Into Your Arms

The woods.
Forks, Washington.
2010.
Ivory.

I flip it over to the back and stare at the seal; Volturi, of course. Taking a deep breath, I open the envelope and pull out the letter. My hands tremble slightly, which is more of a psychological reaction than a physical one, and I force them to stop as I slowly unfold it and stare at the words scrawled in front of me.

Ivory,
I’m taking a huge chance here, hoping that you’ll actually accept the letter and read it. Don’t worry about word of this getting back to anyone, Isaiah is a good friend and can be trusted.
This sounds clichéd and weak, but things really have changed. I think I’ve changed, hopefully for the better in your opinion. I haven’t stopped missing you for all these years. And seeing you again… You’ve changed, I can see that. You’ve become stronger and more determined, but you still have that smile in your eyes.
I’ve made decisions and mistakes I’m not proud of. I still want to try and fix this one.
By the time you get this, I’ll be in Seattle for the next three days. All I’m asking for is a chance to talk. I’m not going to force you to join or make you come back with me, but I have to see you.
Please.

-Alec

I reread the letter, over and over again, the words echoing through my mind. The opportunity feels so tempting, as if it’s begging to be taken. And I still see Alec’s face, in shock and slight happiness when I arrived, but in heartbreak when I left.
All he wants to do is talk. Where’s the harm in that?
“Mom?” I ask as I walk into the house, quickly jumping up to my room. “I’m going out.”
Esme glances at me. “I don’t get to know where?”
I laugh, quietly. “I don’t even know where. I just need to… think about some things.”
“Well…” she hesitates. “When will you be back?”
The silence that follows afterwards is enough to answer her question. “I get it,” she says quietly. “Come back when you want, and be careful.”
“Always am, Mom.” I grab my black hoodie, toss a few things into a plain white backpack, and slip out the door, pulling up the hood and breaking into a run the second I’m out of sight.

Day 1.
Ocean Beach.
San Francisco, California.

I pace back and forth in the sand, trying to keep my distance from the group of stoners a few yards down. Slow laughter suddenly erupts from the group and I roll my eyes.
“Hey kid,” Bryony says, suddenly standing next to me, and I offer a small smile.
“Hey kid. What took you guys so long?”
“Miles is being a slacker,” she snickers, her voice rising in volume, and Miles is standing next to me in the next second.
“I am not!” he protests, engulfing me in a one-armed hug. “It’s Beccy’s fault!”
“So now I’m the one to blame?” Beccy says angrily, appearing next to Bryony. “That’s not very nice.”
“Beccy, have we ever been nice?” I laugh. “Nice to see you guys.”
She smiles, hugging me, and we all sit around a crackling fire I manage to coax out of a pile of wet driftwood.
“So how have you guys been?” I ask, after we sit there for a moment.
“We’ve been-“ Bryony starts, but Miles suddenly cuts her off.
“Ooh! Can I tell her? Please?” he begs, and Bryony rolls her eyes.
“Your enthusiasm scares me, but yeah, go ahead.”
“We’ve found yet another source of income,” Miles grins. “Card counting.”
“Do you know how many casinos are in the US?” Beccy asks. “It’s a ridiculous number. There’s Vegas, then there’s Atlantic City, then there’s all the casinos on reservations and riverboats and…” She pauses. “Let’s just say that we’ve got plenty of places to go, in case one kicks us out.”
“And don’t forget other countries,” Bryony adds. “We’re set for… a while.”
“Nice,” I smile.
Laughter comes from the group of middle-aged stoners once again.
“Can we please kill them?!” Miles asks. “They’re annoying and I’m hungry.”
“Go ahead,” I smirk. “Save some for me.”
Miles and Beccy run over, and the screams that ensue are suddenly cut off by wet gurgling noises.
“So what’s up with you?” Bryony asks, crossing her legs and leaning back on her palms, digging her fingers into the sand.
I sigh heavily, looking up at the fog framing the full moon, and tell the entire story of what happened in Italy.
She blinks once I finish. “Well are you going to go?”
“I have three days to decide,” I shrug.
“Let me rephrase that. Think about it, do you want to go?”
I stare blankly at the crashing waves. “I do,” I admit quietly.
“Then what’s stopping you?” she frowns, elbowing me in the ribs. “Just go. See what happens. There’s no harm in that.”
“What would I do without you?” I smile.
She shrugs. “Crash and burn.”
“That’s positive,” I laugh.
Bryony smiles. “Just being honest. C’mon,” she continues, standing up, “I’m thirsty.”

Day 2.
Central Park.
Manhattan, New York.

“Ivory!!” Jess yells, attacking me with a huge hug. “Damnit! Why didn’t you come to us when you left?!”
I simply smile and hug back without answering. “Are you the only one here?”
“Nah, Chris is running around somewhere. Everyone else is back in London. Now answer my question.”
I sit in the shade, even though the sky is covered with a thin layer of miserable clouds. “I wasn’t thinking.”
She sits next to me, crossing her legs. “All we know is that you left. Lizzie was nearly hysterical when she found out.”
I shrug. “Things didn’t work out between me and Alec.”
“Again?”
I nod. “So I kinda wandered, made my own clan, settled with a different clan, and now…”
“Oh,” she says, reading the expression on my face. “You’re going back to him.”
“I can’t help it,” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. “I… miss him.”
“Even after all that?”
I nod.
“Well…” She frowns to herself, trying to think of what to say. “You’re a big kid now. If you think you know what you’re doing then… go for it, I guess.”
“Oh, don’t lie to me. You think I’m making a huge mistake.”
“You want the truth? Fine, I think you’re making a massive mistake. I don’t get what you see in him, if he messed with you twice and now expects you to come crawling back to him.”
“I can’t explain it!” I snap, and then bury my face in my hands. “Sorry…”
Jess shrugs. “Do whatever you want.”

Day 3.
An alley.
Seattle, Washington.

I slowly walk through the nighttime streets of Seattle, the clouds thick and heavy above me. My ears strain to hear Alec’s voice, while my eyes search for his dark, hooded figure.
“You came.”
I turn around towards the direction of his voice, and a small smile of relief is on his face, while the rest of his face is covered in shadow.
“To be honest,” he continues, “I didn’t think you would.”
“I didn’t think I would either,” I respond, as he lowers his hood and our eyes lock.
“I don’t want to yell,” I say after a while, breaking the silence, “and I don’t want to fight. Just-“
“Talk,” he finishes, his eyes still fixed on mine. “I know. That’s all I want, too.”
“Good.” I offer a small smile. “Now… let’s talk.”
“I missed you,” he says quietly. “I needed to say I’m sorry.”
“I missed you too,” I whisper, almost automatically, before realizing that… I actually mean it.
He reaches out and holds my cheek. “And…”
We stand in silence for a moment before I reach up and pull his hand away. “And?” I ask, shakily.
And… I still love you,” he responds, just as shakily. “You know that, right?”
I nod slowly, looking down at our shoes. “I… I still love you too.”
“But you won’t come back,” he frowns.
“You’re not that trustworthy, Alec.”
“I get that I made mistakes. Don’t we all?”
“Alec-“ I start to say, but he cuts my off by crashing his lips onto mine. After a moment of shock, I slowly reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, standing on my toes and deepening the kiss.
We both pull back at the same time and stare into each other’s eyes in… surprise? No, that’s not the right word.
“Please come back,” he whispers.
“I-I…” I stammer. “I don’t know, Alec, I…” I slowly step back. “I don’t know.”

Then I turn and run.