Ebb and Flow (Twilight x Reader)

Chapter 15

Bright light shined from every window on the first two floors. A long line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowers—pink roses—lined the wide stairs up to the front doors.

Edward parked the Volvo, and I got out of the truck to meet him and Bella on the sidewalk. I followed behind as they took the lead up the path.

They were all waiting in the huge white living room; when we walked through the door, they greeted us with a loud chorus of "Happy birthday!" Alice, I assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to the grand piano, holding a pink birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents.

Carlisle and Esme were the closest to the door. Esme hugged Bella, then me, and I received a quick embrace from Carlisle as well after he'd greeted Bella.

"Sorry about this," Carlisle stage-whispered. "We couldn't rein Alice in."

Rosalie and Emmett stood behind them. Rosalie didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. Emmett's face was stretched into a huge grin. It had been months since I'd seen them; I'd forgotten how gloriously beautiful Rosalie was.

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett said to Bella with mock disappointment. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always."

"Thanks a lot, Emmett," she said, blushing deeper.

Emmett grinned, and his expression brightened significantly when his gaze fell on me. "Y/n!"

Within a split second, he had me wrapped up in a suffocating bear hug.

"Emmett!" I exclaimed, punching at his beefy shoulders, though it did nothing because of his supernatural strength.

Eventually he relented and set me down, ruffling my hair. I successfully shoved his hand away, but I knew he only let me do that.

He gasped suddenly in mock surprise. "Well, look at this." He peered at my hair. "Are those curls? You actually dressed up?"

"Oh shut up," I said, batting him away. "It's my birthday."

He laughed. "I have to step out for a second"—he paused to wink conspicuously at Alice—"Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light. Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs.

During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversion to us. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted before—avoiding us as much as possible—the moment he was free from that temporary obligation to protect me. Unlike with Edward, I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution.

"Time to open presents," Alice declared. She put her cool hand under Bella's elbow and gripped my wrist as she towed us to the table with the cake and the shiny packages.

Bella protested. "Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything—"

"But I didn't listen," she interrupted, smug. "Open it."

She took the camera from Bella's hands and replaced it with a big, square silver box. "This is for the two of you—a joint present."

Bella and I tore the paper off and then stared at the box it concealed. It was something electrical, with lots of numbers in the name. Bella opened the box, but the box was empty. "Um...thanks," she said.

Rosalie actually cracked a smile. Jasper laughed. "It's a stereo for the truck," he explained. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."

"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie," Bella told them, grinning.

I smiled, too. "Seriously, thank you guys." Then I rose my voice to call more loudly. "Thanks, Emmett!"

His booming laugh came from outside, and I couldn't help laughing, too.

"Open mine and Edward's next, Bella," Alice said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand.

Bella turned to give Edward a basilisk glare. "You promised."

Before he could answer, Emmett bounded through the door. "Just in time!" he crowed. He pushed in behind Jasper, who had also drifted closer than usual to get a good look.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward assured.

"Okay," Bella sighed.

Emmett chuckled with delight.

Bella took the little package, rolling her eyes at Edward while she stuck her finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape.

"Shoot," she muttered when the paper sliced her finger; she pulled it out to examine the damage.

A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.

It all happened very quickly then.

"No!" Edward roared. He threw himself at Bella, flinging her back across the table. It fell, as she did, scattering the cake and the presents, the flowers and the plates. She luckily managed to twist to avoid the shattered crystal.

Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide. There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's chest. Jasper tried to shove past Edward, snapping his teeth just inches from Edward's face.

I darted forward and tried to pull at Jasper's arm, but it flung out with impossible strength into my chest, sending me flying in Bella's direction.

And into the mess of crystal shards.

Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused on Bella.

They flicked to me a moment later.

Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm—into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.