beauty from pain | R.H

| chapter seven |

A date.

It seemed simple enough when I asked Rosalie to accompany me on one, but after telling my family about it, I learned that it would be a lot harder than I previously thought. I knew Rosalie would probably like any date I took her on, but it seemed I was the problem in this equation.

Reading up on modern 'dates,' I figured that they usually took place in an upscale restaurant or somewhere that involved being around humans, and that was the problem. Unlike Rosalie, I was a vampire that drank human blood, and my bloodlust wasn't something I was in control of.

So I wasn't completely shocked when I got a call from Alice telling me to meet her in the woods behind their house in Forks. I was, however, surprised when I saw her holding up strings of lights from a few trees as Esme smiled at me from her spot next to a table and two chairs.

"What's going on" I questioned, raising an eyebrow as the pixie-like vampire beamed at my sudden appearance in the woods while the older vampire gave me a warm smile.

"Your date with Rosalie," Alice chimed as she began to carefully wrap the lights around the trees in the clearing that we were stood in. I watched silently for a moment as the two women worked in tandem, both chitchatting happily about where to place things.

Esme turned and smiled again, seeing my expression. "Alice had a vision and decided to help out with your date. Juliette called and explained you were a little frazzled and so were here to help you out. After all, you're family now".

I swallowed thickly at the statement, another family, how was it that I was gaining another set of people wanting to be my family when that was the exact thing I was trying to run away from.

Although smiling to myself, I knew this would be the perfect date for us. Not only would I not have to be around humans, but I would get to be alone with my soulmate. The thought terrifies me as much as it excites me.

Picking up the lanterns, I began lighting them carefully with a tiny spark of fire at the end of my finger. I noticed Alice subtly glancing at the ember but did nothing more than watch with an interesting expression.

I placed the lanterns around the table and a few in the trees. As the sun began to go down, I noticed how beautiful it looked. I had never seen anything like it in all my years, and it was nothing like how people were courted back in my days.

Though Rosalie did say, courting was different now than before.

As Esme busied herself with the white tablecloth, I turned to the petite vampire with a forced look of disinterest as I subtly questioned her, "So, this date, have you seen how it turns out?".

Lighting the last few candles, I spared a look at Alice, who had stopped decorating to glance at me thoughtfully.

"I see things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change." She spoke softly, "I knew that you having a date with Rosalie was a definite, which is how I could see this happening because I had made my mind up on helping you, but anything after that is your decision."

Nodding my head to myself, I frowned as Esme moves closer to use. "Alice sees flashes of the future possibilities coming from the choices a person has made. But if they make different choices, it becomes a whole new future."

The sun had set as I smoothed out the tablecloth, "meaning there are hundreds of ways I could screw this up. Great." I huffed as my inner voice began screaming at me to run back to Canada, but my soul begged me to stay.

Alice gave me a sympathetic smile as the older vampire place a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You're soulmates; there is nothing you could do to make Rosalie have anything but adoration for you."

I fought back a smile, but the corners of my lips still manage to curl. Glancing around at the set up I suddenly frowned when I noticed Alice placing china plates and crystal glassware on the table. "You know we can't eat, right" I laughed as she also let out a tinkering giggle.

"It's all about the atmosphere Geneviève" her head suddenly snapped over in the direction of their house before a mischievous grin overtakes her face. "She's coming" Alice quickly pulled me into a surprising hug, whispering, "You can do this."

Esme placed her hands in mine reassuringly with a motherly look in her eye; she honestly did care about everyone. I gave her a rare genuine smile that seemed to be less rare than usual when I'm around the Cullen's and Rosalie.

The two were gone quicker than a flash as I nervously awaited the beautiful blonde that plagued my thoughts and whom I spent most of my time thinking about to walk out of the tree line.

There were no humans, no other vampires around. It was just me and my soulmate, maybe Esme was right, and I wouldn't mess this up. Placing a smile on my face, I waved away the nervousness. There was nothing I could do to ruin this.

I hope.