ArPOV:
I woke up feeling groggy and uncomfortable. I lay quietly where I was for a while before getting up. Instead of my bed, I found that I had been asleep on the couch in the living room. Why was I on the couch?
Then it all started coming back. The message, the rushed drive to the local hospital, the sterile atmosphere, Dr. Cullen, the blood donation, Robert!
I felt a sudden stab in my lower abdomen. I groaned. That time of the month again. And I had just donated blood. It was going to be a painful few days. I checked the grandfather clock to see that it was almost five o'clock. It was more sleep then I had gotten in the past week. I trudged upstairs and stepped into the shower, allowing the powerful sprays to sooth my stiff muscles from a night on the couch.
That was odd, how did I get on the couch in the first place? I remembered driving home from the hospital, thoughts occupied by the past as usual. The memories garnered more pain this time. I wondered how the mere mention of his name could upset me so much. It was a rather common name. It was a surprise that I hadn't met someone with that name for such a long time.
I remembered allowing myself to wallow in my self-pity. It was something I indulged in on a regular basis. It was bouts like this that allowed me to function normally on an everyday basis. I remembered playing the piano for the first time after a long while. But then; nothing. I just remembered waking up on the couch. I must have managed to crawl from the piano to the couch somehow.
I was surprised that I had put in the efforts to bring myself to the couch; I was never averse to passing out on the floor before.
I turned off the shower, dried myself and put on a robe. As always, I switched on my computer, but as it started up, I thought of Stacie's words.
Well, if you don't really like the course, why don't you just drop it? There's no compulsion for you to take it.
It had been such an ordinary observation on her part. Something I had never even bothered to consider.
Why was I doing this to myself? Whose expectations was I trying to fulfill? Certainly not my own. I had never enjoyed literature. I read for the joy of it, I read trash novels as long as I enjoyed them. I never read a book for the amount of critical acclaim it received or it's literary value, nor simply because it was deemed by the world to be a great masterpiece. So, why had I signed up for English in the first place? Was I still living by his standards? Was I still, unconsciously, trying to fulfill his expectations, still trying to please him?
I remembered the days leading up to my eighteenth birthday. It was the day, which had kept me going for the past seven years. It was what I had lived for. It embodied the one thing that I needed more than the air I breathed. Freedom. I could feel it in my fingertips, smell it in the air, taste it on my tongue.
I allowed a smile to flit across my face as I remembered my theatrics. I had wanted to make a grand exit, epitomizing my rebellion. I had waited eagerly for the clocks to chime midnight and I had relished the look on his face, as I left the mansion for good at the stroke of midnight. The freedom I had felt that night had been tangible.
That was no more than about a month ago and yet it feels like a different lifetime today. I wonder if I have justly utilized the freedom I had been granted. There had been so many things that had been ingrained in me ever since I had come to London after my parents' death. One had to appreciate literature and fine arts. I had to carry myself like a lady, lady being a rather archaic term for a subservient female. I never had a problem with being disciplined or well mannered. It was their ideas about what constituted a lady that made my blood boil. For what it is called the modern world, it is amazing how many retrogressive and sexist people make up the cream of the society.
I looked at the application forms to various colleges I had downloaded and my drafted resume. Was this what I wanted? Yes, I did want to go to college, but do I need to do it now? For once, I wanted to have peace in my life.
I made a decision. I watched with satisfaction as I deleted various application forms from my computer. I would finish this last year in school, and I would go to college, but not before I enjoyed my life for a year or two. I thought about going back to Spain where I had spent my childhood, the memories of which had faded away from my mind after all these years. I would travel through Africa and Asia like I always wanted to. I would live!
My heart felt lighter, and I smiled for no reason as I left for school. The first thing I did was to go to the office and drop my English classes.
Economics and trigonometry went well enough for me but the abdominal cramping would not let me relax. I was exhausted by the time I went in for my physics class. I seated myself in the last chair near the window hoping foolishly that the fresh air might do something to alleviate my discomfort. I was usually an attentive student, however with the combination of Mr. Hawkins monotone about simple harmonic motions and gut twisting cramps I was barely able to keep my head from hitting the desk and passing out.
