The Banshee -Paul Lahote-

Chapter 55

Mavis laid in her bed. She hadn't ventured out much the last few days. Seeing Paul again messed with her emotions. Mistakes were made when everything happened with Bella. Mavis wished she hadn't done some of the things she had. Breaking up with Paul was the right decision at the time. He sided with Sam to kill Bella and the baby. At the time, he believed the baby wouldn't be able to control its thirst. He was wrong. Renesmee wasn't exactly normal, but she wasn't a monster. Then Paul proceeded to attack her family. He could have killed one of them.

Why did she still love him?

Mavis wanted her feelings to go away. Pushing away her emotions for the last few months had been easier when she simply didn't think about Paul. It helped she never saw him. Whenever she was at La Push, either Seth, Jacob, or Leah would not-so-subtly help keep them apart. They had a single run-in, but other than that, they never saw each other.

She remembered his scent: pine, soil, and his mint toothpaste. He was always warm. That was something she loved about him. Mavis shouldn't feel this way anymore. It had been months. Paul wasn't a part of her life anymore. She broke up with him. The best relationship in her life came to an end because Mavis felt the need to protect her family. It was the right choice, but it wasn't easy. Mavis hadn't thought much about the aftermath.

Now that she was reminded of what she had lost, she missed it more than anything. All she wanted was him, but he was gone. To her, it was clear that Paul felt obligated to help her. He no longer felt the same way. It was all her fault. Paul had managed to move forward. He didn't need her anymore. Mavis had never thought that when she ended things, he would move on. It never occurred to her, but he had.

It was simple. Paul didn't love her anymore.

She hated herself. She hated what she did. Mavis wished she couldn't feel anything. That way, it would be easier. Loving him was painful, and she wanted to be free of the feeling.

There was a knock on her door. "Mavis," Alice's soft voice filled her ears. "Hey, you've been in here all day. Why don't you come downstairs? Jacob is going to make some elaborate dinner soon. Or I could order a pizza." Mavis stared at the wall. She couldn't get out of bed. Her body felt as if it was physically shutting down. "Mavis?" It had been days since her daughter had left her bed. "Honey." Alice ventured into the room and sat beside her. She brushed her fingers through Mavis's tangled hair.

Mavis felt her senses become overwhelmed. It was as if she had no control over her emotions anymore. The blonde turned slightly, eyes full of tears. "Mom," she whispered.

"Oh, honey." Alice wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry." Mavis cried into the sleeve of her sweater. "I'm sorry."

"I want it to stop," her voice was weak. "I want to stop feeling like this."

Alice closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the side of Mavis's head. "You really loved him. It's okay to feel sad." She had held it for so long. "I'm sorry I called him the other night. I was so worried, and I knew I couldn't get to you in time. I wasn't thinking-"

"It's okay," Mavis promised. Alice was justified in her actions. "I just didn't realize how much I missed him until he was back. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid," Alice assured her. "You're sixteen and in love. Your first love."

"I won't be sixteen much longer," she responded. "Four days, remember?" Mavis was born on December 18. It was also the day she met Alice. The memories from that night didn't exist in her mind, but she knew the stories.

"Four days," Alice repeated. "Why don't you come downstairs? We can order a pizza and watch a movie. Anything you want."

Mavis nodded, slowly pushing the covers off of her. "Star Wars?"