Fatal Affection (yandere Alice Cullen and Yandere Jasper Hale x male oc)

[29]

-Alices POV-

The church was crowded, filled with a familiar mix of incense and old wood. I scanned the pews, keeping a discreet eye on Bennett as I settled into my seat beside Carlisle. Jasper was positioned at the edge, ready to slip out if needed. I was on the far side, exactly where I could see Bennett without interruption, and Jasper, of course, understood why I wanted this spot.

"So, which one is he?" Carlisle's question was low, barely above the organ's soothing hum, and a hymn was playing. I followed his gaze toward the front row, where Bennett stood quietly, head slightly bowed to see the lyrics.

"He's there, in the first row," I whispered, "next to the woman in green, the one with the brown hair, that him."

Carlisle squinted slightly, then nodded in acknowledgement. "I see him," he murmured. Nessie, always curious, leaned forward and fixed her eyes on him, too.

"He's not very tall," she observed, scrunching her nose.

I gave her a teasing look. "And you're a giant yourself, are you?"

She wrinkled her nose and shuffled back with a slight grin. Bennett sang along with the hymn. His head turned just enough that I could see his profile. His expression was so sincere, so open. The way he put himself into things felt real and soft in a way that was entirely new to me. Something was captivating about him: his focus and voice were barely distinguishable over the congregation. I found myself studying his every movement, memorising the details.

Each hymn brought me back to him, my ears trained to pick out his voice from the murmur of others. I was fixated, and he must have felt it because, midway through the final hymn, he looked over his shoulder, his eyes catching mine. I let my lips curve into a small smile and waved a discreet, delicate gesture. His cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, and he managed a shy wave back before his mother nudged him, pulling his attention back with a firm look.

I felt a twist of irritation flicker through me. Cow, I thought, keeping the smile on my face but feeling the sharpness settle behind my eyes.

Sitting next to Carlisle, Esme leaned over and gave me a knowing smile. "He's pretty cute," she whispered, a glint of warmth in her eyes.

I nodded, whispering back, "The Cutest." My heart swelled a little as I said it. The hour of hymns and sermons seemed to stretch endlessly, but Bennett's presence made the time slip by almost too quickly.

The rest of the service passed in the usual dull hum of speeches and hymns, but my focus remained on Bennett. When the congregation began dispersing, I wasted no time, gliding toward Bennett and his family through the crowd. He saw me, his face lighting up with that shy but genuine smile that made my heart skip.

"Hi, Benny," I said warmly, unable to help myself. I leaned in, pulling him into a quick hug, feeling his heartbeat kick up in surprise before he returned it. He seemed flustered but thrilled, glancing away shyly when I pulled back.

"Good morning, Mrs. Peters," I said, turning my attention to Bennett's mother, Melissa, whose eyes flickered between Bennett and me with an approving smile.

"Hello, Alice," Bennetts mum replied with a measured but polite smile. "I'm so glad you came." Her gaze shifted to the rest of my family, her eyes lingering with curiosity.

Esme and Carlisle joined us, Esme's arm resting casually in Carlisle's. Ever the picture of elegance, Esme extended a friendly hand to Bennetts's mum. "Good morning, Melissa. Thank you for the beautiful service," she said graciously. "This is my husband, Carlisle."

Carlisle greeted Bennetts's mum, Melissa, with a polite smile, but the moment Bennett's father, Reverend Peters, joined us, the Reverend's attention zeroed in solely on Carlisle, seemingly indifferent to Esme.