Fourteen.

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Chapter 14:
Full Moon

"Happy Birthday, Hunter." She looked away from her window, finding Edward right behind her. She hated when he did that, finding a way in without making a sound.

She sighed and pursed her lips, "Thanks." She lightly brushed past him and started picking up stray clothes off the floor. She didn't realize she made this much of a mess before leaving to Italy.

They were back in Forks within a day. Hunter never really spoke to anyone on the way back. She kept her head low and her responses short. There was a sheet of depression that followed her after what happened with her and her mother. Bella tried to pry, hoping to help her in any way, but Hunter refused. She wasn't ready to share the fact that she was almost killed before she was even born.

"I got you something." Edward said, gaining her attention. She tossed her clothes in the hamper and faced him, an unamused look in her eye. "How did you even have time to do that?" She asked, walking closer to him.

"Don't worry about it. Just look up." He grinned. So she did. She glanced up and saw nothing but her constellations. She shrugged, "What am I supposed to-"

The lights flickered off and they glowed brightly. She noticed instantly, the one star that didn't glow before, was now on like the rest of them. She gasped, "How did you-"

He was next to her in an instant, "I said don't worry about it." His tone was soft and inviting. She met his eyes and she exhaled, easily reading his thoughts. He towered over her but his face was close enough. "Edward-"

"Justβ€” I wanna see something." He mumbled, quickly closing the space between their faces. In that moment she wanted to shove her hand in his chest and rip his heart out. He was about to kiss her, cheat on Bella. But she couldn't move.

The closer he got, the more curiosity she gained. "What was so appealing about him?" She would often think. His smell, his face, his skin, even the way he talked. He was a beautiful creature and that's all it took.

Their lips brushed together and before he could continue, a snicker left Hunter's mouth. His eyes opened and he watched her cover her mouth. Giggles left her and he blinked, confused. "Oh my god." She laughed, backing away from him. "You were about to kiss me."

A smile spread onto his lips, "Oh my god." He muttered, joining her in laughter. They were silenced though, small snickers leaving their mouths in an attempt to avoid being caught. "I can't believe you." Hunter whispered, slapping his arm.

Edward stood up straight, recovering from the laughs, "I'm sorry. I just needed to be sure."

She nodded, curving her lips upward. "You needed to see if you loved Bella more than me." He looked away, ashamed in himself. "It's okay. I understand."

"I love Bella." Edward spoke, his face hardening and his eyes studying the floor. "But I do, still love you too."

Hunter closed her eyes with dismay and she let out a heavy sigh. Before she could even speak, Edward was in front her again, his cold hands holding up her face, "I'm not asking you for anything. I won't push the boundaries. But I can't just wish this all away."

She opened her eyes, watching his fill up with tears of frustration. He looked torn, but he shouldn't have to be. "When I look at you, I see someone who knows me, who understands me. I see our connection. Maybe it's just friends for you but for me it's strong. It's compelling. You're my guilty pleasure, Hunter. I can't have you."

Hunter nodded, "You're damn right you can't. This isn't right Edward. You can't have us both. God, you're just like Jacob."

"I don't care." He replied, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "I choose Bella. But that doesn't mean that anything I have for you doesn't exist to me."

She grabbed his hands and slowly removed them from her face. "I've never been in a love hexagon before." Edward chuckled, staring at their hands. He knew he could keep his distance from Hunter, he just had to get the weight off of his chest. It would be hard to see her with Winston, but he could endure it.

In the other room, Bella whimpered in her sleep, a nightmare taking over her. Hunter rolled her eyes and brushed a stray tear off Edward's cheek. "Go tend to your girlfriend. Before I change my mind and kill you for trying to kiss me."

He looked at her again, an amused smirk spreading on his cheeks, "Goodnight, Hunter. Happy Birthday."

Without another word, he disappeared from her sight. She sighed and plopped herself back on her windowsill. Her half empty pills sat beside her, untouched and a bit dusty. She didn't even spare them a glance. Her eyes watched the full moon rise above the evergreen trees and a feeling of relief washed over her. "Happy Birthday to me."

A tear slid down her cheek and she looked down at the photo of her father beside her, wishing that he was there with her.

____

"You all know what I want." Bella spoke from the stairs in the Cullen home. She dragged everyone to the living area for a vote. Hunter already knew what she was about to ask of them and she already knew her answer. "And I know how much I'm asking for. The only thing that I can think of for it to be fair is to just vote."

Edward shook his head in protest and mumbled some words but Bella quickly cut him off, "Shut up."

Hunter leaned against the stair railing, her eyes studying her brand new boots. She favored her other ones more but they were destroyed from the ocean. This was highly unnecessary in her opinion, Bella didn't need this life.

"Alice?" She started, a smile on her face.

The pixie haired girl smiled and walked over to her, "I already consider you my sister." They pulled each other into a hug and she nodded, "Yes." Bella mumbled a thank you.

"I vote yes." Jasper spoke, "It would be nice to not want to kill you all the time." Hunter looked up at Edward, a pained look on his face. She knew he wanted Bella to live her normal life, to grow old like you're supposed to.

