"There was… another woman before me, isn't it?"
Edward Cullen looked down at his wife, Bella, his topaz eyes flashing in surprise. "Why do you say that?"
Bella shrugged, "I… saw it once, when I opened my shield." She said, referring to her vampire power of creating and retracting an invisible mental barrier. Edward's eyes flashed once more in shock, as his arm around her caressed her shoulder. He gazed up the ceiling, watching the shadows as he sighed, "Yes… there were many. But only one… was special."
Bella shifted from his grasp, so that she lay on his chest, her fingertips caressing his neck as the other held up her head. "Tell me about her."
He shook his head, "No. I can't. I'm sorry, Bella…"
"We are husband and wife." She said, holding up the lavish ring that encircled her ring finger, "We're not supposed to have any secrets with each other, remember?"
There was a hint of fear and hesitation that came across Edward's eyes now, and Bella saw it. She bent over and kissed his lips as she whispered, "Whatever you tell me, I'll understand it."
Edward sighed as Bella kissed him again, and he grinned a little, "No use arguing with a bribe like that." Bella laughed as Edward straightened from their bed. He turned to face her.
"This… happened a long time ago, Bella. Decades before I met you. What I'm about to tell you is the reason I've been very cautious towards you when you were human. I hope that after this, you… won't think that you married a monster."
Edward's face was serious, and his eyes seemed to gleam with sadness. Bella shook her head as she reached out and touched his cheek, "I'll never think that, Edward…"
He smiled and held her hand on his face, before removing it and clasping it in both of his hands as he told his tale.