*
The days following her visit with the Cullens passed quickly and Friday soon arrived. The kings were set to arrive Saturday afternoon and Sophie was beginning to panic.
Which is why she found herself with Jacob that night.
They sat in Sophie's room, the girl anxiously chewing on her nails while Jacob flipped through her scrapbooks. He knew the kings were arriving and, while he wasn't happy about the recent influx of vampires, he was trying to be supportive.
"I don't know why I agreed to this." She said for the thousandth time. "I've literally never been in a relationship. I've never had a boy show interest in me and now I have three. What do I do?"
"You have had guys interested in you." Jacob snorted, throwing an amused look to his friend. "You've just never paid attention."
Sophie only rolled her eyes before falling silent again. Her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth, and she fell back onto her mattress, blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "Jake, I really don't think I can do this. I don't think I can handle it."
She felt the bed dip beside her after a moment and Jacob laid back next to her, his arm flexed above his head. "Why not?"
"I just..." Sophie sighed and shook her head. "I can barely make time to manage myself and now I'm expected to make time for three other men. What kind of mate will I be to them if I can't do that properly?"
"The kind of mate they want." Jacob answered, his voice completely genuine. Sophie turned to look at her friend, finding that he was already staring at her. "Carlisle is giving them an idea of what you go through, Soph. If they're worth anything, they'll understand that you are more important to you right now."
"Even if you can't give them everything anytime soon, they should still look at you and see how lucky they are." He continued, nudging Sophie when he saw her doubtful look. "I'm serious. You're the kindest and strongest girl I know, and you care for everyone, probably more than you should sometimes."
Sophie blinked the wetness away from her eyes as she breathed a laugh. "I've let so many people down, Jacob, including you. I can't keep facing the disappointment of people that I care about. I know I'm going to disappoint them, too."
"You haven't let anyone down. Everyone who knows you, knows how hard your disorder is on you and we're trying to support you in every way we can." Jacob grabbed Sophie hand and pulled both back up into a sitting position before wrapping his arms around her thin frame. "I don't always understand how you're feeling but I know that you're trying, especially recently. I think they'll come to understand too."
And as the first tears fell from Sophie's eyes, she found herself holding onto her best friend even tighter. "I love you, you know that?"
Jacob laughed, his breath fanning across her hair. "I love you, too Soph."
And even if these kings decided that Sophie was too much to handle, she knew that she'd always have Jacob to fall back on. Through every step of her up and down recovery, Jacob had been with her.
This wasn't the first time that Jacob had reassured her about her eating disorder but somehow this felt different. Since her last failed inpatient stay, she couldn't help the feeling of utter helplessness as she sat with her family, and Jacob had assured her that she was wrong.
Even though she may disappoint herself, her family still loved her and still supported her.
And that was really all she could ask for.
---
The next morning, Sophie sat at the kitchen table, absently twirling her spoon around in her cereal. She had hardly slept the night before, her mind too focused on the events of today.
Bella sat across from her, the two sisters sitting in silence. The brunette kept casting Sophie looks, taking in the dark circles under her eyes and her hollowed in cheeks. She hadn't made in progress since they'd been home from Italy and Bella worried what the kings would say.
Not just to the Cullens, but she also worried about them accidentally offending Sophie.
"You ready for today?" Bella asked after swallowing her own cereal.
Sophie shrugged, her eyes not leaving the table. "I'm scared."
Bella hummed. She knew this was overwhelming to Sophie and she worried for her sister. "We'll be there if you need to take a break."
"I know." Sophie mumbled, before pushing her cereal bowl away. She hadn't eaten any of it. "It'll be fine once I see them."
Sophie hoped that was true. She wondered what it would be like to see them again, after weeks of being apart.
The numbers on the stove slowly ticked closer and closer to eleven o'clock, the time when the Swan sisters would start to head to the Cullens. Butterflies danced in Sophie's stomach and, as she watched the clock, she couldn't think of a time when she'd been so nervous.
"Soph?" Bella knocked Sophie out of her staring, and she turned to her sister, who now stood by the sink. She placed her now clean bowl away and leaned back. "You should probably go get ready."
Sophie only hummed, her eyes straying back to the stove briefly. It was ten-thirty, now and the girl sighed. It was now or never at this point, and she knew she had to get ready.
She went up the stairs quickly and closed her door when she entered her bedroom. She immediately walked over to her closet and huffed, knowing she should've picked something out last night.
