Merry Christmas! Here's Chp. 12!

Chapter Twelve: Interruption

(EDWARD'S POV)

The sight of Bella in her white dress filled my being with immeasurable happiness. I had never seen her look so free of sorrow and burden. I lowered myself as she turned towards the window from where I admired, and soon she was out the door.

I leapt down onto solid ground and entered the household. The eruption of music, laughter, conversation, the clinking of glasses, and shuffling of feet met my ears, but I only searched for Bella's heartbeat. It thudded heavily now as she came down the stairs.

I read the minds of the humans around me, and smiled to myself. I glared at the human boy next to me who held particularly impure thoughts about Bella, and he cowered away. She was coming closer and closer to me, the room filling up with more people. I could so easily shove them aside to get to her, but I knew that had fatal potential so I kept stationary.

Bella was only an arm's length away from me, but something in me held me back. I knew that if I took her now I could never let her go so I watched and waited as more humans blocked her from my sight.

It exceedingly became harder to hear Bella's heart through the layers of music and human conversation and I focused harder. I grabbed on to it again, but this time it was at a quicker pace. She was afraid. And then, I heard him. Or rather his thoughts in close proximity to Bella.

Jacob Black.

The name infuriated me, and I knew right then his purpose. He was going to lead her outside and tell her the truth about me.

I pushed on through until I was outside again. In the silence of the night I could hear Bella much clearer. I leapt onto a tree and made my way through to the back woods outside of Bella's house. Once I spotted them I slowed my pace until it was as quiet as the October air.

I watched as Jacob nearly dragged Bella into the night. Goosebumps sprouted on her bare flesh and it enraged me how he treated her so carelessly. Soon, they stopped near a toppled over tree trunk.

There was nothing I could do now. The truth inevitably reveals itself, and it was a dying shame that it had to be Jacob Black who would give it to Bella.

At first, I didn't want to listen into their conversation. A part of me was afraid that Bella would react like any normal human being would: with gut-wrenching fear that came with being acquainted with a monster, but then I heard her protest against Jacob's claims about me. She refused his assertions, and even defended my family and I.

"Look, I know people talk about Edward and me hating each other, but that's not even the point. The thing is, he's going to try to kill you."

Kill. The word sprang like venom into the air. I watched as Bella's face remained unaffected. I wanted to leap down from where I was settled and show Jacob what it felt like to want to murder in cold blood, but I knew that he wasn't wrong. I had wanted Bella's blood the moment I saw her. There was nothing in the world that separated me from tasting her sweet poison the second she walked in the room. There was still a part of me that yearned for her glorious blood.

It killed me to see Bella protest further and further. How could she trust me so unflinchingly as if she knew what I was?

As much as I detested Jacob I understood his intentions. He was only trying to save Bella's life from a horrifying circumstance. To my surprise, Jacob's thoughts remained free of malice. His warning for Bella stemmed from a genuine concern for her life, but as time passed Bella grew impatient.

"Freaks?" she said with such fury.

"Yeah, freaks," Jacob said, "murderous, blood-sucking freaks."

He's right, Bella. Listen to him. I whispered into the night, but Bella finally reached her limit.

"Look, I need to get back to the party. I had enough of this."

Bella had made our decision. She would not accept that I was anything but a monster, and she ran through the woods. Her white-clad figure radiating in the darkness. I almost wanted to stop her and tell her what Jacob had, but I only followed her back.