Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and follows for the last chapter!

I started a new story called The Darkness Knows My Name, and I don't want to give anything away, but there will be a connection between The Eyes That See and The Darkness Knows My Name, so I would really appreciate it if you guys would check it out too!

Chapter 27

Soft, barely audible footsteps filled the darkened bedroom. The boots the young man wore made a muffled thud as he wandered about the carpeted area around the bed.

His bright red eyes scanned every inch, his senses running wild and on a tight rope of control that he felt snapping any second now. The newborn held his breath as he peered out the single window in the room, moving the pale blue sheer curtains with two of his fingers. The night was silent except for the gentle mumbling of voices that could be heard a few blocks down the road. Not a single human or vampire in sight - apart from the only human who slept sounding in the living room downstairs. Letting the curtains fall back into place, the man turned around and let his hand skim the edge of the bed, tilting his head to the side as he imagined the human who'd become such a thorn in his love's side over the past year.

As a red blouse caught his attention, the man picked it up swiftly - not yet used to how gracefully and quickly he moved yet. His mouth filled with incessant sting of venom the moment he pressed the blouse to his nose and inhaled the scent of the human girl. The unnatural fragrance of strawberries and hint of lilacs-

The gentle snoring of the man who slept on the couch called to him, and the newborn was standing in the doorway of the living room in an instant, battling with his own demon as he listened to the clumsy way the older man's heart was beating in his chest.

One bite...

No. The newborn turned his head away, grimacing when his throat burned for the sweet, thirst-quenching blood that pumped through the man's veins. Victoria had said she didn't care if the man lived or died so long as he could retrieve one belonging with the girl's scent.

Just one bite...

The newborn was hovering over the man now, venom practically dripping from his mouth as he stopped himself moments before he could plunge his fangs into the man's neck. He was desperate. Dying to have a taste of blood again, though it had only been a few hours since he'd last fed - the young man felt as if he'd trekked an entire desert.

Before he could come to a decision, however, the jingle of keys and awkward footsteps could be heard as they came up the steps of the front porch.

The newborn's bloodlust was suddenly replaced with resolve as he straightened himself out, stole one last glance at the sleeping man, and shot out the backdoor without making a sound.

He'd come for what he needed.

What Victoria needed to exact her revenge against the Cullens, and Riley Biers grinned triumphantly with that knowledge.

Now everything would be perfect.

Eve's hand trembled at her sides as she stepped into the living room and stared at her new family. Carlisle and Esme had been sitting together on their usual loveseat. Esme was currently resting her head on Carlisle's shoulder while his fingers idly played with her beautiful brown locks as the book on his lap captured his attention. She smiled at how loving they were towards one another, as they always have been since she met the Cullen's parents. Her eyes turned their attention towards Emmett and Rosalie, who played a round of chess. However, by the looks of the burly vampire's deep frown, Rosalie was winning without much trouble and loving every second of it as she winked at him.

Alice had left the house this morning on a hunt after Carlisle urged her to, not liking one bit how black her eyes had been when the whole situation with Victoria had ensued. At least not having Alice around would make this conversation less embarrassing...

A wave of confidence hit Eve moments before Jasper's hand rested on the small of her back. She turned her head to the side and smiled up at him as Jasper's golden eyes studied her carefully. He nodded as he placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered in her ear so that only she could hear him, "You got this."

Taking Jasper's belief in her and the confidence he instilled, Eve took a deep breath and walked over to Carlisle and Esme. The couple immediately sensed her but were courteous enough to give her and Jasper some sense of privacy as they shared a tender moment. The growing relationship between the two had seemed to blossom into something stronger as Carlisle had known it would, but it was Esme who had kept a careful eye on her youngest daughter. For reasons unknown to Eve but wholly understood by Jasper.

Eve was still human, and Jasper was still battling control over his own bloodlust, though it may not be as uncontrollable as it had been when Bella came into their lives. Esme and Carlisle may not show it, but they were constantly aware of how close Jasper had gotten to the girl because they loved both of them so much.

"Eve," Carlisle greeted her as he closed his book and set it on the side table.

Esme began to stand up when she noticed the nervous look on the girl's face, but Eve waved a hand, "No, don't stand up! I just...wanted to ask you something."

"Take a seat, sweetheart," Carlisle motioned with his hand towards the loveseat next to them, and the moment Eve did, both vampires turned to face her completely. Stealing worried glances at one another as Eve's hand rubbed her forearm while she struggled to gather her next words. When he noticed she'd started scratching her skin over her long sleeve, Carlisle gently placed his hand over hers. Curling his fingers under her chin, Carlisle asked, "What is it, Evelyn?"

