Chapter 8: I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

Leah clumsily rubbed at her bleary eyes once she finally roused to consciousness the next morning. She hadn't slept well at all, her mind replaying the events of earlier in the evening over and over torturously. Every time she could feel herself waking up, a gentle hand would smooth her hair back, shushing her as her eyes closed again. She wanted to burn the image of Violet being dragged across the Cullen property out of her brain forever.

"Good morning," said a soft voice next to her. Leah sat up on her elbows to look over, and Violet was sitting beside her reading a book- "The Canterville Ghost." Much to Leah's internal dismay, she was fully dressed and the skimpy little nightgown she wore was nowhere to be found, instead wearing a pink ruffled dress over a white turtleneck. "How did you sleep?" Violet asked her, flipping a page.

"Horribly," Leah mumbled, her voice raspy from her morning grogginess. "Wha' time is it?" she asked.

"Eleven."

"Ugh."

Violet gracefully hopped up from the sofa, folding her page in her book, and Leah shoved the blanket off of her as she forced a wedge between the shoved-together sofas so she could get up. "You probably have a lot of questions," Leah said unsurely, knowing today was going to be the day she discussed the imprint with her. "Well, you can't answer any of them on an empty stomach, you know," Violet replied cheekily. "Let's go get you breakfast. Or lunch, I assume?"

"But…don't you…?"

"You need to eat, first!"

Leah felt a little whiplashed by the quick aversion from the topic at hand, but nodded her head anyway. "Sure…" she muttered, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. She walked over to the black duffle bag full of clothes in the corner of Violet's room that she'd left there weeks ago and pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a white t shirt.

"Can I use your- "

"Yes! I left a towel in there for you."

Leah looked at her questioningly. Things felt strangely uncomfortable, a phenomenon that never occurred between both women. She desperately tried to understand why things felt so… awkward. Why did it seem like Violet was acting particularly weird this morning? Or was Leah just imagining things? But as she searched Violet's carefully blank face, she couldn't get a gauge on what could be bothering her.

As she stood under the hot water, she could hear things moving around outside, but she paid it no mind. She lathered Violet's expensive shampoo into her hair, letting the pressure of the water soothe the tension in her muscles. Every day she spent here felt like a day in the Twilight Zone- things rarely just passed on by. Everything was always a big deal. She could only hope the odd tension between her and her imprint wasn't.

Leah dried off, always appreciative that the Cullen's designer lifestyle meant that she could reap the benefits of things like amazingly soft towels and rainfall shower heads, even if temporarily. She wondered what Violet's life was like before all this, before she had big glass houses and a million new cars lining up their driveway like a Mercedes dealership.

She wondered if she'd ever be a part of that, if Violet would allow her to be a part of their big, happy family.

As she stepped outside, her hair damp and laying limply against the sides of her face, she noticed the sofas were back to normal. They were six feet apart, separated by the glass coffee table, and Leah couldn't help but feel like it was an interesting artistic parallel with the weird hesitance between her and Violet.

"Are you ready? I think Esme's made you something," Violet asked, her eyes looking away from her and focusing on the quiet murmurs coming from outside. Leah let out a noise of affirmation, and Violet spun on her heel quickly. She practically flew out the door, not even waiting for Leah like usual as she headed to the kitchen.

Leah felt absolutely bewildered now. She didn't know whether or not to feel mollified that she wasn't imagining their earlier interaction or disheartened by the quietness of her imprint. Esme greeted her with a warm smile knowing none the wiser and served her a pressed panini-looking thing with a side of potato chips. "It's called a Cuban sandwich," she explained as she looked over at Seth, who was helping her wash dishes. "Your brother loved it."

"It was the best thing I've ever eaten! Ever! Thank you so much, Mrs. Cullen!"

"Seth, you can call me Esme. I thought we've talked about this!"