After an interminable time, I heard the indistinct murmur of voices, which signaled the end of the class. I thanked the stars that we were not required to do any practical work in the class today. That torture would commence from the next lesson. The room had already emptied when I stood up and a giant wave of vertigo washed over me. I steadied my self as I made my way to the door, the world still spinning slightly around me. What had I had for breakfast again? I simply remembered being lost in my thoughts and then rushing to the school, euphoric about having made the decision to live.
You need to eat in order to live, a sardonic voice in my head pointed out. Come to think of it, I hadn't had anything to eat since the milk and cookies I had after donating blood at the hospital. What kind of a person forgets to eat?
I made the mistake of shaking my head in answer to my mental question and suddenly the floor lurched at an awkward angle beneath my feet. I leaned against the doorframe to keep myself form hitting the ground.
"Bugger" I swore.
I will not faint, I will not faint, I will not faint like some damsel in distress…
I repeated over and over in my head even as I tried to take deep breaths. When I though I had been stationary long enough to regain my balance, I opened my eyes at the same time repeating out loud, "I will not faint."
"If you do, I promise to catch you!" said a playful voice.
My eyes snapped up to find the most iridescent pair of golden eyes I had ever seen. Edward Cullen stood before me with his expression stuck somewhere between concern and amusement.
There was no way I was going to admit weakness in front of him.
"Cullen," I said by way of greeting. I pushed myself off the doorframe and tried to walk away but my legs wouldn't comply and another cramp left me breathless. Again, I stood with the wall supporting me.
"Drink this, it'll help."
He held out some energy drink to me. I was suspicious about why he would try to be nice to me, but one look into his eyes made me believe that this was not a hoax. His eyes were sincere. I took the can and guzzled the liquid in one go, not particularly enjoying it's artificial flavor.
"Give it a few minutes to work, the glucose should be in your system fast enough," he commented.
As I waited for the drink to take effect, I studied his face. It was a beautiful face, there was no doubt about it. His skin however was abnormally pale. I wondered if he had some blood condition. Again and again, I was drawn to his eyes. It was such an unusual shade, lighter than amber, like liquid gold. With a start I realized that I was staring. But in turn, he was staring at me as well.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," he returned.
We made our way slowly towards the cafeteria. He continued to walk with me silently. I decided this was as good a time as any to apologize, especially after the concern he had shown.
"I'm really sorry about my behavior that day. I accused you unfairly, I wasn't thinking straight."
I looked at him to find him with a small grin on his face.
"You mean you didn't mean it when you called me a pervert?"
Though his question was loaded, his eyes were dancing with mirth. I decided that two could play the game
"Well, I admit that I don't know you well enough to know whether you deserve that title."
His grin now turned into a full-blown smile. I went in for the kill.
"But I don't know you well enough to take it back either!"
His smile was lost and he looked utterly scandalized. At his reaction, I couldn't hold back my own smile.
I saw him relax from his stiffened posture, which he had assumed on my indirect allegation.
"You should take better care of yourself," he said softly.
On my questioning look, he elaborated.
"Especially after donating blood."
Of course, he was Dr. Cullen's son. He must have mentioned it at home.
"I had a lot on my mind, I forgot to eat."
I felt like slapping myself. Why had I just confessed to that?
"You forgot to eat?" he looked incredulous.
"I take it back, forget I mentioned it."
"You donated a pint of blood. You should be extra careful about your health for at least a couple of days and instead you forgot to eat?" he chastised me.
"Sorry, Dr. Cullen" I mocked.
"You got that right," he said with a satisfied smile.
"So, you're planning to go to medical school after this? Walking in your father's footsteps?"
"Kind of. How about you?"
I wondered what I should tell him. The truth that I wanted to take a year or two's break after school or lie about something I wanted to do?
As we reached the cafeteria, he held the door open for me and stood back. I stood for a moment in wonder, thinking where a modern boy like him might have picked up such an old fashioned gesture.
I had barely stepped inside when I was hit in the gut by a small thing that was bouncing furiously.
On closer inspection, it was a tiny hyperactive girl with her arms around my waist in an awkward hug, considering the fact that I was in no way participating in the action.
"Hi! I'm Alice," she trilled happily.
