(Ash's POV)
I couldn't stop replaying the conversation with Alice in my head.
A chance.
That was all she wanted. Yet, the weight of her words pressed against me in a way I couldn't explain.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel as I made my way down the winding road back to my place. Forks felt different somehow. More suffocating. The forest seemed darker tonight, shadows stretching further than usual. But it wasn't the forest that had me on edge.
It was Alice.
That invisible tug, though, the one that seemed to pull me toward Forks, toward Alice— it was relentless. I couldn't escape it, no matter how much I tried.
I kept reminding myself that this wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to get caught up in whatever this was with her. I had come to Forks to observe the Cullens, to figure out if this world was really the one I had read about.I wasn't supposed to get involved.
And yet, here I was. Struggling with something I couldn't control. Something I wasn't ready for.
But I couldn't ignore it anymore.
The moment I turned into my driveway, I felt that strange, familiar sensation again—the hum of her presence, even though she wasn't physically there. It had been haunting me all day. No matter where I went, I could still feel her.
I wasn't sure if it was the bond or just my mind working overtime. Either way, I couldn't escape her.
With a frustrated sigh, I parked the car and got out, heading for the front door. As soon as I stepped inside, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I hesitated before pulling it out, half-expecting a text from Jessica, or maybe one of the other kids from school, but the message was from an unknown number.
A quick glance at the screen, and I saw her name.
Alice Cullen.
I felt the tension in my chest tighten, but I opened it.
"Hey, it's Alice. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. I just wanted to check in. I'll be in town tomorrow for some errands, if you want to talk. – Alice."
My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I quickly typed back.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea. I need time to think."
I stared at the message after sending it, the uncertainty pooling in my stomach.
I wasn't ready. I wasn't sure I would ever be ready.
But when my phone buzzed again, the new message made my chest tighten even further.
"Take all the time you need. I won't push. But when you're ready, I'm here. – Alice."
There was something in that message—something in her words—that made my heart race a little faster.
I wasn't ready. But maybe, just maybe, I was starting to want to be.
---
(Alice's POV)
The second I saw his message, my heart skipped a beat. I could practically feel his hesitation through the screen. It was something I knew too well, the fear of the unknown, the fear of what could be.
But I also knew this: Ash was different. And I wasn't going to give up on him.
I leaned back against the car, gazing out into the darkening sky. The night was quiet, but inside me, everything was loud.
I wasn't used to waiting. I wasn't used to feeling uncertain. But with Ash, I felt like I had all the time in the world, even though I knew I shouldn't.
I ran a hand through my hair, pushing back the worry that crept into my thoughts. I would be patient. I had to be.
He was my mate. He just didn't want to admit it.
But when he did…
The thought of what that might mean made my heart race in a way it hadn't in decades.
---
The next day, I found myself waiting outside the high school, pacing in front of my car. My mind was occupied with everything that had happened—his rejection, his acceptance, the way his eyes seemed to burn with frustration every time I was near. It was a strange mix of emotions, but most of all, it felt like a tug-of-war. He wanted to pull away, but the bond between us kept pulling him closer.
And me? I wasn't going to let go.
When I saw him step out of the school doors, his eyes scanning the parking lot, I felt that familiar tug deep in my chest.
He was here.
But this time, there was no hesitation in his steps. He was walking toward me. Slowly. Carefully. Like he was testing the waters.
My heart quickened as I took a step forward, matching his pace. He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw something different in his eyes. It wasn't just frustration. There was curiosity. Maybe even a little hope.
But still, there was hesitation.
He stopped in front of me, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"Hey," he said, his voice a little rough, but softer than before.
"Hey," I replied, offering him a small smile. "You doing okay?"
He hesitated, glancing around as if unsure what to say.
"I'm… trying to figure things out," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This whole thing is… it's a lot."
I nodded, understanding. "I know. It's not easy. But you don't have to figure everything out all at once."
For a moment, we stood there, the silence stretching between us. And then, without warning, Ash took a step closer, his eyes searching mine.
"I don't know how to do this," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't want to keep pushing you away."
My heart swelled at the words. "You don't have to push me away. I'm not going anywhere."
And just like that, I knew this was the beginning of something. Not all at once. But slowly. Steadily. A chance.
A real chance.
---
(Ash's POV)
It felt like the world had shifted.
I couldn't explain it, but the moment Alice stepped closer to me, the air felt different—charged, alive.
I could feel her presence deep in my bones. The bond.
She was right. I didn't have to figure everything out all at once.
Maybe we could take this one step at a time.
For now, I was okay with that.
I wasn't sure what would happen next, but I knew one thing: I wasn't as afraid of it as I had been before.
And for the first time, I was beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—I could give this a chance.
---
End of Chapter 7
---
Hey guys! Just wondering—would you like me to trash talk (a.k.a. comment) at the end of these chapters like I do in my other book?
I mean, I enjoy engaging with you guys and throwing in my completely necessary and highly intellectual thoughts (read: unhinged ramblings) about the chapter.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go check out my other book, Twilight: Hunter. You'll see the absolute nonsense I subject my readers to—thoughts, rants, maybe even an existential crisis or two. Who knows?
Let me know if you're down for some post-chapter chaos! Or if you'd rather just read in peace… cowards.