SM owns Twilight. We just want to live in her world a bit longer.

Chapter 26

Up until now, Eva's life could be divided into two; the safety and comfort of home and the outside world. At home, she had her Grandma, which is all she needed in life, or so she thought. Sybil, her Grandma, was her best friend, mother, teacher, and grandparent; she was her whole world.

The rest world, the world beyond the safety of their little bit of forest, was unforgiving. But, Eva will admit that she has met a few friendly people out there. Joy, the lady from the grocery store, always smiled at her and put an extra lollipop in her bag. Silas, an elderly gentleman she met when she was five, often walked with her on the beach, and they would throw rocks, trying to skim them along the flat part of the waves.

However, other than that, people didn't talk to Eva. Instead, they would look away quickly, as if they could catch something from her just by looking into her eyes, or they would openly stare with looks of disgust. Small children would often wave to her when she was younger, but their parents would pull them away.

For the most part, Eva didn't leave the safety of her home unless she had to, and when she did, it was usually with her Grandma. Now, her Grandma was not scared of anyone; it was the other way around. She walked through town with her head held high and scowled at anyone that looked at them too long. If someone became too 'vocal', she might even threaten to curse them. Eva would just shake her head and look at the ground. If she didn't look at them, she couldn't 'hear' what they said.

By the time Eva was fifteen, she had worked out how to time her visits to the outside world to see as few people as possible. She tried to keep her eyes to the ground and walked quickly. As she got older, she worked out that kids could be the cruellest, so Eva particularly hated school holidays, as they were always around.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunate, that on the first Monday in September, Eva mistimed her visit to the local cafe and ran into two bored teenaged boys. Eva wanted to get something for dessert that evening; it was her Grandma's birthday.

Eva did not expect to meet a young girl named Bella, who changed her life.

It was highly unusual for Eva to accept Bella's offer to walk back to her house, or someone else's house for that matter, but something was pulling her towards Bella. She had learned from a young age to trust her gut, so she went with her. She was so glad that she did because she met him.

Seth.

Seth was the kindest boy she had ever seen. He made her feel things she had never felt before. He made her heart beat faster, her cheeks flush hot with a single glance, and her body felt warm from the inside out.

Once again, Eva found herself in a unique position, letting someone walk her home. No one ever came to their house, and she was used to doing everything by herself. Yet, she didn't want to leave Seth, not just yet. She couldn't explain it, but from that first glance, she knew she could trust him. There was something about him that drew her in.

Grandma was shocked and upset that Eva had risked her safety by being alone with a boy. A boy she had just met. Then she embarrassed Eva by asking him if he was a wolf-boy. It was stories like this that had made them a pariah in their own town.

Eva couldn't believe it when Seth admitted it was true. She wasn't scared of him, but she was confused. When Eva took a step back, she immediately regretted it. She could almost feel the hurt that it caused Seth by her reaction.

Then, the next bombshell was dropped, Seth had imprinted on Eva. She had heard about imprinting in the stories and felt a mixture of delight and terror that it was true and had happened to her.

Her Grandma broke the tension in the room by laughing. Eva had never seen her laugh this hard in all her life. It was contagious, and Eva couldn't help the smirk on her face.

When Grandma had stopped laughing, Seth looked back to Eva, "are you okay with all this?" he asked.

Eva looked away for a minute to absorb all the information. If these legends were true, then the curse on her family might be true as well. She had always thought it was just a tale told by small-minded people who didn't like that they looked and lived differently. Maybe they were cursed?

She looked up at Seth, confused, her stomach churning from all the unsettling information. "I think I need time," she admitted truthfully.

"Okay, that's okay, I can give you time. I can give you anything you want," Seth reassured her.

They exchanged mobile phone numbers, and with a longing glance, Seth left the house.

Grandma and Eva settled into their usual routine of preparing diner together. They never usually conversed much during this time, as they needed their hands to cook. Eva felt relieved that she was to be able to think without being asked any questions. Her mind was full of possibilities; some were hopeful and happy, and others were scary and painful.

After dinner, they moved to the couches. Eva apologized for not having dessert, but her Grandma said that she didn't care.

"So," her Grandma signed. "How are you going with all this?"

Eva sighed, "are they all true?" she asked.

"The legends?" Sybil asked.

Eva nodded.

"Yes, they are," she confirmed.

"Even the story about us?" Eva had to ask.

Sybil studied her granddaughters face for a silent moment before nodding.

Eva felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Can you tell me them, again? The legends, the stories?"

"You already know the stories," Sybil signed.

"Yes, but I didn't think they were true then."

