Grey Skies and Blue Eyes

Chapter Fifteen

The rest of the week seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye for Evie, not that she was complaining, as every day that went by was easier than the last. During the day she was constantly surrounded by her friends, whether at school or at home, and Carlisle was by her side from the moment school let out until the very minute she had to leave the next morning, except during dinner with Charlie. It was relatively easy to pretend that everything was normal when her brain was cooperating with her, but at night, when the nightmares plagued her dreams, she felt truly alone. It was almost routine by now, waking up at some obscene hour during the night because of the nightmares with Carlisle holding her close and whispering comforting words in her ear. He never once left her alone, seeming to understand that she wasn't okay and needed his help, but it was slowly getting easier. Every time Evie woke from nightmare and saw Carlisle's face, it got a little easier to handle. Every time Carlisle would, seemingly randomly, look at her and tell her he loved her, she felt lighter, like she was floating.

It was a exactly a week after the 'incident' that Evie slept completely through the night, not once dreaming of her attackers, but dreaming of an ordinary afternoon spent with Carlisle. It seems fitting, based on her luck thus far, that the next morning was the beginning of end. It started out normal enough. Evie woke to find Carlisle holding her gently to him, a small, fond sort of smile on his face. Since it was Sunday, and Carlisle had Saturday and Sunday off, Evie was able to just relax with him until she heard the familiar signs of life throughout the house. Bella, as she did every morning since the attack, immediately went down to Evie's room to check on her sister. Upon seeing Evie and Carlisle laying on the bed, both smiling gently, Bella simply smiled and went back to her morning routine. The day after the attack was when Bella confronted Edward, also learning their secret in the process, which made it easier on Evie. Now that Bella knew, she didn't feel like she had to hide anything, and the sisters were closer than ever. Bella also understood that Evie was Carlisle's mate, and she had approved of their relationship from that moment on.

Once Evie decided it was time to get up, she was startled out of her daze by Alice tapping on her window. Carlisle only chuckled and pressed a kiss to Evie's forehead before allowing Alice entry and moving to wait outside for the girls to finish. Alice, with a maniacal smile, presented a neatly folded outfit to Evie, motioning for her to go change. Evie just rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs and into the bathroom to change. The outfit Alice had given her consisted of white skinny jeans, a white long sleeved shirt, and a blue and white baseball jersey with the number four on the back and her name in white. Shaking her head and smiling at the outfit, Evie changed and made her way back downstairs to see Carlisle sitting on her bed and Alice looking through her closet. Evie chuckled and sat next to Carlisle.

"There's going to be a storm this afternoon. You and your sister should come play baseball with us," she paused then pursed her lips slightly, "well, watch us play baseball." Evie raised her eyebrows, looking to Carlisle for an explanation.

"We need the thunder in order to play, so it's not often we get to let loose for a little while. Will you come?" His eyes were a light gold today, making Evie smile a little. He had been spending so much time around her lately that her scent hardly even bothered him now.

"Of course I'll come, but Bella might be a different story. Her and sports just don't mix well." Alice only smirked at Evie in answer and winked before prancing out of her room. Evie was suddenly glad that Charlie had decided to go fishing today, as she wasn't sure how he'd feel about Alice; she could be a little much sometimes. While Alice and Evie's relationship had been strained for a little while, both had gotten over it when they realized they were being stupid. Jasper had even pulled Evie aside to thank her after her and Alice made up, making Evie see him in a whole new light. It made her realize just how strongly he felt for the pixie looking vampire, even reminding her of how Carlisle was with herself.

The feeling of Carlisle's fingers running through her hair pulled her out of her thoughts, making her eyes flutter closed at the sensation. "What are you thinking about, love?" Evie opened her eyes to see him staring at her, a gentle smile on his face. It was times like this where it sort of hit her full force that she was completely in love with this man.

A smile overtook her lips at her thoughts. "You." Carlisle's smile widened, though his eyebrows rose slightly. Evie giggled a little. "I love you, Carlisle."

"I love you as well, Evelyn." Evie leaned forward as Carlisle ducked his head slightly to kiss her, her lips molding to his in a dance they knew all too well. The sparks of electricity flew between them from where they were connected. Carlisle held her close, rubbing circles on her back while Evie braced herself with her hands on his chest. After a few moments of being lost in the other, they pulled apart, Evie blushing madly and out of breath. "Would you care to accompany me to my house? Edward is planning on bringing Bella by to meet the rest of the family, then we are going to play baseball." Evie nodded in answer, sliding off her bed and slipping on a pair of black converse.

When they reached the house, Evie saw Bella was already there with Edward. They found the family in the kitchen, Esme was seasoning some chicken, Emmett was stirring something on the stove, and Rosalie was tossing a salad, having apparently spilled most of it on the floor from the looks of it. Evie skillfully dodged the bits of salad leaves and vegetables to come to Rose's side. She looked slightly upset, but hid it behind a smile directed toward Evie. After the incident, Rose and Evie were almost inseparable. The only time Rose left was at night so that Carlisle and Evie could be alone. While the two girls had been close before, the attack had only brought them closer. While Evie wished it didn't happen, she knew that she understood Rosalie a bit more now. "Hiya Rosie!" Rose rolled her eyes a little, but Evie saw the quirk of her lips.

"Hello, Evie." Not even a second after Rose finished speaking, Evie was picked up and spun in a circle, Emmett laughing in her ear when she squealed.

"Evie! I missed you while you were gone for a whole eleven hours fifteen minutes and thirty-four seconds!" Evie laughed with Emmett, still laughing as she was placed back on her feet. Her head was spinning wildly, however, making her lurch forward slightly, unbalanced. Carlisle, knowing exactly what would happen, caught her before she even knew she was falling. Evie pouted slightly after a moment, realizing that she had lost her balance.

"Show off," she muttered. Carlisle let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through her. A feminine laugh sounded off to their right, making Evie glance over to see Esme looking happily at the couple. Carlisle smiled at his friend, standing up right and helping Evie to her feet once more.

"I just love that you two are so happy together. You both deserve to be happy, and I for one am glad that you two are part of my family." Esme smiled gently at the two of them, her eyes filling with tears that would never fall. Evie, feeling tears of her own start to fill up her eyes, immediately enveloped the taller, caramel haired woman in a hug. The two women held each other for a few moments when Emmett wrapped his arms around both of them, lifting them off the ground slightly.

"Group hug!" Both women, still clutched in Emmett's arms, couldn't help but laugh. Evie was glad she had found them once more. This odd group of people were her family now, and she couldn't have imagined anything better. Evie caught Carlisle's eye while being suspended in air, smiling at the blonde haired vampire. His gold eyes were light and full of love as he gazed at his family. Whatever happened, he knew they'd be able to get through it, as long as they stuck together.