Afterglow

Chapter 3

The next week had passed by in a blur of school, work, and calling the Black house. Once the weekend hit, on a rare sunny day so early in the season, I decided to head back out to the meadow. I knew it was a bad idea, especially to go alone, but I needed to see it again. I packed up a small bag with lunch and an extra sweater, and then headed off.

It took a while to find again, but it was easier to approach this time. The meadow was starting to look a bit more vibrant, signs of new growth peeking out through the freshly thawed ground, and I smiled to myself. I didn't dare look over in the direction of the damaged tree, but sunk to my knees, running my hands over the dry grass. It wasn't the same meadow I had dreamed about for all those months, one full of life, but one that brought along the reality of what had happened, and I was starting to accept that fact. I don't know how long I knelt there, eyes cast down, but when I looked up again I jumped, realizing that I wasn't alone anymore. I squinted, placing a name to the face. Laurent . As soon as I made the connection I gasped, standing upright, and he sped over, stopping about ten feet away from me, smirking. As I stared at him, it hit me. He was the same Laurent that I had last seen at the Cullen's house, nothing about him had changed. He was the one other thing that had not changed. As wrong as it was, I couldn't help but feel some sort of sick relief, he hadn't changed.

"Bella?" HIs voice was like music, and he looked surprised to see me there.

I couldn't help but smile at him, "You remembered."

He nodded, taking a step closer as he looked me up and down. I knew that I should be afraid, that Laurent hadn't changed, that he still had those red eyes, and that I didn't have the same protection as last time, but I wanted him to get even closer. I hadn't been around a vampire in months, and I could smell the telltale, sweet scent even though I was still so far from him.

"Weren't you in Alaska?" It hit me that he wasn't supposed to be here, and it didn't seem like he had any company.

He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, stance relaxed, "I was, for a while. It wasn't quite as perfect as promised, so I came to visit the Cullens. Though I didn't expect to find their house empty."

"They left." The words felt hollow as they left my mouth, and left a sickening taste behind.

"That's too bad," he smirked, "and they just left you behind? You're their pet, no?"

I blushed, looking down, "'was something like that."

He hummed, closing more of the distance between us. The closer he got, the stronger his scent became, and I didn't want him to stop. What had been said all that time ago was true, then, about being the perfect predator. The sweet scent brought me comfort that I had lost in September, and I couldn't find it in me to be afraid of the red eyed monster that had stopped in front of me, raising a hand and stroking my cheek. I leaned into the cold touch, light as a feather, and it took everything I could muster in me to not close my eyes, not sigh at the comfort.

"Do they ever visit, pet?" His voice was gentle as I felt his breath fan across my face, giving me a stronger, more concentrated version of his scent.

I shook my head, I couldn't speak over the sensation of cotton that seemed to fill my mouth.

"That's too bad, I was hoping they would be here, I have a friend who wanted to see them as well." A friend? He was alone, there was nobody but the two of us in the meadow, and I don't think any of the Cullens' cousins would have visited while Laurent's eyes were still red.

His eyes were still red. The cousins were vegetarians too, he was going to be a vegetarian. Why were his eyes red? Shouldn't they have changed by now?