I spent most of the night playing my piano, hiding from my family's thoughts. A constant tirade ran through Rosalie's mind as she watched Emmett with suspicious eyes. Every now and then, when she thought his mind might be wandering, she'd whack him over the head.
Emmett was Emmett, unruffled by Alice's prediction. Rosalie's reaction annoyed more than upset him. He knew he'd stay faithful, so what was all the fuss about? However, he did think the idea of me with Tanya's clan was hysterical.
Alice still refused to face the world, and Jasper sat on the floor outside their bedroom door, feeling utterly helpless.
After Carlisle left for work that evening, Esme came to sit beside me on the piano bench. I was reminded of the Peanuts cartoon where Lucy is sitting at a table with a sign saying "Psychiatric Help 5 cents." I might as well hang one of those on the piano. Since I was the only one with whom my family could have a private conversation, they had come to see me as their unofficial psychologist.
Even in her thoughts, Esme was hesitant. Edward, while we were at Tanya's house... did you hear anything out of the ordinary?
She was joking, right? I smiled wryly and raised one eyebrow.
She returned my smile. Allow me to rephrase. Her brow knit in worry again. Did you hear anything that would indicate unusual... talents in Tanya's family?
Why didn't I think of it before? I poured over the memory again, but even though I could recall everything every person in the room had thought, I couldn't recall anything that would indicate noteworthy talent.
I shook my head no, then added, "That doesn't mean you're wrong."
Why else would any of the others leave their wives? Why else would I give these females a second thought? "I think there's a good chance you're right." But until I had another chance to eavesdrop on Tanya's coven, there wasn't much we could do about it.
The next morning, we all went to school as usual, except Alice. She didn't even speak when Esme tried to talk to her. School was school, a mind-numbing charade so bizarre as to be laughable. Here we were — wolves in sheep's clothing — pretending to be the ignorant children of our natural prey. Last night's events and the ensuing drama only heightened the irony.
After school, I talked Jasper into going for a run with me. We both needed to escape that house. We raced at first, enjoying the competition and speed, but Jasper knew I'd outrun him eventually. We slowed to a walk and he blurted aloud what he'd been thinking all day. "What do I need to do? She won't listen to anything I say."
"She's your wife, and you're asking me?"
"Yeah, well, you're the mind reader. All I can tell is she's absolutely torn up about this. She's had to have thought about what she wants, the thing that will comfort her."
"Actually, she hasn't. She isn't looking for this to be resolved at all. All she does, day and night, is watch the same scene over and over again — you leaving her."
Wait! What? "Leaving her?"
"Yes."
"Not me..." sleeping with one of those females?
I grimaced. "Thankfully, no."
Jasper was suddenly eager, his salvation in sight. "What exactly is the vision?"
"That's not fair, you know."
His hands balled up in frustration. "There is nothing about this entire situation that's fair!"
He had a point. "Alright, then. You're coming out of the forest by the house, and she's just watching you. Then you see her there, and this consuming guilt is in your eyes. You're speaking, but I can't hear the words. She doubles over onto the ground, and you walk past her into the house. A few minutes later, you return, a backpack over your shoulder. You pull her to her feet, kiss her on the brow, and then disappear into the forest."
He mulled it over as we walked. Maybe it wasn't the females after all. Maybe I faltered.
"No. Your eyes were still golden. You'd just been hunting, and it was obviously game."
If it causes her such pain, why would she focus on that moment so much? And then it dawned on him. She's watching for it to change! And it isn't. Then another realization overwhelmed him. She saw one of these females seduce me, and she still wants me. It's not my infidelity she fears, it's my leaving.
The knowledge literally floored him, and he sank to the ground. What do I do? He sat cross-legged, his head in his hands.
Simple. "Don't leave."
But if I were unfaithful, Alice's vision is true. I would have to leave after hurting her like that. I wouldn't be worthy of her love. Then he looked up at me, determination in his eyes. "You're right. I won't leave." I won't leave her side again, no matter what happens, not while we're within a day's journey of those females. I can't hurt her like that!
Leaping to his feet, Jasper smiled for the first time in days. "Let's go home!"
We hadn't made it half-way back before Alice barreled into him out of the blue, laughing and holding him tightly and kissing him. Jasper answered her kisses, sinking to the ground again.
It was obvious where this was going. "I'll see you two back at the house." They didn't bother to answer, even in their thoughts. I ran away as fast as I could.
At the house, everyone else was waiting on the back porch. I'd been blocking my talent to keep Alice and Jasper out of my head, but even so, I could hear the thoughts of the rest of the family from more than a mile away.
Carlisle was the most hopeful. Emmett's wrong. Alice didn't crack — she was happy. I saw her face. Something has changed and all Esme's fretting was needless. We'll be able to stay and become friends with Tanya's coven.
True to form, Esme worried. Carlisle doesn't understand the way a woman's psyche works. Alice can't just go from agony to overwhelming joy. Even if she saw something change, she and Jasper will have to work hard to repair their relationship.
Emmett was actually amused. I always wondered how long it would take her crack. Maybe Rosalie will see how crazy the VISION was too and stop whacking me — or at least, start whacking me in a way I like.
Just because Alice saw something good for her and Jasper doesn't mean that Emmett will stay true. Esme and Carlisle are both thrilled and don't even see that I'm still hurting! For once, I agreed with Rosalie's self-centered assessment. Alice and Jasper were the only guaranteed couple at this point.
"So?" Emmett boomed as I emerged from the trees. "What's going on?"
I drew near enough that I wouldn't have to yell. "Alice and Jasper are back together."
"What changed?" Rosalie asked, poorly hiding her hope.
"I don't know." I grimaced. "Their lips were too busy to talk."
Esme laughed happily at that. "I guess we'll just have to wait a bit, then. But I'm very relieved." For them.
"I do know Jasper decided he would stay within sight of Alice indefinitely, shopping trips and all."
"Now that's love," Emmett muttered.
When Alice and Jasper breezed in two days later, Esme and Rosalie accosted Alice before she could make it across the yard. "What changed?"
I sat on the porch with Emmett and Carlisle as they awaited their doom.
Alice squeezed Jasper's hand in farewell, then stepped into a close huddle with the other two. They spoke in low voices, but that didn't stop me from hearing. The news wasn't good. When Jasper decided he would not leave Alice's sight, she no longer saw him leaving or even being unfaithful. But she still saw Carlisle, Emmett, and me falling prey.
This was the first time Esme had heard that Carlisle — the most compassionate, self-controlled vampire in existence — would cheat on his wife. She gave us a wooden look, then turned and walked away from the house. I'll walk until I'm encased in ice and there I shall sit for the rest of eternity.
I nudged Carlisle. "You'd better go after her."
Emmett gave me a worried glance. "And Rosalie?"
Jasper gave him a toothy grin. "... is loaded for bear."
Emmett swore softly and stood, watching Rosalie warily. My sister looked from Esme to Emmett, then tossed her hair over her shoulder and followed Esme into the forest.
Emmett took a deep breath, then darted after Rosalie.
Yes. Definitely happier without a mate.
Rosalie and Esme eventually came home, but only after extracting similar promises from Emmett and Carlisle. Now Alice's visions showed Carlisle and Emmett remaining faithful too, although the visions were still images and not in motion — likely but not certain. No one asked whether these females would get to me still, but Alice's sympathetic look gave me away. I was still fated to fall.