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Edward lay next to Bella as they gazed at the blue sky filled with white, fluffy clouds. The Cullen boy had been deep in thought in recent days, reflecting on Bella and how, after drinking her blood, he felt absolutely nothing for her. He wasn't in love with her, and the insatiable thirst was gone when he was near her. He just didn't care. But breaking up with her was a challenge he hadn't faced before, and he wasn't sure how to do it without hurting her. Despite everything, he didn't want to harm her in any way; he knew she didn't deserve that.
Bella, on the other hand, clung to him in a way Edward couldn't comprehend. He struggled to understand her insistence on becoming a vampire, a desire that had started since the school dance. Despite Edward's warnings that it was a terrible idea, she always brought up Devon and how he had managed to control his impulses, believing she could do the same. It would mean they could be "together forever," but Edward didn't want that. However, he had no idea how to tell her without causing pain. He had mentioned Devon's life-or-death situation, but Bella didn't seem to fully grasp it.
"And what do you think?" Bella's voice snapped Edward out of his thoughts. She lay next to him, looking at him expectantly.
Edward smiled a little, unsure of how to respond since he hadn't paid attention to her words. He hated not being able to read her mind.
"About what?" he decided to be honest.
Bella furrowed her brow as she sat up on the grass. "What's on your mind that you're not paying attention to me?"
Edward felt a bit guilty. Being with Bella was silent; he couldn't read her mind, and being in a secluded place made everything quiet. But it was just that. When he was with Devon, it wasn't just "quiet"; it was peaceful and pleasant. No voices, no noise, just a genuinely pleasant atmosphere.
"Sorry. I've been unable to stop thinking about some things, but I promise to pay more attention," Edward said. Bella smiled, and he suggested they should head back before Charlie came looking for them with a shotgun. Bella agreed, but before getting up, she leaned in to give Edward a gentle kiss. He reciprocated for a couple of seconds, then pulled away, standing up to help Bella.
The trip back was relatively quiet, with Bella talking a bit and Edward doing his best to listen without letting his thoughts wander. The truth was, he had an urge to return just to see Ronan, even if just for a second.
Upon reaching the Swan house, Edward exited the car first and opened the passenger door, extending his hand to help Bella out. They approached the front door together, and before Bella entered her home, she stopped to give Edward a quick kiss on the lips.
Bella went inside, and Edward lingered for a moment, realizing Devon wasn't in the house as he couldn't detect his scent. In fact, only Charlie and Bella were there. Resigned, he got into his car and drove quickly home.
However, as soon as he arrived, Devon's scent filled his nostrils. Trying not to appear too excited, he walked slowly into the house. There was no one else at home but Ronan and Devon.
He reached the kitchen, where Devon's scent was stronger, finding him there, wearing only sweatpants that undoubtedly belonged to his brother. Moreover, his hair was wet, indicating he had recently left the shower, which was strange since they rarely used the bathroom.
"Dev, could you ask your mom to make me some cookies? I tried baking some, but they burned," Ronan's voice came from the stove, cooking something.
Devon chuckled. "Sure."
Both men turned to look at Edward, who was standing in the doorway. Edward glanced at his brother, who was also wearing only sweatpants, and his jealousy started bubbling up. He swallowed it as best as he could and headed to the refrigerator to grab a soda, pretending that was his sole purpose.
"Hey, Edward," Devon greeted. "Do you want pancakes? Ronan is trying to make some."
Edward looked at them, though Ronan had his back, focused on the pan, and only Devon was watching him.
"No thanks," Edward opened the can and took a long sip. "Are the others not back yet?"
"Esme called fifteen minutes ago and said they would eat at a restaurant to get rid of the taste of blood," Ronan replied quickly.
Edward nodded, looking away. Devon asked if his mom was home when he left Bella, and Edward informed him she wasn't, only Charlie.
Devon nodded. "I wanted to have a family dinner tonight, so I shouldn't be late," he looked at Ronan as if blaming him for something, and Ronan bit his lip to avoid laughing. "I think I'll go now."
Ronan turned off the stove after putting the last pancake on a plate. "If you want, I can lend you one of my shirts or that hoodie with the dragon that you seemed to like."
Devon nearly rolled his eyes. Both his shirt and the pants he had been wearing were currently in the washing machine because they had been stained with fluids.
"Fine," he started to leave the kitchen. "I'll take that hoodie."
Ronan chuckled as he took a big bite of one of his pancakes.
Once Devon disappeared upstairs, Edward hurriedly approached Ronan, grabbing him by the neck quite forcefully. Ronan, however, looked at him with a mocking smile.
"What's up, Eddy?"
Edward couldn't be angry. He had no right to be, but still... he couldn't help feeling that intense fury seeing his brother's superiority and those repetitive thoughts in his head about what he had done with Devon a few hours ago. Edward gritted his teeth for a moment and forced himself to let go of his brother, who revealed a bright smile before continuing to eat.
"What about your date with Bella? You seem more grouchy than usual. I had a great time with Dev today."
God, he wanted to hit that stupid face so badly.
Without saying more, Edward decided to leave the kitchen and go straight to his room. However, halfway up the stairs, he encountered Devon, who gently took his arm, making him feel oddly calm in a way he couldn't understand.
Devon furrowed his brow as he looked at him with concern.
"Are you okay, Edward?"
They locked eyes for a moment.
"Yeah. I just... have some things on my mind."
Devon nodded.
"Then see you later."
Devon let him go, bringing back all the noise to his head but continuing on his way. He hated that Devon's scent was mixed with Ronan's. And he hated even more how happy both of them looked at that moment.
Edward reached his room, where he threw some things on the floor without caring about the noise. He felt frustrated and annoyed with himself. Annoyed because he hadn't had the courage to admit his feelings to Devon and frustrated because he couldn't find a way to break up with Isabella.
Not much time passed when he heard Devon's motorcycle drive away along with his scent. Ronan was still in the house, but Edward didn't care. He just needed to sort out his thoughts. Although at that moment, it seemed
impossible with his mind in complete chaos.
Besides, he hadn't told anyone about Devon's potential power. For one reason or another, the topic never came up, but he wanted to ask Carlisle about it and check if it worked against Alice or Jasper's powers.
He just... was looking for an excuse to be close to Devon.
The chapter is short but with a lot of love <3
ily, don't forget to eat healthy and drink awita 💖