Chapter 14

Restless

Arthur's Notes: There have been many occasions that while I was driving a song would play that reminded me of Twilight (you know what I'm talking about). This chapter was inspired by "When You're Gone" by Bryan Adams, Anthology CD. Happy reading.

Disclaimer: All characters associated with the Twilight series belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended at any time.

EPOV

I thought I heard Jane's thoughts again today. They weren't as kind and gentle as the last time; it was more forceful and angry. Maybe Carlisle is right and I'm imagining things to discourage any further contact with Jane. It's understandable why — to me at least. I've proven that vampire and human cannot exist as a couple.

She was very entertaining on the trip to Fairbanks. Her intellect and sense of humor is a breath of fresh air. It's been a while since I've laughed; I'm surprised my face didn't crack, ha. One thing I must remember: If zombies ever come to Forks, I must protect Jane.

Of course, as always, I spoiled the moment when I lost my temper. I need to remind myself that it isn't Jane's fault for not being able to comprehend my situation. If I explained it to her, it would mean being honest with her about what I am. If I allow this relationship to continue, I don't see how I can prevent her from finding out. That is why I must end it ¾ for good. Yet, even as I write this, I know I can't. Being with her tonight — touching her, breathing her, enjoying her ¾ God help me, I think I'm falling

"Edward." Emmett's voice interrupted my writing. "You want to travel to Denali with us?"

"Is everyone going?" I asked, quickly slipping my journal under some old newspapers. It wasn't a secret to my family that I kept a journal of every year I had lived since my transformation. I recorded my thoughts, world events, and anything else I thought could be of interest. Nothing had occurred recently except our outing with Jane. If Emmett caught me writing tonight, he would automatically assume I was writing about her and spread the news to the rest of the family. I didn't want them to get their hopes up.

"Yeah. It's not too far to Tanya's from here. We'll be back in time for school Monday."

"I think I'll pass." This was perfect. My family was going away, which would give me ample time to evaluate my situation and find an answer to my problems without any interference.

"Tanya will be upset. She's been asking about you." I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Okay, let me rephrase that statement — she's been worried about you."

"Please, give her my best and let her know I'm doing well. I appreciate her concern, but it isn't necessary."

Emmett crossed his arms and looked around my room. I wish they wouldn't have sent me in here; I'm not good at this. He's gonna get mad, then we'll end up fighting and I'll hurt the poor bastard.

"Emmett, what is it the others want to know. I promise I won't get angry." I gave him my most angelic smile to reassure him. Emmett seemed to loosen up but was still hesitant.

"What happened between you and Jane when you took her home? You two spent some alone time together on the trip there and back — how'd it go?" Did you kiss, make-out, stare helplessly into each other's eyes…inquiring minds want to know, Eddie boy. Emmett had yet to master the ability to block his thoughts from me.

"Jane is very…inspirational. However, I'm not going to elaborate any further without her consent." There was no need to raise my voice, I knew they were listening and could hear me from any distance. "I can tell you, however, that I offered her suggestions on how to survive a zombie attack in case she finds herself involved with one in the future."

"Zombie attack?" Emmett's brow creased. "Why would you even mention zombies?"

"You did that on purpose to try and scare her away, didn't you?" Alice demanded, stepping into my room.

I chuckled, enjoying the frustration of my siblings a little too much. "She brought it up." They glared at me unbelieving. "Seriously. And what makes it even crazier is that she actually believes zombies could exist."

"Sweet," Emmett said showing a smile of approval.

My eyes flickered out the window. "Shouldn't you all be leaving?"

Emmett followed my eyes and yelled back a goodbye as he left my room. Alice steadily kept her eyes on me.

"We need to talk when I get back. As a matter of fact, I think I might stay." Alice crossed her legs and lightly sat on the floor.

"Alice, please," I said closing my eyes. "I would be very grateful if you left with the others, and I promise to speak with you in private upon your return."

"Very well." She rose in one quick motion and paused at the door. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yes." I didn't have to see her face to know she was smiling when she left.

I waited for the sound of the engine to stop purring before I pulled my journal back out and read over my last entry. I picked up the pen and placed it where I'd left off.

God help me, I think I'm falling into some old habits.

It wasn't what I had planned to write, but that's the beauty of writing: you have time to change your mind and correct your mistakes.

