Port Angeles

"Yes! That's it that's the one Jess! Teo doesn't that dress look amazing on her? Teo?"

I turned my head from the glass window of the dress shop the three of us were in to look at the dress Jessica had on.

"Yeah, that dress looks good."

Jessica rolled her eyes at me and continued to oogle herself in the mirror. I looked back out the window turning back to my thoughts. Okay so the dress shop is about a mile and a half from the bookstore.. If we left the store soon we could stop by the bookstore in time to make our dinner reservation.. But from the looks of things Ang and Jess are no where near close to being done shopping… Dammit.

I suppose I could always just go to the store myself, but Angela and Jessica would definitely say something. However, this was the only reason I even came to Port Angeles. That book might have valuable information about Vampires, and about Edward.. As always as soon as I thought about him, he became the only thing I thought about. It had been five days almost since i'd seen him, and each day seemed to be harder than the last.

It would've been so much easier if I hadn't found out about "The Cold Ones," and the Cullens by association. At this point all I wanted to do was to grab Edward by the shoulders and demand that he tell me the truth. I wanted him to admit to me that he was a Vampire, no matter how crazy that might sound. Yep, I was going insane… What has your life come to Theodore?

"Teo? TEO?!"

"Huh? What i'm sorry what's going on?"

Jessica and Angela looked at me with varying degrees of annoyance. I blushed at having obviously been caught off guard.

"Teo, we asked you what you thought about my dress?"

I looked Angela up and down appraising her form. The dress fit her nicely and the navy blue served a nice contrast to her skin tone.

"It looks nice Ang."

Jessica sighed and shook her head at me.

"Look Teo you're just not into this are you? You've said that about every dress we've tried on… Is there something else you'd rather be doing?"

I pursed my lips and looked at the girls, well now was as good a time as any. I stood gathering my hoodie and throwing it over my shoulders, and slinging my backpack on.

"Yeah actually, now that you mention it there's this really awesome bookstore i've been dying to visit. It's only a short walk away..I'll just, meet you guys at the restaurant okay?"

I walked out without waiting to hear a response. Quickly pulling out my phone I typed in the address of the bookstore into my GPS. It was actually a bit further away than I thought. Almost 2 miles. I groaned and began walking. It was actually kind of nice to get some fresh air, Port Angeles was a beautiful town.

As I rounded a corner I ran right into a jock and a group of his friends. Because I wasn't paying attention, I lost my balance and fell flat on my ass.

"Ow…" I murmured softly to myself. I looked up at the jock and boy did he seem livid.

"Watch where you're going dipshit, or next time i'll make you."

I scoffed was this guy serious?

"Sorry, I must not have seen you. Although I don't see how, it's hard to miss someone as wide and as dense as you." I stood up and brushed off my clothes.

"What the hell did you just say to me fag?"

I laughed. "Right of course. Continue to perpetuate stereotypes. Not only are you a jock, but you're also an idiot. Don't worry though, you're not my type shrimpy."

I glanced down at his crotch, scoffed and walked away. That was dangerous. I don't know why I did that. Fucking with Jocks usually ended up badly for the gay kid. Come on Teo haven't you seen any 90's movie ever? I looked back over my shoulder, to see the group of guys staring at me but not following.

That was good right? I wouldn't be getting my ass beat today at least. That's all that mattered. I walked a little faster eager to not only get answers, but to get as far away from those jocks as possible. Every so often I would glance back over my shoulder to make sure I was still safe. By the time i'd arrived at the bookstore I was a wreck. Maybe I was being paranoid, but in this day and age you couldn't be sure.

People were being killed because of their sexual orientation, and I had no desire to become another statistic. I had too much to live for. Taking a much needed deep breath I began to browse the store looking for the book. In the end the search paid off, I found it hiding in one of the back corners of the store.

I sat down and opened the book starting with the forward, as I read more and more of the book, I realized it was telling me a lot of the same information that the website did. Wow this wasn't actually all too helpful. But one thing this book had that the websites didn't, was a first hand account of someone who claimed to actually be a vampire. This was as good as anything, and if it turned out to be fake, well then at least i'd read an interesting book.

I stood and looked at the time 8:45pm.

HOLY SHIT. I'd been in the store for four hours. Fuck, Angela, and Jessica must be so worried. I'd missed our dinner reservation. I dialed Jessica's number, but it went straight to voicemail. Come on Angela pick up. Again straight to voicemail. Well, with both of my friends not answering, and at least a thirty minute walk to the restaurant I paid for the book and left the store. It had gotten very dark while I was in the bookstore, and I was kind of sketched out. It just seemed like someone was watching me…

I pulled my jacket closer around me and walked around a corner. I saw two men in jackets, they were too far away to see clearly, but they looked drunk.. I turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, just as two more men popped up in front of me. I turned around to see the two men from before approaching me, and a feeling of dread settled in my stomach. Oh no, no no no. Please don't let this be happening. I turned back to the direction of the bookstore, only to collide into the jock from earlier. Although instead of falling this time he caught me.

