. "However, I checked in at the two houses where the scent was strongest and found them empty," he said as he picked up his pace, crossing the parking lot swiftly now. "Well, mostly empty," he muttered and I barely heard the words.
My heart leapt and I couldn't contain my next words.
"Who was it Alistair?! Carlisle? Edward?! Mom?" I shrieked at him, definitely considering chasing after him but knowing he would only run. Stupid full vampires- so much faster than I.
As I half anticipated him to do, he didn't answer and his only way of reply was to speed up until he was nothing but a blur rapidly disappearing across the school parking lot. I didn't waste time, yanking the car door open, nearly off its hinges, and getting in. I didn't bother with a seat belt, knowing I wouldn't run into any humans- or cops- this early in the morning.
If even one member of my family had returned I was sure everything would be alright, they would help me find the rest. If it was Cameron… Unconsciously my foot pressed down harder on the accelerator.
Roughly seven minutes and eight seconds had passed by the time I reached the driveway. Not that I was counting or anything.
Cameron POV
I paced anxiously around the small cottage that had been my mother's when she was alive. Before I'd… I frowned unhappily and turned to the window. The clouds were a dark grey colour and barely discernable against the night sky.
Renesmee.
I missed her.
I'd left to try and think, to get away from her to see if I could find a way out of the problem I was trapping myself in. I was so stupid. All leaving had done was intensify whatever it was I felt for her. I was kidding myself if I thought that distance was helping anything. All I wanted was to run back to Lytton and find her and-
I stopped that thought path before it got me in trouble.
And what? I asked myself scathingly.
None of the things that I wanted were possible.
I remembered the time I'd held her, the day she'd found out about Carolina. She'd felt so warm and soft and perfect. I clenched my eyes shut and tried to breathe normally again, just the memory enough to remind me how much I missed her. When I shut my eyes, all I could see was her face, her eyes alight with an endearing smile that never failed to warm my heart.
Why don't you go to her? part of me urged, my legs practically walking themselves to the door. I stopped and leaned against it in a huff, pacing back to the only chair in the small room. I sat myself down in it and placed my head in my hands, wishing more than anything that she was there with me.
I couldn't go on like this anymore, couldn't pretend I felt nothing when everything inside me was screaming otherwise.
You love her, a voice inside me suggested and I sat up straight, rigid in my chair as I processed the thought.
No. It wasn't possible. I barely knew her.
Time means nothing to the heart- the vague quote filled my mind and I groaned.
No! I don't, I can't.
I certainly felt protective of her and wanted to be by her side most of- all of- the time but that didn't equate to… I couldn't even bring myself to think the word. I would taint it, ruin it. The way I ruined everything. Renesmee was so pure, innocent, an angel amongst demons. Demons like me. I was a traitor to my own kind, a half bred immortal with no place in the world. Granted, she was one of my kind also, but she had a family. She had everything and I had nothing. And I would inevitably be the one to reduce her to nothing.
The Volturi still waited for my call, a call I should have made weeks ago. She trusted me, that much was abundantly clear. If I'd suggested it, I knew she would've jumped at the chance to go to Italy to try to rescue her family- and fail, I added. There was no way she could defeat them and when I did eventually have to lead her to them, she would be ambushed. She stood no chance.
And that was why I hadn't made the call. I didn't want to allow that to happen to her. So, instead of returning secretly to Italy and trying to smuggle Carolina out myself, to try and get out of this before I became too attached, I'd stayed here and gotten more than I bargained for.
When Aro had told me about the girl I was to stay with and betray, he'd spoken detachedly, making it sound easy.
Gain the girl's trust, bring her to Italy, escape with Carolina.
Everything had been simpler then. Everything had made sense. Nessie had been nothing more than a means to an end. But now… I couldn't deny she was so much more than that. I'd even told her so.
I stood from the chair and stalked out the front door, walking over to a rock perched by the shore. I delivered a frustrated kick in its direction and watched as it was propelled far out to sea. I glanced around me, glad no humans were around to have noticed what I'd just done. My foot throbbed slightly but I welcomed the pain, the distraction.