Leah sat down at the huge kitchen island and took a huge bite. Her mouth immediately filled with the delicious flavors of melted cheese and pork, the tanginess of mustard and pickles offsetting the creaminess of the mayo. She let out a long moan, closing her eyes as she soaked in the amazing taste of the sandwich. "This is…amazing," Leah praised. Esme looked over at her, her eyes twinkling and grin wide across her face. "You like it?"

"Mhmm."

Seeing the happiness in Esme's face made Leah's heart feel heavy and warm. It was hard to believe, sometimes, that if Violet hadn't come into her life, she would have never been able to see the Cullen's as they really were. Even though she could tell most of them merely tolerated her presence, Esme seemed to really enjoy having the pack around just as much as Violet and Bella. She could only assume it was because of the innate goodness in Esme's heart that she had been lucky to see for the last month, the kind of heart only a truly wonderful mother could have.

Violet shifted her feet nervously, forcing Leah to look up from the gooey, salty slice of heaven on her plate. Esme must have sensed it as well and walked over to her to put a loving hand on her adopted daughter's cheek. "Renesmee is really thriving, Vi. She's already so calm and she loves to be around us," Esme said reassuringly. Violet smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"That's great," she replied. "How is Bella?"

"Carlisle thinks the morphine is suppressing the reaction of the bite, and that's why she's not showing that she's in any pain. But there's already subtle changes, her skin color doesn't look human anymore. But we'll know in another two days or so," Esme explained. Violet nodded, her eyes looking at the floor. Esme's eyes narrowed curiously.

"Don't you want to go see her? The baby?" she questioned. Violet took a sharp inhale of breath and shook her head. "I don't think that's a wise idea."

"Violet, we've all held her. You're the only one who hasn't, she's perfectly fine. She still smells like one of us, you won't feel tempted. You won't hurt her, I promise," Esme said quietly. Violet kept shaking her head vehemently, her arms crossed protectively over her chest as she refused. "It's too big of a risk. I can't, I don't want to hurt her."

"Honey…"

Leah looked at her imprint, who currently looked shaken and insecure. She was so confused; Violet had been so excited for the baby's arrival. What had changed?

"I could hear her heartbeat," Violet rushed out as she paced around the kitchen. "I… I can't. I'm too scared, I couldn't…I couldn't even imagine…"

"Violet. Jasper held her. Edward held her, and he hasn't fed in weeks. We would never allow anything to happen, okay? Why don't you let Leah in with you, would that make you feel better?" Esme pleaded. Violet looked over at Leah who was currently mid-bite, and a spark of warmth that wasn't there before bloomed across her blank face. Clenching her jaw, she nodded hesitantly, and Esme clapped in joy.

A few minutes later, they were all joined in the living room as they waited for Violet to finally introduce herself to her niece. She was incredibly tense, her fists clenched at her side as she gazed at the baby in Rosalie's lap. Renesmee was the most beautiful little baby she'd ever seen, that was certain, but the delicate nature of her body in comparison to Violet's shook her. She was so, so deeply afraid she'd make a small move and wind up crushing the baby entirely, or that the thrum of a heartbeat in her chest would somehow prove to be appealing and she wouldn't be able to control herself. She took a deep breath.

"So make sure you just hold her head like this- "

"Okay."

"And don't forget to support her neck- "

"Uh-huh."

"Wrap your arms like this- "

"You're all making me feel like I shouldn't be doing this," Violet blurted out, her eyes wide as she looked over at Renesmee, who was currently gurgling in Rosalie's arms. "Maybe I just..."

"Don't be stupid. You're already here, it's not that hard. We just want to make sure you're doing it right since you haven't held a baby in seventy years," Rosalie retorted, her eyes narrowing at Leah's small angry growl. She wasn't a big fan of the blonde talking about her imprint like she was an imbecile, didn't they understand why Violet was nervous? Even Leah felt a little apprehensive.

