This was so much more than I had bargained for. I mean I knew I was going to have to tell somebody at some point, but this somebody and less than a day after wasn't what I had anticipated. The feeling of letting go enveloped my whole body.

My hair fell in front of my eyes, and I brushed it away feeling the comfort in his arms. My eyes wandered to his, and they were not that onyx color they had been before. They were an insanely clear aquamarine color. It made me queasy to see all the anger laced in his features.

I closed my eyes, and his cold body wrapped me in a blanket of comfort. I leaned in even closer to him trying to keep back the tears, and felt him breathing in and out like a gentle oceanic breeze. I tried to preoccupy myself with fiddling my fingers.

He looked down and brushed a tear away from my cheek. I didn't need to think right then; I didn't need to feel anything. We sat there, and I very poorly tried to compose myself.

"Listen to me Bella." He smiled, but I could see he was intense behind the kindness.

"Okay," I said weakly. It was boiling in the little restaurant, so I tore off my turtle neck to reveal a simple blue tank top. Then I realized I might have made a mistake because from previous events I had bruises all over my arms. Edward looked alarmed and quickly calmed himself, but I could see that intense fierceness at my appearance.

I looked down at my arms and they were worse than I thought. At least two rock sized black bruises covered my wrists, and I felt ashamed of myself, but he tilted my head up, and smiled.

"You need to tell me as much as you can about those guys, but when you're ready. Right now it's your turn to do whatever you want. "

I wondered all the time why he was being so nice to me. I'd known him less than a month, and he was there for my every need. I sat up, and thought hard about this. I could ask him anything, anything at all. I went ahead and made a list in my head, and silently prepared for the questions.

"Okay, I don't want to talk about anything relating to me, at all." I stated clearly.

"Okay. Well, then what do you want to talk about?" I think he knew where this was going.

"Well, I have some questions for you."

"Okay…"

"Who are you?"

"Edward Cullen." He smirked. "That was an easy one."

"No, I mean who are you, really? Everyone at school says things that I find to be untrue, so I want to know who and what you are."

He tensed and fiddled with the napkin on the table. "Okay. Why the sudden interest in me?"

"I just want to know."

"Well, I can't answer everything today. I'm sorry Bella, I'm breaking you're 'not talk about you rule', but this is important to me. "

I ached and didn't want to do this, while in my mind I erased all the questions I was going to ask him.

"I can answer you one question, though. Just for tonight. I will answer just one. Any one question you want."

I swallowed hard and thought of Jacob Black and my trip to La Push. I knew the question I needed to get off my chest, just to stop being paranoid, but I suppressed it; I needed to play innocent for now. "Okay, Edward- I breathed in slowly- why are you being so kind to me?" My blood boiled as he continued to stare me dead on; I wanted to ask the real question.

After a deafening five second silence, he breathed in and ran his fingers through his bronze hair. "There are things I can tell you, and things I want to tell you."

What the hell kind of answer was that? It was cryptic. I paused to analyze the response. "That didn't answer my question." I said a little agitated.

"Bella please try to keep your voice down." He was shaken, and the look in his eyes was searching- searching for an answer he wanted to say, but wouldn't give me.

"Okay, I just thought you needed a friend is all. Jess and Angela seemed distant from you, and I didn't think it a good idea to leave without helping you."

Okay?

"Can't I ask just one more question?" I threw my hands up and watched him.

"Damn it Bella!" He said very quietly, so quietly that I had to strain to hear him.

"I need an explanation."

Then he looked straight into my eyes, and said plainly, "I will explain, but when I'm driving. Now, like I said one question only, and I need to know about the- he gulped- monsters that did that to you." He gestured toward my arms and brushed them incredibly softly, but a yelp of pain escaped my lips. It hurt to think of how those got there.

"Why? I mean thanks, but why do you care so much about this?"

"Bella Swan." He stopped and closed his eyes. "This will all make sense to you in time."

I hate this. He won't tell me anything. He's treating me like a child. I huffed and did not respond.

