Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Jane

"You talk in your sleep." Her voice lilted over from the armchair in the corner of my room. My head snapped over to her, as if to assess a threat. Not that I'd have any kind of upper hand if that were the case. She merely closed the book in her hands with a loud clap and stood. "Did you know that?"

She watched me and it took a few seconds for me to register that she was expecting a response, "no." Seeming satisfied with my answer, she returned the book to the bookshelf.

"I thought your brother was supposed to be my guard today?"

Jane raised a single eyebrow. "Would you prefer I go and get him?" Though her words sounded venomous and resentful, there was a tingling sound as if she were teasing me.

"No," I spoke automatically.

"Yes, he has been rather moody as of late. That would be your doing, of course."

I felt guilt overwhelm my stomach, "what did I do to him?" Jane only looked at me, not even a shrug of indifference.

Resigned, I pushed the covers off of me and made my way into the bathroom. I stripped, careful about choosing the levels of both hot and cold before stepping into the shower. I tilted my head back, allowing the water to cascade over my face and down my chest. I breathed out before recognising that I had to get out sooner or later to face the day. Today was Thursday.  The day I was supposed to somehow manage to again sneak out under the noses of the all-hearing, super speeding, watch dog vampires that were to know my whereabouts 24/7. 

I'd assumed it would be Alec that I'd have to get past. As he'd complained about having to babysit me while Aro's guest was here. Which, as far as I knew, they were. The plan was loosely based around the fact that I could annoy Alec enough to leave me alone in my room then I could escape. But if Jane were guarding me, I'd have to go back to the drawing board. With a very small time frame. Unless, she was just visiting and her twin would return.

I felt a rush of nerves fly across my stomach as I considered the possibility that Alec would have replaced his twin in the short while I'd been away. That he'd be sitting in a chair or even on my bed —

A cough wracked its way out of my chest at the direction my thoughts were heading. At the feeling it brought up that I didn't quite understand; an inkling in my brain slipped the word desire to the forefront of my mind. I immediately shoved such ideas aside, ashamed at the audacity of my brain to go to such a place. As if.

I quickly finished my routine, eventually stepping out and carefully tucking the towel around myself. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have to convince myself that there was no logical reason for Alec to be in my room. It would just be Jane. Innocent looking Jane with a major dark side and an apparently, insanely painful power that may or may not have an effect on me.

When I did open the door, Jane had chosen another book. She didn't acknowledge my presence and so I made my way over to the excessively large closet. I inspected the rows of clothing, which had been filled by the magic elves that had put my room back together. Even an eternity wouldn't be enough time to wear all of the outfits that filled it up. I eyed the clothes I'd arrived in, purposefully separated from the new clothing. They'd bought me some new jeans and other modern clothing, but I hesitated at accepting expensive gifts. Not to mention the current trends were an incredibly obvious out of place fashion that I'd been wearing around for the past few days.

I glanced to Jane once more, and I think she noticed because she let out a harsh, "what?" I didn't respond, but reached up to pick out a dress that matched hers. I disappeared deeper into the closet and slipped the dress over my head, loosely tying the string that hung at its side behind my back so that it fell to form a tiny bow below my waist.