world we created, paul lahote

THIRTEEN

part ii: eclipse

After her magical date with Paul, it was no wonder Lucia felt like she was floating on air the next morning. She laughed as she replayed their tender moments gazing at the sunset together. It was safe to say the beautiful boy had managed to keep her mind busy all morning.

But her sunny mood was threatened when Bella arrived with Edric - or was it Edwin? Lucia didn't care really - Cullen in tow, bringing him to Charlie's doorstep. Lucia arrived just as her uncle exploded in a fury, screaming threats at the pale boy who had broken his daughter's heart.

"You step one foot in this house and I'll shoot!" Charlie bellowed.

Lucia quietly snorted at the display. As if the police chief's paltry gun would do any damage to the strangely beautiful boy standing coolly before the storm of insults.

Edwin seemed unfazed by Charlie's wrath, though Bella shrank behind him timidly. Lucia observed the Cullen boy closely as the argument outside continued to escalate.

Up close, she took in his lanky, somewhat awkward frame with surprise. Gone was the intimidating presence from afar - he resembled more of a sleep-deprived teen than the immortal being Bella made him out to be. Pale to the point of looking almost dead, as ironic as that was.

Lucia had expected someone more along the lines of a Greek god from the way people spoke of the Cullens. But no, Edward was just a gangly boy, albeit an exceptionally good-looking one due to what he was.

When Bella caught Lucia's eye, silently pleading for an ally, Lucia reluctantly tore her gaze away from Edward. She wasn't about to get mixed up in the messy triangle between those three. Bella would have to handle her father's wrath alone.

Shooting one last cursory glance at the intriguing stranger on the doorstep, Lucia retreated inside. While Lucia felt sympathetic to Bella's plight, she had no plans to get more deeply involved in her pool with vampires swimming about. She'd much rather spend time with Paul and the other Quileute boys than deal with bloodsucking creatures like the Cullens.

Lucia had no intentions of buddy-buddy relationships with vampires. She would leave Bella to manage her own questionable choices with friends or partners. Now that Lucia thought about it, were the Cullens keeping Bella as their next meal? She'd seen it happen in The Vampire Diaries.

The arguing had ceased after Edlwin had left but Charlie hadn't finished his lecturing. He'd grounded Bella until further notice which was understandable. He'd then left for work.

The tension in the kitchen was thick as Lucia flipped pancakes and Bella watched awkwardly. Finally, Bella broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about leaving like that."

Lucia gave a slight shrug without turning. "What you do is your business. But you made your bed, now you gotta lie in it."

She was far from happy with how selfishly Bella had acted, ditching her family and friends for some boy without a thought for how it affected them. That was Bella though - reckless and impulsive.

"I'd do it all again for Edward," Bella insisted.

Lucia plated the pancakes for the both of them with a thoughtful hum before moving to sit with Bella at the table. Sitting down, Lucia continued calmly, "Look, if Edward is what you want then fine. But next time maybe think about how your harebrained choices impact the people who care about you, okay? You're becoming reckless if anything."