RENESMEE POV
Alec and I wordlessly walk outside and to the forest path, our footsteps crunching in the snow the only sound. It's much warmer than it was last night, though definitely not warm. Our breath leaves our mouths in swirling puffs.
"Soo.." Alec says after we walk for another silent minute, and I wonder what is going through his mind right now. He has seen far more than I ever planned for him to already, and then back in the house when Dad nearly ripped his throat out right then and there for no reason other than the fact he was catching on. Alec is smart, and I underestimated him. A mistake I will not be making again.
But scooting the dirt under a rug doesn't make it disappear. I have to deal with what Alec already knows. I discussed it with everyone while Alec fled to the bathroom, near hyperventilation, because of the fear Dad instigated with him. I am to tell him as little as possible, and make sure he keeps his lips sealed.
"Tell me every single thing you think you know about me and my family." I command, keeping myself cool and distant. If I let myself become lovey-dovey and bubbly around him right now, I will slip up, and this is a time that needs special caution.
"Uh, alright.." He says in confusion, thinking briefly before responding with, "You're all unnaturally fast and strong. Your background story, like with all the adoption stuff, is a lie. I think Bella is your mother and Edward is your father, as impossible as that seems. But if that's true, considering their age, then that must mean they don't age, or age really slowly." He links things together as he talks aloud, which is to my disadvantage, but I need to know everything.
"You are not human, and neither is your family. But you aren't the same as them. They're much paler, their eyes are the same, and they ice cold. I'm starting to wonder if you, and your friend Jacob, are some sort of shape-shifting wolves or maybe even werewolves, though that kind of makes me sound insane, but this whole situation is insane. I think maybe Edward can read minds. He knew exactly what I was thinking back there. And you can project images with touch, or maybe it's just show your thoughts. You've done it twice now by mistake. And last, and I guess least importantly, your name isn't Carlie. It's Renesmee." He finishes up, never once meeting my gaze. We pause so he can let Cullen sniff at a tree a little off the path.
"I'm going to go through everything you just listed and give you the briefest explanation possible. Okay? Yes, we're faster and stronger than your average Joe. I'm not as fast or as strong as the rest of them. I was not adopted, none of us were, and yes, Bella and Edward are my real parents. I'm not going to go into the aging thing. They're not human, but Jacob and I sort of are in a way. You will never know anything about Jake because I am forbidden to tell a word, so don't even bother with that one. Edward has special talents, as do I, and that's all I'm going to say. And my name is Renesmee Carlie Cullen." I tell him, feeling I've just unloaded a lead weight from my chest even though I didn't exactly tell him everything. It's way more than I ever thought he'd know.
"I'm confused. And a little scared. And to be honest, pretty mad. I feel like I've told you everything, open right up and let you in my life, while you've hidden every aspect of yours. You know nearly everything about me, and now it's like I'm meeting you for the first time. I feel almost betrayed. You've been lying and deceitful and I feel like I don't even know you. I really care about Carlie, but I've never even met Renesmee. Our relationship seems pretty fake. Now that Carlie is gone, her cover blown, I'm left with Renesmee, and it's almost like you guys aren't even the same person. Renesmee is a stranger to me, and it doesn't feel right being in a relationship with her." He tells me, green eyes glimmering with tears, voice sounding sad and hopeless. His words crack my cool-charade.
"I"m sorry. You have to be able to see why I couldn't tell you, though. I've never told anyone in my life. Only you. That has to count for something, right? And you do things about me. I swear, you do. You know that I've traveled the world, that my favorite colors are yellow and purple, that I love Italian food, especially when your mother makes it, that I love shopping, cooking, reading, and running. You know my birthday is September 10th, you know I've always wanted a cat, you know my favorite songs, you know my favorite stores, you know I love your family and you know how much I care about you and absolutely adore you. I agree that Renesmee and Carlie aren't the same people, but they sure as hell are a lot alike. You already know so much about Renesmee, and now I've just told you so much more. We have the same personality, our backgrounds are just way different. Give Renesmee a chance. Give the real me a chance. Please." I whisper, stroking the side of his face affectionately.
"For Christ's sake, you are not even fully human!" He suddenly explodes, jerking away from me. "I don't even know what the hell you are. Just give me some space okay?" He growls, glaring at me cruelly. My hand drops to my side, and tears fill my eyes. I am angry, embarrassed, and upset. It feels like he should took a mallet to my heart.
"I'm not a wild animal. I'm the same girl you have kissed a million times and held in your arms. Maybe I really don't know you at all either." My voice isn't angry like I wanted it to be, instead makes it clear how hurt I am. Not concerned about appearances, I disappear too quickly for his eyes to catch. I take off into the woods, but instead of running, I scurry up a tree noiselessly. I'm not in the mood to run, and I want to know what Alec does next.
He stands in the middle of the frosted path, glaring at the ground. After a few minutes he sighs and his shoulders sag. "Renesmee.." He calls out. "Come on, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I still think of you as the same person I've known for four months. You're still my girlfriend, still my best friend, sitll the only person I trust entirely. Come back. Please." He begs, looking around in the trees. I sit poised in one of the trees just above him, and the jump down, landing in front of him with a small thud. He jumps back frightfully, but then calms down.
