Trapped in Twilight, Help!

Chapter 37

I knelt a few feet behind home base with Esme as the referee. Umpire - I guess, but I don't know sports so Esme whispers what's what in my ear and I say it more loudly. Jasper stopped by just to stand next to me for a few minutes at a time when he was waiting to bat. I knew why, of course - we were all waiting for Alice to tell us that the nomads were minutes away.

"You'll be fine, Edy," Alice promised before the game started.

"I know." I said with a half smile. "I'm not worried about that."

"Yes, you are," Edward called from across the field. "You liar."

That was when I truly did roll my eyes.

"No one stops playing until they're visible," Carlisle instructed, one arm around Esme and the other holding the bat.

"We know!" Emmett called, he and Jasper had the duty of lining up the bases while Rosalie barked orders.

"And keep neutral!"

*

"This is so lame," Emmett groaned, replacing Jasper's spot next to me. Esme scolded him. "I mean, the goal is to not fight with them." Emmet added under his breath. "We might as well invite them over for dinner."

"Let's not." I shot Emmett a small grin, my heart fluttering in my chest as the minutes ticked down.

"Aw, come on, Edy, we wouldn't eat you." Emmett whined. "We'd get Bella Swan and -"

"Emmett!" Esme said more sharply.

"I'm joking." Emmett sighed, nudging me, "Esme is just a buzzkill."

I giggled lightly, the tension fading until both vampires stiffened. I looked across the field - Alice was staring straight at me and I could tell, even with the distance between us, that her eyes were wide. Too wide.

"Just breathe." Esme breathed in my ear, her smile forced. "We're not going to let you get hurt. Trust me."

"I do trust you," I said, my voice suddenly high. Esme nodded, kissed my temple and stood up, pulling me along with her as the Cullens and the nomads converged.

I'm not sure how, but I eventually found myself in between Edward and Carlisle with Esme holding my hand still. The nomads were exactly like from the books; Laurent, with his darker skin and leader-lies, Victoria, bushy red hair and gleaming teeth and James; blond hair neatly cropped and face void of emotion. Their red eyes weren't as unsettling as I thought, even with them all zeroed in on me.

I looked to Edward and thought They're supposed to know I'm human, right? Edward put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed once; yes.

"We thought we heard a game." Laurent began, his faint French accent burning in my ears with an intensity it shouldn't have. "I'm Laurent, there are Victoria and James."

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice." Carlisle clasped a hand on my shoulder, "Edythe and Edward." Carlisle's words were polite enough but with an undertone of hostility; the message was clear enough Do not hurt the human.

"Do you have room for a few more players?"

Carlisle looked Esme, who gave him a small smile and a shake of her head. Carlisle gave the nomads a helpless shrug. "I'm afraid we're just finishing up. Another time, perhaps?"

Laurent shook his head in a friendly matter, his eyes still on me. "We're headed north, I'm afraid. But we heard you playing and was curious about the company."

Carlisle nodded understandably, "This region is usually empty," He agreed.

"What is your hunting range?" It wasn't Laurent who asked. It was Victoria, her eyes on my throat.