The cottage I stood by had always been my home. True- I'd stayed in many places throughout my life but this quiet dwelling would always be the place I would come back to. I remembered bringing Renesmee here, remembered how she'd smiled and seemed delighted by its charm. I'd grown up a lonely, confused child and the sight of it had never before failed to yield answers or to help me solve a problem. I'd thought that by coming here I could try and figure out what to do but so far I was worse off than I'd been when I arrived a few nights ago. It seemed that this place was no longer the sanctuary to my thoughts that it had been.
"What have you done to me?" I muttered, glaring at the darkening sky. Darkness had fallen and the thought of a third night alone made me shudder but I tried to press it back, unsuccessfully. I was going to have to triple my efforts to stay away from her.
It was only Thursday night but I didn't think I'd survive staying away for another second, let alone another full day.
The arrogant bastard inside me smirked as I started sprinting through the trees towards Lytton, towards the girl who changed everything.
***
"Renesmee," I called as I approached the two story house I had come to know as a home over the past month or so. No answer reached me and I walked towards the front door, my heart thumping erratically inside me as I contemplated her reaction. Would she be annoyed? Perhaps upset with me for leaving her?
The front door was locked so I made my way around the back of the house in the dark. I could see the window to her room was open and took a few steps back. It was obscenely late at night and she would most likely be asleep but there was no way I was going another minute without seeing her. I wouldn't wake her but I needed to see her. I did a small run up and leapt through the air and through the window in one smooth movement- not unlike how I'd entered her room that first night. Just like that time- her scent assaulted every inch of my being, causing me to freeze slightly in place. Only, this time, her sweet scent didn't bring to mind thoughts of killing her and draining her blood. This time, the only thing I could think of was how I longer to hold her, to be with her once more.
And that was when I snapped out of it and realised something I should have noticed immediately.
Renesmee's scent wasn't the only one here. Silently creeping back to the window where I'd first caught a whiff, I inhaled deeply and fought back a growl.
A vampire had been here.
I didn't recognise the smell so that meant that it wasn't one of the Volturi but a nomad perhaps? My thoughts immediately flew to Renesmee, wondering where she was and if the nomad had hurt her. My fists clenched as I considered that and I moved away from the window, breathing in once more. The scent was recent and I couldn't tell if the vampire was still nearby but my panic for Renesmee overshadowed any fear I had for myself.
Her room looked the same as usual, lived in and loved. I stealthily made my way out into the corridor and checked each of the rooms on the way passed to no avail. I reached the room that I had been staying in and was disappointed when it was empty, too. A quick sweep of the downstairs came up with nothing and by that point I was insanely panicked.
What if the vampire had taken her?
What if he was, even now, drinking her blood, draining her of life?
I shuddered at the thought and tore open the front door, jumping backwards when I came face to face with a ghostly white vampire.
He was reasonably tall and had skin of such a chalky pallor that he seemed to almost glow subtly. He didn't smile, nor did he frown, as he looked at me. I tensed, preparing for a fight I would likely lose, when he suddenly spoke.
"Cameron, I presume?"
I faltered briefly, not relaxing my stance a bit as I processed his words. I gathered from his voice that he was British and not born of this century. Crap- the older they were, the stronger they became.
And then there was the alarming fact that he knew my name.
"Who are you?" I demanded, barely managing to enunciate the words as they came out as a half growl.
"Calm. I do not wish to harm you. I am here to see the half-vampire Renesmee Cullen," he replied, glancing behind him in an almost paranoid looking manner. I gaped at him for a second before containing myself.
He doesn't have her, so where is she?
Of course, he could have been lying but something led me to believe him.
"She's not here. I don't know where she is," I hedged, watching him carefully to see if he reacted in a way that would prove him a liar.
"Carlisle will not be pleased. Well, I tried. Probably have my name on a list for the next century," the vampire muttered, turning to walk away.
"Wait!" I called, taking a few steps out the door.
"Yes?"
"Did Carlisle Cullen send you?" I asked.
"Yes, to check on his granddaughter. The Volturi rise again, I warn you child, be prepared," he said, his tone grave. I frowned as he continued to walk away, melting into the darkness, disappearing into the surrounding forest.
I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding and relaxed my pose slightly. The vampire hadn't seemed hostile but I was not one to let my guard down prematurely.
