A Teaser...Chapter 54... (I'm officially in hiding...)

Edward POV.

Alice remained with Jasper, rarely leaving his bedside. She sat slumped in her chair, her head on her arms, her eyes blank. I’d been worried about her since Jasper had first fallen ill, but it was worse now. I felt real fear for what would become of her if she lost Jasper. She was his rock, his tiny pillar of strength, but he was absolutely everything to her.

We’d only witnessed them together for a few weeks, but we knew now that they’d been in love since the moment they met. I couldn’t imagine one without the other...it just wasn’t right. The unfairness of their situation made me angry...bitterly furious. It was just so unjust; they’d both been through so much already.

I’d loved Alice, or Mary as she was then, from the day she’d breezed into my life. She was this miniature, bright, exuberant, bundle of energy - always smiling and laughing. She brought light to everyone she touched. I’d only met Laurent once, but the change in her was evident from the start, and then one day, she just disappeared.

I barely recognised the girl we met at the airport the following year. She’d lost everything she’d ever had and more; she was a shadow of the vibrant girl she’d once been. I’d felt a real loss the day she’d returned to America, knowing deep down that she’d never be the same again.

She’d tried so hard to rebuild her life, to put the horrors of her past behind her and she’d very nearly succeeded. Even though I’d never been positive of the romantic relationship between her and Jasper, I’d noticed the change in her since they’d lived together. Little things, like driving and dancing. He’d given her a confidence I’d feared was lost forever.

But as I watched her keep her vigil over Jasper, my whole body burned with grief. We would lose her if Jasper died. He was the part of her she’d been missing and she would never survive without him.

Coming soon...