Voices |E. Cullen|

NINETEEN

"How does it feel to be able to walk again?" Edward asked me as we took a short walk down his driveway.

"It's really annoying that I can only go for a few minutes when I used to be able to walk for hours," I sighed.

He nodded and adjusted his hand in his pocket. His arm was my support as we walked to and from the set point at the end of the driveway. My breathing was more labored and I had to stop several times to rest on the way back to the house. It was going to take some time to get back to a normal functioning, even longer for my own normal functioning.

I wasn't finished with school, but when I did finish up this semester, I would finally be finished with high school all together. My teachers were shockingly accommodating with my inability to appear in class. I was very used to the attitude of "I don't care if your grandmother died you have to be in class and take the unit exam tomorrow". I was promised that if I was able to complete the scheduled readings, take the quizzes and tests, and turn in all final projects, I would be allowed to graduate with everyone else. This wasn't really an issue for me, it was nice to have something to do other than think about my diminished physical capabilities. I had gone as far as to complete and turn in two out of the four final projects a month in advance. One of the projects I had left was something for art which would be easy enough to handle.

My mother had disappeared shortly before the accident. I didn't see her in the hospital at all, not working nor visiting. She had left a note that simply said "I'm moving in with Jeff," whoever the hell that was. The house was paid off, the lights and internet were still attached to her debit card. I knew one day they would shut off, my hope was that I wouldn't be there for it. Long gone. To some extent, I had achieved that goal. I, for all intents and purposes, resided in the Cullens' home. I slept in a spare room and food was always magically prepared during standard meal times. Well, not magically. It was all the lovely work of Esme. Apparently she had only dreamed of being able to provide for someone like her own child, and while the adoptive siblings had filled that desire for the most part, cooking was something they could never benefit from, yet something she had always loved to do.

I felt at home faster with the Cullens than I ever did with my mother. I suppose the only concern was with Edward and his actual feelings toward me. I wish I didn't have to think about it, but it was always on my mind. I didn't expect him to get over Bella quickly, even though they had only been talking for a few months. It also wasn't expected of him to ever go for someone who wasn't particularly special, or at least someone breakable. As evidenced by the wheezing on both inhalation and exhalation, my fragility was more than apparent.

"When is your birthday?" I asked him through labored breaths in an attempt to strike up a conversation.

He cracked a smile, "June 20th. How about yours?"

"That's a trade secret, my friend."

We stepped into the house and I used him once more for stability as I slipped off my sneakers. His hands were like ice when they wrapped around my wrists. He pulled me up and onto his back causing me to emit a small shriek from shock. He gave me a piggy-back ride up both sets of stairs and let me down gently on the couch. The cold lingered on my skin for a few moments more and he grabbed a blanket to drape over me. A love-hate relationship is what I had with his actions. Every time he so much as did one kind thing, my heart skipped beats. There was no telling how he felt, though, and I could bet it wasn't the same.

Edward's fingers danced across the keys of the piano that lived in the family room. It was a quick way to put me to sleep. I felt like a small child in that case, drifting to sleep from the sounds of a lullaby. It was different than the distant screams and pleading from the dead people. I had to admit, if it weren't for the Cullens, I would be hopeless. My eyelids became heavy and the warmth added in the overall sensation of comfort which brought me to a dreamless land.