New Rise - Book 4

A Scarlet Letter

He nodded his head. "Marry me Renesmee."

Suddenly it was like I was standing on the sun. My tongue felt like it was too big for my mouth, that was so dry I desperately wanted to sink my teeth into the neck of a mountain lion or grizzly bear. To make matters worse my throat felt tight, too tight and I couldn't catch my breath that was stuck inside me just like my words.

It took everything inside me to find my voice.

"No." I whispered, my voice hoarse.

The smug look that had been on his face just seconds before melted away like an icecube in the summer time.

I held up my hands as I quickly shook my head to retract my words. "I didn't mean it like that." My cheeks flushed red. How was I supposed to explain what I meant. My eyes fluttered erractically as my mind raced. "I... I want to marry you." I said slowly. His expression seemed to lighten. "There is nothing I'd want more than anything in the world then to spend the rest of my life with you Nicholi but-"

"There's a but..."

I took his hand into mine and held it. "-but I'm not ready to give you everything a wife does. I'm not comfortable with moving into that chapter of my life." I pulled him closer to me and went up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. Instead of our usual cheek and forehead kisses I placed one directly on his lips. "I do love you but I just need time."

Very slowly he returned his lips to match mine. When our lips parted it was as if my breath was stolen from me and I was very light headed.

"Then time is what you will have." He kissed each one of my fingers before he pulled me into his arms and held me in his warm embrace, his face resting in my hair. "I'll give you anything Renesmee, anything your heart desires."

"I just want you, forever." I said as I wrapped my arms securely around him.

"Then that is what you will have." We stood there in our embrace for several minutes. Then he released me. "Your parents are here." He said as he stepped away.

I turned and began searching for them only to see they had just came out of the house. In a matter of seconds they were at my side.

"Mom, dad." I smiled.

My eyes quickly dropped to my fathers hands which held a parchment envelope.

"This came for you." He said, his voice seemed troubled as he handed it to me.

Very carefully I took it from him. The envelope was addressed to me, the script elegant and somewhat ancient. Turning it over my heart skipped several beats when I saw the Volturi seal on the back in, a red intricate letter V.

"What is it?" I stammered as I looked up at my parents.

My father just shook his head.

I used the tip of my finger nail to break the seal and then opened the envelope. I pulled the letter out and unfolded it before I began reading.

Because of recent events the appearance of Miss Renesmee Cullen, Tyler Hawthorne and Jamie Bright are to be expected before the Volturi.

Do not make us come for you

The letter was signed with a V.

It was as if the world around me slowly began crumbling to pieces. Why did they want to see me and my friends? We didn't break any laws or do anything wrong. Then I remembered, I did confide in a few family secrets that night in my room to Tyler only I never told him what we were.

My father reached out and took the letter from me and began reading. "Renesmee, what did you do?" My father looked up at me, his eyes wide.

I slowly shook my head as tears began to fall from my eyes. "Daddy I swear I didn't tell them what we were." my body was shaking.

"What's going on?" Nicholi said as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"The Volturi have requested Renesmee's appearance in Volterra." My mother clutched onto my father.

Anyone who has heard of the Volturi knew that when they are around it's never a good thing. And when they want to see you its even worse.

"Why? What could she have done wrong?"

"I showed Tyler my gifts." I blurted out. "I'm so sorry."

"But she hasn't done anything wrong, she didn't tell him she was a vampire right Renesmee?" Nicholi asked me.

I shook my head.

"She doesn't have too, if they know too much the Volturi will intervene." My mother replied, her voiced seemed choaked up.

I knew there was no getting out of this. I had done this myself so I had to own up to the consequences that were waiting for me in Volterra. What I didn't understand was what Jamie had to do with this. She didn't know anything, only Tyler did.

"When do I leave?" I asked my father.

"Now, Jamie is being picked up by Alice and Tyler is on his way to the harbor with Jasper. We will meet them in the garage and take the suburban to the airport."

I shook my head. "Dad they will kill us."

"You don't know that. But I do know if they have to come for you they won't give any chances."

I nodded my head. "Well I guess we should go." I turned around to look up at Nicholi. When I looked into his eyes I saw a future that was no longer promised. Our happiness of forever was slowly difting away by the minute. "I'm sorry." I whispered before I turned and walked to the house with my family leaving Nicholi standing at the Gazebo.

Once I grabbed my day bag and had added a few more essentials to it, one being food, my family and I got into my boat and sped off towards the harbor.

In just fifteen short minutes my father, mother, Jamie, Tyler and myself were speeding away towards the airport.

"Where are we going?" Tyler asked as we pulled up outside the airport.

"Alice told me we were invited to go on a vacation to Italy, luckily I have a passport." Jamie replied. She sounded so happy, but that would soon end once she meets the Volturi.

"Italy, but I don't have a passport." Tyler said.

"We had one made for you." My father said as he opened the door to get out.

Alice and Jasper took the seats of my mother and father after they exchanged a few words between one another. Then they drove away.

My mother and father hurdled us into the airport and towards airport security. Just as I was about to get in line to go through someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"What-" I gasped as I turned around. My lip quivered as I looked into the eyes of Nicholi. "Oh my goodness Nic." I cried as I threw my arms around him.

"I'm sorry Renesmee but I couldn't let you go."

"I can't stay Nic, they will come for me."

"I know and that is why I'm going with you." He kissed my hand and towed me towards the line at security.

We made it to our terminal with ten minutes to spare. When we sat down I was drawn immeadiately to Jamie and Tyler who leaned on one another. I thought nothing of it, since they were best friends, until I saw Tyler lace his fingers through hers and then kiss her.

Jamie grinned when she made eye contact with me and I smiled back. They were definitely together which silenced the curiousity of the 'secret crush' she had been telling me about. I gave her two thumbs up and then buried my face into Nicholi's chest.

My nerves were so high that I began trembling. When they called for first class seats we all rose to our feet. As we were seated I was shocked when I realized Nicholi didn't have a ticket but he was able to get on the plane. He sat in the very first row and had the entire row to himself.

Before we began taxing towards the runway Nicholi brought me to sit with him. As we took off he confided in me that his family has long since owned the entire airport so he could fly anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted and he always had a front row first class seat.

"I'm scared." I whispered to him as the sun began setting as we began flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

He kissed my hair. "I know love but I'm with you and I will do everything I can to protect you until the day I die."