I know you're all a little pissed at how much we're slacking with updates, but check out this chapter. Go on, scroll down really fast and come back up. I'll wait.

*waits waits waits*

Yeah, you see that? Pretty fuckin' long, isn't it? I've been writing every day since our last chapter...trying to make it interesting... so keep that in mind when you're looking for a stone to throw at me when you see me in the streets begging for dollars to nourish my expensive coke habit. I need a muzzle.

Enjoy the chapter!


Edward POV

One week later…

I am the thing in the woods; the monster shifting between shadows. The curious have falsely documented my kind for centuries and have done us the great nobility of molding us into affectionate creatures with dark habits, but tonight, I am anything but remorseful. I am the abomination of every supernatural entity man will ever fear, the reason why children cower beneath their covers, and the shiver you feel when you sense something behind you.

…She felt me behind her.

Those porcelain legs tightened to an anxious trot and I amusingly trailed behind, allowing the distance to execute her impatient trials with mortality. My favorite game of cat and mouse; it made my lips quivered with thirst, but I had to be patient.

I jumped from one sturdy branch to the next.

She quickly spun around, "Is someone there?"

Her nervous eyes moved into my direction.

"Yes," I quietly replied.

We both waited in silence, carefully waiting for sudden movement. She shook off the annoying sensation to run and continued at the same pace.

I hadn't planned on feeding tonight to be honest. This one sort of just fell into my lap while I was on my way home from a midnight stroll. I didn't like staying out too late and made it my priority to make it home by dawn, but this one really perked my interest and I couldn't resist the further research. It made things a lot easier when the person was drunk, too. Not only because they were less aware of their surroundings, but because their thoughts processed like a lucid dream. She was a murderer—not a conventional one—but still a heartless killer in her own little way.

I continued from one tree to the next, closing in on her as she rounded the corner of the dark, deserted street. I knew this neighborhood fairly well. She was going exactly where I needed her to be. She kept her focus forward as soon as she realized the streetlights were no longer aiding in her safety and began walking even faster. Now she was teasing me.

Why the hell did I decide to walk home alone? I should've just stayed with Amy. Oh my God, I am so lost.

"How unfortunate—I almost feel sorry for you." I quietly responded with a crooked smile.

I gently eased down from the branch and landed steadily on my feet, walking into her view as casually as I could so I wouldn't startle her. Her eyes quickly met mine, but were relieved to see me. Lucky for me the fear in her heart subsided and it was now all the more effortless to reel her in. I pretended to ignore her by walking on the opposite side of the street, keeping my eyes to the sidewalk with my hands buried in my jacket while observing her movements in my peripheral view.

"Excuse me." she commanded rather than asking.

I lifted my head attentively in her direction.

"I need some help." She laughed, "I have no idea where I'm going and I feel like I've been walking for hours."

You have been. You're just too drunk to notice.

"Sure." I shrugged, "Where are you going?"

"Do you know where Church Street is?"

I laughed.

"I'm not even close, am I?" she groaned.

"You've got another mile of exercise ahead of you." She sighed and slumped in disbelief. I nodded behind her and pointed, "Down that way and around the corner. I could take you if you want. I'm going that way anyway."

She agreed and followed beside me. They never said no. They wanted my company. I was comforting and desirable by nature.

I took advantage of the long walk by festering inside of her head, asking her simple questions pertaining to who she was and what she was feeling, but her mind was too cluttered with ideas on how she was going to fuck me tonight for me to attain anything useful. That was my only problem with drunks—that's all they had on their mind. I told her a little about my life, mostly lies of course, but was sure to revert the conversation back to her. She was the star of the show, after all. The tragic heroine with a sadistic twist—my favorite character—and she would play it so well.

We eventually approached her house after our forty minute rendezvous. It was pretty damn big and rather normal compared to the last few house calls I've made. We walked up the yellow lit stone path to the front door. I rolled my eyes as she unsteadily fumbled her keys from her purse.

"My parents are out of town." she said as she turned around and winked at me.