My earlier question pressed itself forth in my mind and I immediately stood up straight again, running my hand through my hair uneasily as I considered things. I had no idea where Renesmee was. I walked further out the front door and turned to the car port area and was unsurprised to find her car missing. The Lamborghini was still in place, still in the same spot I'd parked it a few days ago but the Volvo I knew she must have driven to school that day was gone.
I walked swiftly around the perimeter of the house, trying desperately to locate a trace of her unique scent. All that I could detect were faint paths through the woods to where I knew her extended family's house was. I shrugged to myself and started running through the trees, wondering if perhaps she'd gone there to lament the loss of her family.
The large house loomed into view quickly and I made my way around the back and into an orchard of sorts. There was a magnificent garden that stretched on for a fair distance and was walled in by a ten feet high hedge. Night blooming flowers blossomed around the peripheries and a tall, beautiful tree stood sentry in the exact center of the garden. I inhaled in wonder, admiring its beauty for all of a second before my thoughts returned to Renesmee.
I inhaled briefly, unable to pick her scent out. The faint trace I caught earlier must have been from another time. I made my way dejectedly back to Renesmee's house, having absolutely no idea how I was going to find her.
Just as I was considering tracking the tyre tracks, I heard an engine on the highway a mile or so away. A quick glance at my watch told me it was nearly three a.m., not many humans were awake. I stood in the fringe of forest to the side of the house, listening intently and standing perfectly still for a few seconds. I grinned broadly when the recognizable sound of the Volvo's engine purring reached my ears.
My heart leapt and I raced from my spot amongst the trees and raced to the front door. The seconds it took her to drive up the driveway passed painfully slowly which was surprising because she seemed to be speeding for some reason. She shocked me by not pulling into the car port area, instead screeching to a stop in front of the house. I was frozen to the spot as she practically jumped out of the car and raced towards the front door. Her body was so graceful and the sight of her nearly brought me to my knees. Oh God how I'd missed her.
It took her a full second to notice me standing by the front door but when she did she skidded to a complete stop. I could see her face and watched her eyes widen as she looked at me. I felt frozen, unable to move as I waited for her reaction. I braced myself for anger, yelling, perhaps even a smile.
I wasn't prepared for her to sink to her knees or for the tears that started trickling down her face.
I still couldn't move but felt my breath leave me as I processed what had just happened. Had I upset her that much? Was she that unhappy to see me? I frowned and felt a piece of my heart spontaneously break off in disappointment.
A few long seconds passed before she seemed to collect herself and she rose shakily to her feet, the tears still shining on her rosy cheeks. Neither of us said anything, neither of us moved any closer to the other.
A few charged seconds passed between us until, like we'd both received some kind of signal, we both moved forward at the same time.
Renesmee POV
I looked up and saw Cameron standing there on the front stoop, looking exactly as he had a few days ago when I'd last seen him. He was back. He was here.
I was so happy I felt my legs give out underneath me but was surprised when I felt moisture creep forth from behind my eyelids. I blinked and the tears fell down my face as I absorbed him. Every bit of pain I'd been in, every ounce of unhappiness I'd felt like I was drowning in suddenly disappeared. He'd returned to save me from myself.
I got to my feet, embarrassed by my show of emotion, wondering what he would read into it and stared at him.
And then suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't care if he pushed me away but I needed to be closer to him. We both moved slowly closer to each other and I let a timid smile play on my lips, hoping he wouldn't be upset with me. His answering smile was blinding and I felt my legs carry me faster without my consent. Before I realised what was happening, I was practically running at him. I couldn't wipe the ecstatic smile off my face as I found myself face to face with him.
Without a word of explanation Cameron suddenly pulled me to him, crushing me against his chest as he wrapped his arms protectively around me. I gasped lightly, having not expected it but then smiled into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, too. He was holding me tightly, almost painfully, but I didn't care, so happy was I that he was back.
We stayed in our still embrace for a long time and I was dimly aware of my heart beating insanely in my chest. I hoped he couldn't hear it. And that's when I heard something odd. His heart was in overdrive, too. I could feel it beating furiously in his chest as my ear was practically pressed against it. I pushed the thought away for later examination and pressed myself closer to him, wanting to enjoy the moment.
Almost a full minute later his hold on me loosened slightly and I tried to hold back a frown. I didn't want him to let go, feeling an irrational stab of panic at the thought of not being able to touch him. It was almost as if I were afraid if I let go, he would run away again. I wasn't having that and I planned on telling him so.
