Love Your Enemy

Olive sat in the hospital bed. She was upset and angry; tears had left black lines down her cheeks.
“I am so sick of this shit!” she exclaimed to her parents.
They were the only one in the room with her, but the rest of the family and some of the Cullens were out in the hall.
“I don’t want to be in hospital, I don’t want to be stuck in Maine, I want to go home!”

“We know that, sweetie,” her mother said and brushed her hand over her hair.
“Then do something about it!” Olive cried. “I don’t want to be the sick one. I want to run around and have fun. I want to be at the beach back home in Parghelia. I want to be free from being scared.”
Seth wrapped his arms around his oldest daughter and held her close. “I am so sorry Livvy.”

“And it didn’t help bringing me to all the vamps. I haven’t phased. I’m still a fucking weak human with a disease that is slowly killing me. Fucking lymphoma…” she muttered.
Olive didn’t see the glance her parents shared over her head. Her mother nodded to her father before she spoke.
“Baby, we didn’t bring you here in hopes you would phase. There is something we have to tell you.

~~~

Olive’s cries were heard in the hospital corridors. She refused to speak to anyone. She felt betrayed. She had been left in the dark as they plotted against her, to ruin her life, to make her suffer. Olive was brought back to the Cullen’s house where she locked herself in one of the bathroom.

She was left to herself for the rest of the day. She didn’t leave before the night had silenced all the sounds in the house. She unlocked the door silently, but didn’t bother to think if Esme would come to her. She hoped not. Her feet carried her to the stairs before she was done deciding if she would go to him.

“Come on in, Olive,” Jasper said from the other side of the door as she raised her fist to knock.
A slow song resembling a lullaby was sounding from the gramophone when she entered. She went straight to the leather futon and lay down. She pressed her knees against her chest and pressed her eyes shut.

“I can’t talk about it,” she said in a weak voice.
“Then I won’t ask,” Jasper replied and went back to his own business.
They were silent as the song ended and Jasper put on another. Jasper eyes were on her. The skin around her eyes was red and swollen because of her tears, but he still thought she was beautiful.

He felt her desperation, her wonder and her pain. He tried to send her some other emotions, but she fought them off.
“I just-“ she started but paused. “I just don’t understand how they can think changing me into the thing I detest will save my life. Being a vampire is a fate worse than death.”

Jasper didn’t mind the way she described what he was. “Parents can do the craziest things out of the love they have for their children. Maybe they do the right thing, maybe not.”
“I’d rather take another round of chemo.”
“Chemo won’t give you long enough time to live. Five years at tops.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” she snapped at him. “But I won’t be alive is I’m transformed into a vampire.”

“It depends on how you use your unlimited time,” he answered and pulled his chair closer to her.
Olive sat up crossed legged. “Spend it like you, all the time alone in the attic?
“I used to have a life. But she left me.”
“Why did she leave you?” Olive wanted to talk about something else.
Jasper sighed but didn’t find any reasons not to tell her. “Alice was gifted; she could see the future in visions she received. One day she saw me…” Jasper trailed off. He hadn’t seen the link until now.

Alice had seen him with a girl, five years ago.
“Olive, how long is it since you were diagnosed?”
“Four and a half years ago, why?”
Jasper cursed under his breath. Alice had seen him with Olive.

He shrugged at her. “I just realized my wife left because of you,” he chuckled.
Olive furrowed her brows. “Why?”
Jasper laughed louder. “We’ll probably end up together, Olive,” he threw his head back and laughed even more. “In the end.”
“Ew,” she simply stated. “You are old.”
He gave her a sheepish smile. “And you are childish. But that doesn’t change anything.”

Olive turned around and hid her pink cheeks.
“Hey,” Jasper calmed down and put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Of course I’m not okay,” she mumbled under her breath. “Is it you that will change me?”
Jasper shook his head. “No. I’m not strong enough to stop. Carlisle or Edward can change you.”
She merely nodded.

“Can I sleep here tonight?” she asked and turned back around.
“Of course, Olive.”
“You can call me Liv. Everybody else does.”
“Okay, Liv,” Jasper smiled at her and carefully brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “Sleep well.”
Olive looked down as her face warmed up.