"No siblings?" I enquired.

"I'm an only child now. My little brother died three years ago." she said unlocking the front door.

"That's unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that." I lied.

She waved away my apologies with an indifferent expression as she pushed the door open.

I looked down at the door mat before I moved inside of the house. It read 'Welcome to our Home' in calligraphic, cursive writing above a nest holding a family of doves. Thank you, I silently greeted before stepping through the door frame.

I was actually surprised at how quaint the front area was—everything covered in family heirlooms and floral decadence with the alluring scent of lavender and honey calming the room, which was lit up just enough for you to notice. The walls were of a soft, golden color with flooring stretched in rich mahogany wood. It was both inviting and ironic—the prowling predator following the coo of the stray dove to her cozy nest.

I turned my eyes to the display of family photos hung in assembly along the hallway. Their smiles reflected structure, obviously during happier times. I looked into the fathers mimicking gaze, whom was gleaming with pride towards his fortune of a beautiful wife and two well-behaved children. How would he ever know that everything would soon fall apart and shatter his world into impossibly small shards of time he would never get back.

I looked from one family member to the next, eventually coming to the smallest one in size—the unfortunate blonde-haired boy. He couldn't have been any older than seven—that made my stomach flip. The innocence of his jack-o'-lantern grin took me back to my own childhood—or at least what I could remember of it—and tried to think of what it is a seven year old could have possibly done to deserve the ultimate punishment of death. I wonder if he knew it was coming or if he even had the chance to defend himself.

I looked at the date.

'2007'.

It was taken three years ago.

"How old are you?" I asked without thinking.

"Seventeen," she replied, "Why?"

I shrugged and implied there was no reason behind my question, but there was. It meant at fourteen, a child had the desire, the same need as me, to decide when it was time for another person's life to vanquish. My face fell into a sour twist.

Her eyes followed mine to the perfect portrait, obviously noticing my sudden choice of a facial expression. She half smiled at it; I thought it was from a few fond memories she had of him until I read her mind.

Little brat, she mentally sneered.

"How did he die, if you don't mind me asking?" I politely asked.

"I don't mind anymore," she shook her head at me with a smile. "He fell down the stairs and broke his neck. Those to be exact." She pointed over to the staircase peeking from the edge of the hallway, almost like she was proud.

"That must've been hard for you." I commented.

Not really, she light-heartedly smiled to herself.

"It was for a little while," she exaggerated, "It just gets a little lonely here without him." She tilted her head at the picture of him and sighed, "I miss him."

I didn't need to read her mind to know she was lying. Even if she wasn't, there was still a big piece of the puzzle that I was somehow missing. She somehow managed to maneuver her way out of the conversation and led me into the kitchen.

"Want something to drink?" she asked, pouring herself a glass of water.

"I'm fine, but thank you." I grinned.

My head twirled with further curiosity as my eyes flickered to a single photo of the young boy propped up in a frame on the kitchen counter. She followed my gaze again and stared with me, wondering why I was suddenly so infatuated with him.

She turned back to me and motioned towards the table, "Have a seat."

"Thank you," I smirked and turned to the small chair beside me. She quickly walked over to the portrait while my back was turned and lightly planted the photo face-down on the counter when she thought I wasn't looking.

Fascinating how you're dead and still manage to bug the shit out of me, she growled at the picture.

Well that was lips curled into a twisted smile at the shed of light she had given me. Her fluent thoughts confirmed that she was finally sobering up. Now I just needed something just a little more solid to seal the deal.

"How are all of you handling it?" I asked.

This seemed to frustrate her.

"We're fine now," she said, rather annoyed that I even asked, "I personally don't think it's that big of a deal when somebody dies. Life goes on." She came over and sat down beside me, "Get over it."

"I think I sense a little resentment," I knowingly teased.

"There isn't any." She insisted, taking a sip from the glass and licking her lips, "It's just…my parents are all hung up over Nathan dying."

I could've gone without knowing his name.

