He should've been happy; there was no reason, no reason, to be otherwise. So, why, why, did he feel that way?
Though he never thought of her as a burden, the secret he had to keep from his family no longer weighed on their interactions, and, thankfully, Jasper was able to loosen up slightly now that that underlying tension was gone. He could tell half of his family was wary of Lettie, namely the blondes of their coven, but that was to be expected. Jasper and Rosalie operated on the notion of absolute protection for their family, meaning anything that wasn't actively working to protect the family was strictly off-limits. There were, of course, their weakness that allowed compromise; Rosalie held onto her human memories more closely than any other vampire he knew, which meant that human things, like human luxuries and school, were easy to persuade her, and Jasper had a weakness for his family members, which meant puppy dog eyes and earnest discussion were usually enough to persuade him. That, and their two dark-haired counterparts. Emmett and Alice each had a way of persuading them that, had anyone else tried, would result in a missing arm.
"Don't," Rosalie hissed, piercing eyes glaring in his direction before his foot could hit the smooth concrete of the garage. Edward took a step back, hands raised in the air to show he meant no harm; It took a lot of willpower not to shiver as her icy exterior matched the howling winds outside.
It was peaceful in the garage, he had to admit, the solid walls and the rattling doors doing a lot to cover the excited chatter from upstairs. She was as she usually was, hunched over a grease-covered engine, a handful of wrenches at her side as she worked, but he could tell a lot of her tinkering today was merely a distraction. She had, after all, driven that same car around only a week before.
"I just want to talk."
"You can talk from there." She paused, then shook her head. "Why would you need to talk to me?"
"It's about Lettie." To this, she rolled her eyes to the back of her head, scoff filling the silence.
"Isn't it always?"
"She loves cars."
"She loves…cars." The words were repeated slowly, much slower than needed, disbelief evident, even as Rosalie raised a brow in his direction, stopping her tinkering. "And I need to care about this because…?"
"She wants to see the garage."
"She sees the garage every day."
"She wants to see your garage."
"She has," Rosalie scoffed, placing down a screwdriver a little more forcefully than necessary, finally turning to look at him fully. "If you think her sneaking down here to work is a secret, it's not. I've told her that plenty of times."
"She's quiet, and can be sneaky when she needs to be." Edward bit back a smile at the memory of Lettie quietly tiptoeing past Emmett in the living room, unable to handle another complicated gaming session. "If she didn't want you to know she was there, she'd be able to do it. Or come down here when you're not here. But she knows this is your sanctuary, and she wouldn't want to invade your privacy." Before Rosalie could rebut, Edward hurried to add, "Now that she has the option not to."
"Do you expect me to thank her for that? It's the least she could do to make up for everything she's done."
"She's helped us, more than anyone else. And you know that, as much as you want to ignore it." He knew it was a mistake, pointing out when Rosalie was wrong to her face, especially when he was trying to ask a favor, but he couldn't just let her speak ill of Lettie, not when Rosalie's own thoughts betrayed her words.
"So, what? I'm supposed to be indebted to her for that? I never asked her for her advice."
"And, yet, you listened, even though you hate me enough to ignore me." A silence settled between them, neither willing to concede their position. Rosalie continued to stare at him, mind whirling, conflicting thoughts inspiring the smallest bit of hope in him. He made the mistake of showing it, lip-twitching. In an instant, she shut down, mind replaying the proper way to clean a carburetor, and turning back to her work.
"Go bother someone else." Edward nearly jumped when he felt Emmett's hand on his shoulder, too wrapped up in the conversation to notice the music upstairs playing in a loop.
"Come on, Ed. Lettie wants to show you our progress." He not so subtly flickered his eyes to Rosalie and back, widening them to convey a secret code. Edward furrowed his brow but followed anyway, debating whether or not he should remind his brother he could read minds.
At the top of the stairs, Emmett paused, waiting until the clinking of metal started up in the garage again, before turning to look Edward in the eye.
"Give her time," he advised, squeezing his arm a little too hard, though his voice was far too soft to be a threat. Edward winced but nodded. "She'll warm up to Lettie. You know she's soft for anyone who appreciates her hard work.
