Mystery Child

Chapter Nine

The sun had fully set, and the clouds had parted to reveal a starry sky when it was time to leave the restaurant. As we exited the building Lizzie slipped a piece of paper with a name and phone number scrawled across it. I smiled and shoved it into my pocket. There was no point in calling her, we could never be more than acquaintances. Before I could register the chill of the wind a jacket was being placed over my shoulders. I glanced over to Edward as he walked to the passenger side and held the door open.

"You don't have to do that," I told him, slipping the jacket off of my shoulders. It felt wrong to accept such an act of kindness. Even if it was just a small one.

"Yes, I do." I decided not to argue, as I slid into the passenger seat I went to hand him the jacket. He shut the door quickly before I could. In the next moment, he was around the car and getting into the driver's seat.

"I don't want your jacket." I threw it into the backseat behind me and turned to stare directly ahead. What happened in the restaurant was just me being nice. As half of my DNA, he had the right to some information about me; that doesn't make him my father, however. One meal doesn't fix an entire lifetime of hurt.

Even then, I couldn't help but have a small glimmer of hope in my chest. It wasn't hard to imagine a future in which he could become my dad. I could live with the Cullens, learn about my history, and have the family I always wanted. I had to destroy the thoughts when they came. Somehow it felt like a betrayal to my mom. I had a family. I had my mom and grandpa Charlie, and even if it was a small family I was loved just as much, maybe even more, as every other kid on this earth. To imagine being happy without them felt like I was betraying every ounce of love they had ever given me. I can't be a family with the Cullen's; I had a family I was happy with, and now they are dead; I am all that is left.

"Are you alright?" Edwards's voice pulled me out of my mind. I now noticed the tears streaking down my face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Quickly I wiped my eyes with the collar of my shirt. "I'm just tired, that's all." I couldn't tell him the truth. It seemed to mean to tell him every thought I was having. It gives him any form of hope and then destroys it in the same second. No, my childish thoughts are mine to deal with.

"If you're that tired maybe you shouldn't be driving. You can always stay at the house, Esme wouldn't mind. She would enjoy having someone to cook for." He tossed out the suggestion as if it were nothing, trying to stay casual. What gave him away was how he watched me from the corner of his eye waiting for my reaction.

"No, I really shouldn't" Staying might make my fantasies worse. If I got to know them more, learned to let go of my anger, I would have nothing to stop me from trying to be a big happy family. Although now that I think of it, there seems to be no reason why that would be a problem coming to mind.

"It would help you save money. It wouldn't be a problem." He tried to convince me once more. This time taking his eyes fully off of the road to look at me.

"I told you no!" I snapped and the car was suddenly filled with an awkward silence. Closing my eyes for a second I took a deep breath and collected myself. "Look, I know you are just trying to be nice. Or trying to sneakily find a way for me to get to know your family more, but it's not going to happen." I crossed my arms over my chest as if it was going to shield me from him. "I came, I gave you some of my mother's things, I let you ask questions about me and my life, I did what little you were owed, but I don't want to get to know you, I don't want a relationship with your family. I just want to move on with my life. Do you understand?"

His demeanor turned cold as he looked ahead once again. His hands tightened around the steering wheel so tight that I heard a slight crack. I stared at him, a small amount of fear filling my chest. I know what I said was harsh, but I didn't expect him to act like this. Before I could say anything the car turned suddenly and started heading down a somewhat familiar road. I didn't realize how close to the house we had been. The car screeched to a stop next to my truck. Then Edward was gone from the seat next to me and my door was being jerked open.