Violet Forsythe has finally found peace.
She successfully escaped a coven of malignant vampires, worked hard to get an education, and has actually managed to pull herself together.
But, as old acquaintances begin to resurface, the life that Violet w...
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When I arrived at the coffee shop, I'd managed to show up before Mark for once.
I quickly went through the order line with Renesmee to get a coffee before we went our separate ways, both of us choosing tables on opposite sides of the shop. Renesmee swore she wouldn't intervene; she just didn't want to sit in the car alone with the Volturi soldiers, which was completely understandable. I found them to be pretty unsettling, as well, and they didn't seem to detest me as much as they did Renesmee.
I was sure there was a whole saga behind why the Cullens and the Volturi disliked each other so much, but I couldn't bring myself to ask about it. Considering how vehemently Jane and Renesmee argued the night before, I wasn't going to risk starting another fight.
"Hey, Violet," Mark said with a warm smile as he took a seat across the small café table from me, jolting me from my thoughts.
"Hi," I said, unable to think of anything more creative to say.
I caught sight of Renesmee staring at us from across the café. I averted eye contact by taking a long sip of my coffee.
Nosey.
"Are you wearing the same clothes from last night?" he asked, his voice devoid of judgment.
"I changed my shoes," I smiled sheepishly.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyebrows pulling together slightly in concern.
"Yeah. Just a crazy night."
"Right," he nodded. "You left pretty quickly. Was it because of what I said? I didn't mean to upset you."
"What? No, no. Not at all," I said, thinking quickly to invent a halfway decent lie to cover for being dragged off by a couple of incredibly testy vampire girls. "I, ah, ran into a couple of girls I knew back in high school. They're a bit...entitled, so they didn't consider the fact that I was with someone else when they pulled me away."
Oof. I had a feeling I was going to get an earful for putting Jane and Renesmee in the same boat. But, was I wrong?
"Oh, okay. I was just worried that, you know— I told you that—uh," Mark replied, blushing slightly.
"Right. Yeah. No, I just got pulled away," I said artlessly.
"Cool," he nodded.
We fell into an uncomfortable silence as we sipped our beverages.
"So, how are your friends?" Mark asked after a minute.
"They're good!" I replied with a little too much enthusiasm. I was thankful for the break in the silence. "They're good. They're a little zany, but you know."
"Nice," Mark laughed. "I'm sure its strange having people from your past pop up out of nowhere. You know, since you never talk about it."
"Yeah. Well, I don't...remember them well, to be honest. We were friends during my senior year of school so..." I hedged.
"Oh. So, after your parents...?"
"Yeah."
"How much do you remember about them?" Mark inquired.
"Not much," I said before giving him an unconvincing smile. "I mean, it's not like they're random people off of the street, or anything. They showed me our yearbook, and all of that good stuff."
"Strange," Mark said pensively.
"They're sweet girls and everything, but I wish I remembered more from that point in my life. I have no idea why the memories are just gone."
"Well, you still have the memories buried somewhere," Mark said hopefully. "You just have to access them."
"You make it sound so simple," I chuckled.
"It'll take time, of course," Mark smiled, as well, "and success isn't guaranteed, but it could be worth a shot."
"What do you think I should do?" I asked, perking up.
"There are few things you could try. Hypnosis, maybe? Bilateral sounds or cognitive therapy. I think you could start with reducing the stress in your life, and maintaining a low level of stress."
"That's much easier said than done," I said, disheartened.
How was I going to maintain low levels of stress while being kidnapped by a gang of blood thirsty vampires?
"If you're really serious about accessing your memories, you should consider seeing a specialist. I could give you some recommendations, if you'd like."
"Let me take some time to think about it," I said as I began to wonder how I could convince Jane to stick around in the US for a little longer. I wasn't entirely sure that it was possible. "I know you're right, but it's a big jump, you know?"
"I completely understand," Mark said reassuringly. "Take as much time as you need. There's no rush."
"Thanks, Mark," I smile gratefully.
Mark stared at me pensively, like he was choosing his words carefully. I hadn't noticed fast enough, however, so I wasn't able to derail the conversation before he settled on what he wanted to say.
"I just hope you know that I'm always here for you," Mark said earnestly. "I know it isn't easy for you to let your guard down, or rely on anyone, but I meant what I said last night. I..."
'Oh, god.'
"Uh..." Mark continued, petering out. "I, ah— I care about you. A lot."
"Ah. Thank you," I said lamely. I could almost feel the heat radiating from my cheeks. "I really appreciate it."
I stared down at my empty coffee mug and wondered listlessly if the moment could get any worse.
"Oh, my God. Violet?"
I looked up quickly to see who was speaking to me, because it wasn't Mark.
"What are the odds?" Alec asked, looking down at me with a sunny smile. "Who's your friend?"
