I manage to avoid Allison altogether for the next few days, filling up my time with the Denali family more than even usual. Tanya seems ecstatic about it, glad to be able to take care of me again. I think she just needs a distraction from Edward who, to her absolute dismay, has been hiding from her almost as well as I've hidden from Allison. Kate threatening to dismember him may have helped that along as well.
Avoiding Allison has also seemed to draw me closer to the Cullen family, and away from Marlee and Anna.
I frown remembering our conversation before Kate intervened earlier today. I was going to sit with Marlee when Anna stopped me, claiming that if I had been ignoring them for the Cullen family for the past two weeks, then I obviously didn't need their friendship anymore.
It took me completely aback, and I just stood there until Kate stepped in and fought yet another battle for me. Now neither of them will talk to me, or really any of our other friends, so I've had to resort to just spending time with the Denali and Cullen families.
"No, Calina, not those shoes, I've seen them, and they looked hideous." Alice chirps, turning her nose up to yet another pair of perfectly good heels.
Rosalie lets out a sigh next to me, glaring at the back of her sister's head as she flits around in front of us picking up shoes and putting them back like some kind of whirlwind.
"My brother said you and him had coffee the other night." Rose grins next to me, although she doesn't have quite the enthusiasm Alice has about Jasper and I going to the dance, she still likes to tease me about it.
"It wasn't on purpose, he just came in and sat down." I frown, trying to keep a smile off of my face when I think about our diner conversation. Since then we've been texting sporadically, nothing big, but nothing little either.
"You're sweet on him." Rose gasps, stopping me from trying to follow Alice.
"Rose, I want to be, but you should know, I don't exactly have the best track record with that kind of thing." I warn, and her smile is replaced with the softest frown.
"Please Calina, let me in, I promise that we are more similar than you think." she pleads, waving off Alice who keeps walking when she realizes the severity our conversation has suddenly been overcome with.
I watch Rosalie, looking for any sign that she isn't as sincere as she could be. When I find none, I pull out my phone, opening the safari app, and typing the dreaded words I've avoided for four months.
Laraunt Family Murdered
Article after article pop up, and I hold in my emotions as I scroll through them for a moment, reminding myself that it's still real.
"Everett High Senior Jared Grant Charged with Murder"
"Laraunt Family Murdered in In-Home Invasion"
"Calina Laraunt: Lone Survivor after Grant Murders Entire Family"
"Break Up Murders to be Alaskan Courts Most Highly Charged Case"
Rosalie takes my phone gently, scrolling through the articles just as I did moments before, and she freezes, looking through them with fire blazing in her eyes.
"Alice, get whatever shoes you think go well, Calina and I are going to the Food Court." Rose grabs my hand, leading me through the mall and down to the tables in the center of the building.
She continues to read at an inhuman pace when we sit down, and I sit in silence, thinking about anything but axes. It doesn't work, because as soon as I try, all I can think about are the screams, and how I could hear them from outside the house when I walked up the drive.
"I know that sorry does no good, but I am, and I wish that it could change it all. But it can't, so I want you to know that I'm here for you."
I meet her eyes, suddenly wanting nothing more than Jasper. I don't even know why, but his comforting presence is something I am craving.
"I wasn't supposed to even be there that night, I was supposed to be with Marlee, but we got in a fight, and I was storming home because my mom wouldn't answer her phone to pick me up because Marlee was supposed to drive me home." I pause, looking around the mall.
"You don't have to do this right now, Calina." Rose soothes me, but I continue.
"No, you need to know why I'm no good with boys, you have to understand, because I'm scared of letting myself fall for anyone maybe ever again." I grab her hand, it's ice cold "I walked in, and the screams got worse. I saw my brother first, he was four, and then I saw my parents. Then Jared saw me, and that's the last thing I remember." I lie easily.
