Mia Cara

Chapter 15 Impasse

"And what of an eternity with the person you love?"

Demetri's words seem to echo in the silence that follows his snappy but honest retort. My mouth is slightly parted in shock while Demetri has become a marble statue as his own words catch up to him. His lips twist briefly into a grimace aimed squarely at himself, but as I continue to stare at him like a fish, he continues in a calmer, restrained manner.

"I... care for you, Mia. At first, you were simply an interesting human. But against all odds, and despite the fact that you are a human, I have grown to care for you."

He pauses and I hear what he wasn't saying. It isn't love, not yet - but there is no doubt in his mind that it is well on the way to becoming that. Except, it can't. Maybe once, before I knew what he was, I would have felt the same way. I can easily see myself eventually falling for the man I'd met in the streets of Italy, with his humour and the shared interests we'd had for art and history.

But not anymore. We are two people on completely opposite sides: he eats people and I would literally rather die. He sides with the Volturi and I don't think I ever could. The screams of the people who died in Volterra mingle with the fresh sounds of Bree's death in my head, and I flinch away from even the memories. I know that no matter how I potentially feel about him, I can never condone Demetri's chosen lifestyle nor can I accept the Volturi. Which means I have no other choice but the one I chose back in Spring. And that means...

"You say that now," I say quietly, my anger gone but a weariness now taking its place. "But if Aro ordered you to lead the Volturi to find me and kill me, you'd do it."

I speak quite matter of factly, without pity or disappointment. Because I've known from the day he revealed who and what he is, what our final roles are. We could dance around each other and he could say all the pretty words he wanted. But when it came down to it, he was the predator. And I was his prey.

As expected, Demetri doesn't deny my words. He just continues to stare at me with those bright red eyes that no longer make me flinch.

"So don't make me come after you." He finally says quietly. I just give him a small, sad smile.

"Don't make me choose." I counter softly.

Demetri frowns unhappily but we've reached an impasse. I won't choose a path that takes me away from so many people I love and he won't allow me to choose any other path. But there's nothing more either of us can do or say to convince the other. Not right now. That understanding passes between us and Demetri exhales heavily.

Something too faint or too far for my notice catches Demetri's attention at that moment. His eyes dart toward the door and then he glances back at me regretfully.

"I must leave."

I'm oddly reminded of the very first time we met. And I realize now what I hadn't then.

"Someone's waiting for you."

It's not a question but Demetri agrees.

"Felix is growing impatient."

"Oh." I nod, feeling an odd sense of disappointment. But Demetri doesn't move; instead, he seems to be carefully crafting his next sentence.

"Will you still come to Italy during the summer?"

The question catches me by surprise. But I can't deny what I also want.

"Yes."

Demetri's tense shoulders loosen slightly and he looks fractionally appeased, although that disappears when I add emphatically, "But I'm still going to go to college in the Fall."