This one is a bit longer as well because this is the chapter with the car accident. Also, this is the last chapter that I had already written, so the rest will be posted whenever I have the urge to write. My priority is my Wattpad account, so there's a chance it could take months for the next update or maybe weeks or days. I'm not really sure, it all depends on how bored I am and what I have to do. I also have about five other stories from other fandoms that I write in my free time, so I don't get bored... if that tells you anything about when this may be updated. I am in a decent Twilight phase at the moment though, so don't lose hope, if you're enjoying this.
Waking up the next morning, I noticed that light wasn't flooding through my window like normal. A quick look at the clock by my bedside gave me the reason why. It was currently 4:25 am, aka not nearly the time I needed to be awake. Despite this, I couldn't find it in myself to lie back down and go to sleep. My body was wide awake and ready for the coming day.
Groaning, I kicked my legs in frustration for a bit before finally sitting up. There was no reason to just sit and revel in my boredom. Pushing myself off the mattress, I trekked to the bathroom and leisurely went through my morning routine.
Once I was feeling fresh and clean, I slowly made my way downstairs, not wanting the creaking to wake anyone else in the house. To my surprise, the door was unlocked and I could easily make out the sound of Charlie doing something in the front yard. By the sounds of it, it had to do with metal. Curious, I threw on one of the coats that were hanging by the door and stepped outside to see what he was doing. Snow covered the ground in a thick blanket, and I could feel the cold instantly trying to slip past the thick barrier protecting me.
He looked up from where he was crouched by one of the tires on Bella's truck and sent me an acknowledging head nod. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, going back to work.
"I could ask you the same thing. What are you up to?" I moved closer to try and get a good look over his shoulder.
He glanced back at me. "I'm installing snow tires on Bella's truck." He stood after pulling on the chain to check if it was secure enough. "I'm just about done, I just have to do that other side. The roads are gonna be pretty icy, and I want to make sure you two are safe. Speaking of, you mind riding with Bells till this snow clears up? It'll give your old man some piece of mind." His brown eyes met my own, and I could tell just how much he cared about the two of us, making my heart and throat clench with emotion. I could also tell, from our proximity, that the blood was steadily filling his cheeks from a mixture of the cold and his embarrassment. My throat clenched even more.
I bobbed my head, trying to ignore the sudden ache I felt. "Yeah, no problem, Dad." He nodded to himself and moved to the other side of the truck to continue working on the snow chains. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Nah, I've got it pretty much covered. You should go back inside and stay warm while ya can," he urged.
"Alright then. I'll leave you to it. Don't freeze out here, okay?"
"Will do," he called back, holding up a gloved thumbs up from the side of the truck. I smiled and turned to head back inside, making sure to close the door behind me but not lock it.
Hanging the coat back up, I made my way to the kitchen. When it came to cooking, I was much like Charlie and Mom. I could make basic things like sandwiches and navigate a microwave pretty well, but anything outside of that was a guaranteed disaster. Bella was much better in that aspect. Thankfully, it wasn't food I was after at the moment.
Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, I filled it with tap water from the sink and tipped it back, gulping it down quickly. The glass did nothing to quell the itch that was beginning to develop. Downing another glass didn't help either. My hands began to shake as my breathing escalated. A third glass only served to make the itch worse.
Seeing as water hadn't helped, I placed the glass in the sink and quietly climbed the stairs back up to my room. My mind was beginning to fall into a state of panic as I desperately tried to keep the truth at bay. Sadly, it burst through the walls I was attempting to build clearly.
Blood.
I needed it, and I needed it bad. Just thinking of the word had the small itch turning into a flame. It was manageable at the moment, but who knew how long it would last. Eventually, that flame was going to become a raging inferno just as it had been that fateful day less than two weeks ago… unless I drank blood. I'd have to go and kill an unknowable amount of animals just to keep myself in check and not go draining the entire student body of Forks High. The thought of sinking my teeth into a person's jugular was morbid, and I couldn't help but find it disgusting and mouth-watering at the same time.
Their blood would taste amazing, way better than animal blood could ever hope to. I wonder if different humans have different tastes? What would Mike taste like? What would Tyler taste like? Does the race of a person affect the taste at all? The gender?