"Hey," he murmured gently when he had pulled back far enough so we could see each other's faces. I couldn't help the smile that covered my face as I replied.
"Hey." It was such a simple exchange but it had my heart flying like nothing before had.
"How are you?" he asked after a moment, concern flitting across his features for a brief second.
"I'm fine. Yourself?" I returned, puzzled as to why we were keeping up this stranger-like façade but not wanting to be the one who ended it.
"I'm… fine," he said, smiling gently at me. I smiled back and the next words escaped my lips before my word-censor could stop them.
"I missed you," I whispered, looking down at where our hands were joined for some reason. I couldn't think how they'd gotten like that but felt an excited flutter when I realised they were- and he wasn't pulling away.
I light chuckle broke through my thoughts and I looked up quickly, feeling slightly dismayed that he was laughing at me. I felt embarrassment flood through me.
"Don't do it, Nessie. Don't be embarrassed. I missed you, too. So much," he told me, his free hand touching me lightly on the shoulder in reassurance. I glowed at his words but found it too late to stop the crimson spreading across my face.
A wordless moment passed between us, my eyes glued to his and his, to mine. The grey called to me and all my breath left me as I saw his eyes dart quickly to my mouth and then back to my eyes again. Not a sound could be heard in the forest as he slowly moved closer. My eyes fluttered closed and his hand that had been resting on my shoulder slid along to the nape of my neck. He gently tilted my face upward and my body trembled as I waited for him to make the next move.
I felt Cameron pause for a second and then there was the lightest pressure of his lips against my cheek. It was only brief, perhaps a second or contact, maybe two, but I felt like I would spontaneously combust.
He'd kissed me!
True, it had only been on the cheek, but nevertheless…
I couldn't quite look him in the eye as we pulled away from each other and I still had a slightly dazed smile on my face.
"Are you back to stay?" I asked, my voice coming out breathy and lower than it usually was.
"Yes," he replied, his voice equally as husky.
A brief silence settled over us where our eyes met once more, but then the moment was gone and we were both walking inside. It was nearing four a.m. and the sun would be rising soon, no doubt. I didn't think either of us planned to sleep but something unspoken passed between us and we each proceeded to our respective rooms.
I halted at my door, turning and seeing that he had done the same.
"Goodnight," I smiled ruefully, no doubt the mental exhaustion making itself known on my face.
"Goodnight," he said.
I turned to shut myself in my room to go and hyperventilate or something similar when his voice called me back.
"Renesmee?"
"Yes?" I answered, turning back to him with eyebrows raised in question.
Cameron took me in for a few seconds, his mouth half open to say something. He paused for a second and then shook his head to himself.
"It's nothing," he said, a sheepish smile that didn't quite match his eyes covering his face.
"See you," I replied, smiling at him no matter how confused I was.
I shut my door behind me and then simply stood with my back resting against it for a few seconds. I shut my eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times, trying to calm my still racing pulse.
I flopped myself onto my bed and crossed my arms under my head. The second I hit the mattress it hit me how exhausted I was- I'd been awake nearly a full 24 hours, plus the terrible night's sleep the night before- yet I knew without having to try that sleep would be unreachable to me.
Receiving a- albeit a chaste one- kiss from the guy you liked so much it made your head hurt was not something you could sleep after apparently.
Instead of sleep, I curled myself into a ball and simply thought, letting my mind wander and my memories overcome me.
Who needed dreams when reality felt better than my most incredible fantasies?
I found this nifty button this week called 'Traffic' and it tells me this story has had over 1500 hits!
So to EVERYONE READING (yes YOU!) First of all… thanks! Second…. WTF? Third… don't suppose I could tempt you to press the little Review button could I?
Expect next chapter… I'm not making any promises but I will try for next week : ) After that is exam time for me…. Yay : |
Also… I'm considering shortening my chappie lengths…. They're all between 6000-8000 and THAT my children, is a hell of a lot of words. Twilight is only 125 000 so yeah, I think maybe I will try for 5000 per chapter from now on. Don't be disappointed, shorter chapters = more chapters = quicker updates : )
Epic A/N! Thanks for reading :D
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