The First Drop Of Rain

Chapter Fifty Seven

I threw my arm over my face as I collapsed on my bed, the Christmas lights over my bed twinkling softly as I closed my eyes and tried to soak in the reality of today. The rain continued to pound against the roof, the force of the summer storm having ramped up in the time it had taken me to change into my pajamas. Unfortunately, the only way I could fight off the paralyzing nature of my overwhelmed mind was to take stock of the things from today.

One. There's something happening between Edward and I that I can't explain.

Two. Blessing is Beatrice and Beatrice is my sister.

Three. My sister is a vampire.

Four. Dad is the only parent I have left, adoptive or biological.

Five. Dad just gave up drinking.

Six. This stupid list wasn't working.

My hands felt slick as I dug the heels of my palms into my eyes, creating a burst of blues and purples behind my closed eyes. My breath felt short and ragged and I felt so physically shakey that even if I tried to stand now I would crash to the ground. Instead I rolled myself onto my side and curled inwards as my heart clenched and my throat tightened. I just barely caught the sound of my window sliding open and the rain getting louder for a second, then Edward's hands were pulling me to his chest. His scent was all around me then, flowers and honey, but the smell of rain also clung to him. That was when I realized he was soaked to the bone, and I was sure if I had the ability to tip my head back in this moment and look at him, his hair would be hanging heavy in front of his eyes, the rain making it a deep chestnut brown instead of the gleaming bronze it usually was.

As my heart rate slowed from the frenzied race to an acceptable rhythmic pace, I descended into sleep. I felt the blanket cover my shoulders, but unlike usual, Edward was under the blanket with me too. It took a moment for my brain to register why he would do this, and then the vague awareness of my fingers having created a death grip on his shirt. A burst of warmth spread across my shoulder that connected with the blanket, and I realized Edward had pulled my heated blanket out of its storage bin under my bed. My brain felt too muddled but I hoped desperately that he hadn't plugged it into the Christmas lights like I had mistakenly done so years ago.

I was running towards a tree line that didn't look familiar to me, a deep and heavily reeded shoreline threaded through the trees. Without the sun to shed vital details on the environment, my run was blind. I seemed to know where I was going with how sure footed I stomped through the brush.

Something is chasing me. I need to get away. I need to run faster. I can't run faster.

I crashed to the ground and as I flipped over to see what had dragged me to the soggy dirt that soaked my clothes and stained the fabric, only crimson eyes filled my field of vision.

I screamed a short scream as I curled inward, my ears slowly registering the hushed comfort of my name, as well as the hands I would be able to pick out from a line up. Edward was shushing me, concern lacing his typically cool demeanor, as he rubbed my back and stroked my face. "Shh, it was just a dream, you're safe. It wasn't real, I've got you." Edward's voice curled around me, then a burst of warmth spread across my shoulders again, and I was pulled back under the heavy black waves of exhaustion once more.

When the early morning light filtered its way through the clouds that were still dumping buckets of rain, I woke up. It felt humid and warm in my room, and as I shifted I felt arms tighten over me for a second before relaxing. My fingers were stiff as I flattened them out, barely prying my eyes open as I did so. Stiffness had taken over my entire body as I pushed up, my muscles basically atrophied from minimal amount of movement overnight. I had slept with my head resting on Edward's chest, wrapped in a heated blanket, in the middle of a summer storm. He was also warm, though it was quickly fading as I moved away, my body heat as well as the blanket's having leached onto him through the entire night.