I was hit in the stomach twice with the axe, and by the time the police came I had lost so much blood that most of my organs had started to fail since I wasn't getting enough oxygen. Something I will never forget is the pain. I felt everything, and I begged him to stop. He did, and shot himself. I spent three weeks in the ICU recovering, and another two weeks in rehab.
Rose looks like she's about to cry, or have a fit of rage, but she looks me dead in the eye anyways.
"Calina, I promise to you that my brother is a good man, one who was raised to protect those he cares for. Even if this is nothing, and nothing comes from the two of you after the dance, I can promise you that he would never hurt someone in that way. When he cares for a person, he cares deeply."
Her words hit me in the gut, protected is something I never truly felt around Jared, but I never would have thought that he would have been capable of what he did. My feelings for Jasper multiply, but I do not understand them, and that frightens me. I swore I would never again feel for a boy, or anyone who could get close enough to do me harm.
"Thank you, do you mind if I have him come to get me?" I whisper, crossing my arms tightly over my stomach.
"Of course not, Alice already found out your shoe size from Tanya, and I don't think you were going to have any say in what pair you're going to wear anyways." Rosalie jokes, but the light doesn't reach her eyes.
I laugh a little, knowing that she's probably right, and then send her back with Alice, reassuring her that I'm fine. She must sense that I just need a little time, but I am glad she asked me to tell her. Irina has begged me to stop bottling things up for so long now, and it did feel like I could breathe better around Rose after I told her. Being secretive has it's perks, no one pities you when they don't know, but it also feels like you're lying to those closest to you.
I close out of the articles on my phone quickly so that I don't have to see which one Rosalie chose to read. Slowly making my way to my messages, I press call next to Jasper's name on the phone.
The phone only has to ring once and a worried "hello." crackles through the phone.
"Jasper, can you come pick me up from the mall?" I ask, playing with the hem of my shirt.
"Of course, can you give me five minutes?" he sounds like he's running around grabbing things.
"Yeah," I whisper, feeling my own sadness trying to grasp my heart "Jasper, can you stay on the line, please?"
"Yes, of course, what shall we talk about?" I can almost see his grin, and it makes me want to smile.
"Something good, and happy." I smile into the phone as I walk towards the front doors of the mall.
"Well, today in my Government class two people got in a fist fight."
"That's not good." I giggle.
"Well, then you tell me something good Miss Laraunt."
"Well, Rosalie vouched for you just a moment ago." I laugh lightly, knowing that he will probably be embarrassed.
"Oh God." he mutters.
"It was a good thing, Jasper." I laugh "a really good thing."
"I'm here." he sighs, then lets out a laugh that makes my heart leap.
"Okay, I'm walking out now."
I smile when I see him tapping along on the top of his steering wheel, it's probably to some silly country song from decades ago, and that makes me smile even wider.
"Well hello Miss." he drawls when I open the door, escaping the frigid cold for the warmth of my car.
Almost immediately the worries and the sadness and the fear from my conversation earlier seep away. I sigh in contentment.
"Hi Jasper." I smile, sinking into the seat of his fancy car.
"Home?" he asks slowly, as he turns out onto the street.
"Can we just drive?" I ask tiredly, leaning over onto the console and resting my chin on my palm.
"Your wish is my command." he grins goofily, and I smile up at him, scared by how I feel so drawn to him.
We drive around for awhile, until I feel I need to at least tell him why he had to come get me.
"I told Rose some parts of what happened to me last May, and I want to tell you a little part of it, because I know I'm not ready to tell you the entire story, but before whatever is happening developes more, you deserve an out." I frown, my bravery disappears as he pulls over to look me in the eye, waiting for me to tell him.
"My last boyfriend murdered my family after I broke up with him." I stop looking him in the eye, and instead look at the snow darkness outside.
Even Jasper can't seem to lift the heaviness in the car, and as I start to cry, his arms wrap around me, and I sob into his chest.
We stay there, frozen in an embrace like two lone survivors in the Alaskan wilderness, and for once I don't suffocate, instead I just barely stay above water, clinging to him like he's a lifeline.