"Hello," I replied uncomfortably. I was unused to such gestures of affection, especially from unknown people who most certainly had very bad first impressions of me. I remembered her being present by the pool when Edward and I had our spat.
"Oh this is so wonderful! I am so glad to have met you officially. Now we can go straight to being good friends. I mean, having friends is so important, especially in a place like this where there's not much to do around. The weekends can be absolutely painful when you're alone. Now that we are friends, we can plan our weekends together. What are you doing this weekend? I think we should have a sleep over at my place. Or we can do it at your place if you want. It doesn't really matter whose place it is. We can watch movies, I have a great collection of them. And then I can do your hair and nails and we can talk about all kinds of stuff. We can even plan to have a shopping trip to New York! Personally, I enjoy shopping for everything like clothes, shoes, accessories and bags! You can totally mess up a decent outfit if you don't have the right kind of bag with you. And where did you get these boots? Prada, right? I would love to get a pair like these…"
She looked at me expectantly, with wide hopeful eyes as she finally drew in a breath. I wondered how such a small person could have such energy. She was less than five feet tall, waif-like with delicate features and short spiky hair.
I must have looked completely clueless because I heard several chuckles coming from not only Edward, but also the two brothers already seated at the table. The blonde girl looked like she couldn't care less and had a stone face. I thought how extra-ordinarily beautiful she could look if she would show some genuine emotion on her face.
"Alice is a little exuberant," Edward stated in a stage whisper.
Alice looked offended as she stuck out her tongue at him. In spite of her childish gesture, I simply couldn't hold back my smile. She was adorable.
"This is Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie," he introduced his siblings. I looked at the blonde boy with the curly hair. There was something about him, a kind of seriousness, which was absent in the others. It was the kind of gravity that said that he had seen far too much in the world, more than most others could imagine.
Emmet, although huge, looked like a cheerful guy but I remembered his behavior on the day I met Stacie and wondered what was beneath his sunny countenance.
Rosalie was the easiest to read. Simply put, she was hostile.
"Would you care to join us for lunch?" Jasper asked courteously, even as Rosalie threw a disgusted glance towards him. Obviously, I was not welcome and I wasn't about to start a feud amongst siblings.
"No, thank you. Maybe some other time."
I gave a nod to Edward in farewell as I turned to go to my table and heard Alice call out from behind me.
"Let me know about what you want to do for the weekend." I gave her a slight smile as I moved towards the food counters.
I deliberately took more sugar containing foods than usual. There was no point in having another fainting spell. As I walked back to where Stacie was sitting, I noticed several people staring at me, more so than usual. Fiona was intently focusing her venomous glare on me. I wondered what had caused such a reaction.
"Hi!" I greeted Stacie.
"Hmm…" was the morose reply I got.
"Something the matter?"
"You told me you weren't friends with Edward Cullen," she leveled an accusatory look at me.
"I'm not. I was feeling a bit off and he walked me to lunch. That's all."
"He doesn't do anything like that for anyone else. And why was Alice hugging you?" she continued while throwing a suspicious glance towards their table.
"I don't know, it seems Alice is just like that, kind of bubbly, really friendly," I said focusing on my meal.
"Oh really? Look around! Have you ever seen a Cullen hanging out with anyone else in the school? Why are they suddenly being friendly with you?"
"Give it a break. Why the sudden hostility? I had a polite conversation with a colleague and met his siblings. What's the big deal?" I asked in an irritated tone.
To my shock, she had tears in her eyes.
"I understand if you'd rather be their friend," she said in a wobbly voice.
I knew Stacie was insecure, but her comment gave me an idea of how deeply rooted that insecurity was in her mind.
"You do know that even if I was friends with the Cullens, which I am not, I would always be friends with you, right?"
She looked astonished.
"Why?" she asked in a perplexed tone.
"Because you're my friend! How difficult is that for you to understand?"
"So, you'll still be my friend, even if they ask you to be their friend?"
"We can all be friends! It's not a competition."
"Like they would want to be friends with someone like me," she scoffed.
"For the last and final time Stacie, there's nothing wrong with you! You could be anybody's friend. And if anyone refuses to be your friend, then it's their loss."