There was no one in the world who knew Rosalie better than Emmett, even in a family of invasive abilities, so Edward knew he should have felt reassured. But, the possibility of the constant hostility loomed over every time Lettie and Rosalie were both in his eyesight. Lettie started to reassure him by giving Rosalie a smile and a nod when they saw one another, and, despite Rosalie not scoffing anymore when she did so, he was starting to doubt Emmett's confidence.
Then, when Lettie was supposed to be with Esme, Edward came downstairs to something he never thought he'd ever see.
"Don't," Rosalie hissed, though it was far gentler than he was used to hearing, lips barely curling as she stared with those glaring eyes. By her hip, Lettie's chain dangled from her pocket. Lettie immediately stood up, taking a step away from the newly finished chrome car. Edward felt his protective instincts flare, body ready to spring into action, but he stumbled as she continued, "It's this one over here."
"Oh! Apologies. The shine on this vehicle was far too enticing."
"The finisher is still drying." Then, she paused, causing Lettie to stop too. "You couldn't…mess that up, could you?"
"I…do not know my own capabilities towards new technology," she said honestly, head tilting as she thought through the best way to phrase her sentence. "I cannot manipulate partially dried acrylics, if that knowledge is of any use."
Rosalie just stared. And then stared some more. She didn't speak until Lettie was fidgeting, speaking just as Lettie opened her mouth.
"At least I know you won't break anything," she mumbled, pulling open the door to her cherry red convertible. When neither moved forward, Rosalie huffed, sharply nodding her head to the open seat. Lettie, far too excited with the progress of their relationship to hide her joy, gave Rosalie a toothy smile, practically launching herself into the seat.
Carlisle, on the other hand, was another matter altogether. Though Edward knew he was serious when he discussed Lettie's comfort, he was not so cunning to be able to lie about that, there was the underlying unease he had in their interactions. Ever since their return to school, Carlisle was the one to drive Edward in the morning, keeping a watchful eye on them as they discussed the coming day.
"Are you ready for your history test?" Carlisle asked politely, smiling at Lettie through the rearview mirror. Edward squirmed in the passenger's seat to look over his shoulder, immediately noticing the rigid posture Lettie adopted when she wanted to be polite, her hair bouncing as she forcefully nodded her head.
"We have reviewed the material and Edward has assured me the extra readings would be advantageous for this test." If it was possible, Lettie was even more formal than usual, reassuring Carlisle of her adequacy despite having no need to. Edward gestured gently with his hands to remain calm, and Lettie took a deep, unneeded breath. "Yes. I feel adequately prepared for today, and shall not let my shortcomings affect Edward's standings in the school."
"Yes, well…thank you. I have no doubt." He gave her a tight-lipped smile and returned the car to silence. Behind them, Lettie slumped in her seat, cheeks colored in embarrassment.
Carlisle was polite, as always, when he and Lettie discussed things, but there was an air of detachment that made Edward feel uneasy. Carlisle would never hurt Lettie, that much he was sure of, but there was that calculating look in his eyes Edward remembered from all the years of playing his assistant; like a scientist peering into the microscope to an unknown bacteria, he seemed to analyze everything Lettie did, even as he regarded her with a small smile.
Edward sighed to himself. It was going to be a long day.
He was thankful, then, that the dark-haired members of his family equally balanced the others out. Alice was quick to pull Lettie's attention away from Edward at any free moment, discussing fashion and showing Lettie the spectrum of changing styles from the time she was locked away to the present. If he couldn't find Lettie, it wasn't unusual to find her chatting happily with Esme, either watching her paint or pretending to drink tea together on the patio; whether it was because Esme reminded Lettie of her own Mother or the two simply had plenty in common from being born so close together, he didn't know, but it made him more than happy to see them so at ease together. And Emmett, just as he did for the rest of the family, acted almost as a humor-filled buffer, cracking jokes and lulling Lettie in a comfortable atmosphere. If he wasn't asking a million rhetorical questions, he was showing Lettie all the things he enjoyed with more enthusiasm than necessary. She didn't seem to mind, being a more attentive listener than his family normally was, even if she hadn't a clue what he was saying.