"But I'm still here, you know? It's like my mom and dad don't realize they still have a kid that's living, but they don't even care. I guess I'm not all that surprised though. They've always wanted a boy and were anxious as hell to try again after they fucked up the first time."

I attentively nodded with complete satisfaction. I no longer needed to attain her thoughts—her lips gladly laid them out for me.

"It's like it was a waste of time…" she trailed off.

I narrowed my eyes, "What was?"

Her eyes rolled over to me with her jaw gaped open.

"Nothing," she quickly said, standing up and disappearing into the hallway.

She knew she had already said too much and was trying to figure a way out of her predicament. That bothered me a little. It reminded me of how Bella had looked at me. Teasing in a way, but also tainted with a slight gleam of truth. I listened in on her thoughts and hoped she would finally reveal herself, but all I got back was shifting excuses and the perfect lie to tell me. This bitch wasn't letting up easily.

I heard an estranged fumbling noise in the bathroom followed by the sound of water running.

Say no more, darling. I'll release you from your pain.

I quietly followed the sound until I reached the bathroom. She was bent over in the sink, splashing water against her face. Someone was feeling a little nervous…and guilty. I almost thought she was just getting overwhelmed by her grief, that well-known, empty void of emotion you try to make sense of daily when you lose somebody you love.

God, how much longer can I do this? No, you're fine, Steph. You're fine. Stay calm…

And then…

What was the point? All this bullshit and he still gets what he wants. I would've been better off just killing myself.

Ask and you shall receive.

My face distorted with relentless, sadistic intentions. I may or may not have been smiling. I don't know, but I did feel pretty fucking good at that moment. That same longing, jubilant feeling of overwhelming power thickened my blood with rage and carnage. It was time.

She turned the faucet off and looked up into the mirror. I briefly caught my own reflection, and honestly, I couldn't chide the utter terror that masked her face. She thought of running, like they usually do, but instead stood in a frozen stance against the sink and helplessly glared at me through the mirror. I quickly snaked my arm around her chest and pulled her against my chest, tightly compressing her throat before she had the indication to scream.

"You know, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt," I laughed, "But you're really no different than me."

Her pleading eyes grew wider with an even greater fear.

"No, I take that back." I corrected myself, "I would never kill a child. I don't know why you did it, and I'm sure Nathan doesn't either, but you'll have plenty of time to explain that to him when you see him, won't you?"

She gasped and began throwing her fists in the air, kicking her legs beneath her, trying to slither away and run like hell. I felt a feeble scream wither beneath my stone hands and released my grip.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" I teased.

"I didn't mean it," she choked between deep gasps for air, "I swear I didn't mean to do it!"

"Wrong answer!" I growled, gripping her back in my strangle-hold and forcing her chin towards the mirror with my free hand, "Look at yourself."

She turned her head away and began to whimper.

"No, no, none of that now." I smiled, "You don't want to miss the show, do you?"

She clenched her eyes shut.

"Open your fucking eyes or I'll do it for you!" I spat, angrily.

She obeyed and stared into our reflection.

"That's better," I complimented.

"Please…" she pleaded, her helpless body quivering as tears began rolling down her flustered cheeks.

"I want you to feel the same way he did, I want you to feel everything," I told her, "from the moment he saw you coming, like you saw me—to the pain he felt when his neck snapped at the bottom of that fucking staircase."

Her heart began thumping at an impossible rate.

"Watch closely now," I whispered, slowly gliding my hand up from her neck to her chin, cupping it in the palm of my hand. The tears continued to trail down her face and soaked the funnel of my fingers. I gave her time to finalize her thoughts and find peace, but her mind became silent. I almost think she had somehow found closure long before I came. Maybe that's how most people are when they know they're about to die—they accept it long before they meet their date with death.

I slowly crossed her chest with my other arm to keep her shoulders back while getting a firm grip on her face with the other. It was the only revenge I could get for Nathan's assailant and I didn't want her to miss a thing. In a swift motion, I spun her head with enough force to almost completely corkscrew her neck around. Her body became limp within seconds.