She smiled.
"Thanks. By the way, I think you said you got into a fight with Edward. So how come all the sudden friendliness?"
"Well, I told you that what happened wasn't Edward's fault. I had misinterpreted his actions so I apologized to him today. He was gracious enough to accept my apology."
"Well, be a little careful about being friends with them. I told you there are weird stories going on about them. They're dating each other!"
"There's nothing wrong with them. They're not blood relatives so it doesn't matter," I reasoned.
"I know, but doesn't it freak you out just a bit? I mean they eat and live in the same house and call the same people 'mom' and 'dad'. You just don't hear of things like that," she added in a whispered tone.
"I can't believe how narrow minded people can be! What does it matter if they found some one to love in the same house that they live in? Stacie, do you have any idea what it's like to loose your parents? You take so much for granted! Every day you go home to a beautiful family. You have a mother who'll help you pick out a dress for prom and a father who'll threaten the boy who comes to take you on a date. You have a kid brother whose little league matches you'll attend. Do you have any idea how blessed your life is? Imagine going back to an empty home every single day, not having anyone to talk to or anyone to give you a hug. You've no idea how painful such loneliness can be. If the Cullens could find joy in their life, who're we to question it? I wish there were more people like Dr. Cullen and his wife in this world."
Stacie looked stunned by my little speech. I had not been able to reign in my emotions.
"I'm so sorry, I never thought of it like that," she said in a contrite voice.
"I know, it's not your fault."
"You know, I never asked you. I know you lived in London after your parents passed away, but who did you live with?"
There was a legitimate curiosity in her question.
"I lived with my grandfather. Remember I told you, my father was British."
"So how come you moved here alone? I mean you bought a house and all. I figured there would be someone living with you. It's a huge place, I saw it once when I went out on a drive with my family."
"My grandfather and I … did not have the best of relations. We didn't get along well. He belonged to a different era and I was not the grandchild he had wanted. I figured that there was no point in prolonging the inevitable and moved out on my eighteenth birthday."
"So, how'd you manage to buy such a huge house?" and then she promptly turned pink. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."
I laughed.
"It's alright, my father left me a trust fund."
"Wow!"
After that, we talked about anything and everything till the bell rang.
I was feeling much better after having lunch, however, gym was not at all an attractive idea given my other condition.
"We'll be sprinting today and doing hundred meter runs so line up on the track every one," announced coach Cleats.
I groaned as I took my position. There was no doubt about who was going to be last today.
Just then, Edward walked towards the coach and handed him a paper while talking to him in hushed tones. The coach eyed me and then called and me out of the line up.
"Mr. Cullen here has a note from your doctor. It says you're to be excused from the class today."
Edward gave me a slow wink.
"Yes, Coach. I am unwell today."
"Very well, go sit on the benches."
I turned to thank Edward, but he was already gone. How did he think to get me a note like that? It had to be Dr. Cullen's note, but he didn't know that I was unwell till well into the school day. How could he have gotten his father to write a note so quickly?
Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I sat on one of the benches and watched the proceedings dispassionately.
I allowed my mind to drift away when a suddenly I heard a scream. I looked towards the track where a small crowd had gathered. After a while, Fiona Wilder emerged, supported under the shoulders by two other girls and made her way towards the benches.
She sat a bit farther from me and continued to talk to her helpers. I tuned her out again.
"So, you're trying to land Cullen are you?" she asked after a while in a nasal high pitched voice.
I decided that a lack of response would prevent me from getting entangled in a futile conversation. She looked at me in a calculating manner and then continued on.
"It's not going to happen, you know. I've tried everything; the guy is just cold. And if I couldn't get him interested, there's no one else who's gonna be able to do it," she added in a haughty voice.
I continued to remain silent, but I was losing my temper. For her sake, I hoped she would keep quiet.
"You really should have taken up my offer to be friends when I first approached you. You're just ruining your reputation by associating with cases like that oaf you eat your lunch with. And now you're acting desperate by hanging around the Cullens. You just witnessed my charms, didn't you? It's so easy to fool men, be it just a guy from class or the coach. Let it be a friendly warning when I tell you to stay the hell away from Edward Cullen. He'll never go out with you. If there's anyone that he's gonna date, then it's going to be me and no one else!"