I put the journal safely away and placed one of my favorite classical CD's in the stereo. The house was quieter than normal, and I began to question whether I made the right choice in staying alone.

After the CD played through three times, I went downstairs and turned on the television to watch the news. There was nothing of importance happening — it was repetitive: crooked politicians, world hunger, natural disasters, constant fighting overseas, and the forever argument over taxes and health reform. I could only tolerate it for about thirty minutes before I shut it off.

I rose from the couch and headed towards the den, which was located on the southwest wing of the house. It was the first time I had been in that particular room since moving here from Vermont. Esme had decorated it with her paintings and some sculptures. Sitting in the corner, draped with a heavy sheet, was my grand piano.

Slowly, I walked over to it and gently removed the sheet. My hand traced the slick, black curve of the lid, and followed it down to the ivory keys. I hit one and immediately noticed the sound was off. It hadn't been played in twenty years and desperately needed tuning. I placed the lid in its topmost position and removed the music shelf. In a matter of minutes the piano was ready to be played. I sat on the bench in front of the keyboard, closed my eyes, and began to lose myself in the music.

I was wrapped in a silken cocoon of euphoria. The notes came easily to me, though it had been years since I played. I had made a vow never to touch the instrument again, afraid to relive memories of a happier time. However, as I played, I was surprised to find myself not thinking about a girl from twenty years ago, but of a girl I had dropped off sixteen hours earlier. I was contrite and shocked at the depth of my feeling — feelings I had thought long since dead.

"This is absurd." I banged my hands down on the keys making a horrid sound and swiftly placed the lid down. Once again, the instrument became concealed under the heavy sheet. I instantly removed myself from the room and began to pace in the adjoining kitchen.

"You should be finding answers to your problems, not creating more with these infantile feelings and inconceivable thoughts," I denounced myself aloud. "There is no way you can afford to continue this game with her. You have only a few months left before you can leave — fulfilling your bargain with the family."

Ideas started coming to my mind on how to avoid Jane until then. No doubt, Alice would continue to invite her to join us at school — how could I disperse myself from their company without them noticing? Finding a new group who weren't very friendly shouldn't be hard to do. I thought of becoming involved with a new hobby, perhaps join a club, to preoccupy my time. Then again, why should I let her run me away from my family? There was no reason I couldn't still socialize with them, yet be unfriendly and keep my distance from Jane. Or, you could shut up, relax, and let nature take its course and see where it leads.

"Torment, agony, depression, and ultimately death; that's where it will lead — death!" I stopped at the echo of my own voice. Great, now I'm answering myself. I started laughing at how ridiculous I must have appeared.

I walked outside and sat on the cold ground to clear my head. The stars sparkled bright above in the black sky. Jane had simply wanted to be friends, and I would grant her wish. I was probably worried over nothing. Jane most likely hadn't thought about me since I dropped her off at her house last night. Chances were, my sudden outburst had drove her away from wanting anything other than just casual friendship; if there was ever anything other than that in the beginning. She seemed revolted at the thought of us being a couple when Mackenzie referred to us that way. When I had placed my arm across her shoulders, I heard her heart pound a few times as her body tensed under my touch.

My musings were interrupted by the sound of tires crunching gravel in the front of the house, announcing the arrival of my family. I quickly headed to the woods to feed; daylight was getting close and school would be beginning in a few more hours. I cursed myself for letting a whole day pass without accomplishing a thing.

When I returned home, Alice was patiently waiting for me at the gazebo swing in the backyard.

"Tanya, Kate, Carmen, and Eleazar sends their hello," Alice said, lightly swinging back and forth. I remained silent and sat down next to her. "Is all well with you?"

"As best as it can be. What of Irina? Have they heard from her?" Irina was Tanya's sister who had become romantically involved with my nemesis, Laurent. Previously he had been with James and Victoria but left when James planned to kill Bella. Afterwards, he joined the Denali Coven to change his eating habits and that was when he met Irina. He stayed with them for about a year, but vanished and had been missing for almost twenty years. I never trusted him.

"She comes and goes. She's bitter about Laurent leaving and still trying to find him, or at least find out what happened to him."

"Has she thought about checking with Victoria? He probably returned to her after James died." I failed at trying to keep the animosity out of my tone.

