Finally, the chapter is done. Originally, the two different points of view for it were separate chapters, but I figured that they'd look better as one chapter, and I was right. So, this chapter was a combination of two chapters turned into one. And yes, I am still editing this - I only have six chapters to edit before I'm done, and then I'll be focusing on the second part of this series, along with my other series. Also, the Outtake will get a quick edit to fit in better with the changes done to this chapter, as well as simply for the fact that it needs to be edited to begin with. That won't be done until later, though.
Dinner, Secrets, Truths, and Caught
Bella's Point of View
Okay, I can do this, I can do this...I can't do this. Crap, what am I going to do now.
Yes, it was official. I was losing it.
When Edward had offered to be the one to take me home, I couldn't help but jump at the opportunity. It was be a perfect time to tell him...everything, including the revelations I'd made in the car, which was just an extention of things I'd suspected for a while. I had to admit, I wasn't completely sure about it, but I had the feeling that I was right about what I'd just realized, in everything I was thinking. So, I figured that the drive home would be filled with talk between him and me.
However, dinner never actually entered my thoughts, and now I was becoming nervous. This actually felt like it was becoming a date, which increased my nervousness, and, because of that, I was no longer confident that I would actually stick to what I planned on doing, particularly since we actually couldn't talk here at the restaurant about most of it – the information was sensitive, not meant for others ears. Even if we were in a private section and I actually needed to eat, it wouldn't be a good place to talk. The sensitive nature of what I wanted to talk about aside, Edward would most likely end up attracting the attention of any female in there with his looks, meaning that the waitresses would most likely attempt to hover and listen in on our conversation.
However, when he had opened the door for me, and sent me a pleading look, and the fact that he had concern etched everywhere on his face, I'd been unable to not let him have his way, walking through it into the warm restaurant. That is the only reason why I'm not demanding him to start driving us back home I thought as we made our way to the hostess. I knew the minute she caught sight of Edward, the strong dose of desire burning my tongue as it coated it. A hint of dislike and jealousy ran through her when she caught sight of me standing next to him, though it faded a bit after a few moments.
It didn't take me long to realize the fact that she didn't consider me to be a threat to her attraction to Edward. Her jealously had pretty much subsides almost immediately, much quicker than I would have thought, and I knew that it was because of the fact that she probably believed me to either be a separate order than him, or a family member of his. A surge of jealousy – the same one I'd felt when Lauren had been talking about Edward being hers – ran through me, though it was overshadowed by the possessiveness than began to run through me as well.
I drifted closer to him, my hand grabbing his. I felt his stiffen slightly, not enough to be noticed unless someone was beyond observant. Without thinking about it, my thumb began to brush back and forth on his skin, calming him down before we got to the hostess and she could notice his stiffness. My jealousy and possessiveness calmed as I tasted her jealousy once more, which was just as strong as her dislike now that I was standing next to him, and holding his hand. Even if she still believed that we were siblings, it appeared that she didn't like the closeness being shown between us.
"Table for two?" Edward asked, his voice alluring. I wasn't sure if he was doing that intentionally, or if it was an accident. Either way, it still sent jealousy running through me, both at the fact that he'd spoken to her that way, and the way she responded to it. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the restaurant. I glared at her. It was obvious that she was doing it on purpose. Putting us here would mean that there was less of a chance of Edward and I being close together, while it was also in her line of sight. She'd be able to ogle Edward all she wanted if we sat there.
I opened my mouth, planning on saying something, when Edward beat me to it; which was probably a better option, as I would have probably been rude had I actually said anything to her.
"Perhaps something a bit more private," he insisted quietly to her. I smiled to myself when I tasted her flare up of jealousy, though I then frowned when I saw his hand move towards here. Then, to my surprise, I saw the money in his hand. He was tipping her, simply to get us moved to a more private table that's actually set for two instead of four. I'd never seen anyone actually do that outside of old movies.
"Sure." She was just as surprised as I was, though even more jealous now. However, she didn't really have a choice in refusing him either. Not only was he tipping her, but we could easily complain to her manager if she refused and get her fired, particularly since, as far as I knew, when it came to seating, unless there were no other choice, you weren't supposed to set two people at a table for more than that many. Of course, I didn't think we would; at least, I didn't think he would. With myself, I wasn't so sure, due to the dislike I had for her.
She turned, leading us around a partition to a small row of booths, all empty, and all suited for couples. It was easy to understand why she hadn't wanted to bring us here – the area it self seemed to be more intimate and romantic that where she originally wanted to seat us.
"How's this?" the hostess asked, and I could tell she wanted Edward to deny having us sit here. I had the feeling that she knew that the area wasn't an area you'd find siblings wanting to hang around. Which pretty much meant that it would be perfect for Edward and I.
"It's perfect," Edward said, and she felt a moment of despair, knowing that he was actually 'on a date' with me, right before Edward flashed her a gleaming smile, which dazed her momentarily, and had me glaring at him. It took her a second to regain her baring, and, after informing us that our server would be out soon, she walked away unsteadily. I waited until she was gone before returning my glare to him as he pulled out my chair before sitting down himself, our hands parting as he did so.
"You shouldn't do that, you know?" I told him, my tone showing my disgruntlement. He looked at me curiously.
"Do what?" he asked, confused. It was his confusion over the matter that settled my glaring. Apparently, he didn't have a clue on how the female population acted around him.
"Dazzle people like that, " I said. "She's probably hyperventilating in the kitchens right about now."
Actually, in truth, she was dishing about Edward to the severs. I could hear one of them lightly cheering at the fact that he was in her section. I didn't bother mentioning it; the restaurant, while close to empty, wasn't private enough for any real secret divulging. At least, that was what I was telling myself. Though I was still planning on tell Edward my secrets, now that I was thinking about it again, I was becoming nervous once more. This time, what his reactions towards me would be were running through my mind. Would he hate me? Would he think I was a monster? Would he ask me to leave? Would he ask me to never speak to him again? I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle any of these reactions very well.
His confusion increased once more.
"Oh, come on," I said. "You have to know the effect you have on people." My obvious surprise at this fact was evident in my tone of voice.
He titled his head to one side. "I...dazzle people?" he said.
"You seriously haven't noticed? What, did you really think everyone gets their way so easily?" I asked him. He ignored that.
"Do I dazzle you?" he asked.
"Not really," I told him. It was the truth; eye contact seemed to be the key to those he dazzled, and, since I tended to befuddle his mind if I made eye contact with him, it made it hard for him to dazzle me. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't have other things that helped dazzle those around him, but, for the most part, it was his eyes that caused it.
My answered disappointed him. It seemed he was hoping that he could dazzle me like he did others, but, before he could speak, our server arrived just then, her face expectant. I could tell that she liked what she saw as she flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear, and smiled with unnecessary warmth at Edward, not even sparing me a glance. My eyes narrowed at her.
