In Fate's Hands

“So I was thinking that maybe instead of these tablecloths, I could have these instead. What do you think?” Charlotte’s voice said the second I walked in the following morning. Emily usually didn’t mind Charlotte’s constant talk of her wedding, but this morning she seemed very annoyed.

My mom wasn’t in yet, and nothing seemed as happy or bright as it normally did. The flowers hadn’t been waters and we wilting, the catalogs and brochures hadn’t been put in their normal spots yet, the soft lights weren’t turned on so the light was from the bright lights on the ceiling.

“Charlotte for the last time I do not care what color of tablecloths you pick. It’s your wedding so pick whatever the hell you want! Just leave me alone and stay out of my life!” Emily snarled let her head drop to the table, where it landed with a thud. I stood where I was waiting for someone to notice me.

“I ask for a little help from either of you two as a sister and you never help me.”

“That is because it’s not now and then, it is about everything! You’ve been engaged for 6 months and that is all that we’ve heard since. Wedding this, wedding that, this, that, the flowers, the dresses.” Emily’s head was still against the table and Charlotte was completely engrossed in whatever she was looking at.

After standing there in silence I cleared my throat to let them know I was here. Emily’s head shot up like someone had just told her she’d won the lottery. “Thank god you are here!” She yelled hoping out of her chair and running over to me.

“Yeah I’m glad to see you too Em.” I laughed as attacked me with a hug.
“You saved me!” She informed me. I motioned towards Charlotte with my head and she nodded before moving her hand to tell that she would not shut up.

“Oh good you are here.” Charlotte’s voice was cold with me, apparently my presence was a problem to her or I had done something wrong that I was unaware of.

“No shit Sherlock.” I mumbled already becoming angry with my sister. The was going to be one of those days. I knew it already.

“Everyone is so cranky today.”

“Yeah and it’s because of you!” Emily told her.

“So Elise did you tell Robert?” Charlotte turned her attention to me as I helped Emily get the place ready.

“That is none of your damn business.”

“Will you tell me later?” Emily mouthed out. I nodded yes and she left it alone.

“Well that means on thing, he left you.” I swear I could see her smiling.

“Good morning girls.” My mom happily said as she walked through the door.

“Morning mom.” Emily and I echoed.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh we were just talking about how Robert left Elise last night. I knew that she could never keep him.” Charlotte said, this time the smile not hidden at all. I was holding a plastic holder for the brochures. My anger got the best of me and it cracked before it slipped through my hands and the two broken pieces landed on the floor with two clinks.

Three sets of eyes flashed to me with different emotions playing out on all of them. Emily- expectant for me to fight with Charlotte. Mom- confused as hell. Charlotte- pleased. I knew that mine were glowing. I mean literally glowing. Vampire eyes do that when anger spikes this high.

“What is she talking about?” My mom asked.

“She doesn’t know anything.” I said through my teeth that were locked tightly together.

“Oh I don’t?” Charlotte’s eyes twinkled. I felt two vice-like grips around my wrists. It was Emily to hold me back.

“I did tell him.” My voice was burning with pure anger. “He knows everything. Everything. After I told him-”

“He left you.” She repeated.

“After I told him he said he didn’t care!” Automatically my wrists struggled to get free from the grip. “He doesn’t care! He didn’t leave me!” I could see that this was not what Charlotte had expected to hear. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear. This fed the rage.

“Elise, let it go. Let it go.” My mom told me.

“Emily you can let me go, I won’t kill her.” I told Emily. I felt her let my wrists go.

“Charlotte you are a bitch, you know that?” I snarled.

“Girls we have a new client coming in, get it together. You can fight later.” My mom said as she looked out the glass. I looked as well and sure enough she was coming to the door. We all sat down and I made sure to sit as far away from Charlotte as I could.

I don’t think I paid a bit of attention through the entire time the lady was there, or through most of the day. I couldn’t concentrate on anything Charlotte was involved in, so I spent most of the day when I was paying attention talking to my mom.

