Chapter 10: Bedtime

To my relief when we pulled up to my house Sue was out. I wanted Edward to stay for a while. I didn't want to send him off. "Do you want to come in again?" I inquired.

"Sure," He said getting out of the car. A second later he opened the door for me. I had to refrain from rolling my eyes at him. That was just so old fashioned! He had the door to the house unlocked before I even got there. He did know where the key was after all. He walked to the kitchen and sat down in the same spot as last time. Wait, how had he known his way to the dining room the first time he had come in? I warmed up some lasagna and turned to face him.

"How often do you come here?" I questioned. He looked down briefly before reconnecting his gaze with mine: a sign of worry.

"Every night," he said quickly. My jaw dropped.

"You spied on me?" I questioned. It was creepy, but kind of sweet too.

"You talk in your sleep." He said matter-of-factly. The color drained from my face.

"No," I gasped. I knew I talked in my sleep. I talked a lot and some of those dreams were about stuff that hadn't happened yet…

He seemed instantly repentant. "Are you angry?"

"That depends on what you heard!" I said worriedly. He didn't need to know of things to come or of things past. It wasn't all that important for him. If anything it would drive him insane… drive him away.

Instantly, silently he was by my side; took my hands carefully into his. "Don't be upset!" He pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was scared and worried. I tried to look away. "You miss Connecticut. You miss your sisters. You talk about them all the time. You worry about how they're doing and how your horse is. Once you said "I hope he threw her into the river." He said chuckling in an attempt to defuse some of the tense atmosphere.

"Anything else," I questioned. There was no way he was getting off the hook that easily. He knew what I was getting at.

"You did say my name." He admitted. Shit! I sighed.

"A lot," I inquired.

"How much do you mean by a lot exactly?"

"Damn it!" I said looking away as my face heated up.

He pulled me in to a hug. "Don't be self conscious," he whispered in my ear. "If I could dream at all it would be of you, and I'm not ashamed of it." Awwww! That was so sweet!!!!

I stiffened as I heard the sound of Sue's car as she pulled into the driveway. "Should your mother know I'm here?" he asked.

"Not the night of the dance!" I said. I bit my lip. I didn't want him to go!

"Another time then..." All of a sudden I was utterly alone.

"Edward!" I hissed at him. I heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing at all. Mom entered the house.

"Lorianna," She called as if it was a question. It seemed perfectly reasonable considering who was just here.

"In here!" I called from the kitchen. I willed my eyes to droop slightly and my limbs to become heavy. I wanted her to think I was tired. I needed him to get his ass back here! I set her a plate of food on the table as I slowly ate mine.

"Thanks," She said as she settled down to her meal. "So," she said when she finished. "Are you going to the dance tonight?"
"No, I'm really tired. I've been all over today and I need a break. I didn't get much sleep last night after work. I had too much to do today." I said slowly as if I couldn't even function right I was so tired. I yawned for emphasis.

"You're such a DQ!"

"I'm not a drama queen. I really am tired." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right," she snorted.

"Do you seriously think I would sneak out to go to a dance when I'm not interested in any of the guys in town?" I smirked. Technically I wasn't lying. Edward wasn't a guy… and he didn't live in town. :)

"I guess not: good night."

"Night," I said as I headed up the stairs. She could do her own dishes tonight. It wouldn't kill her. She would probably check on me though. It was the kind of thing she would do. I locked the door behind me before rushing to the window. I through it open. It didn't make a sound, which was an unexpected bonus. "Edward!" I called into the night.

The quiet, laughing response came from behind me: "Yes?"

I turned around quickly only to jump a foot into the air as I saw him lying, smiling hugely, across my bed with his hands behind his head, relaxed. "Holy shit," I swore scared. How the hell had he managed to surprise me?

"I'm sorry." He said as he tried to hold in obvious laughter.

"Just give me a minute to restart my heart. He sat up slowly so as not to startle me again. He picked me up as if I weighed ten pounds and sat me down on the bed.

"Why don't you sit with me," he suggested smiling.

"Smart ass," I muttered as I worked to slow my raging pulse.

"How's the heart?" He questioned ignoring my comment.

"You tell me? You have to be able to hear it better then I can." I felt his quiet laughter shake the bed. We sat there quietly for a minute as we waited for my heart beat to slow. Then I realized I hadn't finished my charade with Sue.

"Can I have a minute to be human?" I questioned.

"Certainly," He gestured with one hand for me to continue.

"Stay!" I ordered.

"Yes ma'am." He made a show of becoming a statue on the end of my bed. I held back laughter as I shook my head, and people called me a DQ? I grabbed my pj's and made my way to the bathroom. I jumped into the shower and made sure to wash my hair. I guess I could straighten it in the morning. When I was done in there I made sure to do everything else necessary to go to bed… I walked downstairs as sluggishly as I could manage.

"Night mom," I said through a yawn. That one wasn't fake I really was tired.

"See you tomorrow after noon Lorianna. I'm working the morning shift at the hospital." I nodded and made my way back to my room. Once up the stairs I ran as quietly as I could to my room. I closed the door tightly behind me and turned to realize that Edward hadn't moved even a fraction of an inch. I smiled and his lips twitched: the statue came to life.

