She cradled her head in her hands, drumming her fingers back and forth along her temples and the skin of her forehead. She hadn't had the best of days, and her splitting headache did not help matters in the slightest.
She sat in silence, in bland colours and bland walls, dreading the bland apartment that she would have to return to in thirty minutes. She was not one for living alone, and she craved an adult conversation with someone other than her cat. And yet, her crippling shyness prevented her from salvaging any sort of relationship from the mess of dates and failed flirting attempts that she had created for herself.
She wore off white clothes that she had made herself, as she lacked the money to buy them. She bought 'Ends' fabric off roles in run down fabric stores and made them into something beautiful. She had a skill for making something worthless and unwanted into something everybody craved, but it wasn't recognised by her.
Her desk sported a single frame, the photo it protected had slipped from its position and it sat unevenly and unloved in its metal casing. It wasn't that she didn't care for the photo; it was just that she hadn't seen it in a while. You know, when something's been around for a while, and it's just there, not noticed anymore because it's become part of the normal scene. Other than this, her desk was empty, and the thought depressed her.
'Bella, some guy wants to see you' Angela woke her from her almost-slumber, making her jump.
'Who is he?' She asked wearily, lifting her head from her hands.
Angela simply shrugged and slipped back out of the office as silent as always. Angela considered herself invisible, but Bella always noticed her. She was the only light and support that was shed upon her dreary office, and the singular thing that Bella had grown to love since she'd been here.
She slipped her shoes back onto her feet, not bothering to do up the clasp and stood, straightening out her make shift dress with her hands and running her fingertips through her hair.
She stepped around her almost empty desk and tiptoed towards her door, as she hated the sound of heels on hard floors. She hated it when she made herself too noticeable, average people like her shouldn't be noticed, she thought.
She pulled her wooden door open, stepped in through it and closed it behind her whilst looking around the office for the gentlemen she was called to see. It didn't take long to find him. Them.
'You must be Bella Swan' the gentlemen greeted in a smooth, attractive voice. She nodded simply and held her hand out towards him. He shook it gently in his iron grasp, stone skin on soft flesh, cold against hot, ice against fire, death against life.
'What can I do for you?' Her voice croaked and she cleared it with a delicate cough, shielding her mouth with the back of her hand.
'I have something that may be of interest to you' He grinned, showing straight white teeth.
Her eyes danced between his, trying to figure out what the strange look in his eye meant. She didn't like the look of this situation all too much.
Her attention was drawn to a rough looking man, sat hunched over in a chair. His clothes were dirty, his hair smothered in mud, his shoes tattered and ruined, his hands gripping eachother so hard she thought he might snap them off.
'He's been in my company for a while, but I don't wish to keep him anymore' He sighed, patting the other gentlemen on the shoulder in an odd sort of gesture, as though he was an ill dog that he had brought in to be put down.
'I'm not sure I understand' She puzzled, her brow furrowing.
'He used to be of some use to me. He reads minds, I used him as a lie detector, and he was very good' He said casually.
She paused for a moment before continuing, 'What are you asking for, Sir?'
'Please, call me James. I'm simply suggesting that you...purchase him. I'm sure, in your business, he'll be nothing but of use to you' He leered, a strange glint in his eye as if he'd been caught doing something naughty.
'You're asking me to buy a human life?' She gaped, not quite believing him.
'Not human, Madam. Vampires don't keep the company of humans willingly. You know that' He chuckled, patting her on the forearm in a patronising manner. She flinched away from his touch.
'Maybe scum like you don't. I won't be buying him from you, Sir, but you have no right to treat him like your property. Please leave the premises and he will stay with me. I assure you he'll be kept safe; although I'm sure you don't care. You don't seem to have much of an attachment to him' she spat, gesturing to the door.
He frowned at her. This was no the answer he'd been hoping for.
'I won't be leaving him with you Madam; I can get a hefty price for him elsewhere' He answered back, his teeth bearing threateningly as she stared him down.
'I'm sure you could, but I won't allow you to sell him like a piece of meat. Angela, please seat this gentlemen in my office while I escort James out' Angela rushed forward from where she fidgeted behind her desk. She placed her gentle hand on the back of his arm and urged him to stand up. She had always been the gentlest of creatures. He stood slowly, his back making a series of cracking noises as he stood, as though he had mood plastered onto his back and it cracked as he moved.
'You have no right to take him from me' James growled, advancing towards Bella as she sauntered towards the door with confidence she didn't posses.
'And you have no right to sell him. Please leave quietly, I don't want to disturb the offices downstairs'
He seemed to mull over her request, even though she knew he'd made his mind up the second she'd given him his instructions. He turned on his heal and slammed the door behind him so hard she thought the glass of the door might smash and scatter all over her floor.
Sighing, she slipped out of her shoes and left them by the door. She wasn't entirely sure what she should do next. One thing she knew, she should have gotten his last name.
She glanced towards her private office's door, and then to her coat and bag hanging on pegs by the front door. Part of her wanted to leave, part of her wanted to stay and avoid her bitter, cold appartment for a little while longer. In the end, the thought of her echoing hallway convinced her to turn on her heal and walk towards her office door with conviction.
She left the door open as she walked back into the office, wanting the keep the atmosphere as comfortable as possible, after all, he had every right to leave.
'What's your name?' She asked quietly in her most soothing voice, as though her were a toddler.
He didn't reply, and his eyes didn't even flicker towards her.