Her thin fingers rifled through the clothes hanging up, the scowl on her face deepening at each piece of clothing she saw. Half of them were from years before and she knew they wouldn't fit her now.
"Ugh, dammit!" Sophie shouted, reaching up to twist at her hair now. "I have nothing to wear!"
A knock sounded from the other side of her door and Bella came in a moment later, her lips pulled back in a hesitant smile. In her hands were some articles of clothing that Sophie had never seen before, and she frowned. "Whose are those?"
"Alice's." Her sister answered, holding them out for Sophie to take. She did, looking dubiously at them. It was a simple pair of black jeans and a cute blue sweater. Sophie dropped the shirt on her bed before holding up the jeans.
She clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "I don't think these will fit, Bells."
"Alice also gave me a belt." Bella said, also presenting a black belt.
Sophie let out a soft "oh," and took the belt as well before smiling to her sister. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Bella replied before turning back towards the door. "Tell me when you're ready."
Sophie began to dress once the door shut, pulling on the blue sweater first before stepping into the jeans. As she predicted, the jeans were too big, hanging off her hips loosely. She slipped the belt through the loops and tightened it to the last hole, groaning when they still felt baggy.
If she could just tighten it one hole, the jeans would fit better, and Sophie began to look for something sharp to poke a hole - she could buy Alice a new belt.
Sophie cursed at herself under her breath the whole time she searched, complaining about how clothes never fit her anymore. She eventually found a sharper object and worked to poke another hole in the belt, smiling when the jeans finally felt tighter.
She turned to fix her hair, freezing when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. It was the first time in a while that she'd been in a pair of jeans and she grimaced, not liking how her body looked in the tight clothes.
Sophie managed to tear her gaze away before her thoughts became too dark and she leaned down to put shoes on.
Bella was downstairs when Sophie was done, and the younger Swan smiled at her, brown eyes taking in the outfit. "You look nice."
Sophie didn't reply, but her expression must've given away how uncomfortable she felt because Bella reached forward to grab her hand. "Really, you do. I promise."
Her sister continued to pull her to the truck, only releasing her hand when she got inside. Dread sunk in Sophie's stomach when the truck started, realizing that there was no turning back now.
She leaned her head against the window and tried to focus on the soft music playing instead of how her life was minutes away from changing.
The trees passed by in a blur, the sky dark against their green branches. It was chilly out today, especially for the end of spring. The streets were still wet from the rain earlier that morning, adding to the gloomy atmosphere.
They arrived at the Cullens entirely too quickly.
Sophie's eyes were wide when Bella parked the truck, her fingers picking aggressively at her nail beds. Bella opened her own door, moving over to Sophie's side to help her out.
Sophie was shaking her head when Bella opened her door. Bella reached in and gripped Sophie's hand tightly in her own. "You're going to be okay, Sophie. It's normal to be nervous."
Her gaze flickered between Bella and the house, knowing that at least one of her mate's was in there now and could likely hear what they were saying now. "Bella, I don't want to screw this up."
"You won't." Her younger sister squeezed her hands tighter. "And you're going to continue to be nervous until you get inside. So, let's go."
After another moment of contemplation, Sophie moved to get out of the truck, shutting it loudly behind her. Gravel crunched underneath their shoes, sounding unnaturally loud in the quietness of the morning.
Sophie kind of wished Edward was outside to greet them.
Bella opened the front door for Sophie, letting her enter the house first. She could hear voices coming from somewhere inside, presumably the living room, and for the first time in weeks, the tug in her chest was back.
And she felt her nerves slowly begin to melt away.
Sophie breathed a quiet sigh of relief, smiling tightly at Bella when her sister passed her. She followed behind her easier this time, almost eager to see who was waiting for her.
She wasn't disappointed to see Aro.
The rest of her nerves dissipated when he turned to her, his own eyes brightening at her appearance. Sophie felt her cheeks heat under his stare, and she looked away from him to greet Esme and Carlisle.
It was strange to see the king - dressed as formally as the first time she saw him - surrounded by the Cullen family. He looked out of place, his black suit standing out amongst the casual clothing of the family.
Sophie greeted Esme and Carlisle with a smile, her eyes darting back to Emmett and Rosalie in acknowledgment. Emmett smiled back, though Rose's attention was elsewhere, her lip curled in annoyance.
