Past Time

25

I was sitting at my house, listening to the radio while flipping through a magazine. When I looked out the window, I saw Edward's silver Volvo parked next to my car. I opened the door in one smooth, quick motion to let him in.

"Has Joseph tried to contact you?" Edward immediately asked me.

"No," I told him hesitantly.

Edward looked at me briefly before asking, "And Trevor?"

"Of course not!" I laughed and paused before asking, "Why, have you heard anything?"

"No," Edward shook his head at me. "I just have this feeling of anxiety, I suppose. It's already March and yet nothing has happened."

"Aren't we going to be playing a game of baseball tonight? Maybe that will help you relieve some of that stress," I said.

"How are you not affected by any of this?" Edward asked me.

My eyes slid away from his. I did not want to lie to his face, as I was sure he would know right away that I was not telling the truth. "I just don't see Trevor, or Joseph, as much of a threat."

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "And why is that?"

I shrugged a shoulder in response, still not looking him in the eye. "I mean, Joseph has no special ability, and neither does Trevor, as far as we know. So what could they possibly do?"

"No, there's more to it than that," Edward said after a moment of looking me over.

Damn. There was no way I could ever lie to him. "Okay, I didn't want to mention this to you before, but Joseph did write me a letter. It was a huge apology, and I know he means it."

"Was there anything else he mentioned?"

"That he cut all ties with Trevor."

"I don't believe him."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "And that's why I didn't want to tell you. Look, Edward, I have known Joseph all my life, and I believe him."

"He told you a lie about Trevor," he pointed out to me.

"Thinking about it now, I think I was quick to believe him because I wanted to," I admitted quietly. "I mean, I think it was a lot like you and Bella. Or how you two could have been, you know? I just... I think it would have become something that I regretted for the rest of my life."

"Do you perhaps also want to believe him now because the man has you raised as if he was your father?"

I hesitated. "Doesn't that mean I have more reason to trust his word? Other than Trevor, Joseph has never lied to me or led me astray. Even now, he still supports my decision to live on a vegetarian diet and gives me my space."

"Audrey, I just want you to be careful," Edward told me.

"And I will be," I promised him. "How about we go play some ball?"

The Cullens had their bases filled up. Everyone had a place out on the field, and being new, I wanted nothing more than to watch their dynamic. But Esme explained we would be playing girls versus boys, and I happened to help even the playing field.

Alice was the pitcher, with Esme as the umpire. Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett were the catchers. Jasper was first to bat, and Rosalie and I were standing behind Esme waiting for the scene to unfold before us.

"It's time," Alice called out to us with a smile and quickly threw the ball for Jasper to hit.

Jasper happened to the ball at the same time as thunder boomed above us. Looking up at the darkened sky, I realized they used the sound of a ball meeting bat under the cover of thunder. The sound of the two meetings was loud and almost obnoxious.

Snapping my eyes forward, I could see Edward and Emmett going after the ball. Edward was clearly faster, but Emmett was quick to knock into him, causing them both to fall to the ground. Their laughs echoed off of the trees as Edward picked up the ball and threw it back to Esme, but not before Jasper had already made it back to home base.

"You guys must have ties often," I murmured to Esme.

"We don't keep score," Esme told me. "At least, most of us don't. I'm sure Emmett and Edward do."

I laughed because I was sure she was right. Those two are definitely the most competitive in the family.

And that was how it went, Edward and Emmett, both raced against each other to either catch the ball or see who could hit the ball the furthest. They were having so much fun competing against the other that I started to wonder why they were not on separate teams. I was just going to suggest switching places with one of them when Alice had us suddenly stop the game.

"We have company," Alice informed Carlisle, jutting her chin towards a small opening in the trees.

Not a moment later, a group of three vampires emerged. Their leader was made clear by the cocky expression on his face, and I was surprised to see him barefoot. Feeling uneasy, I was sure to let go of the power-damping leash on Edward.

"Well, what do we have here?" The ring leader asked us, his burgundy eyes, like the other two, sweeping over all of us.

"Looks like a coven to me," the other man said, beautiful compared to his male counterpart, who was more or less average looking.

"I like to think of us as a family," Carlisle responded easily. "Are you three a coven?"

The leader grunted a yes before introducing themselves. "I'm James, this is Victoria, and the other is Laurent."

"There are quite a few of us. So you'll excuse me for not taking the time to provide all of our names," Carlisle said.

"If you're a family, then you must be the father," James smiled. I was unsure if it was meant to be friendly or not.

By this time, we had all come together to stand behind and around Carlisle. Alice stood behind us, her eyes never leaving James. I noticed Edward doing the same, but I felt sure that he was busy reading their minds. The feeling of uneasiness grew and I made sure that none of the Cullen's powers were dampened. I felt sure they would all need it.

"We came by after hearing what sounded like a baseball game," Laurent said, his french accent was thick and I could see his pale, olive-tinted muscles ripple. He eagerly looked as if he wanted to play with us. "It piqued our curiosity."

"That it did," James murmured.

As we talked, I could see the woman watching our every move. Her bright orange hair was like fire, it made her stand out even more than Laurent. With every move she made, her wild hair would bounce around, causing her face to look aflame.

"It looks as though the storm is about to pass, or else we would invite you to join us," Carlise said, still being polite.

James looked us over again before his eyes finally stopped on me. "Maybe a few of you would be okay to stay and play?" I stood up straighter at his predatory look.

"I think we'll leave as a group," I replied icily. "I suggest you three do the same."

Victoria looked as if she wanted to run, Laurent looked disappointed, but James looked thrilled. I wanted nothing more than for Edward to tell me what he was thinking, or for me to be able to read his mind.

"Maybe another time," James said with his teeth bared in what was supposed to be a grin. Victoria was already walking away, glancing briefly over her shoulder at James. With another look at me, James turned to walk away with Laurent following behind him.