What's Forever

Chapter 12

EMMETT'S POV

"What . . . how . . . no . . ." she stuttered and the fear in her eyes hurts me.

"Valentina, please let me explain."

"You're not scientifically possible." she muttered.

"Val . . ." I took a step forward and she scurried back.

"Stay away . . . you . . . vampires are not real."

"Let me explain." I begged.

"Explain what? You're a . . . Carlisle is a . . . oh my God."

"Are you afraid of Carlisle?" I asked.

Her analytical mind just might be my best ally, it's blocking out the fear momentarily. The bad thing is anger is what's left but I prefer it.

"He's a doctor, a surgeon . . . he's around blood and people all of the time." she muttered to herself, pacing back and forth.

"Valentina!"

"You're all vampires?" she asked me.

"Yes."

"Why . . . why did you tell me?"

"I told you I would always tell you the truth. You coming here meant you putting your trust in me, even if it was momentarily. I couldn't keep lying to you. I'm interested in you and I want to be a part of your life and have you be a part of mine so you needed to know the truth."

"It was darker." she muttered.

"What?"

"Your soup was . . . darker than mine." she said with a horrified look on her face, stepping back further.

"Wait . . . it was animal blood! Valentina it was animal blood, we don't . . . we're vegetarians. We don't drink human blood." I said, trying to be a little humorous.

"Animal . . . vegetarians . . . this is insane." she whispered.

"I would never hurt you VAl, no one in my family would. We don't hurt humans." I insisted.

"This is insane . . . vampires . . . you touched my baby." she whispered, eyes full of tears.

"I would never hurt Ava."

"This is too much . . . I want to go home."

"Val . . .".

"Take me home please."

"Of course, let's go get your coat." I sighed.

I tried to help her put her coat on but she took it out of my hand and put it on herself. She got in the car and closed her door before I could, this is bad. Valentina turned her body away and stared out the window in silence.

"Valentina, I know that this is a lot to take in and I know that you have a daughter to worry about. I need you to know that I would never hurt either of you. I . . . can understand if you never want to see me again, all I'm asking is that you think about it." I pleaded to her silence.

"Stay away from me." she whispered before getting out when I pulled up in front of her house.

"What did I just do?" I muttered to myself, hitting the steering wheel.

I rushed home to leave the truck and run back to Val's house. All of the lights on the first floor were off, the only light was coming from the second level - Val's room. I could hear her pacing even from out here. I haven't been this worried over something in a long time.

"You knew something was off . . . you sensed something different . . . vampires aren't . . . he was drinking blood in front of me . . . but it's animal blood? I can't see him again . . . but I don't . . . don't want to not see him . . . my daughter . . .what the hell?"

She kept talking to herself in half sentences for over an hour. I don't know if she was trying to talk herself into or out of seeing me again. I don't think she knows either. While I creeped around her house it wasn't lost on me that she turned on her alarm, I heard it.

There's nothing I can do here and by now the entire family knows about this thanks to my sibling so I don't really wanna go home. I took off running without a specific location, round and round but I kept ending up at her house just like when we first met. AFter the fourth time I just went home, I don't want company and I made it clear in my thoughts but of course, my family just doesn't listen.

"I don't want company." I said.

"Emmett, I know she seems mad and . . ."

"I don't wanna hear it! Go away, Alice."

"Emmett her future . . ."

"Damn it, enough! I love you Alice, but stop." I sighed.

"Why brother?" Jasper asked.

"Because I had to. I refuse to lie to her when she's putting her trust in me. She hasn't dated since she got pregnant and she thinks that Ava Rae makes her undesirable. On top of that, she lost her best friend who is-was-Ava's father. She's a damn strong woman, I couldn't lie to her when she's so goddamn honest with me."

"I understand, you're a good man, Em." Alice said.

"Yeah, good man . . . I just put the fear of God in her and put my family in danger all at once." I argued.

"Do you want to know?" she asked.

"No, I . . . no, not yet."

"It's a lot to digest, brother." Jasper said. "Let her rest on and think about it."

"She 'realized' my soup was darker, was worried because I touched her baby. I went to her house and listened to her list the medical and scientific reasons for why I shouldn't exist. Why we shouldn't exist. This isn't good."

"It's supposed to be sunny for the next four days." Alice said.

"Great, more family fun."

"Don't be petty." she scolded.

"I don't really want company." I said.

"You can't avoid us forever."

"Alice, I think I just lost the best thing that could have happened to me. Some alone time doesn't sound bad at all. I don't want you to keep looking for a future, or Jasper messing with my emotions, or Edward reading my thoughts, and I definitely don't want to hear Rose's mouth about this. After spending so much time with her these past weeks, I can't imagine not . . . just thinking that she won't be . . ."

"Emmett! She hasn't made a choice yet." Alice interrupted.

"So . . . there's hope?" Jasper asked and I'm afraid of the answer.

"She keeps flickering back and forth. As long as I keep getting flashes, no matter how brief, of the two of you together I'm holding out hope. We're gonna go now, and I'll make sure no one bothers you."

"Thank you."

I won't lie, I considered going back to her house but she asked me to stay away and I will do that for her. Valentina is my soulmate, if you believe that vampires have a soul that is. She makes me think that maybe I'm not a monster. Her smile lights up my life and now I might lose it all but I don't regret telling her. She was open and honest with me, how could I not do the same for her?