First Blood | Ed. Cullen & B. Swan

Chapter 24

Simon laid in the sand, basking in the warmth of the sun as it shimmered off of his marble body. He watched as his friends tackled each other in the water, sending ripples of water in all directions. Stefan and Vladimir were further down the beach, enjoying a little snack with a few men and women.

Simon had originally been in the water with Leah and Paul, but as the morning progressed, he began to feel more and more uneased. He had waved off their concerns, claiming he was only feeling homesick.

In reality, he didn't know what it was. It was making him feel nauseous, and he hated it. He found himself often reaching his phone, only to drop it when he realized he didn't know who to call.

He sat up, shivering as sand fell from his body. It was still early morning, so he knew that Bella would most likely be asleep, as the timezone of Isle Esme was around five hours before his current timezone. He knew he could call Edward, but he was probably with Bella as she slept.

His mind finally settled on someone, and he picked up his phone. He walked farther down the beach, out of range of his companions. He dialed the number as he sat back down in the sand, staring out into the oncoming waves as he fought the lump in his throat.

"Hello?" A calm voice answered after accepting the call.

"Hey," Simon breathed out slowly, running his hand through his short, damp hair. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Of course," Carlisle answered quickly, the background noises dissipating as he moved to his soundproof office. "What's going on, Simon?"

"I..." He paused, his brows furrowing as he watched the waves grow and crash into the shoreline. He rubbed at his neck, where the scar from his transformation rested. "I don't even know."

"What made you call, then?" Carlisle asked after a moment of silence, though his tone only held curiosity.

Simon glanced up at the horizon, watching as lightning flashed. Thunder soon followed, and the clouds swirled as the sky darkened. He glanced down the beach, but he could no longer see the space that his friends had occupied just a few minutes ago.

"I think something's going to happen," Simon found himself murmuring. "I've felt it building lately. There's this knot in my stomach, and whenever I think about it, it's like I start to suffocate."

Carlisle approached his desk, brushing aside his work before he leaned against the edge. He silently thought over Simon's words as he gazed at the painting hung around his office. Though he didn't say it, he was a bit worried.

Despite their years of knowing each other, Carlisle and Simon had never really talked to one another. Esme had always been the mediator. To have his brother-in-law reach out to him now; something was clearly wrong.

"Do you know what's causing it?" He asked Simon, unsure of what answer he was anticipating.

"No...but over the years, I've learned to trust my instincts. I know I'm not 100% part of the family, but you're the center of it, Carlisle. Whatever it is, it's going to affect all of us. That much I'm sure of. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

His gaze flickered down the beach as he heard footsteps, watching as Paul came into view, closely followed by a cackling Leah.

"I have to go. Call me if something comes up. Goodbye, Carlisle." He hung up, sliding his phone into his pocket. He stood up, moving to join his friends once more.

***

"Okay, I get it!" Leah exclaimed as she busted into the room, cutting Stefan off mid-sentence. "I know you don't have to sleep, but I do! So, for the love of God, can you tell Barbie to stop calling? It's three in the freaking morning! I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait until the sun comes up!"

Simon gazed at the girl in bewilderment, barely managing to catch his phone as she threw it at his head. He glanced down at the caller ID, realizing the 'Barbie' comment had been referring to Rosalie.

Simon shot an apologetic smile to the moody Romanian, stepping out onto the balcony as he answered the call. He leaned against the railing, glancing up at the night sky.

"Whatever it is, it better be worth it. Leah came in yelling, and I can hear Paul growling from down the hall."

"The dogs can wait," Rosalie responded dismissively. "You need to come home. Now. I don't care what time it is there. Get on the nearest flight, and come home. Bella didn't call you because she thought you'd have the same reaction Edward did. I thought she called you, and that's why you're only being told now."

"What's going on?" Simon asked as he straightened his stance, overwhelmed by nausea as the knot in his stomach seemed to tighten. "Is Isabella okay? Rosalie, please tell me Izzy is okay–"

"–I don't know, okay? None of us...none of us know what we're doing, alright? Last night, Edward and Bella came home."

"Well, that's good, right?" Simon asked, glancing briefly back into the citadel, only to see worried faces staring back at him. He quickly looked away, turning his attention back to Rosalie. "It's a little early for their honeymoon to be done, but nothing's wrong, right? No one got hurt?"

"Oh, Simon...," Rosalie spoke softly, trailing off after she said his name.

"What, Rosalie? Please, just tell me what's going on!"

"Simon...Bella is pregnant."

The phone slipped from his hand, and he barely registered as he heard Rosalie call out his name. The world around him blurred, before he appeared in his room. He heard Paul shriek before there was a thud of something hitting the floor.

He heard Leah shout his name as she ran down the hallways, appearing in the doorway after a few seconds. She watched as Simon packed all of their things up, growing worried as she saw his hands shaking. As far as she was aware, vampires' emotions were more extreme than those of a human's. For them, everything is amplified.

Whatever was going on, Leah knew it was freaking Simon out. She moved to help Paul off the floor, before she rushed to help Simon finish packing. She grabbed their passports, slipping them into her pocket before pulling Paul's sleepy body after her as she followed Simon to the front of the citadel.

Leah saw Vladimir and Stefan waiting, but Simon moved out of the door before she could stop him. She paused by the door, facing their hosts.

"Something's happening, and we have to leave now. I'm sorry for leaving in such a hurry. I'll make sure Simon comes to visit sometime soon to make up for our rude exit."

Vladimir waved off her concerns, and then she rushed to follow her distressed friend.