I don't own anything Twilight. The idea of Bella being a mind reader is mine and a few events. Everything else belongs to Stephenie Meyers. No copyright infringement intended.

Beta Reader: Melinda the Proud Bookworm

Chapter 10: Proof

It was foggy and dark, both the morning sky and in my head. I rolled over and stared up at the ceiling.

Had I dreamt last night? Did Edward and I really confess to each other? I sat up and a beige coat slid down from my chest along with my blankets. It wasn't a dream!

I grabbed the coat and held it to my face and inhaled Edward's aroma. Edward had said he would see me tomorrow…today! I jumped out of bed, changed as quickly as humanly possible then snatched up my bag and the coat. I rushed down the stairs, ran into the kitchen, and finished off a granola bar in three bites.

I threw Edward's coat on and ran out the door. I ran straight into a rock wall and stumbled back against the closed door. I rubbed my nose as I looked up at the stone wall.

"A bit eager this morning, aren't we?" the wall smiled down at me pleasantly.

"Aren't you?" I looked at him mischievously.

"Absolutely! This is the first of many days that I get to greet my girlfriend. Good morning." He smiled at me seductively.

I stared at him shocked. "Holy crow! I have a boyfriend now!"

That wiped the smile clean off his handsome face. "Unless you changed your mind since last night."

I looked at Edward dumbfounded. "Absolutely NOT!" I grabbed his chilly, welcoming hand and pulled him to the Volvo.

He opened the car door for me and I sat down without hesitation. My door was closed behind me and Edward was in his seat within an instant and driving toward school, smiling all the way.

"Oh, by the way, you're not getting your coat back." I stated stubbornly and snuggled the jacket closer to me.

Edward laughed loudly then smiled adoringly at me. "Be my guest, keep it. May I ask why though?"

"I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure I went into shock just as I was getting ready for bed. Your jacket, well probably your scent, is the only thing that calmed me down." I was a bit embarrassed as I realized how ridiculous that sounded.

"Wow, so my scent has a calming affect on you?" his eyes grew wide as he looked out the windshield.

"Among other things." I whispered and blushed at my own admission.

Before I realized where we were, Edward was getting out of the car. Wait, we're already at school? I quickly exited the Volvo and went to stand next to Edward at the front of his car.

"Shall we?" he held his right hand out, waiting for me to take it.

Just as I was about to take his hand, I saw my coat fly in front of me to the car and I was pulled off toward the school building.

'I have to know. What in the world happened last night?'

'Did he kiss her? Are they going out?'

"Angela…Jessica…let go. You're hurting me!" they stopped and released me just outside the building for my English class.

"Details! What happened last night?"

"We had dinner, the waitress was all over him, and then he drove me home." Both girls looked bored.

"So are you two dating?" 'Bet they've been secretly dating for a while now.'

"Um, yeah. We both confessed and started dating last night." I fidgeted with the zipper of the jacket.

"Who confessed first?" Angela finally asked a question.

"He effectively coaxed it out of me. Then a second after I shouted out my feeling, he whispered his into my ear."

'How sweet!'

"Did he kiss you?" 'God I hope she says yes. Then I'll squeeze every last detail from her.'

"Does the forehead count?" I tried to look innocent.

"Not exactly…" Jessica looked disappointed. 'That's it?! With the way he looks at you. I was certain he would have jumped your bones.'

Oh. My. God. Edward heard that! I placed my hand at my temples.

"You were hoping he had kissed you though aren't you?" Angela grabbed my free hand and held it tightly. "I'm sure he will soon."

I blushed and smiled at her. She was surprisingly observant; I had to give her credit.

"I can already tell that you like him. So, how much?" Angela asked sweetly.

"Painfully so." I said in a whisper as I blushed. "I'm sure more then he likes me though."

Angela looked confused. "But didn't he confess? Why do you think he doesn't feel as much as you do?"