But her apprehension was solely about the baby itself- not Violet. Even though Renesmee looked like a normal baby, the weird flutter in her heartbeat proved she was anything but.

Violet's arms curled around each other as Rosalie passed Renesmee over to her carefully; her body as stiff as a board as the baby touched her. She looked at the little girl, whose eyes seemed far too old and knowing to belong to a child that was born the day before. Slowly, her muscles relaxed, and overwhelming emotion washed over her like a tidal wave.

"Oh," Violet said softly, Renesmee making a high-pitched squeal in reply. She pulled the baby tighter to her, and lifted her hand to touch the soft skin on her forehead. "She's…"

"Amazing, right?" Edward asked proudly as he looked over at his daughter. "She's perfect," Violet cried. "She doesn't…she doesn't smell like a human, but I can see the blush in her cheeks. Is she…?"

"We suspect she's somewhat of a hybrid; part-human, part-vampire. Even though she might share a lot of human characteristics, she's not in any danger with us. Or no more than any of us are with each other."

Leah watched her from the doorway, smiling as she saw her hold her niece sweetly. A part of her heart thrummed with love as she looked at Violet showing so much tenderness to the child, and she swallowed back her emotions thickly. Even if she didn't believe it herself, Violet was such a naturally caring and loving person that it almost felt undeserving. Seeing her with Renesmee, an image of Violet as a mother came to mind. Imagining her holding a child of their own, showing the baby her natural maternal affection, devotion, and adoration she was currently showing her niece. Leah quickly shook her thoughts away.

But not quickly enough, it seemed. Because Edward was staring right at her. Leah averted her eyes.

"You are so very special, Renesmee Cullen," Violet whispered to the child, who giggled at her words. "How could anyone not be smitten with you?"

"She loves you," Edward told her happily. "I can read her thoughts. She likes your smile."

Violet grinned at Renesmee, her finger hesitantly trailing the baby's face again. "And I love you already, you tiny little thing," she said fondly. "I knew you'd be wonderful. I just knew it."

The baby held onto Violet's finger firmly, and she gave the baby a delicate small kiss on her nose. "See? You were afraid for nothing. She's fine," Rosalie said in a tone that was probably meant to be encouraging but sounded more annoyed than anything else. Leah didn't know if she'd ever like the cold blonde if she continued to be rude to Violet; she glared at her daringly from across the room but Rosalie didn't meet her heated gaze.

"You'll get used to her. Just ignore her, we all do," said a voice next to her. Leah turned around skeptically, facing the bronze haired man watching his sister hold his daughter earnestly. "She's lovely, isn't she?" Edward asked her. Leah looked at the baby, feeling her heart swell a little despite the trepidation she had about the entire situation. She shrugged, her eyes never leaving her imprint. "She's certainly a charmer," she replied simply.

"I'm not talking about Renesmee."

Leah looked at him with a steely expression, not really wanting to launch into the conversation with Violet's brother before she could even speak to Violet herself. "Why don't we go for a walk, you and I?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Leah followed him out onto the balcony, the same place she saw Edward when she first arrived to the Cullen residence all those weeks ago. "We didn't really expect all of the shit that's happened in the last few days to blow up, Seth was planning on talking to you about it after the wedding. Obviously, that didn't happen," she explained uncomfortably. Edward gave her a small smile, his eyes light. "We've all known for quite some time. It was just never the right time, you're right. A lot has happened in the last month."

Leah's eyes blew open, her eyebrows high on her forehead. "You…knew," she repeated slowly. He nodded. "I can read minds, remember? I've known since the wedding, I could feel the intensity of your thoughts halfway across the dance floor. Jasper can feel the emotions between the both of you, and Alice started putting the pieces together when she was trying to search for Violet's future. We may not have spoken about it, but yes, a few of us do know."

