"Alice!" I hissed.
"What?" she whispered.
"That's Tanya! Edward's girlfriend, or former girlfriend. What is she doing here?", my heart started thumping madly.
"Ok, calm down. Maybe she's just here with Rose. Now, let's get you a drink", she said trying to distract me.
We sat at the bar until Edward's band was finished playing. I couldn't bear to look at him anymore. I threw back another shot and slammed the glass on the bar. I looked back over to where Rosalie and Tanya were sitting and my heart dropped. Edward was chuckling with his arm around Tanya. To my horror, she leaned up and kissed him. I sat frozen in my chair, taking in deep ragged breaths. I felt like a fool. I angrily stood out of my chair, deliberately stalked past him, eyeing him with hatred. He looked over at me and his face dropped. Good, I hope you feel bad asshole. I tried to blink back my tears, as I stomped off in search of a cute guy.
I walked into the house, stumbling slightly, and glanced around the room. Mike Newton.
"Mikey!", I shrieked. God help me, I've become one of those girls. Mike's face lit up and he wrapped his arms around me. Crap, I'm going to regret this.
"Bella. Are you ok?", he asked brushing my hair out of my face.
"I am now", I said with a seductive smile. I grabbed his hand and led him back outside. The room was beginning to spin and I needed fresh air. We headed for a large willow tree with a bench nestled beneath the branches. Mike's eyes seemed to brighten. Uh, oh better distract him before he makes a move.
"Great party, huh?", was all I could manage.
"It's even better now that I'm with you", he began as he leaned in for the kiss. Before his lips touched mine I began to giggle uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry", I tried to say with a straight face. I mashed my lips together but my body was shaking with fits of laughter.
"Bella. Stop." Mike pleaded.
"Ok. Ok. I think I'm good", I said. I took in a deep breath to calm myself. If I thought about that cheesy line again I wouldn't be able to contain myself.
"I'm going to get another drink. Will you be ok?" he asked.
"Mmhmm", I mumbled and waved him off. I tried to tune out the rumble of voices from the party and focused on the sound of the crickets. I sat there for a few moments but then decided I better return to find Alice. Maybe I could convince her to leave. I stood up to see Edward casually strolling towards me. I wanted to yell a string of profanities at him, punch him, collapse into his arms, and kiss him all at the same time.
"Bella" he breathed with relief.
"Oh is it my turn now?" I asked. I took a step away from him and lost my balance. Before I could blink I was cradled in his strong arms. He carried me back to the bench and set me down gently.
"I can walk on my own just fine", I said stubbornly.
"Oh really?" he said barely containing a smile.
I didn't want to try to get up again for fear of stumbling, so I just sat and tapped my toe impatiently.
"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He stretched his arm behind me and rested it on the back of the bench. It took all of my effort not to lean into his body. I decided to ignore his question because I didn't know how to answer it. Although I am bothered by his presence, I still don't want him to leave. Ugh, this is bad.
"What are you thinking about?", he asked with furrowed eyebrows. He looked as if he wanted to draw the thoughts straight out of my head.
I inhaled a large gulp of air. "I'm going to be completely honest with you Edward", I started. He nodded his head as a signal to go on. "I like you. Right now I am confused because I thought..maybe, you liked me too?" I nervously hid my eyes and picked at the hem of my dress. "Then I saw you with Tanya, and she is supermodel status while I'm utterly ordinary", I finished with a scowl.
He seemed to choose his words very carefully. "You are far from ordinary Bella", he whispered. He slowly reached his finger to my face and stroked my cheek. My face flushed under his touch.
"What about Tanya?" I pressed.
"I'm sorry you have to see her like this. Please know that I have no feelings for her anymore. Tanya and I used to be an item, but I ended things a couple months ago. She is having a hard time letting that go, and up until now it's just been easier to let her be. She can become a bit possessive, but she understands me so it is hard for me to entirely push her away".
"I can understand you", I said.
"There are some things about me that you don't know."
"So tell me." My eyes bore into his, but he turned his head to gaze out into the pond.
"I don't know if I can", he admitted.
"You can trust me", I breathed. I reached for his hand and he allowed me to take it.
"I have a lot of secrets Bella", he said with a sly grin.
"Try me", I challenged.
"I can read people's minds", he said.
My first reaction was to laugh, but his face was so serious that I had to believe him. Shit can he hear me now? Oh gosh, he knows I'm falling in love with him. I buried my face in my hands.
"Bella?" he asked.
"That is embarrassing", I said in a muffled tone.
"How exactly?"
"Well know you know everything I've ever thought about you!" I blurted out.
"Bella. I can't read your mind"
"Wh-what?", my heart raced.
"You are the first person I've ever met who I can't…hear".
I felt a sigh of relief that my thoughts are safe.
"Wait. Why can't you read my mind? Is there something wrong with me?" I worried.
"I tell you I can read minds and you think there's something wrong with you? Bella Swan, you truly are absurd", he chuckled.