I blushed a bit and shrugged. "He's always so calm and collected around me. With me, if I just hear his voice I'm Jell-O"

'She's probably just in lust with him. Hell I am too.' Jessica started to think of ideas for my reactions to him, all far fetched.

"I'm sure everything will work out. I've seen how Edward is around you, you'll be fine." Angela smiled and winked at me. "I'm rooting for you!"

"Um, thanks…I guess."

'He truly does love you, deeply I would say. He's probably just acting calm and collected.'

The school bell rang loudly over the campus.

"Holy crow, we're late!" I shouted and ran in the building to class. I heard Jessica and Angela run off for their classes as well.

'Man, she has it bad. I've never seen someone so much in love.' Was I that obvious to Angela?

'I bet she just wants his body. She's only known him what, three months? There is no way they're in love. It's just lust.'

I accidentally slammed my knee into my desk at hearing Jessica's cruel thoughts. Just because she hasn't snared Mike yet doesn't mean she has to be so vindictive to those of us who managed to find love within a few months.

'Geesh, Bella is such a klutz.'

I looked over to Jasper and he was smirking and shaking his head in disbelief.

'Aside from her knowing were vampires and her dating Edward, I wonder what it is she has to tell us.'

I stared at Jasper in shock. Edward didn't tell them about my ability. I sat down and wondered how I was going to tell everyone. Maybe I'll just wait for Edward to say something.

Much to my surprise, the rest of my classes went by peacefully and it was finally time for lunch. Finally time with Edward.

I nearly ran from the math building. The moment I was out the door I was yanked to the side of the building, away from the crowd and away from eyes. I was shoved against the back wall. A pair of arms landed on the wall behind me, framing my head.

I looked up into sad, golden eyes. "Edward, what's wrong?" he placed his icy forehead on mine. "Edward, you're scaring me…what's wrong?"

He sighed then spoke in a hushed and hallowed voice. "Do you honestly believe that I don't love you as much as you love me?"

I met his gloomy eyes with my own. "Sometimes. You're always together when you're around me. But when I'm around you I lose all common sense. I know we're supposed to be soulmates but I can't understand why it's me. I'm so ordinary, apart from the mind thing, and you're so…perfect."

"Trust me when I tell you I'm not together. I fight with myself everyday not to attack you, both as a vampire and as a man. Since the first day you arrived in Forks and I realized you were my soulmate and my singer all I could think was not her.'But I soon discovered you were the best thing that could have happened to me." He brought his left hand down and caressed my cheek. Edward smirked when I blushed. "When you're near I feel like the seventeen year old I should be. My throat still burns for your blood but now other parts of me burn also and I'm not used to that. I've spent nearly ninety years alone. Now that I've found someone to love, I'm going to love her with every fiber of my being."

He brushed my hair behind my right ear and leaned in, his voice was hushed and seductive. "To borrow your words: never, EVER, question or joke about my feelings for you…Deal?" All I could do was nod. "Good." he then placed a gentle kiss on my neck, just below my ear.

"You have got to stop doing that!" my voice broke as I talked. "Or I'm going to need a wheelchair to get around,"

Edward placed his forehead on my shoulder and started laughing quietly. A short moment later there was a low growling grumble noise.

"Time to feed the human!" he took my hand and pulled me toward the lunchroom.

'What were they doing back there? Probably making out. DAMN, why couldn't she have stayed in Arizona, then Edward would be mine.'

I couldn't help but chuckle at Lauren's thoughts.

"Mind sharing the joke?" asked Edward.

"Oh, you heard Lauren, it's just that she wants you really bad but you would never want her." I giggled again.

"Very true. Not only do I find her unattractive but her mind is very vindictive and ugly."

I nodded in agreement as we walked through the cafeteria doors. The large room instantly fell quieter, probably because Edward and I had entered together, holding hands and wearing huge smiles.

While still holding my hand, he directed us toward the buffet line. "What would you like?"