"Hello, my name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" It didn't escape my attention that she also only spoke to Edward. I watned to say something about her bad manners, but the fact that Edward pretty much ignored her made it unnecessary. He pointedly looked at me, and unspoken hint that he was not only here with me, but that I was here as well. She didn't even turn toward me, and I rolled my eyes at her rudeness.
"I'll have a Coke," I told her. She made no move to suggest that she heard me.
"Two Cokes," Edward said, his eyes still on me.
"I'll me right back with that," she assured him, another unnecessary smile on her face, that he didn't see either.
"What?" I asked him, once I was sure she was out of hearing range. His eyes stayed fixed on my face, trying to capture my gaze. I looked everywhere but his face, so his attempts remained unsuccessful.
"How are you feeling?" he finally asked, when he could make eye contact with me.
I shrugged. "I'm feeling fine," I said.
"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold..?" he asked, trailing off a bit.
I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not going into shock, Edward. I do a pretty good job at repressing unpleasant things." Some better than others went through my mind, but I violently pushed the thought back.
He frowned, not looking completely convinced. "Just the same, I'll feel better when you have some sugar and food in you," he told me. The waitress arrived then, So I had to hold my tongue. Still, I made sure that he didn't miss the eye roll I gave him.
She set our drinks down, purposely positioning herself to give him a full frontal view down her shirt, leaning down a bit farther than necessary to do so. He didn't see it, though, for he had looked out a window the minute she started leaning down, returning to look at my smirking – for I could taste the girl's disappointment that he attempt hadn't worked out all that well – face when she straightened up.
"Are you ready to order?" she asked him, ignoring me once more. I was contemplating on whether I should demand her manager, but the fact that Edward's eyes never left me, and that he, in turn, mostly ignored her was enough to keep me from doing so.
"Bella?" he asked, this time not bothering to try and make her pay attention to me through pointed looks. She turned unwillingly towards me, her jealousy at the fact that she was being ignored by him coating my tongue. Her glare at me made it clear that she didn't like me in the slightest. I gave the tiniest smirk at her, inflaming her dislike of me even more, before turning to the menu, picking the first think I saw that I would actually eat. "I'll have the four cheese ravioli."
"And you?" she said, turning back to Edward, her glare ceasing as a coy smile immediately crossed her face.
"Nothing for me," he told her, still not looking at her. Of course not I thought.
"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in place, but she still left, dissatisfied. I felt her glare at me once against before she disappeared.
"Drink," he ordered me, pushing my soda to me. I took it and sipped at it obediently, shiver as the cold radiated through me.
"Are you cold?" he asked, concerned.
"It's just the soda," I told him. He ignored me in favor of looking around me for a jacket.
"Don't you have a jacket?" His voice was faintly disapproving. I rolled my eyes again.
"I didn't believe that I would need one," I told him, looking around once again. I noticed that our waitress, Amber, was standing near the kitchens, looking straight at our table with a determined look on her face. I had the feeling that she wanted to make sure neither of us did anything that she wouldn't approve of. I saw her glare at me when she saw me looking, then her eyes widen slightly when she looked back at Edward.
My own eyes drifted to him, where I found that he was shrugging out of his jacket. It was then that I suddenly realized that I had never once noticed what he was wearing, not just tonight, but ever. Even the the amount of time I spent looking elsewhere, I had never bothered to focus on his clothing. I made myself look now, focusing. He was removing a light beige leather jacket now; underneath, he wore an ivory turtleneck sweater, which fit him snugly, emphasizing his chest. I spent a few minutes ogling said chest, right before his jacket hindered my view as he handed it to me.
"Thanks," I said, quickly moving it out of my way so that I could go back to ogling his chest. I slid the jacket on automatically, immediately noticing the scent on it, which distracted me from his chest once more. I turned my head a bit, holding up one side of it, and inhaling. It smelled amazing, and I knew immediately that this was no cologne, but his actual scent. It was addicting.
"That color of blue looks lovely with your skin," he said. I looked down, having forgotten which shirt I had put on. I shook my head as I looked back up. I should have realized what color of blue it was. After all, he'd already seen me in it, and knew how I looked. I hoped, though, that he wasn't so partial to this shade of blue that he didn't like my dress.
"Thanks," I told him. He nodded, then pushed the bread basket toward me. "I'm not going to go into shock," I protested.
"You should be – a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled, trying and failing to catch my eyes. There was no way I was going to let that happened. I wanted him coherent, after all, so I kind of had to deny him what he wanted. However, through the small glances I let myself have of his face, I did notice that his eyes were now a light shade, lighter than I'd ever seen them be, like a sort of golden butterscotch color.
"I'm not a normal person. Plus, I was holding my own pretty well without your interference. And I feel very safe with you." The last part was a confession, which was just what I was willing to divulge while in a restaurant that had eavesdropping hostesses and waitresses – several of the waitresses that weren't serving anyone were nearby, looking as if they'd interrupt if we did anything that didn't like. They couldn't actually hear much of what we were saying, since we were talking in low voices, but that didn't mean that they weren't trying. I had the feeling that they were also waiting for a confirmation or denial about whether or not we were dating.
Edward frowned, shaking his head. My comment had obviously displeased him.
"This is more complicated than I'd planned," he murmured to himself, making me wonder what it was that he'd planned. I fiddled with my silverware.
"Usually you're in a better mood when your eyes are so light," I commented, distracting him from whatever thought had him frowning.
He stared at me, stunned. "What?" he asked.
"You're always crabbier – "and hungry I added silently – "when your eyes are black. I expect it then," I told him. "I have a...theory about it."
His eyes narrowed at me. "A theory?"
"Mm-hm," I confirmed, nodding. "I also have a few other theories as well."
In truth, I didn't have any theories, just knowledge about what he really was and an idea that would need confirmation to know if I was right or not. After all, the idea had only come to me within the last hour. And I was pretty sure that it was right, since, though Alice had never said anything, I doubted she was the only one with a gift in her family.
"And those would be..." he prompted, slightly eager to have an inside to my mind. Before I could say anything, though, the waitress strode over with my food, practically shoving it in my face. It was then that I realized that we had been unconsciously leaning toward each other, for we both straightened at that. I ended up with a heavy dose of jealousy, dislike, and satisfaction from her, before her desire took her as she immediately turned towards Edward, her saccharine smile on her face.
"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" I wasn't imagining the double meaning behind her words as she subtly pushed her shoulders back, trying to bring Edward's attention to her though the use of her chest. Edward, though, never stopped looking at me as she shook his head, and, once again, she left dissatisfied.
"You were saying?" he asked once she was mostly gone, for she'd joined the other waitresses that were all looking at us.
"I'll tell you about it in the car, if..." I paused, thinking of the best way to put it. He seemed to take my silence a certain way.
"There are conditions?" he asked, trying to sound as if he found it humorous. However, his entire body was tense, which ruined the effect.
"Well, yes, of course there are, but that's not what I was going for," I told him.
"Well, what were you going for, then?" he asked. I still wasn't sure how to say what I wanted to say.