"Should we eat dinner, or shall I take you home now?" He was offering me a date, but I glanced at the clock and was stone cold. 6:45 pm.

"I need to get home now." I replied. I was supposed to be home by six, and Charlie was going to furious with me.

"Okay then. Let's go." We walked out of the restaurant, and it was raining heavily again.

I hastily pulled my over shirt back on, and fumbled around in my pocket for my keys. I couldn't find them, and I was in a mad rush to get home. The rain pounded the pavement, and made it difficult to see anymore than ten feet ahead of you. "Where the hell are my keys!? Damn it! I need to-"

"Bella?" I stopped searching and talking to glance up seeing the boy swinging the keys around his finger. I blushed.

"Thanks." I reached over to grab the keys and he moved his arm just above my reach. I glared at him. "Can I have the keys please?"

"Who said you could drive?" He smirked and glided around to the other side of the car, and got into the driver's seat.

"Uh, I did. It's my car." I was so tired and emotionally drained I was not up to this fight.

No response. God, this kid is starting to annoy me. Just as I was about to retort on the Silent Bob act he turned the key. The engine roared.

My annoyance with him dropped. We had a whole car ride to talk about my real questions.

"Okay, I give up." I saw him relax in the seat, and then tense up again. It looked as if he wasn't breathing. "It's my turn to ask the questions."

He didn't take his hands off the wheel or remove his eyes from the road when I said this. "Alright, go ahead."

I half expected him to object. "Where are you from? Your family isn't from here. The kids at La Push said that you guys weren't allowed there. I want to know why."

"Which kids at La Push?"

I didn't want to get Jacob in trouble, but I just kept on going. "Jacob Black."

I could have sworn I heard Edward snarling at his name. "What did they say to you?"

"He went on about how there were all these old tales about the great flood, and then he started talking about the cold ones."

Edward faltered not once. It was kind of amazing to me. He remained calm in every situation, but amongst all the feelings he was hiding in his eyes was laced a repressed an intense anger. It kind of made me happy that he cared I was hurt that much.

"Bella is there a question behind this?" His voice was sweet and comforting, but I chuckled to myself- he wanted to get to the point.

"This is going to sound crazy- I know it's crazy, but Edward, are you a vampire?" I squeaked out the last word, and it felt good to finally say it.

There was silence. More silence. Then he breathed for the first time I could hear since we got in the car.

"Yes." His tone was filled up with shame, and hatred.

"I know, I'm sorry I said something so stupid, I'm- wait yes?"

"Yes."

My mind started running with insane thoughts. I should have been scared. I should have screamed and run cold with fear. I should have begged him not to kill me, but I was calm. I wasn't the least bit afraid of the man- boy- in control of my car.

"How, what, who?"

"Carlisle did it. I'm the cold ones that Jacob spoke of. Our whole family is." He turned his eyes of the road slowly, and turned to see my reaction. I guess he was expecting what I should have been- but wasn't- doing.

It was 7 pm and I was already an hour late, so more time wouldn't kill me. "Pull over."

He shifted the wheel and pulled off to the side of the road. His features were pained, then turned to me, and said quietly, "Aren't you going to run away? Scream?"

"No. I just need answers."

He nodded.

He seemed entranced with me, and the reaction. I just waited for him to speak. The shame on his face was almost too much to bear. He wouldn't talk.

So I spoke up, and this lightened the mood. "I want answers, but not tonight."

The rain splattered the hood, and I was silent for the rest of the ride home. I smiled and the rest of everything went away.

"Bella?" He shook my arm. I had fallen asleep in the car.

"Hmm, wha?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

"We're here."

"Oh, uh thanks."

"No problem... See you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, bye."

Now with the weight of my shoulders I walked up the path to my front door. It was time to ensue the wrath of a pissed off Charlie; and maybe go to bed afterwards.

A/N: I have over 2000 reads, but only 30 reviews? That doesn't sit well with me. Review me PLZ. I want at least fifty (in total) before I post the next chapter. Muwahahahaahaha!!!!!