They had their designated spots on the couch now, the two taking up three cushions on the couch, not leaving room for much else. Edward took his new favored seat on the single chair, reclining into a position he knew he could stay in for a long time, thumbing through a book he had no real interest in. Emmett's fingers were moving frantically, mindful to not press the buttons too hard (he'd broken enough controllers now to know) or too fast (technology wasn't quite up to speed on their supernatural reflexes). Lettie was in motion beside him, eyes flickering all over the TV screen, her body moving and dodging as the main character did. Edward snickered to himself as they both jumped, each smile widening as the battle ended and a cut scene started.
Emmett looked over to Lettie, infectious smile lighting up the room, and raising his hand. She enthusiastically clapped her palm with his, throwing her weight into it, not that it did much more than launch her body across the couch. Emmett laughed boisterously, he was, after all, the one who told her how to high-five.
"Okay, and now it's just that whole Gravemind spiel, you know, Arbiter is a lie, stop Halo's activation, civil war nonsense." His smile grew. "Hey, do you think you could ever be strong enough to press the buttons? I'd love to see you do the Tartarus battle." Lettie blinked once, then twice, before allowing a tentative smile to cross her lips.
"...I would very much enjoy that."
Ever since Jasper ripped the necklace from his pocket, he decided to keep it closer to him, wearing it instead around his neck. He was surprised how quickly the pendant felt at home dangling against his chest, feeling even more reassured that with every movement, the necklace rubbed against his skin, reminding him she was there. Esme was usually the only one brave enough to ask to bring Lettie places, Alice was more than comfortable stealing the necklace straight from around his neck, but both projected their thoughts well before approaching him.
School had returned to normal, Lettie throwing herself in again as the second half of the year ramped up. They had taken up residence in the dining room now that Lettie was known and their mountain was far too wet to allow their homework to survive, but instead of the quiet time together, the rest of the family joined them to some capacity. Alice dragged Jasper along to get their homework out of the way, usually finishing in a third of the time it took Lettie, but sometimes they stayed, offering little tips and tricks to help her with some of the more difficult questions. Even Jasper chimed in at times, much to their surprise, but Lettie did a good job of keeping her calm, inquiring mind asking more questions to keep the focus off of him. Emmett rarely joined them to do homework, but he did sometimes stop in for a quick chat, that would completely derail their study time. Usually, it was Rosalie or Edward pulling one away from the other.
Alice decided it was best to keep her possible future with James a secret for now, as the wolves neither confirmed nor denied the capture of the three vampires, but she threw herself into research for her past life, combing through records of anything close to resembling her fuzzy past. Edward helped where he could, but there was a reason Alice had given up on her search for several years; not only were her memories of her human life completely gone, not uncommon for vampires turned at a time of great emotional distress, but upon waking from her transformation, she was hit nonstop with a slew of visions of the future, draining her of most of her energy. The visions were so powerful that they completely overrode her memories immediately after waking up, and with no companion or other way of telling time between visions, there was very little Alice remembered of her first weeks of being a vampire. She began her search in the first place she remembered, Greensburg, Louisiana, and the surrounding area in hopes of a match.
"No luck again?" Emmett asked, pausing his game as the older male came running in. It wasn't unusual for the young major to slump against the couch as he did, but it was often an indicator of his frustration, too lost in his mind to care about posture and appearances. Edward could tell today was especially frustrating, as he sat much closer to Lettie than he normally allowed himself, mind seeking the addictive innocence Lettie exuded when she played games.
"I can tell they've been nearby, but their scent is too muddled." He sighed, running a hand down his face. "I thought maybe I could get a sense of their emotions if I wasn't near town, but there was nothing for miles. Nothing inhuman, anyway."
Emmett clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder too hard, but the sentiment was there nonetheless.
After Alice's scare with Samuel, Jasper had taken his self-appointed role as the family protector to the extreme, deciding to spend most of his free time scouting the surrounding area for any clues. His first two attempts ended in complete dead ends, with any possible vampire scent being completely obscured by shifter musk. Now, on his third, Edward could hear the disheartened thoughts running through Jasper's mind, an underlying annoyance keeping pity far from Edward's own mind.
"Would you…" Edward flickered his eyes as Lettie shifted in her seat beside him, flushing when she realized all three males were looking at her, but her voice was no less determined, as she continued, "Would it be terribly inconvenient if I accompanied you?"
"Come with me?" Jasper questioned, head swimming with uncertainty.