Charlotte left as soon as we closed leaving my mom, Emily, and I to clean up and put stuff away. But my mom seemed like there was something waiting for her, and we were right. She and our dad had reservations at a restaurant tonight, so we told her to go.

“Well I’ll see you tomorrow.” I told Emily as I grabbed my stuff.

“Okay see you tomorrow.” As soon as I got home I went to change. Robert and I had a date tonight and I wanted to be ready when he showed up. I had just finished my make-up when there was a knock at the door.

“Hey.” I smiled as I opened the door and he was standing there.

“Hi Elise.” I kissed him, like I always did.

“Are you ready?” He asked

“Yes I am.” The conversation really started after we had ordered.

“So how was your day?”

“Well uh Charlotte almost got the shit beat out of her when she pissed me off, and I stayed that way until she left. So it pretty much sucked.”
“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault she’s a pain-in-the-ass.” He laughed which caused me to smile. “My family wants to meet you and I’m not sure that I like that idea.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Because with my dad and Charlotte I’m practically throwing you to the damn sharks, or more accurately the vampires.” I dropped my voice to a whisper.

“How about we talk about the vampire stuff when we get back to your flat?” He suggested in a whisper. I nodded in agreement and we talked about nothing important as we ate. But the vampire came up again later.

“So why would you be throwing me to the vampires?” He asked as he stood outside of my bathroom door. I was washing my make-up off and brushing my hair.

“Well because my dad is my dad. He never likes any of the boyfriends that my sisters bring home at first. And because Charlotte has been really weird lately. She really is like a vampire, or maybe she is more like a shark.”

“Wait a second, any of the boyfriends your sisters bring home. What about the ones you bring home?”

“I wouldn’t know. It’s different after you move out. I’ve never actually been in a serious relationship. If you would call ours one.”

“I would.”

“Then see? I wouldn’t know. This would be my first time taking you home.”

“I’m shocked.”

“About what?”

“The fact that this is your first serious relationship. If you could call it that”

“Shut up.” I laughed. “Would you really want to meet my family?”

“Um sure?”

“You are crazy. You know that?”

“I must be.” I opened the door and wrapped my arms around him.

“So tell me is this a first too?” He asked with a laugh.

“Is what?” I responded as I lost my train of thought the second his smell hit me.

“Being affectionate with someone.” I playfully punched him on the arm before letting my head settle on his shoulder.

“I’ve had boyfriend before, jeesh.”

“Just not serious ones?”

“Yeah, just not serious ones.”

“You are one of a kind Elise, you know that?”

“Yep.”

“You’ve never been in love have you?”

“I never loved any of my ex-boyfriends.” I avoided the actual question. I felt him kiss the top of my head and I held back the sigh I was holding in. It was when he left that I sat up in my bed thinking.

So yeah I’d avoided his question about being in love for a reason. To me it was a good reason. To someone else it would probably be stupid. I could always tell him the truth. Or I could just avoid it. I like the idea of avoiding it better.

I had always said I would never fall in love. I thought it didn’t exsist for me. I refused to dream about it. I refused to hope for it. I refused to ever allow myself to. I’s shunned it away from me, and so far I’d done a pretty damn good job.

“Aw crap.” I complained letting my head fall. My hand felt around on my nightstand for my phone. Damn stupid heart. I found it and hit the speed-dial number I wanted. It rang.

“Hello?”

“Emily I have a problem.” I confessed.

“What’s that?”

“I think I might be falling in love with him…”

“Ha! Mom and I are so going to win that bet!”

“You two are betting on if I’ll fall in love with him?!”
“Yeah. Charlotte said you wouldn’t.”

“Figures.”

“Wait a second did you say you think you are?”

“Yes. Em, I think I’m falling in love with Robert Pattinson.” I felt back on my bed.

“Holy crap. Wow”

“Tell me about it.”