Forks, Washington

June 30th

Yesterday, I almost died. Almost.

I was working the day shift at the diner in Forks. My life has never been of any consequence. My dad is the town sheriff, and he's all I've got. Mom left us when I was five and I haven't seen her since. Life is always quiet in this small town of Forks, and it's come to be a place that I love.

But, nothing ever exciting has ever happened. That obviously does not include yesterday.

It was nearly empty at the diner. It always was at 3:30a.m. There were only three men sitting in the diner. Two men were strangers to me, sitting across from eachother in a booth on the far end. The other man in the diner was a man that I was beginning to become very familiar with.

Across from me, at a table all by himself, sat Edward Cullen. He was a perfect gentleman who came to the diner at odd times of night. He looked at me and smiled a crooked smile. I couldn't help but to blush and look away. Edward was a peculiar person. He always simply ordered a black coffee, and then left it completely untouched. He usually brought something to read.

Another odd thing about Edward--he always seemed interested in talking to me. Which I did not mind. His company was enjoyable.

"Hey Edward," I came and sat in his booth.

"Bella." He stated formally as he stared at the two men across the tiny diner. It was like he was eavesdropping, but I knew he was too far away to hear. I couldn't hear a thing.

"What's going on?" I asked him, looking back at the two men across the diner.

"Oh nothing." He responded, then turned his gaze to me. I felt my cheeks heat up again. I could tell he had something on his mind. He looked zoned out again. As if pre-occupied.

"Do you want your black coffee?"

"Sure."

I hopped up and immediately went to get his coffee. Our conversations were always small. The Cullens moved here at the beginning of the summer. He was going to be a junior, just as I was. I had only known him about a month, but it seemed like he was in here every night. And though I made small talk, I hadn't gathered any other information on him. The conversations always seemed to be on me.

"BULLSHIT." The man across from the other man said loudly. I jumped out of surprise. A good waitress would have checked on them but I could see that now was not the time. I refuse to be interrupt any arguement between two burly men.

I brought Edward's coffee back and set it in front of him.

"So why do you work at the diner?" His question was very blunt and upfront, as always.

"I don't want my dad to spend all his retirement money on my college. It doesn't seem fair to him. College is a choice."

"That's very mature of you." He responded, his attention still seemed to be elsewhere.

"It's not mature. It's just fair." I shrugged.

He stared off into the distance so I figured I would fill it in with words.

"Besides, there's nothing else to do here, I have no------"

The two men scooted their table chairs back and raised their voices.

Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. One of the men pulled a gun, and shot the other man in the chest. And then he looked dead at me. The cold glare on his face immediately alerted me to his intentions. There was a dark soul in those eyes. Edward and I were both standing in a flash. And, faster than I could even think about reacting, Edward stood in front of me. Edward was blocking the bullet that was about to come my way. I couldn't let this happen, so I was pushing against his body. And not succeeding. I couldn't even budge him.

I heard the shot fire, and I hugged Edward as if I expected to catch him. But something unusual happened. He did not fall backwards into my ready frame, and he didn't move. I let my hands down, shocked. He moved away from me. In fact, he began to walk towards the man. The man who had shot Edward was clearly in shock. I saw the bullet rolling around on the floor. Edward had moved so fast. Inhumanly fast. He threw the gun out of the man's hand and pushed him up against the wall and was choking him, had him off the ground, with one hand. He gripped until the man almost passed out, and then commanded, "Get out of here and never come back." He dropped the man, who fell to the floor. Edward emptied the gun. The man had the most frightened look on his face, and began to run away. The man ran out of the diner, stumbling on his way out. Edward looked at me, and looked at the man who's body was surrounded in blood. He cocked his head to the side and I for the first time I feared not for Edward, but I feared Edward himself. And I could not figure out why he did not just kill that man if he was looking so vengeful.

My voice failed me and I sounded shaky as I whispered, "Edward?"