"I...if..." I started, paused, and plowed on. "I was gong to say if..." This was it I thought to myself. If I got the next bit out, there was no way to turn back. "If you will give me the same consideration that I will give you when...when I tell you my secret."
There, I had said it. Now, to see if he would take the bait...
I tasted his emotions as they flipped through him. Shock, curiosity, confusion, insecurity... Those and several more coated my tongue, though I never tasted the one emotion that I had been expecting to taste. I realized then that he had known that there was something...off about me, something unnatural. He was not surprised at all that I was hiding something, which shocked me a bit, but worried me even more. If he was able to see this, who knew who else was able to do so as well. Then again, if I was right about him having a gift and what it was, then perhaps I had nothing to worry about...
"I do, however, have some questions for you that can be asked here in the restaurant," I added, before he could say anything as realization flowed through him. I took another sip of my coke, waiting for him to say something. The tone I'd used would assure it, as I gave the impression that he had to let me ask my questions if he wanted to know anything. He didn't say anything straight away, and I began on my ravioli dish as I waited for him to speak.
"What do you want to know?" he finally asked, just as I figured he would eventually.
I decided to start with the most undemanding. At least, I believed it was the most undemanding.
"Why are you in Pot Angeles?" I asked.
"Next," he said, folding his hands onto the table, a hint of a smirk on his face.
"But that's the easiest question," I said, whining a bit. He just repeated himself. I sighed, spearing another ravioli and eating it while thinking of how to focus my next question. I had the feeling that he was going to be wishing that he'd answered my first question once I'd asked him this next one...if I could figure out how to phrase it correctly. I wasn't quite sure of it, but I figured that a blunt question would probably knock him off guard, which was what I wanted.
"Okay, then, but you have to answer this one," I told him, pausing for a moment, and then springing my question on him. "Why do you think you can't read my mind?"
It was shocking to him to hear me say that, for he hadn't been expecting it. And this was the thing that I had guessed about, the thing that I wasn't sure if it was right or not, though I suspect that I was. I had evidence to support this fact, too: He had known how to find me earlier, known where I was meeting Angela, and, though I hadn't really registered it a whole lot, some of the things he's done in the past, when speaking to me, suggested that he could. It would explain how he knew to call me Bella, among other things. Most than that, though, was the fact that he didn't seem to be able to read me – he had made too many mistakes about it, and he would know what I was if he could read my mind. So, it was natural, after that evidence, to believe that I was an exception to his talent.
"Um, I, uh..." I smiled. I had made him stutter. However, just as quickly as my smile had appeared, it disappeared as a part of me felt that he might try to deny it. So, I quickly added, "And don't tell me that you can't. You haven't done a really good job of hiding it from me, particularly today. I mean, there was no way you would have been able to find me without being able to do so, and you knew exactly where I was going to be meeting Angela at without me mentioning it to you. While sure, you might have just stumbled upon me and recognized me, I really doubt that you were that lucky, and there is no way you could have known where we were going to be meeting without me or one of them noticing you or your car. Plus, there's also the way you act at school, where you say something that there really is no way for you to know that well, even if you try to say it's from seeing their faces or something."
He looked aghast over my observations, torn over some internal debate. I reached over for his hand, grabbing it before he could pull it away. The coldness of them should have bothered me, but all I felt was an electric thrumming emanating from them.
"You can trust me, you know," I said gently, biting my lip. "I mean, I am going to be tell you my secrets as well, so your going to get something in return as well." I thought that the reminder that this wouldn't be a one-sided deal would help make him feel better.
"I don't think I have much of a choice, anyway," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I was wrong before – you're so much more observant than I gave you credit for."
"I smiled at that, having the feeling that he didn't often admit to being wrong. Of course, it made sense, since he was most likely able to just pluck what he wanted from someone's mind, unless they knew about his talent and was able to misdirect him.
"Something tells me that your not used to being wrong," I commented jokingly, hoping to see him laugh. It worked.
"Your right, I'm not. You're the only one whom I seem to get things wrong about," he said, a half-smile on his face. The smile fell, though, as he continued to speak. "And then there's you, someone whose a magnet for trouble. It seems that if there's anything in a ten-mile radius, it'll invariably find you."
I scowled at him as I let go of his hand, though I couldn't deny it. After all, how many humans would attract a succubus who decides that, instead of eating you, she'd stalk you instead, and would be around to change you without showing any suspicion because she just happens to be around when your in a car accident. And then, of course, there is the fact that I ended up moving to a town with vampires, almost get hit by a van, and then, just moments ago, was almost attacked. I considered that to be the worst of my problems, since I had been taken over by the monster for several moments, prepared to feed on them, something that sickened me more than anything. Even if they deserved it, I didn't want to be a murderer.
"You put yourself in that category as well?" I asked, somehow knowing that he did. I didn't, though. It probably had something to do with the fact that he seemed to have an affinity of saving my life a lot, however unneeded it was. Truthfully, I had the feeling that his reasons for doing so was the fact that he hungered for me, I the same way I did for him. I wondered what he would do when he learned about that.
His expression turned cold at my question. "Unequivocally," he answered. I reached across the table again, ignoring, again, when he tried to pull his hand back from mine half-heartedly, touching the back of his hand softly with my fingertips.
"Thank you," I said, remembering that I hadn't actually said it yet, though I should have earlier. "That's twice now."
His face softened. "Let's not try for three, agreed?"
" don't know if I can agree to that," I told him softly. "Things just keep happening that I really don't have complete control over."
He frowned again, turning his hand over and capturing my fingers in his grasp, leaning forward.
"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admitted, speaking in a bit of a rush. "I've never tried to keep a specific person alive before, and it's so much more troublesome than I would have suspected. Of course, that's probably just because it's you. Ordinary people seem to make it through the day without so many catastrophes." He paused. I knew that it should probably bother me over the fact that he had been following me; I had been bothered when Ashanti had admitted to doing the same thing. Yet all that I felt was a strange surge of pleasure. I wasn't sure if it was because he was following me, or not.
"So, if you followed me here, then how come it took you so long to find me?" I asked him.
"I was a bit late in coming here to begin with," he admitted. "I only knew that you would be here because I listened into your conversation the previous day..."
He trailed off, almost as if realizing that he didn't meant to mention that, but I just smiled at him.
"Did you ever think that you're interfering with fate? That, maybe, my number was up the first time, with the van?" I asked him, though I knew that I wouldn't have been hurt. Truthfully, my number had probably been up due to the car accident, which Ashanti had interfered with. Of course, since I had told him that the car accident wasn't that bad, he wasn't aware of that little fact...yet.
"That wasn't the first time," he said, his voice hard to hear with how low it was. "You number was up the first time I met you."
It was then that I remembered the first day we had 'met'; my first day of school. I had forgotten about that, since I had been more concerned with my own reactions to him to the point that I had only cataloged his reactions and emotions just well enough to how they helped me, not paying a whole lot of attention to them at the time, and then, afterward, just knowing that he hungered for me in the same way I did for him. But now, I remembered them and their intensity; the shocking want, the hunger, that I had felt from him.
