Chapter 10

August 2nd late night

When I woke up for the second time, it was dark in my room. My clock said 11:30pm. I'd fallen asleep around 4. I was under my sheets now. Jasper must have done that. I rolled over and hit the all too familiar rock. I reached out, thinking it was Jasper, and hoping he would put me back to sleep, but cold arms wrapped around me instead and pulled me against more cold stone. Immediately my eyes welled up with more tears and I willingly moved closer to him, not caring that I could freeze.

Edward didn't need to say anything. He obviously knew what I was thinking and what must have happened. I liked it that way. He just held me as I cried. I don't even know how long I cried, but it felt like forever, and I didn't even know I had that many tears left in me. He was humming something when I finally calmed down enough to speak. If his voice could get any more beautiful…

"I'm sorry I'm crying." I choked out at last. I rubbed furiously at my eyes and tried to sit up but he held me to his chest. Rubbing his hands up and down my back gently.
"Don't ever be sorry. Especially over something you couldn't control." He whispered, his voice velvet smooth. I couldn't speak. I couldn't think. He reached down and lifted my chin gently with one of his cool fingers. I searched for his face in the dark, as I felt his get closer to me.

"I'm here now. I won't let anything happen." He whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my neck slightly. My voice finally returned after a few more moments.

"Where were you today?" I asked, still searching for any hint of his face. My room was pitch black, and even his snow white skin wasn't sticking out. He was quiet for a moment.

"We were all hunting." He finally said.
"Why was Jasper home then?" He was silent again.
"Edward?" I asked reaching out to resting my hand on what I hoped was his face. His cold hand was placed over mine in seconds.
"Sorry. He didn't want to come. He… well he actually wanted to stay and watch over you. Alice must have told him what was going to happen." He sighed and all I could do was move closer to him. I moved my hand down to his chest and leaned my head against it as well.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He whispered. I smiled a little.
"Never be sorry. Especially over something you couldn't control. You had to hunt. I understand. Like you said, you're here now. That's all that matters." He stayed silent, and I knew he had to be brooding. I realized then that there was no sound coming from his chest. It didn't surprise me; I knew he wouldn't have one. But it was the first time that I was close enough to not hear it.

I had this thing when I was still talking to Carson… I would always say that I couldn't wait to fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. That that was all I wanted to hear. How strange it was now that even though I couldn't hear Edward's…I didn't mind. He heard my thoughts.

"I'm sorry that it's not beating." He whispered in my ear again, slowly rubbing my back.
"I'm finding it strangely comforting." I smiled to myself. Suddenly, the chest pain was back. I couldn't breathe again. I was gasping for air. I vaguely heard Edward saying my name, asking me what was wrong before everything went even blacker than before.