I didn't notice I was drooling until a glob of saliva fell onto my hand. That sobered me up instantly. Quickly wiping away the excess saliva, I swallowed thickly and dug my fingernails into my arms, relishing in the pain to keep me sane. I'd just thought of eating my friends like they were meals instead of living and breathing human beings! The week had been going so well that I'd allowed myself to forget what I truly was. How foolish of me.
Tonight. I'd have to sneak out of the house somehow and… go hunting. Gah! The thought disgusted me. I didn't want to have to be a monster that thirsted for blood. I didn't want to kill others just to survive, but those were the cards I had been dealt. My only options were to hunt the animals and suck it up (pun not intended) or risk turning into a bloodthirsty monster and killing my friends or family. Though both options sucked, they were the only ones I had. Of course, I'd go with the one that made me hate myself the least.
Tears came to my eyes, and I didn't try to stop them. After being without them, despite how short the time was, I decided not to take them for granted. Who would have thought that crying would become something I saw as a gift?
Time passed by quickly, and I could eventually hear Bella stirring in her bed. She didn't linger there for long before I heard her stumbling up and moving around. A groan followed shortly after, and I had a feeling she'd noticed the snow outside. She really didn't like cold things.
Instead of listening to her like a creep, I wiped my puffy eyes and decided to hide the sadness behind mascara. Focusing on something else was exactly what I needed right now. So, I threw myself into my makeup, even taking extra time to do my eyebrows. They'd never been so even in my life.
Not long after, Bella was knocking on my door and peeking her head in to see if I was awake. "You're up early, for once," she quipped, coming further into the room to watch as I applied eyeliner.
"Couldn't sleep," I murmured, not wanting to poke my eye out by losing focus. She hummed, continuing to track my movements with her eyes. Once I was finished, I met her eyes in the mirror. "Want me to do yours?" Without hesitation, she shook her head and moved towards the door.
"And that's my cue to leave."
Hearing Charlie's cruiser pull out the driveway, I called out to her. "Oh yeah, is it cool if I ride with you this morning? My tires aren't really the best with ice." I'd let her see what Dad did on her own.
She nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll be ready to leave in half an hour."
"Got it." With that, she closed my door and returned to her room to finish getting ready. I turned back to my mirror and looked over my work. Satisfied with my makeup, I put everything away and grabbed my backpack before going downstairs to wait on Bella. I glanced towards the kitchen and shuddered at the memory of what had gone down this morning. I wasn't in the mood for breakfast.
Bella came down the stairs about 25 minutes later, and I stood from my spot on the couch. She wasn't in the mood to eat either, so we both grabbed our coats and hopped in the truck. She was so focused on getting to the truck safely that she didn't even notice the chains Dad had put on her tires. I decided not to mention it.
We cruised to school at a slow and safe speed. The truck was just as loud inside as it was outside, but it did heat up better than my car ever could. I still didn't see the appeal for the monster of a vehicle, other than the fact that it could probably tank any car that came in its path with little more than a few scratches and dents. I'd still choose my baby any day.
When we eventually made it to the school, Bella parked in her usual spot and we sat for only a moment before exiting. There were a few people who still stared at us, but most of them were over it. Our novelty was beginning to fade, to both Bella and I's pleasure.
As I was looking around the parking lot, my eyes found the silver Volvo. The Cullen family stood around it, chatting amongst themselves… all except Edward. He was staring at me. My breath caught a bit, and I forced myself to look away from him. Damn him and his effortless good looks. He'd reduced me to a blushing little girl with a single look. Now I couldn't help but wonder if he thought my makeup looked nice and cursed myself.
"Hey," Bella's voice knocked me out of my trance, "did you notice these?" Despite knowing exactly what she was talking about, I walked over to where she was standing to look at the chains on her tires.
"Yeah, I was up when Dad put them on early this morning." Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at me.
"What were you doing up that early?"
"I told you, I couldn't sleep, and I heard-" My words were cut off by the sound of tires screeching on the ground. Both Bella and I looked up at the same time to see Tyler's van headed straight towards us.
