Apogee - Earthshine Sequel (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Nine - I Belong To Seth

My hand cupped over my mouth, holding back a scream that would never come out.

Benjamin rose to his feet, his expression pained. His gaze did not meet mine before he disappeared through the door. Esme looked up as he left, but didn’t move. She leant back down to Kebi, muttering words even I couldn’t hear. I stepped out of the room, not knowing where to go. I walked into the lounge, the one place that looked normal. After washing the blood off my hands in the kitchen next door, I sat down on one of the sofas and took out my phone, dialling Gale’s number.

“El?” Gale asked, picking up the phone after only one ring.

I smiled faintly. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Gale sighed, probably hoping that it wouldn’t be Carlisle again. “How are things?”

“Not good,” I whispered.

There was a short silence. “How so?” Gale finally asked, worry fringing his low voice.

“Ricardo attacked.”

Gale swore loudly, and I waited for him to finish before carrying on.

“My human friend, Tom, was here. He got… caught up in it. Carlisle’s tending to his wounds now, but I’m pretty sure it’s not just a graze,” I whispered, looking through the glass windows to the outside. Carlisle was still bent over Tom, and I could see his lips moving as he spoke softly to Tom. “Amun also… got caught up.” I didn’t want to tell him flat out. It would hurt Kebi and Benjamin if they were listening.

“Oh,” Gale sighed. “Are Kebi and Benjamin all right?”

“Physically.”

“Okay. Are you all right?”

I paused, not knowing what to say. I felt like the hope I had started to rebuild had been crushed from what Ricardo had said. “Physically,” I said again.

“Do you want me to come to you?”

“You need to hunt. Just get back when you can,” I whispered.

Gale was silent for a moment. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”

“Thanks. Bye dad.”

“Bye El.”

* * * *

The house was empty without everyone. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Bella, Renesmee and Edward were all still on their hunting trip. Esme stayed upstairs with Kebi, comforting her. Carlisle was also upstairs, tending to Tom. Benjamin had finally come downstairs, sitting opposite me on the sofas. I didn’t know what to say, or what to do. Should I talk to him about it? All I wanted when Seth died was to be left alone. But Benjamin was different. He had seen his mate and his father die. He would be different.

I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes, blocking out the world. I had so many unanswered questions, but I knew that the only person who could answer them was Ricardo.

“Tired?” A low voice asked from across the room, and I drew my hands away from my eyes to see Benjamin looking at me.

I smiled, looking down at my pale hands. “I’m fine. I should really be asking that to you.”

Benjamin looked away, out of the window. The sun had begun to set, the tops of the trees darkening so you couldn’t tell what colour they really were.

I rose to my feet, walking over to him. He looked up at me in surprise, but not before I had seized his arm and pulled him to his feet. “What? El-”

“Remember back in Egypt, when I went with you?” I asked, cutting off his protest. He nodded. “I was hurt, and I needed someone to talk to. Now you are hurt, and you need someone to talk to.” I had never heard myself be so forward in all my life, but I knew that Benjamin needed to hear it. He looked at me, speechless from surprise. I dragged him to the door, pulling him outside. On the porch was a wooden bench, and I sat Benjamin down on it, me sitting next to him.