We sat in silence for a moment holding hands. I couldn't help but wonder how long this could last.
"Bella" he finally began.
"Yes?" I whispered.
"I have other secrets too", he said.
"It doesn't matter", I said. My mind tried to think of what secrets he might be so hesitant to share. A bad childhood? A drug addiction?
"Bella, I'm no good for you. This is a mistake", he said in a serious tone.
"You mean you are making a mistake being alone with me right now?"
"Yes. A very dangerous one."
"I don't believe you are dangerous." I blinked my eye and suddenly Edward disappeared across the lawn. A cool wind was left in his wake, whipping through my hair. Before I could blink again he was sitting next me, as if he had never moved.
"How-how did you do that?" I asked. My heart wanted to explode out of my chest.
Between his thumb and forefinger he held a medium sized rocked. He barely pinched his fingers, and the rock disintegrated into a fine powder.
"Are you a superhero?" I wondered. He shook his head.
"Can you tell me?" I asked.
"I'm afraid that it might scare you", he spoke so quietly I almost couldn't hear.
"Blood. Ice. Heights. Talking in front of a big crowd. Those are the things that scare me. A dazzling college guy? Not so much." I tried to reassure him.
"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked.
"Yea. It was at the bookstore on Valentine's Day. I was reading a book, and you slipped a note into it asking me to come to your show. Why?"
"Do you remember what book you were reading?"
I tried to remember. I couldn't focus on the book too much because I was a little preoccupied with the beautiful stranger. Then it clicked. Vampires.
"The main character was a vampire. I forget what it was called. Why is this important?" I wondered.
"The book was called The Cold Ones", he said as a matter of fact.
"I'm sorry. I didn't really get to read much of it", I admitted.
He stood up in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"The Cold Ones", I repeated.
He grabbed my face with both hands, and his cool fingers shocked me. I shivered. My breath was stuck in my throat, as I looked up at him with recognition in my eyes.
"You? You're a- a vampire?, my voice was thick with shock.
He simply nodded his head in shame.
"But-but how? Vampires can't be real. That's just a myth", I said.
"I assure you we exist", he admitted.
"Are you dangerous? Is that what you've been trying to tell me?"
"I will never hurt you. But I can't deny that my natural instincts wish to harm you."
"I trust you", I tried to reassure him, but his golden eyes burned with agony.
"I'm not sure I trust myself. I couldn't live with myself if I were to hurt you. The thought of you still, white, cold…It's tortured me since I first laid eyes on you. To never see the blush in your cheeks again, or to hear the delicate beat of your heart, would be insufferable".
"Edward. Your very presence makes me feel safe. I know that you will never hurt me."
"I can't be sure of that. I've tried to stay away from you; to protect you. But I don't think I can stay away any longer.
"Then don't." My heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again.
"Bella.."
"Shh". I pressed a finger to his lips. I traced lines across his face, memorizing each detail. He closed his eyes, and sat still as stone.
"You can't imagine how that feels", he whispered. He opened his eyes and softly brushed my cheek. His cool touch should warn me to be afraid, but I felt no fear.
"I'd like to try something" he said. "But you must stay very still", he requested. I nodded my head. He leaned in closer to my face, slowly hesitating to test himself. Then his cold, marble lips pressed softly into mine. His lips slowly parted and his tongue traced lines against my lips. My fingers tangled into his hair, and his hands were wrapped firmly around my waist. Desire burned through my body and my tongue moved furiously with his. He suddenly broke away, panting.
"Oops. Guess I got carried away", I breathed.
"Well, you are only human", he chuckled.
"That was.." I began. Amazing, perfect, heavenly, indescribable. No word seemed perfect enough.
"I know", he agreed. He pulled me into his arms and I leaned into his chest. I breathed in his scent, hoping to memorize this moment forever. He was placing small kisses on the top of my hair. We sat in silence for awhile, but slowly began to discuss parts of our life. It was as if we played the longest game of twenty questions known to man.
I asked him about his life as a vampire. He explained that his family is different from others and that they only hunt animals. I felt relieved to learn that my potential boyfriend is not a murderer, although that relief disappeared when I learned that he is frozen at the age of nineteen. Immortal; private joke between the band members. I barely noticed the sound of the party dying down, until Edward suggested that he took me home. I was completely enamored in the conversation. I felt so much closer with him after learning more about his family, and his way of life.
I stood up and stretched with a big yawn.
"Why aren't you tired?" I asked him. He looked as if he could run a marathon.
"I can't sleep", he explained with a shrug of his shoulders.
"At all?" I said in amazement.
"Never", he admitted.
"You were right about all the secrets", I laughed.
"Let's get you home", he said, and reached for my hand.
Edward was carrying me up the stairs to Jasper's room. I must have fallen asleep in the car. He placed me on the bottom bunk with no effort at all, and pulled the covers over me.
"Sleep well", he whispered and kissed my forehead.
I didn't have time to respond before my eyes closed again.