Her blue eyes glittered maliciously as she delivered her warning.
"I've absolutely nothing to do with Edward Cullen. You're more than welcome to make your move. Personally, I hope he has better taste in women than you. It would reflect very badly on his character if he decided to go out with a hag like you!" I fired back.
"How dare you?" she screeched. "I'll make you regret your words. You'll be sorry for what you said to me!" and she walked away, forgetting to limp to fake her injury.
I couldn't care less about what she thought.
When I walked to the parking lot at the end of the day, I found a Cadillac parked in front of my Jag in such a way that it was impossible for me to drive out. I looked around for the owner and found Fiona not two cars away smirking devilishly at me. I started loosing control. I had never expected such petty retaliation from the little chit.
I walked up to her and was about to confront her when I heard a voice call out behind me.
"Is your car stuck Anna?" I turned to find Edward walking towards me.
I decided to advantage of the situation.
"Yes, and I have no idea who that car belongs to. It seems I am going to have to wait here for a while."
"Well, maybe we can go to that new coffee shop and get something to eat. I'll drive you back to see if we can get your car out."
I was unsure whether his offer was genuine or not, but somehow, the mischief dancing in his eyes told me he knew exactly what was going on.
"I'll go get my car 'round and then we can go."
"Sure, thanks!" I put an overly excited smile on my face.
Just as Edward's Volvo came up, I saw the car blocking mine move out. The driver was one of the girls, which always walked around with Fiona.
Without wasting time, I move to my car and quickly pulled out.
Edward drove up alongside my car and rolled down the windows like me.
"Thanks!" I yelled through the windows.
He gave me a dazzling smile, winked and yelled back, "anytime" before driving off at dizzying speed.
I smiled.
I liked Edward Cullen.
EPOV
"Edward, do you have a minute?" Esme asked.
I groaned. I knew exactly where this was going; she was not bothering to hide her thoughts at all.
"Yes, of course."
"Well?" she pressed.
"Well, what?" I knew I was trying to delay the obvious, but I simply couldn't help it.
Edward Cullen! You know exactly what I am talking about. Don't try to act fresh with me, young man.
There was no escaping Esme when she was in her mom mode. I could hear Jasper's deep chuckle from the den.
You better tell her exactly what she wants to hear, Eddie boy. She's not in a mood to play gameshe warned me.
As if I didn't know that.
"Yes, Esme. I talked to her in school today."
Her thoughts were suddenly a flurry of joyous exclamations as she went ahead to thank every deity she could think of.
"And?"
"And nothing. It really wasn't a big deal, Esme. She was feeling faint and I knew she was in a lot of discomfort, so I offered her an instant energy beverage. If I hadn't been concerned about her, I wouldn't even have talked to her."
Her disappointment from the fact that I had only resorted to a conversation with Anna due to her less than perfect health was palpable; and it was only overshadowed by her deep concern for Anna's well being.
"Is she alright? If she isn't feeling well, maybe Carlisle should pay her a visit. There are so many things that can go wrong with humans; they're so fragile. We shouldn't ignore even the slightest sign. What exactly was wrong with her?"
"Relax, mom. I took care of it. The foolish girl forgot to eat when she had donated blood less than twenty four hours ago," I couldn't help the sudden surge of anger. How could she have been so careless? "and it certainly did not help matters that she was…"
"She was what?" Esme demanded.
I couldn't help but squirm. Yes, my enhanced olfactory senses had alerted me that she was on her monthly cycle and the discomfort she kept feeling was probably due abdominal cramps. But how do you explain this to a maternal figure?
Yes, it was the twenty first century, and bestowed with my powers, as I was, not even the most intimate actions of my family members were concealed from me. Having multiple medical degrees however, did not in the slightest abate the embarrassment I felt in completing that statement. It was just the way I was brought up. One simply did not voice such things.
"Edward? She was what?" Esme pushed.
"… on her menses," I whispered in agonized mortification. At that moment, I was eternally grateful that I couldn't blush.
I heard Emmet howling in laughter as he climbed down the stairs to join in my humiliation, soon to be joined by a tittering Alice followed with a hugely smiling Jasper. Even Esme did not bother to hide her smile.
