CHAPTER 2
I made sure to collect my things and leave the lecture hall ahead of Bella and her friend. I didn't want to follow them even innocently and risk being called a creepy asshole again. I also didn't want to give in to the temptation of getting any closer to her. I needed time to think. And I needed fresh air. Of course, I didn't physically need to breathe, but I did crave the cleansing comfort of the cold air on my face and in my lungs. And once outside, I did feel marginally better. I hunched my shoulders and set on a determined course towards my car in the student parking lot.
I walked down the cold, dark sidewalk with my hands shoved deep into my pockets. When I felt my cell phone vibrate beneath my fingers, I pulled it up so that I could see the caller id.
I had missed three calls. All from Alice.
I rolled my eyes. I would call her back later. I could already guess why she was calling.
Alice- my sister for all intents and purposes, shared a very important likeness to me. Yes- we were both vampires. But our differences set us apart even within our family group. Like my ability to read minds, she also had a special ability. She could see visions of the future.
Her visions were subjective. They changed based on the decisions being made by the persons concerned. I could only imagine the possible visions that had come her way this evening. What had I contemplated? Did she see me slaughtering the entire group of Dartmouth students that had been unfortunate enough to register for a second semester Ancient History night course- just to get to the girl whose blood I knew would satisfy me like no other? I lowered my brows and frowned. Had I even considered it? I had been shocked to see her there, no doubt. But I couldn't really remember anything beyond the surprise that I felt.
It was extremely irritating.
Human pretenses first- I drove my car to the house I had purchased on the outskirts of Hanover. But I didn't even bother to go inside. Once I parked in the garage, I left my things inside my car and exited through the side door. And then I was running.
Everyday I worked to control my reflexes and my actions to better assume my human disguise. It was an amazing release, as always, to embrace my natural instincts and just be myself. I felt the familiar exhilaration take hold as I ghosted through forested areas. And while my muscles relaxed with the easy motion and my tensions eased… I finally allowed myself to think of the girl.
The girl. A woman now? I did the calculations in my head. She had walked into my biology classroom almost three years ago as a junior in high school. That would make her twenty years old by now. The years had provided her with longer hair, and a less angular figure. I pressed myself to run faster.
How long had she been in New Hampshire? Was it possible that she began Dartmouth the fall after high school graduation? Could she have been in attendance here all of this time without me knowing? Wouldn't I have run across a hint of her scent in a hallway, or on a bench where she might have happened to stop to study? Wouldn't there have been something that might have clued me in?
My mind started to sort through ways to get the answers to my questions. Surely the school records here wouldn't be that difficult to get my hands on. I, obviously, couldn't come right out and ask her what demon from hell had invited her here to torture me… how long she'd been here already or how long she planned to stay. The girl was safer if I remained far away from her.
Still- I had promised myself that a similar situation would never force me to run away again. I refused to be a coward. Of course- I also didn't expect that fate would toss the exact same girl right into the path of the most dangerous creature in the world to her. She had barely escaped our last meeting alive. I was never sure how I had the strength to leave… and later to stay away. Now here she was in the same predicament. What kind of cosmically bad luck did she have, anyway?
I ran to the far Eastern edge of the forest, where I knew black bears could be more easily found. If I was going to stay, I would need to drink more than usual. I would have to make sure that my hunger was completely sated before being in Bella's presence again. Because, I knew with certainty that I would not stay away from my class on Thursday night- and I knew that she would be there too.
Later at home, I let my fingers work the buttons at my cuffs and up the front of my shirt while I held my phone between my ear and my shoulder. Alice answered just as I was pulling the material away from me. I began our conversation without a polite greeting.
"Everything is fine. I'm OK. I have this under control." I informed her. Alice's musical laughter filled my ear while I tossed my shirt into a laundry basket.
"I should be worried that I don't know what you are talking about," she sounded amused. "Does this have anything to do with you going to Denali?"
"Denali?" I asked, surprised. I had thought that her calls earlier would have been about some vision she had seen of violence concerning my thoughts when I recognized Bella in my class.
"Well yes…" Alice continued. "I had a very distinct vision that you were going to Denali."
"Nothing else?" I knew I sounded skeptical.
"No. Should there have been?" She sounded confused and I smiled. How interesting! Running to Denali must have been the only real option that I had contemplated when I looked at Bella. If I had considered any violent course of action, Alice would have surely seen that possibility as well.
"I'm not going to Denali," I stated, ignoring her question.
"But you thought about it?"
"Yes. Briefly." I was still smiling.
"Are you already so bored with your classes that you are looking for escape routes?" Alice joked, but her voice sounded tense. I could tell that she was worried about missing something. I was being vague and it bothered her.
"Alice?" I decided to be straight with her. "She's here."
I didn't have to explain who 'she' was. Alice knew. Our additional abilities set us apart, and because of them, we shared an indescribable closeness. Through her visions, she had witnessed every gruesome image that had passed through my mind, as I imagined killing an entire classroom full of innocent teenagers to get to Bella. She saw how hard I had to struggle to fight off the instinctual urges to drink the life out of that one sweet source. And she knew the pride and satisfaction I felt when I was able to suppress the monster inside that had so nearly ruined me.
"Well, that settles it then." Alice finally said.
"Settles what?"
"Jasper and I had been planning to visit. My call earlier was to make sure that you weren't really going to Denali. I didn't want to have to change our plans."
Jasper was also a part of my family. He and Alice were best friends, partners, and soul mates. Whatever title you wanted to give him- Jasper was her guy. And the two were a package deal.
"Alice…" I began.
"Don't argue, Edward," she warned. "You need us."
"You… might be right," I sighed. I missed my family. And having Alice around for a while to warn me about the decisions I might make would probably be a good thing. Because I didn't plan to leave. I planned to stay right where I was. And that could get…tricky.
"It will probably be a couple weeks before we leave," Alice murmured. "But you know what? I think you'll be OK. I mean… you saw her today and didn't go bizerk. Right? Maybe you really will be fine."
"Keep an eye on things, just in case?" I asked quietly. I hoped I was as strong as she gave me credit for. I wanted to be.
"I always do."
