xv. at a crossroad

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
AT A CROSSROAD

■ ■ ■ ■

"I'M GOING TO BE honest, I have no idea where to start," Verona announced, scattered bursts of laughter following her words. Before her, a sea of wedding guests sat around several circular tables, human and supernatural creatures alike staring up at her as they waited for her to begin the speeches to the bride and groom. For a moment, she was quiet, gnawing on her lower lip as she thought of everything she wanted to say, uncensored, to her brother and his wife.

"Edward has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember." She met her brother's eyes, a shy grin tugging at her lips as he gave her an encouraging nod, returning her smile. "While we aren't related by blood, he's the best brother I could ask for." She was interrupted by Emmett making a sharp sound of betrayal, to which the crowd burst into laughter again. "Sorry, Jasper and Emmett, but everyone knows it true." 

They gave genuine smiles then, leaning back in their seats and gesturing for her to continue. They both knew that Verona loved them regardless of her jokes, and while they were close, each and every one of Verona's siblings knew she had a special place in her heart for Edward, and they respected that.

"Edward was there for me in my darkest hours. Every second of every day, he stayed by my side and supported me. We've had our ups and downs, believe me." Alec's face lingered in the back of her mind, and a pang of sadness struck her hard, but she was quick to push the emptiness away as she met her brother's eyes again. "But no matter what, we've always had each other's backs, and I can't thank him enough for that." 

She turned to look at his wife then, the doe-eyed human watching her husband and sister with fondness morphing her features. "Bella, I know we didn't see eye-to-eye at the beginning, but I'd like to think we've grown closer these past couple of months. You mean a great deal to my brother, and whether he admits it or not, he'd be lost without you by his side. You make him the happiest that any of us have ever seen him, and in turn, that makes us happy, just seeing him get his perfect ending." She inhaled an unneeded breath into her hollow chest, raising her flute of champagne in the air and gesturing for everyone else to do the same. "So without further ado, I would like to propose a toast to my brother and his new wife. To Edward and Bella."

"To Edward and Bella."

■ ■ ■ ■

IT WAS LATER IN the evening, and the reception was in full swing. The speeches had long-since ended and people were now scattered around the yard, deep in conversation or dancing to the music that flowed through the speakers. Verona was on her own, just watching everything unfold, an untouched champagne glass still gripped in her hands. Above her, a set of fairy lights were twinkling against the dark sky, casting a warm glow on the scenery below. Catching the eyes of a nearby group of humans, who were watching her with curiosity, she shot them an awkward smile, raising the glass of champagne to her lips and pretending to sip from it as she waited for them to look away. In that time, someone had made their way over to her, their muscular frame casting a never-ending shadow over her.

"What's wrong, Vee? Why are you on your own?" Emmett frowned down at his sister, his hands tucked comfortably in the pockets of his jacket.

"I'm just taking everything in," Verona shrugged, fingers tracing the rim of her glass.

"Well, that's no fun," he scoffed, his eyes lighting up as the slow song that was previously bursting through the speakers changed into an upbeat pop tune. "Come on, sis, let's go dance."

Before she could disagree, he grabbed hold of her champagne glass, casting it aside and leading her onto the dance floor. The whole way there, she complained, though a smile lingered on her lips as he gave a dramatic bow, sweeping her thin frame into his arms and spinning them around and around and around, over and over again, until the glowing fairy lights above them began to blink in and out of focus, the world going dim.

"You're a terrible dancer," she giggled, the two of them beginning to sway back and forth. Out of the corner of her eye, Verona spotted Alice and Jasper dancing like professionals, the humans around them watching them in awe, their eyes going wide as the rest of the family moved to join in. Compare her and Emmett to them, and they looked utterly ridiculous.

"Well, we can't be good at everything, can we?" Emmett smirked knowingly, giving a hearty chuckle as he dipped her towards the floor, enjoying the look of shock that spread across her face.

The whole night, the two of them danced, occasionally changing partners to spend time with the rest of the family. The reception came to a close as Jasper spun Verona in an intricate dance move, her ankles buckling as she landed on the ground with a laugh. People were beginning to head towards the house as the bride and groom came outside, hand-in-hand with bright happy smiles on their faces. They were no longer in their respective suit and dress, having changed into simpler clothing as they prepared to leave for their honeymoon. 

Bella was reluctant to move from her husband's side, but she had to say goodbye to her father, leaving Edward to say his final words to his own family. Verona was the first to greet him, wrapping her arms around his torso as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, the two stepping away from each other a moment later. Verona smiled at him, reaching up to playfully mess his bronze hair, to which he scowled down at her in annoyance.

"You finally got your happy ending," she breathes, a melancholic light in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Eddie."

"This will be you someday," he promised her, nudging her as they watched the wedding guests gather on the front steps. "Just you wait and see."

Verona frowned as he kissed her head one last time before heading over to the others. She turned to watch in confusion as he was pulled into Esme's waiting arms, her motherly instincts kicking in hard as she made sure he had everything he needed with him. There was something strange about the way Edward had spoken, almost like he knew something she didn't. She would've been annoyed, demanding that he tell her what he was hiding from her if this hadn't been his special day. She scowled in frustration as Alice appeared beside her, linking their arms together with the same knowing grin.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you'll find out in due time," Alice brushed her away, joining the other guests as the bride and groom made their way towards the car that was waiting to take them to their honeymoon destination. 

They watched with eagerness as Edward clambered behind the steering wheel, he and his new wife waving through the tinted windows at their loved ones, who began to cheer and clap their hands together as he started up the engine, the headlights blinking to life as they sped down the driveway and into the distance, eventually disappearing into the darkness of the night. And from there, the wedding was over. Guests began to say their goodbyes, and after what seemed like an eternity, they were gone. Verona stood in the empty drive as the last car turned onto the main road. Alice came to join her a moment later, a familiar envelope clutched in her hands.

"This came for you earlier," she said, holding out the letter for her to take. "I think you should read this one."

"Why?" Verona frowned, fingers brushing over the paper with hesitance. "What's so different about this one?"

"Just read it and you'll see," Alice chuckled, beginning to move towards the front door. Verona wanted to stop her, but in the blink of an eye, she was gone and Verona was on her own again.

With a sigh, she moved to take a seat on the front steps, brushing down the cement as her legs hit the ground, her dress pooling around her waist. She kicked away her heels, crossing her legs underneath her as she looked down at the letter, gnawing on her lower lip nervously. In complete honesty, she wasn't sure what to do. She'd promised to reconcile with her mate after her brother's wedding, and technically, the wedding had ended. But part of her was scared, terrified for what she was going to find written on this piece of paper. So she sat there for a moment, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

Her fingers shook as they hooked under the envelope's seal, tearing the paper open. Her hands started to tremble, eyes raking across Alec's elegant scrawl.

MY LOVELY VERONA,

I know there's a chance you're not going to read this. Considering you haven't responded to any of my other letters, I don't know why this one would be any different. But if you are, by chance, reading these words, then I want you to know that this will be my last letter to you. Not because I don't love you, but because I can't keep doing this.

Maybe we just weren't meant to work out. Jane says that if things were meant to be, then it would've happened by now. And part of me agrees with her. These past couple of months have been harder than ever. And in truth, I'm beginning to give up on the idea of us when things just keep going wrong.

But if you someday change your mind and want to try again, I won't deny you. I do want to spend forever with you, my love, I just can't keep sending these letters and receiving no reply. It hurts too much. So if you want to be with me, come to Italy. It doesn't have to be forever, just a visit. If you don't show, then I'll know you've given up too.

YOUR MATE ALWAYS, ALEC.

And once again, Verona was at a crossroad.

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