Soul not Included

Chapter 116

Oliver didn't move from his place on the throne. He gestured me closer instead. That was difficult for me to do. I had to psych myself up to it. Without the brothers here I felt vulnerable and those red eyes of his put me off. 

They didn't put me off before back in the motel room but I guess I could chalk that up to still being in shock to have been killed by fucking truck-kun and I haven't been put off when I was Bella because of Plot Armor.

"Marianne," I heard Demetri call my name. He was next to me now and he held his arm out like a gentleman. I took a deep breath and urged myself to go back to the headspace I had years ago. 

I set my hand in his and bowed my head slightly in his direction. "Thank you, sir."

He smiled and slowly we went up the three stairs inn front of us. Oliver's back was perfectly straight a delicate hand resting gently under his chin with one leg over the other. His other hand extended to me faced downward as I approached. It was similar to the way my hand was when Fred had taken it into his own. 

I took his hand and pressed his hand to my forehead. 

"Hm," he sounded delighted. "Head up, Darling."

I hummed too and raised my head meeting his stare head on.

I'm not scared. He wouldn't hurt me in any case...

"So," he began and switched his crossed legs. He wore white pants that was hardly visible over his long and frilly pastel coat that cascaded all around his feet and looked nearly as a gown. "I'd like to begin by thanking you for behaving as I hoped you would. From being a good person all the way to being the worst. I really couldn't have done anything without you it seems."

"Ollie."

He sighed and gestured to the floor beneath him. He was telling me to sit. Demetri helped me down, even thought I didn't want to sit as his feet. It felt belittling.

"Marianne Cullen Swan," he tried the name and shrugged it off. He didn't like it I suppose. "I've decided to make this castle my own and thus decided to create an actual force of vampires to do what the Volturi should have been."

"A police force," I said.

"Of sorts."

"Like the Uchihas?" I asked as that was the first thing my mind went to.

He stared at me blankly before smirking. "You anime nerd. Sure, like the Uchiha Clan. We'll be the fucking Uchiha Coven."

That would be cool actually, I thought but forced myself to not be distracted. I wasn't here to be drawn into his beauty and fall into step with him.

"Why?" I asked.

"Let me ask you why instead, Mari," Oliver said tucking a short strand of hair behind his ear. It seem to bother him, the fact that his hair wasn't long enough to tuck behind his ear. "Why are you not understanding what I'm doing here? I'd think you out of anyone would get it."

I frowned. "Is this your way of asking me about what I think of what you're doing?"

"Yes," he said. "So, tell me what you think. Say it."

I couldn't help it. I smiled. "Out loud?"

He cocked his head confused. I laughed.

Say it. Say it out loud... oh, fucking Twilight... but I'm getting distracted again. I'm falling into a comfortable step with Oliver. His tone is light and friendly just like how we were before. Like we were back at school. Hanging out. Having fun. I'm falling into that ease but I know that I can't allow myself to enter that time. We can't have our Twilight talk like we used to.