No Need to Say Goodbye
Chapter Ten
A few days passed after the ball and Nessie found herself spending her waking moments avoiding the Volturi and going out with Tristan more and more. Alec himself could be caught, whenever he had moments alone, wondering about Nessie. That annoying, tenacious funny little thing... He'd never met anyone like her. Someone so naive, someone so stupid, someone so beautiful, someone so adorable... What surprised him more was the fact that there was this something in his chest, something he'd never ever felt before. Every time Nessie went out, he'd have to go out too, staying in the shadows. His status had been sunk down to 'guest-watcher', a week ago; he would have spat in the ground at any prospect of an idea like that. But now... he didn't mind exactly. But it hurt. Maybe that was the feeling in his chest... it hurt him to see Nessie laughing with some other guy. Why was that other guy making her laugh? Alec felt deeply annoyed about two things. Why was she avoiding him? And that Tristan person who made her eyes pinch up when she smiled. She'd been here practically two weeks now and no one had ever had such an effect on him as anyone else...
-OoO-
"Here try some."
Nessie giggled as the spoon with chocolate mint flavoured ice cream hit her nose.
"Oh, sorry," Tristan laughed, aiming the spoon in the right place.
Nessie waved a hand, "Nah, it's fine."
Tristan laughed with her, Nessie was dimly aware of the darkening sky above her as the two sat on the edge of the large fountain in the middle of the square. Life buzzed all about her, but to her, all that existed was this unfathomable boy in front of her. He was funny, handsome, caring and all around amazing. Being with him made her feel so special... there was only one thing wrong... with the hairs on the back of her head, she could feel someone watching her and at once she knew that there was another boy in her life that always watched over her. This boy horrified and amazed her... he too was unfathomable... but he was also enigmatic and addictive.
"So, Tristan, what's on the agenda tonight?"
Tristan shrugged, finishing off his ice cream and dumping it in a nearby bin, "What time do you have to be back?"
Nessie shrugged, "Eh, the people I'm saying with say whenever is fine... but as for me, I do like my beauty sleep."
Tristan laughed, "Okay, just say the word and I'll take you home. But I've got some pretty fun things planned for tonight."
Nessie grinned, a giddy feeling growing, "Oh, Yay! I'm excited."
Tristan grinned and took her hand, lifted her up and hooked her arm in his. Nessie's felt her face beam, her chest constricted and for once, she felt so happy, happier than she'd ever been with Jake. Oh, Jake... Nessie wondered how he was doing. The poor boy she'd just willingly left home. The reason she had left home. Nessie made a mental note to herself to call that night.
"Alright, come on, this way."
A few minutes later, after walking for a little while, Nessie found herself in front of a small restaurant.
"Oh, how original, I'm so amazed." Nessie mock-gasped.
Tristan gave a short laugh, "Hey, I thought you were hungry."
Nessie smiled, "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry." She laughed to herself. "But not for human food." She muttered under her breath. Then, all of a sudden, she thought she heard a snicker somewhere near her and the hair on the back of her neck stood up once again.
"Go away." She hissed towards the dark shadows.
Tristan took her inside and sat her at a table deep in the corners. It was cosy and warm with beautiful roses in a crystallized jar. Both smiled at each other while a waiter came over.
"What will it be?" The waiter asked in a formalized voice.
Nessie opened her mouth, but Tristan held up a hand to silence her. Nessie frowned while Tristan just grinned at her and then at the waiter.
"We'll have the White Chocolate Parfait with flambéed cherries."
The waiter nodded and walked away.
Nessie frowned and looked at Tristan, "Dessert first?"
Tristan gave her a winning smile, "There's a first for everything."
Nessie smiled and found that she was grinning. Dessert first was different. Different but interesting, very interesting, in fact, it was quite intriguing. No one she knew had ever been like this.
Soon, they were given two plates of what she assumed was White Chocolate Parfait with flambéed cherries. It was a lovely cylinder shape of white chocolate, with shaving of dark chocolate on top. Cherries were scattered upon the shavings and then around the small monument itself with sauce drizzled on the top of it.
"Oh wow. It's beautiful."
Tristan grinned, "Yeah, I love it. And I think you might as well."
Nessie smiled and dug in.
Half an hour later, they were up to their final course... the entree. The waiter seemed to have caught on to what they were doing and joined in the game as well. Soon, Nessie and Tristan had crunched on her last leaf of lettuce on her salad and finished the very last sip of her wine.
"Alright Tristan, I am so officially full."
Tristan grinned and then paid the bill, waving off Nessie's helping hand.
"I'm glad you liked it."
He grabbed Nessie's hand and pulled her gently up, giving her butterflies in her stomach. She grinned charmingly at him and felt the butterflies in her stomach grow more intense as his hands gripped her tighter. Speeding out of the restaurant, Tristan led her out of the street, and they laughed and walked until Nessie then saw a big grassy hill that overlooked a busy highway. The first she'd ever seen and for some reason, she felt good to see that. It felt like she had been so cooped up from normal civilisation and all these days she'd spent with Tristan made her feel intact with her part-humanness again. Not to mention, spending time with a handsome boy in Italy was a fairytale come true.
Together, the both of them sat down on the top of the grassy hill and Tristan slung an arm around her.
"So what are we doing here?"
Tristan cleared his throat, "As the girls say, we're here for a little rest and relaxation."
Nessie laughed, "Yeah well, this may come as a surprise to you, but I don't really hang out with girls my age."
