Chapter 28 - It's All Over Your Face
Author's Notes: I wish there was something I could say about the severe lack of an update. Really, I can't say anything that's adequate enough. Severe writer's block is the truth, yet it doesn't seem good enough. All I can say that I have intense gratitude to everyone who stuck by this story since the beginning, as well as the fans that came on without my knowledge. I truly thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart.
I own nothing, except the storyline, the mistakes, Richie, and Alicia.
Thoughts are in italics.
He was there, but also not. He was aware of his family having quiet conversation with the human girl next to him, but he was unaware of the words being spoken. He was too far in his own head, too lost in his own thoughts to pay any attention to anything going on around him. His mate was in the hospital, likely getting stitched up by his own father. Simply because he was associated with him. He'd been attacked simply because of association with him. Not just once, but twice.
The thought would have made him violently ill if he were still human. As such, the thought made him nearly break the wooden arms of the chair he was sitting in. He knew it would continue to happen, like Rosalie had said. His fragile, human love would continue to be attacked by a member of his own kind, if not more of them. Whether it be her, the wife she mentioned, or someone else entirely. Until one of them ended up succeeding. Until one of them ended up draining him dry. Edward would follow him to his grave within hours of the final beat of his heart.
Or, he would leave him first.
The thought was equally as distressing as thoughts of Richie's death at the hands of another vampire. Edward didn't want to leave his mate, not by any stretch of the word. But, if leaving him meant that he would be safe, then he would do it. It would take every ounce of willpower in his being in order to do so, but he could do it. At least he thought he could.
He would never leave the human's side entirely, he'd always be watching over him. He did it before without Richie's knowledge, he could do it again. He would resolve to a short 70 years of heartbreak until the one he loved had died a natural human death. Rather than a violent one at the start of his life.
A nudge to his upper arm made him break out of the statuesque trance he'd placed himself in. The contact was far too light to be that of any member of his family, and his amber eyes immediately fell to the only human in their midst at the current moment.
"I know what you're thinking." Alicia's blue eyes stared into his amber one behind her frames. It was slightly unnerving, how he almost believed that she knew exactly the thoughts racing through his head. Still...
"Oh?" A perfectly sculpted brow raised, skepticism evident in that simple motion.
"You're not going to leave him." The human girl's words were serious, as if she had heard them directly from Edward himself. "I know you're thinking it, it's written all over your face. But, I also know that you won't do it."
"It's for the best." Edward's argument was simple. The image of his mate happy with another was torture, but necessary. He would be willing to bear that if it meant Richie would be alive.
"Except it's not." Alicia cut in easily. "He'll follow you. Mark my words when I say that he will follow you. He will track you down with the ferocity of a bloodhound, and he'll never rest until he finds you. Or he'll die trying. Either way, you'll torture him for the rest of his life if you leave him now. However short it may be. Attacks or otherwise."
Edward's other brow joined it's counterpart, both nearly going into his permanent bedroom hair. "And you know this from personal experience?" His question came out mocking, though it was of genuine curiosity. Any inking as to what the girl, and his mate by association, could be would help him and his family out in any way. Whether to protect themselves or to protect his mate from others.
"I do." Any trace of Alicia's conviction leeched out of her words with that simple sentence. It was like she grew up right in front of Edward's eyes. It was like she was no longer a simple high school student with the problems of a teenage girl. It was like she knew the feeling of the one she loved getting taken away from her. "I know how it feels to be enamored with someone, on a level beyond comprehension. He left me, I followed him, he ended up dying trying to fight who he was at his core."
The vampire's marble forehead creased as he took in the blonde girl's story. Except, he had the feeling that it wasn't just a simple story. He had the feeling that she had lived through it, and he didn't need to tap into her mind (not that he could, he'd already tried and found it as silent as his mate's) to know her words were genuine. He believed her. And he ended up running a hand through his bronze hair in frustration.
"No wonder he got so quiet." Jasper's Southern drawl shocked him a bit more into the reality of the situation. He'd honestly forgotten his own family were there.
"Were you really thinking of leaving him? Especially at a time like this?" Esme's amber gaze pinned him to his seat. Though, she did not raise her voice at all, Edward felt as if he'd just landed himself in a massive amount of trouble. He never got the chance to answer, as she continued on without waiting for his answer. "Edward, listen to me. Leaving him is not a decision to take lightly. You will be drawn back to him, on more than just a level than to see him. He is yours, and you are his. Human." She chanced a brief glance at Alicia, one that was as quick as the girl's heartbeat. "Or not. You will regret this decision if you see it through."
"What other choice do I have?" The bronze-haired man practically moaned the question out. In this moment, he truly felt not only his centuries-long life, but also the true age he was turned. It was conflicting, wanting what he wanted, but also having to live in the constant fear of Richie being harmed. "Him suddenly living with us won't fix everything. I want him in every way, but I also want to do what I can to protect him. Even if that includes leaving."
"Him staying with us will be a start." Esme's voice was firm, though gentle. Her youngest son needed to hear this, and she knew it. To understand this. She knew and understood that this was all new for him. Edward had finally found his mate, with the added hiccup of his human fragility. While it would require more protection, it was something that needed to be done. "You will not be able to leave him. You won't, any more than I can leave your father. Any more than Alice can leave Jasper. Any more than Emmett can leave Rosalie."
"Any more than I could have left my other half."
Alicia's quiet voice made every pair of amber eyes turn to her, every pair of eyebrows raised at her in silent question. "It's not my business to reveal what he is." The girl cut off abruptly, hastily amending her thought. "What we are. To any of you. Just like it wasn't my business to reveal what you are to him." She shifted a bit when she saw no one's look soften at her apology. No one but Esme's, that is. "And for that, I'm sorry. He's like me, and I thought I was doing something to protect him." Her gaze went to the bedroom-haired man sitting next to her. "I can see now that I reacted hastily, and that I had a part to play in putting him in this situation. If it wasn't for me, he might not be here."
Edward couldn't deny that her telling his mate about what he was definitely had some part to play in their current situation. Dancing around each other, tentatively attempting to remain platonic even though everyone could see they didn't want to, Edward staying away to leave his mate unprotected and vulnerable. But, the fact that she was contrite about it all instead of simply laying the blame on him was a factor he also couldn't ignore.
"Thank you." He wasn't just saying the words. He felt them.
She gave him a simple nod in response, her smile apologetic. Though, it fell off her face when she turned to the rest of the family, her tone and posture becoming business-like. "I'll offer up my help as best as I can, as well as offer any of my gifts. I can see that I had a part to play in him getting attacked by another vampire, and I'd like to help keep Richie safe in any way I can. Just know that I have some form of an understanding of how much Edward and Richie mean to each other, and to sever that bond would be traumatic on both of their sides."
She spoke like she knew it from personal experience, and Edward had no doubt that she did. She referred to this unnamed figure as her 'other half', but the words carried more weight than the words the local high-schoolers tossed around to describe every relationship they'd been in. He knew she meant the words like they were supposed to be meant, just like the bond between him and Richie couldn't be ignored.
That was where he was conflicted. He had no desire to leave his mate, but also wanted to protect him at any and all costs. There was no other option. He could leave, but he would only be drawn back, as his mother had said. Richie could stay with them, but everyone knew that vampire would be back. There was only so much him, his family, and Alicia could do. Of course, there was another option...
The thought hit him as fast as the sheer terror did. To put him through that kind of pain...would it be worth it? Even to protect him...
Richie could be turned.
