As usual- Goldielover - thank you for your review !
The next 24 hours were confusing, bizarre, strange, painful and many other things. Her life changed forever. She woud never be the same.
It had started with the tent, even if it was lovingly prepared and equipped, it was freezing.
It was more than that.
Lily was freezing to the bone and the chattering of Bella's teeth told her she was no better. Edward and Jacob had a little discussion, which Lily cut off abruptly and pressed against Jake's body. His warmth flooded her and she slowly felt her toes again. His heat was so welcoming and caught off guard, she thought about Paul. Feeling Edwarsd gaze on her, she immediatly changed her train of thought. Altough he had problably other things to worry, as it took Bella only a few seconds to join her. Everyone could feel Jake's smug grin he gave the vampire. Suddenly Carlisle absence was not so bad, at least he would not have to witness this. Well, if he had to, he would hanlde it a lot better than Edward, thats for sure. Again she feld Edwards eyes on her. But she knew, that he knew she was right.
When she finally got warm, she was able to sleep for at least a few hours. She dreamed ... nothing. Or so she believed, because Edward looked at her more than amused when she woke up. That mind reading thing was still creepy and made er extremly edgy.
The sky was still clear, but a cloud front was looming, which meant there would be even more snow. Jacob was restless, more than that.
He was fuming. Again and again he trampled around, excited and nervous until Lily had enough.
She talked him into taking a walk, and they followed the same path Bella and Edward had taken a good half hour ago.
The relationship between Jake and Edward was ... strained to say the least. It was worse than the one between Paul and Carlisle, where Paul had already found his mate and Carlisle couldn't read his mind.
So she guessed it was only natural that the two of them hated each other, as they loved the same person.
Lily trudged through the snow with Jake when he suddenly froze. He looked in one direction and started off, Lily, who had clung to him, was involuntarily dragged along and she only heard the scraps of words from Edward that had apparently ended the conversation.
"... if you marry me."
She didn't have to hear more to imagine the rest of the conversation.
Bella wanted Edward to change her and she wanted it now.
Little did she know that Jake was around and, with his sensitive hearing, had probably overheard everything, but Edward should have known. A look at the vampire's face confirmed her suspicion.
He had known and he had done it on purpose.
Suddenly Jake ran past her and she staggered until she found her footing again. Bella snapped at Edward why he hadn't warned her that Jake was nearby and ran after the Quileute.
An angry expression spread across Edward's face and Lily glared at him.
"You know you have no right to be angry?"
He fixed his honey-colored eyes on her, and although they were the same as Carlisle's, they were so different. She missed the kindness, the loving gaze.
She missed him immediately.
The night without him was strange and lonely and she immediately thought that hopefully it would be the last.
"I know."
He sighed and Lily calmed down a little.
It was still a really shitty move.
She was surprised, because she would never have considered Edward to be so cruel. Edward looked up and a sad look flutter over his eyes. Carlilse raised you better. Her thought was loud and clear.
She could feel his guilty conscience and wondered if he had been thinking exactly the same thing.
"Come."
He stepped up to her and supported her. Together they walked in the direction Bella and Jake disappeared. When they left the woods, they stopped.
Lily's eyes went wide.
Bella kissed Jacob.
It was not a friendly kiss. Well she would not kiss her friends like that.
Next to her, Edward froze and Lily briefly feared he would lose control. On the other hand, she couldn't help but think that somehow it served him right after all.
Jake took off and transformed. A howl in the distance indicated that he had joined his pack. Bella turned and stared in shock at the two petrified faces of Lily and Edward.
The situation was so uncomfortable that Lily preferred to hobble back to the tent with her battered knee to escape.
No matter what had just happened, it was definitely not her business and she was definitely not eager to see or hear more of that drama. She would even take the pain in her knee just to get away.
She looked for Seth but didn't find him, presumably he was making his rounds around the camp.
Suddenly she stopped.
Something was off.
She got goosebumps that didn't come from the cold or from excitement, it was like a sixth sense warning her. She noticed that she no longer heard birds chirping.
It was quiet.
It was way too quiet.
She turned around but saw nothing but snow-covered pine trees that groaned and buckled under the weight of the white fresh snow.
"..Seth?"
She sent a quick prayer that he was lurking somewhere. She heard Bella's scream and turned around, the quick movement causing a stab in her leg and she gasped. For a moment she thought about running away, which in view of her injury was more than imprudent. Eventually she decided that Edward and Seth would be close and could protect her better, than the deserted woods.
She hobbled in the direction of the scream and froze. Edward was standing in front of Bella, his eyes were black and his face was twisted into a scary grimace.
She stood in front of him.
Flaming red hair, white skin.
Beautiful as well as deadly.
Victoria.
But she wasn't alone.
Lily looked at the wolf who was struggling with something, the movements were so fast that she hardly recognized it. The creature kicked Seth and Lily gave a startled cry.
It was Riley.
Alex friend, her friend.
"Riley?"
To its own surprise, the creature stopped and stared at her. Lily staggered back, startled.
His eyes were blood red and his face angry. She had never seen him like this. He was always funny, witty and nice. Maybe a littlebit foolish but never had he a hatred in his eyes like now.