From the corner of her eye, Sophie noticed Esme holding out a plate to Bella. Her sister grabbed something from the plate before Esme turned to her, and Sophie politely shook her head. The woman only smiled at the girl, not forcing her to eat her baked goods.
"You can sit, Soph." Esme told her once she placed the plate back on the counter.
"Right." Sophie breathed, her lips flattening into a smile. "Thanks."
It was suddenly awkward as she moved to the seat across from Aro. She could feel everyone's eyes on them, waiting and watching to see what would happen next. Sophie fumbled with her fingers, not lifting her eyes to meet Aro's.
"Right." Edward cleared his throat from his spot beside Bella. "Let's give them some privacy."
Sophie released a breath, feeling much lighter now that the family wasn't around. She could see Aro settle from the corner of her eye, his hands joining together on the top of the table.
"Now that they're gone." Aro's voice was deep, smooth as he spoke. His eyes were crinkled in amusement, lips tugging up just slightly at the corners. "It's good to see you again, Sophie."
Her nose wrinkled, not liking how stiff the conversation felt with him. "It's nice to see you, too."
She talked quietly, hoping that the Cullens' wouldn't hear her but knowing it was pointless. Her eyes found the table again, her beating uncomfortably in her chest. She could feel Aro staring at her and found herself wishing that it wasn't so awkward.
Aro sighed, clearly able to tell that his mate was uncomfortable, and stood. Sophie frowned up at him, worry rising immediately that she had already messed this up. She opened her mouth to apologize when Aro beat her to it.
"Let's go for a walk. I could use some fresh air."
Sophie's shoulders relaxed and she smiled at Aro as she stood. He was careful not to touch her, purposely moving out of her way so she could walk in front of him. They moved outside in silence and began their walk through the forest. Sophie immediately felt better now that she was outside - it wasn't as stuffy, and she didn't feel like the entire family was eavesdropping anymore.
"Sorry." She turned to him after walking a few more steps. Aro looked back at her, his brows raising. "It was weird knowing that they were all probably listening."
"They were trying not to." Aro told her. "But I do agree, it was a little uncomfortable."
Sophie laughed shortly, finding it hard to imagine that the Cullens' had made the king uncomfortable. Aro glanced at her from the corner of his eye, smiling at the sound of her laugh. "You seem more comfortable outside."
"I love being outside." She said, her fingers trailing lightly over leaves. They were still damp, and she wiped the wetness off on her jeans. "I feel like I can breathe easier."
Aro hummed beside her. "It is rather peaceful here."
They fell into another comfortable silence, the only sounds being forest animals and the ground crunching beneath their shoes. Sophie knew there was more to talk about - they barely knew each other, and this was the first time they had to spend time together. She just didn't know what to say.
"Are Caius and Marcus here too?" She asked eventually, not knowing where else to lead the conversation.
"Yes." Aro replied, slowing his steps when they stumbled upon a few large rocks. He stepped away from her to rest on one and Sophie followed, moving to sit on another rock. "They're currently in a hotel closer to Seattle."
"How long are you all staying?"
"We planned to stay for about a month, as long as things hold fairly well in Volterra. We have constant communication with the Guard so we can still do most business." Aro said, his red eyes staring intensely as he spoke.
"I suspect Caius will be the next to visit you." He continued, expression taking on an amused look. "He nearly wouldn't let me out of the hotel room."
Sophie huffed another laugh, trying to imagine the blonde king's attempts to leave the room before Aro. "How have the last few weeks been?"
She blinked at Aro, trying to catch up to the sudden change in conversation before speaking. "Um, they've been interesting. I've had a lot of time to think."
"About?" Aro leaned back again, his back connecting to the tree behind him.
"Everything, I guess." She shrugged, moving to hug her knees against her chest. "I feel like everything changed, like, really quickly."
It was clear he was waiting for her to say more, and she thought of how to continue while picking at a thread on her jeans. Birds chirped overhead, their wings fluttering through the leaves. "It's... I went to Italy to protect Bella and I came home as the mate of three vampires. I didn't even know vampires existed a year ago."
"I can imagine it was a lot for you to get used to." Aro spoke quietly, and Sophie nodded.
"I'm still not used to it." She told him, finally looking up from the thread. "Today is the first day that I've felt completely normal since we met."
"What do you mean?" Aro asked, dark brows furrowing in confusion.
Sophie glanced at him before sighing. "Ever since I left Volterra, it's like I've had a giant ache in my chest. Now that you're here, it's gone. I feel completely normal."
