A F T E R D A R K | PAUL LAHOTE - 1

44

The days were passing by so quickly they were starting to mould into one. I felt as if I was fighting a losing battle with time. My body had passed the point of exhaustion but my brain was stuck in a buzz — it wouldn't shut down, it wouldn't switch off.. I was stuck with it constantly going round and round on a loop.

The underneaths of my eyes were practically black. I looked like I'd been punched square in the nose and had it broken. The bags looked like bruises and I looked like shit.

Everything had been looking up for me. I'd made my escape from the Volturi, I'd gotten my life back on track, I was looking at the possibility of going off to college and Paul and I had been discussing marriage.. marriage.

This was supposed to be time for Paul and I to live together but instead we were spending it apart with him hating me for my choices.

I wasn't supposed to be hoping that my younger sister would survive giving birth to an inhuman child.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. I didn't plan this. And this was exactly why I couldn't sleep.. because my body wouldn't physically allow me to shut down just for a couple of damn hours.

Instead I was leaning over the wooden balcony on the Cullens second floor with my head hanging low. My eyes closed as the breeze lapped my hair gently, snuggling into the oversized jumper I was wearing while Edward Cullen told me everything that was wrong with my sister.

"Carlisle said her body isn't compatible with the fetus but she still thinks she can hold on until the last minute." He told me.

I pinched my temples between my thumb and middle finger, "Can't she?"

"No." Edward said, "It's already broken three of her ribs."

I clenched my teeth together and nodded, "Yeah.. I heard you say that in my vision."

"Anything else you heard that I should maybe know about?"

I shrugged, "I dunno, ask me after I've had some sleep."

Edward leaned back against the fence around the balcony next to me. With his arms crossed he sighed heavily, "I can't stand the fact that we're not on good terms." He said shaking his head to himself, "I never thought that I would ever be able to have children but now I seem to be having one it's killing my wife."

I nodded to myself, "It's fucked up."

"It is." He agreed, "I hate myself for what I'm putting her through."

My brows rose questioningly, "So.. you hate yourself because you had sex with Bella, hmm?"

He looked straight ahead before glancing sideways at me, "Yes."

"But when you two were getting it on did it ever occur to either of you that Bella could end up pregnant?" I asked, craning my head to the side. He shook his head as a response, "Exactly, so because the literal impossible happened you all of a sudden hate yourself.. but had she not gotten pregnant and the two of you would've been beginning your eternal life together you wouldn't hate yourself?"

He remained silent for a good couple of minutes, opening and closing his mouth. He started to shake his head, "Why do you chose your moments?"