𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞 / 𝐈.

22.

22 - the return

Chattering, that's what I finally hear. Hushed voices trying to be courteous, shuffled movements, and a door opening and closing. Silence then returns to me as I begin to stir, shifting and struggling against the pull in my arm.

"Slow down, cowboy." I stop at the voice of my boyfriend, my eyes finally forcing themselves open to see. Sterile, white surrounds me, and a needle is hooked into my wrist. "Heather?"

"Am I dead?" I feel dead, numb, cold.

"You're very much alive." He assures me, I move from looking at the ceiling to looking at him.

"Cowboy? How long have I been out?" I drearily question.

"Three days and Jasper came up with the nickname. Says you acted like a true cowboy the entire trip." Edward tells me.

"What happened?" I mumble, the door opening again, a loud gasp following.

"Heather Lynn Thomas you have not had an issue with sleepwalking for eight years and when you start it again you tumble down a flight of stairs." Confused I look at Mom, her deep eyes have dulled and there are deep shadows of purple rimming her lids.

Sleepwalking? Flight of stairs? I look over at Edward and it clicks, the cover story. Because if my mother knew the truth about me being attacked by a stalking vampire she'd never let me leave the house.

"They say you hadn't done any drinking, but there wasn't any alcohol in your system, was there?" She asks, I understand the question she's trying to determine if I'm in trouble.

"No Mom. We didn't even go to the festival." I assure her. The cover story was a clever and convenient one, because as a child Mom had to put a gate at the top of the stairs to ensure I couldn't tumble down them during my nightly walks.

"Guess I'm going to have to find that gate again. No, wait, I gave it to the Straits because of their toddler." She thinks aloud. "That's unimportant, what's important is you're safe and alive, first the car accident and then you fall down stairs and crash into a vase. Did you break a mirror and get seven years of bad luck?"

"Something like that." I shrug, holding back a dark grin thinking about the actual incident.

"Ms. Camilla, do you mind if I have a moment with Heather?" Edward carefully asks, using that smile of his to ensure he gets his way.

"Yeah, I was actually going to get something to eat and then you woke up. Are you hungry, do you want food?" She asks.

"No, I'm good." I'm sure my appetite will find its way back to me soon enough, but now I'm afraid I might not be able to keep my food down.

"Okay, I'll be back soon." Mom presses a kiss on the top of my head before reluctantly leaving the room so Edward and I can talk. 

"You asked what happened, are you sure you want to know?" He eyes me.

"Is it that horrible?"

"Mhm."

"Spare the gore, but tell me the truth." I sigh, leaning back into the flat, hospital pillow.

"James had picked up on your trail sooner than we thought, he figured we were heading south it would be harder for him to follow the farther south. His trail ended for us pretty abruptly thanks to the untimely rain, but we were able to get to Phoenix and you in record time." He takes a break, I know his facial expression, he's considering what to say to me.

"James and Victoria were hunting in the area, the gas station was an extremely convenient place for them to hunt around. He got the cashier while Victoria was looking around the area for food. She spotted Alice and Jasper attacking them, they almost killed her and then realized it was a distraction. She ran away when they rushed to deal with you, then when we got there. Thankfully too, Carlisle had to suck the venom out of your bloodstream, none of the rest of us could've done that."

"What happened to them? Victoria and James?"

"Victoria ran once the rest of us arrived, James was killed by Jasper and Alice. We got you to the hospital shortly after, Alice thankfully came up with a great cover story." He finishes. "You never struck me as the sleepwalking type."

"So, if y'all hadn't gotten the venom out of me, what would've happened? Would I have changed?" I ask, he answers with a small nod. "Oh."

"Heather, maybe we shouldn't be together. It's clear that I bring you trouble." Jesus Christ, I just woke up from a coma and he's being so damn dramatic.

"Edward, it wasn't your fault-"

"I should've been better! I was supposed to be careful and protect you!" He cuts me off, angering me. "Instead you almost died!"

"That still wasn't your fault, even with your telepathic abilities you couldn't have predicted this would've been the outcome. And I never expected you to be able to uphold the promise of protecting me. Humans make that promise and fail it all the time, but their relationships still go on. Stop being so melancholy and woe is me, it's not your fault!" I argue back, how could he be so unreasonable? "I almost died, and ten minutes after I regain consciousness you decide to chicken out on me? Really?"

"I'm not, I'm taking precautions."

"Edward, precautions were thrown out the window when I agreed to date a vampire. A vampire who took risks to date me, and we agreed to make things work, and they have. Besides being chased by a psycho, which, there are crazy human stalkers, this relationship has been great, it's been fun. And you're not just breaking up with me, don't be dramatic." I put my foot down, he'll come to his senses, all he needs is a voice of reason to call him out on his drama.

"It's selfish for me to do this to you." Edward croaks out, hanging his head low.

"Let me be the determiner of that." Am I being a bit harsh towards him? Yes, but he needs to hear the truth. "Edward, you spend so much time moping and being all melodramatic. Give me the chance to change that, to make your feel alive for once."