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Love Me, Hate Me, Lie to Me
The further Summer ran from Forks, she felt like an important piece of her life had recently gone missing. She was happy the Cullens weren’t physically hurt, and Aro hadn’t been thinking spiteful thoughts against them. But, there was a chance he was only thinking about killing them while she wasn’t around him. Aro didn’t even know Jake due to Summer’s enhanced skills, which was certainly a good thing. Although it grieved her to say this, she probably did belong with Aro. Summer wasn’t the cheating type and, considering Aro married her, that itself was a sign. She was linked to Aro for eternity. Yet, when she kissed Jake, it seemed…superlative, genuine, and enchanting. It was as if their hearts were two puzzle pieces that simply fit to create a bigger, brighter picture. Did it feel that way for her and Aro? She used to think so, but now, she was having second thoughts. Summer tried to shake that belief off. Since she’d been away from him for so long, her emotions were playing tricks on her mind and heart. Was that the truth? She sighed internally. It had to be; she must forever be with Aro, and frankly, she’d possibly never lay eyes on the Cullens or Jake in the future. If this was the new torment her spirit would need to deal with, then fine. Ultimately, she knew this wasn’t about her; it was about the safety of Jake and the Cullens, and, judging by what she comprehended, they were secure from harm. Then why did she keep on telling herself that? Ugh, she just needed to stop thinking for a little while; she was digging herself into a deeper hole with every thought. They had been running for five hours and already they had reached the east coast. They found themselves in a cramped, wooded area near a major beach site in Georgia. Summer’s energy was depleting, but sleep began overtaking Chloe first. Aro agilely came to a stop, “Perhaps we should stop here for the night, dear. The place is quite deserted, and Chloe is about ready to fall off my back.” He smoothed her lovely dark hair, “And look at you; I’m sure you can’t take another step without fainting.” The appeal of his voice sounded so caring. He hadn’t always been that way before Summer left. She nodded wearily, “I agree. Let’s find somewhere to lay her down.” He led her to a grassy clearing hidden away under a canopy of trees. Summer kneeled down and laid their daughter on the soft ground. She cocked her head to the side. Aro laughed and took off his jacket, “Here.” He folded it and handed it to Summer. She beamed at him, “How did you know?” He smirked, “You’re my wife. It’s my duty to know you by heart, inside and out.” She placed Aro’s folded jacket under Chloe’s head, “Perfect!” Aro sat next to Summer, looking her in the eyes.
“Now,” she began playfully, “I wonder what’s going to be my pillow?” Aro chuckled, carefully wrapping her in his cool arms, “What do you think?” He whispered into her ear. She flipped her hair back and laid on his chest, “Not the softest pillow in the world, but certainly an inviting one.” He continued stroking her hair. “You know,” she began, “I cried every night because you weren’t there to hold me as you always did.” She sensed him slightly cringe. She raised her chin to look at him, “Are you alright?” He sighed, “I can’t stand the thought of torturing you the way I did.” Summer’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?” His countenance shone with clear discomfort, “I should have been more diligent in finding you.” Summer’s heart wanted to protest against that, but it would seem very awkward, “Aro, the important thing is that you and I are together now. Past mistakes don’t matter, so we shouldn’t act like they still exist.” He smiled, “Wow, I have a wise wife.” She giggled, caressing his cheek with her thumb. He pressed her hand affectionately against his face, never taking his eyes off her. She crawled up on him and kissed his sweet lips for several minutes, though it only seemed close to a few seconds for the married lovers. Summer hadn’t forgotten about Jake, despite being with her husband. However, she was trying to convince herself that she loved him as a friend instead of an admirer. She closed her eyes and breathed in Aro’s scent; fortunately for him, it still allured her. “So, I’m merely curious, but how did you manage to find Chloe and I, honey?” Aro gazed up at the sparkling night sky, “In the past, I had contemplated the Cullens befriending you making you a part of their coven, but I shied away from it after some time. Yesterday morning, I finally decided that it wouldn’t hurt to confirm my suspicions. And, sure enough,” he squeezed her warmly, “you were there.” She gave him her dazzling, lying smile, “I see why I couldn’t catch up to you, though.” He continued, “You’ve been to many different places.” Summer nodded, remembering the fun times she had travelling freely with her Chloe, a luxury she’d obviously need to give up now. “Why did you leave Volterra, darling?” Aro questioned innocently in his entrancing Italian voice. Summer bit her lower lip, “Didn’t you see why when you read my thoughts?” “Thoughts are not solid bases for all answers, dear.” He pointed out. She paused for a moment, “I didn’t approve of what you were doing to Chloe, Aro.” She stated flatly. He made no attempt to silence her. “You allow every other Volturi member the freedom of choice, but you had already made plans on where to position our only daughter. I understand you think she should stay within the Volturi, but if she has no desire to, then she should be allowed to go where she pleases.” His red eyes gazed at her apologetically, “I guessed that was the reason quite a while ago, and in no way do I blame you for it.” Summer’s eyes grew wide. Did he SERIOUSLY say that? This was not the Aro she remembered.