"You remember?" he asked, his face grave. However, there was a hint of surprise on my tongue from him; he didn't really know how I had remembered, since I not only hadn't looked at him that day. Of course, I hadn't needed to see him to know – his emotions were enough for me.
"Yes," I said, calmly.
"And yet you sit here..." There was more than a trace of disbelief in his voice.
"Yes, I sit here...because of you. Because you somehow knew how to find me today...?" I prompted, realizing that we'd gotten off of the topic we were actually talking about, twice. I was willing to wait before asking questions about his mind reading, but I wouldn't budge on knowing how he'd found me. He pressed his lips together, contemplating his answer. I took another bite; just because I didn't really need to eat it didn't mean that I wouldn't. It was actually pretty good – I was about halfway through my plate, in fact.
"It's harder than it should be," he started suddenly, speaking just enough for me to hear, and I looked at him. "Keeping track of you. Usually I can find someone very easily, once I've heard their mind before, but that's not exactly possible with you. So, I started looking for Angela's and Jessica's mind. Of course, as I mentioned before, I didn't get here until you'd already left them. That had me panicked a bit, until I heard where you'd gone. I was heading to the bookstore that Angela had mentioned you'd gone to, though I was keeping an eye out for you in the minds of others, for I was feeling a bit anxious.
"And then –" he stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. I heard them grind as he made an effort to calm himself down, most likely for my sake.
"You heard that someone found me, but then heard what they were thinking as well," I deduced. Well, that answered the question of how he had found me. I knew that one of them had been bored – I guess he must have looked around, since the area we were in didn't really allow for easy identification from the other areas near it. Of course, thinking about it, the guy who most likely had been bored was the one who tried to speed things up and grab me. I had to wonder what Edward thought about how I sent him – and the other two – flying.
"It was very...hard – you can't imagine how hard – " I wouldn't be so sure of that I thought, remembering how I actually hadn't wanted to leave, the monster in me very much in control at the time. In fact, had he not appeared, I would have murdered them. It was obvious, to me, that Edward had way more control than I did, for not following his instincts. – "for me to simply take you away, and leave them...alive," he admitted. "I could have easily let you go with Jessica and Angela, but I knew that, if I did, I would have gone looking for those men."
He wasn't looking at me as he said this, and I figured he wasn't going to say anything else after a few moments of silence. I finished the rest of my food, mostly so I would have an excuse not to talk. I had already finished my coke, taking his a few moments ago, when he'd still been talking. I knew he wouldn't mind – he'd even pushed it towards me a bit when they'd first been put onto the table after all. As I placed the fork down for the final time, he looked up at me.
"Are you ready to go home" he asked, his eyes trying to seek mine. I still didn't let him look into them – I wanted him coherent. However, I knew that, if looked into them, I would see that they were full of questions.
"I'm ready to leave," I amended, grateful that we had at least an hour long drive home together. I wasn't quite ready to say good-bye to him yet, plus we still had things to talk about – which, of course, made me remember that I would be telling him what I was, which made me nervous again as well. I bit my lip as the waitress appeared, before she could be called over. It was obvious that she had been watching and listening to us.
"How are we doing?" she asked Edward, once again ignoring me. This time, though, I wasn't going to continue letting her do this. Not only had she been completely rude to me, but the way she continued to eat Edward with her eyes was driving jealousy through me. However, that wasn't what really set me off; it was the fact that I could see a number on the back of the receipt as she prepared to hand it to Edward, sans the little black book that I knew was supposed to be around it.
"Excuse me," I said, before Edward could say anything to her. She turned towards me unwillingly, a glare on her face once again. That glare would be gone by the time I was finished speaking, though, so I wasn't too bothered by it. "I suggest that you get some manners and stop ignoring me, and glaring at me whenever your have to talk or hear me. Otherwise, I might just have to talk to your manager about your manners towards your customers. It's obvious he –" I motioned to Edward – "is here with me, on a date, and it is very rude to proposition him when he's with another woman. Now, I suggest you have some manners next time come here, else I'm afraid that you just might end up out of a job once your manager knows what a whore you are. After all, a fine restaurant like this has a reputation to uphold."
Just as I knew, the glare on her face was gone by the time I finished speaking. In fact, most of the color was gone from her face. My words had frightened her; I had the feeling that she needed this job. And I could tell that I was right about the last bit; she probably would be fired if it was known she was acting like the hooker she'd been acting like tonight. It was obvious that she needed to be bitch-slapped, or threatened – who knew how many men she'd flirted with when they were with a significant other. While I knew that most of those men would probably have taken her up on it, the fact was that, even though Edward hadn't shown an ounce of interest in her, she was still trying to get into his pants.
"Now, we would like the check, thank you," I continued, turning towards Edward, who was slightly shocked over what I'd done. However, a half-smile crossed his face for a moment for some reason, though his surprise was still on full blast. I couldn't help but wonder why he'd smiled for a moment there, and I didn't have time to ask him anything, for he'd took the check from her, putting several bills with it before handing it back to her.
"No change," he said, standing up and walking over to where I sat. He held out a hand to me, and I took it, letting him help me up. I held onto his hand as we began to walk away.
"Good evening," I told her cheerily, as if I hadn't just threatened her. Then, I all but pulled him out of the place to his car. He opened my door automatically, closing it once I got in, and then I watched as he walked over to the driver's side of the car, going the right speed so that no one could think he was inhuman. It was much better than he had done before.
Once he was inside, he started the engine, turning the heater on high. I had the feeling that it must have gotten pretty cold, but I couldn't feel it. His jacket was warm enough for me that the heater really wasn't needed. He pulled out into the traffic, without even looking, flipping around to heard toward the freeway.
"Now," he said significantly, "it's your turn."
"No, not yet," I said. "We kind of got off topic of what we were talking about in there. I still have a few question about the mind reading I wanted to know. Plus, you really didn't answer my question on why you think you can't hear me."
He sighed, and I could tell that he wanted to know what I had to tell him, but I could tell that he also didn't want to deny me what I wanted to know.
"Aren't we past all of the evasiveness," I grumbled, knowing that he would hear. He almost smiled.
"What are your questions?" he asked, his lips pressing together in a cautious line.
"Well my first one is how does it work – your mind-reading thing? Can you read anybody's mind, anywhere? Is there any limitations? Can anyone else in your family do it? Do you know of anyone else who can do it?" I stopped there, thinking, and then added, "And what's your theory about why you can't read my mind?"
I had one other question, but I decided to save it for later.
He gave me a look, as if to say Is that all?
"It's like being in a huge hall filled with many people, everyone talking at once. It's just a hum in my mind, though, until I focus on one, and then I can hear what they're thinking clearly. Most of the time, I tune it out; easier to seem normal when I'm not answering someone's thoughts rather than their words. I'm not sure why I can do it, though, so I don't know how it actually works.
