LOVE AND DEATH, edward cullen

fifty

━━ love and death. (2024)
edward cullen x fem!oc
chapter fifty

The next day in the afternoon I'm walking along La Push beach with Kai trailing beside me. My thoughts were still preoccupied by last nights conversation with Edward and his family. And then the conversation him and I shared privately in my room — I was anticipating when I would see him later.

I wanted to be in his arms. I wanted him to hold me like he did and comfort me without asking me a thousand questions. He knew I liked to sometimes sit in silence while being held. Most people try to pry a response out of you when you're sad instead of listening.

Edward never forced a single word out of me or never projected his own advice on me to where it becomes overwhelming. He knew what I needed in that exact moment — he was perfect for me.

I shake myself out of my thoughts once I remembered exactly who I was spending time with currently. I'm thankful wolves didn't have the power to read human minds because I could only imagine the outburst he would've pulled just from me thinking about Edward period.

I turned my gaze towards the water on the right side of my shoulder. A smile started stretching across my lips as I inhaled the salty scent. "It's so pretty out here. I haven't been to the beach in awhile — I almost forgot what it looked like."

Kai hummed to my statement. I turned my head to survey his expression but it was blank as always. Whether it was intentional or not — he was good at hiding all his emotions.

"Alice is planning a pretty big graduation party." I offered him a smile. "You're invited — Embry and Julie too. I would love to see you guys there."

Kai scoffed, his face twisting in slight distaste and I naturally shrugged my shoulders. "I expected that response. Why?"

He stopped walking and I was forced to halt my movements as well when he shifted his stance in front of me. "I wanted to do this differently. Smoother. But now, I'm out of time." I frowned at him and my gaze dropped to the sand briefly before I looked up at him again. "To do what?"

"You need to hear the truth, Aspen." He raised his hands and placed them upon my shoulders, keeping me stationed in front of him. "Understand all your options. You're moving along with this too recklessly, you haven't even tried — " He closed his eyes and lowered his head, shaking it back and forth slowly.

I nervously shifted my weight on one foot to the other. I had a sense where this conversation was going and he was purposely putting me in a corner.

He licked his lower lip, eternally fighting a demon within himself. When he met my stare once again — his next statement nearly knocked me on the ground.

"You need to know — that I'm in love with you. And I want you to choose me, instead of him." He gripped my shoulders for a split second, making it seem more like a command until his hands traveled down my biceps. "It's not just the imprint, it's — you level me out. I'm angry or annoyed all the time with everyone else but you relax me, Aspen. God you — " I noticed his breathing getting heavier and I couldn't tear my gaze away from his. "You're so beautiful. Every part of you is. And when I found out you tried to kill yourself — part of me was willing to die too."

I immediately shrugged out of his grasp uncomfortably and wrapped my arms around myself. "Kai, we talked about this. I thought you understood — I don't feel that way for you."

I turned my gaze towards the water but he was compelled to follow my gaze to where he was directly in front of my line of sight. "I don't buy it!" His face scrunched in a more pleading aspect, something I've never seen him do before.