Eve licked her lips nervously, "Okay...so, um, I don't know if you would agree..." she blew out a breath and felt her cheeks warm as she realized the room had fallen completely silent now, though she didn't look up to see if Emmett and Rosalie were watching her struggle or if Jasper had left the room. She knew the latter had no intention of leaving her alone when a lingering sweet sensation hit the nape of her neck with goosebumps - telling her as much. "I-it's okay if you don't, but I-"

Carlisle was kneeling in front of her them, holding her hands in his, "Take a deep breath?"

He must have heard the way her rampant heart was skittering around in her chest, and knowing Carlisle and the concerned frown on his face, she'd started worrying him.

Eve took a deep breath and exhaled while maintaining eye contact with him the entire time. When Carlisle smile encouragingly, she spoke steadily, "I want to go back to school."

A collective sigh of relief could be heard before Carlisle's lips broke out into a grin.

"Did you think we would say no?" Esme asked her as she joined her husband on the floor, sitting on her heels as her honey-colored orbs watched Eve with concern.

The girl shrugged, "I-I'm not sure?"

Carlisle looked over his shoulder and spoke too quickly and in a low tone that she didn't catch it, but moments later, Emmett and Rosalie excused themselves and retreated to their bedroom. Jasper tucked his hands in the pockets of his jeans and smiled at her before following suit, the lingering feeling of comfort remaining constant even as he disappeared upstairs.

Carlisle and Esme sat on either side of Eve, "You want to go back to school, then?"

"I steadily built up the idea in my head," Eve nodded, staring down at her hands as she did, "I don't know how it would work though, considering..."

A hand cupped her cheek, making her lift her head until she met the kind, warm golden eyes that could only belong to one of the Cullens. Esme gave her youngest daughter a small smile, "I'm so proud of you."

Eve's eyes stung with the affirmation and affection Esme had always granted her since she was first brought into the Cullen household. She smiled back as the woman pulled her into a gentle hug. She felt Carlisle's hand pat her back moments later, causing her to turn towards him.

"Of course, you can go back to school, sweetheart. We have been considering your education for some time now. We can go enroll you in Forks High School again, or I've done some research on a few schools that you could attend online as well if you feel you're not ready to go back just yet."

"This is completely up to you, Eve. And whatever you decide, we'll be right there supporting you every step of the way," Esme added.

Eve's lips parted in surprise as she looked between her and Carlisle. They hadn't told her no...they hadn't laughed or called her foolish for thinking she could go back to school. There was no name-calling or ridiculing at all. But then, the thought that Carlisle and Esme could do such a thing made her remember. They weren't Hendricks, and they never would be. It would take time until Eve could come to terms with that knowledge, to be comfortable in her own skin around them fully without worrying that they would somehow lash out or burst into fits of rage. It would take time before she could fully forget all the things Hendricks had left behind inside her - all the scars that decorated her heart and broken down her mask she'd grown up building to protect herself.

Eve wiped her eyes with her hands to keep herself from shedding tears of joy. The love these two shared with her was at times overwhelming yet, not unwelcomed.

Carlisle and Esme both waited patiently until she gathered herself, glancing at one another with the same love and affection they felt for the girl who sat between them as they smiled.

"Thank you...for believing in me," Eve sniffled as a single tear ran down her cheek.

Carlisle placed a kiss on her temple, "We always will, sweetheart."

Then without warning, Eve threw her arms around Carlisle and gave him a bone-crushing hug as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Carlisle chuckled softly as he ran his hand up and down her back comfortingly, "We love you, Evelyn."

The tears did stop as Esme joined their embrace and shared the overflowing motherly love she had for Eve as Carlisle soothed any insecurities she had moments ago away with kind words.

"I love you guys too," Eve's voice broke in the end as she rested her head on Carlisle's shoulder, but she knew they'd heard her loud and clear.

The slamming of a door downstairs made the three break apart, and it wasn't long before Edward was standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with an unreadable expression that concerned all of them.

"Edward? What's wrong, son?" Carlisle asked, slightly taken back by Edward's sudden appearance, given he'd just returned from Jacksonville.

The girl stood up from the couch and took a hesitant step towards her friend but didn't make it far before his arms were wrapped around her, pulling her into a hug of what felt like reassurance.