'Not a talker, huh?' She stated, sitting down in the chair behind her desk. The chair was bland and uncomfortable too.
'It's safe, you know. You can talk to me' She tried again, but still, no reply.
'Why were you with him? Did he force you to stay with him?'
'He was...is, my only friend.' He whispered, folding his fingers over eachother in his lap.
'From what i saw, he treated you like a pet.'
'A dog is a mans best friends. James was mine too' He argued, his voice rising a little.
'He wanted to sell you, Sir' She sighed, moving her chair a little to the left.
'I was becoming a nuisance, you don't understand'
'How so?'
'I...I wanted too much. Expected it, even. I kept...I always wanted more. More time to hunt, or, more time to relax. I was there to do a job, I know that now'
'So, as your best friend, he denied you the right to eat and rest. You've been misled, Sir'
'You don't understand' He said again, voice rising once more. Now she could truely hear it, and it was beautiful.
'Please, enlighten me' She tried to sound soothing, but annoyance seeped into her tone against her own accord.
He remained silent, and his eyes dropped to his hands again.
'I'm sorry. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I understand friendships can be complicated'
Still nothing.
She sighed and glanced towards her clock, her heart sinking when she realised it was time to leave.
'Well, Sir. I need to be heading home; they lock the building in ten minutes. I can give you a lift somewhere perhaps? And you can make your own way from there' She suggested, gathering her coat and belongings from the shelf behind her. She didn't notice him stand.
'Don't...leave me' she heard him beg.
'Don't you have somewhere to go?' She asked in a motherly voice, turning towards him to find him staring at her with a frantic expression, his hands shaking slightly.
'I...don't have anyone' He whispered. 'Or money, I don't have any money'
'Well...I suppose you could...hang around at mine tonight.' She sighed, not quite believing she was asking a strange, ragged man to come back to her house with her.
He looked uncomfortable at the though and fidgeted in his place for a moment before nodding, a slow and hesitant movement.
They walked in silence to her truck, her swinging her shoes back and forth in her hand. She waved goodbye to Angela from across the car park, and she blew a kiss back to her before climbing into her car and speeding away. Bella swung her bag and tatty coat into the foot well and opened the door for the gentlemen. He climbed in, in silence, and shut the door gently behind him. He didn't put his seat belt on.
He looked straight ahead and sat with his hands neatly placed in his lap, his back straight.
'Will you tell me your name? I'd be a lot less scared of you if I knew your name' she reasoned, starting her car with a loud roar that made her jump and her skin prickle.
'Edward' He whispered, not daring to move his eyes. 'I won't hurt you'
'I know, I wasn't thinking you would' She chuckled, it was a complete lie.
Suddenly, as though he'd been reminded of something very important, he snapped his head in her direction and his stone skin wrinkled above his brow. His eyes, the complete absence of colour, locked with hers and he stared at her with such intensity, she wondered if he could see right to her soul.
'What?' She asked, fidgeting in her seat and trying to avoid his stare.
He paused for a moment before answering, 'Nothing, sorry. I just...realised something'
She frowned at him briefly before turning back to the road and lurching the car forward heavily. Edward didn't move, as expected.
The journey back to her apartment was awkward and quiet. They both sat in silence, a heavy tension was hanging in the air and she stole glances of him out the corner of her eye. And he did the same.
She drove the four miles back to her apartment with a flutter in her chest and a twist in her stomach. She was doing something really stupid.
'I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience, Madam' He muttered as they pulled up to Bella's building.
'It's Bella' She mentally kicked herself for not introducing herself properly.
'Bella' He almost smiled, almost.
'Well, this is it...' she sighed, leading him into the living room. 'There's books and music and...Stuff...here, feel free to keep yourself entertained while I sleep. No offence, really, but I think you need a shower'
He nodded, looking around for the bathroom. She pointed to a door at the far end of the corridor and he nodded again, walking towards it, his lean frame hunched over.
'I think I have some of Mitt's old clothes, they might be a little big but that's all I have' she shouted down the corridoor he had just dissapeared down as she threw her shoes onto the mess of a shoe rack in the far corner. She tiptoed through to her bedroom and began rooting through her draws. She heard the water start to run, and the sound of the boiler kicking into action created a welcomed sound other than eary silence.
It didn't take long to uncover the clothes, and she left them folded on the heater by the bathroom door.
She didn't hover around, as she thought it might be weird if he emerged from the shower to find her lingering in the hallway, so she set about cooking herself some pasta. She heard the water shut off once the kettle had finished boiling and he appeared shortly after, wearing clothes that were at least three sizes too big for him. She stifled a laugh and he lifted his head and smirked. And for the first time, she noticed how unbelievably handsome he was.
She was well aware that all vampires, since the official truce between humans and vampires had been made, had been shockingly beautiful compared to average humans. But most never held any attraction to Bella, they were all traditionally beautiful, whilst Bella preferred something a little different. And this, now clean, man that stood before her was something different indeed.
His features were angular, and he was slightly pointy, if that was the best way to describe him. His wet hair stood up at all angles and it shone with an almost golden tinge in the light. He was tall and lean, with visible muscles that were subtle and pronounced under his perfect, white skin.
'Much better' she nodded, showing she approved, and he bowed his head.
'Thank you, Bella' He spoke her name with affection that he'd never truly shown to anyone before. 'This...I feel...the safest I have in a long time'
'I'm glad, Edward' and with that, she turned back to her pasta, and he seated himself at her breakfast bar and, for the first time in over six months, he relaxed.