He gazed at me again and strained for what seemed like minutes. Looking softer now, he walked over to me.

"You didn't see anything, OK? We can never talk about this. NEVER. I wasn't here." His voice was so firm that I could do nothing but nod a teary response.

I was just grateful to be alive, and I knew what I had seen was nothing human.

"I have to go, I can't be involved, don't tell. You can't tell anyone." He grabbed his coat.

"What do I do?" I asked, mesmerized and completely willing to play along.

"Lie. The man shot the other man and ran." He gritted his teeth and walked out of the diner with that man's unloaded gun, and for all I knew, he might have walked out of my life.

I ran to the phone and dialed 911. Soon after I heard the police sirens. They became louder as they grew closer. I had no idea what I was going to do. Quickly, I looked over and saw Edward's coffee. I grabbed it, put my lips to it and ran to the sink and dumped it. I looked at the floor and saw the bullet that did not penetrate Edward's chest. I picked it up to see the bullet was flat on one side, as if it had been crushed against a flat surface. Slipping it into my pocket, I acknowledged to myself that I was clearly in shock and that there was no way this was happening. Bella Swan, tampering with a crime scene. I couldn't believe it. Who in the hell knew why I was protecting this boy's secret.

But I knew one thing.

Even though Edward Cullen may not be human, he saved my life. And I have no idea why.

*****

My dad came in and immediately ran to my side. Tears began falling down my cheeks. A dead man was lying on the floor of the diner. The diner was such a simple and happy place, yet this grim sight changed everything that I thought and felt about the diner in an instant. I would never be able to enter this room again without thinking about what happened. What I saw. What I could not understand.

"Bella, what happened?" He asked me, with worry in his eyes.

"I don't even know. I was in the back trying to cook their waffles. I heard gun shots and I came out to see that one dead."

"How many shots?"

"Just one."

"Dad, they were arguing. The entire time I was serving them. I left them completely alone because I was scared to interrupt."

"Was there anyone else here in the diner?" Charlie asked, the investigator writing everything down.

"No, there were only two men." I said to them, it was so firm sounding even though I knew it was a lie.

I answered more questions and gave a description of the man who ran away. I did exactly as Edward told me.

Men with gloves, stretchers, body bags, it was all surreal. Yellow tape was all around. I had seen this so many times on CSI and Law and Order, but that was just television. This was real, except at the moment it seemed more surreal. No, Edward stopping a bullet, THAT was surreal.

"Charlie, come here" One of the men said. Dad walked away from me. While I sat alone I noticed another conversation going on between the coroner and the investigator.

"He's still warm. I call the time of death at approximately 3:50 a.m.," said the coroner.

I shuddered at the thought. Edward had stopped a bullet. Edward had almost strangled a man with his bare hands. I had no idea who Edward was, though I falsely let myself believe that he was just another common Forks citizen. How naïve could I be?

Henry, the diner's owner, had pulled up. He said he would only be gone an hour, and he was gone, to the fish market. He came back, shocked and horrified to see what transpired.

Henry was good friends with Charlie and he was almost like a second father. He insisted that I immediately go home. The investigators gave me the all clear, noting that they would "keep in touch." I dreaded having to lie again, but I knew this was far from over. Poor Henry, he never liked leaving me alone to go to the market, and I knew they would question him because of his absence.

Strangely, after all the events that transpired, the only thought on my mind as I was driving home involved seeing Edward again. I feared that I might not see him again. And although I was somewhat terrified of him, I was also intrigued by him. I was attracted to him like a curious fly attracted and mesmerized by the light. That was the only explanation I had. There was no other reason why I was lying for him.

Could it have been the pleading in his eyes when he told me he couldn't be involved? Could it be compassion for the man (or whatever he is) that saved my life? Or was it the need to have my questions answered and figure out what he really was so that I might walk in peace again?

Something was truly unsettling about him.

Author's Note: I am new to this and I would appreciate all kinds of feedback! Thank-you.