"I am completely and utterly yours,"
I smiled happily at the memory as I woke up from sleep. My senses were all slushy and mellow, every breath being lazily drawn and exhaled in a sigh of relief. I hadn't expected this to happen. Just last night I had been swallowed in blackness, such pain and heartbreak it was entirely too hard to bear. It felt like a hand grasped at my heart, quenching it and draining all life from me. Yet now every second seemed such a blessing, and I couldn't understand how one person could feel so much happiness.
I loved Edward Cullen. Even as I let those words float about in my mind my heart sped up, and I giggled uncontrollably. There was a faraway concern in my head, but my giddiness refused to consider it as important. I shouldn't feel this way, yet I did and I felt no shame in it. It had been so hard to reject him; it only made sense that I would be so attached. I had finally won something. I had finally found someone to love me, my baggage and rough past in all. I would not let that slip me by. I didn't care about society's opinions, or the criticism we would get. Who is to tell me that I cannot be in love? We just met, and my heart is already his. No one will go against that.
Edward took me home last night, carrying me in the sprinkling rain. I was freezing against his cold body and the icy rain. But I was completely warm, my bliss spreading through my veins like fire. I'd prefer to be in that moment than any place in the world. I watched his face as we sped through the forest. He was smiling, radiant even in the darkness of night. I could see his blazing eyes, so golden and so light it took my breath away. His hard skin didn't repel me as it did when he first touched me. Instead I welcomed its foreign touch. Nothing in the world was like Edward Cullen. Nothing in the world would be like my love for him.
When we reached my house he stopped below my window, setting me down gently. I looked up at him, my arms still around his stone neck. Time didn't exist. The only thing in my world at that point was his face, staring down at me with that smile that sent me shivering.
"You must be cold," He whispered, his smile not faltering yet he removed my arms from around him. I shook my head in protest. I didn't want him to leave. This was too perfect; I didn't want to come down to earth.
"I want to be with you." I stated, and I never spoke truer words. Edward's smile grew fonder.
"And I with you. Yet you need your rest. I will come and see you in the morning," His voice sent another shiver through me, and I nodded reluctantly. That wasn't too bad. Morning wouldn't be too long from now would it? It had to be at least three in the morning. I could wait a couple hours. I already knew sleep wouldn't come.
"Promise?" I asked, liking the way he laughed. It sounded like heaven. His cool hand found mine. I clutched it hard, not caring that it hurt.
"I promise." He answered, smiling that crooked smile. Why did he make it so hard to leave?
Then his hand left mine, his strength very powerful against my feeble attempt of keeping it. I shrugged helplessly away, watching him take a step back. I couldn't help but beam at him. Only when he turned away did I realize where I was.
"Um, Edward?"
"Yes?"
"I kind of need your vampire butt over here."
He turned around with a questioning brow, yet then understood immediately.
"Vampires are easily distracted," He smiled, and then was next to me in less than a second. I willingly put my arms around him again as he gracefully jumped off the ground and lifted the window open with one finger. I swallowed down my dazzled wonder. I would have to get used to this, I told myself.
Once we were in my room, he detached himself again, and I let him do it this time. For a second I forgot he was a vampire. Vampires needed human blood. Though I'd never think he would harm me, it must still be uncomfortable to be so near to me. I instantly felt bad.
"What is wrong Gabrielle?" Edward's smile fell, and his hand was against my cheek again. The touch didn't lift my feelings as they should have.
"Isn't this hard for you?" I asked, not sure if I made clear what I was saying. I didn't really want to say it, I wasn't all the way used to the idea. He just didn't fit the blood-sucking monster image.
"What do you mean?" He asked, truly incredulous to what I was referring to. Okay, seriously was it that hard?
"I'm talking about you being a vampire and I being human. It's not something that you see everyday. There's a reason for that." Still couldn't say it. I would have to, if Edward and I would work. He-he; Edward and I.
Recollection bloomed across his face, a warm smile trying to contain a bursting laugh. Was he making fun of me? I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Do I stink or something? Is that why you are trying so hard not to laugh?" I was sure my angry face was at its medium notch. If he went any farther I'd have to turn it to high level. He better watch it.
Then he laughed a pure sound, almost breaking my angry façade. But I was too stubborn to let him win me over.
"You smell very appetizing. Gabrielle. If that's what you wanted to hear," He was grinning ear to ear, subtly baring his teeth. I swallowed a nervous lump loudly, my anger gone in an instant, replaced by anxiety. At least I didn't stink to him.
"Then why-"
"The same reason I go to school. I'm tolerant, Gabrielle. There is an extent to that, yet I could never bring myself to harm anyone. Especially because I can hear their… well, we'll talk about that later. You, lovely girl, need to sleep."
I tried to fight it, yet I couldn't keep back the deep yawn of exhaustion. Maybe I would sleep tonight. But no matter. I should have dreams of him. I looked forward to it.
