Clarity // p.l

012

Seeing Bella in school made Elise grit her teeth uncomfortably, she knew that she knew. There wasn't a chance in hell Bella was dating a Cullen and was oblivious to what they were. She knew something had taken place, it surfaced all around the school of Bella's accident, her running away after a fight with Edward. She supposedly went to a hotel a few towns over and "fell down some stairs" but Elise wasn't stupid, she could see with her own two eyes the very distinct arm Bella hid.

"How've you been?" The scrawny brunette asked Elise.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? You're the one who broke like every bone in your body." Glancing behind her, Elise could see Edward lingering around watching Bella to ensure her safety. "Did he do that? I know he isn't completely human so it wouldn't really surprise me."

Bella looked like a deer in headlights at the proclamation, her muddy brown eyes looking back at her vampire boyfriend. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't bother lying to me, I'm not like every other oblivious resident in this town. I knew from the second I got here something was fishy about your boyfriend's family."

Bella Swan attempted to look stronger, a comical image given how small she really was. "No one will believe you."

Elise squared the girl up but smiled in her face once she realized how many eyes was attracting with the altercation. "Won't they? All I would need is to attract enough suspicion and they'll ask themselves the question every time they see them. My only question is what purpose you serve? You're human, are you their personal blood bank."

"No," She was quick to cover for them, protecting them with what little she had to offer. "They aren't like that, they don't hurt people."

Pointing to the injuries on the teenage girl, Elise chuckled under her breath not seeming to care about how harsh she was being. "Looks like it," Her sarcasm was intense, Edward clenching his fists at his sides at the brutal truth that was being dished even if it wasn't directly to his face. "You're going to get yourself killed, but then again maybe that's what you want."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Backing away from her, Elise effectively ended the conversation. Staying at school was making her antsy, the thought of being surrounded by vampires enough to nearly drive her out of her mind. She didn't even tell her brother she was leaving, just driving off to the beach, her hands turning the wheel on their own accord until she made it to her destination.

Standing in front of the water was oddly soothing, it was cold and tickled her bare feet. "Are you out of your mind?" A gruff voice called from behind her, it was Paul in his half naked glory. He was hasty when scooping her up and pulling her body from the water, his heat radiating and soothing her chill instantly. "It's freezing out here and why are you all alone."

"Do you believe in the impossible? Like things that are only told in fairytales and children's bedtime stories."

Paul was silent for a moment, his warm brown eyes focused cautiously on her. "Yes, I do."

"I don't know why I'm asking you this, you probably think I'm crazy. I'm not, at least I don't think I am. I don't have a psych evaluation or evidence and I'm sure I'm not doing a very good job of giving evidence but I'm just so confused."

He rested a large hand on her shoulder, the contact making it nearly impossible to concentrate. "I understand what you mean, you aren't crazy at all." For a few long moments the duo just sat in silence cherishing each other's words. Paul's following question was spontaneous, so surprising to even himself that his own brows furrowed after the words passed his plush lips. "Would you consider going on a date with me sometime?"

Elise looked up at him slightly caught off guard. "You don't even know me, I could be a deranged serial killer for all you know."

"Are you?"

"Well no, but what if I was?"

"You aren't so, are you considering my offer?"

The blue eyed brunette couldn't help but laugh at him, the confidence he exuded being all too alluring for her to ignore. "Yes, we can go out on a date. But just so you know, I'm not really a big fan of traditional dates, like dinner and a movie is a little redundant."

Paul quirked a brow at her, a handsome smile forming on his face. "I see you're going to make me work for it."

"Never really have been a fan of easy, thats my brothers forte." Something about him eased her mind and made her feel safe. "What were you doing out here in the first place?"

"I told you I come here nearly everyday, my friends and I live pretty close to here and we roam around a lot."

Elise hummed, her icy blue eyes overlooking the water once more. "Right, Sam Uley, I met him the other day and he seems to have the same dress code as you: half naked and barefoot."

"It's a quileute thing, we're all just really hot."

"Tell me about it." A loud buzzing interrupted their moment, her fingers scrambling to see the screen and press accept. "Ash—"

"Where the hell are you," He snapped through the phone, his voice was hostile and laced with worry. In the background Elise could hear the hustle and bustle of releases teenagers, leading her to believe school was over and her brother had been spending his end of the day looking for someone who was no longer there. "Elise, where the hell did you disappear off too. Does it have something to do with the Cullen's? Did they hurt you?"

The brown haired girl shook her head in denial even though she knew her brother couldn't see her, also missing the way Paul's fists clenched at the sound of the vampire family's name. "No, they didn't hurt me. Look, I was just having a rough morning and needed to get away, I should've told you but I'm at the beach."

"Alone?"

"Not exactly."

There was a moment of silence before Asher's voice returned to its usual teasing. "Are you with a boy?"

"Ash, shut up."

"Just be safe, little sister."

For some odd, unexplainable reason when Elise looked up at Paul after the ended phone conversation she couldn't help but wonder what the hell she'd been doing with her time before him.