"Edward?" Eve stood there frozen with a surprise of her own before Jasper strode into the room. His eyes watched the two intently with a frown that was quickly replaced with a roll of his eyes. Jasper leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms as he grinned.

"You're okay, right?" Edward finally asked with a guilty tone before leaning back and holding her at arm's length to look at her closely, "She didn't hurt you?"

She...oh, Victoria.

Given what happened between her and Jasper last night and the conversation she'd just had with Carlisle and Esme - Victoria had been the last thing on her mind, in all honesty. Edward had been concerned about her, most likely having been told by Carlisle what happened yesterday.

Eve placed her hand over Edward's and smiled up at him, "Yes, I'm fine. Barely have a scratch on me thanks to Alice." Edward's tense posture relaxed slightly until his eyes found the bruises on her arms, and before he could apologize, she interrupted, "It's fine, Edward. I promise it doesn't even hurt anymore."

Edward shook his head before his usual crooked grin invaded his face, and he ruffled her hair, gaining an annoyed groan from her as he left short strands to hover over her eyes.

"Looks like we both have accident-prone humans worry about now, huh, Jazz?"

Jasper's drawl made her shiver with excitement as he chuckled. Eve looked over at him and found Jasper's golden orbs on her the entire time he answered Edward's teasing question, "You have no idea."

The slamming of the door made her flinch.

The pounding of footsteps and usual screams made her jump out of bed and immediately crawled on her hands and knees to the closet she usually hid in. Closing the small folding door, Eve quickly inched away as she heard her father scream.

"Where is she?!"

Her mother's pleading voice was muffled before growing louder as the door to her bedroom was thrown open. Eve pressed her back into the corner of her closet, hoping that her coats and dresses could hide her small form long enough for him to leave again. But he didn't. She bit her bottom lip as he trudged around, sounding as if he were throwing things around the room.

The shattering of glass made her shut her eyes tight, "You better crawl out of that closet of yours, or you'll get it ten times worse, Evelyn. You have till the count of three..." Eve's legs trembled as she rested her forehead against the top of her bruised knees. "One..." Her father's rough, cold voice made her stomach swirl with fear as she knew he was serious. He was always serious. "Two..." The footsteps got closer, and Eve knew she should get out now. Stand up and face him - apologize for whatever she'd done to upset him - but she couldn't. The fear was too much, too overpowering that the only thing she could do was stare in shock as the folding door was yanked so hard, the screws ontop came off, and the door toppled over, landing against the wall beside her. "Three..."

"No! Stop, stop, stop!" A cold hand made her flinch away as she sat up and tried to push it off of her. Not wanting to feel any more pain than she already had.

"Eve, it's me! Rosalie." The hand released her shoulder as Eve opened her eyes, blinking through the tears that had somehow flooded them in her sleep. Her heart was pounding, and her skin felt clammy. As her gaze found Rosalie's golden orbs in the dim, warm light in her room, Eve sighed loudly in exasperated relief.

"Rosalie..." she ran her hand over her face as she fell back on the bed and turned on her side, "sorry if I was too loud just now..."

She felt the bed dip slightly before Rosalie's calm voice cut through the ringing in her ears, "Don't be sorry. These things happen. They'll continue happening until eventually, they fade away into what they are - a memory."

Eve sat up to face the beautiful woman before her, watching her with a stoic expression on her face. Rosalie was wearing a baby blue long silk nightgown that only brought out her arms and neck's smoothness. It made her wonder if she would ever be as beautiful and flawless as this vampire, years from now when she would age into an adult.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Eve glanced around her bedroom, "Did Jasper send you?"

She'd immediately noticed he hadn't been here when Rosalie woke her from the nightmare, but the lingering hints of calm remained in the air around them, so she knew he was still closeby.

Rosalie smiled lazily as she brushed back a few stray strands of Eve's hair from her sweaty forehead, "No, I sent myself. I forced him to stay downstairs, and Emmett practically wrestled him to the ground so that I could go instead of him. I get to spend some time with my sister, too, you know."

Eve smiled at that and could only imagine how annoyed Jasper must be, knowing that Rosalie was here instead of him. Truth be told, she wanted him here too...but having Rosalie around when she was at her most vulnerable state was not bad either.

"Thank you."

Rosalie's smile faltered slightly before she threw herself onto the bed in front of Eve with an exaggerated sigh, surprising the girl with her older sister's sudden inelegant manner of laying down. Normally all the Cullens were swift and elegant in everything they did. Eve honestly didn't think they could do anything that resembled a human's typical clumsiness.