"So far, with the exception of you, I can read anybody's thoughts, but they do have to be within a certain radius for me to do so. The more familiar someone's 'voice' is, the farther away I can hear them, but it's still no more than a few miles. I can only read what a person's thinking, so if they've figured out the fact that they can't be heard by me a for a few miles, or they know of my talent, they can hide certain thoughts from me by thinking of something else.
"I'm the only one in my family who can do it, and, though I have heard of others who have a similar talent, I am the only one I know of who can do it the way I do." I wondered about who it was that he was talking about, but didn't question it. He paused after that, thinking about what he was going to say next.
"As for why I can't read your mind, I really don't know the answer to that," he finally admitted. "The only guess I have is that your mind doesn't work the same way that everyone else's does. Like your thoughts are on an AM frequency, and I'm only getting FM."
He grinned at me, suddenly amused.
"My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. They were unneeded; I already knew that I was a freak – I was a succubus, after all. So it shouldn't have been such a surprise, yet I had to wonder if his inability to read my mind had to do with the fact that I wasn't human or vampire, or if what I'd always suspected as a human – that I worked on a different wavelength than others – had really been true. Of course, there was no way for me to find out about this or not, since I was no longer human.
"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak," he said, laughing, and I couldn't hep but feel a bit better from his words. I suddenly wondered if, perhaps, he's somehow had figured out what I was going to say, which was why he'd been amused earlier. I would admit, even though I had been able to predict it, that hadn't stopped me from saying it anyway. So I couldn't get mad at him.
"Don't worry, it's just a theory..." he said. Exactly I thought, but I paid more attention to him. I saw his face tighten, which had me frowning. "Which brings us back to you."
I sighed. How to begin?
"Aren't we past all the evasions now?" he reminded me softly. I looked toward him, about to tell him to give me a moment, but my eyes happened to see the speedometer first.
"Holy crow!" I screeched, my heart starting to beat a bit faster. "Slow down!"
"What's wrong?" he asked, startled. The car didn't decelerate.
"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" I was still shouting. I couldn't help it; memories of the accident I had been in flashed before my eyes. I may have a cop for a father, but the fact that I didn't see him often meant that any of the lessons he'd tried to impart on me for obeying the speed limit never sunk in, so I, like almost any other teen, never bothered to keep near the speed limit. At least, that was how it was until I intimately met a semi-truck. I had gotten pretty lucky there – at least, that's what everyone had told me. The truck had hit into the back end of the passengers side of the car, but I knew better. It had been much worse than they knew – it had been bad enough that Ashanti had found an opportunity to change me.
I shot a panicky glance out of the window, though that didn't do anything to help me. All I could see the blur of the trees, looking very much like a wall of steel if we were to veer of the road at this speed.
"Relax, Bella," he said, rolling his eyes and still not slowing down.
"Are you trying to kill us?" I demanded, starting to boarder on being hysterical. I wasn't quite thinking right at the moment.
"Where not going to crash," he insisted. I actually hit being hysterical at that moment, shrill laughter bubbling up from my throat. Just because we wouldn't instigate a crash didn't mean that something else couldn't come around and cause one.
"Did you happen to forget that I was in a car accident last year?" I asked, still panicky and hysterical. He shot a swift glance at me, worried for me.
"Keep your eyes on the road!" I screeched. He looked back, but not before he had taken a good look at me. I wondered what he saw, though wasn't too concerned over it, as whatever it was, it was enough for me to get what I wanted. He sighed, though I could tell that he was still concerned over me to really be all that bothered, and I watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted toward eighty. My hysteria calmed with that, though panic still bubbled underneath the surface.
"A bit slower, please?" I begged. The needle drifted to hover near seventy.
"Happy?" he asked, not sounding completely happy himself. I didn't care, though, as my heart began to slow down.
"It's better," I said, beginning to breathe properly again.
"I hate driving slow," he muttered, at a tone that suggested I wasn't supposed to hear. I rolled my eyes as the last bit of my panic disappeared.
"Oh, I'm so sorry my peace of mind demands you go slower," I said sarcastically, having calmed down by now.
"I'm still waiting for your theory and secret," he said, bringing the conversation away from his driving. I bit my lip.
"You might want to go a little bit slower, then," I said.
"I'm already going slow. Why would I go even slower than this?" he snapped.
"Oh, in case you suddenly decide to brake when I tell you," I said.
He rolled his eyes. "Tell me what?" he asked, his tone suggesting that there was no way he would brake once I told him. I rolled my own eyes at him.
"Oh, just that I know you're a vampire," I said casually, pretending to be interested in my nails as I anxiously awaited his reaction. I was suddenly thrown towards the dashboard, my seat belt locking, as he immediately braked, just as I predicted he would. My hand shot out, catching the dashboard automatically, helping keep my body from smashing into it. I had to admit, his reactions when I shocked him were something I doubted I would ever become tired of.
Once the car had stopped completely, he turned toward me, eyes wide.
"Wha...how..." he didn't seem to know what to say. I swallowed, knowing that it was getting closer to the time my own secret would be known to him.
"I've known since my first day of school. Do you remember how I went into the forest that day, after Biology?" I asked him. I had the feeling that he had at least seen me leaving it, considering how I had sense his gaze on me soon after I'd gotten back. He nodded. "That's when I was told."
"By who?" he asked. I bit my lip again.
"By..." I trailed off, then took a deep breath. "By my maker."
Confusion coated my tongue. "But your not a vampire," he stated. I laughed, unable to help it. Considering how much older he was, surely he knew that Vampires weren't the only supernatural creatures out there. I mean, I at least had age, and my unwillingness to listen to Ashanti working against me. He really had not excuse not to know. Then again, I probably should have realized that; he would have known what I was within the first few meetings of me if he did.
"Do you honestly think that vampires exist?" I ashed rhetorically. I didn't give him time to answer. "No, there are other creatures out there, though I don't know them all. I just happen to know what you, and what I, am."
"And what are you?" he asked, slowly, hesitantly. I swallowed harshly. This is it I thought to myself. This is where I'll find out if he can handle knowing the truth or not. I took another deep breath.
I'm a succubus," I said.
Edward's Point of View
"I'm a succubus."
I stared at her, shocked as those words came from her. There's no such thing as succubi I mentally thought, but I didn't voice it. I knew that it was an automatic, thoughtless statement, one much like 'There's no such thing as vampire.' I wasn't sure if it shocked me that she wasn't as human as I believed she was, or not. Then again, I'd seen a good bit of evidence that didn't support the idea of her being human. I shook my head, just staring at her.
When she had first said that she knew that I was a vampire, my first though, other than shock, had been to deny it. I had been unable to get the words out, though. In fact, the only words I could get out was an unfinished what and how, which she seemed to understand. I was even more shocked when she had said that it was her maker that had told her what I was, along with the fact that she had known for all this time that I was what I was.