Time didn't slow down like it did in the movies. Instead, everything became clearer and more in focus. I could see the look of horror on Bella's face and feel her hand gripping my coat. Looking to the left, I spotted a matching look of horror on Edward's face as his eyes bore into my own. Those were the only people I had time to look at before my body was moving on its own accord.
I forced all of my weight into Bella, and she gasped as she stumbled out of the path of the van. I could hear her fall and just barely caught the sound of her head smacking against the ice. Hopefully, that didn't give her brain damage.
There wasn't enough time for me to move, and I settled for pressing myself against the truck as much as I could. My eyes were wide open as I watched the van come closer, so I saw the precise moment that Edward Cullen appeared at my side. He pushed me to the ground, and I had sense enough to break my fall with my hands so my head didn't crack against the asphalt. The van collided with the front of the truck and went spinning in my direction once again. Can't I catch a break?! My eyes were still wide as I watched two pale hands shoot out protectively in front of me and force the van to a shuddering stop, leaving a dent in the side of it.
I wasn't in the clear yet. Edward's hand quickly lifted the van while the other grabbed my legs and held them up as if I weighed nothing. He moved me so that my legs hit the chain-covered tires and let go of the van. It hit the ground with a loud thud that made me cringe and glass popped into the ground around us. There was silence for only a split second before screams filled the lot. I could hear Bella's voice the clearest. She sounded panic-stricken and distraught. I let out a sigh of relief. She was okay.
"Addison? Are you all right?" Looking up, I met Edward's amber gaze once more. He sounded frantic.
I wasn't really sure what to tell him. I hadn't been hurt physically, but I could feel my heart beating erratically in my chest, and my eyes seemed to be frozen wide open. To make matters worse, my senses were on overdrive. I could hear Tyler's pained groan as well as smell a tantalizing scent that made me tense. Blood. The scent was invading my nostrils with every breath, and my eyes left Edward's to look at Tyler.
His head was just barely held above the steering wheel, and his eyes were so hooded that they almost looked closed. Right on his forehead, there were shards of glass sticking out and a trail of blood flowing slowly from the wound. My eyes were glued to it as I watched it trail down his face, everything around me beginning to fade out. My throat was no longer aching but burning with a flame almost as painful as it had been that day. Every muscle in my body was tensing in preparation, and in that moment, I couldn't think of exactly why.
"Addison?!" Edward's panicked voice suddenly cut through my gaze, and I forced myself to look at him. His eyes were even more worried, and I became aware of the grip he had around my waist. The smell of Tyler's blood was still nagging at me, urging me to let loose and suck him dry, buy I held my breath and did my best to focus only on Edward. His earlier question returned to me, and suddenly everything became too much.
Not willing to waste the steadily declining air in my lungs, I settled for just shaking my head. It was embarrassing, but tears built up in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. Thankfully, my makeup was waterproof, and I wouldn't look like a mess by the time I was done. I was quickly turning into a crybaby ever since that day, and I couldn't even find it in myself to be upset about it.
I was surprised when he suddenly pulled me to his chest in a hug. My face was pressed against his jacket, and one of his hands gently held the back of my head to keep me there. Thankful for the comfort, I gripped his coat tightly in my hands and took deep lungfuls of his scent as I sobbed softly. His own scent easily overpowered the smell of blood, and I clung to it like a lifeline. If I didn't, I knew I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from attacking Tyler and outing exactly what I was.
By the time I managed to get myself together, I could hear the sound of an ambulance pulling into the parking lot. I hastily wiped away the remnants of my tears and pulled away from Edward's hold despite how calm it made me feel. He was still staring at me, and I couldn't help but blush. That was embarrassing! "Thanks, and sorry about your jacket," I murmured, not wanting to breathe too much even though Tyler had already been removed from the van.
He glanced down at the tear stains for only a second before looking back at me, a small smile on his face. "I could care less about this. I'm more worried about you." I tried to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest. His worry didn't have any romantic meanings, and my hormones needed to get with the program.
