Disclaimer: All characters are property of Stephenie Meyer. This story, however, is mine. © 2023 lilbitbookish82
This is my first ever attempt at writing fic. Please be gentle with me.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________Chapter 1
EPOV
Looking out over the rolling green hills of his parents’ farm in New Tazewell, Tennessee, he couldn’t help but sigh while coming out of his daydream; she was perfect. He should have said something to her. How could he have let her walk away without saying anything to her? After the way the shock ran up his arm…. He just knew she was meant to be his, and he just froze. Why couldn’t he be like his big brothers? Emmett with his big, boisterous personality who makes everyone laugh or Jasper with his charm and flirtatious banter. He knew he wasn’t unfortunate looking; he was told he had “dreamy” eyes by the girls in school and had even heard the whispers in the hallway that his “ass could make someone weep”. He was aware of the way the girls threw themselves at him, but he could never go for such a “hussy” (Nanny’s words, not his). He was romantic at heart just like his parents raised him to be. His Mama and Daddy worshipped each other as did Nanny and Granddaddy and Grammy and Boss did. He was surrounded by love all around him. He refused to settle for anything less and his heart wanted her… Now he was about to pack up and move an hour south to the area where the scene of the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him had occurred. He doubted they would ever see each other again. Knoxville was a big town, and she didn’t look like she was from the area with the way her hair shone and the way she dressed. She looked like she belonged somewhere fancy, and he was just a farm boy. They didn’t match and it would never work anyways; he just wasn’t good enough for someone like her and he doubted she would want to be anywhere near Knoxville, Tennessee.
*** Flashback ***
It’s an unusually warm and balmy night here in Knoxville. Kind of weird for February actually; like something heavy is in the air, kind of electric maybe? We don’t usually come down here on a weeknight, but Emmett begged us all to drive down. Apparently, he has some “news” that can’t wait until next weekend. He’s in his junior year here down at UT getting his BS in Animal Industries so he can help Daddy on the farm. Supposedly he has a huge test on Monday and can’t come home this weekend - that’s the excuse at least. Mama and Daddy drove down earlier this afternoon because she wanted to go browsing downtown at O.P. Jenkins before meeting all of us at Barley’s around 7:00.
Since I have school until 3:30, Jasper and his wife Alice decided to wait to drive down since they had to wait for my six-year-old niece Maggie to finish up her 4H club meeting by 5:30 anyways. It’s only around an hour drive, but it’s a boring ride down TN-33 aka a two-lane country highway. Jasper is going to be on the phone the whole way talking to different breeders wanting our services. Our family owns one of the most successful Stud farms in the United States; especially because we specifically breed from our championship stock of purebred Andalusians and Lusitanos so that means there are always requests coming in and J is the one who answers those calls and negotiates deliveries and determining fees if the breeders want to live cover their broodmares.
I looked over and Maggie has passed out; I was wondering why it was so quiet! Usually, she would have told me all about the daily girl drama from TNT Elementary or how which boy was so cute this week. Allie turns around and snorts. I swear, I lucked out in the sister-in-law department. I’ve known Allie since J brought her home when he was in 7th grade. They came running into the barn looking for Daddy just ranting and raving about how unfair Claiborne County was because they would only let the High Schoolers be in FFA and not the Junior High School students like over in Cumberland County. They had their hearts set on raising a piglet and showing it at State, but they couldn’t do that with the Claiborne County 4H. Daddy calmed them like the peacemaker he is and let them choose a newborn beef calf to raise and show since they must be separated from the heifer soon after birth. Needless to say, Allie was a prominent fixture at the Cullen farm from then on… and Harvey won big at State; Grand Champion Steer who sold for a whopping $310,000 to Boss (Mama’s Daddy). Harvey never became beef and lives a life of luxury in a field right next to J and Allie’s house. They have 40 acres near Nanny and Granddaddy’s place, and I think Nanny spoils that cow more than Maggie does; he might as well qualify as a giant, fat, black dog.
“Hey Bubs, you feeling okay?”, Allie asks.
“Huh? Yeah, why?” I reply.
“You’re a little quiet today”, she giggles.
I snort, “Like that is different from any other day?” I say while raising my eyebrow. She’s always teasing me. I am known as the “quiet one” in our family. I’m not quiet on purpose, I just don’t find it necessary to fill every silence with unnecessary chatter or noise. I’m an observer, a peacemaker like Daddy, extremely shy, and I get really nervous around certain people for some reason. Mama always asks me why, and I have no answer. Yes, I know answering someone isn’t going to hurt me, I just seize up and feel like I’m going to pass out. It’s insane. I have the words, but for some reason they don’t want to come up.
“Today feels different, doesn’t it?”, she asks quietly.
