Sorry guys, I have been so busy lately that I completely forgot that I was supposed to update on Saturday!
Disclaimer - I do not own the Twilight Series, but some of the characters in this story are mine.
I know, I'm not alone.
I'm not the only one who is broken.
And I know I'll never let you go.
I could watch the world pass by,
Just as long as it's you and I, you and I.
You and I – Secondhand Serenade
"Do you know if Seth has a full body mirror around here?"
"Yeah, it's in his bathroom." I responded before Bella even finished asking.
She smiled at me before running to the bathroom down the hall. She was back in the room holding the mirror in her hands in less then fifteen seconds.
"You unscrewed it from the wall that fast?" My voice sounded like music even when I was screeching.
"Yes," She laughed. "Vampire speed is not something to be taken lightly."
"Wow," was all I had to say.
"Are you ready, Arielle?" Edward asked, taking the mirror from Bella's small hands.
I took a shallow breath, smiling when I tasted the air around me.
"Yeah, I think so."
Edward slowly turned the mirror to face me.
"There is no way that's me!" My voice went up a whole three octaves as I stared at the reflection in the mirror.
Heronce pale white skin managed to get paler during the transformation, but there was a beautiful slight shimmer to it from the sun coming in through the window. Long dark brown hair framed her face and landed just above her hip, sleek and also slightly shimmery. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of a swimsuit magazine, with strong limbs like a swimmer or a runner. Her face was beautiful; a flawless plane of features. Her- my lips were both full, the cupids bow perfect.
My facial expression didn't change at all as I studied myself in the mirror.
I felt and saw my perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted high above my wide eyes, my long lashes brushing my cheek every time I blinked.
"How long are my eyes going to stay this color?" I asked no one in particular. The glowing crimson color was a little off-putting, but not completely unbearable.
"A few months. With your diet of animal blood, they will turn a dark amber first, then a light golden color, like ours." My eyes flickered up to Bella who was the one to answer my question.
"So until then I have to walk around like this? That sounds alright to me." I was calm, not at all worried about my eye color. Everyone that I could see in the next few months was going to understand.
"Yes, but if you would like, we can get you the brown contacts that we bought for Bella." Carlisle tried to ease the stress that wasn't there.
"No, it's fine. Bella told me they are irritating." My tinkling laughter must have been contagious, because the three vampires started laughing along with me.
"What do you think of your appearance Arielle?" Edward asked as Bella mumbled "Rosalie should be worried."
"I honestly don't know. I never saw myself as beautiful, but she doesn't look like me." I nodded my head to my reflection in the mirror.
"Well, you are gorgeous. And I can't wait for Seth to see you." Bella smiled and I saw her bouncing slightly.
"I think I'm more excited to see him." When I smiled, I noticed my teeth for the first time. They were perfectly aligned and white as pearls.
"Hey, I don't have any fangs!" I joked, and Bella snorted, laughing with me.
Edward was grinning next to her and I even saw Carlisle smile.
"Okay, so what next?" My head cocked to the side and I laughed again watching my reflection in the mirror.
"Well, your control is quite amazing, but I know myself as well as Carlisle, and we are worried about you snapping. It happened to Bella too, but you seem more controlled. It's up to you if you want to take the risk of seeing the three downstairs."
Edward started off sounded like his non-biological father; professional. But in the end, he sounded like the friend I knew I had made over the past few days.
"I can promise you that what you just thought is true." I smiled again, something I seemed to be doing a lot.
"I might be crazy here, but I want to see Seth. I really don't think I could hunt without seeing him first. So I'm taking the risk, let's go downstairs!"
Edward and Carlisle looked at each other for a second, and it was obvious they were having a silent conversation.
"I hate when they do this." Bella said, mostly to herself.
"What, did I choose wrong?" I asked when they both looked back over at me. My hand was on my hip when I continued, something I rarely did. "You gave me a choice and I chose the one that I wanted. If you weren't going to give me a choice then why-"
"Arielle, you do have a choice. Carlisle and I just think it would be best if we brought them up one a time." Edward smiled at me apologetically.
"Oh." I am dumb. "Alright, sounds good. I'm guessing Jake, Emilee, then Seth, right?"
"Actually, we were thinking Emilee then Jake then Seth."
"One werewolf before the other, alright, sounds good. Send them up!"
