Quinn O'Connell was the pretty girl in pink, the homecoming queen and all-around straight-A student. Most people saw her as uptight, narcissistic but most importantly... They saw her as a control freak with her perfect blonde hair and patronising sm...
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Quinn sighed as she stared at the beautiful apple tree outside the window. They had relocated from the main house to the O'Connell cottage and Quinn currently stood in the newly finished periwinkle room. Only that weekend had they finished their perfect little house, furnishing it with the help of Alice. The others all stood around in the main room and as she entered, she took them all in individually.
Jasper was sat tensely with his head in his hands, ashamed. At his side, Alice rubbed soothing circles into his back with an equally solemn expression. Rosalie lingered beside the fireplace, face neutral as she said nothing. She had predicted something like this a long time ago. Emmett sat silently in an armchair, one leg flung over the other masculinely as he watched his family. Esme was on the window seat, clutching a cushion to her chest to comfort herself. They were all waiting.
"Quinn" Jasper was the first to break the silence as he looked up at the newest vampire. She was special, that much was clear. "I don't-- I don't understand, one minute all I could think about was the blood" he cringed. "And then you spoke and when I looked at her... I was... revolted by the idea of hurting her, I physically could not hurt her."
"I don't know" she sighed, looking down at her hands in silent horror. "I'm sorry... I just... I don't know what happened."
"It's not a bad thing Quinn" Esme smiled as she walked towards her softly, taking Quinns cheeks in her hands as she spoke soothingly. "You are just gifted, we'll get answers when this is all over but... Don't beat yourself up about this Hunny."
"You stopped a potentially fatal situation, Quinn, I don't know what happened to me" Jasper sighed in almost a growl, agitated with himself as he dropped his head into his hands.
"This isn't your fault either Jaz" Emmett leant forward, doing his best to assure his worried brother. They hadn't heard anything from Edward or Carlisle since arriving at the cottage but the sky was sparkling with stars now and they knew that it had been the party from hell. Each had different thoughts swirling around their heads.
"No. It's her fault" Rosalie hissed, looking at the fireplace.
"Rose" Esme warned lowly. "This isn't anyone's fault, okay? Nothing could be done, it was just one of those things" she sighed as she pulled Quinn to sit beside her on the other couch. The next moment, Alice gasped and everyone looked over at her as her face filled with horror, golden eyes becoming teary. "Alice?"
"Edward" Alice returned, just as the cottage door opened and in entered Carlisle and Edward, they could have all relocated to the main house by now but it seemed only fitting to be here together, in the warm sitting room of O'Connell cottage. Edward's face was completely void of emotion and Quinn knew instantly that that wasn't a good thing. Glancing at Carlisle, he responded with sad eyes to his beloved as Edward just continued to storm down the hallway. "Quinn... Go to him."
"Me?" she turned in confusion to the people that he had known for decades.
"You're the only one he wants to talk to" Alice returned softly and Quinn sighed as she received a sad smile from Carlisle. Following carefully down the corridor in which she and Carlisle had painted, she found Edward in the room at the end of the corridor, a bedroom. It was only a one-story cottage and he had his head in his hands as he stared out the large victorian window at the pond glittering in the distance among flowers.
"Edward?"
"It isn't safe for a human to be involved with vampires. We're a thousand times stronger, faster... We're dangerous. For you, Quinn, I didn't even think when I brought you to live with us because I was rescuing you from a worse life. Nothing could be worse than the life I was rescuing you from. But Bella, she has a future. She can grow up, go to college, get a normal job, marry a normal man and have children. Grow old. It's all the things we take for granted but she can do them. It's unfair for me to take all those chances away from her because of my own selfishness. One single, simple mistake on our part could end her Quinn and she wouldn't get to live a life at all. Not to mention, that it is illegal for her to even know about us."
"What are you saying, Edward?"
"I'm saying that we have to leave. Bella is never going to live a normal life with us lingering around. We have to go, somewhere far away... where we won't be tempted to come back to her." he stated defiantly and Quinn was shocked.
"What? Edward... Bella's your forever love."
"I know Quinn, I will love her for the rest of my existence. But it is because I love her that I have to leave." his face was in one of pain and sadness. He was in agony at just the thought of leaving her. "I'm sorry Quinn, this means that you'll have to leave Forks too. I know that Bella is one of your friends and this is where you grew up but..." he sighed, trailing off.
"I understand Edward. And I am forever grateful for you. I would follow this family anywhere, but... Are you sure about this decision?" Quinn questioned, she didn't want to say it out loud but she was certain that Bella wouldn't get over this very easily.
"She will have to Quinn. She'll get over me eventually and then she will be able to live a normal life. I can't keep ruining everything for her." he read her thoughts.
"Edward, I think you are underestimating her love for you."
"I know that she loves me Quinn, but this is my only option. Please, accept it?" he turned to her, gold eyes meeting gold and he knew that she would because somewhere within Quinn O'Connell, the bubbly blonde valedictorian who'd in fact missed graduation, was a best friend to him. She owed him the world, and he knew that. He counted on that to see him through. "I'll say goodbye tomorrow... You can too but... We have to cut off all ties Quinn. All" he informed sincerely and she sighed nodding, in pain just from the thought of it. They were going to utterly destroy Bella Swan.
