Aiyanna
I went upstairs to get prepared to drop Ricky back home and pass by Sam's place after sharing breakfast with Ricky and my parents.
As I walked in my bedroom, I noticed that my blanket had slid on the floor after being thrown on the bed, the first time I walked upstairs. While I pulled it back on the bed, my eyes got drawn to a bag I hadn't noticed before, near my bedside table. I could have thought that it was one of those I came back home with on the shopping outing I had with the girls two days ago, but the bag wasn't familiar. Besides, I was pretty sure I already tidied them up on that same day.
Completely oblivious to what could be inside, I picked it up and brought it on the bed, where I sat.
The first thing I noticed inside was the photo album, which was the biggest thing out of the contents of the bag. From the moment I recognized it, I understood what I would find inside : the gifts I had been given during my last birthday.
I felt my heartbeat race in my chest and a weird sensation invade me. This reminded me of a period that seemed to have happened so long ago and yet, only months have passed. It felt strange because I could now look back and realize how many things happened since then, in every area of my life.
I took out the remaining objects of the bag, and rediscovered my gifts all over again.
I pulled out the digital camera Alice and Jasper had given me, and was invaded with excitement as if it was the first time I saw it. Although it had been given to me, I felt as if I had no right to use it. Maybe because it had been given to someone who only left a few traces of her behind as she changed into the person I was today.
I then pulled out the necklace given by Rosalie and Emmett. The corners of my lips lifted up as I admired the beauty of the "A" golden pendant was embbed with different colored stones.
Then, came the travel package given by both my parents and Edward's. The two tickers were valid for a year, and was going to expire by the end of this year's August. Would I even have the opportunity to go ? Did I still want to go ? Of course, yes. But then, the timing was a bit off now with Victoria still on the run, leaving us no clue to look for her instead of waiting for her to come back again.
The last gift I pulled out was Edward's. My breath got cut short when I touched his handwritten letter. I didn't remember the words he had used but I remembered how I felt when I first read it.
As long as the letter, I pulled out the CD where he had compiled instrumental music we both loved along with the ones he had written for me. Now that I thought about it, I never had the opportunity to listen to them.
I leaned towards my CD player on my bedside table and changed my previous one with his. I felt my chest tighten when I pressed play and listened to a piece I wasn't familiar with. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was one Edward had composed.
Feeling my body relax at the sound of the piano, I leaned on my side and pulled out the letter from its enveloppe.
"My love,
More than just a nickname, love has become something much more greater and has taken the form of every little detail that defines the person that you are.
I once thought that love could not be seen, but now, I see it in the words that escape your lips or in the way your brown eyes capture mine.
I beg to differ that love cannot be touched, because when I hold you, I know I'm holding the purest and most delicate form of love I have ever felt in my long life.
I have learned that love is to be cherished. And through this letter, I make the vow to cherish and protect your life more than my own.
You have become my walking ray of light, brightening up my dull and eternal life.
If I had only known that you would be the one I was waiting for, I never would have resented those long nights, laying down quietly under the star-studded sky, impatiently waiting for time to pass by.
I have said the following three words numerous times and yet, not enough. But once again, I want to remind you that I love you, Aiyanna Brown. Today and forever.
Happy Birthday.
- Edward"
"If only you had waited a little longer..." I murmured, while wiping the tear that rolled on my nose to trace its route towards the mattress.
If only he had stayed longer, I would've had my first turn in front of him, then I would've imprinted on him and everything could have been easier. He would have realized that there was no more reasons for him to flee, that I had turned into something stronger to ensure my own protection and those who needed it.
I sighed and folded the letter again before putting it back in its enveloppe. Now, I could understand why he took the gifts with him before he left. I was being melancholic while looking at them.
I wished I could stay there, listening to the sounds emitted by Edward's fingers on the piano, wishing he would be sitting beside me.
I knew it would only take one word for him to appear in front of me, as I was pretty sure that he was listening to my thoughts while being hidden in the woods, but again, it wasn't the best timing.
So, I put the music on pause and put the gifts back inside the bag before I went back to what I first came here for.
~~
I passed by Sam's place after dropping Ricky home.