I was, however, still having trouble wrapping my head around the concept of her being a succubus. Considering that being a vampire gave me plenty of room to wrap my heard around it, that was saying a lot. However, the revelation that she herself was a supernatural creature, one that I had never really heard of – while Tanya and her sisters were called succubi, that was mostly just toward the way they used to hunt. They were, after all, still vampires, and still drank blood.
It was still pretty...mind blowing. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more that I realized that it made sense. I'd seen her in action – hell, I'd been a victim of hers, in a way. After all, I did remember how it was when I'd make eye contact with her, how I was prepared to do anything she wanted, all with the hopes that I'd get a kiss from her. I also remembered how others would have the same reaction, though I mostly ignored it since several other male students repeatedly daydreamed of being with her. I now realized that her lack of eye contact wasn't because she may be shy or anything like that; it was because she was something supernatural.
And then, of course, was what had happened earlier this evening, the way she had dealt with her would be attackers. I remembered how she had managed to befuddle the one guy, and kick the other three away from her when the one had reached for her. I remembered the look of inhumanness crossed her face; it was because she wasn't human, or, rather, she hadn't been thinking like a human. Surprisingly, considering the fact that she was a supernatural creature like I was, she acted very much like a human; she appeared very much human. Then again, since I had no clue what she fed on – or if she was even feeding properly – and the fact that I had never met another of her kind – that I know of – made it hard to know these things.
It was strange of how easy I was beginning to accept this, just as strange as it was for her to accept me.
"Edward." Her voice cut through my thoughts, and I realized that I had almost forgotten that she was in the car with me. I'd also almost forgotten that I was driving, though at a slower speed than I usually drove.
"Edward, are you okay?" she asked, looking at me concerned. Now that I knew there was a reason for it, I wasn't surprised at her lack of eye contact. I nodded my head to her.
"It's just a bit overwhelming," I told her. "While I'd noticed some things that suggested that you weren't a normal human. I didn't really think that you weren't a human, though." Of course, I didn't bother mentioning to her that I'd wondered if she was human at all the day that Mr. Banner had them doing blood typing. That was really the only time I had ever wondered if she was or wasn't. Of course, I later realized that it was entirely possibly for someone to smell blood – I'd asked Carlisle, who had informed me that there were some human's out there who had a more sensitive nose than others, thus making it completely possible for her to smell blood as she said.
"Are...are you...angry that I didn't tell this before?" she asked, though I noticed that there was something in her tone, something that sounded as if she was asking this out of courtesy, not for an actual answer. In fact, the look on her face made me think that she might already know the answer, strangely enough. It made me wonder what, exactly, be a succubus was like for her.
However, before asking about that, I thought about her question. Was I angry that she hadn't informed me that she was a succubus? The answer to both of the questions was a resounding no. I wasn't angry with her for either offenses. I knew that I would have probably panicked if she had straight out told me that she knew I was a vampire earlier on, and I probably wouldn't have believed her if she had told me she was a succubus before I'd been given enough evidence of him before hand.
However, now that I knew and had thought about it, I was extremely curious to know about some things. I heard her sigh.
"What do you want to know?" she asked, sounding a bit resigned. I wondered why she sounded like that, then wondered how she had known I had some questions I wanted answered. I finally figured that she must have seen the curiosity on my face, but decided that I would include it on on the questions for her.
"Of course," she started, before I could say anything. "I would like it if you would drive as we speak. I would like to get home at a decent hour. And, if you shouldn't finish your questions on the drive, we can talk tomorrow – assuming that you'll be at school."
That was when I was reminded that I hadn't restarted our journey toward her house. As much as I liked the fact that I had given myself more time with her, I knew that I should have her home at a decent hour, preferably before Jessica got home, for, when I passed by Angela's car, I'd seen her contemplating calling Bella's father once she got home for some reason, though I had the feeling that it was so that she could get Bella into trouble with the Chief. I couldn't help but feel that it would do nothing, though – I'd seen just how Bella had acted to her father the other day, so I had the feeling that Bella would do something like that again.
Still, I didn't think that it would be a good idea for that to happen, and so I pulled away from the shoulder I'd parked on, continuing our journey while thinking about what question I wanted to ask first.
"Oh, please note that each question you ask me, I am allowed to avoid some of them," she added. I thought about it, nodding, then asked, "When did it happen?"
I saw her wince from the corner of my eye; either she was hoping I wouldn't ask that, or it was a bad memory.
"Remember that car accident I told you about," she said. I nodded. "Well, may have been playing it down a bit about what actually happened. Sufficient to say, that was really the last time I was actually human."
My mouth opened, and I suddenly remembered her reaction when she'd seen how fast I was going. Suddenly, it made sense as to why she was so frightened. Being in an accident is probably scary enough – being in one where you actually died is probably worse. I looked over to her, to apologize for being so callous about the whole driving slow thing, but she was looking ahead at the road, and continued to speak.
"I actually died that day," she added, turning toward me. "I also lied when I told you that I was seventeen, though, had I been human, I would be that age. I was sixteen when the accident happened."
"How did it...how were you changed," I asked, when it became clear that she wouldn't say more on the subject. She shrugged.
"I don't really remember. I was unconscious for pretty much the entirety of the change up until I woke up in the hospital. And I've never bothered to ask my maker how she'd turned me," Bella said. Strangely, I was partially disappointed, but happy to know that she hadn't suffered much. However, it appeared that I spoke too soon.
"I do, however, remember how it felt when I first woke up. It was like a hot poker had been shove down my throat, and as if something was eating my insides. I was ravenous, and I didn't care about anything but feeding that hunger. It wasn't until after I'd satisfied it that I'd realized that I had killed someone. She spoke matter of factly as she said this, but I could hear the hidden pain in her voice over the person she'd accidentally killed. I also had the admit that the why she spoke about how it had felt when she woke up, about the whole poker down the throat thing, reminded me about how my own throat often felt when I was hungry.
"I was told later that the first kill was the most important, the deciding factor of whether I would live or die, in fact," she said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"My maker told me that if I hadn't fed within the first week of my turning, I would have died for real. Not that it looks like I'm dead right now," she said, snorting. "I'm pretty sure that you can tell this fact. My heart still beats. While I don't absolutely need it, my body does crave air. I can still eat regular food, and go to the bathroom, and..." she trailed off as understanding went through me. No wonder I hadn't been able to realize that she wasn't human. She had so many human attributes that it made it hard to know that she wasn't straight away.
I just...I just have a different diet than most, and I won't age," she said. "Also, the only way I'll die is if I'm killed."
"Why do you avoid eye contact?" I asked next. While I had a rudimentary idea of it, I wanted to know more about it. And this was just one of the things I was curious about concerning what she may or may not be able to do.
"I avoid it because of...well," she started, then paused, thinking, before starting again. "Look, it's probably better if I just give you a rundown of things that all succubi can do. Otherwise, it might not make complete sense.
