He left Alice pissed to hell that same night.
Actually, pissed wasn't the right word—she was livid. A good two-three seconds from being able to pass as a storm cloud really and he couldn't even blame her.
She was his wife. His beautiful, loving, tiny wife—of a week, mind you but his wife nonetheless and here he was, running off to his ex.
But what was he supposed to do? He'd known Dora long to hell, the girl had a Ph.D in forensic science, she'd taken Judo like a little maniac since she could move her legs. No, Dora would've never called had it not been important.
Had it not been her last resort. Something was worst than wrong and Sieg had a feeling he knew what, but no matter how hard he tried to explain it to Alice, she simply wouldn't hear of it. She kept telling him to go in that cold, lifeless tone she always took when something was bothering her. it was a tone she'd often used to address her father and stepmother, so being on the receiving end of it now killed Sieg worst than death. It killed him even more to let her go back to bed angry, but time was ticking by quicker for some reason—so, he borrowed Edward's car instead.
Problem with borrowing an expensive car from a car nut was that the owner was always left to breathe down your neck about it, case and point? Edward Cullen in the passenger seat.
"First fight ever, huh?"
"I will drive this car into a tree." He didn't though and after a mile more or so, Edward decided to tempt his fate again.
"Yes, she will forgive you." He said this and Sieg almost screamed, then he remembered what Edward was and what he could do.
"Out of my head and immediately, you creepy f-"
"Oh kill the tough act," Cut Edward. "I know how you feel. I know that you think something horrible's ahead and I know that you're hurt. I know what that wound is doing to you...I know you're afraid."
The only indication that these words had been heard was the sound of the engine revving up, the sound of the car picking up speed. Now West stringer was a merchant street: high brands, Grocery stores, and Mom and Pop shops mixed together like the bits of marshmallows in Lucky charms. Always mobbing and teaming with different genres of people, it was the New York of Alaska, the street that never slept.
Like a house full of siblings that never get along, it was never quiet...So pulling to a dead silent street? Now that was some cold shit. It was terrifying and even more when Sieg saw that there were people there. Children holding toy planes, adults holding shopping bags, the elderly and their canes...
A line to the left, a line to the right—they stood on each side of the street as if two boxers about to fight.
They stood there like mannequins, like dominoes, like chess pieces waiting to be moved. Like marionettes who'd lost their groove.
Edward gawked. "What's wrong with them? Why do they look so wrong?"
"Hive mind. Dear death, it's him."
"Who? Sieg, who?"
"Listen to me, Edi." And Sieg pushed Edward's head down so that they both looked like they were going to pray. "Listen to me good because we just walked into a trap. I need you to go back to Alice and stay by her side."
"But-"
Sieg put his hand over Edward's mouth. "Edi, please...go back to her. She's the most important thing walking the Earth right now—to ever."
"Then why'd you leave her?"
Sieg almost popped him one right in the mouth, but he calmed himself. He breathed because the idiot was right, this was why it was so important that he went back so— "Go back to her, and line the doors and windows with Goofer dust and here...take this."
Niles.
"For her—it'll only turn for her."
And along with that, he gave Edward one last look, a pat on the shoulder, and left the car. Only when the bronzer had driven all away did anything really happen.
The people on the street started moving; all together, they rose their hands as puppets and at the end of every left pointer finger sat the tattoo parlor he'd married his love and on every face, were Cheshire grins the size of dirt bins.
Sieg started walking and identical eyes followed him—black sclera, red pupil.
"Let them go, Eigen."
"Come and get them, brother."