"Where ya goin' princess? Why are you in such a rush?"

I could smell the alcohol on his breath, and it was disgusting.

"Let go of me!"

I ripped my arm free and turned around to run away from him, only to see that I was cornered in a parking lot, and the five of them were backing me into corner.

"What's wrong princess? No witty remarks? What happened to that sass from earlier?"

I looked at all five of them, then down at my hands. I had a bit of martial arts training. I could possibly take on one or two of them, but all five? There was no way.

I tried to stop my hands from shaking to no avail. One of the jock's friends grabbed me from behind, so I headbutted him, grabbed his arm, and used his own weight, and drunken stupor to flip him over on his back.

"Dam Jerry! Are you alright man? You're dead now fag! We were just gonna have fun with you, but now. Were gonna kill you. Isn't that right Logan?"

Logan, the jock from earlier stepped forward. "Damn right...You think my dick is small? Well let's see how that tight little ass of yours likes it."

It was in this moment that several things happened all at once. Logan and his friends charged at me, just as the dumpster beside me started to levitate. I had no time to process that because the jocks we're getting closer. Everything started to move in slow motion, and suddenly I was calm. I spread my legs and got into a fighting stance. If I was going down I was going down swinging. I shoved the palm of my hand into one guy's nose hearing a crack, then I grabbed him by the hair, and kneed him in the stomach. Just as I was about to punch him in the temple I was thrown to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the flying dumpster soar across the parking lot into a brick building, but the jocks didn't seem to care.

I knew that there was no saving myself from this position. Logan grabbed at the buckle on my pants shoving my face into the pavement. I thought about my mom, Charlie, my friends, and Edward… This was it. I closed my eyes, prepared to just endure it until the end. Then all of a sudden I heard tires screeching, I opened my eyes to see blinding headlights in front of us. There was a blur, and suddenly I was up on my feet standing far away from the spot I was just in. I was being hugged tightly. All of my senses were filled with the smell of honey and Lilac.

"Teo… Get in the car now."

His voice sounded like heaven after all this time. Edward. He'd saved me. The emotions I felt in that moment were infinite and all consuming.

"NOW, Teo!"

I jumped startled, and his grip on me relaxed. I looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at the group of guys, who were slowly recovering from being tossed all over the parking lot. Edward looked absolutely murderous his eyes were as dark as the night sky above us, and he just radiated lethality. I obeyed him and got in the car, closing the door. Edward walked around to the driver's side, but not before being stopped by Logan who had gotten up and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Yo what the fuck do you think you're doing man?! He's our little faggot. Wait your turn."

Edward and I shit you not here, growled. He actually growled, and grabbed Logan's hand twisting it ever so slightly but the crack that sounded was real. Logan howled and bent over in pain.

"No, He's mine, and he's not a faggot. Come near him again, and it'll be the last thing you do."

Edward spoke slowly, and deliberately like a knife. Each word cutting through me like butter.

"That goes for all of you.. I'd better not ever see any of you again. Consider yourselves lucky, for if Theodore wasn't here… Well, you wouldn't be walking away from here."

With that Edward turned away from them and got in the car. He did a fancy maneuver and suddenly we were speeding away. His knuckles were white from how tight he was gripping the wheel, and he refused to look at me.

"T-Thank you.."

He said nothing or even moved to acknowledge me.

"I-"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

I furrowed my brow shocked, but at least he was speaking to me.

"What do you mean?"

"You were… Fighting them. Why, Why would you do that Teo?! Surely you must've known that…. Y-You promised me you'd stay out of danger!"

"I just, I mean I knew there was no way I could outrun them, and I-I knew fighting them was stupid, but what else was I supposed to do Edward?"

"You could've stayed with Jessica and Angela! You put life in danger for a stupid book! You don't know what- what those jocks were thinking! What they would've done to you!"

"Right, and you do?" This was it.

He shifted his eyes to me and then back to the road.

"It wasn't hard to guess…"

Teo- 1

Edward -1

Well played Cullen…

"Distract me."

I looked at him confused. "What?"

He grit his teeth. "Distract me, before I turn this car around and rip those jerks apart piece by piece."

I knew he was actually capable of doing just that, and that thought excited, and scared me.

"Okay, it's going to be alright, just-just put your seatbelt on, you're doing 85mph."

He laughed and the sound was so comforting.

"Why don't you put your seatbelt on?"

I smiled and looked down.

"Oh yeah, I should do that."

Before long we pulled up outside the restaurant I was meeting Jessica and Angela at. Edward parked and came around to my side to open my door for me.

"Thank you.."

