We Three Witches (Twilight)

Chapter 22 - End of My Tether

Monday, March 10th, 2003

I splashed water over my face and glared into the sink. My hands trembled as I gripped the counter and I pretended like my heart wasn't breaking.

He is a dead bastard walking. I should kill him for this.

Blindly reaching for the paper towels, I scrubbed at my face until it was red raw. The bathroom sink was streaked with black and red from my makeup until it looked like blood.

Maybe if I bleed enough I won't feel like my heart is breaking.

I was an idiot. How many times did I have to have my heart broken to realise I couldn't trust anyone?

I thought I'd learnt my lesson with Eliza, but here I was trusting someone I knew would hurt me.

Beautiful.

You're the strongest person I've ever met.

You're mine.

I love you.

Pretty words that went straight to my head.

And like an idiot, I'd believed them. I'd believed him. All because I didn't want to be alone.

I don't plan on ever breaking your heart.

But he did. And he acted like nothing had changed.

You left me for someone else, and you still smile at me like I'm the only one who matters.

I glared at the mirror, at the circles below my eyes, at the makeup smeared and water-streaked across my face. At the tears brimming in my eyes. If anyone walked in now, I knew I'd look like a teenage idiot who just got her heart broken.

I snarled at the mirror. Fuck that.

Anger was easy. It was good. Familiar. I didn't have to worry about making a fool of myself if I was angry.

Because Edward Cullen was not going to be the reason I cried for the first time in centuries, or even looked like I was upset. Fuck. That.

I grabbed my makeup bag and ripped it open. Everything spilled out across the bathroom counter, and I got to work. It was at the start of lunch and I was in the school bathroom on the third floor. I'd come to school prepared to grill him and when I'd seen Edward walk calmly into Study Hall in second period, I'd almost lost it. But it wasn't until after the Study Hall that I'd actually wanted him dead.

Three Hours Earlier

"Good morning, my love." Edward smiled at me with eyes softer than flowers in a meadow. He sat down in the chair next to me and sprawled out, his legs bumping mine. He looked soft, gentle and entirely in love. "I missed you."

His fingers ran lightly over the back of my neck and curled through my pony tail. My body traitorously shivered at his touch. His eyes softened impossibly more. Everything about him screamed that he loved me. And I hated him a little for it.

"You missed me?" I turned to face him slowly.

His smile widened like I'd made a joke. "Of course. How could I not?" His fingers trailed along my jaw to gently grip my chin between his thumb and forefinger so I couldn't turn away. "Did you miss me?"

I ripped my head away and turned back to my textbook. "Now why would I do that?"

He snickered at my acerbic tone. "Are you mad at me, my love?" He leaned forward to boop his head against the side of my face.