Don't Let it Fall to Pieces

20

Genevieve hated confrontation. The thought made her skin crawl.

So when she saw her mother's car was still parked in the driveway the next morning, she knew she was in for it.

She frowned, however, when she noticed another car parked behind her mother's. Rosalie voiced the question that was bouncing in her own head.

"Who's car is that?"

"I don't know." Genevieve glanced at Rosalie. When Seth had dropped Genevieve off at the Cullens, Rosalie was the one to take Genevieve in her arms, stroke her hair, and listen as the teenager ranted. Esme made her hot chocolate while Rosalie and Genevieve sat in the living room, talking until into the early morning when Genevieve finally passed out on the couch.

"I can go in with you," Rosalie reached for the keys, ready to turn off the car engine.

"No, it's okay." Genevieve shook her head, moving to take off her seatbelt. "I'll call you if I need anything."

"Or you'll call Seth," Genevieve threw Rosalie an unamused look. The vampire was smirking, before shaking her head. "Seriously though, you better call me."

"I will, promise." Genevieve smiled before throwing the passenger door open. She gave Rosalie one last wave before closing the door behind her, making her way up the driveway to the front porch. Her heart clenched in her chest as her hand hovered over the doorknob, taking a deep breath before opening the door. She jumped when she heard a voice yell. Except it wasn't her mother's voice. No, the voice belonged to someone Genevieve hoped to never see again.

"She's just as much as my daughter as she is yours, Lorelei! Even if she isn't normal, she's still mine."

"You lost that right when you decided to leave us for your secretary!" Lorelei snapped. Genevieve could hear the pure anger in her mother's shaking voice. "You know she doesn't want to leave Forks. She has friends here. Her soulmate is here. If you try and take her away from that she's never going to forgive you."

Genevieve swallowed hard as she leaned against the front door. She didn't have time to unpack everything, so she chose to focus on the big problem at hand. Her father was still trying to take her back to Chicago.

"Her soulmate? What, that kid that she hangs around with? Lorelei don't be stupid, they're kids. It's just hormones fueling the childish fantasy of soulmates that your mother used to fill Genevieve's head with. It's going to fade and they'll realize that they don't actually love each other just like we did."

Lorelei was silent for a moment. Genevieve's heart ached for her mother, knowing fully that she was still not over her husband betraying her in the way that he did.

"You're an asshole, Geraldo. I should've listened to my mother when she warned me about you," Lorelei spat. "You're not going to rip Genevieve from her life here. Moving here was the best thing that's happened to her since you left us."

"You can't keep her here, Lorelei. You're putting her in danger." Genevieve took a step forward, leaning in when her father's voice lowered. "Your world isn't for someone like Genevieve, she's too pure for it. If you keep her here, you'll ruin her. If you keep her here, she'll get killed like the rest of your kind."

Genevieve felt like she was slapped in the face. In the midst of Victoria and the intruder, Genevieve completely forgot the constant threat that was posed to her and her mother for simply being what they are.

For centuries, our kind have been hunted down by vampires for sport.

I have never tasted anything like your blood before. I didn't want to stop.

Genevieve closed her eyes, hearing her mother's and Edward's voices ring in her ears. A shiver went down her spine when she remembered the dark look Edward had when he spoke about drinking her blood.

"She's protected her, Geraldo. If she went with you, she'd have no one. She'd be defenseless." Genevieve knew her mother was right. In Forks, she had the Cullens, the pack, and her mother. If she went back to Chicago, she'd be alone.

"By who, you? If it's anything like back in Chicago, you're never home! Who's protecting our daughter?" Genevieve knew her mother wasn't going to tell who father who was watching over her. It wasn't her secret to tell; especially since her father was so against the supernatural world as it is.

"That's enough!" Genevieve yelled as she ran into the kitchen. She looked between her parents, both watching her with wide eyes.

"Eve, how long have you been home?" Lorelei asked softly, taking a step towards her daughter.

"Long enough," Genevieve answer shortly. She turned to her father, her chin raised as her eyes narrowed, fueled with anger. "I already told you, I'm not going back. I belong here, whether you like it or not. I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't call me when everything gets too dangerous here, Genny." Her father pointed a finger at her, his eyes mirroring his daughter's. "And don't call me when that boy breaks your heart. Boys like that always do."

"You're wrong about him," Genevieve shook her head but said nothing more. She didn't have to defend Seth's character to her father, the man who left his family for the sake of normalcy.

Her father scoffed, shaking his head but said nothing as he stormed out of the house. Genevieve tried not to flinch when the front door slammed behind him.

"Don't worry about your father, Genevieve," Lorelei said softly as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. "He's scared of what he doesn't understand. Love is one of those things."

Genevieve sighed, melting into her mother's embrace. "I don't care what he says. I'm just glad he's gone."

Lorelei hummed, squeezing her daughter tightly for a moment. "He's right about one thing. It's dangerous here, especially since you're still learning how to control your power. You can't go running off, Genevieve. I understand that you trust the Cullens and those wolves, but they bring in a danger I don't know if we can afford. Especially the Cullens. If word gets out that we're here among the vampires," Lorelei paused. "It won't be good for us, Genevieve."

Genevieve nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "I understand, mom. I'll be careful."

"Now, about your punishment for running off last night."