I said the first thing that came to mind. "Just a salad is fine." He snatched up a salad, paid, and then escorted me to his family's table. I whispered to Edward, "You didn't tell them about my ability did you?"

He shook his head. "I figured it would be better coming from you. Remember what you said last night about trust."

I groaned unhappily, of course I remembered. It was only last night that we talked about trusting each other.

"I did however tell them you had something to tell them."

I groaned again when I saw him wink.

'What, are they together now or something?'

Yes Mike we're together now, so buzz off.

'OH HORRAY! They're finally together!' Alice was virtually bouncing out of her seat as we approached.

'Hey Eddie, so are you going to tell me if you two made out last night or not.' Emmett focused on Edward as we sat down.

"Not!"

Emmett leaned back and started pouting. I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing but a stifled chuckle escaped.

'What does she find funny? I don't think sitting at a table full of vampires is a laughing matter.' Oh, Jasper, if you only knew.

'I wonder what she has to tell us. Maybe Alice knows something.' I watched as Rosalie looked over at Alice, questioning her with her eyes.

'Hmm, we know she knows we're vampires, her and Edward are finally together, I know she's completely in love with him. I wonder what else there could be to say? There's no way she can be pregnant, not with how prude Edward is. Can a vampire impregnate a human, hmmm…?'

I was about to start eating when Alice's thoughts hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared up at Edward in shock. Edward had a hand over his face and was shaking it from side to side.

"Alice!" Edward spoke her name like it was a warning.

"Yes?" 'What, we all know your to nervous and scared to lay a hand on her. And I know you haven't even kissed her yet. And just think, soon you won't be the Last American Virgin vampire. Okay, bad pun I know.'

As I stared at Edward, too shocked to move or speak, I could feel my skin take on a color of red that would shame an apple.

"Alice, I'm warning you!"

I couldn't tell if Edward was serious in his threat or not. I couldn't believe his family. Is this what he had to live through for decades? Just from Alice's thoughts I was teetering on the edge of loosing my cool.

'Hey Eddie, we'll cover for you. Just take her into the woods and devirginize the both of you.'

"SHUT. UP. EMMETT!" I screamed.

Everyone went silent and looked at me then to Emmett and back to me. Edward covered his mouth with his hand in order to stifle the laugh I heard trying to escape. It was so quiet at the table you could almost hear the click in their heads as they made the connection.

'OH. MY. GOD!'

'NO WAY!'

'Not another one.'

'She can't be a telepath too?!'

"Yes way, I'm another one." I turned to look at Edward's amused face. "Is this what you've had to live with for almost ninety years?" he smiled ashamedly and nodded. "I am so sorry!"

'That wasn't very nice!'

I turned back to Emmett and glared. "And giving your brother a bad time about his love life or lack there of is?"

"Bella…that's not exactly helpful."

I returned my gaze to Edward. "Oh…right, sorry." I was embarrassed a new.

Everyone at the table erupted into laughter. I looked at each person confused. Did they not realize what I just told them? I could hear all their thoughts! Well, with Edward around maybe they just don't care.

"Um guys, did you understand what just happened?"

Alice's laughing quieted slowly. "With Edward around we're pretty use to it by now. We're a little irked that you didn't tell us but we understand why you didn't." 'So this is how you found out we are vampires huh.'

"Um…yeah." I tried to focus on my lunch but I was way too nervous and dumbfounded by their response.

I suddenly felt Edward's breath on my neck. I became absolutely still. "You need to calm down and eat your lunch. Your heart is racing!"

I turned my head to look at him, placing our faces inches apart. "And you're not helping my heart rate in the least."

'Edward, it's your fault entirely that her heart started racing faster.'

'Poor Bella.'

'Geesh Bella, I've never seen someone react so strongly to their soulmate before. And he's not even dazzling right now.'

I forced myself to look away from Edward's hypnotic liquid gold eyes. I looked across the table at Alice. "I don't understand it myself." I then looked at her seriously and full of curiosity. "Do you think it might have anything to do with me being his singer?"

