Chapter 6 He Who Seeks Forgiveness

Alice and Jasper had been kind enough to offer me their house temporarily providing me with plenty of space to sort through the many emotions swirling within me. The stricken image of my beloved’s face still haunted me. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to erase the pain from her crimson eyes, but so far she was too busy watching over Charlie to bother with me. Not that I blamed her; it was my fault that Charlie was suffering through his third day of his transformation. In a few more hours he would awaken as one of us, just a little more bloodthirsty. It would probably be best all around if I stayed out of his sight for the time being.

The Volturi were still in the states, too. They’d rented out the biggest hunting lodge twenty minutes to the east of our estate and Aro had stayed by Bella’s side offering her comfort that should have come from me. But Esme had taken a very firm stance and told me to give Bella space, that she would come to me when she was ready.

I don’t know what kind of welcome I thought I would receive…but this? Utter exclusion? No, I hadn’t truly expected such coldness from my family. Even when I’d left for years and lived off the blood of humans, Carlisle and Esme had taken me back into their life with smiles on their faces and warmth in their hearts. Things couldn’t be more different today. No one had been by since Jasper offered me the house.

I grabbed the battered copy of Wuthering Heights that I’d found stuffed between a toaster that had probably never been used and a coffee maker that was as pristine as the day it came out of the box. It had to be Bella’s because Alice wouldn’t waste time reading this when she could be pouring over the latest fashion magazine.

With a click of a remote, music filled the room and I settled into the plush couch to read a book that I knew inside and out in another vain attempt to feel closer to her.

The door opened and closed softly and I marked my page, three chapters until the end, and set it aside. By the void of thoughts, I knew it must be Bella. I drew in a breath and my whole body reacted to the scent of her. Pushing all those feelings aside, I managed to be in control of myself by the time she entered the room.