"While you may be able to see Samuel when he does not wish, you lack the ability to see the presence of spirits." She was rushing her words, he could tell, as if she might lose her nerve if she stopped. "Samuel is very powerful. Though my vision is weak, I may still be able to see that which you can not."
The room was quiet for a moment, Emmett's stretching smile nearly distracting enough from Jasper's intense stare. Lettie fidgeted once more. Edward let his fingers reach out to soothe against her leg.
"Unless it would be too much of an imposition. I may be able to help refine your ability to attune to the spirit world, though I have no guarantees to its success-"
"I'll come with you," Edward offered, trying to act nonchalant despite his hand reaching to rub at Lettie's necklace, hidden by his clothes.
"It's supposed to be a scouting mission, not a field trip," Jasper bit, though there wasn't the same bite to his words as there had been only a few weeks ago. They still hadn't completely made up, but there were things even Jasper was too petty to let go of. Edward still had a long way to go to earn back his trust. He eyed Lettie up and down once more. "Can you keep up?"
"E-Edward has carried me during our time together-" When Jasper frowned, Lettie hurried on to add, "-though I imagine my necklace will not allow me to stray far from you, in whatever manner that may be."
"Are you ready now?"
"Now?" Edward asked before she could reply.
"Yes, now. I need to know how useful she's going to be if I'm going to be dragging her around Washington."
"Dragging her-?!"
"Edward," Lettie settled a hand on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze, before turning back to Jasper. "I have seen Samuel in every form. I shall be able to detect even the faintest of trails."
"Okay," Jasper said, before anyone could protest. Well, in all honesty, before Edward could protest, because of the way Emmett's mind was running, he was far too excited to see the pairing of Lettie and Jasper, even if it ended in disaster.
The sun was setting behind them as he dropped the necklace into Jasper's hand and they sped off into the woods, barely giving him a backward glance. He retreated inside once Jasper's mind faded to nothing, though Emmett teased he was out there for much longer.
He swore Alice to secrecy as he paced back and forth in her room, mind barely focusing on the latest batch of census reports in front of him. He felt bad, he was supposed to be helping after all, but Alice didn't seem to mind, giggling when his eyes strayed from the page and out the window far too many times. By the time they returned, Edward had practically worn a hole into the carpet, barely sparing Alice a second glance when he rushed out of the room, papers flying from his speed. Jasper handed the necklace over with a roll of his eyes, and amusement tainting his thoughts.
"She managed to get us close," he reassured, looking over at the ghost with a familiarity he hadn't before. "I caught the whiff of three vampires before it disappeared across the treaty line. We're going to try again tomorrow."
Edward had practically pulled Lettie out from Jasper's arms to look her over, determined he'd find her injured, despite the rational part of him knowing that was impossible. Once his examination was done, he sent Jasper a wave of gratitude and a sharp nod, before whisking them off. After that, it became routine for him to do that after every scouting, pulling Lettie from Jasper's arms and running them up into his room, where she would rehash what they'd done, laughing as Edward fussed over her.
And that's what brought him to that moment when he couldn't help the frown pulling at his lips. He couldn't help it; Lettie had, apparently, become the object of desire in his family, and he rarely got any time alone with her anymore.
He tried, he really did. He would try to involve himself in Lettie's breakfasts with Esme, but he found he enjoyed watching from afar, neither distracted by trying to include him in their conversation, even though he knew neither of them really minded. He sat beside her as she answered all of Carlisle's questions, but there was practically nothing he could say that Lettie didn't already know. Jasper already nixed him from joining their scouting, and Emmett refused to allow him to sit with them while they played, stating that Lettie was too distracted when he was around. As much as he enjoyed hanging out with Alice, Lettie was a much better sport when it came to indulging Alice's fashion and pop culture whims, so he usually wandered off halfway through. And, as surprising as it was, Rosalie reluctantly let Lettie sit in whatever car she was working on it, but flat-out refused both of them if Edward tagged along.