"…I'm not sure. I don't know if it's ever happened before."

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Rosalie finally interjected, annoyed with being out of the loop.

"I'll explain it to you later. Then maybe we can all figure out an answer."

"You better or I'm never going shopping with you again." Rosalie sat back with her arms folded across her chest. Alice looked completely terrified.

Well I guess I know how to get my way with Alice now. Problem is I hate shopping period.

Emmett leaned half way across the table to speak to me in a more hushed fashion. "So, what have you learned about us during your eavesdropping?" Emmett grinned wickedly.

I managed to calm down enough to finally eat my salad. "Eavesdropping implies intention of listening. I have no wish to hear anyone and it's all unintentional. But since you are so curious, I'll tell you. You're obnoxiously crude and all you think about is sex. Jasper is the newest vegetarian and isn't quite used to it yet. Alice wants Carlisle to adopt me. And Rose thinks and hopes Edward can dazzle me into buying me a car."

Emmett nodded in Edward's direction. "And what about your white knight?"

I looked over to Edward and saw him and Emmett were now engaged in a staring contest. Neither of them blinked. "He thinks of himself as a monster and a danger to me." Edward flinched and gave me a sideways glance. A mixture of hurt, fear, and curiosity was written on his face. "But I know he's not." I smiled lovingly at him. "And I'm guessing he's thinking all of you are annoying at the moment."

"What do you mean, you guess?" asked Jasper skeptically.

I ate the last bite of my almost forgotten salad, and then I looked directly at Edward seriously. "In all my life, he's the first mind I can't read."

"Well crap! I was hoping to finally get one over on him." Emmett leaned back against his seat and pouted again.

"How in the world…" I was distracted when I heard my name in someone's thoughts and they weren't at this table.

'Oh Bella… Well they may be dating now but they don't look all that cozy. Maybe Cullen forced her into the relationship. I seriously doubt it will last. Edward seems to be a player; he'll dump her in a week. And I'll be there to pick up all the pieces and she'll be in my bed within the month, I can't wait!'

I glanced over to Mike and he was rubbing his hands together in anticipation while licking his lips with a sinister smile on his face.

Edward leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Would you like to prove a point to Newton?"

"Absolutely!" I turned my face to gaze up at him, wondering how he planned on proving our feeling and relationship.

Edward turned himself to straddle the bench then cupped my face with his chilly hands tenderly. A shiver went down my spine and it wasn't due to the temperature and I closed my eyes in anticipation. Very slowly, almost cautiously he leaned down and placed his firm yet soft, icy lips next to the corner of my mouth on my cheek.

My mind was reeling as he lingered on my cheek. I sat perfectly still. Thoughts from people in the room started to bombard me.

'Oh my god, they're kissing.'

'Wow…don't they need air!?'

'Why don't they get a room?!'

'One kiss doesn't prove anything.'

Edward leaned back and smiled at me. I looked away from him quickly. I didn't know what to feel at the moment, surprise, shock, exhilaration, happiness or disappointment…definitely disappointment.

Out of the corner of my eye I could tell that Edward was confused with my reaction. He had apparently expected me to be happy with his definition of proof. Well, sorry to disappoint you, you stupid virgin vampire!

He looked at me then to his siblings. "What did I do?"

'Idiot!'

'Even for a virgin you're really naive!'

'Poor Bella.'

'At this rate you're never going to get laid.'

"Em, please!"

"Oh right, sorry Bella. Old habit…never had another mind reader around so this is new to us."

"I understand but your thoughts are the most rudimentary. I'm going to class." I stood up grabbed my bag and slowly headed for class.

"Did I really mess things up?"

'Yes!'

'That's an understatement.'

'Totally!'

'Sorry Bella! Eddie's an idiot.'

I walked to class repeating the same three words over and over in my head. Stupid virgin vampire, stupid virgin vampire, stupid virgin vampire….