“What do you mean, Allie?
“It feels so of heavy in the air, like something big is about to happen and a shift in someone’s soul will occur.”
“You are so weird” I laugh, but inside I completely understand. I feel it too. Something big is about to happen and I don’t think it just has to do with Emmett.
“Oh, ye of little faith! You always doubt me, Bubs! But I’m usually right. My Nonie says that I have a piece of that Mountain Magic running in my veins. This girl may have left them mountains, but them mountains won’t never leave this girl!” she sings.
I roll my eyes. I hear this often from her. She thinks she has what my Grammy calls “a wee bit o’ the sight”; a point that Grammy likes to nag at me often for not believing since she claims to have it too. Her Scottish heritage is very important to her, and she says it is passed from woman to woman in our family; that Mama has it too. She swears that Allie’s family may be from Appalachia, but those families are old Scottish settlers and come from the same lines we do and gained the mountain magic as well. It’s all a bunch of weird shit to me. But I digress…
“Hmph… I know Allie, I kind of feel like the air is holding something, but I don’t know if it has to do with soul changes, but maybe a weather event. Look at the clouds, dork!”
“Shut up, Bubs! You know it isn’t just the clouds and that I am right in some way. For some reason, you know it’s different. You took a little extra time to tame that mop on your head instead of wearing your hat, actually wore something besides your muddy boots, and is that cologne I smell? You NEVER take the time to snazz up for a trip into Knoxville, buddy!”
I try to tell myself it’s because Mama and Daddy would appreciate the effort since Em said it was special news, but that wouldn’t usually be something I would change for. He’d be expecting me to show up like normal because he knows I’m coming from school, and it was a last-minute request. I feel this charge and I felt the need to gussy up a little bit.
“Allie, it’s just respectful”, I murmur quietly.
She looks over with a raised eyebrow but doesn’t say anything else and leaves me to my thoughts. We’re coming closer to town now and J is wrapping up his conversation. It’s about 6:45 and we’re sitting at the light at Grainger waiting to turn the slight right onto Hall of Fame Dr. We should be there in about 5 minutes depending on traffic. J hangs up finally and him and Allie start whispering…I am trying to not pay attention, but I think I’ve heard “Edward” a few times and have nonchalantly noticed J looking at me in the rearview mirror. I hate when they do that shit; gossip like old biddies because they worry about me “because they feel like I’m not experiencing enough for my age” or “because they think I may be gay and afraid to admit to anyone due to fear of judgement”. Just because I am picky and don’t feel like dealing with the hussies at school, the nasty cougars in town that throw themselves at me, or the “ladies” of the gentlemen buyers/breeders does NOT mean I am gay, nor do I feel like I am missing ANYTHING! These women have no morals and I want the real thing like I was raised around!
We finally turn on to East Jackson and turn left into the SP+ Parking garage right past Barley’s. I turn and scoop up Mags as Allie and J hop out. J grabs her from me and grabs Allie’s hand. I slowly walk behind them and follow them down the street. I run ahead to grab the door so they can walk in before me and before I go to pull it open, it pushes outward, and someone crashes right into me. I manage to grab them by the arms and feel like I am being electrified; not in a “OH MY GOD, I’M FRYING!” sort of way, but a pleasant, warm feeling that shocked my soul, woke it up, and said “this is your equal”. This person…. woah…this beautiful woman with the most magnificent greenish-blue eyes covered with tortoise shell glasses is staring in shock into my eyes. We’re both just staring at each other and holding on to each other’s arms like this is the most important thing in the entire world. It feels like it’s been eternity and that my life has been inexplicably and permanently changed by this beauty. J clears his throat, and we break eye contact, she looks down shyly, whispers “sorry”, and walks off with her head down. Instead of being someone brave, I just watched her leave like we didn’t have this moment in time where both of our souls spoke to each other. I feel my heart break in that doorway while I stand there and allow people to walk around me….
*** STTS ***
When Mama found me in the vestibule that evening, I was in tears. She was walking around looking for me and a lady told her she saw a tall young man standing in the front sobbing and didn’t know who he belonged to. Mama was freaking out and didn’t know how to help me. Hell, I didn’t know how to help me. I told her I just needed a few minutes, went into the bathroom, cleaned myself up, and went to the table just in time for the announcement that Emmett was engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Rosalie. She was a sweet girl he met as a freshman from Napa Valley, California who was in the Animal Science program as well. She was in her local FFA in High School and raised sheep and planned on breeding them and raising them for milk and wool fiber in the future. They were an odd match for sure; Em with his long hair, big beard and personality, huge muscles, and tall as hell, and Rosalie who was petite with long, dirty-blonde hair she usually had pulled back in a messy braid or bun, glasses, covered in a huge sweater that swallows her frame with jeans and boots. She rarely wears makeup but has a natural beauty with cute freckles dotting her nose and a small smile always on her face. She’s very quiet unless she knows you, then she is very witty and shows how intelligent she is. Complete opposite of Em really, but they work so well together and I’m happy she’ll be part of our family. I can’t wait to get to know her more this coming school year.
