Bella POV

I wonder what my parents would say if I told them I was dating a vampire.

At least, I was pretty sure that's what I was doing. I wouldn't see Edward again until lunch time, but seeing as I made my intentions clear, and he didn't push them aside, I was pretty sure we were moving forward now.

Dating was foreign to me to begin with. Now I was dating someone who was technically dead. That made things….well there isn't a word for it. This sort of thing has never existed before. Or if it has it's only ended in three possible ways.

Vampire kills human.

Vampire leaves.

Vampire changes human.

Though Edward has never heard of a vampire human pair that hasn't ended in option three, I believe there could have been occurrences where the first two happened. I just couldn't imagine them in this case.

The practical part of me knew I had to prepare for them though. A vampire leaving shouldn't seem as unbearable as the idea felt to me, yet here I was. I could remember my life before Edward of course. I could live that way again. He wasn't my be all end all. I never believed another person should be.

But again, here I was.

The other option, the one that would end in my death, well that one didn't concern me either. I may not know his world, but I knew enough about Edward to know he could do this. He'd never hurt me. He'd never lose control. It may be naive to think that, but I really did. I trusted him. I wasn't sure how it would end, but I at least trusted him with my life.

Which brings me to the other option. If this all worked out, and he didn't kill me or leave me, and his family accepted me, what next? Did he stay with me for all my human years and then find someone else when I died? Did I become one of them?

Just what had I gotten myself into?

"Isabella, what do you think was Shakespeare's intention when he wrote A Midsummer's Night Dream?" The teacher, Mr. Fronk, interrupted my own daydream.

Jessica looked at me with an expression that said she tried to warn me that the teacher was preparing to call on me. I snapped out of it quickly.

"He was making fun of love." I replied and felt myself sink in my chair. Partly because I hate speaking in class, and partly because I myself used to make fun of love. Now I was actually contemplating it.

At least the teacher was satisfied with my answer, and moved along with class. I did my best to push Edward and vampires from my mind for the sake of my grades.

I forced myself to keep thinking clearly through the rest of my classes, and didn't let myself feel excitement until I was at my locker before lunch. Jess was waiting for me next to it.

"Are you eating with Edward?"

I was surprised she asked, since this had become routine. "Yea, why is something wrong."

"Do me a favor, and while you're at that table, watch Mike's body language. I'm having lunch with just him, and I want to see if you notice how he acts around me."

"I can't read his mind Jess, that might be difficult." Then I remembered with a jolt….Edward could. That was going to take some getting used to. "I'll do what I can, but don't hope for a good reading. You know I'm oblivious to that sort of thing."

"Ang is out sick, so you are my only hope." She clasped her hands together to beg.

"Don't you mean last resort?" Though this was usually the type of behavior from girls that annoyed me, I couldn't resist Jess's easy going nature, or erase her ever present smile. "I'll report back to you later then."

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed and rushed off.

I laughed and got out the leftovers I decided to bring in for lunch. As I walked into the cafeteria, I wondered how no one ever noticed that the Cullen's never ate. I looked over to the table where Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper sat; and then back to Edward's. As I took in their attractiveness, I remembered there were other things people probably noticed about them before anything else.

I sauntered over to Edward and I's table, snickering. He raised a brow at me as I sat and I shook my head.

"It's nothing. Just amusing myself."

"I see. I guess I don't even have to ask you things anymore. What can you read my mind?"

"No. Wish I could." I took out my drink and smiled at his. I should probably be mad at the waste of it.

"As I wish I could read yours."

I rolled my eyes at that. I was thrilled beyond belief that he couldn't read mine. "You can't have it all Cullen."

He looked regretful again, and even though I couldn't read his mind, I knew what he was thinking.

We couldn't have it all.

I pushed that thought away and sent him an easy smile. "I may have been a little distracted today, but I did notice there are rumors buzzing around school."

"There usually is."

"I've never been a part of the rumor mill though."

He smiled crookedly and spread his arms wide, as if in welcome. "Join my club. Though I haven't been in the rumor mill since we moved here. It was only those first few weeks, and the occasional questions since then. Now it seems I'm back in it with you though. What have you heard?"

"That we're dating of course." I said as I ate, and he laughed. The sound seemed as though it hadn't been used in a while. It made me smile that I brought it out.

"Of course. They haven't even seen the half of it, yet they deduce we must be together." He looked at me for a moment. "It's not enough, that term. Just dating."

"Well seeing as we are likely the first to be in this situation, unless we invent our own way of wording it, we're going to have to stick to dating." I looked back at him, faking concern. "That is what we're doing right."

"That was the choice you made."

"So even after I make the choice, you still won't tell me what it was you wanted to come out of this."

"I only did it that way because I didn't want to pressure you." He leaned a slight bit closer though. "Now I'll say what I wanted was you. To be a part of your life, and have you in mine. To share everything with you."