Aro regarded her curiously for a moment, his lips pursed in thought. "I've never heard of a human being able to feel a bond like you can. It must be because there's three of us opposed to one."
"Bella was miserable when Edward left." She frowned. "She turned into a whole other person. She couldn't even sleep through the night without waking up the whole house. Isn't that the same thing?"
"It could've been." Aro shrugged. "If Bella was Edward's mate."
Sophie paused, her fingers scraping against the rock. Bella had told her that she was Edward's mate. It was what Edward had told her. "What?"
Aro frowned. "Your sister is not Edward's mate. Does she not know that?"
"Does he know that?" Sophie asked, feeling her anger at Edward rising again. She was absolutely going to kill him if he put Bella through all that pain while lying to her about being mates.
"Yes." Aro said carefully, not quite sure why his mate was getting so angry. "He knows."
Sophie scoffed then, shaking her head furiously. "He's been lying to her this entire time. She's risked her life for him, has a psychotic woman after her because of Edward and for what?"
"Psychotic woman?" Aro asked, brows raising impossibly high. "What are you talking about?"
The girl sighed, realizing that she needed to explain the situation to her mate before getting mad at Edward. She recounted what had happened between Edward's departure and their arrival in Italy. Aro's face continuously grew more irritated as she talked about how this had started, Laurent's arrival in the meadow, and how the pack was working to get rid of Victoria.
Aro didn't look pleased by the time the story was over, but he kept quiet while Sophie explained. "I saw Victoria in Edward's thoughts while in Italy, but I was not aware that she was here again. Have either of you seen her?
"I haven't." She shook her head. "I haven't heard anything since the last time Jake and I talked about it."
"And Jake is part of this pack?" He asked, pursing his lips. "Your friend?"
"Best friend." She corrected, not liking the way Aro sounded when he mentioned his name. "And yes. He's part of it."
Aro only hummed. "I'll mention this to Caius and Marcus before I speak to Carlisle. I want more guards here as well to watch over you and Bella in case she tries anything."
Sophie sighed. "Between you three and Chelsea, Afton, the Cullens', and the pack, I think we have enough protection."
"Just in case." Aro told her, his tone leaving no room for argument. He stood up from his rock and brushed on his pants. "We've been outside for a while. Are you ready to head back?"
Sophie nodded, brushing her own pants off before falling in step with her mate. The walk back was silent, the two each lost in their own thoughts. "Sorry for getting mad, by the way. Edward makes me angry very easily right now."
"You're protective of your sister." Aro said, not sounding concerned. "I would have been much angrier if I were in your shoes."
Sophie smiled at him, her cheeks heating when he grinned back. They made it back to the house fairly quickly. They broke through the trees, still smiling softly to themselves. Sophie's smile slid off her face when she caught sight of her sister. "What's up?"
"I was just coming to check on you." Bella told her, glancing briefly at Aro. "You've been gone for over an hour."
"Sorry, I guess we lost track of time." Sophie told her. "Are you about ready?"
"As long as you are." Bella shrugged. Her brown eyes flickered back to the king. "I'll be in the truck. Nice to see you again."
Aro smiled widely, his sharp teeth showing in the light. "Likewise, Ms. Swan."
Bella hurried off to the truck after that, leaving the two alone once more. Aro waited for the truck to start before speaking. "I enjoyed seeing you today, Sophie."
"So did I." She told him. It had been a good day, despite her moment of anger over Edward. "Will you be back tomorrow?"
"I'm sure I'll have to contend with the other two." He huffed, clearly not pleased with it. "But I will see you soon."
"Right." Sophie nodded. "See you soon, then."
Aro grinned softly at her before nodding his head towards the truck. Sophie took the hint and turned to join her sister, biting down on her lip to hide her smile as she walked away.
Bella looked at her knowingly when she shut the truck door, but Sophie couldn't even bring herself to roll her eyes. Aro was gone by the time Bella started down the driveway, but Sophie's grin wouldn't leave her face.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this smiley." Bella commented, her voice containing a laugh as she drove.
"Shut up." Sophie told her, feeling her cheeks heat up again.
Bella did laugh that time. "I'm assuming it went well, then?"
"Yeah." Sophie said, her smiling softening slightly. "Really well."
***
finally updating again
this chapter was so hard to write but i hope you all enjoyed it.
pleuvoirx <3