He took in my damp hair and my shirt… It read: Screw being a princess I want to be a vampire! I smirked at his dumbfounded expression as he read my shirt and sat back down beside him on the bed. "Where did you get that shirt?" He inquired.

"I made it. I was sick of all the shirts that said princess. I have a nicer one that just says 'I wanna be a vampire' from in third grade when I got the first one." Edward shook his head in disbelief.

"What was all that for?"

"I know you head the conversation… She thinks I'm headed to the dance." I rolled my eyes.

"Why?"

"Apparently I look really keyed up." I shrugged.

"You look very warm actually." He bent his face slowly to mine; laid his cool cheek against my skin.

It was very difficult to form a coherent thought when he was toughing me. It took me a minute to formulate my question.

"It seems to be much easier for you now, to be close to me." I stated as I tried to focus… I was failing.

"Does it seem that way to you?" He murmured as his nose glided along the corner of my jaw. I felt his hand, lighter then a moth's wing, brush my hair back, so his lips could touch the hollow beneath my ear.

"Much, much easier," I breathed out. His fingers were tracing my color bone now. How the fuck was I supposed to think around that?

"So I was wondering why that is." I finished while I still could.

I felt his breath over my neck as he laughed. "Mind over matter," He stated simply. I pulled back. It would be impossible to finish this conversation if he kept touching me like this! I could no longer hear his breathing. I watched quietly as I waited for his jaw to relax. He was confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I can' think when you do that!"

"Really," he sounded triumphant about it.

"Do you want a round of applause?" I inquired sarcastically. He grinned.

"I'm just surprised." He explained. "In the last hundred years or so," his voice was teasing, "I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with … in another way than my brothers and sisters. Then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it… at being with you…"

"You're good at a lot of things." I pointed out. "But how can it be this… easy, for lack of a better word?"

"It's not easy," he sighed. "But this afternoon, I was still… undecided. I'm sorry about that; it was unforgivable for me to behave so."

"Never unforgivable," I argued.

"Thank you. You see," he continued looking down. "I wasn't sure if I was strong enough…" He picked one of my hands up and pressed it softly against his face. "And while there was still a possibility that I might be… overcome I was susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility that I would… that I ever could…" I'd never seen him struggle so hard for words it was so… human.

"I'm trying. If it gets too be too much. I'm fairly certain I'll be able to leave." Pain lanced through my body at the very thought. I hated talk of leaving. "It'll be harder tomorrow. I've become highly desensitized. If I leave for any length of time I'll have to start over, but not completely."

"Then don't leave," I responded.

"That suits me." He said laughing.

"You're much more optimistic then usual." I pointed out.

"Isn't it supposed to be like this? True love," I smiled as he said that. I nodded.

"So many emotions I've only ever read about. Jealousy for example," He scowled.

"Who?"

"All of your admirers: Mike, Eric, Andrew, Alex…" He trailed off as I gaped at him.

"I was so nervous come the time they all started asking you to go to the dance with them. That was also the first night I came here. I fought with myself. I knew I should leave, but I couldn't make myself. Then as you slept you spoke my name. You said it so clearly it was as if you were awake." He said softly. "The feelings that coursed through me were staggering; I knew then I couldn't ignore you any longer." Suddenly Edward froze and a second later he was gone.

"Lay down!" He called to me from somewhere in the suddenly dark room. I scrambled to get under the covers and shut my eyes. I worked to relax my forehead and slow my breathing as Sue opened the door. I didn't react to the change of light and made sure not to tense as she took a step into the room. I didn't move until I felt Edward's arms around me. "Good acting," he complimented. I smiled at the compliment. He hummed a melody I didn't know; it sounded like a lullaby. "Should I sing you to sleep?" He questioned.

"Like I could sleep with you here," I said rolling my eyes.

"You do it all the time." He teased.

"I never knew you were here before."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" I said a bit too forcefully.

"What do you want to do then?" He questioned as he ran his nose along my jaw inhaling.

"I thought you were desensitized."

"Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet. You have a very floral smell like lavender… or freesia. It's mouthwatering."

"Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get someone telling me how edible I smell." I forced out laughing.

"I'm curious."

"You're always curious." He countered. I kept silent knowing it would bug him. "What are you curious about?" He questioned just a minute later. I smiled at the curiosity in his voice.

"Why can you read minds? Why only you? Why can Alice read the future? Why does that happen?" I interrogated.

I felt him shrug. "We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory that we bring our strongest traits from our human lives and it intensifies in this one." So it wasn't completely abnormal, what I could do…at least I hoped so.

"Does Jasper or the others have a gift?"

"Jasper can feel and influence the emotions of those around him. It's a very useful gift." I nodded. I yawned involuntarily. "You should sleep."

" 'm fine." I forced out between yawns.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No," I said as I snuggled into his chest not caring about the consequences. The last thing I heard was him humming my lullaby as I drifted to sleep in his cold embrace. For the first time in over ten years I felt whole.