world we created, paul lahote

EIGHTEEN

Lucia was in the kitchen preparing dinner for herself and Charlie. She gathered ingredients to make sandwiches for them. Lucia knew Charlie would be buried in his work at the table by now, papers strewn all around.

She made quick work of assembling their sandwiches, layering a patty with lettuce and tomato. Lucia plated them up and grabbed a beer from the fridge for Charlie. For herself, a tall glass of cold apple juice.

Balancing their food and drinks, Lucia made her way to the dining table. As expected, Charlie was engrossed in the missing person cases that had gotten progressively worse in Seattle since last year. Lucia quietly placed his plate off to the side, within reach but away from any critical documents. Her own spot was chosen on the opposite side.

Between bites of her sandwich, Lucia scrolled idly through her phone. She was content to eat quietly while Charlie worked, but she grew curious.

As Charlie took a drink from his beer, Lucia glanced up from her screen. "Are they getting worse?" she asked gently.

Charlie leaned back in his chair, papers still scattered before him. A tired sigh left his lips, his weariness was evident in his voice, as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they are. We don't even know what the probable cause is." He briefly showing it to Lucia the missing person flyer with the name RILEY BIERS.

"This kid, Riley Biers, disappeared over a year ago, and his poor parents have been papering Seattle with these things ever since."

Lucia's voice softened as she responded, "Must be hard for them."

"I can't imagine what it must be like. If I lost you or Bella..." Charlie's voice trailed off with a heavy sigh.

Lucia bit her lip, her mind veering towards the unsettling prospect of Bella's disappearance and the Cullens' plan to feign her death after she became a vampire. She couldn't understand how she could do it so easily, especially when her father was alive and well to protect and love her. Lucia would kill to have her father back. She'd never leave him with that kind of pain, especially for the sake of being with a walking corpse.

Lucia carefully chose her words, wanting to offer Charlie some solace. "You won't lose me, Charlie. I'll be here, always," she promised.

The front door swung open, and Bella, entered the house, coming towards her father, and placing her bag by the leg of the table. Lucia glanced briefly at her cousin before clearing her throat before she rose from her seat. She and Bella still hadn't spoken since the disagreement - albeit the Swan girl tried. Lucia just refused to roll over for Bella's idiotic choice of immortality.

Bella spoke to her father, but Lucia had tuned out of their conversation. She quickly chugged down her apple juice and took the last slice of her sandwich before going upstairs, away from the two Swans.

Lucia sat comfortably at her desk, savouring the last few bites of her sandwich as she leisurely scrolled through the various courses and career options on her computer screen. She didn't have grand ambitions of being influential; all she longed for was a simple life-a warm home with a loving husband and a job that brought her fulfilment.

The thought of having a husband made her cheeks flush for a moment, her mind momentarily drifting to Paul, her Paul. But she quickly refocused her attention on her current task with pink cheeks.

Lucia's mind wandered to her love for cooking, a skill she had learned from her grandmother's guidance and incessant ramblings of learning it for her future family - much to her mother's amusement. The memories of her grandmother's love and the teasing filled her thoughts, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

Driven by curiosity, she began typing on her keyboard, searching for cooking courses available in Forks or Port Angeles. To her delight, she discovered that the University in Port Angeles offered the courses she desired.

Lucia didnt plan on leaving Forks or La Push behind. It had become her home. This was the place where her Uncle had become a father figure, where her friends resided, and where Paul had stolen her heart, which gave her pause.

Her heart fluttered at the thought of Paul, the man who had swept her off her feet and made her feel cherished. The idea of being separated from him was unbearable. She loved him. Lucia's eyes widened. Oh my! She... she loved him. Lucia rubbed her burning cheeks.

Lucia's train of thought came to an abrupt halt as the hatch door to her attic room swung open, revealing Bella standing in the doorway.

"Lucia... can we talk?" Bella's voice trembled. Lucia looked straight at her for a moment before gesturing towards her bed, silently inviting Bella to take a seat. As Bella settled down, Lucia turned her chair around to face her.

"I know we have our differences about my choice, Lucia," Bella began as she fidgeted with her hands. "But I don't want to spend my last few weeks as a human with you hating me."

Lucia gazed at Bella with a blank expression, taking a moment to process her words. "I'm not sure what you want me to say, Bella," Lucia sighed. "I can't simply agree or suppress my worries and disagreements just because some weird vampire freak has captured your heart."

Bella's face fell, disappointment etched across her features. "Why can't you just be happy for me, Luce?"

Lucia scoffed, her frustration evident. "Happy for you and him? He's done more harm than good! He left you in the forest without a second thought, and then you were essentially comatose for months," Lucia's voice grew stronger with each word she spoke.

"You had Charlie, Jacob, and me by your side, and now you're just throwing it all away," she exclaimed, rising from her chair, her emotions getting the better of her.

"Are we disposable to you? A means to an end?" Lucia asked, her voice filled with exasperation as she began tidying her desk in an attempt to channel her frustration.

Bella stood up, shaking her head in disagreement. "It's not like that!" she protested.

Lucia turned to face Bella. "Then help me understand. What does he offer that you can't refuse? What does he do that you think is worthwhile?" Lucia asked, her voice calm but curious.

Bella paused, searching for the right words. "I... I love him, Lucy."

Lucia's expression remained unchanged, her tone resolute as she replied, "Love is not enough in this case," Lucia began. "It can turn to hate in an instant."

Bella gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. She opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, unable to find the right way to respond to Lucia.

"And what about your feelings for Jacob? Are you just going to ignore them?" Lucia asked.

Bella's response was unwavering, her voice firm. "I don't love him the way I love Edward," she stated definitively.

Lucia couldn't help but let out a humourless chuckle, her frustration pouring out. "Of course. It's always Edward this, Edward that. It's always about him!" she exclaimed, her temper flaring. Bella let out a tired sigh in response, realizing they were at an impasse.

"We clearly don't agree, Bella. What's the point? You're going to follow through with your decision anyway, whether I agree or not," Lucia told her cousin, her voice tinged with resignation as she sat in her desk chair once more, her gaze returning to the laptop in front of her.

Bella nodded, a sense of disappointment clouding her features. "I know. I just hoped that we could have these last few weeks together, finding some happiness before everything changes."

Making her way towards the hatch, Bella opened it and began her descent. As she prepared to leave, she turned back to Lucia.

"You never gave them a chance. Any of them," Bella spoke softly. Lucia's features softened ever so slightly, a hint of regret flickering in her eyes. With a quiet click, Bella closed the hatch door behind her, leaving Lucia alone.