I was never going to live this down.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with your girl being on the rag, son. It is a completely natural, physiological process," Emmet commented in his best professor voice and promptly doubled over in laughter again.
A fresh chuckle, that of Carlisle joined in as he entered the foyer.
"Shut up!" I hissed through clenched teeth.
"Loosen up Edward, it was just a joke!"
He's right you know. You're a hundred and twenty four years old. I had thought you might have gotten past your squeamishness after medical school.
"I'm not squeamish, Carlisle, however I do not particularly relish discussion on the topic," I replied.
"Well, I do have something to discuss with you. I need to hunt tonight. Would you care to accompany me?"
"You don't have to ask, Carlisle."
Carlisle had known me for the longest amongst all others and consequently was the best at keeping his thoughts from me. Unlike the others, who had to consciously focus on something, which required all their attention, Carlisle was much better at occluding his thoughts. But even Carlisle was not completely impervious to my talents and I knew he had something up his proverbial sleeve since he asked me to join in on his hunt.
We left after midnight and were deep in the forest in a few minutes. I relished the short run and the sense of freedom it afforded me.
I saw Carlisle dash towards a heard of deer, carefully analyzing each and every member before striking at the oldest doe present in the heard. I watched in morbid fascination as he swiftly snapped it's neck to avoid causing it any pain before drinking from it, reverently and apologetically.
Watching Carlisle hunt never ceased to amaze me. He was always so tender, so compassionate about it. Even when hunting, he never gave into his bloodlust. Even when we were at our weakest, when our control was most fraught, he put the animal's pain and suffering first.
He laid the carcass behind a dense bush with the respect afforded to a fallen friend. I had never seen him feed on more than one animal at a time no matter how small or unappetizing it might be. Emmet on the other hand could take down multiple grizzlies on a single trip.
Immaculate as ever, Carlisle motioned in the direction of our home.
Let's walk back.
He was wondering how to start the conversation. Had it been anyone else, I would have asked him or her to simply spit it out. That was not an option with Carlisle.
Thank you for writing that note for Anna. It was something I should have taken care of.
"How did you know?" Was he now suddenly developing mind reading abilities?
"Don't stretch your imagination too far, son. I saw Anna at the hospital again today."
Again?
"What was wrong with her? Did she have another fainting spell or was it because of her… other condition? She forgot to eat again didn't she? I made sure she had a good lunch but I can't keep watch on her all the time…"
Calm down, son. It was nothing of the sort. She was perfectly fine, though she did mention her fainting spell and promised to eat right from now on.
"Then why was she at the hospital again? There's no way she can donate blood again…"
Instead of answering my question, again he let his thoughts flip through Anna's visit.
Anna sitting in his office looking completely composed… walking the hallway… entering the I.C.U. where a small child lay covered in bandages… a large gift basket full of fruits, chocolates and toys with a card simply saying 'get well soon'… her looking down on the unconscious child with something akin to tenderness… her kissing her first two fingers and placing them on the child's forehead with a whispered 'blessed be'… quietly stepping out of the room and walking out of the hospital without another word to anyone.
"She was there to see the child she donated blood to."
That is the strange part. She did not want to see the child.
"How can that be? She was there, she brought him gifts, and she said a prayer for him. Why would she come to the hospital in the first place then?
She is indeed a most curious child. I can imagine how she must fascinate Jasper and frustrate you.
He thought of Anna with a fatherly indulgence.
"She came straight to my cabin and asked if I could pass on the gift to the child. Her only condition was that it be anonymous."
"I noticed there was no name on the basket."
"Precisely. She also wanted to ensure that details of her blood donation remain anonymous as well. She was also extremely concerned regarding the family's financial condition. She went as far as to offer taking care of all their medical bills, again, anonymously of course. She made me promise that I would contact her if they ran into any problems with insurance claims.
She also thanked me for sending a note about her condition through you. She must have thought that I sent it with you before hand since it was not possible for you to actually come to the hospital in the middle of classes to get it. Of course she had no idea you had forged it.
