Innocent

NIKKI:

I couldn't remember much. There was alot of blood. My eardrums were very sensitive, and I had a headache that was pissing me off.

They put me on a sofa-like chair and I just watched everything. Beth was laying on a bed in the middle of the room, and they kept shooting morphine into her like she was a drug addict or something. 

Every time one of the Cullens walked by, I ended up staring. I didn't want to, but I couldn't help it. It's hard to explain. They looked like walking statues, flawless in every aspect. How could you not stare?

Valerie and Seth stood off to the side on opposite ends of the room, acting like they were strangers. I didn't get it. I didn't know what came out of my mouth when I was acting like a person fresh out of an insane asylum. Maybe I said something...

I shifted my eyes over to the entrance to the room, discovering two of the werewolves. One was Paul, but I didn't recognize the other.

Paul spotted me and squished himself between the arm of the chair and my left side. "Crazy morning, huh?"

I just shrugged. I didn't feel like joking about anything.

Paul didn't speak after that. His body was really comforting, spreading warmth around me. I tried to be subtle about resting my head on his shoulder, but he didn't really notice. 

It was the first time I felt safe in a long time.

. . . . . . . .

VALERIE:

I basically gnawed my nails down to the nub.

Jacob snatched my hand away from my mouth. "Taste good?"

I snatched it back. "Delicious." It didn't calm the pit in my stomach, but I couldn't stop biting them.

"It looks like you handled it well." His eyes surveyed an unconscious Beth and Nikki sleeping on Paul's shoulder. "Paul seems to be enjoying himself."

"Are you being sarcastic?" I asked defensively. It wasn't fair to make fun of me. I tried my hardest.

"No, I'm being serious. I'm proud of you."

I snorted. "Proud of me?"

He smirked. "Yeah."

"Jacob, I didn't save her. I couldn't." I shook my head. "She didn't deserve this."

"It was brave, what you did. You should be proud of yourself."

I tried not to roll my eyes. "You've done braver things." I mentioned, referring to Bella's delivery...and...whatever else happened that night.

"Would you just take a compliment and give a guy a break?"

I dropped my eyes to my hands. "Thanks, Jake."

"Sure, sure. Now what's going on between you two?" He pointed between Seth and I. It caught Seth's attention, and he started towards us.

"Jake," I whined, rubbing my forehead.

"What's wrong with her?" He nudged Seth's shoulder.

I peeked up at Seth sheepishly. His eyes were planted on mine, but he didn't say anything.

Jake waited patiently. It was a new concept for him.

I caved first. "It's not what you think-"

"Then what is it?" Seth jumped at me.

Jacob looked at Seth's arms crossed over his chest and then gave me suspicious eyes. "What did you do now?"

"I'm pretty sure she tried to sacrifice herself without telling any of us." Seth claimed.

"No!" I insisted, even though he was kind of right.

Jacob pursed his lips, then anchored his hands on my shoulders. He spun me around and forced me to walk forward and outside, Seth following behind.

It was such a pretty day, the sun out nice and strong and the temperature very warm. It was a shame that there was no way to enjoy it now.

"Okay," Jake checked over his shoulder to make sure we were alone. They both looked strange in such bright sunlight. "Now talk."

They were ganging up on me. It wasn't fair. "It doesn't matter what happened. I screwed up, just leave it at that."

"Val," Seth shook his head in disappointment. "Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?" I asked innocently. "I'm telling the truth, I don't know what -"

"Stop it." Jacob scolded me. "What happened yesterday?"

I thought that maybe I could pull it off. "I don't know what you're talking about."

They looked at eachother and started laughing, like I told them a good joke. It annoyed me.

"It's official. You're the worst liar on the face of the planet." Jacob patted my shoulder. "Congrats."

I scoffed and ignored them, pushing past their shoulders and back towards the house.

Jacob jumped infront of the door. "Not so fast, Little Miss Stubborn."

I resisted the urge to kick him where it hurts. He didn't get it, neither of them did. I turned back and walked right into Seth.

He grabbed the tops of my arms and held me still. I couldn't look at him, because I knew I would be hit with a wall of emotion and I didn't know what to expect from it.

I sighed heavily. "Yesterday, Nikki told us that she thought Beth was with Tyler."

Seth nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"Beth was fine. Nikki only said that to distract you and get you to leave."

"Why?" Jacob butt in. I bit my tongue.

Seth lifted my chin back to eye level. "Why?" He asked me.

"Because Tyler wanted to...see me." I didn't know how else to describe our encounter.

"And you were just gonna keep it a secret?" Jacob yelled. "Until when? Until you started dancing around as a bloodsucker?"

Seth pushed his chest back and focused on me. "What did he say to you?"

I sighed again, my chest stuffy. "Tyler wants me to suffer for what I did to Elena, and he used Nikki to get to me so that I wouldn't see it coming."

"You didn't do anything to her." Seth reminded me. "That was me."

"He threatened to hurt Beth if I didn't agree to it." I said, my nose tingling. I knew I would have to cry sooner or later. "And I asked that he wait until tomorrow to do it because today was my birthday."

My tears didn't effect either of them. "Do what?" Jake asked, less harsh than before.

"He wants to turn me." I started to cry harder. "He said that I could have today, and then tomorrow I had to give in."

Jacob wiped his hands over his face. "Why didn't you say anything last night?"

My breathing hitched. "If I told you, he would hurt you, too."

"Valerie, there's seven of us and one of him! He wouldn't have a damn chance!" Jacob yelled at me now.

"I didn't know what to do." I cried. Of course he wouldn't have a chance. Why didn't I see that before? "I don't understand what I did wrong, there was no reason to turn Beth! Now her whole life is ruined because of me!"

Jacob was frustrated, and he just openly walked away from me. It only added to my guilt. 

I took a few steps away from Seth to pull myself together. I'd cried twice already, and the day had just barely started.

It was my birthday.

I wiped my flushed cheeks. Seth cuddled me to his chest, and the tears came harder. I hated how he had that power over me.

He let me cry, and I needed it desperately. He stroked my back and my hair. He waited until the sobbing stopped, and sniffles were all that was left.

"It wasn't a dream." He whispered. "Was it?"

"No," I whimpered, closing my eyes. "It was real."