Thankfully, I didn't need to argue with him to let me drive him. As long as he had an eye on me, as Sam had ordered him to, he was fine with it. The hardest had been to part ways with him. It was as if he forgot that even if a vampire dared to step in La Push, it would trigger all of our senses, wherever we were and whether we were asleep or not.
When I parked in front of Sam and Emily's house, I walked inside as soon as I came out of the driver's seat, and went directly to Paul who only had two seconds to look up at me from the couch before I hit the back of his head.
"Ow !" Paul exclaimed, rubbing the spot I hit.
"You stupid hotheaded mutt. Do that again and I'll be the one you fight with." I threatened him through gritted teeth.
"If the leech didn't cross over..."
"Paul, please ! Do you really think he did it on purpose ? Sam or I would have dealt with him after we'd be done with Victoria !"
"Why do we have to make exceptions for them when we're always being careful and they're not ?"
I grunted, frustrated. "This is not about making exceptions ! It's about not disrupting what we've been working on and expecting for a whole week ! You're not alone, Paul ! We were supposed to do this together !" I spat, forgetting to breathe in between my sentences.
I glared at him, catching on my breath. Paul, on the other hand, closed his eyes and exhaled before he looked up at me. For once, I saw him retreating first.
"I'm sorry." he just said.
I sighed, and hit the back of his head again, more lightly this time. "I'm going to grow grey hair because of you." I said, already putting this fight behind me.
The great thing about this pack was how quick we were to solve problems. Teamwork was our most important value, which was why I was so angry that it hadn't been respected last night, but also why we never stayed angry for too long. We were doomed to be around each other all the time anyway.
Paul stood up, and we both walked towards the dining table, where Sam was talking with Emily who sat on his lap while Embry and Jared were eating. Seth, on the other hand, was looking at Paul and I, confused.
"Wow. You reconciled really quickly." Seth commented.
I smiled and brushed his hair. "We see each other more than we see our relatives. It's best for us to stay in good terms. Besides, there's no need to stay angry for something that already happened." I said, while sitting beside him.
As I said these words, it made me realize how I used this same reasoning with the Cullens. If I once used to be holding onto the anger, the pain and the disappointment before, I could now see that I slowly put this behind me as I realized that holding onto them would hurt me more than I wanted them to.
"She also can't resist my charms." Paul added.
"That's outdated, man." Jared intervened. "You lost the game, already."
"He never made it to the game." I rectified.
"Ouch !" Paul exclaimed, bringing his hand to his chest.
I scoffed before I brought my attention to Sam. "I sent Ricky home." I told him.
Sam looked at me, not surprised. "I knew you would. We're adding one more person for patrol shifts to look af..."
I raised my hand in front of myself, inviting him to stop talking. "Hell no."
"This is not refutable."
"It is. I'll accept only if the ones being watched over are my parents. I admit that I can't protect them by myself. But, there is no way you're keeping me on watch." I refuted.
"A vampire got into your house, Aiyanna. Twice." Sam reminded me.
"Because I wasn't there to stop it." I also had to remind him. "That's why I have no problem to keep my parents on watch. However, the moment I'm home, I want none of you around. I get triggered by a vampire's presence as much as you do. I'll take care of it myself."
"Aiyanna." Sam said my name, his eyes glaring at me.
"Sam." I called him, adopting his tone and face expressions.
Sam changed only two weeks before I did, we discovered and did everything together, he even shared his authority with me to lead a pack of now ten people, and yet he still acted as if I was some doll that needed to be protected.
I could understand his point of view. A vampire had gotten to me twice, well three times if we also included last year's car accident along with the attack on Nana and the intruder. As long as Victoria would be after me, I doubted Sam would ever be comfortable with leaving me alone.
"The Cullens came to track the scent, but couldn't recognize who it was." I reported to him, after softening my gaze. "They also checked Bella's house just in case. Once I get all the details, I'll send them to you."
"So, we're working with the bloodsuckers now ?" Paul asked, not sounding happy about it.
I sighed and looked at Paul. "They lived longer than we did, and know more about their kind than we all do." I reminded him.
"But they didn't recognize the one who got into your house, so not very helpful. I don't trust them."
