Ohai. SM owns them. Killerlashes betas.

Huge, giant, amazing thanks to MJinAspen, einfach_mich, mycrookedsmile, and jessypt for the lovely, beautiful, and perfect reccs on The Fictionators and The Perv Pack. I'm still in awe. I hope you enjoy this teeny little glimpse.

XOXO,

Ashley

Seven Days – Only

A beach, nighttime, Brazil, the waves crashing onto the shore, over her feet, and seeping into the sand around her. I heard her before I could see her; I could hear her breathing, hear her heart beating slow and steady, and then there was the quietness that was her mind…a place that I wanted to get lost in forever.

"Haven't you made me wait long enough?" she whispered, her eyes still trained on the water in front of her. I gave a soft laugh and made my way to her. She was right: it had taken me a while to get to her.

It had been weeks of disposable phones and numerous emails with Alice, while keeping myself hidden. Weeks of running and wondering if Leah was okay. Alice assured me everything was fine and that they'd been in contact. She also saw no immediate threat from Aro, though we both knew that wouldn't last long.

"What's a few months in the grand scheme of things?" I asked when I was less than five feet away from her.

"Too long," she said softly, her back still to me.

"Leah…are you sure?" I took another cautious step.

She turned to me finally, a smile playing on her pretty lips. It was dark, but we could see each other perfectly.

"Yes," she answered with a small shrug.

"Yes?"

"Ninety years of being chief emo-vamp really did a number on you, didn't it?" Leah raised an eyebrow at me and I bit back my chuckle.

I smiled. "Shut up."

"Kiss me," she commanded quietly. I was there in less than a second, her warm body pressed against mine, and her hands tugging impatiently at my hair.

"Tell me this is real," I murmured when she finally released me in order to breathe.

"You promised me it was," Leah said with her eyes still focused on my mouth.

"It's not going to be easy," I cautioned.

She frowned, and then leaned up to kiss me again. As she did, she opened her mind to me– to the six months that I'd missed.

There was pain and anger when she told her family about us, hurt and confusion when she decided to leave. She was scared, but so very sure that what she was doing was right. And then there was the one thing that I hadn't felt in so long…maybe ever.

Love.

We didn't say it, but I was sure we both felt it. So sure. It was the only thing worth risking everything for, that was something we both knew.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I framed her face in my hands.

She gave a shuddering breath and shook her head. "They understand."

"Do you?" I asked, my worry still plaguing me even though she was safe and warm in my arms.

"I know what I'm doing, Edward," Leah said with a quiet sigh. The way my name fell from her lips had quickly become my favorite sound.

"What about your future? A family? Kids?"

"Did you really come all the way from Italy to talk me out of this? Out of you?" Leah slipped away and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She narrowed her eyes and I recoiled slightly.

"I just want you to consider all your options…" I muttered and looked at my feet.

"You're my only option, Edward. And I'm yours. Stop fighting it."

"I'm not!" I cried, and reached for her again. "I've just never been this…"

"I know." She breathed the words and held her hand out to me. I pulled her close, burying my face in my hair and breathing her in.

"We've got a few weeks here. Alice will let us know– "

She grinned. "I know. We've spoken."

I sighed. "Of course."

"I like her," Leah said as she laced her fingers together at the base of my neck and nuzzled my chin.

I rolled my eyes. "Fantastic."

"Oh, just be happy we get along."

"This is going to be a long eternity," I grumbled.

Leah threw her head back and laughed loudly.

"One can only hope, Edward. One can only hope," she said before I brushed my lips against hers one more time.