Edward suddenly laughed lightheartedly.
"Yes, I think that would be alright." Edward said, sticking his head out of the window to smile at Seth.
"What's alright?" Bella and I asked at the same time.
"You will have to wait a little while and see." Edward replied, not even hinting at what was to come.
"Emilee! Can you come up here please?" Bella yelled out the window where the three supernaturals were standing below.
"Arielle, hold your breath." Edward whispered to me, and I followed his advice compliantly.
I heard Emilee's swift but light footsteps work their way up the stairs. My heart would have been racing, had it still beat.
Emilee's footsteps echoed off the walls in the small hallway as she neared the room.
I heard her pause and take a shallow breath before Bella spoke up.
"Hi Emilee." Bella smiled as Emilee poked her head around the corner.
"Arielley?" Emilee questioned as she entered the room.
"Yeah Em." My voice the bell like soprano that I was already accustomed to. "It's still me." I managed to get all of the words out before holding my breath again.
Holding my breath wasn't difficult, not in the least; in fact, it was just as easy as breathing itself. It was uncomfortable though, not being able to taste and sense the area around me.
"Well awesome, I just didn't want you to eat me." Emilee laughed. "High five."
"You know I wouldn't!" I laughed, not bothering to hold my breath any longer. I was across the room in seconds, high fiving Emilee like it was nothing.
Her skin wasn't what the temperature I was expecting it to be. It wasn't burning hot like I was expecting the werewolves to be, but it wasn't comfortable and natural like the vampires. In fact, she was a little bit cold to the touch.
"Edward, what is Emilee supposed to smell like to me?" My eyes darted back to Edward who was leaning against the wall, composed.
"Well, depending on different witches, they all have different scents depending on their personality. To a vampire, Emilee should smell like lemon and mint-"
"With a hint of ginger." I cut Edward off. "Yup, I got that!" I beamed at Emilee. "You know, you aren't even a little bit appealing. Your heart beat and blood are doing nothing to my throat."
"I'm not appealing huh? Hmm. What if I go dump steak sauce on myself?" Emilee had a wide grin on her face.
"Nah, I don't think that would work." I grinned back. I missed being able to joke with her. I walked across the room and pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you Em."
"Yeah, who doesn't miss Emilee? Nah I'm just kidding. I missed your face too."
"Okay, so I think we are all caught up. Can I see Jake now?" I begged Edward and Carlisle.
"Of course. Although . . . never mind." Edward smiled slyly at me.
"Next in line please." Bella yelled out the window.
The footsteps were heavy this time, contrasting wildly with Emilee's fairy like steps. The person standing in the doorframe was not who I was expecting.
"Seth!" I yelled, and before I even had to think about it, I was jumping on him, my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
The grin on his face said everything words couldn't. I leaned in to kiss him, but caught the worried expression on Carlisle and Edward's faces.
"Oh please. Let them kiss." Bella rolled her eyes, and I silently thanked her.
"No, it's okay. We have a few things to talk about." Seth's facial expression saddened as he slowly lowered me to the floor.
Why was he being so distant? And what did we have to talk about?
"Well madam, your eyes are a bit different, but I could definitely get used to them." Seth smiled, and this time it was more light hearted.
"Well thank you kind sir." I smirked, easily joking with him like we used to.
"You're beautiful." Seth said, but when I gave him a confused look, he tried to cover himself. "Not that you weren't always beautiful, but I just mean that now-"
"Seth, I understand." My giggle sounded like bells, just like my voice did. "But thank you." The smile on his face never left.
"I missed you. More than you can imagine." His smile started to fade, but there was still light in his eyes.
"I'm pretty sure I can imagine." I smiled.
Seth looked at me, now very seriousness and I frowned at him.
"And I'm sorry. For everything." He grabbed my waist and I rest my head on his chest. For not finding you soon enough, for not getting rid of Tyler, for putting you through all of that pain."
"Seth, I don't blame you. For any of it." I lifted my head and lightly pressed my lips against his.
"Why hasn't either of them complained about the scent yet?" Emilee asked Edward, and judging by the look on his face, he didn't have an answer.
"There is nothing to complain about." I said warily.
"What do you smell?" Edward asked, as his eyebrows furrowed above his eyes.
"He smells like pine and the woods. Just like he did before. It's just Seth; that's how he has always smelled to me."
