Something Darker (Book Three)

XIII. Counterpart

It took a lot of restraint for Alec to resist casting too many glances over his shoulder at Violet throughout the flight.

It was glaringly obvious to him that his sister felt similarly. Each time Jane caught sight of Violet and Renesmee yukking it up at the back of the jet, her facial expression grew more and more sour.

Alec fought back a smile. He knew Violet had begun to grow onto his sister, and it seemed like Renesmee's presence was only exacerbating the situation.

Although he was pleased that Jane had grown closer to Violet the last time they saw her, Alec was still unsure if the development was actually a good thing, at its core.

On one hand, Alec had wholeheartedly wished for Jane and Violet to look past their differences and get along.

But, on the other hand, he couldn't shake the feeling that Jane and Violet had developed a habit of withholding information from him and keeping secrets.

Not to mention the fact that Jane was still refusing to drop her campaign for keeping Violet and him apart. She stubbornly still believed - very openly - that Alec and Violet had no business being involved romantically or, God forbid, anything more intimate than that.

Alec wondered if any of it even mattered any longer, anyway. If Violet was able to regain her memory, five years was a long time for humans. Even if Violet remembered him, the state of her true feelings toward him would be a crapshoot.

Alec took a moment to assess the current state of affairs.

Violet wasn't angry with him, which was a positive development, and she didn't seem repulsed by the sight of him anymore. It was unfortunate, however, that Jane had already begun to scare her away. What Alec found ludacris was that Jane wasn't even trying to put Violet off that time around.

The silver lining for him was that Violet was put off by Demetri, as well. For the first time in years, Alec finally had the upper hand in the situation, opposed to him.

In truth, Alec almost felt like personally thanking Renesmee himself. Not only had she pit Violet against Demetri, but she'd begun to nudge her back towards him again.

Perhaps it was good that the Cullen girl was tagging along, after all.

With Renesmee in Violet's ear, it seemed to Alec that his chances of winning his mate back had greatly increased. They had taken some time apart, and he felt confident that he had thoroughly learned from his mistakes.

Violet was the first girl - the only girl - he had ever been with, and although he wasn't proud of his actions, he hoped that Violet would consider allowing a small margin of error.

He was sure that he could get better, and he had.

"I don't like it," Jane said to Alec after tearing her eyes away from Violet and Renesmee yet again. They were huddled in their seats, giggling and listening to music.

"It'll pass," Alec said, keeping his voice cool and comforting.

"They're communicating," Jane pointed out. "Renesmee has been holding her hand for a majority of the flight so far."

"Yes," Alec said. He had noticed this, as well. "And Violet has been tactfully angling her face away from us throughout the fight, as well. But, as I said, this will pass. She's one of us."

"You sound so sure, brother," Jane said with a lightly mocking smile. "You heard Renesmee's offer back at that house. Violet would love it in Forks."

"Once she remembers why she hasn't heard from the Cullen girl in over five years, the matter will resolve itself in our favor."

"If she remembers," Jane said skeptically.

"She will," Alec insisted.

"You don't know that. You're only hoping she does so she'll remember that you actually dated," Jane laughed.

"I never properly thanked you for that," Alec said sarcastically.

"You should've seen your face," Jane prodded him playfully. "And, anyway, it's not like she rejected the idea of being with you. Who knows? Maybe, deep down, she still remembers you?"

She was still mocking him, of course.

"You're right, sister. She didn't reject the idea of being with me, she just rejected me. You get full credit for that, as well."

A sweet, syrupy smile spread across Jane's face. "What a fascinating development. Violet chose me over you."

"You seem pleased. How flattering this must be for you," Alec said with a hint of tartness in his voice.

"It's better that she chose one of us," Jane said.

"Opposed to Renesmee?"

"Or Demetri," Jane said smugly.

The twins glanced over their shoulders at Violet and Renesmee again. The girls had put headphones in and were singing duets together. The only thing more obnoxious than that was the fact that they weren't horrible, either.

On the bright side, it was very clear that Renesmee hadn't been paying an ounce of attention to the twin's conversation.

"How much do you want Renesmee to leave Violet alone?" Alec asked his sister smoothly.

She glanced at him curiously, but didn't respond otherwise.

"As much as I want Demetri to leave her alone?" Alec pressed.

Jane's expression turned baleful.

"It's not personal for me," she claimed stubbornly. "My only concern is securing her loyalty to our coven."

"If you insist," Alec said carelessly with a shrug. He knew she was getting close to cracking.

Jane crossed her arms and shot Alec a look of deep annoyance.

"Enough time has passed, sister," Alec said. "Perhaps it's time you and I cut a deal."

"And how's that?" Jane said, feigning disinterest.

"You and I work together to win Violet over and we split her 50/50."

"No," Jane replied flatly.

"As you wish, dear sister," Alec said breezily, leaning back in his seat. "Perhaps Violet will like Forks this time around after all."

Jane and Alec sat in deep silence for a long, drawn out moment. It wasn't until Violet and Renesmee broke down into yet another fit of giggles when Jane finally spoke.

"We've always worked better together, anyway," Jane said coolly.

"I couldn't agree more," Alec replied with a matching inflection.

The twins knew they had been divided long enough. They were much stronger when they functioned together, as a cohesive unit.

Together, Jane and Alec were unstoppable.