Falling To The Sun | B. Swan + E. Cullen

vingt

The silence that stretched around her for miles felt like home as she stood still, eyes closed tight among the trees. The danger of it all thumped through her veins, spreading the terror the longer she stood motionless in the middle of the forest.

A branch snaps sending a flock of birds fluttering overhead, pulling her from her daze as her heart pounds against her ribs furiously.

This was stupid, coming out here all alone, not telling anyone where she was going, but after a week of seeing them back at school together as if nothing had changed except Bella wanting her around all the time, Roman felt like she just needed space, and of course, this was the only place she could really get that.

Fresh air like this was nice, wonderful, and as she tracked deeper and deeper into the woods, uncaring of where she went, she felt herself sinking into herself and her mind with ease and comfort.

The mountain lion was on the hunt, searching for a meal, and if she continued to follow the prints left by the small herd then she was certain to find it. It would be nice to see it for herself this time, finding one on her own instead of by chance.

The pieces were all there, the map that she had memorized clear in her mind. It wouldn't be long now. She had to get before nightfall, after all, it wasn't safe, to begin with, it wouldn't be good to have her exposed in the dark.

She guessed the time of day wouldn't make much of a difference if Victoria decided to come around, anyways. 

Pressing forward, she toed along the edge of the ravine, hoping to reach that bit where it tapered off a little in the middle so that she might be able to cross over.

She's ready to make the leap, giving herself a running start — pushing off the edge, airborne for a brief moment, before arms catch her around her waist pulling her back.

Heart exploding in her chest, Roman shrieks, clawing at the cool arm pointlessly. Panic crashed through, lungs screaming in protest.

"Roman, relax. Relax!"

Stilling, she went limp in his arms, hyperventilating as she shook, she tried to push away the black spots that danced across her eyes threatening to drag her under.

"Holy shit. Holy shit!" she gasped, covering her face with her hands. "Why would you do that? Are you crazy?"

"Are you suicidal?" Edward demanded, lowering her back to the ground away from the edge of the ravine.

He helps lower her to the ground, kneeling at her side while she tucks her head between her knees as she tries to keep the world from spinning. His freezing hand on her knee was soothing and she tilted her head so that it was near her cheek. She was flushed, broken out in a cold sweat.

"No, but you're apparently trying to kill me," she grumbles shakily. "You couldn't say 'Hi, Roman, what's up?'"

"Thought you might notice me."

"Why would I? You're supernaturally silent," she snaps.

He chuckles lightly. "That never seemed to stop you before when it came to finding things."

Head spinning further from the compliment, she peeks up from between her knees, catching sight of his crooked little smile. Cheeky.

"I was focused on something else, I'll have you know."

"Yes, that mountain lion you were trying to spot."

"I wanted to track it down myself," she reasons as if it was the simplest thing in the world because it was to Roman when she had no fear of regular animals. As long as she didn't get too close and stayed upwind it would be fine. The chances of her getting attacked were statistically very low.