"And she smells like blackberry lilac and pomegranate. Just like she did before, only,"
"Stronger?" I finished his sentence because that's how it was for me too. The looks of confusion on our faces must have been identical.
"Another freaky imprint thing?" Emilee asked, rolling her eyes.
"Now that I think about it, Arielle isn't extremely cold to me either." Seth told Edward.
"And isn't he supposed to be too hot to touch? He feels the same as he did when I was human. Not burning hot, but warmer than a normal person."
My eyebrow was raised as Seth and I looked at Edward and Carlisle for an explanation to what was going on.
"Since we don't know if you are still imprinted, for now my only hypothesis is that these are just results of your human imprint relationship." Carlisle sounded just as confused and Seth and I.
This would make things a lot easier, wouldn't it? We don't have to worry about each others scents or temperatures; it would be almost just like before.
"Why don't we bring Jacob up here and see what happens?" Carlisle gestured to Bella who yelled out the window for Jake to make his way up here.
Jake stood in the doorway when he finally walked down the hallway. His facial expression said it all. It was a mixture of shock and confusion, probably from the sight of Seth and I so close to each other so soon. Oh well.
Edward chuckled in the corner and I grinned at him.
"Hi Jake." I smiled warmly at him.
"Hi Arielle." Jake smiled his familiar smile at me, and I just wanted to run and give him a hug.
Jakes heartbeat was slightly appealing and made my throat burn a little, but the scent was enough to keep me away.
"Yeah, I guess that smell thing doesn't work with Jake. No offense, but you smell like a wet dog." I smiled apologetically at him.
"You don't smell too bad yourself." He scoffed sarcastically, still smiling. "You smell too sweet. Like the blackberry scent from before was intensified a hundred fold." His nose wrinkled slightly.
"Well come here then." The movement was instantaneous as I ran over to Jake, wrapping my arms around his neck as I hugged him.
Jake and I winced at the same time as our skin came in contact.
"Ow." I pulled away, rubbing my arms. "Okay, guess the temperature thing doesn't work on you either."
"Guess not."
"Well, I'm going to be with Seth more anyway." I grinned at him.
"Let's say we move this shindig downstairs." Emilee swung her arms as she skipped down the hallway, and Jake shook his head, following her.
Edward and Bella started walking down the hallway when a sob escaped my lips. There were a few things in the back of my mind that decided to make themselves present now.
I crumbled to the floor, crying tearless, broken sobs. The familiar lump was in my throat the whole time, although my body could no longer produce the actual tears.
I heard Seth yell my name from behind me as he bolted to my side. Edward and Bella were kneeling in front of my in less than a sixteenth of a second.
"What's wrong?" Seth yelled, pulling me onto his lap.
"This life is going to be awful!" I cried, burying my face into his chest.
All three of them were silent as I sobbed, my eyes itching like they used to from pollen in the spring.
"I can't run for a mile and feel my heart beating in my chest. I can't swim a 500 and feel completely breathless. I can't feel the sun on my skin as I take photographs of the beautiful things nature has to offer. I can't cry whether it's out of happiness or sadness. I can't do a lot of things now. If there is one bright side to this life, then someone please point it out, because I can't see any." I sobbed.
Everyone stayed silent, and I knew I had proved my point.
"There is one thing I can think of." Seth spoke up for the first time.
"And what in God's name is that Seth?" I snapped my head up to glare lightly at him.
"We are the complete cliché to love stories." He grinned, not even fazed by my harsh tone towards him.
"What are you talking about?" I shook my head, completely confused. All anger and sadness disappeared with Seth's voice.
"I get to spend eternity with you."
I looked at him, completely speechless. My imprint, soul mate and the love of my life was right in front of me, and I got to spend every second of the rest of forever with him. How selfish could I get?
"I guess that does make it a little bit more bearable." I leaned to rest my head on his chest, but he lifted my head up and kissed me.
"I think it's time for a hunt." Bella smiled softly at me.
"I think so too." Seth nodded, pulling me up with him as he stood up.
"Sorry guys." I apologized as Seth wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"It was going to happen eventually. It was only to be expected."
Edward's words made me feel a little bit better.
"Alright, my throat is starting to burn a little more. I need to hunt, like now."
Bella laughed at me and Edward looked at my sympathetically.
"Let's go!"
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- Arielle