Edward guided Bella away from the house. When he was convinced they weren't being followed, they doubled back to the meadow and followed Theodoros' trail until Edward was satisfied he'd left.

At least for now.

Bella watched as Edward paced. The stiff set of his shoulders and abrupt changes of direction gave away his agitation.

"I should have killed him."

"Why?"

"I didn't like the way he spoke to you."

Hearing the fury in his voice, Bella's eyes widened. She'd imagined what it would have been like to kill the nomad in the event of a fight, but to end someone's life for no real reason seemed wrong. But it was over. There was no sense in irritating Edward further when he was already seething over the run-in.

"I wonder where he's from. He said something that didn't sound English."

Edward stopped pacing.

"It was Greek."

"You know Greek?"

"A little."

She ran to his side and grasped his arm. "What was he saying? What did he keep calling me?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Edward!"

Edward shook off her hand. He turned to face her, prepared to tell her to stop asking so many questions, but the words got stuck in his throat. Bella looked up at him with awe and excitement, and for a moment, he felt as though he mattered to her. As though everything Theodoros said had been wrong.

"He called you 'love.'"

I should be the one calling you love.

Bella's initial discomfort was overshadowed by Edward's silent aspiration. She'd thought the other vampire had been spewing nonsense about the feelings Edward harbored, but now she wasn't so sure. Her face fell. Her focus shifted to the ground.

Seeing her reaction, Edward nodded to himself. "I should have killed him."

He brought his palm to her neck. Bella flinched but didn't pull away as he traced his thumb along the most recent scar.

"Does it hurt?"

Bella shook her head.

"I didn't mean to bite you. It just happened. I'm sorry." I'm sorry for everything.

Bella hesitated, not knowing how to reply. Though she could usually tell the difference between his voice and his sporadic thoughts, it was hard for her to compartmentalize the two when it came to an appropriate response.

She shrugged. "What's one more mark?"

"It's barely visible."

"It's still there, and apparently it makes me look like a pushover."

"No. Don't listen to him. It makes you look desirable."

Bella shot him a dubious glare.

"Biting is not uncommon among couples," he explained. "It's not always a display of control. It can be a very passionate act."

"Yeah, but that wasn't the context you bit me in."

Edward didn't need the reminder.

"Context doesn't matter. This—" He traced the line along the front of his neck. "This labels me as weak, but I didn't obtain it from a fight. I can use the assumption to my advantage."

"You think he considered you an easy target because you've had your head ripped off?"

"Most definitely."

Bella pondered the implications of her action for a moment. She hated the scars Edward had given her, but she had scarred him too. Maybe, in some twisted way, they were even.

"Don't bite me again. Ever. I mean it."

"I won't."

Bella searched his eyes. She found nothing but sincerity.

"May I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure."

"If he attacked, would you have fought with me?"

Would you have let him kill me?

Bella considered the question he left unspoken.

There was a time when she wanted Edward dead. When she awoke after her turn, she was scared and overwhelmed with her new world. Her only thought was escape. She attacked out of instinct, doing the one thing she believed would kill him.

But Edward was no longer a threat, and as unpleasant as she found his company at times, she had no desire to see his life come to an end.

Bella elbowed him playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Someone's gotta keep you from losing your head."

Edward cracked a small smile. He didn't know if she was being honest, but he wanted to believe it was true.

"Let's go home. We should let the others know about this."

###

When all the Cullens were together later that night, Edward told them about the mysterious nomad they'd talked to in the woods—minus the more personal details he didn't want shared.

"It sounds as though he was just passing through. It's probably nothing to be concerned about."

"I don't know, Carlisle. There was something about him. He seemed very interested in…" Edward paused, rethinking his words. "He seemed curious. I'm not convinced he won't be back."

"Well, that's to be expected, I suppose. Once he discovers there are more of us, I doubt he'll cause any trouble. Two to one is risky enough, but six?" Carlisle shook his head. "No vampire in their right mind would take on that many opponents."

Jasper, sensing Edward's desperation, wasn't as quick to dismiss his concern.

"Carlisle's probably right, but we'll keep alert for a while, just to be on the safe side. You two should stick close to the house. Esme and I will do the same during the day. Strength in numbers and all."

"Great," Bella muttered. Now she and Edward were being babysat.

"We appreciate it. Thank you."

"I'll keep a lookout for something too," Alice said. "But with Bella being involved…" She gave an apologetic grimace.

"It's fine, Alice. Let us know if you see anything."

"Edward," Jasper said, "do you want to do a perimeter run? Just an added precaution."

