Abel is leaving the school a week later, the weekend standing between Hilarie's funeral and today. He pauses when Tyler hits a slab of black ice and swerved around the parking lot, his van going straight at Bella. He doesn't see Edward Cullen until Edward is standing on the back of Bella's truck. Edward looks right at Abel and their eyes lock. Edward purses his lips and he jumps off the truck and jogs off.
"Bella!" Abel runs over and he pushes through the sea of students to get to his cousin. "Bells!" He drops to her side.
"I'm calling 9-1-1," Jessica demands.
Abel sees Bella looking at him when he looks away from Jessica and he smiles. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, Abel, I promise," Bella assures. The two have always been close. "Did you see Edward?" she whispers.
"Only when he was standing in the bed of the truck," Abel says as the ambulance and a couple cop cars pull up. "I'll drive the truck to the hospital."
"Do you have a license?" Bella asks.
"I got it when I was sixteen," Abel replies as the medics get to Bella while another set checks out Tyler.
^^^_^^^
Abel is sitting on Bella's hospital bed with her in the Emergency Room while a nurse called Jackie goes over Bella's chart. Charlie soon comes in and soon after him, Carlisle does. Abel ends up needing to step out to get some air because he still feels suffocated in that place after his mom's death.
He is leaning against the wall with his eyes closed when...
"Is your cousin ok?"
Abel opens his eyes and he finds Emmett standing there in front of him. "She's fine," he replies. "She hit her head, but there's only a knot. She'll be okay."
"That's good," Emmett replies. "Your hair's brighter."
"I colored it after my mom's funeral," Abel says softly. "She liked the blue."
"I do, too," Emmett admits. "And I'm sorry about your mom."
"Sometimes I feel as if she's in a better place," Abel admits. "But then I start missing her." He exhales through his nose. "And now I'm depressing you."
Emmett shakes his head, a soft smile on his attractive face. "No... you're not depressing me," he says. "Death happens. It's terrible when it's a parent, but... it's a part of life."
"Yeah... we're born to die," Abel says as Rosalie and Evan come out of the hospital.
"Hey," Evan greets him while Rosalie shakily wraps her arms around her mate. "You're Abel, right?"
"Word spreads fast around this town, doesn't it?" Abel muses.
"Yep," Evan replies. "But I think that happens in all small towns."
"Yeah... Good point... I've seen plenty of shows with my mom about small towns," Abel says. His features sadden more at the mention of his mom. "Jessica Stanley told me you're Evan Cullen and Rosalie Hale."
"That girl gossips more than anyone I've ever met," Evan says truthfully.
"Then you hadn't met Bethany Creed from Port Angeles," Abel says. "Port Angeles is where I lived before here, and Bethany was the biggest gossip I'd ever met. More-so than Jessica."
"Oh, God, I can't even imagine," Evan gasps. "Emmett, we'll be in the Jeep."
"I'll be there in a minute," Emmett replies and the duo leaves. "How are you?" He looks at Abel's bruised face. "Your bruises... they're yellow, which means they're healing."
"They still hurt," Abel says. He won't say how he got them since he hard,t knows Emmett. Sure, he feels a certain draw to Emmett Cullen, but he assumes that he's straight, as straight as a pole. "But yeah, I'm healing right up. Thanks for, uh, you know... thanks for asking."
"Of course," Emmett replies. "I'll see you at school."
Abel watches in awe as Emmett walks away. His gawking gets interrupted by Charlie coming out and soon after, Bella. They all head home. Abel cannot stop thinking about Emmett by the time he goes to sleep... and that was the first night Abel dreamt of him.
