Part IV: Torn

My heart would have skipped a beat then if biology permitted.

Edward secured his worn, brown leather jacket tightly around his torso, accentuating his firm bicep muscles. The rain had ceased, but the chill in the air remained. My throat began to produce a burning sensation as he opened his mouth to speak.

"In my dreams...I saw you last night," he stuttered. My mind loosened up, but my body could not.

"I know it seems weird, but since I saw you, I can't stop thinking about you. Although, the way you ran out yesterday, makes me feel like you do not share those same feelings." He took a shy step towards the porch where I stood and the burning heightened. It felt like lava running down my throat.

"My dad is the sheriff around here, but you probably know that already," he chuckled nervously. His crooked smile helped distract me from killing the one I wanted to love so much.

"Charlie. He knows where everyone lives and I mentioned you and I heard about you and I never do this...this is probably freaking you out, but...I-I just want to know you." Edward stared up at me with helpless eyes. The words helped tame the pain welling up inside me. No words escaped my lips, for fear I might injure the only other I had connected with in my life. He misread my stoic expression with hatred. I could see it on his face.

"Um...well. I'm sorry to bother you. This was a mistake." He paced with silence over to his car door and wrestled with the rusted over key hole.

Could I simply let him slip away? He had come here just to see me despite my unforgivable actions toward him the day before. But what kind of happy life could he possibly possess with me? Me. Someone whose soul was lost forever. I had killed people. Murderers, rapists, but people nonetheless. And there was always going to be the gamble of him getting hurt. I could not go on if I ever heart him. But for God's sake, he already showed up to a house full of vampires completely unaware! The befuddled thoughts of Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett hummed from within our house; I tuned them out. All my focus had to be on Edward and a high level of self-control right now.

But it would be untrue, if I said I did not want to get to know this human man as well. I could no longer picture a life without him.

With that I choked, "Edward, wait."

He wore a blank gaze.

I approached the driver's side with hesitance until we were once again, only inches away. "Excuse me for my behavior yesterday. I'm Bella. Bella Swan." His scent lured me in and sent me to another world. "I was having a bad day, you could say. I didn't have...breakfast." Edward's flashed a toothy smile that reached his eyes.

"All that over breakfast?" he chuckled. "Maybe I could treat you to breakfast sometime to avoid the heartbreak."

"Unlikely," I thought.

I forced a weak smile. "Listen to me. It is absolutely no fault of yours. I'm just not good for you. I'm not good for anyone. It really is in your best interest to stay away from me, Edward. Trust me."

Edward gingerly placed his hands around my shoulders and pulled me in. Those dark eyes mended the hole that my cursed heart had created when I was turned into a vampire. His full, pink lips sent a twang of love and desire into my veins. Edward's smile was the new meaning to my being on this earth.

"What if I don't want to stay away?" he whispered. His words alleviated the smoldering within me.

"Edward, there's something you need to know if we wish to pursue any sort of friendship." I internally cringed at the word "friend."

"What is it?" he asked.

I paused. Well, I'm going to hell anyway.

I open the polished, silver door to Mabel.

"Get in."

To be continued! Please review :) anything and everything helps. Thank you for reading!