𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 • 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙚

22; (BRAND NEW CHAPTER) nothing but ashes

This is a brand new written chapter for this part of the story, with new lines and scenes and all. If you're not tracking the new editing of all my chapters, read anywhere from chapter 18 since new moon and eclipse will be the most changed thing from Spitfire.

Just to clarify: the nights are still the hardest part for Elias.

They used to be the best part of his life. They used to be spent full of laughter, talking, touches and everything in between with him. It was the time where vampires came alive in a world asleep and Elias thrived in it.

Now it was the worst part.

Now it's when the world settled and silenced for the humans and Elias doesn't have anything to fill his time; it's the part of his day where his mind gets louder with everything he's trying to push away.

His parents, his brother, the guilt, the feeling of abandoning them but still not being able to go back because that just leads to more pain. Every scorning emotion that came with the reason he was hurting in the first place, the reason he didn't want to think about no matter what.

But the thing is, Elias was getting good at making his days better. But some part of his life lacked in response- like the nights, like the straining relationship with his parents.

And Elias knew from past experiences, that if the good kept going, kept increasing, the bad was just around the corner. If you tip the scale too much, you'd come crashing down.

"Am I totally horrible person if I say that I don't like it when your dad makes you go home?" Bella questions, her teeth tugging against her lip in guilt.

Elias, gazing out the open truck window as they drive to La Push, a burning cigarette between his fingers, turns to look at her with a simple shake of his head. "No, not at all, I miss our sleepovers," he admits, "I sleep better when I'm not alone."

Bella hums, her expression thoughtful. "It's also nice having someone who feels like a hot blanket to keep me comfort all night."

The grey eyed boy brings the cigarette to his lips, feeling a smirk form as he threatens, "I'll charge you for my services."

The sides of her lips upturn, the sight lightening Eli's chest- he liked it when she was happy, it made him feel happy. "Don't laugh at me Bella, I will," he threatens.

She takes her eyes off the road to watch him take a drag of his cigarette, her tone matching his as she says, "I'll charge you rent for being at my place all the time."

Eli locks eyes with her, both of them holding onto their empty threats. "Fine," he says, angling the exhale of smoke out of the open window, "Call it even?"

"Even," she chuckles, her lips still spread into a smile as she watches the road again.

Elias joins her, the lightness in his chest making it easy to laugh, to not question why. It's easy like that when being around friends, but even easier around Bella.

"I like hearing your laugh," Bella murmurs, listening to his deep drawl like a musician listened to their favourite song.

Eli's laugh sobers up, not from the fact she calls upon it, but from how her eyes twist and darken. He knows when she's thinking too hard about something, or when something is bothering her.