Before he could go away again, I tried to give him a small hug, yet he shook his head with a gentle smile. I frowned in confusion and hurt. I wanted to have him in my arms forever. Why was he denying me?
"There will be plenty of time for us, Gabrielle. But you have to remember that we just met today. If we are to ever to be together, we have to practice our boundaries. When school starts you need to meet people and them know you as you before they know about us. Trust me; it would be the easiest way. So, we'll have to pretend we don't know each other that much. Will you be willing to do that?"
I swallowed again. I hadn't thought about that. Well, if I did I surely forgot about it. I had been so wrapped up in our fantasy moment I forgot about reality. Though I could care less of what people think, it would be easier for Edward and me to be together without everyone excluding us out of any social encounters. I wanted to meet new people, and have friends. Not be known as the love-crazy girlfriend of only one week. I might have deep feelings for Edward, but I wasn't going to be stuck up his… well you know.
I nodded my head, understanding what he meant. It would just have to work.
He smiled again, causing another shiver. He sighed gently.
"See you in the morning. Have beautiful dreams," Edward whispered, and then he jumped out the window swiftly and was once again gone. I stared out of the window, hoping to see a glimpse of him. But of course vampires have super speed. Edward would have to explain that.
I closed the window forcefully, the hinges rusted. Once again I came to another realization; vampires must be insanely strong, too. I sighed heavily, today's events still roaming in my head looking for a place to sink in permanently. Yet it didn't worry me. I had lots of time for that.
I didn't remember me getting into bed. I recalled a faint moment of me snuggling my pillow and speaking Edward's name before my world went deep into slumber.
I stretched out of bed after I relived the moments of the night before. I enjoyed the movement of my aching muscles. It only proved that last night was even more real. I laughed happily at the thought. Only then did I realize I had slept in the clothes I had on from yesterday. Yeah, that just wouldn't do.
So, to distract my Edward centered mind, I decided to take a shower and clean up my room a little. The shower was more than I could ever ask for, the warm water feeling amazing. Though I wasn't too happy washing away Edward's scent. But I smiled when I reminded myself that there was plenty of time to capture his scent again. I was excited of the thought already.
I quickly dried my hair, having a new appreciation for my naturally straight hair. You didn't have to do much to my hair for it to do what you wanted. Bella's hair was similar to mine. But I like mine shorter.
I then realized that I had actually thought of Bella without pain. Maybe I really could be in the same universe as her; now that Edward considered me good enough to be in his and that was everything to me now. I never had thought a boy's opinion of me was so important before I moved here, though. It was kind of weird. I didn't like it a whole lot, but I knew that I was the same Gabrielle. I could still fight someone and come out on the winning side. I still had the love of my black classic chucks. I still was the least tidy person in the Swan family. I was still the rebel, the girl who wouldn't tolerate anyone who threatened or dissed a friend. I was still Gabrielle Swan. I just had another reason to smile. A big reason. I smiled to myself and finished my plan for the early hours of the day. It was only 6:30 am.
Unpacking was quite a hard task, something that you don't really think about when moving. I tried to make small noises, yet it was hard considering I had to open drawers and drag boxes from the closet that had a loud sliding door. Dad was still asleep. I didn't want to wake him. He would be confused to why I was in such a good mood after last night. It wouldn't be hard to pull off, being sad that is. I was always a good liar, better than Bella could ever dream of. But I couldn't help smiling, the bubbly feeling not retaining or faltering. Who would have thought I'd fall in love? Love never seemed an option for me. Yet here it was, beckoning and welcoming me. How could I walk away from that?
Dad woke up about two hours later, and I was completely finished with my unpacking. My back was sore from moving the furniture around my room but I proudly bore it, knowing that the room was less Bella and more me. I was starting to have an identity. I smiled at the thought, liking the way this new beginning was starting to feel.
"Gab, I'd like to talk to you for a moment. I'm about to go over to La Push to see Billy," Dad said through my closed door. I guess he heard my racket and respected my remodeling privacy. I opened the door gently, trying to produce as much of a blank face as possible. He seemed to buy it.
"I just wanted to… well… apologize." He grunted, the mustache around his mouth turning down at the word. My eyes bugged out in disbelief. Dad apologizing? He was more stubborn than Bella and I combined. What changed his mind?
"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions about Edward and you. I know you should have friends here, I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into. I care about you, you know. I'm not that open about it, but it's true." His wandering eyes seemed to find a place on my nose, and his frown turned upward slightly as he blushed at his sincerity. My disbelief changed into understanding. I once again felt happy. He seemed to light up even more at my giant smile.
"Don't worry about it dad. I know your trying your best. It's paid off, trust me." I laughed, watching him visibly relax.
"Well, I'm glad you're not mad at me or whatever. I guess I'll be heading out now," He said, back to his old self. He started to turn around yet hesitated when noticing my clean clothes and hair. "Going out?" He eyed me suspiciously.