So for the rest of the evening, Sybil told Eva about all the legends of the tribe; the story of the great flood, the cold ones, Taha-Aki, and the third wife. Eva loved watching her Grandma tell these stories, she got so animated, and there was a spark in her eyes.

Then came their story.

"The Black's were not always the leaders of our tribe…"

XXXX

Eva went to bed that night with a lot on her mind. After closing her eyes, she felt a vibration from her phone. It was unusual to receive a message this late in the evening, especially when her Grandma was already home. So she knew who it would be from.

She felt butterflies in her stomach as she reached out to grab her phone on the side table.

Goodnight Eva, I'm so glad I met you today. Seth

Eva felt a huge smile on her face; she quickly typed a reply.

Goodnight Seth. Thanks for walking me home. Eva

As soon as she sent the message, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She probably shouldn't have sent that. She knew what she had to do, but she needed time to work up the courage to do it. So instead of dwelling on the inevitable, she laid back down in bed, closed her eyes and revisited the vision she had seen at the imprint.

Flashes of an impossible future fluttered through her mind. Eva was lying on the beach looking up at the stars. Seth had her tucked into his side, and they were talking; Eva didn't know about what, but it didn't matter; they were hopelessly happy. Another scene, just as unlikely, was Eva walking down the beach, dressed in white, her handsome prince waiting for her at the end aisle. Everyone around them was just a blur to Eva, they didn't matter at this moment, or maybe it was the thin veil she wore over her face. All that mattered was Seth, waiting for her with a brilliant smile. Then there was the last scene, the most impossible of them all.

That last image was the one that sealed the deal. It could never happen. It was just a hope, a wish, a reminder of what they couldn't have, of what she could never have.

So, instead, Eva focused on the first two images and let them roll through her mind until she drifted off to sleep.

On Tuesday, Eva was slightly disappointed that she didn't hear from Seth. However, she had asked him for time, and he appeared to be giving her that wish.

On Wednesday, Eva was feeling a little jittery. She struggled to focus during the day and was starting to feel quite cold. So, she lit the fire and kept it going all throughout the day.

On Thursday morning, she was curled up under a blanket on the couch in front of the fire when Sybil stood in front of her. She waited for Eva's glazed over eyes to focus on her face.

"How are you feeling?" Sybil signed.

"I'm fine," Eva replied.

"Cold?" Sybil asked.

Eva nodded.

"Uncomfortable in your own skin?" Sybil suggested.

Eva nodded.

Sybil sighed and sat down next to her granddaughter.

"It is the imprint," Sybil told her.

"What?" Eva asked.

"You need to decide if you are going to accept it or not. Until you do, you will only get worse. Your soul is essentially being ripped into two," Sybil told her.

Eva sighed. "I know, but I just can't bring myself to say it."

Sybil studied her face carefully. "Why are you rejecting it? It is a gift from the spirits."

Eva starred at her Grandma with fury in her eyes, "the spirits are the ones that cursed us into this life we have been forced to live."

"No," Sybil shook her head. "That was men who abused their power, not the spirits."

Eva looked away, not willing to accept her Grandma's explanation.

Sybil waited until she looked back, "you need to speak to Seth. Do it today," she commanded her before getting up and going to work.

Eva sat on the couch for another half hour, working up the courage to type the message to Seth. Finally, she picked up her phone and typed it out. Her finger trembled as she held it above the send button. After a few minutes, she finally pressed it and closed her eyes.

Almost immediately, she felt the familiar vibration of an incoming message.

She ignored the butterflies in her stomach and read the reply. Seth was going to meet her at the beach in an hour.

Eva got herself ready to go, checking her hair at least twice, and changed her outfit multiple times before she finally left the house. She was now running late, so she walked quickly down the footpath and headed towards the beach.

She felt her heart starting to race the closer she got to the beach, and by the time Eva saw the dark, coarse sand of the beach, she had to stand still to catch her breath. She was staring out at the water when she felt a warm hand touch her arm; she whipped around and came face to face with him.

She let her eyes rack over his body from his chest to face and couldn't help the smile on her face when she looked into his eyes. Then, as quickly as it appeared, she remembered what she was about to do, and her smile disappeared.

Seth looked at her for a few heartbeats before he raised his hand and signed "hello," to her.

Eva tried to swallow her smile but failed. So instead, she signed "hello," back.

"How are you?" he signs to her. Eva closes her eyes; she can feel her heartbreak. No one has ever tried to learn sign language to speak to her before. When she opens her eyes, she has tears in them.

"Good," she signs back.

Seth looks confused and tilts his head to the side. "What's wrong?" he asked but didn't know how to sign that yet.