If Edward could still read minds, he'd have known why Jasper wanted to get him alone. Instead, he could only imagine what thoughts lie behind his pointed look.

"Of course."

Jasper leaned in to Alice and gave her a kiss. Alice smiled, giggling as she returned the favor.

Edward regarded Bella, standing by his side with her arms crossed, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there. He slung his arm over her shoulders and bent down to place his lips on her check.

She tensed.

He sighed.

"I'll be back soon, okay?"

"I'll be here." She didn't sound happy about it.

Edward followed Jasper outside, dreading each second that brought him farther from Bella and closer to hearing Jasper's thoughts.

"Just spit it out, already."

"What are you talking about?" Jasper asked.

"There's obviously something you want to say, so say it."

"I'm not sure why you felt the need to lie to everyone. I thought, maybe, you'd tell me the truth."

"I didn't lie," Edward argued.

"You edited."

"Barely."

"It doesn't make sense." Jasper stopped walking. "You run into a lone vampire in the woods, he goes on his way, and yet you have this scarcely contained fury. And a sort of…" He sucked on the back of his teeth. "Anguish. It's strange. Bitter. I can almost taste it."

Edward stopped walking too, but he refused to turn around.

"Something happened out there. If you don't think the information is relevant, fine. But I'm asking as a friend. What's wrong?"

Come on, man. I'm worried about you.

Edward sighed and plopped down on the forest floor. Jasper joined him.

"He… knew things."

What kind of things?

Closing his eyes, Edward took a deep breath. He could barely own up to his own feelings, let alone confess them to someone else. "He knew exactly how I feel about her. It's like he plucked the emotion right from my body and said it out loud for the entire world to hear."

So you admit you have feelings for her?

Edward growled.

"It's not that far-fetched," Jasper said, ignoring him. "Two vampires alone in the woods. It's a logical conclusion."

"He knew she wasn't my mate. He said she was indifferent, that she 'holds no allegiance' to me," Edward mocked. He picked up a stone and launched it into the air. It disappeared from sight, annihilating the leaves and branches that were unfortunate enough to be in its way. "He wanted her."

"Edward, I know you're head over heels for Bella, but that doesn't mean everyone who crosses her path feels the same way."

"He wanted to take her from me! I could see it in his eyes. He was coveting her."

The way you coveted her?

Edward sprang to his feet. "Damn it, Jasper!"

"Sorry, man. You know I can't help it."

"I just want things to be normal. No," he amended. "I just want things things to be okay." Edward sank to the ground once again and buried his face in his hands. He tried to ignore the different scenarios that played through Jasper's head.

"What makes you think he was right about her?" Jasper asked at last. "She's evaded all of our gifts so far."

"It doesn't matter. He's right, isn't he? You've said so yourself: she hates me."

"Exactly. I said she hated you. He said she was indifferent. Do you honestly believe she feels nothing toward you, not even animosity?"

"That's so much better." Edward's laugh contained no trace of humor.

"The point I'm trying to make—" Jasper paused until he was sure he had Edward's full attention "—is that he's probably wrong."

"He wasn't wrong about me."

Your feelings are written all over your face.

Edward groaned.

"And maybe I'm wrong too."

"I can read your mind, Jasper, remember? I know you don't believe that."

"Screw what I believe. You were right. I can't possibly know what she's feeling. I don't know her at all. It's unfair of me to make assumptions."

Edward did his best to focus on the words and not the contradicting thoughts behind them.

"Come on." Jasper stood and pulled Edward to his feet. "Let's make a loop and get back to the house. I don't need you getting all broody on me."

###

"How did it go?" Esme asked when they returned to the house.

"Fine," Edward said with a shrug. "There was no trace of him."

"That's good." She beckoned for him to join her on the couch. Edward sat down next to her, even though all he wanted was to see Bella and remove his family's thoughts from his head.

"You shouldn't worry so much. Everything will be all right."

Esme's thoughts agreed with her words. Edward wanted to take comfort from them, but that's all they were—words. They didn't mean anything.

"I hope you're right."

Bella stepped around the corner. In her arms she cradled a change of clothing. Their eyes met, and the voices and images in Edward's head faded until he was left with only his own. He looked between Bella and Esme, who wore a big smile on her face.

"What's going on?"

"I told Bella she could use the whirlpool tub. Are you ready, dear?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'll show you to it." Edward pushed off the couch and placed his hand on Bella's lower back. "It's this way." He guided her through the bedroom that Carlisle and Esme shared and into the en suite bathroom.