Tristan frowned but smiled, "No, that's actually not surprising. It explained a lot. I mean, you're different from most girls. You're not; excuse me for my lack of better words, a bitch."
Nessie laughed and placed a hand to her chest, "Why thank you."
They both laughed. Tristan then pulled a packet of m&ms from a pocket and opened them.
"Here, do you wanna play a while ago when I was a boy?"
Nessie smiled and shrugged, "Sure? I'll bite."
Tristan grinned, "Alright, here's what we do. Take an m&m and whatever colour get you have to find a car with that colour."
Tristan was met with raised eyebrows.
"Alright, I'm sorry, that sounded lame. No colour game then..."
Nessie laughed and pushed him, taking the packet of chocolate delights from his hands and pulled out one.
"Okay, blue... Oh! Look! Blue car!"
Tristan smiled and took the packet back, receiving a red one to where he soon found a red car. Ten minutes passed and the two found out that there were barely any brown cars.
"It sucks when you can't find the colour."
Tristan laughed, "I can't believe you're enjoying this night."
Nessie frowned, "Why wouldn't I enjoy it?"
Tristan shrugged, "I feel like I've had to impress you. You're one the most amazing girls I've ever met."
Nessie smiled and shrugged, "You're literally like no boy I've ever met."
Tristan gaped, "Boy? I've been trying so hard to be a man around you and I get called a boy."
Both started to laugh and she found herself leaning on him.
"Well, what are we doing now?" She asked.
Tristan groaned and gave a half laugh, "Well, to tell you the truth, I never thought that the date would get this far. I was expecting you to take off and leave by the time I dragged you up this hill."
With a quick laugh Nessie laughed, "I loved this date!"
There was a slight silence while Nessie cringed, "Oh I am so sorry. This isn't a date, I'm sorry; I didn't mean... ugh, I'm such a thoughtless thing."
She was shushed with Tristan's finger on her lips, "This wasn't a date... but after tonight, I was kind of hoping the rest of the times we went out... that they could be a date?"
Nessie's breath caught in her throat.
Tristan smiled, "Yeah, I was hoping to do this at the end of the night, but oh well, now is fine. Um, anyway, I wanted to know if you wanted to be my girlfriend..."
The stars twinkled in the night sky, horns beeped below and crickets chirped around them, but Nessie couldn't seem to find words to leave her mouth.
"Oh crap, I'm sorry for putting this on you when, no, don't worry, you don't have to answer that. Pretend like I never asked."
Whether it was something in the air or Tristan's nervousness, Nessie found that she could finally form words.
"No, don't think that for a second. You know what Tristan, I would love you be your girlfriend."
Tristan was speechless.
"Seriously?"
Nessie grinned, "Of course."
Then, in the next second, Tristan pushed away the m&ms and leaned forward towards Nessie. The wind suddenly turned cooler and Nessie shivered. But as soon as Tristan's lips brushed her own, she felt her skin set on fire like never before. She shivered again, but this time with anticipation. Finally, Tristan pulled away.
"Hey girlfriend." He grinned.
Clutched a clump of grass in her hand, Nessie grinned and pulled it up and threw it at him.
"What the—" He gasped.
Nessie howled in laughter and got up, bounding away with him.
"What was that for?" He laughed.
Nessie grinned, "Its a little game I like to play. Like snowball fights but with grass."
Tristan laughed and pulled up his own clump of grass to which he threw at her. Nessie neatly dogged it and doubled over in laughter. Both pulled up grass, throwing it at each other for a good two more hours before Nessie had to retire back.
-OoO-
Deep in the covers, Nessie let out a large breath and grinned, closing her eyes...
"So you have two boyfriends now."
Her eyes flew open.
"What?"
Alec glided effortlessly along the carpeted floor and came to sit on the bed, in front of her.
"Jacob... and Tristan..."
With a gulp, Nessie realised that he was right. Then, with a made up mind, she decided she would call Jacob tomorrow morning to break up the news.
"How long are you going to be here?"
Nessie sighed and shrugged, "I don't know. I still have figuring out to do."
"You have to break the news to Tristan when you leave."
Nessie frowned; she'd never heard Alec so gentle before and caring. There were no ill or chiding tones in his words, only concern and gentleness.
"Yeah, I know. But for now, can't I just enjoy it here."
"Yeah, you can, but you have to set it right soon." His voice grew a little more authoritative.
Nessie frowned and snapped, "Alec can you keep out of my personal please? It's none of your business."
Alec scoffed, "None of my business? I have to watch you do all this stuff and it's none of my business."
Nessie sat up, "Yeah, unless you're jealous or something. It is NONE of your business. Can you just go away and end some other human's life?"
Alec frowned, "We weren't talk about—oh. That's was bothering you."
Nessie glowered, "No it's not." She murmured indignantly, lying all the while.
"Yes it is. You still feel shaken from those nights ago. Look, Renesmee, I'm sorry, but you have to come to terms with this. I kill people. I drink from them. Get over it."
Nessie flinched, "I know. I can't change that, so can you leave?"
Alec sighed, "Don't be mad at me Ness; I don't have the energy to argue with you."
Nessie stopped... he called her Ness... he'd never called her Ness before...?
"Uh, yeah, sure... I'm sorry." She whispered softly.
Alec smiled and got up, trailing a hand over her forehead.
"Night Miss Cullen." He murmured before he left.