Eve ran her fingers through Rosalie's long blonde hair that had fanned out around her head, admiring the soft strands. Rosalie closed her eyes and sighed unnecessarily as she placed her hands over her stomach, "That feels nice. I can't remember the last time someone played with my hair other than Emmett, of course."

Eve smiled as a memory resurfaced, "My mother used to braid my hair when I was younger. But it was so tangled and curly that she couldn't even brush it. So she'd run her fingers through my hair every night before she could start."

Rosalie watched the girl with understanding as she noticed the sadness in her hazel eyes.

"Did you dream about her just now?"

Eve's heart kicked a beat, but the wave of nervousness was barely there as she contemplated telling Rosalie about her dream. She'd never told anyone, not even Jasper, about her nightmares. It never seemed like something she could relive while she was awake since she did enough of that to last her a lifetime. But with Rosalie...she knew she was safe. She knew she would never judge Eve for anything she told her, regardless if it was her fault or not for what may have happened in the past.

Licking her lips, Eve took a deep breath, "She was...screaming for my father to stop hitting me...she did that a lot back then."

Rosalie slowly sat up and rested her elbows on her knees as she crossed them, listening wholeheartedly to Eve's every word.

The tears were quick to flood her eyes again, but she didn't feel the need to hide them from Rosalie now.

"Believe it or not, my father wasn't always like that. He was...funny, charismatic, and witty. He'd tell me stories of my grandfather and his childhood all the time. I used to be able to tell the stories by heart myself," Eve smiled at the sad memory that had faded away along with all the small, good ones she'd had with her father. "It was only when he lost his job and started working with...him, that my mother noticed a change. Alcohol and gambling, and who knows what else."

Rosalie remained silent, but now she was holding Eve's hand, running her thumb over the outside of her hand as she did, "Humans are complicated creatures. If they're not strong enough, they'll fall into a dark path that is difficult to get out of."

Eve cleared her throat as the knot stopped her from continuing, "Sorry, I don't-"

"Don't apologize to me again, Evelyn. I'm here," Rosalie's golden eyes seemed to darken slightly as she stared the girl down, "I'm always here when you need to talk. About anything."

Eve closed her eyes and let two tears fall as she stared at their intertwined hands now resting on the bed.

"It still makes me sad..."

"What does?"

"Knowing how they died all alone," Eve looked out towards the window and stared at the moon and trees as another tear fell. They were endless, she thought as one replaced the other continuously, "She was going to leave me the night she died. My mother was so desperate to get away from him that she was going to leave. And she would have left if it hadn't been for me. I begged her to take me with her because I was so scared of him too. We were going to leave Forks, but...then we had the accident."

Eve never told anyone about this either...only Carlisle knew, and that was because he'd been her and her mother's doctor.

"And now that he's gone...I can't help but wonder if he ever felt alone too. I never got the chance to fix it."

"There was nothing you could have done to fix him, Eve," Rosalie said with a wavering voice as she wiped one of Eve's tears away with the back of her hand.

"I almost told someone one time," Rosalie's eyes widened slightly as she frowned questioningly, so Eve clarified rather absent-mindedly, "Jessica Stanley. Since elementary school, we'd been friends, and sometimes, my mother would drop me off at her house to play. Well, Jessica played, and I sort of watched her act out silly scenes of her favorite movies." Rosalie chuckled softly, and Eve felt a tug at her lips before it faded away once more, "I remembered feeling scared for her after she dropped her glass of juice, and it broke. I...asked her if her father would hit her for it."

Eve frowned as she played with the soft material of her fleece blanket, "She looked at me as if I was strange. I mean, who would ask something like that? Who would freak out over an accident like that? But I did. I was always terrified that he'd get mad and storm into my room like he usually did. And when Jessica asked me if that's what my father did...I hesitated. I wanted to tell her, to tell anyone who would listen, but then I was so scared because what if no one believed me. What if it only made things worse for my mother and brother. I guess I never really forgave myself for not saying anything that day."

Rosalie's cold hand cupped her face, forcing her to look into her pained eyes as she pulled Eve into a hug. As Eve stared at the night sky over her shoulder, she felt her sister's love in that one simple hug and wished she'd had this sort of love growing up. Being surrounded by Carlise and Esme's pure love made her ache deep inside for her biological parents, grieve for them. She wished her family would have had a chance at this love...