"The first thing I have to say is that, like vampires, we have our own weapons to draw in our prey. First off, like you, we're all attractive, without giving off the inhuman vibe that you do. Humans are actually comfortable around us, and we don't stand out all that much." I didn't need her to say that to me, as I could already tell that it was a possibility.
"The attractiveness isn't the only thing we have in common with vampires, either," she said. "I can run just as fast as you can, I'm just as strong as you, and, as I said before, I won't age or die unless I'm killed. And, also like you, we have ways of...confusing our prey. Only, where your voice and scent would do it, we, instead, have something that's called the Draw. Or, that's what I call it."
"And what is that, exactly?" I asked.
"It's just something we can do," she told me. "It's activated through eye contact, and it basically befuddles the mind, erasing each and every though there except to do anything that the succubus wants them to do, and also leaving a very strong desire to kiss the succubus. It makes it easier for us to feed, as it keeps our prey from fighting, though I do know that some can break through it."
"And that's why you avoid eye contact," I murmured.
"Yes," she said. "I mean, I haven't gotten any control over it, and it's harder to fight the need to feed when I know that the prey will practically beg to get a kiss from me."
I nodded, knowing that, if I was in her shoes, I'd do the same thing.
"And that's...well, there is something else that comes with being what I am," she said. "I can taste emotions."
I looked at her from the corner of my eye. "Taste emotions?" I said. "What do you meany, taste emotions?"
"Exactly what I said," she commented. "We taste emotions. We're almost like an empath, only, instead of feeling it, we end up with some type of flavor that coats our tongues, letting us know what someone is feeling. Like your confusion. I taste it every time you've felt it – it tastes like lemons. And your curiosity, it's tastes like honey. Each emotion you feel, I taste them. And the strength, well, that little factor depends on two things. The first is how strongly your feeling the emotions, while the second is how much energy you have coursing through you. And I really don' appreciate the disbelief, either." Her voice was severe as she said that.
I felt more than a bit of shame for not believing her straight up – I had no reason not to, as I honestly could dispute what she was saying. Then, I felt and overwhelming curiosity come over me.
"What does each emotions taste like?" I asked. She rolled her eyes at that.
"There are too many emotions, and too many tastes to name them all," she said, and I sense that she'd rather not get into that at the moment. "And I wasn't exactly given a manual of them, either. I've mostly had to learn what each one is through intuition, and watching the expressions of the person feeling them. There are some, though, that are easier to figure out than others."
"Sorry," I said. "But you honestly can't blame me for being curious about that."
She chuckled at that. "No, I don't suppose I can," she murmured. She cleared her throat. "Well, there you have it. We're a lot like vampires, in all honesty. We just look a bit more human, and have something you don't to substitute that little fact."
I nodded, my mind going to the one thing I was mostly curious about. I mean, I could tell that, when she mentioned being like vampires, that meant that human's were a food source for her. After all, she did say that she'd killed the first person she'd fed from, but, other than that, and references about her abilities, she hadn't said much more about it...
"Are you not going to ask me about my diet?" she suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts.
"I figured that you fed on humans, and were able to do so without killing them," I answered honestly. "It's why I wasn't planning on asking."
She looked disbelieving at me before looking down and shaking her head.
"I wouldn't mind if I could," she muttered lowly, before looking at me. "I don't have the control to be able to stop once I start. I know it's possible – some succubi do enter contracts like that with some humans, so long as the humans don't tell anyone about us. But those ones are ones who've been succubi for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, and have perfected their control. And, unfortunately, I don't have control like that – it's not an automatic skill."
My eye brow furrowed.
"Then what do you feed on?" I asked, confused. I tried to think of if there were any reports of people found dead without a cause, when I remembered the reports missing people in Seattle – as well as the one in Port Angeles. Comprehension dawned on me, but, before I could say anything, she spoke.
"You haven't figuring it out yet," she said, shaking her head. The look on her face suggested that she knew what I was thinking, and that I was wrong about it. "I'm not responsible for the missing people in Seattle, though I will admit to the one in Port Angeles. That was a pure accident, though. Truthfully, I don't feed, at least, not the way I'm supposed to."
I almost pressed down the brake again.
"Are you telling me that you starve yourself?" I asked, horrified.
"Somewhat," she said. "Unlike you, who has to drink blood, I don't actually have to feed. It's more like a want than an actual need, a way to have energy or look truly alluring, as it is. If I get super hungry, regular human food can satisfy it. It's probably why I can still eat it, because it can still help energize me. Of course, my energy doesn't actually fluctuate quickly. I only need to eat about once or twice a week, though they'd have to be big meals. And small meals, like what I just ate, don't do me much good, either."
Knowing that she could do that made me feel a little better, though I had the feeling that she was downplaying it a bit. I mean, if that was possible, then shouldn't she have control over her Draw more than she did? And wouldn't she be able to stop feeding on someone if it was an actual want, not a need? Before I could ask either of these, though, she spoke again, though it was so quiet that I had the feeling that she didn't mean for me to hear it.
"Of course, it has been a little harder to resist since I've met you," she muttered, then smacked herself in the forehead, as if berating herself for letting me hear that. Well, it seemed that she knew about the super hearing, then. It made me wonder if she had something like that, since she didn't say.
I turned to her, to ask about what she meant, when she said, "Later. It's my turn to ask the questions now."
I was a bit disappointed in knowing that she wasn't going answer that question at the moment. But then, she had been telling me about everything else for a while now, and I doubted that she had that many questions to ask me anyway, for she already knew a good amount of information about vampires, and we'd already talked about my mind reading abilities. I couldn't imagine what else she might want to know.
"So, I already know about your mind reading abilities, as well as the fact that you're a vampire," she mused out loud, saying exactly what I had been thinking. "And I know most of your abilities as a vampire, as well as how you eat... I know. It's time for a more personal look about you."
Now, I was wary. What did she mean, 'a more personal look'?
"When were you born, and when were you turned?" she asked, immediately clearing up my question. I should have realized that she would ask this. It made sense that she would want to know this. I wondered if it would bother he with how old I was, then realized that I was being rude in making her wait. I could tell that it hadn't been easy for her to explain everything she did to me, despite the way she had spoken, and it was only courteous of me to return the favor.
"I do wonder if it will bother you," I murmured, then said, louder, "I was born in 1901, and changed in 1918. It was when the Spanish influenza struck, a few months after my birthday. I was seventeen, and I'd caught the disease after both of my parents had – in fact, I was admitted to the hospital the day my father died of it. Being in the hospital did no good, though. The doctor's weren't sure of how to cure it, and they were extremely overcrowded with patients at the time.
"Carlisle was our doctor. He'd been alone for decades, not having found a companion who shared his...diet and compassion for human life. He was in need of a companion, but was loathed to take a person's life away. And then, there I was about, about to die anyway..." I trialed off as the memories of my change entered my mind. I didn't hate Carlisle for changing me. Sure, there were times I hated this life, but I'd never really hated Carlisle – even though I had acted like it. Thankfully, before I could get too lost in my memories, she asked her next question.