"She hasn't been able to find her either. She's had a couple of dead end leads. Tracking isn't her specialty. Tanya's worried about her. She said Irina doesn't speak much when she's around them."

"Hmm, I must thank Carlisle for answering on my behalf. Maybe she'll have found something by the time summer gets here." I read Alice's thoughts to find that Tanya had requested my assistance on helping Irina find Laurent while she concentrated on finding Victoria. Carlisle politely explained that we had started a new life in North Pole and I would be unavailable until summer when school would be out.

"Edward, she hasn't found anything in twenty years. What makes you think something will come up in eight months?" Alice shook her head at my sanguinity. "On to a brighter subject…did you and Jane…talk about anything in particular on the ride back to North Pole from Fairbanks?"

"I explained my previous relationship as best I could in not so many words. I don't think she will ask about it again."

Alice reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it softly. "She started to think the reason for your remorse was because she had died."

"Maybe we should have went with that story." Alice jerked her head around, her eyes wide and bewildered. "It sounds better than the truth; that I left to keep from hurting her. Who's to say that it would be a lie? She might be dead."

"Edward!" Alice jumped up and placed her small hands on her tiny waist. "How dare you think that? I refuse to believe that you-know-who is dead." I looked at the woman standing before me; Alice's lips were pressed together in anger, yet her eyes revealed that she wasn't too sure herself if Bella was still alive.

"Alice," I kept my voice calm, "Bella was only human. A lot could have happened since we've seen her last. I don't like to think about it either, but unlike us, humans can't live forever."

"We shouldn't have ran. You should have changed her when she begged you."

I kept her steady gaze. "No doubt if we hadn't left she would be with us now; still, I can't go back and change the past. Even if I could, I'm not sure I would change my decision." A low growl escaped Alice's lips. "Honestly, Alice, if you had been given a choice to choose this life or stay human, which one would you have picked?"

"That's not a fair question. I don't remember much of my human life, but it couldn't have been that great. I was in a psych ward for crying out loud."

"If you would have been consciously aware of what you were going to become, would you have wanted to be changed or remain human?"

"I would rather had become a vampire than be lunch for one." Alice's creator saved her from a planned attack from James. James ended up killing him for changing her, but Alice had been spared.

I sighed. Alice wasn't making my reasoning easy to explain. "Okay, ask Jasper which one he would have stuck with if he had been given the choice. Carlisle wouldn't have chosen this life for himself. He even tried to commit suicide when he realized what he had become. You three are the only ones who were transformed who had a chance of remaining alive — and remaining human." Alice opened her mouth to speak, but I held my hand up to silence her. "Fine, you wouldn't have remained alive very long…but my point is, there was no reason to do this," I pointed to myself, "to her — not as long as her heart continued to beat. She had no idea what she was asking for; her love for me clouded her logical thinking."

"You don't think Jane will be the same way? What happens when she falls in love with you and demands to become one of us? Are you going to leave again?"

"I don't think Jane has the same desire towards me that Bella did." I got out of the swing and dusted off my clothes. "But, if she does, my values will not waiver. I will take whatever actions necessary to keep her safe if at any time I feel her life may be in danger because of her association with us."

"Hmm," Alice moved directly in front of me, "you say her desire is not the same as Bella's, but what about yours? Is the glacier surrounding my brother's heart starting to melt?" she asked teasing me affectionately, not maliciously.

"Considering I have no heart, I doubt it," I replied, returning her jest.

"The others are waiting on you two to get ready for school," Esme called out the back door. Alice ran inside to change, and I gave Esme a hug on my way in. "Did you enjoy your time alone?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you."

I started up the stairs to put on a clean set of clothes, when Esme's hand grabbed my forearm. "She seems like a very sweet girl. I couldn't help but notice how much she reminds me of…Bella. I'm worried about you."

"There is nothing to worry about."

She's not Bella, Edward. You have to move on and let go of the past.

I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Her concern for my well-being was understandable. "I'm well aware that she isn't Bella. Maybe I'm just attracted to girls with big, brown eyes and creamy white skin, whose mind I can't read with an exception to Jane's — at times; though I'm still not sure if I'm hearing her or myself speaking for her." I gave my head a quick shake, dropping the subject. "Mother, I have to get ready for school." Esme smiled and released my arm.