"And… are you here to like, warn me or something? Give me the shovel talk?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation. He gave a soft chuckle looking at her for the first time since he walked over to her. "Why would I do that? I know you have no ill intentions. If I saw that you or Jacob had any towards my family, you wouldn't even be alive right now," he answered casually. "Violet has been alone for a very long time, nearly as long as I was. I'm not going to take any chance of happiness away from her, even if I feel… wary about the situation."

Leah's head whipped towards his, her eyes fiery as she stared at him. "If you're trying to spout out some dumb homophobic bullshit- "

Edward quickly rose his hands defensively, looking at her with slight amusement. "I'm not. You should know, vampires don't exactly follow the same social constructs humans do. Same-sex mates are not unheard of. And it's not because you're a werewolf either, I'd be a hypocrite to criticize a cross-species relationship."

"Well then, what is it? Because if it's not that, then I don't know what the problem is."

Edward leaned against the railing; his hands spread out as he looked out into the woods with a mournful expression on his face. "It's not you, Leah. It's her."

"There's nothing wrong with her," Leah argued.

His mouth twisted into something pained, his gaze focused on the ground below them. "I'm going to tell you something in confidence. Because I don't know if she'll ever be brave enough to tell you everything, and I won't betray her trust, but I care enough about her…about both of you…to tell you what you need to know so you can truly understand why Violet is the way she is."

Leah swallowed, and nodded at the man as she looked at him fearfully.

"None of us deserved this life. Bella's…Bella's decision, if you can even call it one, affected us all very deeply because we knew we would have rather died of our own individual circumstances than live this empty existence. Things changed, obviously. You have to move on at some point; stop resenting what you are, and our mates helped. Sometimes, it feels like all of it was worth it, if just to meet the loves of our lives," he explained quietly. "But if anyone didn't deserve it, if there is a single one of my family members that should have never been forced into this life, it was her."

"What does that mean?" Leah asked confusedly, not understanding what he meant. Obviously, she knew Violet probably hadn't longed to be a vampire in the same way Edward's wife had, but what did that have to do with anything? What did that have to do with the imprint?

"If ever a butterfly was broken on the wheel… it was my sister, Violet. The life she had as a human, the way in which she was turned…the torture that she experienced for the next few years until she was lucky enough to meet Esme and Carlisle. She blames herself for much of it, even though she's only ever been a victim. She doesn't believe she's allowed to be happy, and I fear she may try to push any love away because she feels that no one around her will ever be safe."

"But why? She's…she's a good person. There's not a mean bone in her body," Leah pushed. She was so confused by everything Edward was telling her. Violet was extremely compassionate and empathetic, how could she think she was anything less than that? How was her ability to accurately self-reflect so skewed?

"Because from the moment she was born to the minute she became a vampire, she's been nothing but a token. A prize, for others. When she was alive, it was because she was beautiful and naïve, and she so badly wanted to be loved and praised that she attracted…predatory people. In this life, her power has made her extremely well-sought. There is no one quite like her that the vampire world has ever known of, and as you could imagine, the ability to get others to do whatever you tell them is lucrative in the right circles," Edward answered patiently, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"But she doesn't even use…it… all that often. Whatever…allows her to do that, anyway," Leah responded. Edward's lips quirked up in a bitter smile, and a soft chuckle left his mouth. "She's what Eleazar…our cousin from Denali, who can see other the abilities in other vampires…she's what he called a "compeller." It's a talent so few have, and many of those who have it are able to do more simple things, like Jasper's ability to control emotions. He can manipulate the way people feel, he can make them feel happy or angry or even depressed. But Violet can manipulate the way people think, she can make them do things they'd never even thought about doing before they looked her in the eyes."

"Violet hasn't…influenced me, or whatever. She…She wouldn't think that."

"No, she wouldn't. Because if she did use her power on you, she knows you'd be confused and disoriented, and you're obviously clear-headed. But because of the things she had to do to survive, the way she's had to use her power before...she doesn't believe she deserves anything good in her life. But she cares greatly for you, maybe even loves you. So, she won't allow herself to put you in harm's way, and she's willing to sacrifice her own happiness for that," Edward said bitterly. Turning on his heel with a long exhale, he started to head back inside the house and opened the door.

