𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨. emmett cullen

sixty

There's an old saying that my Mom used to tell me when my sister and I lacked the motivation to do anything and all I wanted was for her to be here to yell at me. I was sitting in the room Aro had given me and all I did was stare at the red and black furniture. The room had a modern style to it despite the lack of windows it had. My legs were crossed underneath me as my hands held my baby bump and I was bored. I had only been here for a day and I was already bored.

I slept through the night peacefully, not one worry on my mind. But when I woke up, they all came flooding back. Every worry I tried to forget. Emmett, my sister, Dad, the pack, every ounce of guilt I had hit me all at once. I wanted to break down but I needed to stay strong for my unborn son, he needed one strong parent, since one was all he was going to have.

Glancing at my phone as it vibrated again, I could faintly see Bella's name flashing across the screen. Bella had been hounding me with text after text but she wasn't the only one. The pack got word of my leave of absence and their names were on the long list of callers. Everyone I was close to tried to contact me at least once, all except one. And I didn't know if I was relieved or upset, maybe both. But he made his choice and I made mine. He didn't want our son and I didn't want to be with someone who didn't love my child.

Two knocks against the door snapped me out of my thoughts and I didn't have the energy to get up and open it, so I just called out to them that the door was open. Jane strode into the room, Felix right behind her. She had a timid smile on her face, while Felix tried to offer me a kinder one.

"Aro and the brothers have requested your presence in the library." I nodded and stood to my feet, my black skirt billowing around my legs as I did so. I pulled the sleeves of my blue sweater over my hands and scurried along behind her as she lead the way. Felix trailed beside me but his posture was rigid, I caused some tension in the castle.

We didn't have to walk too far from my room before we stopped at a set of wooden double doors. Jane opened one side and motioned for me to go in. I hesitantly walked passed her through the doorway and saw Aro, Caius, and Marcus crowded around a table. Their heads snapped up as I entered the room and I felt the urge to run out of the room and hide away in a corner somewhere, but I had to suppress it. I stepped forwards and took a hesitant glance behind me but Jane had already left the room, only Felix stood by the door. I watched him close it and give me a curt nod before I slowly turned my gaze back to the three vampires clad in red robes.

"Clarissa dear, come sit." Aro gestured to a chair placed beside him and I took quiet steps towards the table. Once I reached him, he pulled out the wooden chair and I sat on it. I placed my shaky hands in my lap and stared up at him. He gave me a grin that had me reconsidering my urge to hide before sliding a thick book in front of me. The pages were yellowed as if the book was older than they were. The words were neatly written in black ink, the cursive letters drawing me in.

"What's this book for?" I asked aloud. I knew only Aro would answer me but with Caius and Marcus staring intensely at me, I tried to be courteous.

"The information you wish to know is in that book. It very well may answer all of your questions." Aro explained to me.

"But I thought that my son was a rarity?" I flipped the pages as my eyes scanned over the words.

"He is, but Caius remembered reading about an immortal child in our history and he says the answers should be in this book," Aro replied.

I looked up from my book and met Cauis' intense glare. I gave him a small polite smile and thanked him. His eyes blinked but didn't acknowledge me any further. My eyes flitted back to the book and I tried to ignore the stares I was getting. "Aro," I began. I looked up at him and he raised his eyebrows quizzically at me. "What if my child is something I can't handle?"