We pulled up to North Pole High and I immediately noticed that the blue Honda was absent. She had already advised me she wasn't a morning person, which meant she was probably running late. We continued to our first class, not saying a word to each other as we parted ways.

I went to our usual spot for break and sat down next to Jasper. Alice was last to arrive — but no Jane.

"She's not here," Alice said sitting down on the other side of Jasper.

"Maybe Edward scared her so bad, she doesn't want to come back to school." Emmett laughed and winked at me. Nothing else was said about Jane's absence, and we continued through the rest of the day as normal.

The following day started just as the last; still no sign of Jane's Honda in the parking lot. Alice confirmed during break that once again, Jane was absent.

"She's human," Rosalie said without any concern. "She may have a cold. Humans get those every now and then."

"Rose has a point," Jasper said. "With the weather changing, she could have come down with something."

"Yeah, she doesn't look very healthy. She looks really fragile, like someone could break her in half." Emmett directed his eyes across the table at me. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that remark. What I meant was that Jane's very attractive — petite and flowerlike." Rosalie cleared her throat. "Sorry," Emmett's eyes darted back to his wife, "I didn't mean anything by that remark. What I meant was that Jane's…"

"I'll call her when we get home and check on her." Alice interrupted Emmett's pathetic attempt at an apology. "I'm sure Rose and Jazz are right, and she's just out with a cold. Maybe we can go over and visit her tomorrow with some homemade chicken soup."

Once we arrived home, Alice began to look for Jane's phone number.

"What's her father's name?" she asked me while glancing over the last name Watson.

"I don't know."

"What about her mother's?"

"I don't know. Just look for a Watson with her address."

"They must have an unlisted number." Alice closed the phonebook and wrinkled her brow in thought. "We could just assume she's sick and take her the soup anyway."

"She hasn't been to school in two days. Why else would she not be there if she wasn't sick?" My eyes narrowed on Alice. "You really think I may have scared her away? That's preposterous," I fumed and started my pacing.

"Well, you shouldn't have started that nonsense about zombies," Alice fussed back.

"She brought it up — not me!" I grabbed my car keys and briskly walked out the door.

"Wait, you forgot the chicken soup," Alice called after me.

"Damn the chicken soup," I said not wasting any time cranking up my BMW and taking off towards Jane's house.

I turned the corner on the winding road off Old Richardson Hwy, and drove back to where Jane's two story house sat close to the woods. The only car in the yard was Jane's. She may be sick after all. Her parents are probably at work, I thought calming myself.

I went to the front door and rang the doorbell. I listened intently and didn't hear any sounds coming from inside. When I had visited the last time to take her skating, she had tried to hide and pretend she wasn't home. I backed up and gazed up at the window, but the curtains weren't moving. I walked around to the back out the house and peered inside. There was nothing out of place; the house looked just as it had the last time I was there.

I decided to let myself in the house and inspect things to make sure Jane wasn't on the floor in need of attention. Remembering Jane's account of her mother's OCD habit, I thought I might have to literally break-in the home. All the doors and windows were locked on the bottom floor. I walked around the house again, my eyes zooming in on the second floor windows. Good thing no one lives close by, I thought as I continued my survey of the house; there would be no chance of her family finding out I was snooping. I was surprised when I found a window unlocked, and quickly scurried up the side of the house to let myself in.

The room I entered must have belonged to Austen. Video games were scattered across the floor and the room smelt like week old gym socks. I eased the door opened and listened for some sign of life in the house but couldn't find any.

I quietly walked to Jane's room and eased the door open. The double bed was perfectly made with a white feather down comforter on top. Her walls were painted light yellow and covered with pink, purple, and blue butterflies. Her easel was positioned in front of the window, overlooking the front yard with a clear view of the woods across the street. Her dresser was adorned with a variety of candles. One small drawing was framed and hung next to her dresser. It looked like a knight slaying a dragon with a princess on the ground behind the beast. Jane had scratched her initials in blue crayon at the bottom of the paper.

Curiously, I walked over to her bookshelf. My finger traveled down the line of books that loaded it down: Jane Eyre, War and Peace, Tale of Two Cities, Le Morte D'Arthur, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Plague, and many more. I could tell by the wear on the spine which ones were her favorites. My hand stopped on one book in particular and I eased it out of its place. The spine was worn and the book cover was turned up at the edges. I thumbed the pages; some were torn and discolored, and the musty smell indicated the age of the book. Reluctantly, I placed Bram Stoker's, Dracula, back in its slot. Not wanting to intrude any more than I already had, I slipped back out Austen's window.

