Chasing Lia [Edward Cullen]

Chapter - 5

"I don't think you should do this, Edward," said Carlisle sighing and shaking his head in disapproval.

He and Edward were having an argument as Edward found out that Carlisle was going to Seattle alone, without even telling Edward that Lia was in some kind of danger. Again, a few precious books from Carlisle's collection like Magic and Medical Science in ancient Egypt were torn and of course, a few tables were thrown across to room. And Carlisle knew how uncomfortable the situation would become if Lia and Edward faced each other. Edward was like an amputant or an outcast. The whole world became his enemy when he lost Lia. It would be just plain awkward.

"Do I look like I care?"

Edward heard the last thought emitted from Carlisle's mind. Carlisle never informed him, he was just going to run through the door in his study, when Edward burst into the room, knocking Carlisle down to stop him from going without him. 

"Fine," Carlisle said as he smoothed down his shirt as he thought about how childish Edward was becoming. Vampires were supposed to mature over the years, but in Edward's case, the contradictory was happening. Edward rolled his eyes as he heard Carlisle's thoughts.

"Shall we go now, Edward? Lia might be in dange- Okay..." The words had barely left Carlisle's mouth when Edward shot forward out of the house, into the forest in his full speed. "Oi! Wait for me!"

Father and son ran. They ran, their legs never ceasing to stop their constant cycle of motion, their mind never straying from her single thought: Run. Run to save her. Run to save Lia. Carlisle ran to save his daughter. Edward ran to save the love of his life.

Appear before me. Even as a shadow, even as a dream. Edward's soul was calling out to her, as he ran, sniffing around trying to catch the traces of her familiar scent.  Without her in his arms, he always felt an emptiness in his soul. He found himself searching the forest for her face - He knew it’s an impossibility, but he couldn't help himself.

His mind swarmed with so many questions. Did she died? Is this what dying of grief will feel like? If she is not safe, then is she safe? For a split second, he actually had a heart and his eyes watered from the thought of her dying and his whole body clenched. Or maybe that was just the wind since his feet were carrying me fast. Pushing his arms back and forth, he jetted to his destination, jumping over small pot holes, dodging insects, and pumping his legs as fast as they could go, which was really fast.

Their lungs would've been on fire and their hearts would just beat out of their chests, if they were human. It was a strange sensation, Edward discovered, being so excruciatingly pained but unable to stop moving. Their bones were made of stone, but some unknown energy forced them to continue to work with their strained muscles and have them continue through the shadows. Their eyes searched for one figure - Lia, the ominous mysteries of the woods leering at them from behind and above.

They blew through like a tempest. Edward could feel the knot tightening in his throat as he fought through the mountainous Oaks that towered around him, trying to make his way to her. Darting past outstretched branches that welcomed the spill of blood, he kept his focus steady. He was further now, but he was not concerned with that fact. His legs would give soon enough,  if they did not, he would meet a sweeter fate. Edward's eyes pierced through the moon-splattered forest floor, seeing the clearing in the distance. It was coming soon. Their destination was near, he could feel it. He could tell by the way the air grew a bit warmer and the thickness of the lining of trees around him lessened.

He loved her so much. He missed her even more. 'You'll get over it.' That's what they say. He'd say it too. But he knew it was not true. You won't forget. Everyone kept telling him that time heals all wounds. He could live with that but no. Nothing healed. Losing people you love affects you. It is buried inside of you and becomes this big, deep hole of ache. It doesn’t magically go away, even when you stop officially mourning. Suddenly, it hurt him to breath. It pained him to live. He knew that he couldn't exist without her in this world, alive. For all this time, the only thing that kept him going was knowing that she was alive. But what will he do if she'll die? It's as simple as that - either he'll die to or he'll keep himself locked in a room for centuries. 

And just as the thought of him attempting suicide or keeping himself locked, crossed his mind, a very familiar howl of a wolf was heard and his mind screamed - Bella. If Bella was safe, then Lia would be too. He knew it. Bella loved her sister to death and she would do anything to save her. Fighting demons, witches is a part of it. She might lose the fight but she'll fight. It wasn't the howl of pain or mourning so it lead him to believe that Lia was safe. Lia was safe. That was all he needed to just cross the forest boundary and he practically lunged the last few metres and finally, he stood at the edge of the forest. 

His nostrils flared, his his eyes roamed around and settled upon a figure that was standing nearby a damaged car, with a hand in her hair and the bottom lip between her teeth. Those lips, he could kiss them all night long.

She had a sculpted figure which was tall, lithe and curvy at the same time. Her waist was tapered and she had a burnished complexion. A pair of arched eyebrows looked down on sweeping eyelashes. When he got closer, he noticed her scrolled ears and her elegant nose.  A sculptor could not have fashioned her seraph’s ears and pixie’s nose any better. It was a pleasure to see her flowing, moon shadow-black hair. Her enticing, constellation-brown eyes gazed at Bella's wolf over her puffy, heart shaped lips. Her lips had tasted strawberry sweet when he kissed her. She had a bouncy personality and a sugary voice, which he adored. Her languid eyelashes of velvet-black blinked once slowly, as if to invite him over.

When she huffed out a breath in annoyance and even better, when she smiled, her beguiling, pearly white teeth lit up the room, he remembered. It could jolt you like an electric current when that megawatt smile gave you her full attention. Spools of her dark hair plunged around her photogenic face and hid a swan’s neck, elegant and smooth. He loved her nebulous, brown eyes. They were like two beryl-brown jewels melted onto snow.
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She had changed, hugely so. She was either going to be the death of him . . . or she was going to be the one who finally brought him back to life, after throwing him into a death-like state. She was so beautiful and she looked....sexy. Heaven knows, how were these thoughts entering his mind but he knew one thing, that this wasn't the last time he would be seeing her. 

He took one step closer and got behind her. His chest was almost to her back but at a distance, from which she couldn't feel him. He inhaled her aromatic, comforting and tempting smell conquered his senses again. Her scent had an acidic tinge to it, meaning that she was consuming alcohol. But it was okay. He drank too, when he wasn't a vampire. The familiar burn in his throat occurred and he smiled in happiness. The need to inhale more of her scent overtook him, and he leaned in and placed his head, near her neck. He took in more of her scent and inhaled it, until he could taste her smell on his tongue. The cold that was radiating off from his skin, made her shiver visibly and she lifted her arms up to herself. She hugged herself and rubbed her bare arms to warm herself. Edward couldn't take it anymore. He had to make his presence known somehow. The discreet ways of a vampire would not let him either forget or get her back. So he made his presence obvious to her.

Their sudden encounter was like the explosive combustion that engulfs and consumes a moth that has fluttered too close to a candle flame, a completely unexpected turn of events that took both of them unawares and swept them irresistibly up and out of themselves as it hurled them into each other’s arms. 

"Lia," he breathed out and she tensed as she heard the familiar voice of her first love. This couldn't be him, could he? And if he is, what is he doing here?