All The Lovely Little Vampires

All The Lovely Little Vampires chapter 22

                                          CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

         I could hear the entire family gather in the bathroom I was just in. I was close enough to the door to hear them speak, and their voices were loud enough for me to make out the conversation. “What happened?” I heard Alice ask, her voice filled with worry and concern, but I could sense a trace of forced curiosity behind it all. Edward wasn’t fooled by her unknowingness, however. “Like you wernt listening in the whole time.” He growled, hust and embaressed at the same time.

          “It was hard not to. You two were loud.” Rosalie snorted, but behind her remark I could pick up real compassion, like she understood what he was going through and she understood his pain. But no one on Earth knew what agony he felt better than I. I have it a lot worse. I could almost see Edward leaning over the sink, his arms the only thin keeping him up, hair over his tightly shut eyes, face twisted with pain. “I just don’t understand.” He stated to them all, his tone twisted with an emotion so strong it made me want to cry harder than I had when I first watched The Notebook.

          “Son, shes got a lot going on with her right now. Shes confused and hurt, and it all happened so fast it made her head spin. Just give her some time to sort things out. You know as well as all of us how deeply she loves you.” Carlisles calming voice eased the tense air a bit, and you would think he was the one with the emotion control  instead of Jasper, but I suppose he just has that way with people in his voice.

          But threes no way he could have had that quick of a change of heart. One small speech cannot make someone realize true love. I'm sure my words only made him feel so sorry for me, that he thought pity to be love. I cant live with thinking that, especially not in his arms. What would happen when he finds out he dosnt really love me after all? The pain would be so much worse, now that I had a taste of him in my blood, that I would surly kill myself to escape it all once and for good.

          “I did that to her. I drove her to that point of agony.” He mumbled, so soft I barely heard it. I felt my lower lip and chin quiver. There was a strip of silence, then a sound so loud I nearly jumped out of my skin. Someone, presumably Edward, hit the bathroom counter so hard I heard shards fly of granite all over, and large slabs slide away. “The numbness is excrutiating.” He added after a few seconds. I could almost see Esme put a hand on his shoulder as she said “She just needs some time.” In a comforting, motherly tone.

          “I feel like I was blind, but I didn’t even know it. Like everything looked just fine the way it was, nothing was really wrong. Then, in an instant, she shot across my sky like a shooting star, bright and so gleaming, but she was gone as fast as she came, and she left me blind, more than before, like I couldn’t even see anything anymore. And now I wonder how I even lived so blind to her before.”

          Edwards words stung me, and I took a small step back. I could still hear them speak to one another, but not as well as before. Suddonly, Alice admitted; “She tried to kill herself.”

          I felt a flash of heat cross my face from the shame and sheepishness of that. I was so weak then, not able to cope because I had never been expoased to that kind of horrible feeling before, that I didn’t really know what else to do. By then I was so numbed by the pain I didn’t even realize what I was doing. I heard small gasps of shock go around, and Esme began to sob. “When? How?” Carlisle grilled. I guess he didn’t have to ask whey, since everyone already knew that one. “A month ago, maybe longer. She tried to drown herself in her bathtub.” Alice replied.

          “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Jasper asked her. I could hear Alice collecting her answer in her mind, and a moment after, she told them all why not. “I suppose I was trying to protect her. If you all knew, you may think less of her, or over worry. And I've been watching her very closely since then, so I know everything that’s going to and already has happened. Plus, I wanted to keep your minds clean. I believe Aro is up to something nasty.”

          I sucked in my breath. No way I was going to spill anything. I wasn’t going to be the start of a war between the Voltouri and the Cullens. It would only result in my family being masacered and my own downfall and demise as a blood lusty soulless demon. No way, no how. Ill never spill. “What do you think it is?” Esme asked, her voice small and thick with tears. I imagined Alice shrugging as she answered. “I have no clue. But I think Lia might.”

          That’s it. I had better do something, and fast. I fetched my iPhone from my dresser next to me and turned it hesitantly in my hands.

          “Why wouldn't she tell us if she did?” Emmett querried aloud. I bit my lower lip as I glared unsure at my phone. “Maybe she was trying to keep our minds clean and protected.” Jasper suggested. I took that as the get-the-hell-out-you’ve-heard-enough signal and stopped eavesdropping at once. I held the phone up to my face and dialed the number I knew so well. I put it to my ear and as it rang, once, twice, three times, I knew this was a choice I couldn’t go back on. After the fourth ring, which was longer than average, a woman answered the line.

          “Hello?” She greeted unwelcomingly. The usual blood bank slave, unaware of her fate. Shes probably pretty, too. “Put Aro on, please.” I demanded politly. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with the middleman right now, and I was in a rush. I knew what was coming next, as it always does, and cut her off. “Who is th-”

          “Put him on now.” I was a little harsh, but like I said before, I'm not in the mood and I'm in a rush. There was a pause and I heard his calm collected tone on the other line. “This is Aro.” I could tell in his voice he half expected it to be me, but would take the risk it wasn’t.  “A-Aro. Its me, Lia.”

          “Ophilia, darling! How wonderful to her your voice, my dear daughter.” He said merrily. His cheery tone calmed my nerves. He always has a way with making me laugh and feel a little better with his optimistic, joyful demeanor. He made me feel like a princess, when he wasn’t trying to make me a human killer and hook me up with the worlds next most abusive husband.

          “I want you to come get me. I want to come over there with you.” I could tell he was surprised, since I close to never did this. When he finally said something, it was opposite of what I wanted to hear. “Ill send Alec to fetch you right away-”

          “No,” I saw the mistake of interrupting him right away and went on hastily, “please, sir, I want you to do it personally.”

          He thought not one moment on it. “Of course, dear. Ill be down there as soon as I can, two days. You hold tight. And may I ask, is something the matter?” I knew he would ask this, which was why I previously prepared a reply. “Something always seems to be the matter with me. But no, nothing out of the ordinary.” Which wasn’t a total lie. For the past couple of months, ordinary was suicidal thoughts and sleepless nights. “Ill see you soon, darling.” His version of a goodbye before he hung up the line, and I went and sat on my bed, knowing what I've just commited to.

          I wonder if I should say goodbye? That would be too obvious, no way. Aro would be using the front door, so I had to do something. Wait outside? But how do I get downstairs…? My window? Yeah, cause that one worked out great last time. And with a big honky cast? I put too much pressure on it when I ran to my room, I doubt itll survive another dangerous window escape. “Ill just go down and tell them I'm getting some fresh air.” I decided aloud. Right after I wondered if it was safe to talk to myself, with high perseptive vampires In the house.

          I tossed my luggage (two duffle bags and a purple rolling suitcase with pandas and bears all over it) out the window, letting them land as softly as I could manage. Better to have it out in case I'm forced to make a quick escape when he gets here. Plus I wouldn't want them to come in and see my bags packed. I creaked the door open to check the area and ran right smack dab into a wall of rock hard, cold flesh. A farmiliar sweet smell hit me that brought a tightening in my chest. “Edward…” I choked out as I looked up at him. Did he hear me announce my plan to escape?

          “Its not safe to go out alone yet. Those three are still out and about, probably waiting for you to wonder off alone again.” He warned me with a caressing tone. I swallowed the lump in my throat that dared to turn into a racking sob. Reluctantly, I stepped back, staring at the floor. “T-thanks…” I trailed off, unsure what to do next. Then, next thing I knew, I looked up and he was gone, the door shutting. I ran to it without even realizing and, before it was completely shut, looked through the closing crack outside. I caught his eyes for a second, the it was gone, and I was alone. I ran to my bed, hobbling all the way, and collapled into a sobbing fit.