The Twilight Series belongs to S. Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing with the characters.


Chapter 11

Story of a Girl

Time passed too quickly while Amelia napped in the next room. Slowly, she told her mom small details of her life in Seattle. Things she didn't mention during their weekly phone chats. Edward was one of those but she didn't tell her mom everything—only the barest minimum. Enough for her mom to ask the questions she had been avoiding.

"Do you love him?"

It was a question no one ever asked her but then again, not many people knew about their relationship. It was a question she hadn't thought to ask herself. And the answer to it didn't come as easily as she thought it should.

"I don't know, I guess."

"There's no guessing about it, honey. Either you do or you don't," her mom remarked.

And Leah tried, she really tried to answer the question but she couldn't. While he fulfilled a need inside her and could be gentle and firm with her all at once; he also didn't push her. He never tried to make their relationship into something deeper; it was as though she subconsciously pushed him away and he recognized it.

She shrugged, unable to answer the question even after reflection. Could she live without him? Sure, maybe. Would she miss him if he was suddenly gone? Of course, their relationship wasn't completely confined to bedroom. They had travelled together and enjoyed dinner and movie dates. Granted, some of those had been to ensure things in their relationship didn't become stale.

"Okay, so you're not sure about your feelings. What about his?"

Again, it was another question she didn't have the answer for. He may have used the word love around her. But it usually was in reference to an action or behavior on her part. Though he did have his pet name for her, lilla.

It was much more endearing than some of the names she heard other Doms refer to subs as. But after all this time she knew better than try to compare one relationship with another. That was part of the culture; each pairing was unique in how they interacted and what was allowed.

At her lack of response, her mom continued, "See, I think you have a few things to think about. And not that I don't love having you home," she sighed. "I think you're still running. I better figure out what I'm going to make for lunch; Melli will be up soon," she finished as she squeezed her hand once.

Her mom's last words resonated through her; eerily similar to words she had heard only a few weeks ago. Was it true? Had she started running all those years ago and hadn't stopped?

She had mentioned to Carlisle around mid-April that she might take some time off to go home for the summer. She casually mentioned it had been a few years since she had taken a trip home and her stepsister was getting married. At the time, he didn't say much to her other than if she needed time off, he was more than willing to work around what she needed.

When she finally approached him three weeks ago to tell him she had made up her mind and would be going home his blue eyes immobilized her as he looked at her in curiosity.

"Why don't you take a seat, Leah," he asked as he gestured to the pair of chairs across from him at the desk.

She sat down, perching her body on the edge of the seat and waited impatiently for him to continue. He was her boss—had been since she started her internship here the summer after her sophomore year. And though she was responsible to report to him, he didn't believe in micro-managing. Marketing had been her department since she had been hired on full-time and he trusted her judgment.

"First off, there's no need for you to be nervous. I wanted to let you know the moment you brought up taking the summer off, I cleared your schedule and worked out a plan to ensure you could take the time off."

She was flabbergasted but grateful at the same time. The guilt she felt at leaving them in a bind disappeared in an instant. "Thank you, Carlisle. You didn't have to do that."

"No, I suppose I didn't," he agreed with her; his gaze remaining just as intense as when she first spoke. "It's not my place to get involved in my employee's personal business. This though is one time I've been sorely tempted to. If you hadn't made the decision you had—I was ready to tell you that you had no choice."

She interrupted, confused by his words. He had told her not to worry, hadn't he? "What do you mean? Why?"

"Leah, over the past few years, I've gotten to know you but one thing has always stood out to me. You never mention your family. Again, it's none of my business but most employees have photos of their family in their offices or might casually mention a holiday gathering or birthday celebration. And you've never taken time off for a trip—other than the ones you and Edward take."

She gasped, unaware that he even knew about her and Edward's relationship. They had always been careful to maintain a strictly professional affiliation while representing Cullen Pharmaceuticals. She opened her mouth to protest, apologize, explain—she wasn't sure what she meant to do but he held a hand up, stopping her words before her brain could sort through what she wanted to say.

"I'm not here to pass any judgments and whatever is between you and Edward—that's your business. He may be my son but I'm not his keeper nor am I yours. My point is I think you're running. I think you've been running for a long time. That's why you don't talk about home, why you've never mentioned your family, and why you've never asked for time off to visit them. I want you to take this time off and enjoy yourself and re-build those relationships."

"I will," she affirmed meekly.

He glanced away for just a moment and when he faced her again, she swore his eyes gleamed with tears, "Take my advice—sometimes what you think you need and what you actually do are two very different things. Don't make the biggest mistake of your life because you're too afraid to face what's happened in your past head-on."


AN: So I thought we'd be to Amelia/Leah time or an interaction between Paul/Leah or even another Edward/Leah moment to paint the picture of their relationship...but instead Carlisle was insistent that he get at least one scene.