"So…so what do I do? How do I show her that I don't…I don't care about any of that stuff, that I just care about her?" Leah asked, blinking in shock as the weight of his words settled in. Edward smiled at her.

"Don't give up."

Violet had successfully ignored Leah all day, completely avoiding her by sneaking off into the woods or playing with the baby. Even though Leah understood a little more about why her imprint seemed hellbent on pretending Leah wasn't even there, she was frustrated.

She knocked on her bedroom door stiffly, refusing to leave until Violet opened the door and finally sat down to have the long-needed conversation. "Violet," she demanded, shifting her feet nervously. "C'mon, I know you're in there. You're not the only one with supernatural hearing."

The door lock slid over to the side, and a white blonde bob ducked through the crack. "I must not have heard you, I'm sorry," Violet said quietly. The door widened, and Leah looked at her suspiciously. "Yeah…didn't hear me. Very convincing," Leah retorted, unable to hide her aggravation. Violet at least had the nerve to look sheepish, and she sat on the pink sofa with her legs crossed. Leah sat across from her, her elbows on her knees as she looked at the uncharacteristically tense woman sitting a few feet away. "We need to talk," Leah said quietly.

"Well, I was in the middle of my book," Violet replied with a hesitant smile, lifting a worn copy of "Wuthering Heights" in her hand. Leah rolled her eyes, her mouth screwing up into an aggravated grimace. "Well, do you think you can maybe talk first? After all, you have, like, all the time in the world to read it," she asked sharply. A hurt expression passed over Violet's face, and Leah let out an exasperated sigh. "Please?"

"…Yes. But let's go for a walk. I don't…I don't want anyone to eavesdrop," Violet answered softly, her eyes downcast as she stood up from the sofa. Leah followed after her, and in a few minutes, they were outside walking towards the creek Jacob and Violet stood only a few weeks ago to watch out for the other pack. The sound of rushing water filled her ears, and Violet remained quiet as they walked.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Leah blurted out, her eyes searching Violet's face for answers. She gave her a sad smile, and she merely shrugged. "I didn't think I was."

"Well, that's how it felt."

"It was a very busy day."

"Bullshit."

Violet's absent gaze flickered over to her, her expression twisted miserably as she looked at Leah. "What is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked tepidly.

"I…I wanted to talk about yesterday, about the thing that Edward said," Leah replied, forcing herself to take a breath so she wouldn't snap at the other woman. "When Jacob was talking to Sam, he explained that there was a reason why their pack had to leave. Because of something…something called imprinting. It's a sacred rule that you can't hurt an imprint."

Violet stopped walking, her eyes on the clear, cold water running in front of them. She smoothed the back of her dress and sat on a moss-covered tree trunk, not looking at Leah. "Yes," she said oddly. "I heard."

"Do you know what it is? Did you overhear Edward ever talking about it, or maybe even Seth or Jacob?"

"…No."

Leah sat down across from her on the ground, crossing her legs as she looked at the water. "For us…when a wolf imprints, we become…bound to a person. It's like…you feel this inexplicable pull, and everything besides them seems irrelevant. And once it happens, all you want is to be around that person all the time, and you're willing to be whoever they need you to be just so you can be in their life. Their happiness, their safety…it's all that matters. Your imprint is your soulmate…your perfect match," she explained patiently. Violet's head hung between her shoulders, her eyes closed as she listened. "Do you know why I'm telling you this?" Leah asked her.

"Because Jacob imprinted," Violet spoke up, her voice neutral. Leah nodded. "Yes…and because I…I have, too. I imprinted."