So, he figured it was well within his right to be selfish with her after school, huddled in the auditorium chairs as Alice flitted around on stage, jumping between helping people in and out of costumes and consulting with the lighting tech. Edward sat in the darkest corner possible, not an impossible feat as the overhead lights were strictly in their off position until rehearsal was over. While he was there reluctantly, Alice's safety more important to him than the insanity that might overcome him from listening to the same 4 songs over and over again, Lettie was more than excited, eagerly watching as the set seemingly appeared overnight, how the actors transformed once they were dressed the part, how the music fluctuated as the singers worked with the band. He knew that she would have been happier trailing behind Alice, actually being able to walk around on stage and listen in on the discussion between the director and actors, but she didn't complain as he brought the necklace with him, instead whispering commentary as if being beside him was exactly where she wanted to be.
"I thought they would go with the red, too", he whispered back, mindful of not being his face too close to hers. The rowdy actors on stage were either too busy running lines or stomping their feet while dancing to hear their whispered conversation, but Edward kept his phone by his ear just in case. "But I trust Alice to pick what will look best."
"She does have a keen eye for drapery and colors, does she not? I am quite envious." Lettie craned her neck to peer backstage, where Alice had disappeared, a handful of clothes in her arms. The silence between them was easily filled by the ambiance around them, a comfortable lull that he was getting far too used to. So, it surprised him when Lettie turned to him with furrowed brow, concern on her face. "Are you alright?"
"What?" He cleared his throat awkwardly as the words left his mouth much louder than he intended, giving Lettie a quick grimace in apology. "Why would you think something's wrong?"
"You have been…distant."
"You've been busy." Though he was able to soften his tone this time, the accusation wasn't an easy one to miss. Lettie frowned again, flickering her eyes to the stage again before fully turning her body towards him. She was waiting for us to be alone, he realized, a flicker of panic lighting his chest. He hurried to correct himself. "We've been busy. It's almost the end of the year, and you've been working with my family. It can't be helped."
"Yes, however, Edward-" He couldn't stop himself, body turning to his companion almost petulantly.
"Why are you calling me that?" He pushed past the childish way the words came out, doubling down by crossing his arms, despite Lettie's look of confusion. She flickered her eyes to the stage, then around the auditorium, more mindful of keeping up appearances than he was currently invested in. When she turned back to him, it was with an owlish blink.
"Pardon?"
"Edward." When no recognition appeared on her face, he sighed, and elaborated, "You gave me a nickname once, and then never used it again."
"Oh." Her wide eyes instantly closed, wince pulling her brows together. She sank low in her seat, face flush. "I am…embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?"
She peeked a look in his direction, fully knowing she had his undivided attention, but still looked sheepish when their eyes met, hastily closing them again. He leaned closer as she did, desperately hoping the proximity would make her thoughts do the impossible and rise above the cacophony of the people around them, the only reason Edward wasn't standing and demanding answers.
"At the time, I was under the assumption we would never cross paths once your memories disappeared." Lettie didn't seem to notice his approach, her eyes having a hard time focusing on him. "It was a lapse in my judgment."
"Then I hope you have more of those." She looked over at him then, incredulous at his teasing. Her nose bumped against his, making him snicker. It only increased in volume as her surprise turned to a pout.
"You are jesting at my expense."
"Yes, but also no." His laugh quieted as they lapsed into silence. It was easy speaking, and not speaking, to Lettie. Their time together over the summer was more than enough proof of that, as well as the countless hours they spent throughout the year on the mountain. He knew, though, that as comfortable as it was to simply remain in their silence, he valued her thoughts and opinions far too much for it to consume their time together. Gently, he tapped her chin with his knuckle, bringing one last moment of playfulness before his face settled into something more serious. "I…liked it, much more than I was willing to admit. It made me feel…special."
"Special?" she questioned softly.
"You don't have nicknames for other people."
"I do not know many people," she joked weakly. When he didn't return her smile, she grimaced, face flaming. "I supposed that statement is no longer truthful. You have introduced me to more people than I have ever dared to hope. But, yes, I admit, you are…special, to me."
"So, you'll call me Teddy?"
"I suppose I must." This time, her joke was met with a bright smile, one which she reciprocated immediately. "If it brings you such joy."
"It does. You do."
"Then, yes."
"Yes…?" She laughed, playfully sending him a glare.
"Yes, Teddy."
From the stage, Alice sent Edward the mental image of what she was seeing; him, bashfully looking down, biting his lip from keeping the smile off his face. And, as much as I embarrassed him to see himself looking so bashful, he was too giddy to care.