EDWARD
She totally called me on my intention to follow her. How did she know? Oh well, I guess I can handle waiting around…if I have to. She wants to try to build a friendship first. I can totally live with that. I mean, when I look back at our previous relationship, I can only shudder. Bella needs proof that I really have changed. I can do that. This time will be different.
"I take it things did not progress the way that you hoped it would with Bella, dear," Esme says as she and Carlisle join me in my suite.
"She has doubts about a relationship," I reply.
"You will just have to work to show that you have changed. I know you can," Carlisle encourages me.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DITCHED US AGAIN!" Jacob can be heard through my open door. We go to investigate what the hell he is talking about. The rest of my family is not far behind.
"Jake, baby, it's not the end of the world," Nestalia says as she rubs his shoulders.
"This is worse. They ditched us. I mean, I can understand giving the vampires the slip, no offense, but us?" Jacob progresses to whining as the rest of my family gets to the front door.
"None taken. What's going on?" Carlisle responds.
"The witches, minus Bethany of course, have gone off on their mission without us…again," Jacob pouts.
"They know I don't care for Hunting," Bethany explains her presence.
"Wait, witches? Eliot is a guy," Emmett interrupts.
"What's your point?" Bethany asks.
"He's a guy. Wouldn't that make him a warlock or a wizard or something?" Emmett persists about this tangent.
"No," Jacob, Nestalia, and Bethany all answer together.
"Don't feel bad, dude. I asked the exact same thing when I met him," Jacob stage whispers to my brother.
"I'm confused," Emmett admits.
"I'm not very far into my history of magic readings yet, but I do know a little. Witch is the general term for magical immortals, regardless of gender. I think warlock and wizard are archaic terms that predate the Council. You will have to ask Jen or Bella or Dakota when they get back. Eliot will know too, now that I think about it," Bethany answers as best she can.
"They left already?" Jasper brings us back to the topic at hand.
"Yeah, they up and left without so much as a 'hey Jake, wanna go and kick some Volturi ass with us' or anything," Jacob rants.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, take it like a man," Nestalia seems to have hit the end of her tolerance of her husband's behavior.
"But Nessie…" Jacob sticks out his lower lip at his wife.
"Don't you 'but Nessie' me. They are more than capable of taking care of themselves," Nestalia scolds her husband.
"They have executed many missions without you rather successfully," Bethany defends her mentors.
"They just made a plan a few hours," Alice says before Jacob can whine any more.
"Oh, they feel that you should never put off to tomorrow what can be done today. If they are all well-rested and there is no tactical value in waiting, they usually plan a mission and then complete that plan. That allows less time for the plan to leak out," Nestalia explains.
"They won't be too long," Bethany assures us.
"Do we even know when they left?" Rosalie asks without thinking or caring about the answer.
"No, I went to look for Eliot and they were all nowhere to be found," Jacob laments.
We all sit on the front steps to wait. Jacob is still trying to garner sympathy from his now rather annoyed spouse. Emmett looks very thoughtful. He seems focused on Nestalia in his thoughts. Oh shit, he's not going to ask what I think he's going to ask, is he? Of course, he does.
"So, Nestalia. What exactly are you?" the moron asks. Rosalie whacks him upside the head for his efforts.
"I'm a wood nymph," Nestalia answers patiently.
"Are you, like, immortal?" Emmett is like a dog with a bone, a dog on the brink of starvation with a bone that still has a little meat on it.
"I'm not like immortal. I'm actually immortal," Nestalia giggles.
"What can a wood nymph do?" my brother is blissfully ignorant of the fact that Rosalie is giving him a death look.
"What do you mean?" Nestalia is rightfully confused at Emmett's idiotic question.
"Well, vampires have super heightened senses, speed, venom, great looks, and general appeal for humans…" Emmett starts.
"Don't forget the ability to suck humans dry," Nestalia interjects.
"…and super-strength. What about nymphs?" Emmett ignores Nestalia's addition to his list.
"You do know that there are many different kinds of nymphs and each kind has its own set of abilities," Jacob responds before Nestalia can.
"Anyway, I guess you will have to find that out for yourselves," Nestalia grins mischievously.
"You will be amazed," Jacob sounds like a magician's assistant right before a trick.
A comfortable silence surrounds us as we continue to wait for their return. Emmett is trying to use his puppy dog face to get Rosalie to talk to him. Rosalie is looking at a fashion magazine that she happened to have brought with her. Jasper and Alice are having one of their moments. Carlisle and Esme are holding hands and gazing at the stars. Bethany looks like she's meditating. Jacob and Nestalia are staring each other down. Okay, Nestalia is staring her husband down with her lips pursed. Jacob is trying to look innocent as he looks back at her. And I'm alone, but that is my own doing. I won't be alone for long, though. Bella will be with me when I prove to her that I have changed. Suddenly there is a noise in the trees. Out walk Bella, Jen, Dakota, and Eliot.
"Did it go well?" Nestalia asks when we arrive back at the house. Everyone is with her on the front steps, waiting for our answer.
"It went well," Jen answers.
"Thank you for asking," I add with a grin.
"Oh, and be prepared, everyone, Sarah will be joining us in the morning," Dakota throws over her shoulder as she heads to her suite.