I released her from my clutch, letting her freefall into a plop on the floor beneath me. I slumped on my knees and lazily rested my palms face up on my thighs and tilted my head and looked at her the same way she had looked at Nathan's picture in the living room. Little brat, I smirked. It was a quick, painless death for such a well-deserved kill, but I had to remain a little tasteful in my tactics. Her eyes were still open, so at least the over-dramatics weren't all in vain.

I pulled her onto my lap by her wrists and wrapped myself around her waist, planting a burning kiss on her still-warm neck and fed. The insatiable, bittersweet taste of blood always tasted better when I really worked for it—and oh, was it ever worth the labor. I always liked it when there was still a faint heartbeat. I loved the feeling of hot fluid streaming small doses into my mouth and swelling my cheeks, running down my throat and sweltering in the pit of my stomach. The best way I could describe it is it's like eating hot soup on a chilly day when you're sick in bed. Actually that's almost exactly what it's like.

Before I could even get my thirst even remotely quenched, my cell phone began to ring.

I hesitantly pulled my lips away from her still-warm neck and rolled my eyes. "Esme…" I huffed, pulling my cell phone from my pocket and observing the unfamiliar number on my caller ID. I winced, but thoughtlessly answered after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi. It's Bella…" her soft voice echoed through the receiver, "You know, your cliff buddy?"

I looked down at the mangled body with a bit of surprise, "Oh, hi. What can I do you for?"

"Sorry, I know it's late." She apologized, "But do you have time to talk, or meet up… or something? You told me to call you if I needed anything…"

I groaned through my teeth. Oh yeah, I did give my number away to a complete stranger, didn't I?

"Yeah, um… sure, that's fine," I stood up and dragged the corpse from the bathroom and dropped it in the hallway, "Look though, can I call you back? I'm sort of tied up with something."

"Okay," she softly replied, "Do you want to meet me somewhere or—"

"—I'll pick you up in an hour or so." I intervened.

"Okay, um… I'll see you then?"

"Yeah," I lightly reassured her and hung up.

Why did I give her my number? I know I told her to call me if she needed anything, but it was supposed to be a cordial hand-off. You know, a way of saying, 'Listen, you don't need to kill yourself. I'm somebody who cares…and I care so much that I'll offer you my number so you'll find some reason for living.' I guess I should've considered that she'd actually make use of it.

Throughout that long, yet brief conversation with Bella, blood somehow managed to puddle around her entire body and needed to clean it up before it stained. Okay, enough distractions. I need to get to work.

I stared down at her with my hands on my hips, lightly biting the inside of my cheek. Now what do I do with you? I looked around the house in search for my alibi and walked into the kitchen, catching a glimpse of a rather inviting knife set next to the sink. A clumsy intruder thinking nobody was home, got spooked at the sight of a young girl, slit her throat and left without taking anything? Sigh… No, then I'd have to go into hiding for years… I raked my hands through my hair and turned around to the staircase and perked a curious brow. No, that'd be a little much. Her parents would never step foot on a staircase again.

Oh…her parents.

How did I let that one slip by me? Their only children killed; one at the hand of their first born, Stephanie, and hers graciously taken by yours truly. Though many people would say that an 'eye for an eye' was certainly in order, I'm sure her darling parents won't be too gracious toward my actions. I'll have to do this perfectly and without error.

After a light search throughout the house, I eventually found an old suit case buried in the crawl space and stuffed her inside of it exited through the back door. Of course I managed to clean up my mess. I was a guest, after all.

I made the fast travel to my house, threw the suit case in the trunk, and drove off without saying a word to anyone. My phone rang again. It was Bella.

"Hey, I'm on my way, okay?" I answered.

"Oh, good. I was thinking for a minute that you were going to blow me off," she laughed.

Well I was considering it...

"Definitely not," I said light-heartedly, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

She chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked, laughing back.

