𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 ― 𝐞.𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧¹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈 ; 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋.

CHAPTER XVII ―

BASEBALL!

"𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓, 𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃!" Nora whined, letting Edward adjust the white and blue baseball cap he had put over her head. It was a rainy day in Forks and just a few days after she had found out about his family. Edward said she had to stop procrastinating meeting the rest of his family, Nora just wasn't comfortable just yet.

She hoped she dressed warm enough, layering a pair of leggings underneath her skinny jeans, wearing a pair of her thick, winter boots and a hoodie with a nice, thick jacket Edward had practically wrestled her into. She hated that he bought her something so nice, the jacket was insanely warm and expensive.

The laugh he let out was musical as he smiled down at her, pushing back a curly, brown tendril behind her ear. "You'll be fine," his expression was relaxed and playful, something that Edward was really beginning to show around her. "You're just meeting my family. All you have to do is watch and obviously cheer me on."

Nora playfully shoved him, although it was like shoving stone, laughing with him. "You're too cocky, my money's on Alice." Edward laughed, shaking his head as he began to lead her away from the Jeep her parked in the woods. "Plus I've already met some of your family." 

Edward rolled his eyes, helping Nora over a tree branch that had fallen. "Briefly and in school doesn't really count, Nor." 

It was only a few minute walk before they entered a clearing that revealed his family standing in the distance, waiting for them. Nora tried not to let her anxiety rise, it wasn't that she was exactly afraid of them, but she didn't know how she felt about meeting them and being around this many vampires.

"Everyone," Edward began to announce, their attention clearly already on them. "this is Nora. Nora; this is my family."

Nora swallowed, her throat feeling a little tighter. Edward squeezed her hand reassuringly. He must've heard at least one thought crossing her mind and that was her anxiety. Her brown eyes met their inhumanely golden ones. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, and lastly, Jackson. She knew them, but it didn't make her any less nervous. "Hi."

The women with soft, light brown hair smiled at her warmly, releasing her hold on Dr. Cullen's arm. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Nora," she crossed over to Nora with extreme ease, wrapping the girl into a sudden hug. When she pulled back, the bright and warm smile still graced her features. "I'm Esme, Edward's adopted mother."

Nora was sure she had an awkward smile on her face as she nodded, her eyes going to Dr. Cullen when he spoke, "I'm Carlisle, but I'm sure you already knew. We welcome you, Nora." It was like all of them were carved from marble.

Alice suddenly clapped her hands, a bright smile on her features. "The thunders almost here, let's set up!"

With that, everyone seemed to disperse, leaving Nora and Edward standing to the edge of the home plate. Edward smiled at her. "That went well."

Nora let out a breath. "You might think so, but I'm pretty sure I just made a fool of myself."

Edward's melodic laugh echoed throughout the field.

...

"She thinks we cheat," Emmett's playful personality was beginning to help Nora calm her nerves as he looked at her with a crooked smile.

Jackson roared with laughter as he fist bumped Emmett. "We so do not cheat."

Esme laughed, gently pulling Nora over to the home base as she called out to Emmett and Jackson, "I know you cheat!" Nora couldn't help but chuckle. "We need an umpire, so call em as you see em, Nora."

Nora nodded, smiling to the kind women as Alice called out, "It's time."

Before Nora could blink, Rosalie had hit the ball with the aluminum bat and it cracked through the air and Nora began to figure out why they needed the thunder to follow. The ball was gone before Nora could even see it, flying through the forest.

"Home run?"

Esme shrugs with a smile as she watches. "Edward is very fast." Jackson hummed in agreement.

Rosalie is going around the bases faster then Nora can keep up with her human eyes, barely catching Edward come out of the forest with the ball and whips it back to home base, where Esme catches it just milliseconds before Rosalie hits the home base.

Nora swallowed. "You're out?" She didn't sound quite sure.

Esme smiled, nodding and helping her daughter up, but the golden haired beauty shrugged her off, getting herself up and marching off. "Rosalie is very competitive."

"She's also a bad sport," Jackson murmured, smirking and earning himself a whack on the back of his head from Rosalie. "Hey!"

Nora watched as the game continued onwards, laughing loudly when Emmett and Edward smashed together like boulders in the air, their collision echoing throughout the forest. It was amazing to watch, hard for the human eye, but amazing nonetheless. 

She watches as they both miss the ball, playfully shoving each other as Carlisle makes the home run and Nora calls him safe, earning herself a high-five from Carlisle as everyone began to prepare for the next round until a voice echoed throughout the forest.

"Stop!"