He nodded and led the way. As we started to ascend the steps to the door, Angela and Jessica walked out.

"Teo! Where were you!? We were worried, but we got really hungry so we ate without you.."

Thanks Jessica, I could've been dead nice to know how much you cared.

"I'm sorry Jessica, it's my fault Teo has been gone for so long. We ran into each other and got talking."

Edward smirked his little crooked grin. Oh he was turning the charm on super hard. But, it was working because Jessica was eating it up.. She smiled and shook her head, poking out her chest a bit.

"Oh no, it's totally fine. We're just glad he's okay. Well...Teo let's go!"

Jessica grabbed my arm and turned us around to walk back down the stairs.

"Actually, do you mind if I take Teo home? I want to make sure he's eaten beforehand."

Jessica looked at me, and then over her shoulder at Edward, then she whispered in my ear: "you'd better call me the second you get home, I want ALL the details!"

I rolled my eyes but consented, Edward and I stood there and watched them take off, Edward laughing at some inside joke.

"What is it?"

Edward looked at me and placed a hand on my waist leading me into the restaurant. The place he was touching me felt like it was on fire.

"Jessica thinks that i'm going to take advantage of you tonight."

I wish.

"Oh really? How do you know that?"

He laughed at me and asked for the best table in the house.

"Edward no this is too expensive, I can't afford this food alone. Jess, Ang, and I were gonna split the bill."

He shook his head and led me to our table.

"It's on me don't worry about it, order whatever you like."

"But-"

He held up a hand to stop me and motioned to the menu. I sighed knowing I wasn't going to win this argument.

I scrolled over the menu noting all of the expensive italian food. Why did Jessica pick this place again?

"Hey there, my name is Beatrice, you can call me Bee for short, i'll be your waitress tonight. Is there anything I can get you? I do mean anything."

I looked up from the menu and felt myself immediately scowl. Our waitress "Bee" was damn near purring over Edward. Shoving her cleavage in his direction and all. I looked at Edward but he wasn't paying her any attention, he was just staring at me like he was trying to figure something out.

"Yes, Teo what would you like to drink?"

Bee didn't even glance over in my direction her attention solely on Edward. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit peeved. I mean Edward was obviously here with me, even though this might not be a date.. He was still with someone.

I cleared my throat and Bee looked at me with annoyance as if it was physically exhausting for her to NOT look at Edward.

"I'd like a coke please."

Bee quickly wrote it down and turned back to Edward.

"What about you handsome? What would you like to drink?"

Edward quickly waved a hand.

"Nothing. Thank you though."

Beatrice huffed and walked away clearly annoyed.

"So, what was that about?" I asked pointing at Beatrice's retreating form.

Edward raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh Edward come on, you're telling me you didn't notice her practically drooling over you?"

He smiled his crooked grin.

"No..I guess I was preoccupied."

He looked directly into my eyes burning holes straight through me. I had to suppress a chill from racking through my body.

"Oh, I see.. So, how did you know where to find me? The truth please… I'm sick of the games."

Edward considered me for a moment, then he sighed and muttered something under his breath that I couldn't hear.

"I followed you to Port Angeles, because I just had a feeling that you would fall off a cliff, or.. Get mugged, when I got here you weren't with Jessica, or Angela, so I read their thoughts. Then I just simply drove to the bookstore."

Whoa. He gave me a real answer, not the run around. This was huge.. I could finally get him to admit it! Just as I was about to respond our waitress came back.

"Alright, here's your coke, are you ready to order?"

Again. Only to Edward, however Edward seemed to notice my annoyance this time.

"No, i'm not eating. What about you Teo? What would you like?"

He smiled sweetly at me, causing me to turn crimson and lose my train of thought.

"Um, I-i.."

He nodded and reached over taking the menu from my hands, causing our fingers to brush. His skin was ice cold, but more than that, when he touched me an electric current seemed to pass through us causing me to gasp. Edward was staring down at our hands as if he felt it too. I could've swore I heard him mumble "interesting.." under his breath.

"Uh. I hate to interrupt y'all but there are other people waiting."

I looked around at the almost empty restaurant.

"Right of course. I'm sorry, Teo I suggest the ravioli it's wonderful."

I nodded my consent.

"Yeah I'll just take that."

She rolled her eyes and took our menus walking away. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction.

"So do you do that alot? The reading minds thing…"

"Yes. I can read the mind of anyone around me, well almost anyone… I'm sure there's a distance to how far I can do it but I haven't tested it.."

"So you can read my mind?" I blushed recalling the times i'd practically undressed him in my mind.

"No.. Your mind is a mystery to me.. It's actually quite frustrating. I can't hear your thoughts at all. It's like, everyone else's minds operate on FM radio waves and yours is AM, so when I try to read your mind it's like radio static.."

