It was pouring rain when Nell woke up.
She was in a bed that wasn't hers, with tight-fitting blankets around her, and a feather pillow as comfortable as it was intoxicating by its characteristic soap smell. She had to make a huge effort not to open her eyes immediately. But when the second thunder made its appearance, she couldn't help it.
—Good morning— he whispered.
—What's good about it?—she said, letting out a groan from the scare.
She noticed the strength in his voice when he laughed.
—You sound just like in your dreams.— he declared.
Her eyes widened like two oranges.
—Do I talk in my sleep?
—More like you complain—he smiled sideways—. It's like listening to a horse whinny.
—Oh, shut up.—Nell made a pout and got up immediately from the bed.
He evaluated her with his gaze.
—What?
—You drive me crazy— she explained, crossing his arms.
Emmett thought about it briefly and seemed pleased when he asked:
—Really?
—Want me to hook up a lie detector?—she inquired with sarcasm.
A triumphant smile lit up his face and he slowly approached her ear to speak softly.
—I don't think I need it.—He tapped twice on her heart.
A slight shiver ran through her body.
—Good thing you're a cardiologist.— She pushed his hand away with a little tap—Now will you take me home?
—You have to have breakfast.
—But I'm not hungry yet.
—Then, how about a cup of coffee?
Nell thought about it a little. She liked coffee.
—Alright— finally said.
Next, Emmett took her hand and guided her downstairs. As always, Nell couldn't help shivering at his icy touch. When they reached the kitchen, he let go to see how the coffee machine worked, and she settled on the island stool.
From her position she could admire his broad back, every muscle chiseled to perfection. She shook her head, amazed...
—Did you get dazzled again?
Emmett didn't turn around when he said it, but Nell could clearly see the mischief in those dimples.
—You wish.—She got down and approached him, trying to keep her heartbeats stable—You're doing it wrong. You don't have to remove the lid, you just press it. The coffee maker does the rest.—She looked up. Searching for his gaze.
But she realized he was already observing her with intensity. And that only increased her nerves. She focused on other things: like the smell of coffee coming from the machine; or the sound of rain pounding hard against the windows. However, their gazes remained connected.
In the silence that had formed, Emmett was the only one able to break it.
—I want to show you something— he told her.
—Now?
He shook his head.
—No. At midnight.
Nell raised an eyebrow.
She debated only a moment before realizing that, either she accepted the invitation, or she went home and locked herself in her room with preheated food remembering the traumatic events of the day.
Before she could decide on one response or the other, Emmett insisted: —You're going to like it. I promise.
●●●
As it couldn't be otherwise, at home she thought about everything that had happened. She instantly felt exhausted: Discovering that Shelly had been kidnapped by the town pastor, the sensations she experienced when touching him and the nausea that followed; the care of the Cullen family and, above all, what happened with Emmett.
Suddenly, more than exhausted, she felt alone.
She didn't expect to feel so attracted to someone like him. But there she was. With her heart racing even being kilometers away. How was it possible that she had almost kissed him? Or, better said, what would have happened "if" she had kissed him?
Instead of continuing to think about that, she grabbed her phone and settled into bed. She had to compose herself; distract herself. She went into the messages inbox, but it was empty. And she only had two numbers besides her brothers': the Seattle Psychiatric Hospital... and Emmett's.
Damn it.
Then the front door opened.
—Nell?—her brother called. Who else could it be? She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs quickly. She watched him struggle with his soaked, useless coat: his shirt had gotten stuck in one of the sleeves.
—Let me help you—she said, approaching him. She put one hand inside the sleeve and, with force, pulled the coat off.
Steve smiled at her, relieved.
—Thanks.—He hung it on the coat rack by the door—Damn rain. The only thing it does is ruin my clothes.
At another time, she would've made fun of him. But, suddenly, she had caught something that seemed completely out of place. Something that made her frown.
—Did you hurt yourself?
Steve followed her gaze that led to the burgundy splatter on the gray jacket. Then he looked back at her.
—Ah, no. It must have been from Charlie. He cut himself with the bottle opener at the restaurant.