"I'm not okay, but there's also nothing wrong physically. I'm just shaken up. I didn't hit my head or anything; you saved me before that could happen." My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about it. Edward had been standing beside his car with his family; I could picture it with perfect clarity in my mind. That was four cars away, yet he'd gotten to me almost instantly. He'd also stopped and lifted the van with his bare hands! Not even the strongest weightlifter could do that; one-handed no-less. Mix that with his color-changing eyes, and I had great reason to believe that he wasn't human.
His eyes were guarded as I looked at him. It was almost as if he could see where my thoughts were going and didn't like that I was making good observations. "How did you… you were by your car, yet you got here so fast. How?" I questioned, no louder than a whisper so others wouldn't hear.
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head? I was walking over to you, Addison; I was right next to you when you pushed your sister out of the way." His face was the epitome of innocence and his voice didn't give away he was lying whatsoever. He wasn't fooling me though. I knew what I saw. I'd looked at him before I'd pushed Bella, and he had still been next to his car. No one could move that fast.
"You're lying," I said bluntly, looking away as the EMTs began assisting some of the teachers and students in pulling the van, "but I won't push it for now." He looked like he wanted to protest more, but the van was being moved and there was an opening big enough for us to slip out.
Standing, I slid through the gap with Edward close behind me. As soon as I did, Bella was rushing up to me and throwing her arms around my shoulders. Tears were shining in her eyes, and I felt the urge to cry again, only repressing it because the entire student body was surrounding us. "I was so worried! I thought-"
"I know, Bells. I'm fine." I glanced at Edward who was standing a few feet to my right talking with an EMT. Our eyes met once again. "Edward Cullen was close to me when Tyler's van started to lose control. He got to me in time, and nothing happened. I don't even have a scratch on me." Lying to Bella never felt right, and I made sure Edward could tell I wasn't happy. He maintained that innocent look and I focused on Bella.
"That's a relief," she breathed. Thankfully, she'd been so focused on the tires and the van that she hadn't seen him.
"What about you? I know I pushed you pretty hard. Did you hit your head?" I knew she did, but I still had to keep up appearances.
As if she only just noticed, she winced and let out a low "Ow". Ignoring her protests, I led us to the EMT Edward had been talking to and told him that Bella would need a checkup. She tried to say she was fine, but as soon as the man put a bit of pressure on her head, she visibly cringed. That was all it took for the man to lead her towards the ambulance. It was just Edward and I for a moment, but another man came over to ask how I was doing.
"I'm completely fine, sir. My sister is the one who hit her head on the ice. I'm only a bit shaken up. It's not every day that you almost die, you know?" It sure seemed like it to me. I'd nearly died twice within the same month.
The man along with Edward still insisted on doing a check, and I relented, not wanting to make a scene. Edward stood only a couple feet away as the man asked me question after question, seeming to be doing his own checkup. Things were just starting to come to a close when a police siren sounded through the lot. One glance was all it took for me to see that it was Charlie. I watched as he stopped beside the ambulance they'd loaded Bella into. He talked with her for a moment before looking around the lot and meeting eyes with me. "I'm fine, really. Now, excuse me," I interrupted the man rudely before turning and meeting Dad halfway. He pulled me into a tight hug before looking me over with his own eye.
"Bella told me you were the one in the accident. Are you alright?" I nodded, getting a bit fed up with the constant questions.
"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. The van didn't even touch me. Tyler and Bella are the only ones who got hurt. I pushed her out of the way, and she hit her head," I admitted. He didn't look happy about that.
"This could have gone a completely different way, Addison. You could have been hurt or even killed! Don't ever do anything like that again," he ordered sternly.
"What else was I supposed to do, let her take the chance of getting caught up in it too? I'd rather keep her safe than myself."
He looked frustrated and sad at the same time. "I'm not saying what you did was wrong, Addie, but I hate the thought of losing either one of you." My irritation disappeared, and I sighed. I understood where he was coming from, but I knew I had a better chance of surviving an accident like that than Bella did.
"I'll ride in the ambulance with Bella. You're meeting us at the hospital?" He nodded, and we went our separate ways. I was allowed to ride in the front as we made our way to the emergency room. The entire way there, I couldn't get Edward Cullen out of my mind. What is he hiding?