Twilight OC Rewrite

Chapter Twenty: Impatience

When I woke up, I was confused. My thoughts were hazy, still twisted up in dreams and nightmares. It took me longer than it should have to realize who was missing.

I shot up from my pillow, looking around my room for Christian. Gone. So was my sister, and since I wasn't awoken during the night, I assumed that meant that she was safe, for now. Before I could let my thoughts wander through what ifs, I got out of bed.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweater, I lumbered into my shared bathroom to brush my teeth. My sister's toothbrush was gone from where it had been placed next to mine. It felt lonely.

Walking downstairs, I heard the sound of the tv, followed by grumblings from my dad. I saw a familiar pile of sandy blond hair and I could feel myself relax. I walked past them without a word and into the kitchen to make a bowl of cereal. Within seconds, Christian was behind me, a hand on my elbow.

"They made it to Arizona safely. No word yet on the tracker, but the woman is around."

I tensed up despite myself and immediately felt bad. Being cautious made me think he would suspect I didn't believe he could protect us and I didn't want him to lose faith, or think that I had.

"Everyone will be fine," he whispered.

I gave him a small smile and walked into the living room with my bowl, sitting in an unoccupied chair. As Christian returned after me, I saw my dad give him more of an approving look than he got last night.

"Hope the couch was alright," he said in an almost cheerful tone.

"I sleep easy—it was fine." Christian beamed at him and I could tell it made Dad a little uncomfortable. His teeth were all white and his canines were normal, but obviously sharp. I held back a quiet laugh.

My dad stood up abruptly, clearing his throat like he'd just walked in on us in a compromising position. "Well, I'd better be getting to work. You'll let me know if.." He trailed off. I could see the pain in his eyes.

"Yes, I'll call you if I hear anything." I finished for him.

He looked around the room, almost lost, before he grabbed his things and left. I heard the cruiser pull out from our drive and then we were alone.

Within the same second, Christian was beside me, putting himself between me and the chair that only sat one person. Wrapping his arms around my waist, I shivered a bit at his cold touch as he rested his head on my back.

"What do you want to do today? It's pretty clear you won't be going to school." He mumbled into my shirt.

I shrugged, unable to come up with a coherent response. My concern for Bella and the feel of Christian's unnecessary breath unnerving me.

"Knowing that the woman is in the area," he continued, not bothered by the fact that I didn't actually reply, "we shouldn't stay in this house all day. Charlie is at work and Esme is watching him, so he's safe. If it came to a fight, I know I'd be able to protect you, but I'd rather not risk leaving you unguarded. We shouldn't go back to my house, either." The way he spoke left the last bit open as he deliberated what could be done in a town so small.

"We could go to the glade?" I said, although it sounded like a question.

"We could! Do you want to bring your violin? Or a book?"

"If we're gonna spend hours there, both."

So that's what we did until just before nightfall. We sat in the glade. Christian listened to me play my violin off and on and never laughed if I played the wrong note or slurred my strings. He watched me read and if he was reading, too, never complained if I turned the page too slow. I think I took a nap at one point, but he didn't complain about that, either.

When the sun started to dip ever so slightly, Christian handed me my violin, tucked tightly back into its case and my book, then picked me up bridal style and ran through the impossible green to the house.

About two minutes from the edge of the wood, he stopped and gently put me down, taking my violin from my back and slinging it across his. We walked together without speaking towards my house. The crickets were out and creating their melodies, and the sound of almost wet grass beneath our feet played in accompaniment. Breaking through the brush and coming up the side of the house, I found my dad outside on the front porch.

"You're home." He said, sounding relieved.

"I didn't leave, Dad." I said, trying to sound reassuring.

Christian followed behind me up the steps and held the door open for both of us, squeezing my dad's shoulder lightly as he passed through the entryway.

"Nice to see you." My dad mumbled.

I didn't bother to exchange pleasantries and small talk when we all got into the house. I was mentally tired and felt disconnected from my home. So instead, I climbed the stairs to the bedroom I now was eerily alone in, and collapsed on my bed. I pulled the dark green covers to my neck and curled into a ball. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I didn't try to close my eyes. I drifted into a space far away from Forks, a space Bella and I could be safe and happy, always. I had grown used to spending a month or two away from her, as I would visit Dad and she would stay at home in Arizona, but this was different. My family was in danger-–my sister, and there was no way I could go to her without worsening the problem. There was no way I could fix this for her, for us.

Seeing how they were now, Bella would probably be happiest wherever Edward was, so I imagined us all together. Somewhere not so cold, so my twin could be happy, even if the heat killed me. Not cold, but not sunny, or else Edward wouldn't be able to enjoy the outdoors. I wondered for only a second if he was willing to leave his family for my sister, but with their vampiric ability to run at what seemed like the speed of light, I guess it wouldn't matter as long as we didn't move too terribly far away. Would I be with anyone? Would Christian and I still be in this awkward middle phase of not together but comfortable enough to be vaguely intimate with one another? Would he have moved on by then? Would I?

The thought of running away with my sister and her boyfriend had derailed and spiraled into something I wasn't ready to think about, so I put a stop to it. I snapped my eyes shut and tried to calm my breathing by focusing very hard on hearing my own blood rush through my veins. Impossible, of course, but a girl could try.

As the night crept on, I felt Christian lay down next to me, gentle as a ghost. I hadn't heard the door open so I'm sure Dad didn't, either. He kept his body above the covers, assumingly so I wouldn't get cold, and that's all I thought about before I finally fell asleep.