On my way home, I phoned the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and asked to be transferred to the English department.

"This is Gloria, how may I direct your call?"

"Yes, I need to speak with Professor Watson, please."

"I'm sorry, Professor Watson is out of town on a family emergency. I can take a message or transfer you to his voice mail?"

"Do you know what type of family emergency?"

"Um…I don't think I'm allowed to—"

I shut the phone off, realizing I wasn't going to get an answer. There was some type of family emergency that caused the Watson's to go out of town. My mind replayed our meeting in the library. Something must have happened to her grandparents in Florida.

Alice greeted me at the front door, bombarding me with questions before I could make it into the house.

"They're away due to some type of family emergency." I joined the rest of the family in the living room.

"You got all that just by going to her house?" Emmett asked steadily playing his video game. By the way he was gritting his teeth, Jasper was giving him a run for his money.

"I called the university where her father works. Gloria told me he was out of town on a family emergency."

Gloria?

"She's the one who answered the phone, Emmett."

"I hope everything is okay. Did she tell you what kind of family emergency?" Esme asked.

I shook my head. "I'm sure nothing too serious. Her grandparents still live in Florida, so I assume that's where they went."

"Grandparents may have died," Rosalie purred as she continued to file her nails.

"I'm sure none of them minded a trip to Florida," Jasper said, keeping his concentration on the game. "The warm weather will probably be welcoming."

"Who knows," Rosalie smiled with an air of pleasure, "they may realize how much they missed it and decide to stay."

I got off the couch and walked up the stairs to my room in silence.

"Why do you always have to be such a bitch?" Alice yelled.

"Why do you always have to be so agreeable?" Rosalie returned with the same ferocity. "I hope she went back to Florida and I hope she stays in Florida. She's not good for him, just like Bella wasn't good for him. Sure, he's happy with her now, but what happens when she finds out what we are? We all know the rules of humans finding out about our kind. It's not safe for us. Jane may not be as understanding as Bella was; she may not be able to handle the truth."

"She might not ever have to know," Esme said in her kind, gentle voice.

"Then you didn't see what I saw at the skating ring. He's falling for her. There is an attraction there — from both sides. He's only going to get hurt again. He's going to have to start the healing process all over. What if he decides to go to Volterra again to the—"

"He won't," Esme's smooth voice broke in.

"He's self-destructive. If something happened, he could—"

"He won't." This time, Esme spoke with cool authority and the tone of her voice told Rosalie the subject was over.

I put on my earplugs and listened to an old jazz CD. What if Jane did decide to move back to Florida? Life would move on but my world would be unmoved; I would simply continue to exist. I remembered a quote from Robert Frost: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." No one bothered me the rest of the day.

Wednesday and Thursday rolled around and still no sign of Jane. I decided that if she wasn't at school on Friday, I was going to travel to Fairbanks and break into her father's office to find out where they were. Maybe get a phone number to call her — just to make sure she's safe, I told myself.

Friday — nothing had changed; there was still no sign of Jane's car. I sat next to Jasper at our picnic table for break, and he allowed me to feel the frustration that had been building since Monday. We were later joined by Emmett and Rosalie who seemed to be oblivious of my attitude. Emmett began discussing plans for the upcoming weekend. I glanced over at Jasper wondering if he had any idea where Alice was.

I haven't seen her since this morning before school started. She should be here.

"Do you think she might be in trouble?" I asked.

Emmett stopped talking and looked back and forth from me to Jasper. "Is something wrong with Alice?"

"I don't know," Jasper said. "She didn't tell me she wasn't going to meet us for break."

"Is Jane here today?" We all shook our heads in response to Rosalie's question. "I wouldn't worry about Alice — she can take care of herself. She's probably into something she's not supposed to be in. If she doesn't show up at lunch, then we've got a problem — agree?" We agreed, but Jasper and I weren't too enthusiastic with the plan.

I was the first to arrive at our lunch table, followed by Jasper and then Emmett, who both admitted they hadn't seen Alice. When Rosalie showed up alone, I started to really worry.