Violet swallowed thickly, her eyes still carefully averted from Leah's. Leah shifted herself closer to her, her position on the ground making it impossible for Violet to look away as reached for her hands gently. "I imprinted…I imprinted on you, Violet. You're my imprint. You're the reason…or one of them, anyway, that Sam and his pack had to leave. They shouldn't…they should have never touched you, but they didn't know since I'm not in that pack anymore. But now that they do, they'll never hurt you or your family ever, ever again. I'm…I'm yours, and you're mine."

Violet shook her head vehemently, her face spasmed into pain as she tried to tear her hands away from Leah. She refused to let go, and wrapped the small, dainty pale hands in hers as she nodded at her. "Yes, Violet. I did. You're...it's you. It's always been you, it was always supposed to be."

"No," Violet whispered in horror. "No."

"Yes."

"You…you have to pick someone else, Leah. I'm… I'm so sorry. You need to pick someone else, it can't be me."

Leah held onto her fiercely, refusing to feel hurt over the rejection because this is exactly what Edward had warned her about. She wasn't going to give up on her, she wasn't going to let Violet think she was somehow unloveable for a minute longer. "Remember when we talked about how something greater than any of us had bigger things planned, weeks ago? How I felt certain that I knew you'd experience the love your family has?"

"That was…that was about Bella, not me- "

"It was about you, Violet. I knew because…because fate led me to you, alright? We…we don't control the imprint. Something greater than either of us tied us together," Leah protested. "I've known since I met you at the wedding. I knew, okay? I knew."

Violet shook her head, the expression of horror never leaving her face. "But…you didn't even know me," she whispered. "How could you…how could you want me, you didn't even know- "

"Because, Violet. This is what I'm saying, I did know. For us, all it takes is one single look. That's all. After that, we know. I knew immediately once I met you, you were it for me."

"That's not possible, Leah!"

Leah looked at her, her eyes determined. "I thought impossible didn't exist for us."

Violet looked at her, her eyes shiny with unshed venomous tears and bit her lip. "It's impossible for me."

"Violet," Leah said softly. "You're amazing in every single way. You're kind, you're gentle, you care so much about everybody around you. You're a good person. The imprint…there used to be theories, theories that the imprint was only to allow wolves to pass down the gene. But…but that doesn't exactly apply to us, does it? And that's because…because I think the imprint is supposed to make us better. You…you make me better, Violet. You make me feel whole. You and I? We're supposed to be together, alright? I'll be here for you for whatever you need to be. But you and I are forever."

"I'm…I'm so sorry," Violet sobbed. "I've…I've done the beastliest things, Leah. The people I've hurt, the things I've done…they're so…unbearably, well…unbearable! You have to…you can't be with me. There has to be something that can be done, Leah. I refuse to believe you're stuck with me forever."

Leah grabbed Violet's face, placing her hands on her cheeks to force her to meet her eyes. "Listen to me, Violet. Really listen to me. I…I don't care about any of that, okay? Because that's not you."

"But it is me, Leah. I've killed people. I've killed so many innocent people, and that's something that I did. I've manipulated the people around me, I…can't control myself. Even when I was a human, I did awful, awful things. I don't deserve this…this imprinting…you must be wrong. You have to be wrong."

Leah gulped at her outburst, not sure what to say. Truthfully, she was a little bothered by her confession- but not because she was bothered by what Violet said. Rather, she was a little fearful about how much she truly didn't care about the things Violet had done, the things Violet was admitting to. The power of the imprint, among other things, also blinded her from reason. Fact and reason was all Leah knew.

Why wasn't she more upset?

"Would you…would you believe me," Leah said quietly, "if I told you that I understand? That I know…I know what it's like to carry the weight of so much guilt, I know what it's like to feel like no one will ever, ever love you. I understand that feeling, Violet. I understand what it means to hurt people when you didn't mean to, to make huge mistakes that you wish you could take back. I get it."

