Falling To The Sun | B. Swan + E. Cullen

quarante et un

There was a strange feeling of mourning and grief that weighed heavily on Roman's chest as she finished work that day.

Sure, it had been long and she had kept busy, but the day had gone slow, dragging for her as she knew that soon she wouldn't be working here after years and plans of staying here in this one job for the rest of her life.

It was what she was good at, and though her shifts were becoming less and less frequent, time growing between them tauntingly, she knew that it was for the best as she slowly began to clear her desk, passing off her duties and sections to others reluctantly -- knowing that they would never care for her forest the way that she always had.

No one would.

She stayed later than needed, texting Edward not to pick her up just yet as she hung around the office speaking to student volunteers and junior rangers that hung off her every word and explanation.

Roman didn't need to teach them how to survive if they found themselves lost in the woods. She knew that it was someone else's job to do so, but she did it anyway because she just knew how much she would miss it in the end.

She would probably never get the chance to teach someone else ever again and if that was the price of true love, then she would give it up gladly.

When she finally left the station, she wasn't as surprised as she should have been to see the car parked outside waiting. Alice wasn't in her fancy Porsche today, but it was still one of the nicer models that they owned -- Carlisle's car, she believed.

Roman worried her lip, tugging it between her teeth and biting down harshly as she cast a sight glance back to her chained up bike not knowing when she would get the chance to actually ride her bike again with everything that was going on.

It was part of her routine exercise, after all, cutting it out as she had wasn't going to be good for her physique. She didn't want to change too much before she became a vampire. She wanted to stay the way that she liked, the way that she remembered.

"What are you doing here?" she grumbles as she closes the door, buckle clicking the moment Alice begins to drive away.

"Someone needed to keep an eye on you."

She gapes. "I'm eighteen. I don't need someone to keep an eye on me."

"You know the situation, Roman. It's nothing personal."

"It's just... it's not fair, you know? I shouldn't have to have a babysitter following me around all the time."

Alice hums sympathetically. "It's not an ideal situation, but it'll be over with soon."

"Not soon enough."

"So impatient," she giggles.

Snorting, she turns to look out the window, absently fiddling with her bag as she does.

"You don't want to stop anywhere before we go home?" Alice asks, a playful lilt to her voice.

Roman shoots her a look. "You know I don't. I ran my errands this morning."

"I know.  Edward hates when you girls separate because he can't be with both of you."

"I hate when we separate too, but that doesn't mean he has to be with us all the time. How am I supposed to surprise them if they're with me?"

"You can never keep secrets from my brother."

"I can certainly try. He won't go digging around my head if he knows what's good for him."

It's silent for a moment, her silly threat hanging between them knowing she couldn't really do anything to him if she tried.

"Well, I would like to be the first to say congratulations."