"I think we need to spread out and try to find her. Something's wrong; this isn't like Alice not to tell any of us what she's doing." There was urgency in Jasper's voice.

As Jasper started going over his strategy, Alice walked into the cafeteria and slowly moved forward.

"Where the hell have you been?" Rosalie hissed as Alice sat down next to Jasper.

"How bad?" I asked, already reading Alice's mind. Every muscle in my body started to tense.

"She looked terrible, Edward," Alice said. "There were circles under her eyes, and bruises on her face. She had an ankle brace on her foot and using crutches. She came into history class to get her lessons she had missed, but she's gone again."

"Who? Jane?" Jasper asked. "Is that why you weren't at break?"

"I went to the parking lot to look for her, but her car was already gone." Alice glanced my way. "I didn't want to upset Edward."

"I'll be back after school to pick you guys up." Rosalie groaned as I quickly walked out the door.

I hoped Alice was exaggerating and Jane wasn't as bad as she had described. I pulled up to her house and parked on the other side of the trees, hiding my car from the view of her window. There were no other cars in the yard, meaning Jane was alone. This time when I rang the doorbell, I heard movement coming from the first floor near the back of the house.

"Who is it?" Jane's voice called out.

"Edward."

There was silence from the other side of the door. She was close enough I could hear her heart beating faster than normal. When she opened the door, our eyes locked.

Damn! Both our voices echoed inside my head at the same time.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

My eyes quickly accessed her injuries: there was a large knot on her forehead, which was turning yellow, her jaw was bruised a deep purple color and swollen, an ankle brace was on her left foot, and scratches on her hands. There was no sign that any sunlight had lingered on her pale face. Her brown eyes looked tired and…frightened?

"I got out early — what happened to you? Where have you been?" My fingers longed to reach out and touch her delicate skin.

"I had to go out of town; there was a death in the family."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You must have some rough relatives in Florida."

"Florida? Oh…" Her long, slender fingers touched the knot on her head as she offered me a shy smile. "I fell. Sprained my ankle pretty good, too." She stuck her left foot out showing her brace.

"Alice said she saw you briefly during 2nd period and you didn't look well."

She gave a quiet laugh. "Mom worried what people would think seeing me all beat-up and bruised. It doesn't feel as bad as it looks. I should be back to school Monday."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

"No, it's my left foot. I should be able to drive." She tilted her head and looked around my shoulder. "Where is your car?"

"Oh, I uh…parked it on the other side of the woods." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I wanted to surprise you, so I hid my car."

"O-kay… you got me. I was definitely surprised when I heard your voice."

"I probably wouldn't have to hide my car if I was guaranteed you wouldn't try and pretend you weren't home like you did the last time." Her face blushed and a smile played on her lips.

"Why is it that every time you decide to come, I always look my worst?"

"That statement depends on whose eyes you're looking through."

She looked down and examined her hands, laughing nervously. "You're too kind. I appreciate you stopping by to check on me. I hope I didn't offend Alice by not speaking to her, I'm just ashamed at how I look."

"No, she was just concerned about you — we all were."

"Including Rosalie?" Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Yes, you could say she was concerned too." Concerned you'd return.

"Tell them I'll see them Monday."

"Glad you're back. If you need anything, just give me a call." I smiled and left, hearing the door lock behind me.

Later that night, I went back to her house and lingered in the woods. The lights were out and only her car and a SUV were parked in the front yard. Austen wasn't home and his window was still unlocked. I eased into the house and could hear her father snoring downstairs. Quietly, I slipped into Jane's room.

She was sleeping peacefully, her sandy colored hair spread across the pillow. She had her left foot propped up on a pillow with a sheet draped over it. I pulled the sheet back and her foot was swollen, three times its normal size. I placed my cold hand against her ankle. She flinched and I remained still until light snores escaped from her mouth again. I stood at the end of her bed, watching her sleep. No words came from her lips, but every now and then, a smile would form on her beautiful face.

I heard her father coming up the stairs, and looked out the window noticing for the first time morning had arrived. I cursed myself for being careless. No doubt he would see me if I tried to make it back to Austen's room — even with my speed. I placed the sheet back over her, and lingered a while longer looking at her. This time, I couldn't resist. I softly brushed my fingers against her cheek. She took a quick breath and her brown eyes fluttered open.