I pursed my lips, on one hand it was probably a good thing that he couldn't read my mind.. But on the other hand, did that mean I was broken? What if something was wrong with me?

"Wow.. What's wrong with me? Am I broken?"

Edward started chuckling.

"I tell you I can read minds and you think something is wrong with you? Honestly Teo, you're incredible."

I laughed despite myself.

"I'm serious! I've always known I was a freak, it's nice to finally have that confirmed. Thank you."

"You're not a freak Teo."

I looked into his eyes and melted. It was so crazy that just something as simple as that had me unraveling.

"So what are they thinking?"

I pointed to a booth behind us with three people sitting in it. Two girls, and one guy they were obviously planning to leave very soon. Edward looked at me and shook his head.

"Sex….mmm Money, and sex."

I laughed. "Impressive."

"So...How old are you?"

Edward's face became somber.

"17."

"How long… How long have you been 17?"

"...A while."

He was finally admitting it. My stomach was exploding in butterflies. I couldn't believe after all this time he was finally opening up. I but my lip to stop my shit eating grin and shook my head.

"What about the others? Alice, Rosalie,? Jasper?"

"Yes them too."

Our waitress came back and gave us our food. Well I should say me because Edward didn't actually order anything. We thanked her and she left after scowling in my direction.

"So.. Does sunlight make you guy's explode?"

Edward Chuckled.

"No… We kind of. I'll just show you sometime."

"Allergy to garlic?"

"No."

"Strong aversion to crucifixes?""

He laughed. "No, none."

"Do you guys sleep in coffins?"

"No, we uh.. We don't sleep."

"Wait like ever?"

"No, never."

"Wow.. That's insane."

I looked down to notice that in between my questions i'd finished eating my dinner. Edward paid for the meal much to my chagrin, and he escorted me back to his volvo. He pulled off and did 95mph on the road back to forks.

"Is that a vampire thing too? The driving really fast?"

He nodded and looked at me.

"We can run very fast, so in comparison things like cars, or walking.. Seem slow. So whenever we can drive fast, we do. However, most of us choose to be conspicuous with our cars. Rose on the other hand, has always had an affinity for sports cars."

"So how old are you actually?"

"I was born in 1901…"

My eyes widened at this news. Edward was 108 years old. That was insane to even comprehend..

"Ask me the most important question."

"What do you mean?"

"My diet Teo, ask me what we eat.."

He was upset now. He almost spat the words at me. It scared, but excited me. I was once again reminded that he was dangerous.

"I'm not scared."

"You should be. I'm a monster. On that first day, I wanted you. When you walked past the fan and it sent your scent over in my direction. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not jump across the table and kill you."

"Edward, I."

"I had already planned it. I'd take out the two girls in the front to keep them from getting to the door, Then i'd snap Mr. Banner's neck and kill the rest of them by the aisle, it'd only take a few seconds… Just a few seconds to ruin what Carlisle has spent years building here. Even now I still want you. Your blood calls out to me like no other.. I had to leave and go stay with my cousins in Denali, just to try and get some space from you, to get a clear head."

The silence that set over us was deafening. Edward was just confirming what i'd already knew. A part of him thirsted for my blood. But it was news to me that I was the reason he left for a month at the start of the year.. But Jacob said..

"But my friend Jacob Black said that you guys weren't dangerous, that you were safe because you only drink animal blood."

Edward scoffed and shook his head.

"The Blacks have a good memory, yes we don't drink the blood from humans, but don't ever for one second think that we aren't dangerous. I could snap your neck in the time it would take you to blink."

I shuddered.

"Wow romance a guy a bit more, before you start talking about snapping his neck."

Edward laughed at me and parked turning to completely face me. I looked around noticing that we were home already. Wow time just flew by when I was with him.

"How do you know where I live? This is the second time you brought me home."

He smiled my favorite crooked smile.

"Forks high school doesn't do a good job protecting their student's privacy."

I shook my head and chuckled.

"Goodnight Edward."

I turned away to open the door only to find Edward already there. He bent down and kissed my forehead, then he leaned into my ear and so softly, I wasn't even sure I heard it, he responded.

"Goodnight Theodore."

I gasped and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, he was gone. I placed my hand over my chest to feel my heart beating rapidly. With shaky hands I opened my front door, and climbed up my stairs to my room. I looked at my phone to see I had two texts, one was from Jessica telling me not to do anything she wouldn't do, and the other was from an unknown number.

I'll be there to pick you up for school in the morning. Sweet dreams Teo. - Edward Anthony Masen Cullen

I laid on my bed with a wide grin on my face. I re- read the message over and over getting a new thrill each time. Just this simple promise that i'd see him again had me feeling giddy. I thought it was insanely funny that he signed his full name at the end of the text as if it was a letter.

I laid my phone down on my bedside table and closed my eyes.

That night there were no nightmares.