"Remember the part about jumping to conclusions?" I reminded, glad I distracted him from his current thought when he looked away embarrassed.
"Yeah, well, be back around five. A friend of mine is bringing over dinner." He muttered, finally turning around defeated. I smiled in triumph.
"I guess someone is noticing your weight loss, then?" I laughed, watching him freeze and shake his head disapprovingly.
"Someone's got to bring home the bacon," He replied, and we laughed heartily. It wasn't the right expression but whatever.
Now with dad gone, I could freely express my excitement for Edward coming over. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and sang along with an old song on the radio I turned on. It was all upbeat music, contrasting to my great mood. I would have looked like a complete idiot if anyone happened to look in through the kitchen window, but I hardly cared. The only person I wanted watching me from the window was—
I spit out a mouthful of cheerios when I seen a figure doing just that. It was hard to see the face, yet they were sitting on the porch. I strained my vision to get a glimpse of them, yet they were still blurry. The only indication of who it could be was that they had a very slim body. I could make out the curves that only a woman would have, and whoever they were had bright red hair.
I got up out of my chair to look closer, wishing that the window was less foggy. Only then did I remember I could wipe away the cool film. So with my long sleeve sweater pulled up around my fingers I wiped a large streak away, revealing the person standing outside clearly.
I gasped loudly, a horrifying terror gripping me immobile. The pale skin and extreme beauty of this person only meant one thing: a vampire. I tried to place the woman's face with one of the Cullens yet she wasn't there at the meeting. And once I noticed her smile, an evil and murderous grin, I knew she wasn't like the Cullens. She could kill me.
I instantly jerked back, knocking over the kitchen chair. I bound for the stairs, yet I wasn't fast enough. Before I even got to the middle step I heard the door slam against the wall. She was coming for me. I commanded my legs to move faster, yet I knew it wouldn't be enough. At the top stair I turned to see her fire red hair framing her pale white face. Her eyes red and teeth bore as she focused in on her prey.
"Ah, the other Swan girl, I presume? This will be fun." Were her words, the sound of pure evil. I held back a scream as she leapt up the stairs and she grabbed at my ankle. I tried to pull it free yet her grip was as strong as Edwards. I wasn't going anywhere.
"LET ME GO!" I screamed, still trying to yank my swelling ankle free. Yet with a swift movement of the vampire I felt the bone pop and crunch, and I slumped to the ground in pain. Tears were streaming down my face, uncontrollably shaking with my fear. Raw pain shot up my leg, a tingling burn rolling in waves from my broken ankle. The vampire laughed in glee.
"You sure put up a fight. James will like that," She purred, her red eyes gleaming with a sickening blood lust. So this was what it was like to be captured by a vampire? I hadn't signed up for this when I decided I would be with Edward. The thought of Edward brought the tears faster as I realized I would never see him again. I haven't even kissed him yet, and it was over.
"He'll come for you." I choked through my rivets of tears. The woman's smile grew wickedly. Then a sickening laugh erupted from her mouth.
"That is the point," She cooed, tracing her ice fingers up along my arm and to my neck. There, her eyes fluttered shut as she took in a profound breath. Her throat made a long moaning sound as her mouth parted to reveal her teeth.
"I smell your fear, Gabrielle," She gasped, enjoying the way her words made me shiver harder. I whimpered against her cold hand.
"Just a taste, then?" She whispered, almost inaudible. Refrained from movement all I could do was watch in horror as her head slowly declined, her mouth inching closer to the curve of my neck. I sucked in as much breath as possible as I waited the pain. I squeezed my eyes closed, not wanting to see. My heart had never fluttered faster, something that only aided this vampire more than anything else I could provide.
I waited for her bite but felt nothing but her cold, quick breaths against my skin. In curiosity, I opened one eye in a slit to see what had happened. The woman froze in her place, eyes wide and completely still. I exhaled loudly, causing her eyes to flutter once more yet now she opened them with rage overtaking her thirst.
A growl escaped her as she instantly flipped up into standing position. I cried out as her weight left my broken ankle and the pain throbbed intensely.
"So he has come," She said through closed teeth. My fear was ebbing quickly as I realized what she meant. I tried my best to think reason and try to get my foot away from her, so I scooted backward and down the hall. I lost sight of her as she disappeared from the stairway and the door slammed closed. I was still crying and in complete shock. I've broken bones before, yet the fact that some vampire had done it freaked me the hell out. My cries wouldn't stop, and it was getting harder and harder for me to move so I gave up. I felt completely weak and drain from my fear, the best I could do was keep myself upright.
That's when the pain in my foot increased drastically, and I sucked in a gasp of tormented agony. What had she done to me? It felt like my foot was more than broken. It was probably shattered. As that thought sunk in, I panicked. Soon my attempts at getting away again ended up with my vision going black and my limbs disappearing.