Crushing Gravity

Chapter 26

"It's so frustrating," I sigh, throwing myself down on the damp, mossy, ground. I shift, trying to get into a more comfortable position by drawing my legs closer and leaning into the tree across from the other sprawled body.

He absently wiggles his outstretched leg, bumping me with his foot.

"What is?" He asks, staring through me as he does with those golden eyes.

"Ever since the pack found out about you-know-what, they've been tip toeing around me acting like I'll break with one simple tap. All the sympathetic looks they're sending me are aggravating. The other day, Paul even came up and apologized to me for being a jerk. He doesn't do that!"

Edward shifts, folding his stretched out leg under the other.

"To be fair, I'm pretty sure Rachel made him do it."

I roll my eyes. "Oh, how can I forget about the imprints? Did they have to tell their girlfriends my own business? Kim has asked me if I wanted to 'talk' about it I don't know how many times. I wish they would just stop and leave me alone; it's not even a big deal-"

"Stop it."

I blink, registering my companion's firm glare. His eyes are still their strange gold, but look darker and more natural color.

"It's a huge deal. You were raped, Samantha," he stresses ruthlessly, ignoring my wince. "That's not okay. And it's not your fault."

"I know that!" I snap defensively, and he just raises an eyebrow, calm again as ever. "I just don't want them making a big deal of it and to just act normal."

"That's not true either," he refutes immediately. "If they acted normal with you after learning what they did, and it is a big deal, then that would mean they didn't care. You like that they care; you just hate that they found out at all."

My eyes fall down to my lap. "How do you do that? Know what I feel?"

"I can read minds," he says casually.

I roll my eyes before looking back at him and return to the topic.

"It's humiliating," I admit.

He tilts his head and does that thing that feels like he really is reading my mind.

"How old where you when it first happened? Eight? So you were eight then. A weak, scared, little kid that stood no chance against an adult male. It doesn't matter how hard you would have fought; you couldn't have won. It's not your fault."

I sigh, looking away, tearing a leaf apart into confetti.

"And all the other times? Just last year?"

"A child gets beaten to death by his parents. Is it his fault? A slave is taken from his home and sold across the continent. Is it his fault?"

"Well, no, but-"

"What makes you so special? If you can't blame the child or the slave, what makes you so special that you can blame yourself?"

I sigh in defeat, knowing logically that he's right. "Whatever."

Edward smiles slightly.

"So, you're leaving for California today, right? What time is your flight?"

"At six," I answer, pulling my coat closer for warmth. "Leah is driving us to the airport straight from here. I just wanted to say goodbye before we left."

"She's not concerned about us becoming so close?" He teases, standing up as I shimmy up the tree trunk to an upright position.

"Please, you're, like... my shrink."

My teasing smile drops as we break from the tree line and are standing in the gravel drive. "Seriously though, thank you. You really have helped me a lot."

He pulls a charming smile and inclines his head in an old timely fashion.

"Come on by when ever you like. For advice, or if you just want to chat."

I pause, wondering if I should hug him. People do that, right?

But no, I'll only be gone for two weeks and he might know more of my secrets than anybody, but we're not that close.

So I click my heels together and give a deep bow at the waist with a teasing grin, and turn away.

Leah pushes away from the car with her foot, giving a curious smile.

"Ready to go?" She asks, brushing a kiss on my lips.

"Yeah," I sigh shakily, feeling a nervous flutter as she pulls out and heads in the direction of the airport.

...

The airport security in much more lax going out than going in.

Leah and I don't have anything in baggage claim, but we head in that direction anyway. It's the meet up point Lyla and I had agreed on.

I spot my sister immediately, standing on her toes and scanning the crowd opposite from where I observe her.

She's clutching the hand of a young man who is also scanning the crowed.

He is of average tall height with short messy hair that seems to have a mind of its own.

He spots me first. Just staring for a moment, blinking, until there is recognition in his eyes and he turns to tug on my sister's hand.

She looks up and follows his pointing until her eyes brighten on me. A grin breaks her face, and she's almost hopping as she waves me over.

"Hey," I greet once we get close enough, allowing her hug as it squeezes me.

To my surprise, she goes to Leah next. I didn't know they were close enough to do that.

She quickly pulls back, tugging the burnet forward, whom I can now see has attractive blue eyes, with an affectionate smile.

"This is my husband Mathew; we met in med school. Matt, this is my little sister and her girlfriend."

"It's good to finally meet you," he smiles sincerely.

I take his outstretched hand hesitantly, feeling awkward all the while, and I quickly pull it back as soon as it seemed appropriate.

"So the house is about a half hour drive, and I'm sure you guys are tired after the flight," Lyla says, hooking onto my arm to pull me in the direction of the exit.

Mathew kindly offers to carry our bags, and Leah hands them over without protest.

"Both of us have off work tomorrow, unless we're called in with an emergency. We live by the water so I was thinking we could go down to the beach, have lunch down there, and then go back to the house to wash up and change before going to a restaurant," Lyla pauses as we climb into her car, Leah and Mathew in the back and Lyla and I up front. "Is that alright? We can do something else if you want?"

"No, it's fine," I say.

She smiles happily.

Her house is pretty big. Nowhere near the size of the Cullens, but so much better than where we used to live or some of the homes I've been in. It has a white wash outside and two floors with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and an open downstairs. The walls are painted soft pale colors of peach or green. The kitchen is a gentle yellow that has a sliding door that opens up to the warm weather outside.

She leads us up the wooden stairs to a room on the far right that has a bathroom across from it.

"This is your guys' room."

"Wait," Mathew frowns, setting down our two suitcases. "Aren't we supposed to split them up? They're dating, right?"

Before I can feel offended or any other emotion, Lyla rolls her eyes.

"Oh, please Matt, if they have already slept together there is no point in separating them now, and if they haven't, they wouldn't have their first time just across the hall from us. There are better places for that."

My cheeks hurt with the heat that floods them as Lyla winks at me.

Mathew rubs the back of his neck uncertainly.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," she says, placing a hand on his chest. "Now let's get out of their hair and give them a chance to get situated."

"It is pretty late," he agrees.

With another hug from Lyla, they both disappear down the hall, bickering the entire time.

"Mathew seems nice," Leah comments, picking up our bags to take them in the room.

"I guess-" I pause as the light flicks on.

The walls are a dark blue with dark wood dressers shoved against them. It could be my childhood room if the bed wasn't a queen size and it weren't for the bigger space. Plastic glow in the dark stars are stuck to the ceiling just like I remember it from before.

I have a flash of black hair and green eyes lifting me upward to stick them there and a young teen standing on a chair and tiptoes just to reach.

I blink and turn away to fumble with my bag to get ready for bed.

"Sam?" Leah questions.

I shake my head, only hesitating for a second. "It's just like the room I had before mom died. She used to say that the stars would watch over me in the dark and light my path. I almost forgot about that."

Leah comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder as she looks up at the plastic stars.

"I'm glad that you remembered."

I pause, mulling the sentence around in my mind.

"Me too," I finally say, fully meaning it.

A/N: Please leave a review, and don't hate me for the next chapter!

~Silver~