"Nothing, you just have a totally different tune from an hour ago. I seriously thought you were going to strangle me for even calling you."

Not yet. You haven't given me any reason to.

"No, I was really just a little busy. But I'm free now and will be there in about five minutes."

"Okay, I'll be outside."

Yeah, let's tack on twenty minutes of waiting in the driveway. I hung up the phone and set it on my lap.

By my surprise, she was actually waiting outside. Girls usually weren't that punctual. She was dressed a lot more conservative since the last time I saw her; a casual pair of jeans and sweatshirt with a hood pulled over her head. It was as if I were meeting her for the first time.

"So where are we going?" she asked, taking her hood down and snapping in her seatbelt as we pulled off into the road.

I turned to her and smiled, "It's a surprise."

She nodded her head and sat back in her seat. We didn't talk from then on. I didn't really mind and I don't think she did either. We just sat there listening to some soft rock music and enjoyed each other's company in silence. It was actually pretty relaxing.

I eventually grew tired of driving, so I pulled off onto the side of the road and turned off the engine. She looked outside of the window, a little curious as to where we were. The expression on her face was sort of endearing. I couldn't help but smile.

"What, you don't recognize any of this?" I asked her.

She turned to me and shook her head, fumbling the strings from her hood in her hand. I think she was a little nervous.

"This was going to be your final resting place," I teased and stepped out of the car, "Come on dare devil."

She incoherently muttered something under her breath. I didn't catch it, but it made me laugh anyway. She was so easy to make fun of.

"You know, you have a pretty sick sense of humor," she joked.

I walked around the car and leaned against the hood, "I know. I actually get that a lot more than you think."

She looked over at the wooded preserve, "So are you going to tell me why were here?"

I smirked and folded my arms, "I picked this spot solely for the fact that I know most people can't get to it. And it really bothers me that you somehow managed to get to it anyway, so I need to see how that happened."

"And what if I don't comply." She bluffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Then I'll poison your cereal." I threatened.

She smiled. "I'm lactose intolerant,"

I shrugged. "Then I'll poison your soy milk."

"Fair enough." She sighed, defeated.

I victoriously smiled and followed behind her as she walked along the forest until she reached a spot she was familiar with and began climbing. She was a little clumsy with her maneuvering, but casually picked up momentum and started travelling from one tree to the next. I was actually a little impressed. Of course it was in a much slower pace than how I'd usually travel, but it was still pretty damn good.

I moved along right behind her, watching as she slowly yet steadily crossed heavy branches and limbs until we cleared the forest. She lightly plopped on the ground and turned around in waiting for some sort of recognition. I jumped down right after her.

I smiled. "Okay, I'm impressed, but I'll have you know I'm going to have to strengthen my fortress. I don't need a bunch of randoms tainting my vacation spot."

She blinked walking over to the same place we had spent all evening, "Oh, so I'm a random now?"

"More or less."

She looked over her shoulder at me and smiled, then sat down with her legs crossed. I sat beside her.

The familiar flush of brisk air once again flushed against my cheeks. It felt nice. Soothing. I looked over at Bella and truly wish I could've said the same for her. She was rubbing her hands together and began rocking back and forth to stay warm.

I peeled my coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Poor girl, I forgot you're not used to this weather. I'll make sure to bring you a winter coat next time I see you." I winked.

"A winter coat? It's still October." She said through chattering teeth.

"But it feels like December for you, doesn't it?" I smiled.

She looked at me with wide eyes and bobbed her head rapidly.

I smiled and nodded once at the coat, "Is it helping any?"

She grabbed at the neck of it and pulled it over herself. "A lot actually. Thanks."

It actually was. She stopped shivering.

We looked over at the ocean as the waves pulled in and out beneath the starry skies.

I took a deep breath. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Very." She whispered.

The air grew silent once more. I still didn't mind. There we sat, side by side, admiring the beauty of the sight before us. Her synchronized heartbeat and breathing pattern made my head a little dizzy. Not because it made me thirsty; I was definitely good on that. I think it made me a little…sleepy. No, that's not the right word. I don't even remember what sleep is like anymore. Drowsy, maybe? Yeah. That had to be it.