"That's going to take some getting used to." He admits with a breathless laugh, raking his hand through his hair. I smile slowly, feeling relieved at not having to hide.
"You can't tell anyone. Understand? No one. My family is very uneasy about you knowing, and if you tell anyone, no matter who, well, first they'll think you're crazy, and second we'll be gone within five minutes. That's the way things are." I say sternly.
"I would never tell anyone. Ever. But.. Since your family doesn't age, doesn't that mean you'll all have to leave within a few years?" He asks frightfully as realization dawns on him. I make a split second decision.
"Yes, they'll have to leave. But I'll continue to age normally. I'll always be here." I promise him, grabbing his hand and smiling convincingly. Either my lie was beautiful or he tricked himself into believing it because he wants it, but I got away with it and he smiled happily.
"Good." He grins, and then starts us on our walk casually.
"You have to be careful not to call me Renesmee in front of anyone, okay? And you can keep calling me Carlie if you want since that's what's natural to you." I tell him though I kind of like the idea of my real name being used with him.
"No way. Renesmee is much more suiting. It's different and unique." He smiles easily, a swing in his step as we walk along. Everything suddenly seems brighter and happier.
"It's a combination of Esme's name and Bella's mother's name, Renee." I explain to him. We continue on with our walk, things soon returning to normal. We stop at a small clearing on the side of the trail and allow Cullen to play around for a little while.
"Show me things." Alec says randomly.
"What do you mean?" I ask with a sideways glance.
"With your hand. Show me something." He looks like an eager child.
"What do you want to see?" I ask, kind of happy to have someone to practice with my gift. I never get to use it.
"Anything. Show me some of the places you've lived, the things you've seen. Show me what the world looks like through your eyes." He begs. I smile a little, bringing my hand to his face and thinking of things to show him. Like a slide show, I play for him images of our house in London, China, Canada, New York, and France. I show him myself seeing him for the first time, the house I was raised in in Forks, Washington, and that's where I meant for things to stop. But thinking of my old house reminded me of the encounter with the Volturi there and I let an image of their cloaked forms and glistening red eyes sneak in there accidentally. I pull my hand back quickly.
"The world is beautiful through your eyes.. So much brighter and clearer.." He murmurs almost dreamily. And just when I think he's not going to mention it, he asks, "But who were those people at the end?"
I sigh and tell him, "They are called the Volturi. They're a clan that lives in Italy and are basically the royalty of my world. The rules of my world are very basic, and they enforce those rules."
"What are the rules?" He asks, and I really wish he hadn't.
"There is really only one. We aren't allowed to tell anyone anything. A human, one who plans on keeping a beating heart, finding out even the smallest piece of information is a crime."
"And I'm guessing there is really only one punishment." He says quietly, the color draining from his face.
"Death." I whisper. "But don't be scared, okay? My family has evaded the Volturi several times before, and we can do it again for you."
"You don't entirely believe that." He calls me out.
"Hope is all we've really got here." I smile humorlessly.
"What makes them so powerful? I mean, you guys seem unstoppable."
"The Volturi is the only clan more powerful than my own. They have thirty two members, which easily tops out my nine. And you know how my father can read minds and I can project images? Yes, I admit to it. Anyways, the Volturi are all about collecting people that have those kind of extra powers. Their leader can read every thought you've ever had, and their most powerful member can make you feel like you're burning from the inside out." I explain.
"Oh.. Uh, right.." He gulps nervously. "Why couldn't they just make me into whatever you are?" He asks.
"Because there is no way to do that. You are born into this." I tell him with a strong voice, convincing myself of it for a moment so he believes me. His face falls slightly.
"Oh.. I thought maybe.." He sighs sadly. I am a little shocked. Did he think I was going to turn him into..
I lose my temper for a moment, grabbing him by his shoulders and thrusting him against a tree five feet away within a matter of half a second. He gasps in shock, eyes wide and frightened, the air probably getting knocked out of him. "Don't even think about wanting to be like us. Okay? You have it all with your mortality." I snarl angrily.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, calm down." He raises his hands in surrender. I relax my grip slightly. "But you know, you have already told me basically everything. Why can't you just admit what you are?" He asks.
"Because once I say the word out loud, you will never look at me the same." I whisper, backing away from him.
"You think he's going to be too happy when he figures out that the girl he has been sucking face with is actually a blood-thirsty mutant?" Jake's harmful words ring through my head.
"Renesmee, there is nothing that could ever change the way I think about you. How could you not know that by now?" He asks, almost offended by my statement. I bite my lip, knowing I've already broken every promise I made to my family. Might as well go all the way.
"Vampire." I whisper. Alec stares at me, face blank. "My family are all vampires, and I am a half-vampire." I tell him a little louder, and then add, "But my kind refers to us as hybrids." He stares at me for another moment, taking in a deep breath. And then his eyes roll back into his head and he begins to fall to the ground. "Alec!" I gasp, grabbing him mid-fall. He is out cold. Well, I made my boyfriend faint. That's new.