"Lily?"
His voice was clear and beautiful and yet it sounded unsure.
As if to make sure he wasn't dreaming her.
"Riley, my darling."
Victoria's voice was like a succubus, lascivious and sugar-sweet that Lily almost felt sick.
But there was something else in it too. She was unsettled that Riley knew her.
Apparently she had no idea of their connection. A mistake. And Victory hated mistakes.
Which was a little ridiculous. Forks was a tiny village, everyone knew everyone, especially if you were the same age. She was in the same kindergarten as Riley, in the same elementary school, and in the same class in high school.
Alex played football with him, they met in his parents cellar. They partied, drank, had fun together. Riley blew up his neighbours mailbox and Alex took the blame. This could not be him
Riley was nice, he was open, he was funny, he was arrogant but in a lovable way.
He always reminded her a little of Paul.
How the hell did he get into this?
Edward heard her memories and immediately took the opportunity.
"She doesn't love you, Riley. She only uses you to avenge her mate. James. "
"Don't believe a word of him, he wants to part us!"
"She only picked you because you come from Forks, because you know the area!"
Riley shook his head in confusion, Lily could see he struggled against the thought. Suddenly Seth appeared behind him and bit his shoulder, he shook him back and forth and Riley screamed.
Seth dragged him into the bushes to separate him from Victoria and Riley screamed desperately for her. Victoria didn't even flinch and pounced instead on Edward. She did not think a second about defending Riley or come to his aid.
Lily hobbled after Riley, maybe she wanted to stop him, maybe she wanted to stop Seht. She just couldn't believe someone like Riley had become something like that. That he could kill someone. That he could help a monster like Victoria.
There must be still something good in him. Somewhere. Well.. Carlisle finally had rubbed on her.
But Riley had gained the upper hand again and wrapped his arms around the wolf's massive body.
"Please Riley! He is just a boy! "
Riley stopped and hurled Seth against a massive fir tree that immediately buried him with snow. Lily was startled, she did not think that he would indeed stop.
He turned and stared at Lily.
It occurred to Lily that maybe she shouldn't have followed them after all. But then Riley would have killed Seth and probably would have been lost forever. She remembered when they were 4 and he found a wounded sparrow. He died and Riley cried for two whloe weeks.
He glared at her with blood-red eyes and stepped up to her. Lily's heart was racing and she swallowed. She knew she couldn't run away, even if her knee were healthy he would be much faster than her. Her hope diminished with every step he took. His eyes darkened and Lily knew what that meant.
"Riley?"
Her voice was shaking. He would not hurt her, would he. He couldn't.
"Why do you smell so good?"
His voice was strained.
Lily swallowed. She knew from Carlilse how hard it was for Vampires who are not used to human company to defy the thirst.
"Riley .. why are you doing this? Why do you listen to her?"
She tried to avert his thoughts, desperatley.
He shrugged his shoulders but his eyes got darker and darker. They fixed Lily as if she were his prey. She thought cynically that she was exactly that.
"She created me, I have to obey her."
"That's not true. You can still save yourself! "
He was close. Too close. Lily's voice was trembling and he cocked his head.
"Save myself? I'm a monster, look at me. "
His voice was downcast and angry.
It broke her heart.
"Thats not you. Alex liked you so much, you were one of his best friends."
Hope seized her when she saw him struggle. He fought his thirst, his instinct. Maybe the real Riley would win.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there Lily. And I'm sorry for what I'm going to do now. "
She shook her head.
"Riley, don't."
"I am sorry. There is no turning back for me. "
He ran his knuckle down her cheek and she closed her eyes, trembling. Her mind revolved around Carlisle.
Was he alright? Was he okay? She hoped he would make it through the loss. She hoped for the first time in her life that she was only a guest in his existence, that his love for her was only temporary and that he would get over her. That he would find happiness.
"It will hurt just a second, I promise."
Still she had closed her eyes when she felt his lips against her neck.
She screamed in her mind for Edward, where was he, had Victoria won? Was Bella dead? Had it been all in vain?
Razor-sharp teeth pierced her skin with ease, and she heard a scream from a distance.
It was hers.
The pain ran through her and took her breath away.
She would die. She wanted to die.
She was going to die now and it was not a peaceful falling asleep-dead but a terrible, excruciating farewell.
Even if she didn't believe it, she hoped that after a while she would see Carlisle again.
No matter where. With him she would even endure hell, as long as she was with him.
But Carlisle wasn't going to hell, it was just impossible. Dully, she noticed how she fell to the ground and the weight on her increased. Her heartbeat slowed, her head became light, and it was difficult for her to grasp thoughts.
It was her end and it was absolutely not what she had imagined.
The weight on her was gone and she felt light, was that how it felt to die?
"Lily!"
An angelic voice was right by her ear and she thought for his second that it was Carlisle. Maybe it was all a joke, maybe he was actually an angel? Maybe he would go to heaven with her? Maybe she did die in the car crash?
But the pain that suddenly spread like fire through her body made it unmistakably clear that she was not in heaven.
She was in hell.