"Wow." Bella looked around the two adjoining rooms. "You got the short end of the stick."

"I had the master bedroom once, but it was a long time ago. Bubbles?" He offered Bella a bottle of bubble bath, and she took it from his outstretched hand. "I don't feel right taking it, being the single one," Edward continued. He wondered if that would change now that Bella was with them. Probably not. If she stayed, she'd probably get her own room. Hell, maybe they'd offer her the master bedroom next time. "In our last house, my room was the unfinished basement. My leather couch was the only thing in it."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"Not really. It's not like vampires use beds. Well, not for sleeping, anyway."

Bella's jaw dropped, and then snapped shut. She turned away from him and placed her clothes on the counter. Edward turned on the water and began filling the tub.

"Would you like some company?"

Edward hoped she'd say yes. He imagined her in the bathtub, thick bubbles covering her body from view and her rich brown hair spanning out over the water. She would look so peaceful, so at ease as she tilted her head back to rest on the edge, exposing the creamy column of her neck. He wondered how she'd react if he surprised her by jumping in. Would she giggle and splash him? Pull him into her arms? He could practically hear the displaced water as it hit the floor and feel the warmth as it enveloped his body. Skin against skin. His hands sliding down her body. His teeth sinking into her neck.

Next to him, Bella dropped the container of bubbles, pulling him from the fantasy. She was flustered as she bent to pick it up. She opened the bottle and squeezed a copious amount into the bathtub.

"No. I—I want to be alone."

"Is everything okay?" For the first time, he realized that maybe the events of the day had affected her as much as him.

"Yeah, fine. I'm just not feeling very well."

Edward watched her secure the lid and set the bottle on the tile next to the tub. She ran a hand through her hair and straightened her shirt, looking anywhere but him. He narrowed his eyes.

She was acting so strange. And she was lying. Vampires felt fine all the time.

She couldn't have known…

Bella?

Bella glanced at him over her shoulder. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked away.

She can read my mind.

In a panic, Edward tried to recall everything he ever thought about the girl. Anything unfavorable, anything she might find offensive. Anything too favorable. Then he realized if she could read his mind, bringing up those memories was the last thing he wanted to do. He tried to keep the thoughts at bay, but the more he tried to push them from his mind, the more they sprang to the forefront.

Bella had no reaction.

"Can you read my mind?"

"No. Why would you think that?" She answered too fast and sounded too dismissive, but it still planted a seed of doubt in Edward's head.

"Sometimes you look at me like I've called your name."

"That's ridiculous." Bella faced him, looked him dead in the eyes, and planted her hands on her hips. "Can I be alone now?"

"Yes." Edward turned off the water and pointed to a panel on the wall. "The jet controls are there. Towels are in here." He opened the cabinet above her head. "Let me know if you need anything."

Edward exited the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He waited, hoping she would change her mind and call for him to come back.

She didn't.

###

Esme took one look at Edward and was on her feet. She wrapped him in her arms and pulled him down on the couch. "Oh, sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?"

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Edward was convinced the girl could hear his thoughts. It unsettled him to the core. He always knew his ability made the others uncomfortable, especially when they first found out, but knowing how they felt was nothing compared to experiencing the invasion of privacy first hand.

Edward felt awful. Not only had he taken away Bella's family and future—her life—but he also cursed her with the very thing he used her to escape from. He wondered when it began, and if she could hear the others as well. He hoped their thoughts had been kind.

About her.

About him.

He didn't know if he could ever look Bella in the eye again now that she was privy to his deepest feelings. How long would she be able to live this way? How long until she cracked? He refused to let her suffer as he had for so many years. She would resent him even more for placing this burden upon her. It wasn't hers to bear; it was his.

He had to fix it.

The voices returned when he wasn't around Bella, and logic told him the opposite must be true for her. The only solution would be to leave and never look back. To destine himself to a lifetime of solitude. A nomadic life. A life where he couldn't hear the thoughts of others or make the people around him miserable. It was what he should have done in the first place, what he should he should have done years ago. His ability was unfair to everyone around him.

But he didn't want to leave his family, and he couldn't bear to let her go. He wouldn't survive without her. The mere thought of being separated sent a pain tearing through his chest.

He deserved to be alone after everything he'd done to the girl, but he was selfish, and he knew it. Leaving wasn't an option. He could never speak of it, never suggest they go their separate ways. He refused to put the idea in her head.

But if she could read his mind, it was already there.

Edward closed his eyes and rested his head on Esme's shoulder. She ran her hand up and down his back, and he wished it was enough to soothe him.

"I think I made a huge mistake."