Midnight Sun ❖ (Embry Call - The Twilight Saga)

08

Updated 19/02/20

GRACIE TRIED to ignore what had happened between Jacob and Bella the following week. It was the long Easter Weekend, and as usual she spent it with her parents. It was their first ever Easter Break without Riley, but she took it as getting twice the amount of chocolate instead. In fact, that weekend was one of those rare occasions that Gracie and her parents got along. But as that week of fun came to an end, she found herself back at Bella Swan's house the following Saturday. Bella said she wanted Gracie to go hiking with her, to be real, Gracie thought it would be great to get both their minds of everything. Oh, how very wrong she was. Together, they climbed various fallen tree trunks, moss filled rocks and absolute hilly terrains until they finally reached an open space. A spot in which Bella and Edward always went to together, and somehow she had roped herself into it. 

However, the open field that was once lusciously filled with flowers, tall green grass or any beautiful descriptions Bella gave, was dead. Nothing but dead, yellow grass. Almost as dead as Edward and Bella's relationship but Gracie didn't want to aggravate the situation by some of her humour. She stood behind Bella as the brunette knelt down, clutching her stomach as she must've thought the same thing Gracie was thinking. She looked up, away from Bella and there in the distant path ahead of them was a man. He was dark from his skin, hair, his clothes and possibly his motifs. 

"Bella?" Gracie called softly, to which she stood up quickly and demanded for Gracie stay behind her. 

Gracie wanted to say Bella isn't superwoman, but then the figure spoke. 

"Bella..." 

She sighed heavily, half in relief that Bella knew this guy and he wasn't some stranger murderer. 

"Laurent." Bella managed to gasp out, which made her a little scared. 

Was he someone to be feared of?

and then...just before her eyes, the man named Laurent took a step towards them. He had this speed, like a supernatural speed toward them. That frightened her. Gracie hated the supernatural, she even refused watching movies about them. He was now two metres in front of Bella, three in front of Gracie. 

"I didn't expect to find you here." He began, "I went to visit the Cullens, but the house is empty. I'm surprised they left you behind. Aren't you sort of, um...a pet of theirs?"

She furrowed her eyebrows wondering if this guy was being serious. Pet? More like girlfriend of their son but ok? Then just to make things even weirder, Bella replied.

"Yeah. You could say that."

"Do the Cullen's visits often?" Laurent asked, glancing to Gracie's expression which was half made of confusion and fright. 

She looked to Bella who paused for a second too long. "Yeah, absolutely all the time. I'll tell them that you stopped by. I shouldn't...tell...Edward. Cause he's pretty protective." 

Gracie tried to stay emotionless, picking up on Bella's lie to which she now knew this man must've meant trouble. Laurent began to slowly circle around them, to which she followed moving away. 

"But he's far away, isn't he?" He continued. 

Right now, Gracie was the most scared she had ever been in her entire life. She had no idea who this guy was, what he was capable of, how Bella knew him and worst of all they were alone in the forest. Far from civilisation, never going to be heard. Easy to be murdered. 

"Why are you here?" Bella finally asked something more logical, to which she continued watching wide-eyed. 

"I came as a...favour to Victoria." He spoke slowly, but surely.