He was much more compassionate now than ever before. “It was my fault for pressurizing her. I became so entangled in the situation that I couldn’t see what I was doing. If she desires to leave when she is older, I will let her, although we both would miss her terribly.” Summer stared at him silently, gleaming, “What happened to you?” Aro arched an eyebrow. “You were never this considerate before, Aro.” Summer was totally shocked. He grinned, “When you left, many things changed, including me.” He seemed to be telling the truth, and Summer desperately wanted to believe it. Was it possible for a powerful man like Aro to drastically humble himself? She supposed anyone could change their ways. She hugged him, “I’m so proud of you.” “For?” “For changing. I mean, you didn’t even bring the Volturi guard with you—“ “Actually,” he interrupted, sounding rather guilty, “I did.” Summer stared at him, “You…you did? You lied to Carlisle?” Why on earth did that surprise her?! “I’m so sorry dear, but I had to. It was only in case they offered any kind of resistance.” He expression was lifeless, “You had intent to kill them if they resisted?” “No, of course not.” He defended, “Only intent to hold them back.” Summer gritted her teeth; this was an unexpected hurricane in her sunny view of Aro. “How come Carlisle couldn’t trace their scents?” “We’ve had a new addition to our guard a year ago. Her name is Dominique, and her power is masking any number of scents, something you do as well.” Summer could mask scents using the power of her shield. “Where are they now?” She inquired. “Well, I imagine they are back in Volterra, darling. As soon as you and I reunited, they left.” Summer stuck out her lip in a pout. She wasn’t certain what to make of this. “I lied for your safety, sweetheart. I would never hurt Carlisle, nor his family. He was a very dear friend of mine.” Summer knew that was probably not true either, considering Edward told her what had happened between him and the Volturi a while back. Aro nearly killed both Edward and Bella. He touched her rosy cheek with his icy palm, “Can you forgive me for being so overprotective, love, please?” “Yes, I do. At least no one was hurt.” She had to say yes. What could she do if she said no? Say she was in love with a werewolf and run back to Forks? HA, not likely. He kissed the top of her head, “Thank you. You should get to sleep now. It’s nearing dawn, honey.” She sealed her eyes shut, drifted off to sleep, and dreamed the same nightmare she had a few days ago.
As usual, Summer’s little alarm clock was there right on time to wake her. “Mommy, wake up!” She tugged a lock of her mother’s curls. “Let’s try this, sweetheart.” Aro suggested with a chuckle. He and Chloe started tickling Summer on her neck and stomach. Her eyes flew open as she writhed in laughter, “Okay, I’m awake, I’m awake! Stop!” The father and daughter laughed hysterically at Summer, “We have to get moving, sleepyhead.” “I don’t think I’m ready to swim across an ocean.” She smiled groggily. That was weird to say. Aro helped her off the grass, “I can always carry you.” He winked impishly at her. She patted his chest, “I’ll let you know if I need it. Let’s go.” Chloe climbed onto Aro’s back and hung on tightly, “Will this be scary, daddy?” He rubbed the little hands clung around his neck, “Not while mommy and I are here with you, dear.” Summer kissed her daughter’s cheek, “It’ll be fun, hun.” Aro and Summer walked to the empty neighboring beach. Summer scooped a handful of crystal blue water and splashed it at Aro. He wiped his wet face and ran after his wife, both roaring with amusement. When they could no longer feel the ocean floor beneath their feet, they submerged underwater and sped toward Italy’s coastline. Summer pointed out many schools of colorful fish to Chloe, and Aro showed Chloe a few whales and coral reefs. The three enjoyed spending time together. Summer forgot what it felt like to be with her husband without worrying about the different things going on around her. It was around 4 pm when the family reached Volterra, which majestically sat on the beautiful Italian west coast. “Do you remember how to get into the Volturi’s living space?” He teased. Summer smacked him on the arm, “No…” she said sarcastically, smiling. The three slipped through the back door of the bell tower where they couldn’t be seen. They walked down the narrow passageway that led to both a stairwell and elevator. “Which one, signorina?” Aro addressed to Chloe. Chloe beamed and pointed to the elevator. Summer shook her head, “She hates stairwells, oddly enough.” Chloe pressed the button and pulled her mommy and daddy inside. The doors opened up when they hit the bottom floor. They stepped out into a lobby that looked like something you’d see in a classy lawyer’s office. There was a pretty blonde human female sitting behind the receptionist desk, and Summer knew all too well why she was there. She was basically one with the false scenery. The girl grinned up at Summer, jealousy hinting in her eyes. Aro’s hand was mingled with Summer’s, so the girl correctly supposed Summer was Aro’s inamorata. Summer nodded to her politely. Chloe smiled at the human woman, also, for courtesy’s sake. She didn’t understand the purpose of her being there as yet.
Aro pushed open the large, rather old, wooden door and led his family down the corridor. Summer cupped her hand to Aro’s ear, “Are we going to see everyone else?” “Would you like to, love?” He asked her affectionately. “Sure. Why not say hello since we’re already here?” He stopped in front of two other large doors. He twisted the handle and walked into the room with a glowing smile, Summer and Chloe at his side. All the red-eyed vampires glared at Summer, some happily, and some in amazement. “Hello again, everyone.” Aro’s melodious voice sang out in the dead silence, “Each of you, except Dominique, knows Summer, my gorgeous wife.” His eyes smiled down at her. “Hello all. It’s wonderful to be back here with you.” The guard respected her because of her abilities, so they were, or at least pretended to beam back at her. Marcus welcomed her back with open arms. The only two people scowling at her was Caius, her self-proclaimed enemy, and Dominique, a teenaged, red-haired vampire who seemed like she was ready to murder her at any given time. Summer hadn’t the slightest clue why Dominique loathed her presence; what had she done to offend her? Summer held onto Aro, drawing closer to him. He lovingly put his arm around her tiny waist, and when he did, she was positive Dominique hissed at her. Summer could tell this would be a long evening.
