Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xxvi.

chapter twenty-six.

Karina didn't know what was happening to her and it's been two weeks since Victoria's attack on her. The month of October was quickly coming to an end and soon enough it would be Thanksgiving and then Christmas.

Karina couldn't risk putting William or her mom in danger, so she lied to them, she texted her mom and told her not to worry. That she was going to be spending time with Javier since he was down about Alice.

It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

"So, I blocked Paul's connection to the pack, I can make things levitate if I concentrate, I can stop you in place, and read your thoughts." Karina listed off and Javier nodded his head. "What if it's because of the abilities that the Cullen's possessed?"

"You think that because you two are soulmates, this ability is linked to it?" He asked her while avoiding saying Jasper's name.

Karina shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I really don't but it's all we've got right now."

"I think you should call Rosalie or something." Javier voiced and Karina stilled. "She was one of you best friends, I think you should talk to her at least."

Karina sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I just want to be sure that this is what's happening."

Javier couldn't help but scoff, "What's happening is that you're dying, Karina. Soulmates are only meant to change their soulmate, Victoria isn't your soulmate, and that bond is killing you from the inside out because it's trying to rid her venom from your body."

"I know!" Karina snapped. Javier didn't seem to let her forget for a second what was happening to her internally. "I'm basically in bardo, Jasper isn't answering my calls, and by the time my 18th birthday rolls around, I could be dead. I know alright, but what would you have me do?"

Javier noticed how Karina's emotions seemed to affect her ability, because he didn't even realize that she was making small objects float until now. "For starters, I'd say breathe." Karina blinked and seemed to realize what she was doing. "Then, I'd say we'll worry about it when the time comes. You aren't going to die Karina."

Karina gave him a small smile, one that didn't reach her eyes and one full of distraught. "If this is the way that I'm meant to die, then I'll die knowing that I've protected Bella and the people I care about."

"You are something else Karina." Javier sighed with a shake of his head.

∞

October went by like a blur, Karina returned home and found that being around her mother and William kept her abilities at bay.

Karina took William trick or treating with his group of friends, Karina couldn't help but find it ironic that William dressed up as Dracula. Still, he was adorable, and Karina took numerous photos to remember the day.

November was tough for Karina, it was the first Thanksgiving without her father and the first in ten years with her mom. The night was spent talking about their favorite memories with Andrew and Karina couldn't help but feel envious of her brother and mom.

Karina couldn't remember anything back before her mother left, those memories were foggy and hazy that showed no signs of ever getting clearer to her.

Karina hadn't spoken to Bella as the girl seemed to literally cut everyone from her life. Karina stopped sitting at the Cullen's table and returned to hanging out with her friends as if Jasper was never there.

She still coughed up blood from time to time, but it had now turned into a gross black color that made Karina worry about how much time she really had left. Still, she and Javier kept this to themselves.

In the month of December, Karina was shocked to find a gift in the mail with her name on it. Her heart painfully clenched in her chest as she recognized the handwriting on the envelope.

"Karina, what is that?" William's voice called out to her, and Karina snapped out of her thoughts. "Is that another present?"

Today was December 19th, Karina's birthday and Charlie had just left after visiting and giving Karina a birthday gift. It was a sunflower themed photo album which Karina instantly ordered photos to fill it with.

Karina smiled at her little brother and shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't opened it yet."

William looked excited to see Karina open another present and this was something that Karina learned was his favorite thing. To give and receive gifts.

Even on his own birthday, which was two weeks after Bella's, William was excited to open his gifts and wouldn't open a single one unless Bella, Charlie, Karina, and Aurora all saw his reaction. It was honestly adorable.

"Open it, open it!" He urged her and Karina laughed but nodded her head.

Taking a seat on the couch, Karina waited until William was sitting beside her to rip open the yellow wrapping paper. With her heart racing and William's excited eyes, Karina unwrapped the gift and felt her throat close up at the box in her hand.

"More jewelry!" William cheered as he knew just how much Karina like buying jewelry for herself. "What kind is it?"

Karina's hands were shaking, and she prayed that she didn't have an episode in front of William. Lifting the lid to the box, Karina felt her heart warm at the sunflower necklace that was inside.

She picked up the necklace slowly, almost delicately as if she was afraid that it would break in her hands. The sunflower then opened up to reveal a message, 'You are my sunshine.' With the word sunshine written in cursive.

"Who's it from?" William wondered as he didn't even mind Karina's non-responsive state. He picked up the wrapping paper and analyzed it until his eyes landed on two tiny initials written on it. "J.H. Who's that Rin?"

Karina couldn't help but laugh, William looked at her confused before his eyes widened when Karina's laughter turned into sobbing. She held onto the necklace tightly, and leaned forward, loud sobs leaving her lips as the ache in her chest got larger.

She missed him.

God, she had been doing so well to ignore the ache in her chest, to ignore her late night vomits of blood slash venom, but he had now sent her a birthday gift. She had never shared that information with him, and she didn't really care to know how he knew her birthday, she suspected Alice was behind it.

William didn't know what to do, he was just a kid but seeing Karina cry so hard made his own heart hurt. He simply pulled Karina into him and rubbed her back, he didn't speak, didn't tell her it was going to be okay, he simply held her much like she did with him at their father's funeral.

December soon passed and January hit Karina a lot faster than she thought it would have. Javier had spent all of his time helping Karina control her gifts and it was proving to help her a lot, she had learned control faster than she thought possible.

She was even more surprised when one day, out of the blue, her phone rang, and Bella's ID popped up.

"Hey, it's me. Do you maybe want to go shopping with me tomorrow?"