"Have you always stayed with Carlisle? Have you always followed his feeding habits? What are his feeding habits anyway?" she asked, and I wondered why she seemed to be speeding through her questions.
"No, I left about ten years after my...creation. It was a...teenage rebellion, my leaving. I didn't like him for curbing my appetite, and went off on my own. And we drink the blood of animals," I said, adding the last bit because she'd asked about our feeding habit. I was about to say more when she spoke.
"Because you don't want to be monsters," she said softly, saying what I'd been able to say. I wondered how she'd known that, and then I realized it.
"Yes," I whispered, understanding going through me. This was why she didn't feed. She didn't want to kill anyone any more than we did. Only, where we could feed on animals, she really had no other options. She nodded, looking out the window once more, a frown coming to her face. I paid more attention to our surroundings, realizing that we were nearing her house. While we had talked, I'd gone back to my normal speed without her realizing it, getting us to her house in record time.
"Last question, for tonight," she said, as I turned onto her street. "Will you be in school tomorrow?"
I smiled at that, chuckling at the rather unexpected question. I also felt elated that she wished to see me.
"Yes. I have a paper due, after all," I said with mock solemnity. She nodded towards me, a smile also playing on her lips, as I parked in front of house. She grabbed her bags from the backseat, along with her purse, and opened her door. I stopped her, realizing that there was one more question that I needed to know the answer too.
"Bella," I said, gaining her attention. She made eye contact for a brief moment, and I felt the affects of the Draw begin – more subtle this time, due to the briefness of the contact – before she looked away, allowing me to keep my head clear.
"Am I allowed to discuss what we've spoken about to my family?" I asked. She looked undecided for a moment, then resolved.
"If you wish. Though I suggest that you also let them know that I know what you, and they, are as well," she told me. I mentally winced as I imagined Rosalie's expression to knowing the secret was out, especially when she had been so adamant about Bella's death after the van accident, but I also know that I owed them the truth. However, I decided that I would hide my Vanquish before I said anything, not wanting it to be destroyed by Rosalie. And I wouldn't be telling them tonight. I wanted at least a day or two with just me knowing for awhile.
"Bye," Bella said, getting out and closing the door behind her. I drove away, feeling her eyes on me as I did so, until I'd turned the corner.
A million thoughts ran rampage through my mind at I turned over what we had spoken about tonight. I felt an incredible sense of relief now that I didn't have to hide anything from her; not that I was really hiding anything from her to begin with, since she'd known about it from almost the start. I also felt some relief that she had trusted me enough to tell me her own secrets.
As I thought, the memory of what had almost happened tonight also flooded into my mind.
"Ah," I groaned as the simmering hate that I had all but forgotten burst into an inferno of rage. Bella was safe, as was Jessica and Angela. I was alone; I could easily turn back around and heard back to Port Angeles, take care of those...
No, I couldn't do that. Bella deserved better than for me to become a murderer again. Yet, I couldn't just leave them there. I couldn't leave a monster – a human monster, but a monster nonetheless – out of the streets of Port Angeles, just waiting for another woman to unknowingly walk into their grasp as Bella did. Any woman could easily be someone else's Bella.
The thought spurred me on, and I turned the car north, accelerating now that I had a new purpose. Though I could do anything myself – not with the fact that Bella deserved better than to be with a murderer – didn't mean that someone else couldn't do so. And I had just the person in mind.
Alice was sitting on the porch, waiting for me. I scanned her mind, hoping to find the answer as to why she hadn't called and warned me about what had almost happened. I was surprised to discover that she was hiding something, singing 'According to You' in Japanese, switching to French when she finished it. I wondered what she was hiding from me.
"She's in the garage," Alice said, turning and gliding away before I could ask her anything else. I was puzzled; I'd thought for sure that she would want to know when she could speak to Bella. After all, she'd had plenty of visions about her and Bella together, though all of them had been much like the first one with Bella – Bella was just as unclear in them as she was on the first one. I decided I would find out later, heading to the garage.
As Alice had told me, I found Rosalie there, working on Emmett's Jeep once again. I had to wonder if it had actually needed updating done to it, or if she was just bored and needed something to do. Despite how she could be – slightly shallow, though it was mostly the fact that she knew what she looked like – she was damn good with dealing with cars, the reason why all of our cars could go so fast without problems. Which was also why I was planning on hiding my Vanquish before telling her anything about what happened tonight.
What do you want, Edward? she asked, pushing herself from under the car.
"Did Alice mention anything that almost happened tonight?" I asked her, almost casually, to hide the seething rage I felt inside. No she thought, shaking her head. There was a hint of distaste in her inner voice – she knew, at the very least, that I had most likely been around Bella. Why?
What do you want, Edward she asked, pushing herself from under the car.
"Did Alice mention anything that almost happened tonight," I asked her, almost casually. No she thought, shaking her head. Why?
"Bella was almost…she almost shared your fate tonight," I said, noticing Rose stiffen at the mention of her last night as a human. She turned towards me, looking serious, and yet wondering what it had to do with me.
"Well, I figure you would like to have a chance at extracting some revenge on them, as Bella wasn't their first victim. While you can't exactly kill them, you can show them what happens when they attempt to do something like they tried to do tonight," I told her. I didn't have to say much more, other than where they were at when they attempted to attack Bella, that Bella had managed to break the nose of one of them, and where they were planning on going afterwards, though that might have chanced. I did remind her not to kill them when Alice, Emmett, and Jasper entered, informing her that she wasn't going alone.
I had to wonder why Alice seemed excited, and I also wondered why she was holding a camera in her hand. Seeing where I was looking, she thought I figured I would catch what Rose did to them on camera so that you can see that they didn't get away with attempting to hurt Bella.
I nodded toward Alice, having the feeling that I wouldn't really care to watch whatever it was that she wanted to record, but figured that, if Emmett and Jasper were going, they would at least make sure that Rose didn't kill the guys, despite the fact that they deserved it.
In truth, I really should have gone to Carlisle, but I didn't think jail alone was enough for what had almost happened. And the fact that one of them had almost touched Bella… No, jail alone wouldn't be enough.
I left the four to their planning, wanting to get back to Bella. Running towards her house, I took a short break to eat before continuing towards Bella's house. It was quiet there; no sound other than Charlie's snoring could be heard. I quickly scaled the tree outside of Bella's room, as I had done a few times, and went into the room without thought.
"Coming to spy on me again?"
The familiar female voice caused me to freeze as I turned towards the bed, meeting Bella's amused gaze with my own. I hadn't noticed the fact that the music was actually louder than it should be, nor had I seen the fact that she was sitting up in her bed, looking at the very window I'd just come through.
Damn.
Yup, Edward just got caught sneaking into Bella's room. I purposely left out any indication about sleep in the confessions because I wanted this to happen, and the other things mentioned were more important. Don't worry, though, the subject of sleep will be talked about in the next chapter, just a bit.
Please Review, I want to know what you thought of these changes.
Hearts In Strangeness
