AUGUST • C.CULLEN

thirteen

This chapter is dedicated to @Musicluvs1226 for being so supportive and amazing from the beginning, and to my good friend @mylesjstaunton for simping for Auggie more than I do. Thank you both. <3

AUGUST

August hums softly, grinning at the photo on his mobile phone that Esme had sent him of Carlisle and Violet hugging goodbye this morning. His heart swells, feels lighter than usual, as he tinkers around his plant shop.

The bell above the door rings softly as a young brunette girl steps into his store, ducking her head as she gives an awkward smile to a customer as they step past her to leave. August tenses, ducking his head and turning his back to her as her eye burns, the vision he had recieved so many years ago flashing before him.

The Nymph closes his eyes and rubs them with a sigh, relaxing slightly as the burning fades. The plants within his shop whisper to August, alerting him to the girl's presence just behind the counter, and he turns spins on his heel to face her. "Hello," He smiles, barely noticing the soft blush that coats her cheeks when he meets her eyes. "You must be Bella. Your Dad, er, Charlie, that is, has told me so much about you."

Bella's brows furrow, her lips curling slightly into a weak smile. "How did you-?"

"New face," August gives her a crooked smile in return, busying himself with re-potting the plant in front of him when she avoids making eye contact. "You got in the other day, yeah? That must mean you met my family at school." August pauses, glancing at Bella out of his peripheral, and continues as his hands dig into the soil. "I hope they've been good to you. I... Some of them... Some of them take a while to warm up to others. Please don't take it personally."

Bella scoffs lightly, speaking more to herself than to August. "Hard not to take something lightly when a guy tries to change classes just because your assigned seat is next to his." She pauses briefly, glancing at August sheepishly as her cheeks flush red, "Your, uh, brother, Edward... Has he said anything about me?"

August frowns and sighs heavily, rubbing at his forehead with his hand without realising that he's now smeared dirt across his face. He turns to face Bella fully, now, and winces as he thinks back on Edward's reasoning behind leaving. "Oh, uh, he did mention something about a new smell at school." His brows crease as he thinks, not wanting the girl to feel bad about herself.

"I noticed that he hasn't been at school recently, either. Is that...?" Bella trails off, a frown now pulling heavily on her lips.

August's eyebrows shoot up and he forgets the plant entirely, waving his hands around to dissuade the human from taking offense. "Oh, no! No, no, certainly not." He says. He clears his throat, hoping to gain a little more time to think of an excuse. "Edward has always been a little, er, different. He's very sensitive to certain things, especially smells, and so he often needs time to get away from large masses of people in order to... reset himself, I suppose."

"Oh," Bella says. "That makes sense." She nods a few times and shuffles awkwardly, filling her cheeks with air and releasing it quickly. August notes that she looks a little like Puff as she does so. It's cute.

"Yeah," August says. He brushes his hands off on his jeans and then shrugs, tilting his head as he looks at Bella. "Did you want a plant, or anything? Or, if you'd like, I could teach you how to care for the gift your Dad got you?"

Bella smiles bashfully, toying with her shirt as she meets August's eyes, and she nods gently. "That, uh... That'd be cool. Thanks." She swallows. "Oh, and, thanks. For the plant. Charlie wouldn't have done so good choosing it without you."