Runaway Girl {A Twilight Love Story}

Thrown Askew

       

Drove a stake down into your center
and stated that it's never ever been better than this
I hung my favorite shirt on the floorboard,

Wrinkled up from pulling, pushing, tasting.

There were no words to describe how happy I was. Not only was I going home—at least the closest thing to a home I had found since Chicago. But I had Bella; my sweet, innocent, soft Bella. If I had her everything else would work out. If I had her I could take on the world. I had Bella and Ryland. I had my family, a family I never thought I could have. Bella had been watching Ryland sleep in the back seat, her head against the side of the head rest.

"I would do anything for him. You know?" she mused.

I nodded at her. "Yeah I do. I would do anything for the both of you. I know exactly what you mean."

"I bet if we would have dated in high school I would have asked you to change me. I would have begged for it, in fact," she mused, her eyes taking in the crags surrounding Moses Lake; the sun setting over the azure water and reflecting back against the russet rocks on the shore—a delusion of purple, orange and yellow.

"I couldn't do that to you, Bella." The thought of taking her life away. It was too much. I would truly be a monster then.

"Now, I wouldn't ask you to." She bit her lip and brushed a lock from Ryland's face. His face was seamless in sleep. He truly was perfection, a tiny version of both Bella and a nameless, faceless man. How half of him could belong to such a miscreant simply boggled my mind.

"Unless..." Bella turned to look at me, her face pulled in concentration.

I wrinkled my brow. "Unless what?"

"I have to watch him grow up. I can't leave him. I need to stay with him. I have to watch him grow up. Above what any other mother could do. No matter what it takes." Her voice was strong and she was staring me down, her eyes fierce in the moonlight.

I frowned at her. "I'm not following you."

She ran a hand over her face, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "It doesn't matter. I'm just thinking out loud," she murmured dejectedly. She turned away, closing her eyes and was asleep as we passed over the Columbia River Gorge.

My whole family was standing in front of the house as we drove up. It was past midnight and they were sleeping soundly. I picked up Bella and allowed Rosalie carry Ryland into the small cottage that Esme had built for us. I knew Bella would love it. Small and simple with a stone fireplace and hardwood floors. They had already put all of Bella and Ryland's furniture in the rooms. Alice had replaced a large portion of Bella's wardrobe and all of Ryland's. I laid Bella down on the gold patterned bed and she curled over to her side to drift away for the night. For hours I watched her sleep. It was fascinating to see, the rise and fall of her shoulders, the sweet escape of her breath against the pillow. I stretched out next to her and was smoothing the hair from her face. There was no creature more beautiful than her in the world.

Esme had out done herself once again. She cooked a large feast for Bella and Ryland in the main house. I could only assume the food was good, Ryland had four apple crepes. By the time he was done, Ryland had whipped cream smeared across his face. Messy as can be, but this family was mine now.

Death Cab For Cutie-405 (PNW band FTW)