The First Drop Of Rain

Chapter Forty One

Edward's POV

I watched her walk away, still visibly upset from the events of the night, and her thoughts seemed incredibly clouded in comparison to the clear scream they were whenever she used her power. I faded back into the shadows, feeling guilty for the part I had just played in the ending of her relationship to Angela. As the guilt loomed over me, I dug in my pocket for a moment and procured a thin black band that held the most amazing scent in the world. I had held onto it since I was last in her room, swiping it like a thief in the night. It had been so much easier to ignore the pain of missing her when she wasn't nearby, but that encounter was enough to set my whole body on fire once more. I felt so entirely consumed by her, and this token of her scent would live on with me. I took a soft inhale and let the scent swirl around me. Lilacs and pomegranate, the comforting scent that never changed.

I took one more headlong glance at the hair tie fighting the rigidity of my wrist, and with a quick run I was back at my family's home, which was now buzzing with activity. What happened? Is Ara okay? Did she do it successfully? All of their thoughts buzzed around me like bees as they swarmed in. I sighed, knowing I'd never get a moment of peace as long as they kept up their questions, and resigned myself to leaning against the wall and waiting for them all to finish gathering in the entryway. "Well!?" Rose was the first to break the verbal silence.

"She was successful. I drove her home. She also made Angela forget that she ever truly loved her, so pardon me if I don't feel like celebrating that shattering of Arabella's heart." My words came out venomous and bitter.

"Edward." Esme spoke, her voice both stern and gentle. She used such a motherly tone when it came to me that it made me forget she wasn't my real mother. "Nobody is asking you to celebrate."

"Some of the moods in the room say otherwise. Don't they Jasper?" My eyes flashed over to him, knowing already that I was right. With a simple and quick nod he confirmed what I thought. My eyes then flashed pointed and angry toward Rose, accusing her in front of everyone.

"I won't apologize that I'm excited the family has an extra layer of protection, Edward." She shot back in a growl. "We are safe for as long as she is alive."

"Ara is not a tool to be used!" I felt my anger building in my chest, it was taking everything in me not to lunge at Rose, and that was when Jasper stepped in. The whole room settled into a calm, and Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Let's all just settle down, we need to let Arabella mourn her relationship before we even think about entering some contract agreement with her." He spoke, sensible as ever, and attempted to once again ease tensions, forever the mediator.

"I'm very much in favor of not coming to that agreement regardless of her grieving status." I spoke in anger before feeling another, more concentrated, wave of calm wash over me from Jasper.

You two really were cut from the same cloth, feelings so intense I might just mistake them for my own. Jasper thought with mild annoyance. The others thoughts started to trickle back in once more. Each one of them has an opinion they wanted to give, and I was the unwilling recipient. My wonder lingered about which two Jasper was referring to. Was it myself and Rose or myself and Arabella. I had seen him on multiple occasions rush to alter the moods of both women, though I had never paid attention to the particular strength he was experiencing through his ability.

I was just about to flee for silence of mind when a glimmer at the edge of a mind caught my attention. Alice. I thought to nobody but myself. Just as soon as I snapped my attention toward her mind exclusively, the vision overtook. I heard her tiny verbal gasp as her mind took over command and the vision played off its own volition.