Rosalie was really sad we had gotten there so late because she wanted me to meet her little sister Bella who was in town visiting the school to decide if she wanted to accept admission this upcoming school year. Apparently, she had to rush out to the airport because she had a flight at 8:15 to catch because she had a report due at school tomorrow and is extremely fastidious about making sure things are turned in on time. Mama said Bella was so much like me it was scary. She was supremely shy, self-deprecating, amazingly smart, and didn’t fall for the bullshit of the general population of the opposite gender of the school, neighbors, or what she called “rich assholes that come and buy wine from my daddy so they can ogle my tits”. Rosalie wanted to introduce us, but they decided to wait to officially announce their engagement until Christmas time so didn’t want to have their party yet. She said she would cross her fingers that Bella chose to come to UT so we could meet. She sounded like fun, but that’s about it. My heart was already spoken for.
For the next 5 ½ months, I went through the motions. I went to school, passed all my classes with flying colors, graduated #2 in my class (and found out I did in fact earn enough AP credits to be considered a second semester sophomore in the Pre-Veterinary Medicine track at UT), worked on the farm, dodged hussies, and thought about her. Many would say I was wasting my time by thinking about someone I didn’t even know, but my soul really was changed…just like Allie said it would be.
Now it’s August, I’m packing up my F-250 with all my crap, hugging a crying Mama, Nanny, Grammy, Allie, and Mags, getting handshakes and a man hug from J and Daddy, and handshakes with a fistful of cash from both Granddaddy and Boss. I hop in, buckle up, and crank on the truck. Turning my stereo down, I roll my window down and let Mama kiss all over me again while I roll my eyes. I know it’s because it’s hard for her and internally I bask in the attention; sometimes being the baby comes with perks and regardless of me being the quiet and shy one, I still love the attention. She pops the back of my head for being a smart ass as she tells me to drive careful, call when I get there, and to make sure I eat properly. I slowly drive down the long, dusty driveway and turn left out on to Leabow Hollow Rd. and make my way out to TN-33 for the hour-long drive to Knoxville.
I finally pull into the line on Volunteer Avenue for the drop-off zone on the left side for the residence hall. I’ve taken Em’s advice and joined the Herbert Life & Living Community in Magnolia Hall for the College of Agriculture. He said you live within a specific group area of people in the same major set, so you spend time and live around people you have something in common with. He told me he wishes he would have done it first semester because when moved into the dorms, he got stuck first semester with a kid going to school in pre-law and the kid made everything into an argument. It seems pretty perfect for someone like me who doesn’t really feel comfortable going out and meeting new people. I finally get to turn left on Andy Holt Ave. and slowly creep my way up until it’s my turn. I’m about three cars back and I feel this weird jolt of emotion seep through me; the same feeling I got when I ran into her…. huh. An older guy with salt and pepper hair gets out of the car and starts piling items onto the cart, talks to someone just outside my limited view, and gets back in and drives off; with him, the feeling just…. goes.
When it is my turn, I go through the motions of getting my keys, loading my stuff up on my assigned cart, and going to park in the parking garage. I slowly walk back to the building in a daze, grab my cart, and make my way up to the 3rd floor. I’m in a double-shared suite with a guy named Garrett from Nolensville. We’ve emailed a few times throughout the summer and found out he is also on the same plan as I am to become a DVM but plans on taking over the local Equine hospital when he graduates. I make it to room 3224 and find that Garrett has already arrived but isn’t in the room. He has kindly left the bed closest to the window for me, so I go ahead and unload my stuff off the cart and into my side of the room. When I finish, I quickly call Mama and let her know I’ve arrived, listen to her mother me as she reminds me to lock my door when I leave the room, eat properly, and remember to do my laundry if I’m not coming home on the weekends. I have to rush her, because I need to get the cart back downstairs to resident check-in for others to utilize. As I turn to the right from locking my door, I run directly into my neighbor whose door is like 5 inches from mine. They grab my arms to prevent themselves from falling over and I feel like I’m shocked to the core. I look up quickly as I hear a quick intake of breath and notice beautiful greenish-blue eyes covered in tortoise-shell glasses…. It’s her.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
So… who do you think “she” is? 😉 Next chapter, we’ll find out and get her side of the story. Not all chapters are going to be POV of the same situation, but I want to let y’all get into her head and let her know how she’s feeling after the “hit and run” situation in Knoxville.