"Well, I do." Jared commented, while shrugging his shoulders. "As long as Aiyanna's involved, I don't think they'll play dirty. Plus, she imprinted on one of them. Didn't you hear them last night ? They seem to still like her." he continued, refering to last night's conversation with the Cullens that they could all hear through Sam and I's thoughts.
"That's why I like you. You know how to use your brain." I said, winking at him.
Jared scoffed and returned my wink, in front of Paul whose eyes were piercing holes in our heads.
I stood up from my chair, and pushed it back against the table.
"Well, that's it for me. I have to study so I can't stay long." I stated, while grabbing the car keys that I had put in my pocket. "Is there anyone who needs a ride home ?" I asked, to which Embry answered by raising his hand.
"See you !" Embry told them, joyful.
Embry's shift wasn't before Tuesday afternoon, so he had two days for himself and was more than happy for it.
His face expressions, along with mine froze when we heard a howl we couldn't recognize, echoing in the woods. My eyes met Sam, who interpreted it as quickly as the rest of us did.
"Another newbie ?" Paul asked, surprised.
"The Cullens, Victoria and the intruder at once must have stirred him up." I deducted.
Sam stood up immediately, with Jared, Paul and Seth. "We don't need to go all together. Jacob and Quil are already out there. I'm going with Jared, the rest of you can stay here."
If someone had the most experience in accompanying new turners, it'd be Sam who had been there for each one of us. I didn't doubt of his ability to guide whoever turned today.
I nodded, and walked to my car with Embry while Sam and Jared ran towards the woods.
~~
As finals were getting closer, I kept myself busy with studying for the few days that followed our failure to catch Victoria mostly because I couldn't do anything else since my period also came during that time.
Of course, no matter how much I argued with Edward and the rest of the Cullens, they never let me spend one night without being watched. For my own privacy and both side's comfort, they never came inside my house when they did so. Although I managed to keep my pack out of this, I failed to do so with the Cullens. Edward, who had organized his family's time slot was too stubborn to let me have the upperhand in our numerous arguments regarding the issue.
No other vampires tried to roam around my house since the intruder did. The more I thought about it, and the more I wanted to link this to Victoria. The only thing that my assumptions lacked were the reasons why it'd be related to her.
I found myself thinking again about my intruder, when I was interrupted in my thoughts by a tapping finger on the paper I was supposed to be focused on.
"There's enough of us to worry about it. The only thing you need to think about is that equation." Edward told me, his scent hitting me with the sudden need to breathe in it for the next minutes, hours and maybe years. "Aiyanna. There's not much time before finals start. You can do this. I've explained it to you many times." he insisted after catching my thoughts slip towards distraction.
"You must really be a fool for you to believe in me with maths." I scoffed.
Edward started tutoring me after building up so much frustration while seeing me catch up with all the classes I missed, during one of his babysitting hours. And thankfully, he was an excellent tutor, since he knew absolutely everything.
After agreeing to Edward's request, to stay in good terms with him, I found myself being more comfortable around him. Maybe because the guilt I once felt melted away after he cleared all misunderstandings.
Rather than being a tutor and its student, I felt like our relationship had gone back to the friendship we once had. There was no pressure from his side our mine, and we both just enjoyed being in each other's company all over again. Being in his presence alone filled the wolf inside of me with life and light.
I would be lying if I said that I didn't crave for more. I slowly felt myself fall deeper into the hold of the imprint.
However, I was in no position to do as I wished. Edward already occupied most of my thoughts, even more now that we became friends again. If I dared to deepen my relationship with him, I doubted I'd be careful enough not to write about everything that made him my mate on my English essay. I was way too easily distracted.
In a sigh, I complied to Edward's plea and finished my homework. They were supposed to be my last ones for this weekend and probably ever, considering the fact that finals were set to start mid-week.
Once done, I didn't bother letting Edward look at it, since he might've heard the answer I wrote by reading my thoughts.
Looking at the time on my watch, I was glad to know that it was a little over 4pm. The sky was still clear as Summer was only a few weeks away. Days lasted longer.
"Thanks for the help." I said, while stretching as soon as I stood up.
"Anytime." Edward answered from his sitting position, on the edge of my bed.