—And is he okay?
—It's just a small cut on his hand. Nothing to worry about.
Eleanor had many reasons to believe her brother. One of them was that he didn't know how to lie; everything he thought, he said, and that was something they both shared. The other was that, when touching him, she never saw anything out of the ordinary. Just a man affected by his past who took refuge in his books to escape from it. A way to stay sane and occupied.
So she didn't understand why, when looking into his eyes, she felt he was hiding something.
Since Nell didn't respond, he suddenly asked:
—How was the sleepover?
—Fine—was all she managed to answer. She was dying to escape to her room, however, her stomach made her run to the kitchen to reheat the lasagna.
—Are you in a hurry?
Steve surprised her in the kitchen and made her open her eyes a bit from the scare. Still, she was able to return to normal after a sigh.
—Yes, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early.
—You seem nervous— he commented suspiciously.
"Oh! Why? Why did he have to choose tonight of all nights to pay attention to me?" Nell thought.
—Really?—She grabbed some cutlery from the sink and placed them on the plate.
Seeing her, he realized she planned to eat in her room.
—If you want to go out, you can. Just don't come back late...
—No, Steve. I want to eat and sleep. Nothing more—she interrupted, already tired—See you tomorrow.
—Alright. Good night— he said goodbye. Undoubtedly, he would be listening attentively.
She made an effort to make the sound of her footsteps seem slow and tired as she went up the stairs to the bedroom. She closed the door with enough force for him to hear it and then rushed toward the window, walking on tiptoes. She opened it with one pull and leaned out, noticing the rain had lessened.
When she turned around, she let out a sound of surprise that nearly made her spill the lasagna all over the carpet.
Smiling from ear to ear, Emmett lay sprawled at the other end of the room.
—Oh!—she muttered, feeling like she was collapsing on the floor—Do you want to scare me to death?
Emmett pursed his lips in an attempt to hide his delight.
—Sorry.
—I thought you'd come at midnight— she asked, confused.
—I know, but I couldn't wait much longer.
The intensity of his gaze was such that she had to make a huge effort not to look away. Was she still a hopeless innocent? Or had his charm grown stronger since last night?
Nell seemed about to explode. And he had noticed.
—How's the heart?— he asked, twisting his expression mockingly.
—You tell me. I'm sure you hear it better than I do.
He let out a small laugh before moving away a bit.
—Eat— he ordered—Before it gets cold.
Emmett lay stretched out on the bed with his hands behind his neck and his feet hanging off the other end. He was the living image of Adonis of carefree.
"Sure. As if it were possible with that image in front of me."
Uncomfortable, she sat at the desk and placed the pasta plate on it. Keeping her gaze fixed on the lasagna. But aware that he kept watching her.
—Did you only come to observe me while I eat? Because I'm sure there are better contemplative activities than this.—She jumped with her eyes on him.
His lips curved into a smile, and the statue came to life.
—No, I also came to listen to your heartbeats which, in fact, sound just like a seventies record.
—Great— she responded with sarcasm—Now I know what to tell my doctor at the next visit.
He laughed again with that laugh of his, calm, guttural. Nell had heard him laugh more that night than in all the time she had spent with him.
—Are we leaving now?—she wanted to know. Moving the half-finished plate away.
—You seem more enthusiastic than usual— he observed.
—It's just that you're being too mysterious.—She crossed her arms.
—Not as mysterious as you.
Nell wrinkled her forehead. Confused. Full of incoherent thoughts.
—I'm not mysterious.
—Yes, you are.—And he was in front of her again, half a meter away, bending down so she could climb onto his back—Now it's my turn.
Faced with that, she had no choice but to accept that she would travel that way from now on. She sighed and settled onto him; inhaling the aroma of soap he gave off.
—Hold on tight.
Right after, the curtains in the bedroom rose with force and the room soon became empty.
●●●
—Are we not there yet?—she complained, frowning.
He had let her down when they entered deep into the forest, and from there they started walking. Emmett helped her by lifting her by the elbow and letting go as soon as the path cleared. Although the rain had stopped a couple of hours ago, you never knew when another storm would appear.