"Nothing," she replies. He looks at her sceptically.

"Let's go for a walk," Eva signs and says at the same time.

"Sure," Seth says.

They walk along the beach for a few minutes. Eva sees a large piece of driftwood up a bit further, she points to it, and they walk up to it. She can feel the tension in the air, and Seth looks very nervous when they reach the log. Eva sits down, and Seth sits next to her, a bit of space between them to look at each other comfortably.

Eva looks up in Seth's face and can feel her stomach doing flips. "Seth," she says, not signing now. "I think you are a wonderful guy, and you even started to learn sign language for me, which no one has ever done for me before. But…" she takes a deep breath and watches as Seth's face falls even further. "I don't think I can do this."

"What do you mean?" Seth asks.

"The imprint."

Seth sits silently for a few minutes, just staring out into the ocean. Eva can see his fingers are digging into the log on each side of his legs.

"Why?" he finally asks.

Eva looks away. "It isn't fair on you."

She feels his hand on her arm, trying to get her attention. She blinks away the tears threatening to fall.

"What are you talking about?" Seth asks.

Eva couldn't bring herself to look at Seth as she admitted her deepest secret. "I am cursed, and if I had children, daughters, they would also be cursed. I don't want you tied up with me, and I don't want to bring children into this cruel world. So the curse stops with me." By the time Eva had said the last sentence, her tears were falling down her face. She quickly wiped them away.

She felt his heat, his presence before she felt him. His arm went around her shoulders, and he pulled her close to his chest. Eva felt her breathing falter at his touch; it was like a warm drink filling your body on a cold winter's day. She couldn't help but lean into him, resting her forehead on his t-shirt covered shoulder. His warm arms engulfed her, and she felt the tears falling freely. Eva tried to reign them in, but they wouldn't stop. It was like a dam breaking, and nothing could stop them until they were all cried out. Seth didn't stop stroking her back, even after the tears and the sobs had stopped, so she stayed in his arms as if it was the last time she would ever feel his touch.

Eventually, she had to pull back and move away from him. He reluctantly released her, and she moved a few feet away from him.

"Sorry about that," she said, playing with the end of her plait.

When she finally looks back at his face, it isn't filled with hatred or rejection as she had thought it would. "Is this why you have been avoiding me?" he asks.

Eva nods but continues to watch him.

"Being your imprint means that I will be whatever you need me to be. So, if you want nothing to do with me, I will accept your wishes and leave you alone." He pauses, "however; I could just be your friend? We don't have to be together romantically if you don't want to." Seth seemed to hold his breath as he waited for Eva to respond.

"But, what do you want? Eva asks.

"I want you," Seth says sincerely. "I don't care about a curse or town gossip. I am all yours, and any part of you that you want to give me, I will gladly take."

Eva sat still for a while. She hadn't considered the possibility of just friends. There were two parts inside of her, waring with each other. One side said that if you love him, you need to let him go. You are too dangerous to him. You know what happened to your grandfather. While, the other side needed Seth like he was her air, and she couldn't breathe without him.

"Would that be okay with you? Just to be friends?" she asks sceptically.

"Of course," Seth answers with a smile. "To be honest, that is all I feel you need at the moment anyway."

"We can never be anything more than friends," Eva admitted sadly, even though deep down she knew she could love Seth a whole lot more than a friend would.

"That's totally okay with me. I promise," Seth said. He seemed to be genuine.

Eva bit her lip and looked back out to the ocean. Could she do it? Just remain friends with Seth? The alternative, to cut him from her life, seems almost impossible; it felt like it might actually destroy her.

She took a deep breath, looked him in the eyes, "I think I would like that," finally admitted to herself and Seth. As soon as the words left her mouth, it felt like something clicked into place inside her. He filled a hole inside her chest that she didn't even know was there before she met him. She blinked away the tears.

Seth's responsive smile was so wide that it reminded her of a toothpaste commercial.

"So," Eva said, "have you been learning ASL?"

A/N Hi guys, I am getting a bit nervous about this story. I had all these plot points in my head when I started writing the story, but now that they are written out, I'm scared of offending someone.

I do not believe that deafness is a curse, and when Eva says she doesn't want to pass it to her children, she is talking about the curse, which has caused their family to be rejected by their community.

I want to apologize, in advance, if I offend anyone with my lack of knowledge about the deaf community. Please know that it is not my intention to upset anyone. This is a work of fiction meant for enjoyment.

And, on that bummer of a note, I hope you are still enjoying the story. Let me know what you think. Do you think she can just remain friends with Seth?

Back to Jake's POV next chapter. It's a fun one (well, I enjoyed writing it).