"Yea, that definitely sounds more intense than dating." I smiled, but I felt my heart beat unevenly. How could we feel so much so fast?

I guess our relationship could move at vamp speed too.

I glanced over at Jess and Mike as they passed us after returning from the lunch line. Jessica was obvious enough that I could tell how happy she was that Mike was paying this special attention to her. I couldn't tell about Mike though. He certainly looked like he was enjoying talking to her, and as he sat down he seemed engaged in whatever they were talking about. But I honestly couldn't tell if he was there to lay the groundwork for a dating type deal, or if he was supporting friendship. I sighed and looked back at our table.

"What is it?" Edward asked.

"Jess is eating with Mike today. She wanted me to play girlfriend and check to see if Mike looked interested in more. I can't tell though. I warned her I'm not good at that sort of thing."

Edward chuckled. "Why didn't you just ask me?"

I looked up from my food in surprise. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you know I can read minds."

"Yes, I was thinking about the fact that you could when she asked me, but that doesn't mean I'd ask you. That's using you, I won't do that."

He looked at me, more closely than he ever had. "You really wouldn't would you? Even if it was to benefit you personally, you still wouldn't ask it of me?"

"No I wouldn't." I was confused. Why did he think I could be that way? "Edward, I'm sitting here right now because of you. In more ways than one. Because you've seen to me living, and because it's you I'm interested in. It's you I…have affection for. It has nothing to do with what you can do." I leaned over to grip the top of his shirt. This move surprised him. "Is that why you think I chose this? You tell me right now so I can decide whether or not to hit you."

"You'd just hurt yourself."

"Wanna bet? You might want to get Emmett as back up. Throw in the others too for good measure, cuz I don't like your chances."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I could see the softness in them. "I didn't think that was why you were here. Though that might be easier to believe than you just have…affection for me." The crooked smile returned. "You may want to let go of my shirt, seeing as people are waiting for you to kiss me."

I glared at him, but let go. "You and I are going to have a talk one of these days."

"Not today?"

"No it's not necessary yet."

"Mike likes Jessica."

I paused from taking a drink to gape at him. "You checked. With your…." I wiggled my fingers next to my head. He smiled.

"Yes, I checked. He hasn't mustered up enough courage to do anything about it yet, but he likes her as more than a friend. I'd recommend telling her to ask him instead. He's that nervous."

"I might do that." I said and smiled at him. "Is that another reason why you let me choose? Were you scared I'd turn you down if you came out and said it."

"Said what?" He said coyly.

"Well you still haven't said much about how you feel about me, you've only given me gestures. Which I've liked but I'm still a girl you know."

"An odd girl." He smiled at me and reached for my hand.

It was a very human sort of gesture, but the jolt was something I had never felt until him. It didn't matter now that people were watching. I didn't notice them. Not with the way he was looking at me.

"I don't know how to be close to you. Not just in the touching you way. I want to be able to do all those things, but I have to remain in control. I can't afford to slip, I can't ever hurt you. I'm not sure I could lose you either. You've let loose so much in me. So many feelings. But I don't know how to be close to you in that way either. I don't know how to share myself as I want to. I'm afraid of what it will cost us."

"The three options."

"What?"

"Something I was considering earlier." I griped his hand tighter, knowing he'd soon slip it away. "Me making this choice doesn't magically make everything easy and happily ever after Edward, but we can try. Something's here. Something that is a little magic. That's what I feel."

He hesitated, but put his other hand on top of our joined ones. "I feel it too. And I will try."

"Then that's all I need to hear."

"No, there's something else you need to hear." He said, his lips pulled together as if he was holding back laughter.

"What?" I asked warily.

"My family is noticing the how we are…close. I don't think it can be put off any longer. It's time I introduce you to them."

"Oh." I suddenly felt the fear. "You want me to…" I trailed off as I looked towards his family. Alice turned to beam at me and waved a little. I nodded and smiled.

"Come over my house, for dinner." He finished, and pulled his hands away.

"Very inappropriate choice of words given the situation."

He laughed. "Well I think it's the customary way to date. I want to share them with you too. I want them to know the person who's given me so much."

I turned back to him and sighed. "I haven't given you anything."

He reached over to touch my chin. Holding my gaze, I realized. His expression was intense with some emotion, then shifted to amused. "You and I are going to have a talk one of these days."

My lips twitched, but I didn't dare smile. "Not today?"

"No it's not necessary yet." He smiled at me and leaned back. "So you'll come over for dinner tonight?"

"If only to see what it is vampires cook." I said easily, hiding my nerves. They were easy to forget when I was close to him. "I'll bring an appetite."

He pushed his untouched drink at me as the bell rang. He rose, and offered his hand to help me. "Just bring yourself Bella."

I stood and went to leave, but he kept me there. That told me more than his words.

"That's all I need." He finished.

At that moment, those were the only words I needed to hear.