The Southern Thing

12

I stood outside the prom for a few minutes before bolting, running as fast as I could back to the Cullen household. I have no thought to the condition my dress would be in upon arrival; not that Alice would ever let me wear it again anyways, she believes that if it's been worn once it can never be worn again. As soon as I reached the house, I ran quickly to our room. I collapsed onto the bed without even thinking about looking for anyone else within the room. I laid with my eyes closed for a few minutes before I heard someone walk out of the closet.
"Adeline," he said, "I didn't know you would be home so soon."
I quickly opened my eyes and saw him standing before me, "I didn't know I would be home so early either. I shouldn't have came back to this room. I'm so sorry"
I stared to leave the room when I felt him lightly grab my arm.
"Please. Do not leave. Stay," his voice was almost pleading.
"Jasper," I whispered, "I don't know if I should."
"Adeline, please just stay with me. I love you."
With that statement he pulled me into a hug, and we crashed onto the bed wrapped in each other's arms.
***
Hours had passed and out position had only changed once; when we moved to laying more comfortably.
"Why did you come back from prom early?"
"Why have you been ignoring me?"
"Adeline, I asked you first."
"Jasper Hale, I asked you second. I win"
I felt him sigh beside me.
"I've never cared for someone the way that I care for you. I've never felt the jealous towards anyone as I feel for the men around you. Even just Edward, knowing he's been your go to lately has been driving me crazy. I hate the idea that you have had a life of love before me. I hate the idea that you have to leave my side in the future. From the second I met you, I have always what Rose and Emmett have; a life and marriage of love. When I found out it wouldn't always be that way, alongside the knowledge of your past lovers, I just couldn't contain it. I ignored you so I wouldn't take anymore of my anger out of you, as I did the night you left. I love you Adeline, and I guess I'm just hurt. That's why I ignored you as I did."
By the end of his speech I couldn't think straight. I knew I couldn't tell him about Alec coming to see me tonight.
"I love you Jasper Whitlock Hale. Never forget it."
"I love you Adeline, and I want to spend forever with you."
Jasper suddenly got up and ran to grab something from a bookshelf, before getting down onto one knee before me.
"I don't want to spend however long I have left with you worried about tomorrow. Marry me? Become my wife while we have the chance."
"Jasper I-"
"Shush. Don't say anything yet. You have made me the happiest being in this world. Adeline, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes," I barely whispered. "Yes Jasper I will gladly become your wife."
I may have just made the worst decision of my life.
***
I sat on the couch the next day waiting for my siblings to arrive home, in order to tell them my recent news. The four of them had spent the night at a hotel after prom, as that was our original plan. I felt Jasper squeeze my hand as they could be heard in the distance.
"Can everyone please join me in the living room?" I said calmly to the whole family.
In a flash everyone was seated around me.
'Edward?'
'Yes Adeline?'
'I may have made a mistake.'
'What do you mean?'
"We have big news to tell y'all," I heard Jasper say from beside me.
"Wait, so you two are talking again?" Rose asked with a smile.
"Yes we are," I responded with a smile.
"Okay cool. What's the news Abe?" Emmett asked, becoming an impatient two-year-old.
"Well I said yes," I laughed while holding up my hand to reveal my ring.
The whole family burst into grand smiles as they watched the two of us.
"Oh Adeline, you have always been our family but now in a different way," Esme said clearly incredibly happy.
"Can I plan the wedding?" Alice quickly said, "Well actually I already know you'll let me help."
"Of course you can help Alice, and you two Rose. I need my two girls," I said laughing happily.
"I'm happy for you Abe," Edwort said with a smile, "This is the best thing for both of you right now."
I looked into his eyes and quickly sent him the memory of my earlier talk with Alec. I heard him softly gasp as he listened to my date of return.
"Adeline," he barely whispered.
"That's my name," I said with a laugh trying to cover up his sadness, "Don't over use it."
'Does anyone else know?'
'No Edward. No one else knows.'
'You have to tell them. Tell him.'
'I don't know how.'
'Just come clean.'
'We both know I'm bad at that.'
"Anything the two of you would like to share with the group?" Rose said in the same voice an annoying teacher would use. Edward and I had been staring at the each other, I assume it was clear to the family we had been communicating mentally.
"Adeline has a secret!" Edward blurted out.
"Edward is gay!" I blurted at the same time.
"Adeline," Carlisle started, "We all know Edward is not gay, but what is this about a secret?"
I sat silently, looking down at the ground.
"She got a visit from the Volturi," Edward said, selling me out.
"God you're a traitor," I said at the same time as my family gasped in shock and fear.
"That's why you came home early from the prom," Jasper started tensing up beside me, "And you still didn't tell me"
Instead of saying a single word, I projected my memory to the whole family.
"September 15th," Rose said heartbroken, "That's all the time we have left with you?"
"Why did I not see this in your future?"
"Being a shield comes in handy Alice. It keeps everything locked away."
I looked up to see Carlisle looking at me sadly, "They want my daughter back."
Hearing Carlisle say the simple word daughter caused me to break, the wall of shield I had put up crashed to the ground, and I knew it was suddenly projected onto everyone else. The thoughts of death, the feelings of guilt, the feeling of sadness, the thoughts of running, the thoughts of blood, everything I had been thinking within the past 24 hours.
"Oh Adeline," Esme started.
"I'm sorry," I whispered before simply shutting down. As if I was a machine on auto pilot, I felt myself pull my legs to my body and shut my mouth tightly. I no longer was in control of my body, I was in a box in the back of my own head.
***
Welp. I mean I guess? They got engaged, that's happy right? She told them about the Volturi, progress for our dear Adeline. Then she shut down, hmm maybe not so good. I want to have Adeline acting the way Bella did in New Moon, an empty shell of a person.
I love y'all! I promise I'll keep writing.
xx