When I offered to take her to Robert's room personally to deliver her gift, she refused. It was like she was trying not to have any personal contact with the boy for whom she was doing so much. Only when I assured her that the mother was in physiotherapy and the child was asleep due to medication, did she agree to the idea."
My thoughts churned with the new information. It confirmed what I had initially thought about her. She was a loner. Only a loner would make such generous offers and yet like to stay anonymous. She was certainly caring; she had done enough by simply donating blood yet she went on to ensure further medical and economical safety for people whose names she barely knew. Another piece of Arianna Craft fell into place.
She hid a very tender and generous heart under her titanium like exterior.
I had to see her again.
As we reached home, I hesitated to follow Carlisle in to the house. There was somewhere else I wanted to be. Carlsile, astute as he was, nodded.
Go see her Edward he encouraged.
I gave him a slight smile as I rushed towards her home. I was overly cautious as I approached her home. After last night's visit with Jasper, I knew she was often awake, late into the night and I had no intention of being caught unawares.
The lights in her house were on, however there was no presence of anyone inside the house.
Again, I felt the panic rising in my chest. Where was she? As I listened carefully, I found her heartbeat, down the road from her house. What was she doing out at such an ungodly hour? I took off after her and soon found her sitting on a rock, at the edge of the forest, brooding.
Again, her actions left me at sea.
Weren't humans supposed to be afraid of the dark and the unknown? Weren't little girls told stories of the big bad wolf that would come and get them if they wandered in the woods alone?
As she sat there, unknowing of her audience, I though of how apt the story of the bad wolf was in this case. She sat there, docilely, lost in thoughts, her melancholy as obvious as the swaying fir trees behind her, with no idea about what a dangerous creature had become interested in her.
Being acutely aware of the wrongness of my actions did not deter me from drinking in the sight in front of me. Looking at her through other's minds, or surrounded by people in the cafeteria was not enough. It was here, as she sat unguarded, her shields withdrawn did I feel like I was really seeing her.
Her emotions were changing rapidly as her mind flitted from one thought to another and I continued to watch her, fascinated by the way her face would change in tandem to her thoughts and emotions.
As time progressed, the temperature started dropping but she showed no signs of noticing the unfavorable change in the weather. Finally, a cold gust of air seems to break her out of her thoughts.
Instinctively, she clutched her jacket tighter as she slowly moved her frozen limbs. Finally, her human instincts kick in as feel her fear mount. Her scent becomes even sweeter, singing to me, beckoning me as she moves unsteadily towards her home.
I walk with her, knowing her human eyes would not be able to make out my form and wait outside her home for her to fall asleep. My morals and principles had taken a back seat as far as Anna was concerned and I unabashedly admitted to myself that I was just waiting for an opportunity to steal into her home like a thief as she slept.
This was the only time I could see her to my heart's content, feel her warmth radiate off her body and fill my lungs with her saccharine scent.
When finally her breathing evened out, I entered the house from an open window and made my way to the room from which her heart beat and scent called me.
She lay there on the huge bed, nestled among soft pillows and downy comforters, the silk of her gown whispering against her satin smooth skin. In repose, she looked like a fairy princess from the stories of the old.
Being the selfish creature that I was, I did not even attempt to stop myself as I walked towards her and with a touch as soft as a moth's fluttering wings, touched her forehead to whisper the words she herself had spoken, not so long ago.
"Blessed be."
ArPOV
I started drying and putting away the dishes and pots and pans I had used for dinner today. I had been extra careful to include lots of leafy vegetables and had frozen fruits for desert. It was a good dinner.
I felt much better after having talked to Dr. Cullen this afternoon. He had reassured me about Robert's continued improvement and also had confirmed that he had sent a note regarding me with Edward, asking him to help me out if the need arose. I was very much grateful for his thoughtfulness.
I looked at the time. 1:35 a.m.; still no sleep. After the couple of weeks in this empty house, I was beginning to feel claustrophobic late at night when sleep would be elusive. I decided to go for a walk. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, storming or snowing at the moment.
I pulled on my jacket and left after locking the front door.