"I'm sorry," Rosalie sighed, "I'm really sorry to both of you for how I've acted, and I'm really grateful that you were brave enough to go and save my brother. But this isn't a life I would have chosen for myself. And I wish that there'd been someone to vote no for me. So, no."

Hunter sighed in relief, gaining everyone's attention, "For once, I agree with Rosalie. I vote no, Bella." Her best friend's eyes were hurt, she would've thought Hunter would want to be with her forever as well, to be best friends for eternity. "I didn't have a choice, but you do, and I'm begging you to please, re-consider this. One of us has to make it."

Bella dropped her eyes, already making her decision. "I vote hell yeah." Emmett beams, hugging her, "And we can pick a fight with the Volturi some other way."

"I already consider you a part of the family." Esme says, "Yes."

Carlisle sighed and joined Bella's side, looking up at his son apologetically. Edward picked at his fingers, "Why are you doing this to me? You know what this means."

"You've chosen not to live without her, which leaves me no choice. I won't lose my son." Carlisle replied.

Hunter exhaled, "Excuse me." She quickly left the room and exited the house. She was overwhelmed and afraid. Bella was giving up the opportunity to actually age, to experience things she's never did before as an actual adult.

She inhaled sharply and leaned against the railing. There was so much she still wanted to do with her life. She wanted to get married and start a family, to raise kids of her own and get a job. Now, she had to worry about her neighbors wondering why she hasn't aged since high school.

The thought of Bella not living, is a thought she couldn't comprehend. Before she moved to Forks, she was fine with living the rest of her life without her. But it was different now. Bella was her best friend.

Β Β  "Hunter." Her voice was soft, as it usually was. Her scent was quickly picked up by the wind and danced around Hunter's nose. She didn't fold, she stood still and silent. "It's my decision." Bella continued, lingering by the door. She fiddled with her fingers, watching Hunter breath calmly was nerve wracking. She didn't know what she'd say, if she'd yell or leave.

Β Β  "Well, your decision is stupid." Hunter mumbled. Her hands danced against the railing before she gripped it. When the breeze picked up and her short hair whipped around, it was then when she had noticed that she was sweating. Though she wasn't angry, just afraid.

Bella sighed and joined Hunter by the railing. "I have a choice." She started. Her tone was assured, something that struck Hunter hard. "Stay human and age and eventually die. Or become a vampire and live forever with you and Edward."

Hunter's knuckles faded to white as her grip tightened. She couldn't deny that Bella dying made her stomach churn but there was so much life had to offer. "What about having kids? Don't you want to have a family? See your parents? Live the way we always planned?"

Bella's hands fumbled together again. They stay clasped at her stomach, weaving her fingers in and out of each other. "I can still see my parents, just not as much. Kids, I can live without. And as for our plan, we can still make it happen, Hunter. We can do whatever we want, forever."

The hybrid huffed. She had an answer for everything. It was hard to fight Bella on this, it is her life, her decision. "None of this was supposed to happen." Hunter whispered. She could feel the burning sensation grow in her nostrils but she fought it.

"I know." Bella whispered back. She placed her calm hand atop Hunter's tense one, and glanced at her. "But we have each other still. We'll have each other always."

It wasn't relaxing, but it was assuring. In the aftermath of what has happened and in the beginning of what could happen, it was enough for now.
____

"In life, I only ever craved one thing, happiness. My mom died giving birth and my dad died in a hunting accident." The sunlight poured in and enhanced the canopy of green surrounding them. Sea salt burned their noses and the birds sang happily around them.

Winston watched her and listened. He was intrigued and enamored. Every ounce of her was beautiful like a tulip, and she shined like the stars at night. He could stare at her forever.

She picked at her shoelaces and continued, "I think now, I have that. I mean, yeah, I'm sad that I don't have any parents but I still have people who love me, who care about me. Bella's like a sister and Charlie's like a father. I mean, I guess that's enough right?"

She finally looked up, a blush appearing on her cheeks. This was her first time opening up to someone she's only known for a short amount of time but she could trust him. The look in his eyes, it made her feel safe, it made her feel human.

"Yeah." He replied, "And you have me now, your-"

Hunter raised her eyebrows, "My what?" Contagious, that was the word. When he smiled, she smiled, and vise versa. They couldn't hide their true self's around each other, they just brought the best in each other out. Winston shuffled closer to her and grabbed her face gently, pecking her nose first, "I'm your boyfriend. No buts, no cuts, no coconuts, okay?"

She snickered first before she let her laugh free, her hands clutching his arms with glee. She nodded, "Well then I'm your girlfriend. No take backs-ies."

"Oh, I'm never taking that back." He smiled, pressing his lips against her's. It wasn't just a brush of the lips, it was a warm sensation that molded them together. It was an act that made it possible to freeze time and erase the mind of any stress. In that moment, they were present. No interruptions, no lies, no secrets, and no distractions. She was his, and he was hers.

The birdsong drifts as well as any summertime pollen. It comes as magical as any spell, as improvised as south jazz, and as mesmerizing as a true love's kiss.

Maybe a blissful life could exist for a monster.

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