20.
I grunted as I pulled myself out of the small crater the force of the push had created. Bella had appeared by my side the minute Aro was gone. She grabbed my hand and helped me stand. We made our way silently into the house, but the silence didn't last long. Once we were safe inside, the front door closed, everyone circled around me, asking all kinds of questions all at once. John was at the front, asking over and over if I was all right.
I assured everyone I was fine. "It was nothing," I said once I managed to get my voice to stop shaking. By the looks I got, I could see everyone could see right through my lie, shaky voice or not. But Carlisle said everyone should drop it and so nothing more was said about what happened. The only two people I was absolutely sure knew were Alice and Edward, and I was okay with that. Everything that happened, they were the two always the first to know, and I was used to it by now.
Edward's hand grazed my shoulder as he passed by me. Don't wait too long to tell him, Lisa. He deserves to know. His hand left my arm, but he turned a little and whispered, "We're here for you, Lisa. We can help you figure this out." And then he was gone, out the door with Bella. The others disappeared into their perspective rooms, leaving John and I standing alone in the huge living room.
"Lisa," John started, but I shrugged, stopping him from saying anything else.
Taking his hand gently, I asked sweetly, "Can we go home?"
He nodded and followed me to our little cabin. The recent events made me see this little place I shared with John in a whole new light. There was no way in heaven or hell that I could stand to loose John, but my other option was no more appetizing. I could still feel Aro's eyes burning into mine; a shiver ran down my spine with the memory of his words.
John had just crawled into bed, asking me to lay with him. I crawled under the sheets and, putting a blanker between us, I snuggled against him. I could say a lot of good things about my husband, but one of the main things I loved about him was that he was always there. I smiled and curled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. For a long time we didn't speak and I wondered if he was asleep.
"Are you going to tell me?" he mumbled into the pillow, sounding extremely worn out and fighting sleep.
I shook my head even as it occurred to me that I couldn't keep this from him forever. I knew he could see straight through my denial, but I didn't want to tell him about the death threat on his life. "Please, John, it's nothing."
He mumbled something incomprehensible into the pillow as he shifted his head around, and then, "You know, I don't like that you discuss thing with them first and not me." His words were slurred. Every fiber in his being was fighting to stay alive, determined to have this conversation with me.
"John," I whispered, but I knew it was true. Mentally I scolded myself for putting the Cullens before my husband. But there was no denying the fact that some things I simply could not discuss with John, and that it was easier to talk to Alice or Esme. But I didn't say any of that. Instead, I simply gave him an apology.
Again he tried to mumble something.
"Shh, John. Just go to bed. We'll talk about this later."
I almost said that I had all the time in the world, but for the first time in four years, that wasn't true.