I cleared my throat and looked over to her. "So, what brings you to Washington?"

She sighed, rather annoyed, but did it in the most polite way she could.

"Sorry, I know you must get that a lot." I laughed.

"I just get tired of repeating the same thing over and over. Plus it's not like it's anybody's business. What if I came here just because? Do I have to have a reason for wanting to leave Phoenix?"

I knew she wasn't necessarily frustrated with me, so I passed on unneeded confrontation.

I fell back against the soft grass and rested my hands behind my head. "Sounds like you've been a broken record for the past couple of weeks."

"Not really," she giggled, "I've made up some pretty wild excuses. It's actually funny how people will fall for just about anything."

I passed on the joking material and narrowed my eyes, curiously. "So what's the real reason?"

She slowly shook her head. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to poison your cereal."

"I'm lactose intolerant."

She heartily laughed like she did the first time we met. I remember her saying how she hadn't laughed like that in a long time—and I made her do it twice in one week. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. She didn't seem all that depressed, at least not when I was around her. Then again, like she said before, looks can be deceiving.

She drew out a long yawn.

"So when are you going to tell me?"

She turned her head and slowly blinked through her heavy lids. "Hm?"

I stared up at the sky. "Why you moved here, I mean."

"Oh," she softly said, yawning once more. "When you finally play a song for me."

I raised a brow. "On the piano?"

She nodded.

"That's it? That's all you want?"

She thought for a moment. "No, I won't make it that easy for you."

I chuckled, "You're going to break my back over this, aren't you."

She smiled and thought a little bit longer, staring down at her feet like she was hesitant to request it.

"Well, what's the catch?"

She pursed her lips and pointed at me. "Okay, it can't be a song you already know..."

I slowly nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"…but it can't be something you just pull out of nowhere, either."

I rolled over on my side and propped myself up on my elbow. "So, this is a personal request."

She nodded, biting her bottom lip and wincing like she felt it was too much to ask for.

"Damn, that'll take some time..." I playfully sighed, looking down.

She didn't say anything.

I looked up at her and narrowed my eyes, "But lucky for you, I have all the time in the world. Deal."

Her face lit up toward my agreement. "Deal?"

I nodded. "But you have to tell me everything. And it has to be true."

She smiled. "Deal."

We continued talking throughout the remainder of the night. The same way we did before. She told me a little about herself, leaving out big chunks of course, but so did I. And that was okay. We took it for what it was—two strangers who met at unusual circumstances that simply enjoyed each other's company.

The sun eventually began to peak and I practically had to beg her to let me take her home. She tried to be persistent on staying all morning too, but I really had things to take care of if you catch my drift. And it wouldn't be long before it begins to smell. No amount of potpourri can get that stench out of your car. Plus I'm sure Carlisle and Esme are wondering where the hell I'm at. Yeah, definitely a good idea to get home. With my use of master manipulation, I finally convinced her that it was best that she went home and dropped her off.

"Maybe we can do this again?" she cautiously asked, trying not to seem so assuming.

I smiled. "Of course. You have my number, suicide girl."

She playfully mocked me and slammed the door, looking back once more before entering her house.

I didn't want to admit it right then and there, but I was actually looking forward to seeing her again. I liked her laugh, probably a lot more than she liked doing it. In fact, I thought about her laugh the entire ride home and even thought of ways I could make it happen more often in the future.

I don't know what it is I liked about her, but I did. She was different—refreshingly different—so much so that I didn't really have to make up too many stories just out of sheer annoyance. I liked telling her about myself. Well, from what I could tell her. I don't even want to imagine what she'd think of me after she found out who I truly was.

My car travelled over a pothole and rattled a loud thump from the trunk. Oh yeah, speaking of. I turned my wheel and quickly re-routed my destination with a dreary sigh. So much for making it home by morning, I really need to map out my evenings a little better.