I walked on the perpetually wet road but the skies were surprisingly clear with a million twinkling starts. I smiled as I fondly remembered late nights, sneaking out from my bedroom to the open lawns of the mansion in London, to try and count all the stars out there. I felt my heart grow warm with the memory of the boy who would always be lying by my side on the soft, moist grass on those nights.
He was the one who always remembered to bring the blanket and extra jacket since I had been too spontaneous then to plan ahead of time. But the times had changed and so had I. I spotted a large rock off the road, just at the fringe of the forest and sat down on it.
I breathed in the cool, crisp air and enjoyed the night. Always, the nighttime soothed me. As a child I thought of the night as a time when faeries visited in my dreams. Later on, it simply became a sanctuary when the oppression of being unwanted in my grandfather's house was lifted for a while. During the night, I did not have to pretend, during the night, I could be me.
Listening to the song of the crickets, I felt peace. I thought of the nights of summer solstice or midsummer spent in Spain with my parents. I remembered being mesmerized by looking into the flickering flames of the large bonfires and felt magic in the air along with the mild fragrance of summer.
As time had passed, the memory of my parents had faded however, I still remembered bits and pieces of the life I once had and clung to them as hard as I could. I could recall my father carrying me on his strong broad shoulders, walking down the beach hand in hand with my mother or mami as I called her in Spanish. Mami was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
She had glossy black hair, sun burnished skin, the most perfect teeth and a most charming smile. I could swear I heard bells ring every time she laughed. My father or papa was the quintessential British man with crisp brown hair, pale ivory skin and deep black eyes, the same as my mother. They told me they had eyes the same color because it reflected their love. They had been so different and yet felt like two halves of the same being.
Mami was full of life. I remember waking up in the mornings to the tune of her humming. I loved the scent of her skin- it was not the smell of her soap or perfume, it was just her, warm, sweet and fragrant- as she kissed me good morning every day. I remembered my father watching her with adoration in his eyes as her called her 'mia cara' in Italian.
Life had been so simple and yet so full then. I was home schooled while moving with my parents from one place to another every few weeks. I had once thrown a particularly bad tantrum, complaining about how we never stayed in one place and how I was unable to make any permanent friends. That was when my parents had introduced me to the world of books and music. They had told me that the world was huge, that there was so much to see and over the years, like my parents, I had fallen prey to the wanderlust. I loved moving to new places, meeting new people, observing how different people can be and yet remain essentially the same.
Papa had been the quiet one. In his presence, silence could turn into a meaningful conversation. For me, he was invincible, my rock of support. Somehow, even when I was alone, I could feel him watching me, feeling safe in his presence, knowing that nothing could harm me in his presence. He always called me 'mia stella' or my star. He would tell me I was the twinkling star of his life and I used to feel such pleasure at being such an important person to him. He was my hero.
On clear nights, he would take me out to the fields and point out the various constellations in the sky. He would point out the north star and say that was where I came from, that I was a princess descended from the heavens to guide him through his life. Mami always had this strange look in her eyes whenever papa said something like this and unspoken words would pass between them. I never paid attention to such exchanges, I was a child who was loved and was happy. What more was there to life?
But life had caught up with my fairy tale the night we met with the car accident. I remembered being jostled violently in the backseat of the car and then simply waking up in the hospital where I was informed of my parents demise. I had been bundled off to London to my paternal grandfather and then life had begun. And it had been cold and ruthless and unforgiving.
I shivered as a rather strong gust of wind blew by, the trees looking like dark sentinels as they swayed gently. A chill crept down my spine and suddenly, the silence of the night was no longer a comfortable companion. Abruptly, the darkness and the silence turned sinister and oppressive.
My breath came out in misty puffs and I wondered when it had turned so cold. It felt like the elements were warning me of something, something that wasn't right, something that was out of balance. It was nature's way of telling me I was no longer welcome in it's midst and I stood up on my stiff limbs and made my way back home. All the way back, I had this strange tingling sensation at the back of my neck like invisible eyes were watching my every move.
It was downright frightening.
That night in my fitful sleep, I dreamed of golden eyes, cool touches and whispered benedictions.
Author's note: It's been a long chapter. Written in bold is the part from EPOV which I added during revising the story. I was very tempted to add the part and gave in, let me know what you think.
Next update coming soon.
Love,
Katty.