"I'm so sorry, Eve."

Eve wrapped her arms around Rosalie and held onto her tight, wishing she would never lose her new family. Because if she did...Eve didn't think she could ever survive it, and she wouldn't want to.

Not long after they both told each other stories of their pasts and moved on to lighter, happier topics, Jasper appeared in the doorway. Giving Rosalie a wave of his brotherly annoyance before gratitude swayed her to stand up and bid Eve good night. In passing, Eve watched as Rosalie punched her brother's shoulder playfully, and she smiled.

Jasper closed the door behind Rosalie before turning on his heel and striding over to Eve's bed. She sat up on her knees and barely had time to say a word before he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her down onto the bed. Her hand rested against his chest as she rolled on top of him, gazing into his serious, golden eyes.

Running her thumb over his cheek, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Jasper's hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her into a sensual, loving kiss that stole her breath. Shifting so that her legs were on either side of his hips, Eve deepened the kiss happily as Jasper sat up while holding her close.

He needed this; she told herself as she felt his emotions through the bond they'd somehow opened the moment they shared their first kiss. The swirl of anger and protectiveness and regret hit her at first when he'd entered the room, but then as he kissed her and held her so gently against him, all she could feel now was love. As strong as the unwavering moonlight and pure like the still waters of the lake.

He must have heard my conversation with Rose...

It was overwhelming but not unwelcomed to feel his strong emotions for her. She knew he could feel her own emotions as well, and it only seemed fair for him to share his own.

Her feelings for him were just as strong, if not more so, but Eve didn't want to voice them out loud yet. The other night Jasper was about to tell her how he loved her. She knew that - felt it in the air that the passion and needs they felt for one another consumed them completely. But she didn't want to hear him say it. Not when they had yet to talk about what that could mean for their future. What that would mean for Eve's humanity.

Jasper's tongue darted out and licked her lips tentatively, making her gasp softly into his mouth. As their tongues danced together, Eve couldn't ignore the pressure that built up in the pit of her stomach once more.

As she recalled what had happened between them the other night after they'd argued, Eve's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

They'd touched one another in ways that they never had before. Jasper had made her feel things no man ever had. He'd made her feel his own desire for her, and he'd taken hers gladly as he made her climax for the first time.

With a dark chuckle, Jasper spoke in between, kissing her as he moved down to her neck, making Eve bite her lip to stifle a moan, "You're making this harder for me, darlin'."

"In what way?" Eve ran her fingers through his hair as he laid her down on the bed, finally leaning back as he kissed her thoroughly enough to leave her breathless.

Jasper nipped her bottom lip playfully, "You seem to forget that I can feel everything you're feeling. Even your arousal." He'd whispered that last word in her ear, making her shudder.

Eve's cheeks flushed a deeper red, "You can feel...that too?"

Jasper chuckled once more before rolling off her and laying beside her, staring up at the ceiling with a shit-eating grin on his face, "I'm trying to be good here, but it seems that a simple kiss won't do with you. You're hard to resist, Eve."

Eve grimaced when the taunting voice came back in full force, making fun of her stupidity.

Of course, he can feel everything! He's an empath.

"Unfortunately, we have a house full of nosy vampires. Otherwise, I'd never stop kissing you," Jasper sighed as he pulled her closer to his chest, holding her close before pulling the blankets up to cover her. Eve's hand ran up and down his chest as she felt him relax.

"Maybe when we're alone again..." a wave of amusement hit her then, making her sit up with a scowl, "Or not."

"You're adorable when you're mad at me," he pulled her back down and kissed the top of her head before agreeing, "I would like nothing more than to do just that. Which is why I have a surprise planned for tomorrow."

Eve wanted to ask as curiosity got the best of her, but Jasper merely whispered into her ear, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Now get some sleep. I'll be here all night to keep the dreams away."

"I know," she murmured as she kissed his lips one more time before inching as close to him as she could and let the dreamless, calm sleep come whisk her away. Knowing Jasper would be here waiting for her until she'd wake up again.

Thanks for reading!

What do you guys think about Riley making an appearance? And if one of you can tell me you noticed something in that first part, what he took from Bella's room...you might get a chapter early next week (or this weekend).

I really like writing about Eve's conversation with Rosalie regarding her dreams. I think it's so important to discuss trauma as one is healing while also acknowledging that healing itself is difficult. Rosalie understands Eve in ways that make their relationship stronger.