—Almost—he smiled at the change in her mood—. Do you see that glow up ahead?
—Hmm.—Nell looked carefully through the dense foliage of the forest in the darkness—Should I see it?
He flashed a mocking smile.
—It might still be too soon for your eyes.
—Or it might be too much for yours— she retorted.
His mocking smile became more pronounced.
But then, after walking another hundred meters, she could see a small luminosity between the trees.
Nell quickened her pace, crossed the last strip of ferns and entered a meadow with a perfect circle full of wildflowers, illuminated by moonlight. She could hear the bubbling of a stream nearby, and crickets singing from the trees.
She turned around to share all of this with Emmett, but he wasn't there.
Suddenly alarmed, she spun around searching for him. She located him under the dense shadow of branches, sitting on a red blanket.
Eleanor took a step toward him, her eyes locked on his.
—Don't tell me.—she pursed her lips, concentrated—Another one of your thinking spots?
—Actually, I use this one for training.
—Don't you train at your house?
—Sometimes. But here...— he pointed at the space with his arms—I don't have to measure my strength. I can be myself.
She had a moment of retrospection; where her hands caressed the leaves, the flowers, even the grass. It wasn't just about a method of release, but a search for freedom.
—I think I understand that feeling.—She smiled and sat beside him with her knees bent. Then she appreciated the landscape—How do you find incredible places in such an... ordinary location?
—I suppose it's because of my vast experience.
Nell rolled her eyes.
—Yeah, vast experience—she repeated—Something tells me you got that from some Forks tourist brochure.
—Do you think tourists would risk entering a forest with wild animals?
—I did.—she pointed out.
—Yes, but because you're suicidal.
Nell looked at him, dismayed.
—That´s not true!— She gave him a little push—I never would've entered a forest without knowing if it was safe.
—Oh, really?—Emmett raised an eyebrow—What about now?
She needed a moment to realize that he was a little closer than before.
—I'm with you.
—Next to a wild animal— he declared with sarcasm. But Nell didn't find it funny at all.
—You're not a wild animal. And, for your information, I feel safer with you than with any other person in this world.
For the first time, she left him stunned. Well, it's not like she was truly sure of it, but never, since she met him, had she seen him put on such an expression of disbelief. As if he hadn't expected that at all. And, honestly, neither had she. Her brothers had been her sanctuary for most of her life; even before the tragic events accompanied her. But now that position was occupied by Emmett. Illogical and irrational!
In the silence that followed, she diverted her gaze to keep herself occupied with the dry grass.
—I have a question— Nell commented, trying to resume the conversation.
—I hope they're more creative than the last ones— he said mockingly.
—Well, no. It's not creative— she confessed—But it is something I've been thinking about for a while.
He seemed more interested.
—Well, go ahead.
She looked into his eyes and then said:
—How does a person become a Vampire? I mean, do you just bite and that's it? Or do you have to do some kind of ritual?
Emmett smiled at her suspiciously.
—Why? Are you planning to become one?
—No. It's mere curiosity— she insisted.
He stayed thinking for a moment.
—To begin with, no one knows when the first vampire in history appeared. Carlisle told me it started with a virus. A venom that was transmitted from bite to bite. And that, after that, you stopped being the person you were before.— He licked his lips—Although doing it isn't easy. Not many of us have the necessary self-control to stop once we sink our teeth in. And the venom is very painful.
Nell bit her lip, cautiously, before asking.
—Do you miss your life as a human?
—Not really— he was sincere—I like who I am now, with strengths and flaws included. But I do miss my sisters, even though some memories are blurry.
—What were they like?—she wanted to know.
Emmett smiled at the memory.
—Charming, intelligent, and they had a sense of humor. They remind me of someone I know.—Then he looked at her. Sinking those bright eyes into hers.
Nell lowered her head.
—You say that. But there are still things about me you don't know.
—Then tell me.
She smiled slightly with mockery and looked at him.
—You make it sound so simple...