"It's not the same- "

"It is. When I…when I phased for the first time, the shock of it…since there wasn't ever supposed to be a female wolf, it was unheard of. When my…when my dad saw me, he had a heart attack. Died before he even hit the ground. The stress of everything forced my brother to phase before he was ready, before he was ever supposed to. Sam…Sam was the alpha of the pack, but he was…he was my ex-fiancé. He broke up with me because he imprinted on my cousin, Emily," Leah explained. Violet looked at her with wide, sad eyes.

"So when I had to join the pack, I…I just tortured everyone, relentlessly. We share a pack mind, a common link so we can all understand each other. I felt so guilty, I felt inhuman, and I just wanted other people to feel the pain I was feeling. So I would play images in my head, I'd play images of their imprints dying or Emily getting her face ripped apart by Sam…just because I could barely live with myself."

"Leah…Leah I'm so sorry," Violet whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm not telling you because I want you to feel bad for me, okay? I'm telling you because I get it. And I used to feel the same way, like I didn't deserve to be loved and that I didn't deserve to have anything good because I was a selfish, evil person who wanted everyone around me to hurt. But then I met you, and you've shown me that I'm so much more than my pain, I'm more than all of the things I've done. I…I love you so much already, Violet. Nothing you say, nothing you do, is ever going to change that. So please, please let me show you what you showed me. Let me show you that you're more than the person you were before. Please," Leah begged, tears spilling onto her cheeks. Violet looked at her, her expression lost and unsure, but a pale thumb rubbed a tear away from Leah's eye. "Leah…"

"All I'm asking for is a chance to show you. Okay? I'll never ask you for anything more than you're willing to give. So let me. The imprint is never going away, I'd never even want it to. I'll go if you really, really want me to. But please don't make me go away, please don't turn me away. Give me one chance. That's all I need."

Leah looked at her tearfully, and Violet looked back at her with sadness in her eyes. "Please," she begged again. Violet searched her face for the sign of a lie, the sign that all of this was a lie or a joke of some kind, but found none. With a sigh of resignation, she looked back at the crying woman on the ground below her sternly. "You…you need to hear everything before you make a decision like that, okay? Promise me you'll let me…you'll let me tell you everything, so you can make an actual decision on what you want to do. If you…if you want to be…with me."

Leah knew nothing in the world would change her mind, but she nodded clumsily as she let hope surge in her heart. "Yes," she agreed quickly. "I'll…I'll listen to everything you want to tell me."

"And…and you need to promise that you'll leave if it gets to be too much. That you'll leave me. Because I can't…I can't bear the idea that you'd…that you'd grow to hate me for the things you've done, all because…all because you didn't leave. You have to go if you need to," Violet forewarned vehemently. "You need to be…you need to be honest with me, and I'll be honest with you. But I can't…I couldn't stand it if you felt like you were trapped."

Leah nodded ferociously, once again, knowing she wasn't planning on going anywhere. That she'd be here forever if Violet let her, but right now, she had to assure Violet based on the terms she was setting for them.

"I feel…I feel so selfish, Leah," Violet confessed. Leah's hands wiped at the other woman's cheeks affectionately, shaking her head. "Why?"

"Because…because I know the right thing to do would be to tell you to go, to…to force you to leave me. But I…I can't, I can't find it in me. It's wrong."

"No, Violet, it isn't wrong. We're…we're meant to be together, okay? You can…you can be selfish with me. You can be selfish this time," Leah promised. She gathered Violet in her arms gratefully, clinging to her desperately as she allowed relief to consume her. This can work, she thought to herself. We can do this.

Violet hugged her back her hand cradling the back of Leah's head as her fingers tangled themselves in her black locks. "I'll…I'll give you this chance, okay? Please…please don't make me regret it. I promise I'll…I'll understand if you go. But please don't lie to me, don't stay with me any longer than you can stand."

"I promise."

A/N: Hello everyone! Here is chapter 8! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Love always,

Fairylight2003