Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Here

Within a single breath, I was being placed on my own two feet in my room. The side of my bed pressed against the back of my thighs as I let myself sit back on it. I found myself staring directly at the door across from me.

My mind felt empty. Nothing crossed the front of my consciousness and I wasn't actually thinking anything. Just existing. I was breathing. My heartbeat felt entirely too slow for all that had just happened. I didn't feel numb. In fact, it was the opposite. I felt everything and it spoiled my body from my throat and down my chest. But no words or memories flashed to take control of a narrative. It was all just...there. One thing was for sure, I certainly wasn't tired.

Movement to my left caused me to blink, the torso of my protector interrupted my staring contest as he stepped right in front of me. His cape briefly tickled my calves as he repositioned himself, but my response was minimal.

"Saffiya." My name passing through his lips caught my attention, and I realized he'd been asking me questions all this time. Still, I couldn't quite find the energy to acknowledge his efforts. When even my name didn't garner a response for him, he knelt in front of me and his hands automatically placed themselves on my knees. He repeated his question, "do you want to talk about it?" My eyes flickered to his and my face must have been very clear because he sighed. I dropped my head away from him.

After a moment, his voice was soft, favouring a new tactic. "Tesoro." [Darling]. A hand left my knee to brush my hair from my face. It was tender and patient and I closed my eyes at the relief his touch brought to me. "Tell me what you need."

His thumb ran back and forth over my knee, the weight of his hand seemed to ground me more than the actual floor below us.

"I'd like to be alone right now."

He shook his head, "I can not do that." Did he really ask just so he could do the exact opposite of what I asked for? I couldn't catch a break with this guy.

"I'd like to be alone - please." Manners didn't seem to make a difference.

"No." As if to further his point, he moved to my side and fell back onto the bed. Throwing one arm under his head, he winked at me before he fixed his gaze on the canopy above us. I stared at him incredulously and it was the first emotion to stand out for me since we'd left the throne room. And it made me feel...better? As if the normality of his behaviour was somehow consoling in light of my loss.

So I said nothing. I'm not sure how long we stayed there. Empty minds and a single beating heart. At one point, Alec had begun to twirl the ends of my hair that hung messily down my back. I closed my eyes as a burst of light spread through my infected veins and I found comfort in the subtle reminder that I was not alone. Whether that was his intent or not, he continued the behaviour as innocently as a bug.

Now sitting on the edge of the bed, I must have changed positions at least three times. Alec, however, didn't move an inch except to return his hand to play with my curls after I'd settled from each transition. It seemed to be a reflex, an absentminded detail meant to comfort me. Like when you were consoling a crying friend and hesitated to change the pattern or speed in which you patted their back. Like you worried that the slightest change would set them off again.

That was me. A ticking time bomb. And he knew it. Not only was I reeling from recent events but the memories from our tête-à-tête the previous morning weighed heavily in the air between us. So much had happened since then. It seemed impossible to keep track of it all. However, one thing was clear to me. Alec had a lot of explaining to do.

It seemed that I was not the only one with heavy questions.

"In the library," he started, his voice gruff. "You were attempting to find evidence to convince Jane to hurt you."