Remedy

Seattle

Emmett

For a minute I just stood outside the front door wondering whether I should knock or just turn around and go back.

What was I even doing here? I had run straight to Seattle after Alice told me the news.

Why was I here? I shouldn't have been here.
I promised the Volturi that neither my family nor I would ever come back here.

But all reasoning had left me a long time ago.

Sophie was dead, she was gone.

It hurt me way more than it should have. It made me want to lash out at everything around me and just go crazy.
It's the same thing I experienced with Rosalie but ten times worse.
This time, she wasn't coming back.
Why did I leave her? How could I be so stupid to walk away from something or someone as good as her?
I don't know how I would have fitted her in my life with Rosalie back and all but I should have at least tried.

Sophie was amazing... she was something special... something I should have never let go of.

But what did that mean for me and Rosalie?
I still loved Rosalie. She was my angel, my first and true love.

Then why was Sophie constantly on your mind when you were with Rosalie? My mind asked me.

I couldn't answer that question right now.
I still felt completely and utterly stupid for what I had done.

A year! A whole year, I was gone.

To vampires, that's nothing but to humans it can feel like eternity.

I might have struggled with my feelings for Sophie that whole year but I just couldn't imagine how she must have felt in her more fragile human state.

I remembered the first time I met her. How weak and tiny I thought she was...
How I instinctively wanted to protect her from that day onwards.

I was a jerk. I was stupid.

I didn't even say goodbye for goodness sake!
I was a coward.
All that time... she must have been slowly breaking inside. The pain overwhelming her until she finally just decided to end it.
And it was all because of me.

I wanted to protect her but in the end, I ended up being what destroyed her.

Rage mixed with unbearable sadness filled me and I just wanted to break something. Smash something...

"Emmett?" The voice brought me our of my temporary daze and I turned around to see Chief Lockwood walking up the driveway with a brown paper bag in his hand.

He looked beyond surprised to see me.

Damn it! I really was distracted. If I had been more attentive, I would have heard his car coming from a mile away and gotten out of here or at least made a plan.

I didn't want to meet his gaze. How was I supposed to look him in the eye when I was the reason his daughter was dead.

"Good afternoon Mr Lockwood." I spoke in a curt tone.

Mr Lockwood narrowed his eyes at me. He obviously still didn't like me.

"I didn't know your family was back in town." He commented as he stopped in front of me.
He sized me up.

"No, um... it's just me. I drove over here to pick something up."

He looked at me sceptically.

"You drove here?"

I just realised my mistake. My car was no where in view.

"I mean, I walked here. I left my car a little way back at the garage. Since I was in the neighbourhood, I decided to pass by."

He nodded, seeming to accept lie.

"If only Sophie was here." He spoke.

I nodded grimly. The guilt was eating away at me. "I heard about what happened." I spoke not really knowing what else to say.

He let out a sigh. "Yeah, well it was bound to happen at some point." He looked off into the distance. "It's every parent's nightmare to see their child go off. Even if it's only for a week or so."

"What?" I all but yelled.

He looked at me, alerted.

He furrowed his brows. "I thought you said you knew."

I quickly covered up my odd behaviour. "Yes. I just want wasn't aware that she'd be gone that long. Where did you say she was again?" I asked. I wasn't thinking straight.

My heart suddenly felt lighter and hope flooded through me. She wasn't dead! She wasn't dead!

Chief Lockwood hesitated before speaking again.

"Italy, the University of Milan."

I nodded cooly. "Good school choice."

On the inside my mind raced. It couldn't be a coincidence that she ended up in Italy. The same country the Volturi resided.

"So I hear." Mr Lockwood spoke still looking at me strangely. I couldn't blame him. I wasn't acting quite sane.

'Well, I really should get going. I'm sure they're all done with my car back at the shop." I spoke.

"Hold on a minute, Emmett." he spoke. He folded his arms across his chest. "Listen Emmett, I don't know what happened between you and Soph that night but I could tell that you really hurt her and I don't like seeing her that way. I try to be a good father but there are some things that I can't really help Sophie with. Sure, I could handle the kidnapping because that's part of my job description but boys and heartbreak? That was her mother's speciality and there's little I can do about it because she can't exactly come to me with those issues. Now I might not be able to do much but I can tell you this... you need to stay away from her. You've hurt her enough and I never want to see her in that much pain ever again so... just don't come back here looking for her. She's moved on with her life."

His words felt like a bullet to the chest.

I knew I hurt her in so many ways but I just couldn't stay away.

I needed to see her.
I needed to make sure she really was okay.