"I can't wait for it to be over. But then, wouldn't college be even harder ?" I asked, knowing he had the most experience with college than I would ever have.
"It will, but you at least have the luxury to choose the courses you want to study."
"Maths, physics and biology will definitely not be a part of them." I said, ignoring the shiver that got to me after remembering the hours I sacrificed to try understanding these subjects. "Are you considering going to college next year ?"
"Yes. I was accepted in Harvard...Syracuse...Dartmouth...the University of Alaska Southeast also." Edward answered.
As expected, he had been accepted in Ivy League. I never doubted it. Would there ever be an university that wouldn't accept his profile ?
"Do you know where you'll go ?" I asked.
"Wherever you will go."
My eyes flickered to his, to find a very serious expression on Edward. My eyes were held prisoner by his black ones. I used to have a preference for his golden eyes before, but his darker eyes were now what I was captivated by the most. One gaze from him could bring me at his mercy, and I was a bit shameful to say that I didn't mind.
Edward smirked and as if to hide that, he lowered his head, shaking it slowly.
"Do not say anything." I said, my gaze turning into a glare.
Edward looked up at me, failing to get rid of his amused expression on his face while doing so.
"If it reassures you..."
"Nothing will reassure me." I cut him off. "I'm losing the control of my thoughts when you're around, like a teenager losing control over its hormones."
"Aiyanna, you are a teenager." Edward reminded me. "I am frozen in the body of one too. And if it reassures you, I am not stronger than you. I am just very lucky to have my thoughts to myself."
Edward smiled while I bit my bottom lip, holding the back of my chair as a support and a reason not to move towards him. Like a magnet, I felt myself being drawn to him. All I wished for was to be closer and closer...and even more closer.
"Are you up for a race ?" I abruptly asked him, trying my best to think of something else.
Edward's confusion at my sudden suggestion was seen in the eyebrow he arched in surprise.
"A race ?"
"For educational purposes." I precised. "I want to test your speed to ours. Would have been better you did it with Ricky or Leah though...but let's try with me first."
Edward smirked, amused. "Whatever you want."
I cleared my throat and walked up to my wardrobe, where I took out an oversized shirt and bermuda shorts that were easier to carry around my ankle.
"I will be waiting for you outside." were Edward's last words before he jumped out of the window.
When he left my bedroom, I leaned my forehead against one of the shelves of my wardrobe, feeling my heartbeat regaining its regular speed. How long was I going to keep being ridiculous ? Did I seriously had to ask for Sam for help ? He, out of the three of us who have imprinted, was the one who controlled his emotions and thoughts the best.
With a long sigh, I changed my clothes.
My mother, that Edward still hasn't met since my last birthday, was downstairs which explained why he had to sneak in and out of my bedroom. Although my parents knew that I imprinted on Edward, they thankfully haven't questioned me about it yet, but I knew that the subject would sooner or later come back to the surface.
I walked downstairs after getting changed and slipped my feet into my old tennis shoes, knowing that they only served on the days I'd be shifting.
My mother walked from the living room to the entrance, and stared at me while leaning against the stair railing.
"What is it ?" I asked, intrigued when she didn't say anything.
"You said you weren't on patrol this weekend." she reminded me.
"Exact. I'm just going to run a few miles and come back."
My mother kept staring at me, thoughtful, as if she was studying me. It made me really curious about what was going on inside her mind.
"I was wondering, it's been two weeks since you came back, right ?" she started, to which I answered with a nod, encouraging her to continue. "And also, two weeks since you imprinted on Edward who I believe still goes to your school."
I closed my eyes and exhaled. What were the chances for her to come up with the subject right when I thought about it ?
"Yes." I answered, wary.
"What happened since then ? Are you two back together ?"
I was well aware that my mother tried her best to stay out of my personal matters as much as possible, knowing that if she put her nose into them, she would probably end up with high blood pressure. She was already scared for my life in the woods, and everything that was related to anything supernatural.
"We're starting over by being friends again." I answered, smiling. "We both know that neither of us would be able to focus on anything else than each other for the remaining days at school if we go further. Although, it's more of a problem for me than for him."
"Then, what happens after you graduate ?" She asked.
"I don't know."