"AND HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT."
|08|
THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, LILIAN WARMED UP TO THE CULLENS A LITTLE. She still didn't like Edward, though. He seemed too... wise wasn't the word, but it came close enough. He seemed to know everything that circled in her head.
One thing did follow Lilian everywhere she went nevertheless: her conscious. The fact that she bonded with the liars and perhaps even dangerous people, for no matter how kind they were to her, all of Lilian's instincts told her to turn her heels and run as far away from the Cullens as possible. It was confusing, for Lilian's entire heart told her that the Cullens were amazingly kind and exceptionally decent.
The thing that bothered Lilian the most: she owes Cora an apology and her consent. She had told herself that she'd never have a crush, that she would never in her life warm-up to the Cullens, that she'd neverlikeJasper Hale. Well, the contrary was proven, Lilian Harper liked Jasper Hale. Not that he'd ever know.
Lilian stared at herself when the doorbell rang. It was the 14thof September and Lilian was trying the beanie that Collin brought for her as a birthday gift. She brought him a pair of new Nike shoes. Pulling the beanie off her head, Lilian rushed downstairs to open the door.
"Are you Ms. Lilian Natalia Harper?" A mailman asked, holding a clipboard, but no package.
"Uhm, yes?" Lilian replied hesitantly. The mailman nodded and held out the clipboard.
"You need to sign this." The mailman said, and Lilian signed the form, not knowing what this was about. "Wait here." He said, walking towards his truck and coming back with one large red box where Lilian herself could fit in, if she hugged her knees to her chest and curled up like a ball.
"There's another one. A happy birthday!" The mailman said, walking back to his car when he'd put both boxes down in front of Lilian's feet. One of them was pink with a baby blue bow, the other baby blue with a pink bow.
Lilian heard noises coming from the boxes and looked at the cards that were attached to the boxes. 'Collin Harper. Happy 18thbirthday to our handsome sweetheart. Love: Mom and Dad.'And 'Lilian Harper. Happy 18thbirthday, to our little detective, love: Mom and Dad.' Pure curiosity roomed over Lilian when she had read both of the cards. She reached for her phone and called her brother.
"Lilian Harper, why are you calling me? Haven't heard from you for a while." Collin said when he took the phone. Lilian mentally face-palmed. He could be such a jerk from time to time.
"Collin, you need to come home, right now. Mom and dad got us presents." Lilian told her brother, giving the boxes a doubtful look, "And honestly, I don't know what to expect."
Collin laughed on the other side of the line. "Calm down, sister. I'm already on my way home. Is it alright if Alice and Jasper are coming with me?" He asked, mocking the haughty tone to sound important. Lilian chuckled lightly.
"I assume that they're already in the car, which is driving up our grounds right now, aren't they?" Lilian asked rhetorically, eyeing the black Audi, which she lend her brother for that afternoon.
Beneath her, both of the boxes started to shake, and Lilian couldn't help it anymore, she tore the bow from the baby blue box and opened it.
A high-pitched yoke came from inside and Lilian looked down on a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever-puppy. The dog's blue eyes stood intelligent in the sockets of his cute head. Lilian got tears of joy in her eyes and lifted the puppy from its box. She started to think of a name, when she had ascertained the sex. It was a male.
"Oh, my god! You got a dog?!" Collin exclaimed, when he approached her. Lilian looked at him and nodded happily.
"Open yours, I don't think you have to guess." She joked.
Collin raised one eyebrow and cocked his head, "No, I think mom and dad have bought me a cat." He said sarcastically. Lilian shook her head and looked at the pup in her arms once again. Which name was fit for such a beautiful animal?
"Ah man! I got a girl!" Collin whined, holding up a cute copy of Lilian's puppy, only leaner and her eyes were dark brown, instead of blue. Also, Lilian's puppy had two white paws, whilst Collin's puppy had none, her belly and nose were covered in white fur. Lilian's puppy had only a white chest and a white circle around his left eye.
"Don't complain, Collin, they're so cute. Have you already thought of a name, Lilian?" Alice piped up, appearing a few inches from Collin. She seemed to keep distance from the pup in Collin's arms, which didn't seem to like her company either.
Lilian pursed her lips in thought. "I don't know, actually... Maybe if I observe the little boy's behavior for a day or two, I'd get some inspiration. I've two names: Hunter and Benji. Can't chose yet, so I'll observe his behavior before naming him." She said, more to herself than to Alice.
"Well I've already named my little girl!" Collin announced. "Her name's Daisy, so if you were planning on naming your daughter like that, Lil, you've got to think of another!" Lilian rolled her eyes at her brother, almost feeling tempted to tell him that she wasn't interested in children for her future.
"I think Benji would be a great name." Jasper spoke up, his voice soft and calm. As most of the Cullens always did, Jasper appeared out of nowhere. It had happened to her so much, that Lilian just chuckled and shook her head.
"Okay, Hunter it is." She stated, walking inside again, the little pup buried into her chest as Lilian took him to her room.
✕
After playing with the wonderful pup for a while, Lilian decided that Hunter – his official name now – needed toys and equipment to sleep and eat with. She took out the credit card she got from her parents and lifted the puppy to walk him down the stairs.
"Collin!" She yelled through the house once she was downstairs.
"In the living room!" Her brother yelled back, and Lilian put Hunter on the ground, walking off to the living room. The little Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever followed her happily, and Lilian was sure that if the dog could smile or grin, he'd definitely do that now.
"Collin?" She asked for her brother, when she found him, Alice and Jasper sitting on the couch with Daisy on Collin's lap.
"Yes, sis?"
"I'm going to Port Angeles, you know, to get food and stuff for the dogs. You're coming with me?" Somewhere in her voice, Lilian put some pressure. She didn't want to go to Port Angeles alone. It was an anxious thought to be alone there, certainly at the time when she'd arrive. But it was the closest pet shop in the area.
"Lil, I'm so sorry, but Alice and I have made plans... I'm sure Jasper would like to join you, Daisy and... Hunter, was it?" Collin said, wrapping his arm around Alice's petite waist. Lilian rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, fine. But at least write down a few requirements you have. What color should the collar be? What kind of toys do you want Daisy to have? It's a puppy, Collin. You should really take this seriously." Lilian said, as she took the pup from Collin's lap and sat her down next to Hunter.
"In the meantime, make sure to use protection, please." Lilian smirked at her brother's horrified expression. Jasper let out a soft chuckle and Alice grimaced.
✕
Jasper looked at the pups in front of him. Personally, he'd always been more of a no-pets person. Maybe because animals did have the instincts to know that his kind was dangerous. The same instincts Lilian possessed before he became friends with her. Jasper could feel that she still knew they were dangerous, but she'd warmed up towards him and his family. Though she'd never met Carlisle or Esme, Jasper was sure that they'd take away all her doubts.
"So, ever had a dog?" Lilian asked awkwardly. Jasper shook his head. "A pet at all?" Again, Jasper shook his head.
"Right." Lilian stated.
An awkward silence fell upon the two, both not really in the mood to say anything. Lilian wanted to stop the car and just play with the pups. Jasper could feel her excitement when she glanced at the little dogs briefly.