—That's because it can be simple.
She toyed with the beads adorning her blouse, resisting his words, but accepting them gladly at the same time.
—Even if it's about a past that still lives in the present?
—Are you talking about your father?
She nodded slowly.
—Among other things.
Emmett guessed what the other things were that she spoke of, however, he didn't mention them. Instead, his focus shifted to another matter.
—I'll tell you something a Seer once told me.—Nell looked at him with her eyebrow raised—I know what you're thinking. Back then I did it for fun, but it ended up convincing me.— He smiled—His words were: forget the past, forgive yourself, and start anew in this instant.
—That's something even I could've said— she inquired with mockery.
—That's something we all could've said. However, those are words that only appear when we need to hear them.
She stayed silent. Reflecting.
—Can I ask you another question?
He nodded, encouraging her to continue.
—Why did you bring me to this place?
There was a pause.
—You mean, why did I take you for a walk to a meadow in the middle of the night?
Nell said nothing. And Emmett hesitated.
—Because—he started to say, with his eyes fixed on hers—if I were in your place and had faced an experience like that, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to sleep well either.—He smiled slightly.
She detected something in his tone of voice and looked away. When she spoke, she did so with a soft voice:
—Please, don't continue.
—With what?
—With what you're doing.
He frowned.
—I don't know what you mean.
Nell inhaled air slowly.
—This. Today. Yesterday. Everything.—She moved her head sadly—You always help me, you comfort me. You make me laugh, even in low moments. You're one of the few who doesn't think I'm cursed, nor treats me like I'm crazy, and that means a lot to me.—Her expression changed to a more serious one—However, it scares me. Because never has anyone shown anything other than aversion toward me. And that makes me wonder what kind of relationship I have with you. Or...—she swallowed, nervous—what it means to you.
Emmett stayed quiet for a while until, finally, he responded:
—It means... that you've influenced my life much more than I imagined.—He paused. Then his voice sounded more composed—I didn't think I'd find anyone with whom I'd want to be in a different way than I am with my brothers and sisters. And then I discover that being with you comes naturally to me. You're intelligent, funny, and extremely curious. And that's what fascinates me most about you. You make me feel vulnerable again, and I haven't felt that way in a long time. I can't say I like that feeling, but the alternative would be worse, because it would mean never seeing you again. And that would be, for me, a true curse.
When he finished speaking, Nell felt almost dizzy, overwhelmed by his response. Emmett had expressed his feelings without shame or fear. It was his attitude, more than anything, that allowed her to regain her balance.
—I... don't know what to say—she admitted, trying not to lose her composure.
—You don't have to say anything. I didn't say it because I was looking for an answer. But because you asked me.
—And were you serious?
He looked at her with total conviction:
—Every word was serious.
Nell could feel a need taking hold of her. The voice inside tried to restrain the impulse that was struggling to come out, but she knew it would be useless to stop it for long. Unable to help it, she moved close to his face and kissed him.
His lips were cold as marble, hard as a rock, and burned like fire. But it was the most pleasurable sensation she had ever melted into.
Emmett, surprised, embraced her tightly, and Nell slid her hands across his chest and shoulders. When he buried his fingers in her hair, she trembled with a shiver, aware that this outcome was the result of what had been inevitably brewing from the start.
Then, too soon, he stopped.
Nell opened her eyes and saw that his were closed. He didn't move or speak to her while he held her in his arms. She knew that at any moment he might not be able to control himself and end her life so quickly she wouldn't even realize it, though that didn't scare her. She couldn't think of anything, except what had just happened.
Emmett let her go to look at her and she could glimpse the hunger in his eyes.
—I'm sorry, I...—she turned her face away, embarrassed—I'm not making this easy for you.
Emmett gave her an incredibly confident smile.
—Don't worry. It seems I'm much stronger than I thought.
—I wish I could say the same about myself.
—Does that mean you want to kiss me again?—He smiled mischievously.
Nell paused before responding with her heart racing and completely open:
—Yes...
No more words were needed. Emmett took her in his arms again and kissed her once more.