I threw the last piece of clothing in my drawer and groaned in frustration.
“Where the hell did it go?”
“Maybe you lost it?” Edward suggested picking up my drawer and sliding it back into place.
“But you saw me put it in my jewellery box.” I pointed at my jewellery box, the drawers opened wide and the lid almost ripped off. “I haven’t worn it since Saturday.”
I threw myself on my bed and tried to smother myself with my pillow but Edward’s hands lifted the pillow before I could do any damage.
“Why are you over-reacting?” he asked smiling. “It’ll turn up.”
“I wanted to wear it at graduation,” I moaned. “Alice said it would go great with the silver dress she bought me.”
“All this over an outfit?” Edward stared at me in disbelief. “You destroyed your room with more strength than a nuclear bomb to find a bracelet that would look good with a dress?”
If that was the only reason.
“Charlie’s been telling me some stuff,” I sighed, sitting up. “When you’ve not been here. He didn’t want to worry you. I told him you get a little paranoid.”
Edward’s face took on that worried look I knew so well. Soon it would be that crazy paranoid I didn’t want to see.
“So what’s he been telling you?” Edward’s black eyes watched carefully, concentrating on my thoughts so I didn’t censor anything or miss something important out.
The stuff Charlie had told me I had been putting at the back of my mind. It was information I really didn’t want to think about. It was worrying stuff. It had me paranoid. If I didn’t think about it then it would never happen. That was my theory. Guess it didn’t always work.
“That night last week, after Loren came barging in,” I began. “I said yes to your proposal and you left me to go tell Carlisle and Esme. Charlie sat me down at the kitchen table. He had to talk to me. He had to tell me what was going to happen next. We’re up against a powerful guy here, it’s not like everything will be all great and fine. It’s not like he won’t still try to get us.”
“What did he tell you?” Edward sat down next to me.
“He told me everything about what happened between him and Loren. All of the fights and the stuff with his daughter. He explained to me why he had done it. It was accidental of course, they were fighting and she died. He then told me about all the enchantments and curses that Loren would have his men attack him with. He would send in these beings called Shadow hunters. They are literally shadows but are solid sort of. You can’t really hear them or sense them. Loren would send them in and the Shadow Hunters would place enchant objects, place curses and spells around the house. Sometimes Charlie’s jewellery would go missing. Charlie doesn’t have a lot of jewellery but he does have this signet ring that had an emerald stone but it’s not exactly like that anymore. Charlie said that his ring went missing for a few days. He couldn’t find it anywhere but then it appeared in the bathroom on the sink. He put it on so he wouldn’t lose it again and then blacked out. He woke up three days later in hospital. Billy found him and from what Billy told him he looked like he had died. He was lifeless, pale and his skin was peeling off.”
Realisation showed in Edward’s eyes and then a flash of worry crossed his face.
“But,” I said loudly. “Charlie doesn’t expect that to happen this time. He’s expecting more than a few petty curses.”
Fear entered Edward’s eyes and the worry stayed on his eyes. That was the wrong thing to say. I should have stopped at ‘doesn’t expect that to happen this time’.
“You think that Loren has your bracelet?” Edward said. “That’s why you were so desperate to find it?”
“Yes and the fact I wanted to wear it with the dress.”
The corners of his mouth lifted up into a brief smile but then his face when straight and his lips when thin.
“Edward, lighten up,” I said. “I know I got paranoid but that was only because I didn’t it to be true. It means that he’s targeting me as well and I didn’t want that. I know it sounds mean but I was hoping it was only Charlie Loren would try and kill. It sounds nasty, I know, but it would make me feel slightly better that I wasn’t targeted for assassination.”
“If your bracelet turns up you mustn’t put it on,” Edward said, his voice controlled.
“I’m not that stupid.”
He raised an eyebrow.
I glared at him and hit him on the arm.
“Just you wait, Edward Cullen,” I said, threateningly. “Soon I will be smarter than you and then what will you do.”
He laughed in my face. Obviously he thought I wouldn’t be smarter than him.


Time passed faster than I thought possible under the current circumstances. I expected the days to drag endlessly to cause me more nerves and paranoia than necessary. Paranoia seemed to be a companion of mine lately. My bracelet never turned up, never made a sudden reappearance in the bathroom. But other tiny trinkets seemed to have disappeared. Silver studs I bought only two weeks before, badges I had taken off my school bag, small figures I’d had since I was small. Even a t-shirt went missing but then that could be Charlie’s attempt at laundry.
Before I knew it graduation was here. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to do. We had rehearsed the walking onto stage, Angela’s speech as she was valedictorian, the handing out of diplomas (not real ones just rolled up pieces of paper) and the throwing of the caps (old smelly caps).
Edward assured me that I would be fine and graduation wasn’t something that you could mess up. He wouldn’t mess up as he already knew what to do. He had graduated more times than I’d had hot dinners.
When I woke up on graduation day my stomach twisted and knotted with nerves. I searched my room and found nothing missing nor had nothing missing mysteriously returned. Cursing Loren under my breath of not returning my bracelet I headed to the bathroom to have a shower. I leaned against the tiles and let the hot water run over me. It soothed my nerves slightly but not completely. It wasn’t only nerves that I was feeling. I was also upset and angry and sad. My mum wasn’t going to be there to see me graduate. Yeah, I wasn’t calling her every week and talking to her for hours but it wasn’t like I hadn’t mentioned it when I did call her. She knew when I was graduating she just couldn’t be bothered to come. Darren was more important. Annoyed I scrubbed at my body, trying to rid the nerves and the other emotions away. I wanted to be happy today. I stopped the water, wrapped the towel around me and quickly ran to my room. I didn’t want to bump into Charlie on my way back to my room. I closed my door silently but didn’t scream silently when I found Edward lounging casually on my bed. His golden eyes did not look surprised to see me standing there in nothing but my towel.
“So this is how you treat your sister?” I scolded him. “Exploit her gift to catch me naked!”
He chuckled.
“You’re covered up,” he said, eyeing my towel. “But I could fix that.”
His golden eyes smouldered and he smiled seductively. I walked over to him slowly.
“You think you’re irresistible, don’t you?”
He shrugged casually. “I know I am.”
I laughed softly and the movement of my chest caused my towel slip. At that exact moment a spikey haired pixie landed on the floor at my window.
“Wrong moment to drop by.” Alice closed her eyes giggling while I hastily pulled up my towel before anything could be revealed.
“What do you want, Alice?” Edward asked, clearly irritated. Could you blame him?
“I came to complete Kayla’s outfit,” she replied opening her eyes.
Alice had a long rectangular box in her hand. She opened it and inside sat a gold charm bracelet. A heart, a star, a key, a lion and a lamb.
“Alice, it’s gorgeous,” I gushed. I touched the charms gently not wanting to damage it.
“Edward picked this.” Alice sounded proud of her brother’s taste.
“I was planning to give her it at graduation,” Edward said, clearly annoyed. “You ruined the surprise, Alice.”
“No she didn’t,” I said. “At graduation or now, I am surprised. Thank you, Edward.”
I kissed him softly on the lips.
“Now, excuse me while I dress.” I reached out for the bracelet but the lid snapped down, nearly getting my fingers.
“At graduation,” Edward smiled wickedly.
“Evil little vampire,” I muttered as he and Alice left via my window.