Soul not Included

Chapter 37

                                                                Theodore Valoz's very long night.

After the phone call he received from Izzy he realized just how much he actually missed her and how much resentment he held against her. Despite his personal feelings though he had gotten a pleasant visit that night from Oliver. He hadn't changed in any aspect whatsoever. He would forever be an overly beautiful fifteen year old boy.

There were not many words exchanged. Oliver just appeared by his window dropped off the bows and explained what they were before deciding that it would be best if he left. Theo didn't try to stop him only because he realized very quickly how red Oliver's eyes were. 

Before leaving Oliver muttered an I love you.

Theo didn't return it because deep down he knew Oliver probably didn't mean it. If he did he wouldn't have left to begin with. Theo just went back to sleep. The next morning he made sure to tell his parents that he was ready to go to move in with his aunt in Paris. His family were ecstatic as they all ate in their overly bright house. Now devoid of anything with Grace's presence. A life he once thought was more than enough for him suddenly empty. He was a dark stain in this house and he felt himself slipping.

Naturally he packed and was ordered a taxi. Both parents too busy in their own schedules to drive him personally to the airport. 

It was easy for him to bribe the taxi driver to take him the opposite direction. Drop him off at some gas station and begin hitch hiking the rest of the way until he was finally in front of Izzy's door steps. He had a lot to say to her. He wanted some release at the utter betrayal and hurt he felt when she no longer recognized him.

But she was so stupidly happy seeing him that his anger flushed away. As if he never knew what anger was. He was equally blissfully joyous to see her. 

So naturally he should have seen it coming. He knew what he was getting into when he returned. There was no way that Iz wouldn't keep fighting her fate. He just never realized how bad it would be this time. But her desperation shone in her eyes even as they looked detached as she told him her story. 

He struggled to see it that way. As she spoke, he was trying to place people in their positions. See where the best position would be, who can do a job well and who would most likely have to die in order to succeed. 

His thoughts kept getting interrupted by her. It was like a mantra. He told himself. She's trying to drill it into his head like she drilled it into hers. This is a book, this is Twilight. These are pawns. They're not people. We are not people. 

To keep Alice blind, she told him. It was mandatory for him to think that way.

He kept those thoughts in his head and listening to her story got easier and not easier at the same time. Like a general at the helm, they bark orders knowing that their soldier might perish but the overall goal is their destination. The people that die don't matter.

But to his surprise this time she had a getaway plan. That guaranteed they could escape, if this Fred person was as strong as Izzy believed him to be at least.

For the next couple days he fooled around focusing on the beauty his sister became while they were separated. He hardly recognized her but he knew he'd never mistake her for anyone else. Their reunion alone was short. She hardly moved from her spot as he came into the Cullen's residence.

He was alone mostly with Augustus sitting in a dark corner of the room where a coffin laid. They had short conversations of where they traveled when they left. Theo hardly remembered what Augie said. He didn't fail to notice the change within everyone and that left him feeling a little left behind.